This picture shows the intricate design of a custom jigsaw puzzle by J.C. Ayer & Company. Customers can submit their own photos and specify names, dates or holidays to be part of the puzzle's shape. These puzzles stand out in the marketplace because of "the effort by me and also by the customer to make something specifically for the person who gets the puzzle," Founder Jim Ayer told TDmonthly. "Most puzzles are bought from me as gifts."

J.C. Ayer can turn a treasured photo into an heirloom-quality jigsaw puzzle, such as this design that includes a wedding photo with drop-out lettering of the wedding date. A cut above typical cardboard photo puzzles, these hand-crafted wooden jigsaw puzzles transform images into masterpieces. Prices for custom puzzles are as follows: 8” x 10” (about 160 pieces) - $190; 11” x 14” (about 350 pieces) - $320; and 16” x 20” (about 700 pieces) - $550.
— “The custom puzzles can include the customers’ own picture, [plus] special shapes and letters, and the whole puzzle can be shaped uniquely,” Founder Jim Ayer of J.C. Ayer & Company told TDmonthly.

Part of J.C. Ayer’s Exotic Art Collection, this 13.75” x 8.75” wooden puzzle features the Hindu God of Welcome and the Patron Saint of Drummers.

Part of the Haitian Artwork Collection offered by J.C. Ayer, this scene by Millevoix is captured on a 14.5” x 19.25” wooden puzzle. “Our puzzles have extremely intricate shapes because we use a custom-designed water jet system rather than a jigsaw to cut the puzzles. The images on the puzzles are seen nowhere else,” Founder Jim Ayer of J.C. Ayer & Company told TDmonthly.

Kroll painted Fontainebleau in 1906 and named it for the famous royal forest outside of Paris, which is noted for its handsome old oak trees and its proximity to the Seine. The painting was rumored to be one of Kroll’s wife’s favorites. The puzzle measures 15.5" x 23.5" and is made out of African okuome wood for its density and durability. “This is the largest, most beautiful and most challenging puzzle J.C. Ayer & Co. makes,” the company’s Jim Ayer told TDmonthly. “Sometimes the most expensive is the best deal. Down the road, the customer may forget the price but will see the beauty and remember the challenge."