[Jewelry making - Article 00004] - Re: [Orchid] A Jewelry Buyer's Guide

[Catherine Clinch]

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    Let me add another point to this. The one piece of education I
    believe we must do is to point out the fact that some of those
    fabulous "bargains" that are available at Bloomingdales or Macys are
    "bargains" because they're made by children in Third World countries. 

    I've roamed through the jewelry counters at Bloomies and been amazed
    at the prices they're charging for this season's hottie - turquiose. 
    If I price out the stones and silver, then factor in my labor costs,
    design costs and the time I spend shopping for the stuff - there's NO
    WAY I could price a piece low enough for Bloomie's to add their
    markup and put it on the counter for $59.00!  (Not to mention their
    ads that take 20% off the sales price!) 

    The issue of "Made in the USA" is a major moral concern to me - and
    to virtually all of my clients.  Once people understand that we are
    putting our time and artistry into the crafting of each piece, they
    are able to understand why a piece has value beyond what Bloomies is
    featuring this week. 

    On the other hand, you have Barneys, Saks and Neimans...which go to
    the opposite insane extreme.  I saw a piece at Barneys that was
    priced at $3800.00.  I asked the sales woman why it was that high. 
    She looked smugly and said: "Those are real garnets!"  Well, my cost
    on those particular garnets would have been $9.00.  Even after you
    add labor, design and shopping time - I can't imagine how they
    justify that kind of markup. 

    So...IMHO, a major point of education begins with an explaination
    about WHO is actually making the piece of jewelry. 

cc

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