[Jewelry making - Article 00601] - Re: [Orchid] Synthetic Stones

[richard hart]

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>        Is there a good reason not to use synthetic stones; other than
>     popular (buyers') response and/or feeling some connection to the
>     earth (being natural)? 

    Really depends on what your market is, and who your customers are. I
    am a custom jeweler, and my wife and I have a retail store where we
    sell diamonds, gold, platinum, and sterling silver, and, synthetics.
    We cater to what our customer wants and can afford. I just sold a
    very fine ruby, half ct. for $1100, and we have very nice synthetic
    6mm princess cut stones, red, not pink, not purple that cost us $5
    per ct. We set them is gold, we set them in silver.. 

    Natural sells, synthetic sells, pretty sells, cute sells. People are
    relieved that they can buy silver instead of white gold, or platinum
    and we support their choice, without attitude. Then they send in
    their friend ,who was pre-sold because of our honest, integrity, and
    good service , who gets diamond wedding jewelry for $3000. 

    There is no moral or ethical issue in selling created stones, as
    long as they are disclosed as such. 

    There is one "high class" jeweler in town that sells Chatum created
    stones. These stones cost hundreds per ct wholesale, and look the
    same as what I pay $5 per ct. Both created. 

    I have customers that are serious, and customers that like to have
    fun. I value the natural for what they represent, and I value the
    created for what they represent. I make beautiful jewelry either
    way. 

    The present economy is really bad, we are down 1/3 this month  from
    same time last year.War and election seems to be giving us a double
    whammy. Our customers are complaining about not being able to spend.
    And we have lots of nicely made, low cost sterling. Like thousands
    of pieces. So something is happening, and none of us know when it
    will get better. 

Richard in Denver

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