[Jewelry making - Article 00174] - [Orchid] Keeping trade secrets

[Lisa Bialac-Jehle]

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    Finally, I have a question for everyone. Do you keep secrets and why?
    I am not talking about your great aunt Mildred being a bootlegger in
    the thirties, I am talking about keeping trade secrets from other
    jewelers, either technique or suppliers etc. I was downtown the other
    day talking to a friend who is a setter. He mentioned that he loved a
    particular stone I had used in a piece he had seen. I told him who
    cut the stone and offered the cutters phone #. 

    For whatever reason, he was floored that I would so quickly and
    easily give him that information. I told him that I was always open
    about my suppliers and techniques, and that I found it kind of odd
    that someone would keep such things a secret, although I am aware
    that that is pretty common in our biz. He asked me, "Do you think
    that is wise?" I pointed out that even if I gave someone the complete
    information of where I buy stones, gold, findings etc...and then sat
    down and showed them how I put it together, it was fairly unlikely
    that they would bother to take the time to copy my work. Of course if
    they did and it was a bad copy, all anyone would say was: "Hmph...bad
    copy of Byzantia"...If it was a good copy what one would hear was:"
    isn't Byzantia doing nice work these days?"..lol...lol...lol 

    So what do you think? Are you open and transparent about how you make
    things, and who your suppliers are? Or do you keep that information a
    secret? How come??? Some jewelers are even offended to be asked for
    info. So far, I find most of the work from that faction pretty trite,
    but I am sure there are others who do great stuff and keep mum. I
    keep on trying to have magazines doing articles on me or my work
    include the name of my stone suppliers etc..when they publish, but as
    of yet, oddly, none will do it. 

    Just curious as to what makes everyone tick. 

Lisa,( Its midnight, and I did not make it to
Tucson...sob...sob...sob...) Topanga, CA USA

 
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