[Jewelry making - Article 00513] - Re: [Orchid] Women and self-purchases

[Nanz Aalund]

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Suzanne,

    The article I wrote " Fashion, Color and Women who buy Jewelry for
    Themselves." that is in the Jewelry Designers Professional Network's
    (JDPN) archives, {thanks for the plug, Ruslana ;~} was written back
    in 2001 and was based on the marketing analysis available from the
    World Gold Council, the Platinum Guild International, and the Diamond
    Information Center. At that time purchases up to $750 where commonly
    made by women without consulting a spouse. 

    I overheard an older jeweler talking at the Tucson Gem Show about how
    "jewelry is just a vanity item and sales are hard to make because you
    have to convince people to be vain" I could not believe my ears,
    because it was so out-of-date and a Puritanical way of thinking. It
    also doesn't make sense that a 19 billion dollar a year industry (in
    USA only) could survive on vanity alone. 

    I have always seen jewelry as the basic building block of how we as
    human beings construct our identity. Whether we are married or
    single, what social class we belong to or aspire to, what
    accomplishment we have achieved, and what country, ethnic group, or
    artistic movement we identify with, this is the information denoted
    in the jewelry we wear, make, sell and purchase. Women will purchase
    jewelry for themselves to commemorate special events that are
    important to them. They will use jewelry, and endow it with emotional
    significance to construct an identity that is meaningful to
    themselves. My most loyal clients where always those women for whom I
    had succeeded in capturing that emotional status of pride in oneself,
    in the jewelry I made for them. 

    I think it is sad in our society the majority of men deprive
    themselves of this and only buy things for their wives or
    girlfriends. 

Nanz Aalund
Associate Editor / Art Jewelry magazine
21027 Crossroads Circle / Waukesha WI 53187-1612
262.796.8776 ext.228

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