[Jewelry making - Article 00172] - Re: [Orchid] Manufacturing in Asia

[Annabel C Chiara]

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    Thanks to all of those who gave their advice. I actually came up
    with the idea after visiting some of the larger boutiques in my town
    and then definitely decided to pursue it after reading on Orchid
    about how someone's friend decided to have her products manufactured
    in Asia, so that she could focus full-time on marketing her
    products. Also, I have friends who work for major design houses in
    the fashion industry and have observed people who own large to
    mid-size jewelry concerns -- to be very honest, most of these people
    source their gems in Asia or in other countries as opposed to buying
    through American middlemen -- and many of them even have all of
    their designs made in Asia. 

    I am lucky enough to live in a city with many businesses and I have
    quickly realized that getting in touch with them will be a full-time
    job. At this stage of my business, I am not in a position to take on
    another employee. This is a crushingly expensive city, where
    apartment rents of $3,000 a month or more are not unheard of. I
    would not want someone else to be dependent on me financially at
    this stage of my business. It simply would not be fair to them. As
    it grows, then, yes, I will be willing to take on more employees.
    Manufacturing in Asia will definitely help me to grow, as I
    definitely do not have the space for a bench or to store gobs of
    inventory. Space can cost $100 or more per foot in my town. 

    I am definitely concerned about the welfare of the workers who make
    my jewelry. That is why I asked if anyone had had positive
    experiences with manufacturers in Asia, as I would like to work with
    someone who pays their workers a fair wage. I am even willing to pay
    a little bit extra so that these workers are paid fairly. I
    definitely believe in fair trade and would be happy to do what I can
    to help with the development of a Third World country. 

    This is not to say that all countries in Asia are Third World. I am
    aware that some of them, like Singapore are quite developed. This
    leads me to another point: It is doing a disservice to Asia to
    assume that all of its countries are underdeveloped with massive
    corruption and such a lack of rule of law that its workers will
    DEFINITELY be abused. While this is sadly the case in many
    instances, it is not always the case. Abuses can happen in the US
    and there are many sweatshops in my own city. I have believe that I
    have personally witnessed this in the studio of one very famous
    jewelry designer that I shall not name. It was clear that this
    designer was using cheap labour to produce pieces that I have seen
    in major fasion magazines and on Hollywood stars. This designer's
    jewelry is featured in many high fashion magazines and this designer
    is almost certainly a millionaire. I know that I honestly cannot
    afford to produce the designs that I want to produce in the United
    States by myself. And I refused to pay someone lower than the
    minimum wage, whether it is in this country or another country. I
    know that the cost of living is cheaper in Asia and materials are
    cheaper there, that is why I want to manufacture there. 

    For those of you who have concerns about the conditions of workers
    there, have you done any research on companies that treat workers
    well? If so, please feel free to share this with me by emailing me.
    I am definitely interested in this. 

    Anyone who has had experiences with Asian manufacturers and knows of
    reputable companies, please feel free to email me as well.
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