[Jewelry making - Article 01488] - Re: [Orchid] When your work gets ripped....

[Richard Hart]

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>     Ummm...maybe because they like silver and don't like gold ? Why do
>     you need to work in gold ? Are you not a "real jeweler" (whatever
>     that is) if you don't ? 

    "Why do you need to work in gold" Redundant. Covered previously. And,
    off to the races, again... 

    "maybe because they like silver and don't like gold" First of all,
    not everything made in gold can be made in silver without major
    compromises of strength and durability. Just a fact. If you are
    content with the limitations, forge on. 

    So, theoretically, if I like silver, and my customer likes gold, am
    I going to turn away business because of a "like".? Like, not! 

    As a practical financial matter, how much quantity of sterling do
    you have to sell to make the income you desire, if you were working
    in gold, how much quantity, and if you are going to develop a plan
    and spend the same amount of time making your work and marketing,
    which is more beneficial to you. Working in metal, is working in
    metal. I have never considered the color of the metal to be an
    issue, just what can I do with it. 

    Then, the common cents is that if you make something in 14 kt., you
    can get $40 to $60 per gram, that means you get 2-3 times mark up on
    each gram. 6 grams, I get $240 profit on $120 investment. 

    There is a greater perceived value. I get paid much better for labor
    on gold than silver. Do I work in silver? Yes. I make a lot of
    sterling jewelry, I make sterling and gold, and I make gold jewelry
    with or without colored gems and/or diamonds. Fact is, I don't have
    the clientele to only sell gold. If I did have that clientele, I
    would be shooting myself in the foot to turn down gold work for
    sterling. 

    People have no issue when I charge $12 to set a stone in gold.
    People do not usually want to pay $12 to set a stone in a $10
    sterling rings. Same labor. 

    Question might be, what would someone have against the profit on
    gold, and the lack of resistance from customers. 

    If there is some esoteric dilemma as to what determines whether your
    are considered a jeweler, perhaps put that in perspective with what
    benefits you get financially, if you have talent and persistence, by
    working in gold. 

    As a practical matter, "jewelry stores" are gold stores, not
    sterling stores. I have a jewelry store, and I get more people coming
    in for custom gold than custom sterling. I have my own line of art
    jewelry in sterling, and sterling and gold. I sell far more gold,
    white gold mostly, now. 

    If working in sterling is what rocks your world and that is the
    client base you attract and you are satisfied then there should be
    no issue as to whether you are a real jeweler. If you are externally
    motivated by how you are perceived by others, take a poll, and figure
    out how to change yourself for the sake of others. 

    Internally motivated, figure out how to make a living doing what you
    love, regardless of what you call it. Let them figure out what to
    call you. 

    I recently let my hair grow out like when I was a hippie. Now two
    people said I look more like an artist. Do I charge more, or less?

Richard Hart
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