[Jewelry making - Article 00536] - Re: [Orchid] Fabrication charges or wax vs metal

[Karen Goeller]

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Shawn,

    You ask a great question, actually. 

    To me, looking "down" on a specific technique is usually the mark of
    someone who is fairly new at their work or who knows only one aspect
    of their work. Folks who have been in the business of handmade
    jewelry for a while realize that the important thing is the design
    and how it works in and of itself. Frequently, pieces that you see
    (high end) are done using multiple techniques... some casting, some
    fabrication, possibly some lapidary, maybe some turning or milling,
    sometimes all in the same piece. Folks who are PROFITABLE in the
    business of handmade jewelry know that whichever technique produces
    the desired result/quality in the shortest time and using the least
    materials is usually the best technique for that piece. 

    Where casting does sometimes get looked down upon in the artisan
    jewelry arena is when it's used to replicate pieces for a production
    line (the same piece, over and over, without change). It's possible
    that the woman was simply indicating that the piece was
    hand-fabricated (i.e., one of a kind) to contrast with that and that
    was her inept way of communicating that. 

    I usually find it better to work to educate my potential customers
    so that they look at things a little differently. For example
    "Actually, that piece started out as a wax carving, which then gets
    encased in plaster and burned out at 1400 degrees before the molten
    metal is poured into it....", etc. I always have samples illustrative
    of the process (a wax or two, a little flask, a small silver tree
    just out of the flask, etc.) with me in the booth so people can
    visualize it. THis also lets me clearly demonstrate that casting
    isn't always about replication but can as easily be about one-off
    work. It's amazing how engaged they become in the process and how
    differently they look at the work. 

    I do not in any way think you are negated as an artist because you
    incorporate casting into your work! 

Karen Goeller
No Limitations Designs
Hand-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry
www.nolimitations.com
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