[Jewelry making - Article 00177] - Re: [Orchid] Drawing wire, getting burrs

[leonid surpin]

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>     When Leonid states that the labour cost of reproducing a Faberge'
>     Egg would exceed the purchase price of the original, is he
>     suggesting that the Rothschild Egg could not be reproduced for it's
>     auction price of 16 million dollars, or does he mean for its
>     original price when purchased in 1902. 

    $16 million is a lot of money for sure. But it is interesting to
    examine what would it cost to produce work on Faberge level. 

    Let's take a riviere necklace composed of 60 one carat diamonds. I am
    using riviere because it technically simple. We have to manufacture
    60 settings with built in connectors and a clasp. Each setting would
    take 10 hours of labour plus 100 hours for the clasp. Another 40 to
    50 hours to assemble and to make sure that everything works smoothly.
    Total 750 hours. Jeweler working at this level should be paid no less
    than $50 per hours, add to this other expenses associated with
    employment and we have close to $80 per hour or the total labour bill
    would be approaching $60 thousand. 

    To manufacture each setting we would have to start with strip of
    platinum with dimensions of 21 mm X 9 mm X 1 mm which weigh close to
    6 grams or 1/5 of an ounce. So we would need 5 ounces of platinum
    sheet plus some wire and solder. I will not be far of the mark
    estimating $10 thousand in material. 

    Diamonds, even is not the best quality, but still have to match and
    be of decent colour and clarity, I would estimate another $200
    thousand. The expenses so far approaching $270 thousand. Add to it
    rent, taxes, salaries of support staff, administrative, insurance,
    some profit and it is easy to see that just to stay in business the
    necklace cannot be sold for less that $700 thousands. 

    With some patience, a similar necklace can be purchased at auction
    for $70 to $80 thousand or 10 cents on the dollar it cost to make. 

    Without been tied up to a specific item, I think that in todays cost
    environment it makes more sense to buy things at auction than trying
    to make them. 

    Don't get me wrong. There is nothing I would like more than to
    practice the art of Goldsmithing on the highest level possible, but
    we are running into economic headwinds which are very strong. 

    I am still taking orders for Coronets, but I have to do them myself.
    It is almost impossible to find a jeweler who knows how to use
    jeweler's saw. I do not know how things are in England, in USA it is
    really tough. 

Leonid Surpin.
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