I would also agree with the suggestion to get the stone, setting seperately (or have one designed) - wouldn’t suggest the set it yourself unless you have a lot more than rudimentary knowledge in the field (there were places that paid dad for simply setting stones), but that’s of course MHO.
Yes, there is an insane mark up on jewelry, however. Opal, You’re in business yourself. When you price your work, you have to take into account your overhead etc. You’d probably resent the implication that since it only costs you x amount of dollars to do something that you charge x + 10% or whatever. But, you, like any other business operator, have to earn a living, plus cover all of your expenses.
Jewelers have substantial overhead costs. Their insurance, for example, the inventory that they have to keep on hand is astronomical. I worked for dad for a while, and got a glimmer into the world - his business costs per month included building, utilities, carrying an inventory of several hundred tho’, and the insurance on it, etc etc. when you look at markup, you need to look at all of the costs (a grocer, for example has to include spoilage as part of their mark up) etc. I know that you know this.
wring, I think that the “over priced” aspect is more common with franchise jewelery stores. I also commend you on your advice about platinum. I am amazed that anyone who has a genuine allergy to gold can even think about wearing silver. Silver is, by far, more reactive and deposits more readily onto your skin. Platinum would be an ideal solution to the allergy problem as I am fairly sure that it is even less reactive than gold.
Do all of us here at the boards a favor wring. Please wear a nice sample of your father’s work to the next dopefest and have someone do a digital photo shoot of the pieces. (You may wish to bring so black velvet to couch them on.) Then have the pics posted at the SD people’s photos. I’m sure that everyone here would love to see your daddy’s work.
Most modern jewelery is butt-ugly and I wouldn’t even want to be buried with it. This “artcarved” tripe and the like is horrendous and most settings are so conspicuous that they might as well be a neon sign. I wonder if your papa had a copy of:
Jewelery Making and Design
by Augustus F. Rose and Antonio Cirino
Dover Publications 1967
This book contains hundreds of illustrations of beautiful jewelery that quite simply puts 90% of modern work to shame. So, let’s see some photos soon, emkay?
actually, the plan is to wear a few nice pieces so magdalene can get jealous (:D), will see if anyone will have a digital camera there. Some of my favorite pieces however are down at dad’s for repair ( ). But I still have several rings, charms etc. that show off what he can do (an especially interesting white gold, diamond and one other cat’s eye type of stone that is done so that it almost looks like planets/stars in orbit). The man is a genius! (my unsolicited, totally unbiased opinion, of course)
wring: I’ve thought about trying platinum, but I’ve never worn it before so I’m not sure if I’m allergic to it or not. I’d be reluctant to sink a bunch of money into a setting that I’d wear for two days before I found that it would give me a horrible rash. I don’t suppose your dad would let me wear a loaner for a week or so the next time I’m home in MI?
Zenster: Basic chemestry tells us that I should wear gold because silver is more likely to cause a reaction, but but that’s not the way things have bourne out in the real world. Ever since my earliest jewelery-wearing days, everything but silver has caused a variety rashes, welts, and itches. Why? Beats the hell out of me, and my dermatologist doesn’t have much to say besides “I guess you’re stuck with silver.”
According to this and this and this
, platinum is not likely to produce an allergic reaction unless you eat it :eek: (the last is a link that talks about reactions to platinum contained in breast implants :eek: )
I’m not much of an expensive-jewelry person myself. I mean, I love sparkly things, and I truly appreciate the fine “artisan-crafted” rings and stuff that independent jewelry makers do, but it’s not really my style. Actually, I like to wear rings made out of scrap material: bits of wire from around the race shop, carved wood… I don’t get the whole “desirable because expensive” thing that seems to work for other people.
Those rocks are so gorgeous! Big, huge, perfect 1.5 ct stud earrings aka headlamps are wonderful. Yes, I agree that the market is totally false.
Why don’t you start a post on the public health menace of fast foods instead of picking on diamonds? Gawd, next you’ll be hitting on the mother lode itself…gold. That’ll be your death sentence, bro.
Correction: things are expensive because they are desirable. I collect loose stones myself. Setting amber on fire is a fun thing to do in front of friends. The draw in a diamond for me would be the fire. It is beautiful. However, I would want a black diamond or a sapphire more. I also prefer color.
I wish, oh how I wish I could figure out my SO’s taste in jewels. Whenever we go shopping I pay close attention to what she looks at, but as yet I’ve not been able to find a pattern. So far, the criteria I’ve picked up on is ‘shiny’. Thankfully cost dosnt seem to matter, as long as it’s pretty it dosnt matter what it’s made of. Now I have to figure out what she sees as pretty. Progress is on the way…
As for me, I’m a metals man. Sometime in the future, I hope to aquire three gems; one ruby, one sapphire, and one emerald, no setting, all as close together in size and shape as possible. Hopefully all will be as natural as I can get them. Just because I see some sort of power coming to me from having the three together. Wont happen, I know, but it sounds good to me.
Other than that, screw rocks; get me metal. Iron, bronze, steel, aluminum… Gold or silver dont do a lot for me (I go for strength or resistance in metal more than sparkliness), but titanium makes me crazy and I really want to get my hands on some platinum, osmium, uranium (Is there a kind of uranium that wont kill me?).
Correction: SOME things are expensive because they are desirable. Some things are mainly desirable because they are expensive. I stand by my statement.
Hi. I’m an economist by trade. Perhaps I can be of some assistance.
Generally, market demand dictates prices, unless there are some (perhaps governmental) restrictions on the price mechanism (in my country, for example, there are minimum prices for a loaf of bread in order to protect the small bakeries from being washed out by supermarkets. Let’s not debate whether or not that makes sense. ;)). Therefore, generally, things are expensive because they are in demand.
There is a theoretical exception, however. It’s called a Giffen good. In short: demand for a Giffen good increases when it becomes more expensive, and drops when the price falls. Completely opposite to any other price mechanism, of course. The link tells you why and under which circumstances a Giffen good mechanism can occur. Again, in short: it can only occur with non-luxury goods that are a basic necessity.
So whilst Opals statement that “things are in demand because they’re expensive” isn’t completely unfounded, it does not float in the case of luxury goods like diamonds.
I think I know what she means, however. There’s a lot of people who will buy that $150K Mercedes, or that $10K diamond ring, just because of the status it (supposedly) has. The status of the product is, of course, immediately linked with its price and/or rareness. While on an individual basis people may buy the ring because it’s expensive (read: it provides status), this doesn’t really matter on a macro scale. What matters is that one more diamond is sold, thus increasing the demand, and hence the price. The individual motivations behind this do not matter in macro economics.
Oh, and a few comments regarding wrings explanation of the diamond trade. I’ve had a crash course in diamond financing (the bank I work for is the worlds largest diamond trade and diamond mining financer), and I can fully subscribe to her point of view regarding overhead costs in diamond trade. Diamonds are expensive, but the margins aren’t as insane as they seem. For a real high-margin rip-off, buy a Swatch watch or something.
Now, I know you aren’t suggesting that all people who buy expensive jewelry are doing so for status reasons, or that they’re 'Sally Shallow Bimbo’s, right?
Some people want status items for shallow reasons, others admire craftsmanship and art and have the disposable income available.
“It’s a pity too, because Hubby really likes to buy me jewelry. One year for Valentine’s Day he bought me one of
those diamond heart pendants, and I returned it…told him I’d prefer a sewing machine. This year for X-mas, he
finally got a clue and got me a chrome Kitchen Aid stand mixer…I think it’s the bomb!”
Ever seen “Father of the Bride,” the 1991 remake with Steve Martin? Maybe your husband was afraid of making the blender mistake!
Well I would HOPE you would know it, and that you wouldn’t suggest that I was applying my statement to everyone who buys expensive jewelry (since I didn’t say anything of the sort). Obviously there are a lot of people who buy jewelry for a variety of reasons. I was stating that the “Sally Shallow Bimbo” people do INDEED desire things because they are expensive. I wasn’t in any way saying that EVERYONE who likes expensive things fits into that category.
Well, you being a dragon and all, I’d think it wouldn’t be odd in the least that you like to acquire shiny things. It does go with the territory, doesn’t it?
Um… that’s what I said, Opal. My explananation was meant to clarify that while your reasoning is sound on an individual level, it is insignificant on a macro-economic level - where I would place reddragons remark. The two are not mutually exclusive, because they stem from different contexts.
I ain’t buyin’ it Coldie. “So whilst Opals statement that “things are in demand because they’re expensive” isn’t completely unfounded, it does not float in the case of luxury goods like diamonds.” sure looks to me like you’re saying that my statement was invalid. But whatever.
). But I still have several rings, charms etc. that show off what he can do (an especially interesting white gold, diamond and one other cat’s eye type of stone that is done so that it almost looks like planets/stars in orbit). The man is a genius! (my unsolicited, totally unbiased opinion, of course)