ME wrote:
Abrasha wrote:


ME wrote:

Hello (im new here)

I was hoping somebody in this newsgroup might be able to offer me
some advice on a jewellery collection i am trying to market. I already
have a collection made up (not available for viewing yet)which i am
contracted to begin marketing soon but also need to have new designs
made up in the existing style. I am only contracted to the existing
collection and so have no experience dealing with goldsmiths and
jewelers. I was hoping somebody might give me a rough ballpark estimate
with example links to the costs of having new designs made into molds
for gold, silver, white gold, and platinum in the full range of carats.
I am also in the market for perhaps finding a new source for our
gold/silv/platinum supply and wanted to know which countries are
generally concidered the cheapest/best places to buy from. The existing
collection is available in 14carot only, and i am told by the artist
her current goldsmith insists it is not possible to have the current
collection in a higher carat due to the softness of the metals. I am
unsure if this response is simply because the artist does not have the
time to arange higher carats or if the reasons given are genuine. I was
hoping to market the collection as being available in the highest
carats and finest quality diamonds and would apreciate any advice on
limitations that may exist and how i might find a way around these
limitations to provide the best quality materials. So much info exists
on the net, it makes it difficult to filter the quality from the masses
of junk, so im hoping for some pointers or shortcuts here. I will soon
be moving production to eastern europe due to the very low costs of
labour there and so sourcing metals and manufacturing the pieces from
molds are taken care of already. I simply need to have some molds made
up and find a supplier of metals and the finest quality small diamonds
for rings etc.

Many thanks for any advice offered.

A


If you have to come here for advice, you are in the wrong business my
friend. Your questions are the ones from someone who has no business
being in this business.

Take your money and run!

--
Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com


As i stated i am in web design and marketing, not the jewellery trade,
and i have a new and unique collection i am contracted to market and
brand. Would i be right in saying that your comment suggests prior
knowledge of jewelry craft is esential in posting to this group and
that those with purely an interest are not welcome? Perhaps other
people in this group might not appreciate you directing away their
potential business of selling the highest quality and most expensive
materials which i seek?. Perhaps someone with your stance towards
potential new business has no business being in any kind of business
since you have no problem with sending away the potential new business
of other jewelers operating around you. Not a business skill often
found in "the school of common sense business". My questions probably
indeed are nieve since i openly have no knowledge of this trade and
jewellery, however as some might say "everybody must start somewhere"
as you yourself once did. Nobody can ever give thanks to their "start"
without thanking those who were willing to share their knowledge and
cooperate in the first place.

words for thought i hope

Kind regards...A

you may find Abrash's short and blunt reply upsetting
BUT he is a man of fewwords but very extensive knowhow in the top end of
the jewellery trade.
His advice is right, because you need an indepth background and long
standing practical knowledge of this trade in order not to make the
expensive mistakes you will make by transplanting your webdesign and
marketing skills to the jewellers business.
The skills just dont transplant into the jewellery manufacturing field.
Ive been a working silversmith for some 39 years designing, making and
marketing my own ideas and work and still only know my speciality ,
which is wrought work. IE forged and raised and minted objects.
Your best bet is to go to someone who is a major manufacturer and ask
him to quote you to make everything you want done. then go to one of the
top high st jewellers and offer them the collection. youll learn a great
deal from these 2 exercises, the main one is wether its worth your while
bothering with the project at all.
Now as to where to get the work made. Eastern Europe is cheaper on
labour BUT what control do you have over a production run a long way
from where you are.
Ive worked for the leading London Jewellers and know how they design,
make and market their jewellery.
there the ones your competing against, some of them have a tradition
going back some 100 years or more.
I wish you all the luck in the world idf you go down this road.