WHY PAY MORE?
I will tell you a little story about why I charge more for my jewelry.
As a consumer myself I am well aware that when I advertise my jewelry and jewelry website, many people think that I am just one of the many business owners out there trying to make a living. But I can assure you, you couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I have been designing, making and selling jewelry for over 10 years. Every piece of jewelry I sell, I design and construct myself. I spend countless hours researching, reading, studying, learning, and brainstorming about everything related to my small jewelry business.
What inspires me the most about my jewelry is my everlasting love for stones. As a child I always carried a rock or two in my pocket. Today my stones are far more valuable and fancy, but the love and fascination is the same.
It wasn’t until my mid 20’s that I accidentally discovered the healing and energy properties of stones. Some stones emit powerful energies. Some stones are healing to the touch. Some stones are visually calming and relaxing. Wearing a piece of jewelry with healing stones close to your skin is curable to some.
Whether you believe in the healing and metaphysical powers of stones or not; the truth is that wearing a piece of jewelry with beautiful genuine stones far outweighs wearing cheap, factory mass-produced jewelry.
Cheap jewelry is not only unappealing, but it is of poor quality. Buying cheap jewelry is far more costly than buying good quality and more expensive jewelry. It falls apart and breaks easily. It turns colors right away. The metals chip and fall off. And some people are actually highly sensitive and allergic to cheap jewelry.
I have been told many times that cheap jewelry is “not so bad”. Well that’s probably why everyone sets out to buy a cheap broken down car that will leave you stranded on the side of the road on your way to work. Or a house that is poorly made and unsafe to live in.
I get it, I understand. And I actually agree with it. Jewelry is not a “need” like a car or the house we live in. Jewelry is a luxury and very much a “want”.
Years ago when I started selling my jewelry I tried all the conventional ways to promote and sell my jewelry. At this point in my life I was very much thinking and acting like a consumer and a business person. I rented tables at jewelry shows, craft shows, holiday shows and county fairs. I sold my jewelry to and in antique stores, consignment stores, boutiques and retail stores. I held jewelry parties at neighbors and friend’s houses. I was everywhere. I sold a lot of jewelry at low prices.
I did what every business person was doing to make a sale. I belonged to organizations that did not yield any profit to me professionally. Instead I paid thousands of dollars every year to belong to these organizations and to attend their events. I spent a lot of money promoting my business with business cards, brochures, advertising in magazines, etc.
A few years ago my personal life changed drastically. Life events made me choose between my passion and love for my jewelry, and taking care of my personal life and choices. With a very heavy heart, I sadly packed all my supplies and put them in storage for a couple of years.
During these “dormant” years I read a lot. I educated myself. I taught myself how to make more intricate jewelry. I did a lot of research where to purchase the most high quality gemstones and precious metals available. I re-wrote my business plan. My new business plan did not include a single page on prices. I did not care about the prices anymore. I had a new way of looking at my jewelry. I no longer thought like a consumer or a business person. I was an artisan. A designer. An artist.
There are thousands of jewelers and crafters out there. I can imagine that for a consumer it is overwhelming. Everyone seems to be racing towards the goal of making money. Everyone seems to be competing. Everyone promises you something. Everyone is selling the same thing, but some sell it so cheap and yet others so high. Why is this?
It all comes down to quality, craftsmanship and a great eye for design.
If you buy a turquoise necklace for $10, $20 or even $50; you simply paid too much! -What??? How can this be you may ask? Well, because it is not turquoise. It is either light wood, cheap glass, or a cheap stone painted in turquoise blue.
Real stones are expensive. Precious metals such as gold, Sterling Silver or Pure Silver are expensive. The materials I use to complete my stone jewelry with are expensive. How I design a special piece of jewelry is expensive.
Just to give you a fair price on artisan made jewelry, a Turquoise necklace can easily be sold for a couple of hundreds of dollars. Jade can fetch $200-$300+ for a single strand. Add Sterling Silver (.925) or Pure Silver (.999) to the design and it will sell for much more.
All of my jewelry is made with genuine semiprecious stones. No fake stones. No plastic. No cheap glass. They are expensive to purchase. It is expensive to combine with precious metals. Rest assured that I will charge you more than your regular artisan jeweler. Because I know I am selling the best quality stones available in the market. I love what I do, and it shows in every single piece of jewelry you will buy from me. My work is 100% guaranteed. If it breaks, I will replace it. No questions asked. No extra charge.
When you buy jewelry on sale from me, it is not because it is of a lesser quality. It is because as an artisan jeweler and artist I continue to evolve, and I am constantly creating new designs. I am simply making room for more beautiful jewelry. You are getting a true bargain.
My small jewelry business has finally completed its circle. Today I don’t think of the price when I’m purchasing new stones. I think of a specific design and the special woman that will absolutely irrevocably fall in love with the unique piece of jewelry I made for her.
Today I do not sell to everyone. Just like my personal life became more selective and stronger than ever, so has my professional jewelry-designing life. I pick who I sell my jewelry to. I discriminate. I do not attend shows anymore. I do not sell to third parties like stores or boutiques. I do not showcase my work anywhere, except for my website. After all, I don’t want my beautiful stones to be unappreciated. I want my stones to be loved, admired, and worn proudly for many years.
I have a very specialized niche of customers. My customers are picky about what they purchase. Not all of my customers are wealthy, but they are willing to save to purchase one of my jewelry pieces. All of my customers believe in me. All of my customers are returning customers. All of my customers have benefited from either the physical or psychological properties of healing stones. All of my customers are well educated consumers. All of my customers believe in living a healthy and great quality of life. All of my customers have become my friends.
I know that my jewelry is not for everyone. But to those that love and purchase my jewelry I am forever happy and grateful that you trust me, you believe in me, you love my pieces, and you continue to benefit from wearing beautifully-made, high quality gemstone jewelry.
Sofie.