Pissed off of course that I don't have the bodily strength to work as much as I would like and create much more like I used to. I'm managing small productive bursts and long idle bouts but the productive bursts make me so very happy.
Then I realized that downtime isn't exactly down time and is a valued part of my creative process and equally as productive. Made me feel a whole lot better about being lazy !
To the untrained eye it may seem I'm drinking coffee, smoking my 'kid yourself you have quit smoking' electronic ciggi and looking at your pinterest board but I'm actually being a jewelry design ninja in full flow.
My down time is usually a time when I can either design, search for inspiration or scour the world, thank you internet, for the best materials in my price range.
Every now and again I score big time.
Mostly I see well disguised junk and will test and destruction test it to see if its genuine. Hammer, fire, acid, whatever it takes. Does it float, burn ,smell, shatter etc.
Its great fun and very therapeutic.
Sometimes I get lucky and find I have a real bargain on my hands.
And there in lies the point of this part of the post, to show off.
Yes I just blagged a huge horde of stunning turquoise from various mines in the south west at a great price. Only a little fake mixed it it turns out. Which just goes to show that even people with a good collection can be fooled from time to time.
That was going to be it, just showing off but it has lead me to think about the cost of a finished piece of jewelry and what it is you are actually paying for when you buy it.
We often do ourselves a disservice when pricing items and simply take manufacturing costs into account , some people even take into account packaging materials , how bold!
Well that's all very well for a mass produced item that everyone and anyone can own but a unique piece of wearable art is very different both to the customer and to the creator.
Take for example a hand made piece at $40 oh go on then treat yourself $100, what ? $1000, why not you deserve it. How is it's value determined, how is it priced?.
Cost of raw materials of course.
The time it takes to make a well crafted and finished piece.
Those are what we always think about and what people are thinking about when they might say, "I could make that for less'' I know, it makes me cringe too. But they arn't seeing a complete story, they are just looking at the picture on the last page .
The hidden costs a creation has are many and some, very expensive.
Skills
Education , training and experience- ensuring a well crafted piece and ensuring you are selling genuine materials. Speaks for itself surly , yet rarely considered.
- How much did it cost for you to hone your craft?
- How long did it take for you to be as awesome as you are? Some people go to university for 3 years costing tens of thousands of dollars and more. Others , self taught through sustained effort, making mistakes, practice and hard work
- How much is it worth to know you are buying precious metals and genuine stones instead of plated pretty with clever fakes passing itself off as the gem of desire?
Then we get to simple time.
- Time spent sourcing the materials to enable best final cost to the customer
- Time spent designing the piece
- Time spent ensuring the piece is shown to its best advantage, display, space costs, internet and web fees.
All those things can be quantified and can be added into the cost of a piece but rarely are, especially at the home based bench designer level.
Of course, when we get right down to it, the Art in a piece of unique jewelry is where its true value lies and that is priceless.
