A question has come up quite a bit in the silversmithing/jewelry artist community, which has stemmed from the curiousity of those who would be collectors and customers. When buying handcrafted jewelry from artisans, why are the prices so widely different from one to another?

On the one hand, there are those who design and sell jewelry with no regard for the time put into their pieces of art. Not that their jewelry designs are any less valuable, but more than likely they have not yet reached that level of confidence when pricing their pieces for an accurate price and value. And then there are those who just do not know how to price their designs. These underpriced jewelry designs cause quite a fluctuation in the market for handcrafted jewelry.

On the other hand, there are those who charge for their time according to their experience level. And don’t forget that all materials and supplies used in designing those pieces of art are paid out of pocket by the artist (gemstone(s), sterling silver, etc). That being said, if the price of handcrafted jewelry takes your breath away, think about the work that goes into designing and creating something by hand. It takes time and precision to create a piece of jewelry. Most artists, including myself, work every aspect of their business. If an artist is experienced and if they are pricing their jewelry according to their experience, the pricing should reflect that experience.

When you are in the market to purchase handcrafted jewelry, please consider that there is so much more than meets the eye when this piece of jewelry was designed and fabricated. A lot of love goes into handcrafted art. Artists aren't doing what they do for the money ... it's the passion to create that drives us. But also remember, artists are trying to make a living too!

Please feel free to comment below.

~Danielle

www.gemstonejewelrybydanielle.com