Quality: We make designs of high-quality components, not cheap plastic and mass produced pieces. When you buy from the designer, you will know exactly what you are getting, because we can tell you. And we will. Any reputable designer is going to tell you up front if it is a reconstituted stone, if it is man-made and the story behind the stones/beads if there is any. We may even know the lamp worker who made the beads, and some of us kiln them ourselves. We can talk about how the wire was wrapped to create the bail it hangs from.
If it is a piece with lesser quality items, or perhaps some of our early pieces when we were learning a new technique, we will be very honest about that, too. Designers have nothing to hide, we want you to know. Yes, initially, some designers start using somewhat less expensive pieces as they are learning and building their inventory (yes, inventory—you should see the bead stashes we have!). Then, as they work with pieces and learn more about stones and find better suppliers, their quality improves. It doesn’t mean that the early pieces you buy aren’t “worth” the cost, they are. If anything, most designers underestimate the value of their work, so “newbies” are typically giving everyone great deals.
You may also learn about the inspiration that first gave us the idea to create the piece, and what we hoped the piece accomplished or “said” to the wearer, if any. I try to learn about stones, where they come from, how they are mined or found, and any other particular “tidbit” so I can let my customer—you—know what you are getting.
Fit, Color, and More: A designer can adjust the length to be exactly what you need, so it falls exactly where it needs to on the neckline of a certain dress, or because you don’t want the earrings to be quite that long. We can add stones, extenders, lengthen toggle clasps, and really, literally, remake a piece to fit you (or even small girls, I made bracelets and necklaces for my three-and five-year-old nieces, with five inch wrists and about twelve inch necklaces).
We can make something similar to a design we already have in another color, just ask. If you hate green but love a certain necklace, ask us, we can usually design something similar in the color you want.
Or, maybe you really like the necklace you see, but it’s just not “flashy” enough, ask us. We can remake that, adding more crystals and glass, rhinestones, or metal so it glints in light. We can add strands to make it bolder and more dramatic. Or we can tone down a piece so it isn’t as “blingy” if you prefer.
Exclusivity and Distinctiveness: Designers don’t mass produce anything. First, we can’t; none of us maintain an inventory that allows for making 200 bracelets in exactly the same colors and stones, unless that’s simply the only bracelet we make, period. Second, that’s not part of the designer’s creative nature. We may buy enough beads to make several pieces from that set of stones, but it won’t be the exact same thing. So, when you purchase from a designer, you are getting that one-of-a-kind, unique design that no one else will have. A customer once told me that she and three other friends, at different events, all purchased the same necklace from one of the network public jewelry companies, where you buy from someone hosting a jewelry party, generally in their home or from a catalog. She talked about how she didn’t like the fact that two of them might show up at the same event with the same piece on, or that they all knew exactly how much was paid for that piece. A designer’s piece is generally unique, unless you order something or want to purchase several for gifts. And, if a piece is designed especially to order by you, no one will make more than that to resell; special orders are, well, special.
