Why handmade is pricey
Women go through tens or hundreds of Instagram profiles browsing posts on jewellery and accessories. Admit it, if you are someone who likes pretty stuff, you spend a significant share of your browsing time looking for jewelleries. I do, even as an accessories designer and curator myself. Statement pieces are best to wear on weekends when you go out to reward yourself of a week's hard work. If you're practical, real jewelries are only reserved for life milestones. A rose quartz set in silver dipped in yellow gold, for example, is an equally valuable piece but at a more affordable price point.
Like a milestone token, I got myself a moissanite pendant in yellow gold bezel setting to mark my 40th birthday. I repurposed an old yellow gold necklace and it was handcrafted by a local jeweller on Instagram.
Doesn't it feel good to have to spoil yourself once in a while? And more than just feeling good, jewellery and accessories, especially the custom-made ones, give a boost of confidence whenever we wear them.
Real jewelries and fashion accessories come in different designs, made of different materials and are available in different price ranges. If it isn't real gold, the next expensive kinds are the custom-made or hand-crafted pieces in gold vermeil or silver dipped in real gold.
Why is it so?
Handmade jewelries and accessories are expected to be expensive. And they are. Price is always a relative element in selling and shopping, regardless of the item you are selling or buying. For most (if not all) buyers, it is also a constant concern. A piece of valuable advice: spend only what you can afford. If it is beyond your budget, don't pressure yourself into buying. Also, don't pressure the seller to lower it for you. Here are three reasons (of many more) why handmade jewelries are plain expensive:
Labor is expensive. Being handmade, these pieces require more hours (or days) of labor to make. Their beauty and grandeur are a product of a lengthy amount of time spent working on them.
They are unique. Materials that are rare and of good quality don't come cheap. Semi-precious stones, for example, have variations that come as basis for price differences. Other rare materials like abalone or mother of pearl go through several stages of carving and cleaning before they are made to statement pieces.
Designs are exclusive. One-of-a-kind designs give handmade pieces the exclusivity that you won't find elsewhere. If it made just for you or a design only has two or three pieces, it is personal.
Handmade jewelries, regardless of what metal they are made of or how expensive they are, always have a very particular beauty that speaks its price. If you bought them from a small business, the support you give is, in turn, for them - priceless.