What is Production Jewelry

What is Production Jewelry?
Production Jewelry for the purposes of this class is defined as jewelry made in multiples with the intent it be for sale. There are many levels of production from the stamped out diamond solitaire earrings at Zales up to hand fabricated works of art. The goal of this class is to introduce you to some of the techniques used to create multiples of the same piece in an efficient and professional manner.
Some of the things to consider while thinking about creating production jewelry:
Who is my clientele?
What is my market?
What are my goals- personal and business?

The art jewelry market can be roughly stratified into 4 areas:
High End: usually starting at $2500 +; platinum, high karat golds, precious stones, collectors are important part of business, almost all one-of-a-kind pieces
Upper End: usually starting at $750 +; some platinum, mostly gold, semi and precious stones; can be one-of-a-kind, limited production, or production with fine materials
Mid Range: usually starting at $100 +; silver, some gold; mostly semi precious stones; limited production with finer materials, or production
Low End: usually starting at $10 +; silver, copper or white metal, crystals, beads, some pearls. This usually falls into Costume jewelry designation. Impulse buyers are and important part of business, almost exclusively large scale production

The Vocabulary:
One-of-a-Kind: A piece that is made by hand once. It may be part of a series, but it is not produced in multiples. This is the type of piece you have been creating. The cost of such a piece is usually high due to the time spent making it. This type of piece is also attractive to serious jewelry connoisseurs and collectors, as it is unique.
Limited Production: A piece made in multiple for a set amount of time or pieces (i.e. spring 2007 or 50 pieces). These pieces use the production techniques but may be either too intricate or time-consuming to make all the time.
Production: Pieces made in multiple with time saving techniques. These pieces have a variety of prices depending on the materials used and are available to consumers on an ongoing basis.
Lines: A “line” of jewelry is at the core of all production work. Whether it is a look, specific technique, or a one-of-a-kind piece that starts you off, the line is a series of pieces that are all related to each other. A typical line will include: 2 pair of earrings- 1 hanging, 1 post; 1 ring; 1 bracelet; a necklace. Other items to consider are: cufflinks, brooches.
Findings: Findings refer to items non integral to the designing that are commonly purchased or are readily available for sale. These items commonly include stone settings, ear wires and posts, ear nuts, pin backs, chains, clasps, etc. While there may be purchased, for most of these items, making your own is just a cost effective and brings more personality to your work.
White Metal: This is a blend of non-precious metals that is used in casting inexpensive mass produced jewelry. It is difficult to work with, and aggravates allergies in people with metal sensitivities. It is usually plated to give a better appearance.
Precious Gems: Used in referring to diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.
Semi-Precious Gems: Covers just about everything else- garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, tanzanite, iolite, peridot, etc.
Karat: The karat is the pureness of a gold alloy. Pure gold is 24 parts pure gold. 18k gold is 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts alloying metals. The higher the karat the richer the gold color is, and the softer the metal.
Carat: Carat is the unit of measurement for weighing gemstones. Carat weight is determined by the physical weight of the gemstone. Some stones are heavier than others, so the same size of stone will weigh different carat amounts over the different stones. Knowing the carat weight is important as this is how price is calculated.