Critique Request Titanium Pendant

[Caty Blom]

Thanks to the thread of Santos, I could grind this new pendant of titanium and the coloring. Wonder if there is a market for sale. I want to make it in series with certificate numbers. Greetings Caty.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

that is really nice Caty, nice cutting and coloring. Did you color it by using a wooden cocktail stick? and did you use masking?

arnaud

 

[Willem Parel]

Really nice pendant Caty, I think this kind of work is quite unique in the Netherlands so you have to find the right way to sell it but I am confinced there is a market.
Why don't you try Etsy, this is a better market place for these items then www.marktplaats.nl. in my opinion.

 

[Caty Blom]

Thanks for the compliments and likes, and Arnaud what do you mean with using masking? I id all the collouring by hand indeed with a stick and I have not use tape ore something to mask the parts, if that is your question. You have to work very precisely and now hurry to finish, but stay calm. It's a nice job to do, greetings Caty.
Willem I will give etsy a try, but I think that their is a very saml market for this sort off jewelry.

 

[Willem Parel]

Willem I will give etsy a try, but I think that their is a very saml market for this sort off jewelry.

That will increase the price......

 

[tim wolf]

Hi caty, Nice pendant!
I tried to sell something on Etsy but iT is not working.
Maybe you should give Luondo.nl à try, i heard Some positieve things About iT.

 

[LVVP]

Hi Caty,

Very nice pendant,
thanks for showing!:clapping:

 

[mrthe]

Very nice! I had try time ago TI coloring but with no luck,good job!

 

[Willem Parel]

Maybe you should give Luondo.nl à try, i heard Some positieve things About iT.

Thank you Tim for this link, I didn´t know it but it looks interesting to me:

 

[Marrinan]

Caty, This is unique hand done engraving and coloring. This is higher end stuff. Seek out Jewelry shops that would like to offer what you create. Find a manufacturing jeweler to host this type work not ebay or esty. This is not handicraft work. Be aware that Jewelry sales are down in this economy so look for a market not affected by daily ups and downs. Fred

 

[Willem Parel]

You could be right Fred, I don't think you'll find a type of piece like this in any jewelers window in the Netherlands, they don't believe what they see, it's totaly new for them.

 

[Gemsetterchris]

The two markets unaffected are always cheap or expensive..all the mid range have a hard time.
So, forget cheap & price sky high

People subconciously think expensive stuff is good quality & must be worth it even if they have no idea.
What you have done is unique, so price it as such.

 

[peteb]

To establish a price for a higher end item, it must first of all offer a unique "look", then it must have a perceived quality. If you are expecting to be paid for your time, most engravers on the forums charge between $35 to $50 per hour. Add at least the cost of materials and see if it is something that you think will sell. I think that you will have to go to precious metals and the "fit and finish" must be flawless. Try to make numerous pieces that meet those requirements then find places on line and at shows and galleries to display your creations.

 

[Southern Custom]

Well done Caty.
Chris makes a great point. I've experienced this in the retail setting at a jewelry store where I ran the repair dept. We were having trouble selling a couple of older pieces so before we marked them down, I polished them back to spec and we then Raised the price and place them in a different spot in the showcases. Sold them almost immediately.
With that higher price comes implied exclusivity. Sometimes that is enough to make a sale. Goes without saying that the work must first be of commensurate quality to other items in that range.
Good luck with this one!
Layne

 

[Marrinan]

Excellent comments form the jewelry folks among us. Taking notes. Thanks-Fred

 

[Caty Blom]

I would like to thank everyone for all the comments and good advice, I will therefore certainly consider.
First just make some extra pieces of work and practice, but wants to do something with to earn in the future. Once the crisis is over a little, there will be again more people get interested in jewelry.
Weapons are prohibited here, so that's not a trade for the Netherlands, and knives there are maybe a few people crazy, but there is little interest. That"s why we need to make jewelry. And because I like the work to do, it is no problem for me, greetings Caty.

 

[Marrinan]

Caty, I think for your run of the trade skilled engraver (not high end artist engravers) there is more money per hour in Jewelry. Lettering is big, especially on odd shaped things that wont fit in the machine engravers. Sam points out a few very basic borders that he says you could just about make a living at. I my self have resigned to doing more what I would call custom production and try to do higher end stuff on my own time after putting in the hours on the plantation logos and the like. Mike Dubber made his living engraving for a production jeweler for many years though he often says gun engraving is his first love jewelry paid the bills. Mu community in South GA has one of the highest unemployment rates in the US but the mall Indian "goddy gold" dealers a very busy. Not sure if they accept food stamps or not but their shelves have high turn over The engravers in India work with and in the crudest possible working condition but our local population buys that bright cut stuff with abandon. Many of the necklaces have to weight two to three ounces of bright cut 10 and 12 karate gold on supper heavy chains. Try some of the boutique style shops. Your work is getting better and better. There is a niche for you out there. Remember the words of Chief Dan George: We must endeavor to preserver - Fred