[Heidi]

Hello All -

I just spotted Gabriella Sanchez's work on Katy Beh's website here. There are some nice color combinations in her work and what look to be an orient-y pair of baroque FW pearls on some hoop earrings. !

*Edit: On the same site, Stacy Krantz also has some nice pearls and silver combinations shown here.

[pattye]

Nice find!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[silverseajewelry]

They are nice, for sure. But how does she get to charge that kind of money for her work?!

[pattye]

Hi Michelle,

Looks like she is charging (and getting?) full retail price for her jewelry. Probably those designers have established themselves in the market and have a following-----I know I forget (even though I worked jewelry retail) what those prices are like, because of buying from the online vendors here, there (ebay) and wholesale sources. We may have a good idea of the immediate costs to produce an item, without including the other associated costs. That is one of the difficult parts, deciding how to price an item ----.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Sueki]

And she may be using top quality pearls and gems. Although there's no indication of the quality or sizes of the pearls.

[Pearlgully]

Michelle - Keep in mind that G. Sanchez is not the one establishing those prices; it is the gallery that sets the price to the consumer. Generally, the jewelry artist will charge the gallery a wholesale price; the gallery then usually doubles (atleast) the wholesale price to come up with a retail price. With the price of gold so high and the U.S. dollar so weak, jewelry artists are having a really rough time right now.

Sueki- I've seen her work in a few stores in NYC and although nice, she does not she use top quality pearls or gems.


Gail

[Heidi]

Gail and all -

On a general note regarding this kind of niche jewelery, from my experience buying for and selling it in retail settings, the gem quality is the least of the assets for this market. Typically I have found dyed/treated gemstones with blemishes or inclusions that would keep them out of the market for the seriously higher-end consumer. More important are overall design, construction, artisan signature or other "unique" feature and metals quality. (Although now, given gold prices on the rise, occasionally I see gold fill, 14k or more silver.) Also worth noting, often galleries ask artists to sign certain agreements about the pricing and availability of their work elsewhere which makes sense - the only way the gallery makes money is by selling the artist's work.

[Sueki]

Thanks for the info. Gail and Heidi.