How do you price your work?

[Taogem]

Yes.... take a look at the intarsias

Now those are different style and very nice, but in comparison to others shared here recently. I give our members intarsias higher marks and well within the same price range.

Even though the ones in the link above are more detailed, I prefer the ones you guys and gals have been sharing.

I also agree Rick. I thumbed through some of the prices, and like you suggested. Many are reasonable, while others are way out there.

Thanks for posting the link rick.

[Lavenderfish]

Thanks Rick,

I enjoyed looking thru that website too and like the info that goes along with each different material.

Guess most of the intarsia there are done with a faceting machine since each is built with a lot of very small pieces, but it's nice to see the kinds of prices asked for them. They don't seem to be too obnoxious.

[Sceadu]

Not to be a jerk but... I posted the link not Rick. 

[Rick]

 Thats right, keep 'em comming!

[Lavenderfish]

Oops,  so sorry about that Sceadu! Thank You for finding that website and sharing a link to it. I bookmarked that one 

[Taogem]

Double ooops......

Sorry about that too Frank.

Thanks for sharing the link my friend 

Hey, I received your monthly newsletter today.  Thanks !

[Taogem]

Thought might share this too...

Link to story

IDEX Online Research: Jewelry Price Inflation Surges in July

(August 25, '08, 6:31 Ken Gassman)

After pausing in June, jewelry and watch prices at the retail level took off again in July, rising by 8.1 percent over the same period a year ago. Producer prices also rose at an accelerating rate in July. Price inflation in the jewelry industry is tracking closely with core inflation in the U.S. market.

However, as we have noted in the past, inflation cannot continue to rise at the current rate and core inflation is expected to moderate. After rising sharply for many months, what is behind the sudden reversal of some commodity prices? There are two key reasons, in our opinion: 1) the U.S. dollar is rising; and, 2) the inflation cycle may be waning.

Here’s the summary of inflation at the jewelry retail and supplier level for the month of June, as expressed as a percentage change year-over-year (July 2008 versus July 2007):

    *
      Jewelry Producer Price Index +8.9 percent
    *
      Jewelry & Watch Consumer Price Index +8.1 percent
          o
            Jewelry CPI +9.2 percent
          o
            Watch CPI +1.1 percent

Despite the increase in inflation in July, we believe that we may have seen the largest price increases of the year during the first half of the year, though there continue to be cost pressures that will flow through to both suppliers and retailers in the coming months. For the moment, though, our sense is that the surging jewelry prices we saw earlier this year may moderate.

While we suggest that jewelry price inflation may “moderate” for the balance of 2008, the term is relative. We continue to predict that jewelry prices at both the wholesale and retail level will rise by about 7 percent for all of 2008. That’s an inflation pace we haven’t seen since 1990.

Further, it is important to note that jewelry unit sales are down over 3 percent for the first seven months of 2008. This is the largest decline we’ve seen this decade. But it is no surprise: jewelry sales as measured by “dollars through the cash register” are barely ahead, but jewelry price inflation has surged. The net result is that most jewelers will post modestly higher sales in 2008, but sell fewer items.

There are two key uncertainties. First, precious metals prices are no longer determined solely by supply and demand. Speculators in the financial markets add substantially to price volatility. If they believe, for example, that gold should be bought as a hedge against the falling U.S. dollar, then gold prices will shoot straight upward again. And, second, precious and semi-precious gemstone prices are rising. Polished diamond prices continue to rise at an accelerating rate, too. For example, the index for all polished diamonds surged by nearly 15 percent in July 2008 versus the same month a year ago, according to the IDEX Online polished diamond index. However, on a month-over-month basis (July 2008 versus June 2008), polished diamond prices moderated slightly.

Jewelry Producer Price Index (JPPI) +8.9 percent in July

U.S. jewelry producer prices index (JPPI) rose by 8.9 percent in July, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This was the sharpest increase since March, when the JPPI rose by just over 10 percent.

While gold prices have moderated and polished diamond price increases have slowed modestly, there is still a backlog of costs in the distribution pipeline that suppliers will be passing on to their customers. Therefore, we don’t expect much moderation in inflation from current levels for the near term.

The following graph summarizes the monthly JPPI for inflation since the beginning of 2007. The percentage figures are based on year-to-year comparisons.

[Lavenderfish]

Thanks for passing that along Taogem. I haven't bought any silver for many weeks while watching it climb up to almost $19/oz. It finally dropped about $5 per oz. in the past couple of weeks so that's a little better.

Geez, it was only around $3.50/oz. about 5 years ago when I started silversmithing!   

[Sceadu]

No sweat, George and Lavenderfish. 


And another link you might find interesting..

http://www.crystalsandjewelry.com/awesomestonejewelry.html

Personally, this is one of the more interesting sites.

Though I will admit that some of the prices are little high end.

This one for example.
http://www.crystalsandjewelry.com/jewelry/sacredlibrary.html


I knew gold had made a serious jump but I hadn't been keeping
on the silver market. 

[thecowgirlzcharm]

 Also, there are folks out there who will turn up their nose at a $35.00 pendant, but if you say $135 for the same piece, they snap it up. Go figure that one out.

Exactly !  I have seen this. Hard to understand.. I have seen so many 100.00+ cabs not so unlike many I offer for about 30.00.

I too also do highlight that "run of the mill" cabs are all over the internet, and then go into how unique and unusual my cabs are.

Which they are ! 

I would like to add something to this being a newbie and such. With your Picture Jasper in particular, George that is why I came to TaoGem. I actually expected to pay more for your pieces than what you are charging in your store. I have also seen online astronomical prices for a Wild Horse Cab that doesn't even have a picture on it or it is cracked. The seller either doesn't know or is not disclosing the fact to the potential customer. The cracks were very obvious, they distorted the whole picture. The other thing I have found is a similarity in thought about pride in one's creation. Yes God gave the stone but, it is the lapidary (hope this is the correct term) that brought the stone to life by putting themselves into the stone. Hope that all makes sense. I was also astounded to find out in a search about Jasper from Russia? It was Biggs. Now please correct me if I am wrong but Biggs Jasper does not come from Russia. And the prices were extremely low. Too me as a potential customer, that was an enormous turn off. Why would I buy American Biggs Jasper that is supposedly comming from Russia, carved in India, when I live in Illinois? That is a BIG I don't think so. I would rather share the creative market with someone knowing that these were not mass produced and OOAK stone from the West. It makes the final outcome all the more interesting and special, when two artists (the lapidary again sorry if not the right term, and the designer) work together to create something that IS the only original in the world. Ok my two cents.
The Do Sa Do Diva,
Michelle Kincaid

[Taogem]

Lapidary is a good term Michelle.

I had to do a search about the Russian Jasper after reading your post.

Seems like everyone and their brother are selling different kinds of Russian Jasper.

I did not see any informative type links referencing facts about Russian Jasper either.

With the different types of Jasper being so broad, I would not be surprised if there is not many different types of minerals in some form through out many different Countries.

I completely understand what your saying about American Biggs Jasper coming from Russia and  being carved in India.

I can really appreciate your comment about the rewards of both the designer and lapidary combining their skills with special and interesting outcome.

I totally agree!

 

[theimage1]

Admittedly they have nice intarsia, but they claim each one is "one of a kind". Ok it's true every piece of cut rock is unique, but if you sold two of those as a pair for a necklace or if they were smaller as ear rings, you would claim them as matching. I don't quite see the "one of a kind" name.

They are each unique but identical design. If two people wore the jewelry side by side, you'd be hard pressed at normal viewing distance from telling a difference. (At least I think so.)

I don't have any problem with the price their asking for the work, it's nice enough. But to me it's to much like a pair of Taogem's matching ear ring sets. They are about as alike as you can make them. As a set his are more "one of kind" even when repeating many of the same materials.

Gemhut is a nice site, and they have some excellent material, so I'm not trying to put them down, but I don't understand the "one of kind" moniker.

[freeform]

Markets are markets, allot of the links provided are not lapidary markets. But Mineral or crystal markets, the latest actually being more of a metaphysical market. So its very hard to compare what a value can really be unless one first looks at their targeted market.

Also, because most lapidaries use a lapidary market and not a gemstone market. Prices will always be true and fair if the buyer is educated enough to know the difference.  Plus, the essence of the lapidary market in the last 50 years(who is the buyer) is in America. And since the free market opening third world countries up in the last 25years. They have no were to turn except to Americans. Hence the problem in general with over sea vendors not particpating in the market, just trying to use it. As well, the terms of usage in all these markets get so crossed confused, the novice buyer will often run into what thecowgirlzcharm has describe happening to her. The best bet, when price comparison, is to use the info from vendors who cut their own inventory. If the inventory looks acquired and not created, the price comparison for such is basically what someone else said, or did at one time. As very few of these vendors actually follow market trends, verse just taking the first number they find their competitor using for such an item.

My best suggestion for really finding out what market values are, are to deal with miners and lapidaries first when it comes to gemstones. Then use comparison analyse from other markets like Mineral/crystal/metaphysical/collectable markets.

[stonesthatrock]

i think everyone has said everything that i would say on the pricing subject.  I just looked at your flickr and your work is outstanding.  You do beautiful work, so whatever price you put on it, it should sell.  Love the parrotwing and, and , and   oh love it all.

[theimage1]

Tao,

This site specializes in literature on Russian Minerals and gems ... they might have information or know who to contact for more information on Russian cutting materials ... jaspers ...etc.

http://webcenter.ru/~minbooks/publish.html

I just ordered their book on "The Grandmasters of Mineral Photography" looks kind of interesting.

Should be here in a week or so ... I hope.