Hello everyone, I've designed a bracelet with some amazing hexagonal green amethysts I picked up at one of the Tucson gem shows. I'm between two material choices -- silver settings with patina-d chain (wholesale rough price $658) or gold settings with silver chain (wholesale rough price $2,145). I have three problems/questions: 1. Which design is better? 2. Are these reasonable price-points? They are done by the algorithm I normally use but this seems really high for "what you get." I'm hesitant to spend so much on materials when I don't have a customer on the other end and I've just spent so much of my capitol at the trade-shows. 3. I'm speaking with an upscale potential storefront soon to present some of my designs -- is it inappropriate to just see if they have an opinion on the renders and price point? Here are some VERY rough renders of my general design (I also haven't decided on type of clasp yet):
Perhaps you meant which material because as far as I can tell the design is the same. Both are lovely. Are you going to set them yourself? Bend the prongs out before casting? How uniform are the findings? I think some micro fillets where the prongs meet the girdle would add strength. Has the bezel passed preliminary model checks? Lots of things to consider, hope I have not overstepped. -S
Good job! But as a bracelet.How can you wear it? I think gems need to do some rotating and the chains need to get a connector on it to make it feasible.
I like the silver with patinated chain. Shapeways did a nice article on pricing jewelry, which can be found here.
Yes, thank you, I did mean which material. I am going to set them myself and the renders are of everything post setting; the actual printed piece will have extended straight prongs. Would you mind elaborating on the micro fillets? I'm having trouble envisioning what you're saying. Otherwise, everything has passed all pre-checks and thank you for your thoughts on the matter!
Yes, I think I see what you mean -- I should have probably rendered it on a model. I haven't decided what sort of clasp to use yet but the stones will certainly be oriented outward like a normal bracelet - I expect the finished product to sit like this one made by Les Nereides:
I LOVED that article. I've been very impressed with their jewelry content lately. My pricing algorithm is very similar to theirs -- I'm just concerned that my design may not have the right impact for the price I want.
Personally, I think the gold looks better with the green stone, but VERY pricey. Also, the chains connecting the settings are different length. I mean the inside chains and settings are a much smaller diameter than the outside. If you attempted to wear it, it would be very tapered. Would fit nicely on a very tapered cone. However, I think you just did that for illustration. If the chains were all the same length and had a clasp there would be no problem. Nice job overall.