Year End Survey

As this year is coming to a close, I am reviewing what has worked and what has not worked for my shop.  In the past year, I added a lot of gold jewelry and listed way more gemstones.  That seemed to have been the way to go.  My main sellers in gems were sapphires and spinel, my main metal was rose gold but the new platinum silver also did great.  The hexagon line did very well, and I sold a lot of rings in general.  The flower pendants were less successful than I had thought, the Gotham stuff is still taking off so that remains to be seen.

What I'd like from you guys is some help as I plan the new year.  I am still not done with my own website.  We are stuck because Squarespace does not offer listing variations (i.e. ring sizes) - you have to create an actual SKU number for each item (so the ring appears to be available 10x instead of once).  The risk with that is that it can be sold twice before you get a chance to remove the "fake" listings.  I am now investigating Shopify and eBay as options for listings.

I did create some expensive items toward the end of this year, those have not sold.  Maybe I pushed it too much with those.  Hard to say.  I do like them, however.  

So as I plan ahead, I have created a little survey for you.  If you click on the link below, you will be able to take it.  The survey will also go out via email.

The survey is anonymous of course, feel free to send it around to anyone who also looks at my shop. Questions can be edited, but the survey can only be taken once from each computer.

Here's the link (sorry it doesn't look nicer.

Cecile Raley Designs Survey

In the meantime, don't forget that there is a sale going on in my shop, 15% off between now and January 7th.

Here are a couple of new items that are going up in the next few days.

Rose Gold Hexagon Pendant

Zircon and Color Change Garnet Ring

Pillow Pendant with Apatite, Mandarin Garnet and Rhodolite Garnet

Tourmaline and Diamond Ring

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

My Favorite Etsy Shops

As you are looking for holiday gifts, I thought that instead of focusing just on my shop, I’ll tell you about some of my own favorite places to order from.

First off, I know how hard it is to shop for guys, so here's a suggestion for the man: My friend Joanne Simmons, who lives in Jersey City, has the perfect gift for him.   Her shop Silver Sculptor has a great variety of silver cufflinks, many of which can be personalized.

Joanne's Personalized Cuff Links

For the smaller gift, him or her, go to Rhea at Sweets NThings.  I have used her handmade shampoo soap for a couple of years, and I have also bought her shaving bars for my guy.

Fresh Roses Shampoo Bar

If you like to buy local, Mike from Made in Paulus Hoeck sells awesome hand made wood products.  His Etsy shop has only larger pieces, but you can contact him for cutting boards, iPhone holders and other wooden display items.

Church Pew Living Room Table

I also get baked goods on Etsy periodically, and my own favorite is Oma Gisi’s Bakery because she bakes German cookies.  Her best ones are the Stollen Confection 
They are made from an old German recipe and are covered in powdered sugar for extra sweetness.

Oma Gisi's Stollen Bites

For clothing, I go to two shops.  I have about 10 taylored dresses from HeartMy Closet.
Cynthia makes every dress to order, you can choose fabric, and you can customize each piece.  I wear only A-Line skirts for instance and so all my dresses get changed.  I also prefer longer lengths.  Cynthia’s prices are fantastic for what she offers.  Cynthia's Website, Heartmycloset.com, also features a line of Mad Men inspired clothing.

Vintage Reproduction Dress by Heart my Closet

Me in one of my Faves of Cynthia's Dresses

I also get simple cotton shirts and dresses from Giftbywish.  Nok is in Thailand, so you have to wait a bit for your shirts, but at great prices she offers a wide variety of native looking shirts and blouses, each of which is hand embroidered.  Nok is also great at customization and very accommodating.

Hand Embroidery by GiftbyWish

I even get hats on Etsy sometimes.  Or rather, I meet Holly from Artikal Handcrafted Millinery at Etsy craft shows and try out every single one of her cloches until I have the right one.  Her hats hold up extremely well.  While Holly would not want you to put them into a bag or wear them in the rain, my first hat from her has held up to both, and just yesterday I bought a second one!

Yours Truly Wearing Her New Hat

Nicknacks: Last year, I got some pottery wood animals from Studio by the Forest. Her porcelain hedgehogs and birds are now decorating my aunt’s window sill.

Porcelain Birds from Studio by the Forest

Happy shopping.

How to Price Custom Earring Projects: Collections & Price Lists

I have been working on this all month and I am still not done, but given the insane number of custom orders I get, it is high time that I release some price lists.  As many of you know, quotes can take time.  Here are some reasons.

1. Metal weights differ.  E.g. 14 K gold is 1.3 times as heavy as silver.  So even if I have a casting of an item, if it is not the metal the customer wants I have to look up a conversion table and do the math.

2. Diamond sizes, number, and quality really matter.  If I use 15 1.2mm diamonds, GH/VS, that is a totally different price from using 20 1.3mm EF/VS.  Multiplication takes time, so if the customer asks for one diamond size but then another to save, there many combinations and quotes I can make.  But each takes time so I need to narrow it down or simply ask for a budget.

3. If I don’t actually have the item (i.e. it has to be made from scratch) I have to ESTIMATE.  Yes, I can calculate the metal weight from a CAD file but if no CAD file has been made because the customer has not yet commissioned it – and hence I have to paid to have it made – then I need to guess.  And I am going to guess in my favor so I don’t lose money.  Also, the number of 1.2 mm diamonds needed to surround a 9x7mm center is different from the number of .8mm diamonds needed to surround a 6mm round.  So if the customer doesn’t know what they want and ask for 6 quotes, I can get tied down for 2 hours, and I don’t usually have that kind of time.  I make it if I can, or I just eyeball it. (So if I get frustrated with you, that's why, lol.)

This probably explains why when you go to a jewelry store to get something made you are quoted a high price.  Not only does the jeweler have to cover himself or herself, but also, they have to get paid for the time it takes to get the quotes right and make you happy.  And assuming that many people want estimates and then walk away, more time has to be calculated for the paying customers.

That said, what can you do to save time and do your own math?  Work from existing ideas and get a price list.  From me.  So let me do just that.  Of course each price list also takes time, but here is one with just my silver items, working off of the basics.

Scroll Earrings 5mm

Channel Wire Earring with Extra Diamond

Petal Earrings for 3mm Stone

Hexagon Stud for 3mm Stone

This is my price list for earrings, the most common studs and danglies,  Prices are including setting and polishing but NOT INCLUDING STONES.

Type	Stone Shape	Stone Size	Setting	14 Karat Gold	Sterling or Argentium
Scroll Stud	Round	4mm	4 prong	$150.00	$50.00
Scroll Stud	Round	5mm	4 prong	$170.00	$55.00
Scroll Stud	Round	5mm	6 prong	$190.00	$55.00
Scroll Stud	Round	6mm	4 prong	$200.00	$55.00
Scroll Stud	Round	6mm	6 prong	$230.00	$60.00
Hexagon Stud	Round	3mm	Pave	$180.00	$50.00
Hexagon Stud	Round	4mm	Pave	$240.00	$55.00
Hexagon Stud	Round	5mm	Pave	$240.00	$60.00
Hexagon Stud	Round	6mm	Pave	$300.00	$70.00
Martini Bezel Stud	Round	3mm	Bezel	$130.00	$30.00
Martini Bezel Stud	Round	3.5mm	Bezel	$140.00	NA
Martini Bezel Stud	Round	4mm	Bezel	$150.00	$30.00
Martini Bezel Stud	Round	5mm	Bezel	$180.00	$30.00
Martini Bezel Stud	Round	6mm	Bezel	$240.00	NA
Trillion Prong Petal	Trillion	5mm	Trillion Prong	$250.00	$90.00
Small Flower Stud	Round		Pave	$350.00	NA
Large Flower Stud	Round		Pave	$520.00	NA
Small Flower Dangle With Kite Connector	Round		Pave	$600.00	NA
Kite Dangle	Round	3mm	Pave	$345.00	$70.00
Kite Dangle	Round	4mm	Pave	$420.00	$80.00
Kite Dangle	Round	5mm	Pave	$420.00	$80.00
Petal Dangle	Round	3mm	Pave	$160.00	$70.00
Channel Wire Dangle	Pear or Oval	Any	Channel Wire Earrings	$440.00	NA

Hexagon Danglies with French Hooks

4 Flower Dangly with Petal Accent and Leverbacks

Large Petal Studs

3mm Petal Danglies with Hexagon and Diamond Accent

Cecile Raley Holiday Buying Guide

My assistant Debbie actually put me on to this blog entry.  She thought it would be a good idea to suggest to my customers what they might get from my shop for the holidays.  But I am such a bad gift buyer – I mostly get useful things for people, not gifts with symbolic value.  So my advice may be terrible, lol.  Still, I am going to give it a try.

1. Birthstones: this is the old standby for all holiday jewelry buyers.  But several of my pendants and rings would lend themselves to combos of say, mother’s birthstone and child, or three children, or even mom and dad only.  I prefer designs with uneven numbers of stones (actually everyone does) so I usually end up suggesting that we repeat one birthstone if there are just two people (i.e. mom is the center, and the child goes left and right).  Certain months have a lot of birthstone variety, like January for instance, because there are so many different types of garnets.  Other months (February, which is amethyst) doesn’t leave a lot of choice.  For those months one can just choose different purples (purple spinel, tanzanite).  For birthstone necklaces, I suggest the hexagon designs which I have for one stone, three, and four stone combos.  For rings, any multi-stone ring is good, not so much the halo rings.

5mm Tanzanite in 14K Rose Gold Hexagon Bezel $249.00

Four Stone Rose Gold Hexagon Bezel Pendant with Tourmaline and Apatite $299.00

3 Stone Hexagon Eternity Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Spinel and Color Change Garnet $499.00

2. Proposals, friendship rings, etc: men often use holiday gifts to mark a special occasion with their loved one.  Rings are the most standard purchase for that, and I often have to give advice to male buyers (mostly last minute) on those.  I often recommend halo styles, though I ask them to describe their person with words that I can use to suggest jewelry designs: modern, natural (nature), antique, blingy, simple, colorful, etc.  Thinking of someone you buy for in those terms will help you single out what is best for them.

Platinum Silver Cocktail Ring with Tanzanite and White Zircon $379.00

Iolite and Sapphire Halo Ring in Argentium Silver $289.00

3. For the idiosyncratic person: some people just like their gifts their own way.  I am one such person, which is why for this year, I asked my family to buy me a toaster oven.  That way, there are no surprises.  For recipients like me, keep it simple.  Browse through their favorites and buy what they marked, or an ETSY gift certificate (which will be available in my shop this season) - I always have a sale on the 25^th of December so that people can buy something together when they’re sitting “under the tree” so to speak.  Or pick out a pair of gems for them (remember I have a return period too).  And then play together to develop a design. 

4. Cheap: well, as many of you are noticing, my shop isn’t so cheap anymore.  There is a lot more gold inventory for instance.  The reason I make more things in gold is that I simply cannot compete with the overseas market, where assembly, soldering, setting and polishing cost nearly nothing.  I have all my stuff locally made, I supervise every step, and I love working directly with the people who make my ideas into actualities.  Also, interestingly, more of my buyers now buy gold over silver.  But as I phase out of the items that don’t work for me or for my line, I put more things into clearance.  Some of my silver studs and necklaces also cost less (the filigree studs for instance), and I am still addicted to beads, so I am going to try to stock up that section more for the holidays.

Blue Ceylon Spinel 4mm Stud Earrings $68.00

Beaded Turquoise Necklace with Thai Silver Accents and Free Earrings $79.00

Argentium Silver Bypass Ring With Rhodolite Garnet $89.00

Art Deco Reproduction Filigree Ring in Argentium Silver with Purple Spinel $89.00

6mm Rhodolite Garnet Stud Earrings in Argentium Silver $88.00

Simply Apatite, Peridot, Tanzanite, Prehnite and Tsavorite Necklace with Free Earrings $99.00

5. Personal favorites: last but not least, let’s talk about what I would personally recommend.  I love love love the pendants I created that combine hexagon and kite designs.  They look like they’re right out of a 1920s movie except that they’re in color, and they sit beautifully on the neck.  I also like the two half moon pendants I made, the rings on either side of the top of the stone make them sit more securely than the other channel wrapped items.  In terms of rings and dangly earrings, the Gotham line is my favorite, because I like art deco more than art nouveau and I love the old fashioned yet modern look.  I also enjoy that you can get more ring out of those without having to splurge on the expensive halo designs.  My engraver, Alex, continues to amaze me with what he can do with those pieces.  The Gatsby line is now also fully engraved.  And the petal line (with all the sunflower rings) is getting there.  Oval petal pendants and rings are coming out soon, hopefully in time for the holidays (I know I will have one ring with a 9x7 center and 2mm side stones ready in about 10 days).

I’ll leave you with a photo of my “to date” all time favorite piece that I am (with great regret) willing to put up in my shop – mainly because I already splurged on my own Christmas gift which is still in production but I’ll share when it’s done.  This ring features a 2 carat plus Mahenge spinel, 2009 mining date, trillion cut, in a white gold Gatsby design, diamonds on the side, millgrain.  Still thinking about engraving it too. 

Trillion Flower Gatsby Ring in 14 K White Gold with 2+ Carat Mahenge Spinel and Diamonds $2,799.00

Hexagon and Kite Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Mahenge and Burmese Spinel $699.00

Trillion Flower Gatsby Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Morganite and Diamond $449.00

Half Moon Garnet Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold Channel Setting and Mint Garnet Kite Dangly $599.00

3 Stone Hexagon Eternity Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Spinel and Color Change Garnet $499.00

Gatsby Studs for 5mm Trillion Stones, Argentium Silver with Rhodolite Garnet $119.00

Kite Style Aquamarine Earrings in Sterling Silver $119.00