Forgotten Beauties: Some Jewelry Highlights from my Shop

In this blog entry, I want to focus your attention on a few pieces of finished jewelry from the shop that have remained behind in previous sales.  All of these feature gemstones that already are extremely rare or will be in the foreseeable future. 

To read more please visit our website at: https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/forgotten-beauties-some-jewelry-highlights-from-my-shop

Why I Source only Colombian Emeralds?

It’s been quite some time since I’ve written about emeralds, but with Emerald month coming up I should return to this favorite gem of mine.  There are three well known locations for emeralds: Zambia, Brazil and Colombia.  I pretty much source only Colombian emeralds although I can get all three if needed.  Zambian emeralds are often.....

To read more please visit our website at: https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/new

Blog Migration

We have moved our blog to our website. For the latest blog posts, please visit Cecile Raley Designs.

What if You Could Design it Yourself? Well, You Can!

Bear with me for this introductory anecdote.  At my first Vegas show, in May 2015, I bumped into a Frenchmen at the "meet and greet" event, both of us trying to trade the JCK coupon for a glass of free wine at the overcrowded bar (lesson learned about "free" stuff).  Anyway, Jean Jacques, that's his name, and I got talking and he told me he was at the event to find if there was interest in a "design your own" cloud based software for the general public which allows consumers to personalize jewelry by themselves.  "Design yourself how?" was my immediate reaction?  "It's much too complicated!" Yes, that's what I said - honest, abrupt, very German indeed.  Me being a Ph.D. in analytic philosophy and JJ having an M.S. from Stanford in applied mathematics, a heated discussion over the explosion of options, decision theory, and complicated geometry ensued (I realize those details are only stimulating to a few geeks and this is a blog entry, so I'll spare you).  Anyway, the discussion lasted all evening, with no "winning" in sight.  JJ left convinced I was wrong, I left convinced that he was.

Both JJ and I stayed up late that night in our respective hotels, mulling over what the other had said.  Things like that don't tend to leave me alone - a leftover from publishing articles in the philosophy of science and mathematics maybe, or just an inquisitive and obsessive mind.  Who knows.  The upshot was that I thought, by morning, that I could see a way for this to be done, with each option the customer chooses being carefully pre-selected and limited: allowing choice, yet not allowing too many choices.  Starting with simple layouts for pendants and rings, not yet tackling the more difficult problem of rings, which require more three dimensional thinking.  I contacted JJ after breakfast.

Turns out JJ was also puzzling, but over something different.  "I researched you," he said when we met again for lunch.  Would you like to help us make this work?  "Yes," I said, "and I think I know how."

Cutting to the chase, an intensive pilot program between Cecile Raley Designs and the Research and Development Department of Dassault Systemes, the software provider, ensued, and the outcome is now available to you to try, use, criticize, evaluate, and maybe be excited about enough to make some waves for me if you so desire.  You'll find there are pluses and minuses.  For instance, we still have to upload many more of our pieces as we go along, and we want to offer eternity styles and rings in the future.  But it's a start, and at least right this very moment, I am the only person that has this software launched for jewelry in the US.  I'm NOT kidding.  (So this isn't like "your cruise will take you to the longest beach in the world", but more like REALLY, we measured this beach, it's the longest!).

Jewelry design software is out there, but nothing like this, nothing that lets you manipulate pieces in simulated three dimensional space.  It's not perfect, but right now, it's mine.

Where can you find it?  At my new website - it's been open for weeks but I haven't pushed it much - cecileraleydesigns.com.

Feedback is welcome, in fact, it is greatly appreciated!  For the time being, all U.S. shipping on the new website is FREE. Please come and play.

Above is a screen shot of the Cecileraleydesigns.com homepage. The 'Design Your Own' scroll down has been highlighted to show the different options available under this tab.

This is part of the 'Design Your Own'  Two Part Dangly Earrings option

This is part of the 'Design Your Own' Pendants option

You'll see that Cecileraleydesigns.com, despite being a bit incomplete, is soon to incorporate the entire Brand Experience.  Shop "ready to wear", make your own piece, contact me for custom work, order from the catalog, and read the blog.  Its been long overdue, I think!

What Does "Recycled" Metal Really Mean?

I advertise in my shop that my castings are made from recycled metals.  Recently I got a question about what this really means, which made me realize that there is quite a need for me to clarify.

First off, here's what it doesn't mean: it doesn't mean that I re-purpose old clasps or chains or any other jewelry parts.  All the items I use, unless they are antique (that is rare) are newly purchased and not previously used.

It also doesn't mean that I collect scrap metal and cast at my house.  I use a casting service (disclosed on my Etsy site) that manufactures the castings from me.  I live in a condo, and I doubt I would meet any fire code safety standards if I tried to melt gold here.  Not to mention the cost of good refining equipment (in the thousands of dollars).

My casting service, however, is supplied by a refinery that uses only recycled metals.  My findings (ear wires, backs and posts, bails, chains, and clasps) are purchased from wholesale suppliers in New York City.  So this is the sense in which my metals are recycled.  Maybe I should say instead that they are "ethically sourced" or "green."  

And what exactly IS recycled metal?  It is scrap metal that has been reacquired by refineries via jewelers, pawn shops, leftover metal from casters, items scrapped by jewelry chains  or consumers.  Computers and cell phones also contain precious metals, and when those are collected, the metals they contain can be scrapped.  Another segment of scrap metal comes from dental gold.  

Scraped Metal

Approximately 30% of the world supply of precious metals comes from recycled metals.  In the jewelry industry, this figure is higher.  Most of the gold collected by refineries is scrap from the industry itself, not from finished goods.  Some estimates say that up to 90% of gold in the jewelry industry comes from recycled materials.

Roughly 60% % of all high value gold (both recycled and mined) is used for jewelry.  

Recycled gold is in high demand in the jewelry industry, mainly because mining gold is expensive.  If the price of gold is low, it can actually cost more money to mine new gold than to purchase old gold.

In the jewelry industry, scrap prices is 1.5% below spot market, so that makes it well worth while to scrap leftover metals (which are usually acquired at 5% above market unless they are manufactured into, say, a clasp or another finding). If the ounce of gold is $1000, that means a $985 payout per ounce. The refinery then purifies the gold by melting it at a high degree, burning out the impurities (this process requires such high heat that it cannot be efficiently done at home).

The refinery then produces pure or different karat gold in bullion cubes, casting grain or sheets. This is in turn bought by casting services and manufacturers to cast jewelry and make finished pieces.

 This Refinery take scrap from jewelers refining into fresh mill products in a Crucible. Their refinery also processes virgin metal, which is intermingled with the secondary metal.
Photo Credit: http://www.jmny.com/ 

And that's the never ending story.  Once jewelry is made, bought, and worn, it is often resold back to refineries by individuals or through estate sales.  Then the cycle begins again.

New Price List Available for Rings

Here is another price list for you.  This one is for all my rings.  Or most of them anyway... not all of these rings are my own designs, so when they are not, they are not included here.   Remember, these prices do not include gemstones because the prices vary too much.  

Here are some additional notes, pretty much the same notes as last time.

1. I can cast in 10 K gold also but you do not save that much money when you do.  Labor is the same, gold is about 30% less (because part of the casting price is casting labor).  I didn’t list any of these prices for that reason but the savings averages out to something like 10%.  Ask me for individual quotes.

2. My casting service offers almost any metal, more than I can list individually: 10K yellow and rose, 14K rose, yellow, white, 18K rose, yellow, white, 18K White Palladium, Platinum, Platinum Silver, Argentium Silver, Bronze, 22K yellow.  Even brass and copper are available.  But as you know, the more gems are being set, the more expensive the piece, so for a single stone, I can see doing it in silver, but for multi-stone rings, you might as well invest in the gold.  You'll have a more valuable piece that way.

3. When you are considering custom orders, please use this list to get a first idea because some days I am so busy I lack the manpower to get all the quoting and photos done.  And my markup does not include all the time that is used for service.  The reason wholesalers have a smaller markup is not JUST to leave room for retailers.  It is also because they expect to sell more pieces and have less to no service costs.  I have wholesale markup, and I (try to) accommodate retail service.  Technically the formula doesn’t mix.  I try anyway!  Unless I start manufacturing overseas (no way!) I will have to compete with lower prices for finished goods.  It’s hard to do everything here, pay high labor costs, and offer good prices to you at the same time.  I’m not complaining, but I want to disclose how things are on my end so that you get a better sense of what to expect. 

	Description	Stone Size	Setting Style	Collection	14K	SS
1	Round Halo Ring	4mm, .8mm	prong	Classic	$445.00	$290.00
2	Cushion Halo Ring	6 mm, .8mm	prong	Classic	$545.00	$310.00
3	Halo Wedding Band	.8mm	prong	Classic	$345.00	$200.00
4	Fishtail Ring	6mm, .8mm	prong	Classic	$340.00	$125.00
5	Scalloped Halo Ring	7x5mm, 1.2mm	prong, pave	Classic	$515.00	$315.00
6	Antique Large Cluster Ring	7mm, 3.5mm	prong, pave	Classic	$650.00	$245.00
7	5 Stone Prong Ring	5mm, 3.5mm, 2.5mm	prong	Classic	$400.00	$170.00
8	Five Stone Bezel Ring	4.3mm, 3mm, 2mm	bezel	Contour	$315.00	$155.00
9	Pillow Ring	7x5mm, 2mm, 1mm	prong, pave	Gotham	$600.00	$280.00
10	Square 9 Stone Ring	2.5mm, 3mm	pave	Gotham	$465.00	$205.00
11	Small Gotham Ring Engraved	6x4mm	prong	Gotham	$385.00	$120.00
12	Large Gotham Ring with Sidestones	8x6mm, 1.2mm	prong	Gotham	$740.00	$320.00
13	Large Gotham Ring Engraved	8x6mm	prong	Gotham	$490.00	$120.00
14	Empire Daisy Ring Engraved	5mm	prong	Gotham	$500.00	$145.00
15	Antique 9 Stone Ring Square Style	3mm, 2.5mm	pave	Gotham	$545.00	$215.00
16	Antique 9 Stone Ring Diamond Style	3mm, 2.5mm	pave	Gotham	$620.00	$215.00
17	Marquis Art Deco Ring Engraved	10x5mm	prong	Gotham	$490.00	$95.00
18	3 Stone Hexagon Ring	5mm, 3mm	pave	Hexagon	$385.00	$170.00
19	Oval Hexagon 3 Stone Ring		pave	Hexagon	$430.00	$180.00
20	5 Stone Oval Center Hexagon Ring	6x4mm, 3mm, 2mm	pave	Hexagon	$360.00	$140.00
21	5 Stone Round Center Hexagon Ring	5mm, 3mm, 2mm	pave	Hexagon	$425.00	$210.00
22	Solitaire Hexagon Ring	5mm	pave	Hexagon	$375.00	$128.00
23	Octagon Ring East West	7x4.5mm	pave	Hexagon	$430.00	$120.00
24	Flower Eternity Band	1mm	pave	Petal	$480.00	$195.00
25	Sunflower Ring 6mm Center	6mm, 1.2mm	prong, pave	Petal	$440.00	$205.00
26	Sunflower Ring 5mm Center	5mm, 2mm	prong, pave	Petal	$485.00	$225.00
27	Two Flower Ring	3mm, 2mm	pave	Petal	$505.00	$250.00
28	Trillion Gatsby Ring	8mm	prong, pave	Petal	$560.00	$240.00
29	Engraved Flower Petal Ring	5mm	prong	Petal	$385.00	$120.00
30	Trillion Gatsby Ring Engraved	8mm	prong	Petal	$360.00	$115.00
31	Empire Daisy Ring	5mm, 1mm	bezel, pave	Petal	$910.00	$495.00
32	Sunflower Ring with 7mm Center	7mm, 2mm	prong, pave	Petal	$500.00	$230.00
33	Oval Sunflower Ring with Sidestones	8x6mm, 2mm	prong, pave	Petal	$520.00	$240.00
34	Camellia Ring with Sidestones	5mm, 2mm, .8mm	prong, pave	Petal	$470.00	$210.00
35	Large Oval Sunflower Ring Engraved	9x7mm	prong	Petal	$330.00	$120.00
36	Camellia Ring Engraved	5mm	prong	Petal	$375.00	$95.00
37	Smaller Oval Sunflower Ring Engraved	7.5 x 5mm	pave	Petal	$350.00	$95.00
38	Eternity Scroll Band with Bezels	1.2mm	bezel	Scroll	$330.00	$135.00

CLASSIC COLLECTION

1) Round Halo Ring

2)Cushion Halo Ring

3)Halo Wedding Band

4)Fishtail Ring

5)Scalloped Halo Ring

6)Antique Large Cluster Ring

7) 5 Stone Prong Ring

CONTOUR COLLECTION

8)5 Stone Bezel Ring

GOTHAM COLLECTION

10)Square 9 Stone Ring

9) Pillow Ring

11) Small Gotham Ring Engraved

12) Large Gotham Ring with Sidestones

13) Large Gotham Ring Engraved

16) Antique 9 Stone Ring Diamond Style

17) Marquis Art Deco Ring Engraved

HEXAGON

18) 3 Stone Hexagon Ring

19) Oval Hexagon 3 Stone Ring

20) 5 Stone Oval Center Hexagon Ring

21) 5 Stone Round Center Hexagon Ring

22) Solitaire Hexagon Ring

23) Octagon Ring East West

PETAL

24) Flower Eternity Band

25) Sunflower Ring 6mm Center

26) Sunflower Ring 5mm Center

27) Two Flower Ring

28) Trillion Gatsby Ring

29) Engraved Flower Petal Ring

30) Trillion Gatsby Ring Engraved

31) Empire Daisy Ring

32) Sunflower Ring with 7mm Center

34) Camellia Ring with Sidestones

35)Lg Sunflower Oval Ring Engraved

36) Camellia Ring Engraved

37) Smaller Oval Sunflower Ring Engraved

38) Eternity Scroll Band with Bezels