Every season I struggle with my new designs & pricing. I struggle with what my artisans need to earn to be paid fairly for their time. I struggle with the prices I will charge so that Dunitz (that's me) can earn fair margins. And I struggle with perceived value of our merchandise. These things are very often not in synch.Our artisan made jewelry designs can take hours and hours to create. So often our customers don't take this into consideration. They think in terms of precious metals and gem stones.
This season, we worked out a new technique combining macrame with seed beads. We've never done this or seen it from other designers. Of course we see macrame work. We have been creating wonderful designs with macrame for years. But combining macrame with seed beads IS something new! Beading needles don't fit on macrame thread. Conventional needles cannot accommodate seed beads. With a lot of effort on the part of our artisans we created a new look. We call these new components our "Macrame Suns". This season you'll see them in different sizes. And - you'll also see our "Half Sun". For now, I wanted to share some information about just how long it takes to make - something that looks rather small.
Our "Macrame Sun" earrings are as cute as can be. And - we will be showing them in twelve different colors. Each sun takes 1-1/2 hours to make. That means these earrings take one artisan three (3) hours. This does not include the threads, Czech & Japanese seed beads and crystals. We use surgical steel ear wires. What would you pay for something that is beautiful, takes three hours and is made from
the finest glass beads available today? -ND
