Very deceiving, misleading and definitely false advertising. Many jewellers out there are doing it. Why..? To make quick money. What is it? Mass producing fine jewellery and calling it handmade.
HANDMADE jewellery is the traditional and only way I believe jewellery should be created.
How? By hand working precious metal into wonderful shapes, melding the crystal lattice structure of the metal into form, rolling, hammering, bending, filing, polishing and strengthening the jewel for generations of wear and tear to come. Giving extra strength to gem settings, guaranteeing longevity. Jewellery should never be cheaply made. Gold is already very soft to begin. The fine quality handmade jewel will be reinforced much like a blacksmith hammering a horse shoe into shape.
The precious metal needs this extra attention to last forever. It may be more expensive to purchase however the will be paid back many, many times over by longevity. Hand made jewellery also has the ability for custom input by the jeweller or client. To have the chance for that special and personal touch. Why is it that people who are not even qualified as a jeweller produce this poor quality jewellery and even call it hand made, deceiving the poor defenceless customer. Well created, handmade jewellery is made so well that maintenance is a lot easier and repairs if ever necessary become possible and reasonable.
The structure of the jewellery will stand up much better to day to day wear. Inevitable knocks and bumps to handmade jewellery will often be absorbed. Yes all jewellery needs maintenance, like a car needs servicing to remain in great wearable condition, however not all jewellery will last having this maintenance. Stones will need tightening over time but if the jewellery isn’t made correctly settings will need replacing very quickly.
MASS PRODUCED jewellery is catered to the seller. It is much quicker to produce, cheaper for the short term and misleads the buyer into a false bargain. Instead of working precious metal into shape it is cast using wax molds where air bubbles can infiltrate the molten metal and result in a weak “honeycomb” like structure. In most cases it looks great on the outside until down the track the dreaded pin holes start to appear. Cracks prevail around settings. Claws become weak and stones begin to fall out.
What begins as the dream ring becomes an ongoing costly nightmare. What seemed like a bargain to begin with ends up with expensive trips to the jeweller and ultimately needing the ring remodelled. The bargain becomes even more expensive than purchasing the handmade product that could become an heirloom right from the start. Often mass produced jewellery is very thin and light to begin, even before the jewellery is even worn. Often this thin jewellery will thin down even more with cleaning and repolishing.
Imagine you were given the engagement ring of your dreams only to find in the not too distant future setting claws began to break and stones started falling out. Your dreams would be shattered. How can you pay good money for something that you were told was well made but wasn’t.
Often these “jewellers” will claim that the piece of jewellery you purchased from them was “handcrafted”. This is another tactic used to make the customer believe they have a handmade piece of jewellery when in actual fact it is mass produced. Quite likely created in a large factory in Thailand by cheap labour. This is very common in the jewellery trade these days. People want the jewellery cheap and they want it immediately. They’re not prepared to wait the time it takes to produce fine quality handmade jewellery. Or they’re not prepared to pay the right price for an engagement ring that’s meant to last forever.
The Internet age certainly has its benefits, wax printing is very impressive and computer animated design has its place but should it really be in the jewellery trade. These techniques certainly capture the unassuming client and make the sale but it is leading to the demise of the jewellery industry. It is convincing many people they have a bargain when in actual fact they are buying a money pit without even knowing it.
Often these chain jewellers are the culprits. Trying to be everything to everyone. Having a need to fill their shop window with all the glitter they can in a short period of time. They certainly deal in quantity and not quality.
Not everyone can afford expensive fine jewellery however it would certainly be better to save up and purchase a handmade item of jewellery than splurge on an impulse imitation piece. Finance would even be a better solution than mass produced jewellery.
Next time you’re considering treating yourself the that gorgeous diamond ring remember all that glitters is not gold.