Hello all, been a memebr for along time
I remember i had one of you lovelies tell me about weebly and I set up an ameteaur website for my pieces.
but a few eyars later on, after suffering my final year of HSC I am doing a course to set up my own business in jewellery
I need some feedback for a market research assignment
1, what draws you to a piece of jewellery and why
2, what are you favourate materials for a jewellery, silver, gold, precious gems..pearls, diamonds, crystals, cubic zirconias....
3, if you were going to purchase a expensive piece of jewellery, what would be the top factors for making you purchase it.
Thanks all... (L)
P.S I am making a category in my jewellery label, totally dedicated to Gypsyies... I have done loads of research and I always have an image of the gypsyies form the books in my mind hahah.... ;P
Majorly good luck with that, PD!
I love simple designs that are still creative, you know? I hate looking through catalogues and just seeing rings overdone and packed to the max with gems or ones that have ridiculously, super big massive gems. It looks unappealing and somewhat tacky.
My personal favourite material is silver, it looks so stunning without needing any gems to back it up- BUT with rich coloured gems like garnet, sapphire, etc. that really contrast, it looks a-ma-zing... (Although my brother who is studying gold and silver smithing has an intense dislike for jewels :-| )
If I was going to buy expensive jewellery, it would have to be something that I could wear a lot and would not look out of place with 80% of my wardrobe. It'd have to be something durable, you know? Not some flimsy crud.
I really hope that helped (probably not), and good luck again!
13 years ago
Fri May 14 2010, 08:43pm
1.
Jewellery has to be pleasant to look at - its design, the material and shine of the metal, the quality of the metal, and the combination {if any} of the gems it contains.
That's a general overview
Necklaces:
Different necklaces for different occasions:
The kind of thin chain necklaces on some metal (that is not real and the material corrodes) are good for a younger demographic. Especially when the gems are fake. But I find it annoying when the shine goes and the metallic paint scratches off; or when the fake gems fall out.
Thick chain necklaces (made from REAL silver or gems or gold or platinum) have to have a real reason for being made, just because the material is so expensive. Most of the time, there are diamonds (whether real or fake) placed throughout the design for no reason; and half the time there is no reason to get jewellery that looks the same as the next piece of jewellery.. There has to be some unique design about it - whether it is the pattern of the chain; the pattern of the pendant; the eyecatching gem in teh middle; or quality round shaped, well shaped pearls.
Also the necklace has to fit - be of an adjustable size.
Rings:
I find that most rings don't fit fingers because they are too large. Rings should be made in a range of sizes.
Rings that are "fake" are good for little girls; but lets face it "pink" glass gems look tacky after a certain age.
I think the central factor about a ring is its cut. It has to be designed and polished in a way that makes it shine, or matte, or whatever. Rings with some engraving or pattern are cool. in general, platinum and silver look better. But Gold rings, when crafted well can look extremely good.
I'm not a fan of BIG gems on rings, unless the whole point is the bling factor of the size of the gem. Little gems are okay.
I like rings with somethign like a flower or some non-conventional designs too. It doesn't have to be made of precious metals or gems, but with an original and attractive design it can take you places. [Don't understand original to mean something so totally abstract where people just go o_O - like federation square is just o_O ]
Bracelets/Bangles.
Once again you have to makethese in a variety of sizes, because narrow wrists suck when you've got big bracelets that fall off.
The beauty of bangles (as opposed to bracelets) is that you're meant to wear MANY of them at once. with different colours so you can mix and match.
Bracelets -- depends on teh occassion. Because you only wear 1 bracelet typically, that one has to make an impact - LOUD and Bold. So thicker bands are preferable. But it all depends on teh design as well
Materials:
Metal (whatever type) as long as it is sturdy.
Generally plastic is not cool; nor is that weird thin metal that you can bend easily, because bracelets should maintain their shape.
Earrings:
Hoop earrings are cool as.
Studs are a necessary fact of life
Long dangly earrings are cool but not too heavy.
Favourite materials in general:
Silver, Gold, Platinum, Shells, Pearls (I think pearls are more for oldbies, but they're alright if they are placed in a nice design in a necklace or bracelet or earrings), Diamonds, Gems (but only if they are in an attractive pattern) - Plus gems dont' always have to be rubies and emeralds and sapphire. There are some nice things you can make from coral and cats eye and other lesser known gems.
Top factors for making me purchase an expensive piece of jewellery: It can't just be a chunk of expensive metal. It has to have a really really attractive design. It MUST be what it is advertised to be (IE if it is advertised to be 18 carrat gold. then it MUST be 18 carat gold - nothing worse than beign ripped off)
If it is a necklace, it MUST be adjustable ; otherwise there's no point wearing it. Likewise with others (although it's harder to adjust a bracelet and rings) If they are not adjustable, then they should be avialalbe in different sizes.
I haven't gone into Tiaras and all those other non mainstream bits of jewellery but i think teh bottom line is it MUST be designed and exeuted very well.
Hope this helps :P
Ashlings' guildleader
13 years ago
Ashlings' guildleader
Dreamscape Artist
1 If it's pweeettyyy. In all seriouseness though, I like simple things. I can't stand anything that isn't balanced. Once my Aunt and I were painting and I really really liked it till she drew one line and then suddenly the whole think was unbalanced and yuck.
2 I like minerals; quartz saphires, garnets, etc...not necessarily preciouse gems though, I mean, some feldspars polish up nicely. Seriously, I have some polished rocks at home that I would wear as a necklace. They aren't anything special, just polished grey pebbles. I don't like diamonds for jewlery, I get that they're sparkly and all, but amathyst is much prettier.
3 Whether or not I would wear it and whether or not it would be likely to break or get lost. Eg; earings, if they were studs they would need to have firm clasps.
Wanderer Ward
13 years ago
Sat Jun 05 2010, 08:34am
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
I like pieces of jewellery that are unique. That definately doesn't mean that they can't be simple though. I'm also almost ten times more likely to consider buying a piece of jewellery if it has some sort of animal theme :P
Like Sian, I also don't really like diamonds. They seem so popular and, well, generic, in jewellery, and that doesn't really mesh with me liking unique pieces. I like large glass beads (not massive ones, I'm just trying to differentiate from those teeny tiny glass beads...) and interesting pendants. On a necklace that has numerous beads or "things" hanging off it, I like a mixture of materials. Obviously, they have to go with each other though. I have one necklace that has glass beads, small ceramic figures (a turtle and a horse - there are the animals :P), and hanging swirls of wire.
On the stone front, I also prefer to steer clear of "mainstream" stones. I like blue lace agate, rose quartz, haematite, citrine and jasper. When it comes to pearls, I prefer uneven frshwater pearls to perfectly shaped ones. They just seem to have more character.
Like others have said, the chain has definately got to be quality metal. There's nothing worse (slight exaggeration, I'm sure there are many things that are actually worse :P) than having the chain of a necklace you really like start to tarnish. I wouldn't go for things that are massively expensive though (you can probably tell from my dislike of perfect pearls and diamonds), because I'd be nervous of losing or breaking it whenever I wore it. Oh, I also agree with Mono on the ring front. They really do need to be made in a variety of sizes. I don't wear rings, mainly because I can never find one that doesn't want to slip off.
Ashlings' guildleader
13 years ago
Fri May 14 2010, 09:19pm
Ashlings' guildleader
Dreamscape Artist
Actually just thought of a couple more things; I agree with the others on rings, but for the opposite reasons, I can never even get rings on most of the time (well, I could, but they wouldn't come off again XP) as I have very large hands, and annoyingly stubby fingers.
Also, something you might want to try is to have a range of pendents people could buy, made in metals of the same colour so that they could interchange them. I have a set of pendents which all go really well with this one chain (which went and got itself tarnished so I'm now in the market for a new one). I've found that I'm less apprehensive about buying a pendant than a whole necklace because it's less expensive, so less of an investment and while in future it would probably be wise to have a back up chain, it means that if either the pendant or chain breaks, the unbroken part isn't entirely useless.
Ooh, and when buying expensive gems I will preform a hardness test or I will not buy the gem.
Also, if you ever decide to import amethysts, DO NOT let them irradiate them at customs or your uber expensive amethysts will turn into sort of expensive citrine.
And mono, I really like fed square :-/
Good luck with your assignment!
1, what draws you to a piece of jewellery and why
Simplicity of shape. And, if I can picture it matching an outfit I have - it's suppose to accessorise after all :P
The pieces I always wear are gifts, so what draws me to them is the memories of the people who gifted them to me.
2, what are you favourate materials for a jewellery, silver, gold, precious gems..pearls, diamonds, crystals, cubic zirconias....
I love silver and jade, all the jewellery I wear is silver. Gold just doesn't sit right with me - there's a tackiness to it I can't get my head around. I'm really fond of opaque stones - lapis lazuli, jasper, opal, and again jade etc.
3, if you were going to purchase a expensive piece of jewellery, what would be the top factors for making you purchase it.
It needs to mean something to me. It's like art - I can appreciate artwork, but I won't go out and buy it. Instead I'll hang up all the oil paintings that my grandmother did / gave me. They mean something because the artist meant something to me. So it makes me really tough with jewellery, I won't just buy it because I like the design :P buuut, if someone gifts it to me, I appreciate it because that piece then reminds me of them.
Actually I'm not being very helpful from a marketting perspective, am I? :-/ Oh well. They're my thoughts on the topic anyway :P
Omg, this is really really helpful.
Thanks heaps guys
keep it coming, its all helpful
you guys are always so helpful and friendly :), but of course you would be, your obernewtyn fans ;P
I like the simple jewellery too. It goes so much better with outfits, and often more than one. I don't get the point of jewellery that you use once then lock away because it doesn't match anything else you have. Also, things that are crowded with beads and stones are just... well they put me off because they just seem to messy and crowded.
I wear a lot of silver. I can't stand gold, not only does it not suit me it is just really overused and common, though I do like white-gold. As for the jewels, things that contrast well with the silver, like your blue/green/purple stones, attract me heaps. Even reds and pinks. I tend to wear a lot of those colours, that and black, so they are the gems i look out for. But definitely not diamonds. Not only do they not go with silver, they are like gold, tacky and overused. And what's the point in wearing a gem you can barely see?
My top factors would definitely be the simplicity, if the piece matches my clothing (therefore interchangable jewellery would be useful) and if the price is fair enough for what is being sold; not tacky but not overpriced.
So yeh, hope that helps. Good luck by the way, pink_monkey.
I think all of my points have been made. You have definately received some constructive feedback from the previous posters so I'll just briefly (maybe not by the time I've finished rambling) tell you what i think of jewerelly.
I also like simple jewerelly like BM and other's. I hate over the top jewerellery because it just takes the attention away from other things you are wearing. I wear a lot of silver but also wear some gold jewerelly. I can't stand those really dangly earrings you get because they pull your ear out of shape and on the other hand I can't stand the diva jewerelly cause it is cheap and tacky. I actually don't wear a lot of jewerelly but when I do wear jewerelly it is just a simple bracelet and/or bracelet and earrings.
Good luck on your assignment PM. I can make some jewerelly but I'm not spectactually good at it so hopefully you'll go far in your jewerelly business. Hope I've given you something to think about. ;D
13 years ago
Tue Jun 08 2010, 10:37am
1, what draws you to a piece of jewelery and why?
I think the uniqueness of a piece is usually what draws me to a piece of jewelry. If I go on the type of jewelry I own, it's usually somehow inspired by nature or by Celtic knotwork. My "totem" that I wear most often is a sterling silver trinity knot pendant on a simple silver chain. One of my friends once called my necklaces "witch jewelry" :P
As far as bracelets go, I usually only wear bangles. The only rings I ever really wear are my university class ring, my high school class ring, or a white-gold ring with trinity knots on it. I don't wear earrings much, but I love elaborate chandelier earrings.
2, what are you favorite materials for a jewelery, silver, gold, precious gems..pearls, diamonds, crystals, cubic zirconias....
If the jewelry is something I'm willing to spend money on, I'm going to go for white gold. If I'm looking for something cheaper, I'll get silver. I'm not particularly fond of yellow gold. The necklace I wear when I'm at the barn has 3 little silver pendants, but is tied with a black cord. The cord makes it different and casual.
As for gems, my university ring has a citrine in it and my high school class ring has a peridot in it. I also really like aquamarines, blue topaz, amethyst, and sapphire (can you tell blue's my favorite color?). My birthstone is opal, and they're not my favorite, but I still like them. I actually really like diamonds, especially on a ring. Canary diamonds are nice, too. I don't like pearls or cubic zirconia.
I also have a necklace that has a little clay dove as a pendant, and I really love it because I've never seen any jewelry with something made out of clay before.
3, if you were going to purchase a expensive piece of jewelery, what would be the top factors for making you purchase it.
Quality of materials, durability, uniqueness, and how it looks on me (for example, I had a hard time finding a class ring because all the traditional options looked huge on my hands).
Pink Monkey, sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I hope my answers can still be helpful for your jewelry endeavors, if not for your class assignment! Good luck with everything (and I would love to see what you're working on with your Gypsy jewelry line!)
13 years ago
Tue Jun 08 2010, 08:43am
1, what draws you to a piece of jewellery and why?
I rarely wear jewelry-it's just not practical at school (and not allowed) but when I do, it's pretty but small, because I just don't like large chunky pieces.
2, what are you favourate materials for a jewellery, silver, gold, precious gems..pearls, diamonds, crystals, cubic zirconias....
Pretty much anything colourful/shiny. Gold is nice, same with silver, but i like shiny stuff, sometimes colourful but simple pieces. It depends on how it's made.
3, if you were going to purchase a expensive piece of jewellery, what would be the top factors for making you purchase it.
I don't know.
