Yesterday’s post about the challenges of combining art and commerce reminded me of an essay about small business that I wrote for the Huffington Post in 2012. And, like I said recently, it’s occurred to me that I need to republish all my Huffington Post pieces on this blog, because they could vanish at any…
prices
Who Said “If You Have to Ask the Price, You Can’t Afford It”?
Earlier this week, in my post Get Smart (About $4,000 Suits and $10,000 Rings), I wrote, “Ultra-high-end is a stronger industry sector, so I’ve embarked on a deliberate effort to offer more ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it’ 18K-gold signature pieces.” Variations of the line “If you have to ask the price,…
The Cost of Iced Coffee
One of the results of having your own business is that it educates you about how much it costs to make a product or offer a service. I’ve written about some of the issues that affect fine-jewelry manufacturing costs — and, as a result, retail prices — in my “Get Smart” series of posts. I…
Buy Gold and Your Investment Will Double Overnight. Promise!
A couple of weeks ago, I emailed a manufacturer about producing a pendant that I last made in 2009. I never got a reply, so when I went to visit him about an engagement ring I was working on, I asked, “What’s up with that pendant?” He turned green. He really did! Not solid, Kermit-the-frog,…
Why My Gold Jewelry Is a Total Steal
Towards the end of last month, the price of gold hit a new high of over $1,260 an ounce. I was going to explain the economic and political reasons for the increase and examine its implications but I had a vision of y’all searching your Poodle Reader for something more interesting … maybe the blog…
Get Smart (About Quality)
I enjoyed the comments on my Get Smart (About Manufacturing) post about economy of scale. Yep, that’s what that post was about, but I tried to make it more interesting than that phrase sounds! The comments from other designers, small business owners and manufacturers illustrate how universal my experiences are. Here are a few excerpts…
Get Smart (About Manufacturing)
Those of you who haven’t been with me since I began this blog in 2007 might not know that I initially went into the jewelry business with a partner. She was a diamond wholesaler for 26 years. Our joint business was something fun on the side for her. A side salad, as gorgeous food-blogger Tina…
Deconstructing Siobhan
I told the story of my Siobhan Perma-Stacked Stacking Ring here. Feel free to go read that old post now. I’ll put up pictures of the ring while I await your return. I might sing to myself too. The Siobhan Ring, shown front and back. La la la la la la la. © Wendy Brandes…
The Cost of Living
Last month, I bought 16 inches of heavy 18K chain for $444. The same chain cost me $255 in 2006.