Beauty & Fashion > Jewelry

Tips to Reduce the Cost of Your Designer Jewelry

You may feel that to cut the cost of your jewelry you must give up some beauty. That's not always true. Let's say that you've found a handcrafted necklace but the price is a bit higher than you expected.

There are a few options that you can investigate to maintain your appreciation of the piece and to make it more affordable. This approach requires a little work on your part, but it can be well worth your effort. The trick, and it's not a hard one, is to find a designer who is interested in working with you.

This method involves prioritizing the most important and least important features of the jewelry, suggesting affordable replacements, and offering a possible wish list if your replacement features allow.

Here are the easy procedures for using this method.

Step 1 - Prioritize the Jewelry Features

1. Write down the critical components.

2. Write all the less critical components.

3. Suggestion more affordable replacements wherever you can.

4. Include a wish list of possible components if possible.

5. Review your work up to this point. Be honest and realistic for the best results.

Step 2 - Create a Table

All the hard work is completed! Create a table using whatever software you're comfortable with. Use column headings to categorize the information you’ve already completed, for example:

- Name of Jewelry Piece ….
- Critical ….
- Less Critical ….
- Replacement ….
- Wish List:

• a) Clasp - Same size, less costly
• b) Add Swarovski Crystal(s)
• c) Silver Beads - Fewer beads, more spacers
• d) Chain - Delete
• e) Pendant - Change to (details)
• f) Charms - Change to (type & size)

Remember that you don't want to overwhelm your designer but you get the idea.

You can include some text below your table if you would like to go into more detail to get your point across. It's all right to leave a cell blank. The purpose of this table is to prioritize the critical and the less critical aspects of jewelry.

Just as important, is that this table will provide the designer with the information needed to create an item that will satisfy all of your wants - or as many as possible, anyway.

Step 3 - Communicate with the Jewelry Designer

1. Email the jewelry designer, and let them know you'd like to purchase a similar piece to one they’ve created with minor changes that would make it more affordable. Inform the designer that you have created a table that they may use to help you achieve your objectives. Let the designer know you what you expect to pay for the piece to enable them to come up with modifications.

2. If the designer is interested in customizing a piece of jewelry to fit your needs, you will more than likely receive a reply shortly.

3. Send your table only if requested by the designer. You're halfway there, having successfully started a professional dialogue with a designer who is interested in creating a piece of jewelry that will earn your business, within reason. Keep in mind that most good designers will refuse to use certain materials; high standards regarding the materials help the artist to establish that certain quality, so you may have to compromise on some features.

4. The designer will let you know how they would like to proceed. Be prepared to pay for the item in full before it is actually created. But enjoy the excitement of knowing that your suggestions have guided the design of an item that you can take special pride in wearing.

If your designer can't help you (which should only be the case if you've asked for too much, in return for a price that is too low), you still have options.

Look at your list and you'll discover that it also has excellent keyword phrases that are listed in order of importance to you, which you can use in your favorite online search.

If you're reasonable in what you're requesting for the price you're willing to pay you should be able to wind up with that special piece of jewelry that really speaks to you . . . and you and the designer both win!