Thursday, January 14, 2010

Contrariwise flower post earrings

In yesterday's post, I featured an Ocean Jasper Pendant with a setting highlighted with asymmetrical flowers. I liked those flowers so much, I thought they would make wonderful little post earrings.

These earrings are quite small - only about 6-8 mm across - which make them great for everyday wear. But what I like best about them is that their symmetrical, whimsical feel. (For some more pictures of them, click here.)


Now excuse me because I'm going to change the subject.

This weekend I was reading a jewelry making magazine with a how-to article I thought would be fun to try. (It explained how to use rivets to make cold connections, a new technique I had been wanting to try for a while.)

The materials list was short and since it used copper, I figured it would be a pretty inexpensive experiment in jewelry making.

But then I noticed there was another list, a list of needed supplies.

For the simple pendant, the supply list was amazingly extensive. I added it up and the supplies totaled more than $500!!!

Just for fun, I decided to add up how much in supplies it cost me to make the post earrings above.

Disc cutters for cutting circles to make the flowers: $130
Metal shears (good ones) for trimming the silver : $60
Dapping block to dome the flowers: $50
A stamp to make the circle inside the flower: $10
Misc tools and supplies to solder the silver and posts (these are the cheapo versions): $70
Jewelry tumbler to harden and shine up the earrings: $100
Misc supplies to finish, oxidize, and polish up the metal: $30

Grand total: $450

Wow. Pretty mind-boggling, isn't it.


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7 Comments:

  1. Virginia said...
    It is mind boggling! Happily jewelry arts and crafts have so many levels of complexity that we can start simple and work our way up to more complex and expensive techniques and processes. I certainly wouldn't have gotten started working with sparklies if I had had to lay out several thousand dollars just for tools and supplies at the outset.
    Contrariwise said...
    Nor I. It's take me a couple of years and much of my Etsy income to buy my lovely paraphernalia.

    That and I always ask for power tools for Christmas. ;-)
    Athena's Armoury said...
    It's definitely a collect as you go art! I started mailling with a pair of pliers and the metal obsession grew from there...

    The new earrings are adorable, by the way.
    Kayjayoh said...
    It's true. And those costs can totally sneak up on you sometimes.

    I know that with photography. I had a great SLR from college, but the costs of film and processing where starting to really pile up, let alone the costs for darkroom space when I could get it. But the cost of moving to a digital SLR made me feel faint for quite a while before I finally took the plunge.

    And now I'm eying studio lights...le sigh!

    Those are some sweet earrings, though.
    S Stargell Designs said...
    It always amazes me that so many want to undervalue our work. They have no idea the amount of tools, steps, and processes it takes to make the finished product. Some of them are quite costly. The base materials, the chemical processes, the finishing tools, very expensive. Gorgeous earrings and pendant!
    fanatique fashion said...
    the price of an item based on quality, btw, the product looks elegant
    Contrariwise said...
    Thank you.

    BTW, just want everyone to know that I wasn't complaining about how much I would charge for an item like this. That wasn't the point of this post.

    Creating are is a journey.

    It's interesting to sit back and think about all the effort and experience that goes into creating.

    And then realizing how far you've gone to get there.

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