Valentine's Day is Coming!
Valentine’s Day is coming faster than you think!! It is only 1 month and 3 days from today!
In the jewelry business Valentine’s Day is generally a very last minute holiday as far as shopping goes but if you want something custom you need to start NOW!! Custom jewelry (as least through me) takes about 3 weeks to manufacture if there are no problems but the design process can take anywhere from one day to months depending on the piece and how many changes have to be made. Make sure to allow for design time and not just manufacturing time!
Usually Valentine’s Day jewelry is inexpensive with hearts or pink, red, or purple stones. In recent years when gold has been so expensive, silver has been huge for Valentine’s Day because it allows for lower prices. If you want something simple, you can still hit lower price points with a unique custom piece that the receiver will wear for more than a few weeks.
Here are a few tips for buying custom even with a budget:
1. Don’t be TOO picky.
You should obviously be able to get something that you and the person you are giving to will truly love. The key is allowing for a little bit of lee-way from the picture in your head. If a piece can be made from existing pieces, this reduces cost by a lot.
2. Think simple.
The more stones, the more expensive the piece. Jewelers pay for setting by the stone so the more stones, the higher the price of the finished piece.
3. Use Silver.
Silver is a much less expensive option than gold or platinum. The problem with silver is how soft it is. Especially in rings, the softness of the metal can lead to a lot of scratching and loss of stones. I personally like to bezel set (where the metal goes all the way around the stone) stones in silver to prevent stone loss because of prongs that are too soft and get bent too easily.
Keep in mind that just because it is Valentine’s day, you don’t have to get something heart shaped or pink. If there is something else your significant other has been eying in the jewelry store, take advantage of this holiday where there isn’t a lot of other costs involved to get him or her what they really want!
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