Designer’s Diary: The bottom line

It’s no secret that art suffers as soon as it becomes a commodity. When something is born from focus groups rather than passion, and engineered for sales rather than sprouting from an artist’s soul, we’re left with something of little value once the trends and seasons shift.

Jewelry and money have always had an inextricable relationship. Jewelry is a decorative art, but unlike an armoire or pottery, jewelry cannot be made from almost nothing. It has inherent and rare value because it’s created from the most beautiful and rare materials we can find on this planet.

But just like art, it needs to be inspired, designed and crafted from passion--from someone with a unique vision and sensibility who can transform the raw materials into something sublime and greater than monetary value. 

Jewelry that maintains its value and appreciates over time is not created from what’s trending for fall or what is guaranteed to sell out. So why do we put so much focus on this at market? What if, like a trembling man on bended knee and the recipient who says yes, we could take a chance, a leap of faith, and say yes to something with no guarantee?  

When I interact with buyers at trade shows, it’s often about their bottom line: budget, trends, what’s selling now and what’s the least risky. It’s ironic to me that something designed with passion and so commonly used as a symbol of love is so often boiled down to risk management. What on earth is riskier than love?

Ask any jewelry designer why they are in the business, and few would tell you it’s to make money. So I’d like to challenge buyers to think with their hearts instead of their spreadsheets, as well. Ask yourself what you love about jewelry. When did you first fall in love with a gemstone or design? I’ll bet it was long before you knew how to work Microsoft Excel. 

What if you could enter a trade show in the spirit of discovery and exploration, rather than finding the most cost-effective ways to fill a rigid quota? What if you let go of the idea of buying altogether and used this time to reconnect with the magnificence of gemstones, the love of the craft, meeting new people and supporting new designers? I’m guessing you’ll walk away with something you didn’t expect