cost of labor???

[sphenequeen]

zzbaron''s aquamarine engagement ring thread got me thinking about the costs involved in making a ring, especially labor costs. What do you think the cost of labor is for a far east mounting like LOGR vs. a handcrafted mounting like Leon Mege? I''m interested in labor costs only, not the cost of materials etc. Personally, I think that labor costs account for over 60% of the total costs for a handcrafted ring. I do not own any far east made jewelry, so I''m genuinely curious about the labor costs of those types of settings.

 

[T L]

Honestly, I don''t think it''s fair to compare an LOGR to a Leon. One is mass produced, and cast, and the other is completely hand made.

That being said, there was a Leon I liked, and I asked LOGR if they could do that ring (not the exact same ring, but very close) and they quoted me $500. That includes materials and labor.

Do I expect it to be the same quality as a Leon or other handcrafted fine piece, no, but for the budget conscious, it''s an alternative.

 

[Indylady]

I also recently asked LOGR for a quote on a ring I saw posted on PS but haven''t heard back yet...which ring did you find a quote for?

 

[T L]

Date: 1/20/2010 9:37:02 PM
Author: IndyLady
I also recently asked LOGR for a quote on a ring I saw posted on PS but haven''t heard back yet...which ring did you find a quote for?

Well, I gave him a pic, but I rather not say as to not offend the poster. It''s a double halo, let''s put it that way.

 

[Indylady]

Understandable! I sent him a picture of a deco ring, a round center with two baguettes on each side.

 

[ma re]

There have been several threads on similar topics, so I''ll try to be brief. If you compare jewellery to cars, you can see some similarities. What differentiates luxury car makers from mass brands are things like:

- location of production (workers in Europe get paid much more than those in some Asian countries, for example)
- working conditions are much better i.e. more expensive, workers are more protected
- additional costs like rents for workspace, utility bills etc. are much higher in places like Europe or US than in some other.

All that and many other factors, make production much more expensive, so it''s not just the cost of labor that makes a difference. Of course, workers in the West are paid more generally because they''re more skilled and better educated, so their work is usually much better, which is especially evident in complicated jobs (like pave work in jewellery). Not long ago I heard about a Boucheron (I think) necklace, that took Parisian artisans several thousand working hours to make, so you can imagine the price of it.

 

[chrono]

I was asked a very similar question and answered it as best as I could here. I do not know the actual breakdown of material versus cost because the material used for the most part are difficult to get. WF uses their proprietary cut melees and Leon Mege sources single cut melees from Europe.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/5-ct-neon-red-mahenge-spinel-in-whiteflash-halo.133348/page-6

For those too lazy to click on the link, I have cut and pasted:

I purchased an LOGR several months ago to set one of my cobalt spinels. I have to say it is worth it for the price I paid. However a direct comparison is not possible for several reasons:
1. LOGR is mass produced, WF ring is 100% custom made (CAD, wax and the whole 9 yards)
2. LOGR has generic diamonds, WF has branded A Cut Above diamonds which are cut to precise measurements for maximum light performance
3. LOGR is white gold, WF is platinum
Still, I can say few things about both: both settings are worth every penny paid. When you look at the dollar value and end product, both are a good value for what they are and for the obvious reasons stated above. The WF ring is heirloom quality and I paid a price for the excellent workmanship, special materials and of course, the experience. With the LOGR, I paid a LOT less but for that price, I received something of quality that is unexpected for what I paid. It''s not on the same level as the WF ring but do I care if I paid 1/10th of the price? Also, in terms of diamond quality, I consider the ACAs a maximum of 10. Using that scale, I''m happy to note that the LOGR upgraded full cut VS melees are somewhere around 7 or so on the same scale.

 

[mariedtiger]

Where I come from, a standard per hour price is between 90-100 euros for a hand crafted ring. The pieces I have gotten are exquisite, but this price doesn't include any materials, just the labor. The ring in my avatar, for instance, took way above 20 hours to complete. So that is one reason why I don't use local jewellers very often, although they are amazing. Sigh. Beer budget...

 

[T L]

Date: 1/21/2010 10:55:58 AM
Author: mariedtiger
Where I come from, a standard per hour price is between 90-100 euros for a hand crafted ring. The pieces I have gotten are exquisite, but this price doesn''t include any materials, just the labor. The ring in my avatar, for instance, took way above 20 hours to complete. So that is one reason why I don''t use local jewellers very often, although they are amazing. Sigh. Beer budget...

WOW

, no wonder I love your rings so much!!!

 

[mariedtiger]

Teehee, thanks TL

 

[T L]

Your pieces are extraordinary MT. You''re very welcome.