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Jewelry Design Student need help with project! Please help me!!!

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
Hi everyone. I’m a jewelry design student. And I'm actually doing a research on jewelry needs for anniversaries. I really need your help to share your experience in processing to choose and buy a jewelry for your special time (example: wedding anniversary, birthday,..)
I thought you might have some story about your experiance to share about:

- What’s the problem do you have when choose and buy a jewelry? (What make you confuse, worry or unhappy....when buying jewelry).

I’m so glad to hear your problem and hope I can solve it in the future through my project. Thank you very much for reading and sharing.
 

whitewave

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
12,331
I buy my own jewelry. Hubby pays.

the only issue is what do I want to buy and who will I get to make the piece.

The only constraint is Budget.
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2,916
I like to wear jewelry that I design myself more often than picking up something already made.

Obvious constraints like budget aside, I think I would want more info at the time of purchase (eg if I buy a solitaire, I would want ASET images etc). I would also like to be more involved in the process and learn more about how a piece was made.
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
I like to wear jewelry that I design myself more often than picking up something already made.

Obvious constraints like budget aside, I think I would want more info at the time of purchase (eg if I buy a solitaire, I would want ASET images etc). I would also like to be more involved in the process and learn more about how a piece was made.

Thank you so much for your sharing. Your idea is very interesting. So you buy your jewelry online or at local store? And may I know the reason why you like to be more involved in the process ???
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
I buy my own jewelry. Hubby pays.

the only issue is what do I want to buy and who will I get to make the piece.

The only constraint is Budget.

Thank you so much for your sharing. Yeah Budget seems like the most common problem for us. So you often buy jewelry online or at local store? And have you ever have problem with the person you choose to make the piece?
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2,916
Thank you so much for your sharing. Your idea is very interesting. So you buy your jewelry online or at local store? And may I know the reason why you like to be more involved in the process ???

Almost entirely in person and not online.

I like to be involved because I think I have cool ideas and I like the thought of wearing one of my own concepts! It also means that my jewelry is pretty unique.
 

Bibbi*Jazzy*T

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 11, 2021
Messages
86
Have been given jewellery as gifts over the years.
I especially like jewellery that's unique.
Vintage jewellery.
My birthstone is ruby.
My favourite gemstone is Amethsyt.
A ring that my Mother bought in England in the 50s that had a little turquoise in it which had fallen out of the ring and I had it re-designed into a plain 9k gold band at my local jewellers.
Have gotten jewellery from jewellers, vintage jewellery shops online and also from jewellery companies like People Jewellers which is a sister shop to Zales in Canada.
And also have purchased jewellery from Charm Diamond Centres in Canada.
Have had a pair of diamond studs designed for me from one of my local jewellers.
Prefer my local jewellers.
There is a shop on Etsy which I love and the seller sells fantastic and high quality vintage jewellery.
14k white gold chocolate diamond studs(genuine chocolate diamonds) at 0.10 carat total weight.
I like small diamond studs.
Have short blonde hair and I just love a little sparkle.
And I don't have thick ear lobes.
And these studs albeit on the smaller size for diamond studs are still very noticeable on my ears. :)
 
Last edited:

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
Almost entirely in person and not online.

I like to be involved because I think I have cool ideas and I like the thought of wearing one of my own concepts! It also means that my jewelry is pretty unique.

Yeah I totally agree with you. The feeling of wearing our own concept is fantastic. The jewelry connect with inside of us. For the time, do you purchase jewelry for a Special occasion? and why you choose to buy it in person instead of online?
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
Have been given jewellery as gifts over the years.
I especially like jewellery that's unique.
Vintage jewellery.
My birthstone is ruby.
My favourite gemstone is Amethsyt.
A ring that my Mother bought in England in the 50s that had a little turquoise in it which had fallen out of the ring and I had it re-designed into a plain 9k gold band at my local jewellers.
Have gotten jewellery from jewellers, vintage jewellery shops online and also from jewellery companies like People Jewellers which is a sister shop to Zales in Canada.
And also have purchased jewellery from Charm Diamond Centres in Canada.
Have had a pair of diamond studs designed for me from one of my local jewellers.
Prefer my local jewellers.
There is a shop on Etsy which I love and the seller sells fantastic and high quality vintage jewellery.
14k white gold chocolate diamond studs(genuine chocolate diamonds) at 0.10 carat total weight.
I like small diamond studs.
Have short blonde hair and I just love a little sparkle.
And I don't have thick ear lobes.
And these studs albeit on the smaller size for diamond studs are still very noticeable on my ears. :)

Thank you so much for sharing with me. It so helpful. Can you tell me what are the problems you encounter when you choose and buy jewelry?
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2,916
Yeah I totally agree with you. The feeling of wearing our own concept is fantastic. The jewelry connect with inside of us. For the time, do you purchase jewelry for a Special occasion? and why you choose to buy it in person instead of online?

Sometimes the jewelry I buy is for a special occasion. But I usually buy not more than a couple of pieces per year.

I buy in person because I purchase jewelry in India through my family jeweler.
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
Sometimes the jewelry I buy is for a special occasion. But I usually buy not more than a couple of pieces per year.

I buy in person because I purchase jewelry in India through my family jeweler.

Oh I see, jewelry in India very beautiful. The craftman ship is high skill. You not living in India now right? When you have the jewelry with your idea do you share with any community or social media? And may I know what do you buy beside jewelry in your special occasion?
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2,916
Oh I see, jewelry in India very beautiful. The craftman ship is high skill. You not living in India now right? When you have the jewelry with your idea do you share with any community or social media? And may I know what do you buy beside jewelry in your special occasion?

I don’t share pics of my own jewelry or my designs anywhere as I don’t like to post anything identifying online. If not jewelry, then I would buy either clothes, handbags, shoes or scarves.
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
I don’t share pics of my own jewelry or my designs anywhere as I don’t like to post anything identifying online. If not jewelry, then I would buy either clothes, handbags, shoes or scarves.

Thank you so much for helping me doing my school project. I greatly appreciate your help. Have a nice day!
 

margauxmines

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 4, 2021
Messages
380
Hi everyone. I’m a jewelry design student. And I'm actually doing a research on jewelry needs for anniversaries. I really need your help to share your experience in processing to choose and buy a jewelry for your special time (example: wedding anniversary, birthday,..)
I thought you might have some story about your experiance to share about:

- What’s the problem do you have when choose and buy a jewelry? (What make you confuse, worry or unhappy....when buying jewelry).

I’m so glad to hear your problem and hope I can solve it in the future through my project. Thank you very much for reading and sharing.

My constraints are mostly a) finding a jeweller with good workmanship and b) budget. I could find a fantastic jeweller who can make intricate designs but they might be way out of my budget. So, it's usually those two that dictate where I have my jewellery made.
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
My constraints are mostly a) finding a jeweller with good workmanship and b) budget. I could find a fantastic jeweller who can make intricate designs but they might be way out of my budget. So, it's usually those two that dictate where I have my jewellery made.

Thank you so much for sharing with me your problem. Can you tell me where do you find your jeweller? I mean online or at your local area. And do you often buy jewelry on special occasions?
 

737liz

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
690
What’s the problem do you have when choose and buy a jewelry?

Well, budget is always a problem. I am married. I buy most of my own jewelery from my salary. For presents from my husband, I pick something and he pays, but he sets the budget and it is always smaller than I want.

Choice of well made jewelery is scarce; there is only cheap mall jewelery, or very expensive Graff and Harry Winston high jewelery. This forces me to use my favorite jeweler for custom projects. Which is expensive.

(What make you confuse, worry or unhappy....when buying jewelry).

Confused sometimes on quality of the stones, especially colored stones and if there were treatments, as the stores sometimes will not or cannot say.

Worry about if I got a good deal.

For custom jewelery unhappy when the quality isn't good or the look of my design isn't pretty (even if I designed it and chose it, it can sometimes end up disappointed)
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
12,492
I buy my own jewellery, including custom-cut gemstones and mostly design my own as I have very specific design element requirements.

The main constraint is budget, and I usually pay big ticket items in instalments.

DK :))
 

margauxmines

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 4, 2021
Messages
380
Thank you so much for sharing with me your problem. Can you tell me where do you find your jeweller? I mean online or at your local area. And do you often buy jewelry on special occasions?

Here in the Philippines, the easiest way to find a local jeweller is through Instagram! Hashtags like #jewelryph #diamondsph #ringsph will usually lead to shops that either sell jewellery (like resellers who buy cheap gold pieces in bulk from the Saudi, Japan, or Hong Kong) or to small mom-and-pop local jewellers.

A place close to the Philippines' National Capital Region (NCR) called Meycauayan, Bulacan is home to the jewellers in this northern island of the Philippines (Luzon island). Many of the local jewellers who make custom jewellery in Luzon are from Meycauayan, since it has a long history of being Luzon's "jewellery capital". However, not all of them can create high jewellery; true, a lot have pretty good, though some just good, workmanship, but the truly bespoke and high-end jewellers are much rarer, and much harder to find. In fact, CAD modelling isn't even a regular thing here for most local jewellers. They still rely on hand-drawn sketches.

I have a jeweller who creates exclusively high jewellery pieces (@the_collection_ph on Instagram) and I go to her for special occasion jewellery: anniversaries, recently for a milestone birthday, and it looks like it will be this way for many other occasions in the years to come. Her prices are definitely not cheap: easily 5 to 15 times more than your regular mom-and-pop jeweller!

For one-off or "for fun" pieces, there are three local jewellers I have in rotation (also all on IG), depending on who gives me the best price for the design I want to have made. So again you see, budget is the other big consideration when I have jewellery made.

Jewellery is a "must" for me on special occasions—they must be marked with a new addition to the collection ;-) But I'll buy or have jewellery made any time, even on a whim... as long as I have the money! :lol:
 

lilmosun

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 30, 2014
Messages
2,394
My biggest problem is that I am not good at understanding what I really want/like (or what bothers me) until I see it in person. I buy for myself and not for special occasions.

I think buying fine jewelry is about trust and relationships with the seller. It is with that, it takes a lot of concerns out of the process.

For 90% of my purchases, I go to independent jewelers that I have built relationships with. I find that working with new jewelers can be difficult. I don't know their strengths/weaknesses. More importantly, they don't know my aesthetic and preferences. (I never recommend working with jeweler for the first time if their aesthetic is not what you are looking for-no matter how good they are).

The jewelers I have relationships with know what I like, my priorities and will will advise accordingly. They will steer me away from purchases explaining why I won't be happy with it and/or make suggestions based on what they know I like. They have and will turn down business if they think its in my best interest to buy from them.

Once I develop a strong working relationship with a vendor, I tend to be very loyal. That doesn't mean I won't try a new vendor on occasion but that wouldn't be my first choice.

(Note: For the average non-PS consumer, I think my comments still hold to some degree. People go someplace they think they can trust - whether it be their local independent jeweler, a referral from a friend, or even a well-known chain based on the assumption that they must be reputable (not always the case as we know).
I find that if one is thrilled with their purchase, that's where they go back - hence my comment is that it's about relationships.)
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
What’s the problem do you have when choose and buy a jewelry?

Well, budget is always a problem. I am married. I buy most of my own jewelery from my salary. For presents from my husband, I pick something and he pays, but he sets the budget and it is always smaller than I want.

Choice of well made jewelery is scarce; there is only cheap mall jewelery, or very expensive Graff and Harry Winston high jewelery. This forces me to use my favorite jeweler for custom projects. Which is expensive.

(What make you confuse, worry or unhappy....when buying jewelry).

Confused sometimes on quality of the stones, especially colored stones and if there were treatments, as the stores sometimes will not or cannot say.

Worry about if I got a good deal.

For custom jewelery unhappy when the quality isn't good or the look of my design isn't pretty (even if I designed it and chose it, it can sometimes end up disappointed)

Thank you so much for sharing your opinion. Do you bough your jewelry on a special occasion or not?
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
I buy my own jewellery, including custom-cut gemstones and mostly design my own as I have very specific design element requirements.

The main constraint is budget, and I usually pay big ticket items in instalments.

DK :))

Thank you! Do you buy jewelry on a special occasions?
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
Here in the Philippines, the easiest way to find a local jeweller is through Instagram! Hashtags like #jewelryph #diamondsph #ringsph will usually lead to shops that either sell jewellery (like resellers who buy cheap gold pieces in bulk from the Saudi, Japan, or Hong Kong) or to small mom-and-pop local jewellers.

A place close to the Philippines' National Capital Region (NCR) called Meycauayan, Bulacan is home to the jewellers in this northern island of the Philippines (Luzon island). Many of the local jewellers who make custom jewellery in Luzon are from Meycauayan, since it has a long history of being Luzon's "jewellery capital". However, not all of them can create high jewellery; true, a lot have pretty good, though some just good, workmanship, but the truly bespoke and high-end jewellers are much rarer, and much harder to find. In fact, CAD modelling isn't even a regular thing here for most local jewellers. They still rely on hand-drawn sketches.

I have a jeweller who creates exclusively high jewellery pieces (@the_collection_ph on Instagram) and I go to her for special occasion jewellery: anniversaries, recently for a milestone birthday, and it looks like it will be this way for many other occasions in the years to come. Her prices are definitely not cheap: easily 5 to 15 times more than your regular mom-and-pop jeweller!

For one-off or "for fun" pieces, there are three local jewellers I have in rotation (also all on IG), depending on who gives me the best price for the design I want to have made. So again you see, budget is the other big consideration when I have jewellery made.

Jewellery is a "must" for me on special occasions—they must be marked with a new addition to the collection ;-) But I'll buy or have jewellery made any time, even on a whim... as long as I have the money! :lol:

Thank you for your opinion and experience. I appreciate it.
 

vietphuong_gems

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
13
My biggest problem is that I am not good at understanding what I really want/like (or what bothers me) until I see it in person. I buy for myself and not for special occasions.

I think buying fine jewelry is about trust and relationships with the seller. It is with that, it takes a lot of concerns out of the process.

For 90% of my purchases, I go to independent jewelers that I have built relationships with. I find that working with new jewelers can be difficult. I don't know their strengths/weaknesses. More importantly, they don't know my aesthetic and preferences. (I never recommend working with jeweler for the first time if their aesthetic is not what you are looking for-no matter how good they are).

The jewelers I have relationships with know what I like, my priorities and will will advise accordingly. They will steer me away from purchases explaining why I won't be happy with it and/or make suggestions based on what they know I like. They have and will turn down business if they think its in my best interest to buy from them.

Once I develop a strong working relationship with a vendor, I tend to be very loyal. That doesn't mean I won't try a new vendor on occasion but that wouldn't be my first choice.

(Note: For the average non-PS consumer, I think my comments still hold to some degree. People go someplace they think they can trust - whether it be their local independent jeweler, a referral from a friend, or even a well-known chain based on the assumption that they must be reputable (not always the case as we know).
I find that if one is thrilled with their purchase, that's where they go back - hence my comment is that it's about relationships.)

Thank you so much!
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
12,492

margauxmines

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 4, 2021
Messages
380
Nope, as and when I feel like treating myself. Why wait until only special occassions?

DK :))
That the sun shines and the birds sing each morning—always a special occasion! Ergo... every day is a good day to buy jewellery ;)2
 

RosieR

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
1,138
When it comes to picking new jewellery, I have a vision of what my core collection of fine jewellery will look like. I really would like to own interchangeable basics that I can dress up or down, so I get full use of my collection. With regards to buying for a special occasion, my pieces are bought in honour of special occasions, but not necessarily on the special occasion. My latest significant purchase was a solitaire diamond ring. I purchased the diamond separately and it sat in the safe for a year , the setting came just over a year later. I was so giddy with excitement to get it I was wearing the ring a good 2 months before my 40th birthday, even though it was a birthday present to myself.
 

Mrs_Strizzle

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 14, 2018
Messages
1,567
I have a very strong aversion to paying retail, so most of my purchases are pre loved. Because of this I tend to purchase at random times when something appears that I can't resist. I then declare it is my early Christmas/birthday/belated retirement /etc gift to myself. Sometimes it definitely works out in my favor because enough time can go by, hubby forgets, and then buys me another gift! Haha
 
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