Gold filled vs gold clasps

Thanks, Patti


"Beads1947" wrote in message
...
If you have a wholesale license, GemORama outside of Boston is a good
place for
findings, especially headpins ($10.00 for 1,000) and earwires. They have a
webpage at www.gemorama.com or you can call them. They also have
excellent
prices on gemstone shaped beads.They have monthly specials and will put
you on
their mailing list.
Patti

Sweetie -- gold filled is not "cheap stuff." It is good stuff.


Becki
"Here in Alaska we call a shovel a shovel and a cock a cock" -- C.T.P.Peterson

At this time, most artisan made jewelry doesn't command the
price it deserves and the increase in cost in findings will not pass on to
the consumer.


OK then. That is absolutely not fair, is it? Well, then we'll add this to
the list of things that will have to change when I become Empress of the
world... This is getting to be a very long list, any other inequities you
want to add? (We have a while to go, but get your requests in now)

"Steve & Susan Wright" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
Christy,
You are very right about the quality of the work shown here by members,
it's
outstanding and deserving of gold but the reality of pricing and market
unless someone has developed an upscale, affluent market, their ability to
recoup the cost of gold vs. gold filled is not there. If I had my choice
I
would only use 14/18 kt gold, A-AAA quality pearls and gemstones, vvs D
color or better diamonds but I don't have that market or the resources to
warehouse items in that quality.

Many people here find it difficult to even get more than min. wage for the
work they do when you add up all the hours spent on their creations much
less the time spent on marketing. There is a great divide between wishes
and reality. At this time, most artisan made jewelry doesn't command the
price it deserves and the increase in cost in findings will not pass on to
the consumer.

Susan

"CLP" wrote in message
news:mNESa.14063$zd4.7236@lakeread02...
Thanks for all the answers. I hear everyone, but if I was going to buy a
piece of handcrafted jewelry, I would want real gold. I feel like if I
wanted cheap stuff, I would go to SteinMart. Relatively speaking, if I
buy
a
clasp that costs $12 and sell a piece, I'd just factor in extra for that
amount.

I've seen everyone's work that has been shown for as long as I've
visited
this site, and a good percentage of it should have nothing BUT gold.
(For
goodness sake, have you seen your quality of work?) I think anything
less
than real gold sells yourself short, no pun intended. I've seen crap
necklace and earring sets that people have bought for $120.00 at home
jewelry parties that were nothing more than fake turquoise with pewter
"bali" beads. If they will pay for cheap garbage, why not good stuff?

When I find a really good source, I'll share it with y'all.

Live and be well,
Christy



"Kalera Stratton" wrote in message
...
In article wVxSa.13624$zd4.3642@lakeread02,
"CLP" wrote:

Is there any reason one would use gold filled findings instead of
14,
18
or
24k gold?

TIA
Christy

To keep costs down and make a less expensive piece, yet still have the
look of gold.

--
-Kalera
Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03
Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com
See us at www.strattonhome.org

Ok, still trying to find out gold filled's composition, I did an "Ask
Jeeves", since Google didn't turn up one. Here's the only thing I found by
way of explanation:
http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http%3a...s %2f742.html

or, broken down I'll put an abbreviated exerpt from the post of gold filled,
vermeil and gold plating here and tell you the author is listed as "Beadman"
"Gold-fill is more complicated. The gold is not added to the bead, but
rather in an median step. A large bar of jeweler's bronze is given a thick
layer of high-karat gold (by sweating). Then this bar is stretched and
rolled into a sheet of gold-fill; and from this beads (or whatever) are
made. The resulting beads have a much thicker layer of gold than plating
provides, and because the two metals are worked together they are
structurally bonded in a manner that plating doesn't allow. And, gold-fill
items are also sometimes gold-plated as well. I guess this covers seams, or
insures a bright finish. Thus, gold-fill is superior to gold-plating, and
more desirable, and more expensive."

In other words, it's a mix of gold and bronze...

"BeckiBead" wrote in message
...
Sweetie -- gold filled is not "cheap stuff." It is good stuff.


Becki
"Here in Alaska we call a shovel a shovel and a cock a cock" --
C.T.P.Peterson

so, how do i get a wholesale liscence?

alia

I love the look of silver, but when it comes in contact with me, it
tarnishes. (I think it's all the espresso in my system)
Kathy, Where did you find your gold findings? It's kind of a drag, not being
able to look at and touch this stuff in person. It's internet or catalog,
and it's hard to assess the "feel" of the things, isn't it? I hear more
negative than plus about the vermeil. Wish I could take a trip to the VI
where gold is cheaper.

"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
.com...
On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 18:34:05 -0400, CLP wrote
(in message mNESa.14063$zd4.7236@lakeread02):

Thanks for all the answers. I hear everyone, but if I was going to buy a
piece of handcrafted jewelry, I would want real gold. I feel like if I
wanted cheap stuff, I would go to SteinMart. Relatively speaking, if I
buy a
clasp that costs $12 and sell a piece, I'd just factor in extra for that
amount.

I use real gold. 14K, not 24K, because pure gold is too soft to stand up.
I
also use vermeil in places where it won't be touched (as spacers in
between
larger beads, for example.) However, I don't sell my stuff. If I had to
worry about market rates and getting something in return for my time, I
probably would use gold filled.

That being said, I don't have any problem with gold filled. From what I
understand, the gold part is thick enough that it will outlast me, and it
certainly looks wonderful. Most gold plate has a sort of brassy yellow
look
that doesn't appeal to me, and the way it wears off so quickly makes it
unacceptable for my use.

But, there's a reason I mostly work with silver. I just got some clasps
and
a few spacer beads for some pieces I wanted to make. $250 later, I had a
tiny little baggie to show for my troubles. For $250, I could have gotten
quite a bit of beautiful silver. I don't mind being lavish with silver
accents in my jewelry, but I'd have to be quite wealthy to do the same in
gold.

Kathy N-V

On 20 Jul 2003 23:35:04 GMT, uybeads (BeckiBead)
wrote:

Sweetie -- gold filled is not "cheap stuff." It is good stuff.

I was about to say! *Gold-plated* is cheesy; *gold-filled* is not.
You can afford to use 18K if you're selling precious stones like
diamonds; people will pay the increased price. But using it for
semi-precious and glass beads, unless it's commissioned, isn't
cost-effective at all. Gold-filled is the best type of gold finding
unless you know the customer will pay for solid gold.

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 22:55:15 -0400, "CLP" wrote:

It's kind of a drag, not being
able to look at and touch this stuff in person.

Just picking out this bit to reply to - with a big ol' ME TOO. My LBS
carries a tiny amount of sterling and gold-filled stuff, but it's in a
locked case and I don't want to ask them to open it just so I can
fondle the stuff. Same with their Bali, Turkish and Indian silver.
(And Swarovski). I've had to learn about this stuff by buying small
amounts online and comparing them in different pieces. Needless to
say, it's slow learning when you have to pay for it. (Though it does
make learning very, very fun!)

I hear everyone, but if I was going to buy a
piece of handcrafted jewelry, I would want real gold. I feel like if I
wanted cheap stuff, I would go to SteinMart.

Gold-filled isn't considered cheap stuff, though.
~~
Sooz
-------
ESBC
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html
~ Bead Notes: Beading information A - Z
http://www.lampwork.net/beadnotes.html

Take a look in magazines, etc. Great jewelry by designers, not mass-produced
-- and made with gold-filled. It isn't looked down upon by the industry, or
customers....and it allows more people to own nice jewelry.

I've seen everyone's work that has been shown for as long as I've visited
this site, and a good percentage of it should have nothing BUT gold. (For
goodness sake, have you seen your quality of work?) I think anything less
than real gold sells yourself short, no pun intended.


~~
Sooz
-------
ESBC
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html
~ Bead Notes: Beading information A - Z
http://www.lampwork.net/beadnotes.html