Did you Ever Wonder WHY They Make GOLD Like that?

[FarmMom]

So the other day I was watching SLC, and they presented a gold bracelet. 24k gold.

Here is the item: Ankur Treasure Chest 24K Yellow Gold 3.5mm Textured Beaded Bracelet (6.50-8.00In) 4.20 Grams

Watching the live show, it looked HIDEOUS. And I asked myself, WHY do they feel the need to MAKE IT so UGLY?!

And then I had my "oh duh" moment. Gold is VEEEERY pricey, and when you design an item to be made, you CANNOT always make it identical to a silver mold. The tiniest bit of "extra" material shoots the price way up. When companies (or casting houses) create a setting for jewelry, they do so in a way to use the LEAST amount of material.

Also why they started electroforming gold, to create thinner items with less material.

But the bracelet in question had cut beans, and holes in the flower. And while SOMETIMES it IS a design idea, much of the time its a material saver idea.

Anything that's been laser cut . . . designed to save material (plus added bonus it looks fancy).

So next time you see something strangely cut or designed, just remember, it was likely done to save on material

[Bella]

I received a ring I ordered from Shop LC today(not a cheap one either)and speaking of the amount of material (silver in this case)I’m shocked by how thin and lightweight it is. I have brought this up in the past and it’s getting worse and worse. Gone are the days of hefty silver rings and bracelets. Rings in particular are becoming skimpy in the silver department. I can imagine what some of their gold pieces are like!

[FarmMom]

So I was just quoted prices on silver casting. $2.30 per penny weight (the unit they use), and the ring I had them cast is 3.35pw, so in material it's $12.70. This was for a basic prong setting.

The designer settings I'm having cast I don't yet have a weight for, but it's going to be quite solid and sturdy.

I think much of what SLC is doing is looking for ways the scrape up extra money. I saw them selling citrine and amethyst brcaelets last night in silver for $300. That seems very out of character for them, they were only 30cts worth of stones, and at $1ct for quartz the stones are not worth much. So if we guess that 2 of the stone settings have about 3pw worth of silver, and there are 16, we do 8x3 and we 24 (pennyweight), times the cost of $2.30/pw of silver it's give or take $50. Fine, tack on another $50 for setting and such. $100 vs $300? Yikes, SLC just busted up the price on that one. Now they are selling at normal jeweler price.