Thursday, April 30, 2009

My shopping bag from Tucson




Here is some of the goods we bought in Tucson  last February.

I want to give you a sneak peek of a small jewelry designer's life. Above  is a chunk of almandine garnet strands...around 30 strands of 16 inches average. The beads size is 3-4 mm smooth round and from my design point it calls me to make a fabulous multi strand necklace, knotted and finished with a fabulous clasp...it can be a single with hidden multi strand rings or a vintage like 3 rings clasp that can be placed off center on the  neck.  Since there are so many strands I will not knotted between every beads but I will do it every 5 beads..something that I 've learned to call it "safety knots" BUT still it will requires you lots of labor time. If the holes are consistent I can use a carded silk # 3 and bead tips at the ends so I will not have to put more time on enlarging holes and drilling 6 beads of each strand to finish on a classic way.
So, safety knots, bead tips and # 3 carded silk..that's all I need. OK! 

But let's imagine that I have this fabulous desire of adding some of the Crystallized™ Swarovski Elements in fuchsia AB(4mm) or purple velvet ... sprinkling beads here and there to catch more light and add lots of possess to it. Once I have my clasp attached to all the individually knotted strands, is time to price it. So, now what do you think should be fair?

The least expensive quote for knotting is U$ 1 an inch...since I am not knotting every bead so I think $ .50 is enough...so lets put the numbers together to figure out(poorly) the cost of it:

25 strands of garnet - $ 187.50 ( each strand $ 7.50( wholesale cause the retailed is dbl)    +
Clasp - $ 25.00 ( a nice in gold filled or sterling silver, maybe vintage like glass pressed one) +
Knotting - $  200.00 ( $ 8.00 for each strand)+
Crystallized - $ 15.00 (roughly imaging that I got 20 beads only) +
Other findings - $ 5.00 ( bead tips carded silk and stringing glue (just dabs of it) +
labor, taxes, designing element - Lord have mercy! ( ? )
Total: U$ 432.50 ( without adding the last items)  

Now comes the time to price your fabulous and unique necklace for  selling to a fabulous and confident woman who understands your design quality....huahuahua

Hypothetically I would like to sell this necklace for  U$ 840.00 BUT the reality is

1- It might take me forever to sell it
2- Competition is huge and everybody is making jewelry these days PLUS the Chinese.
3- Who cares for unique and one of a kind piece anymore?!
4- Design quality??? Oh  many people would say:
"Its JUST a bunch of strand of garnets put together. I can buy it and do it just like that and it will not cost me that much.

Well, these days I think if I could sell it for U$ 600.00 it'd be great.
And remember, I bought it in Tucson. I traveled to Tucson and I spent money with food  and hotel  and my time to shop. Those expenses were not considered at all.

So pricing jewelry is something really hard and if you are planning to show to department stores, the first thing they want to know is the price point of your line. Buyers want big  and fabulous and fashionable look for cheap.  Unless you reach the rich ones is very hard to make it in jewelry nowadays. 
 



No, I wasn't thinking about winter colors when I grab all these... As matter of fact I don't have a jewelry collection based on anything...seasons, style, concept nor theme. No, I don't. I sell my jewelry mostly through private parties and those expose myself to all kinds of personalities. So, I do have a Bazaar of jewelry, an Indian Market, a Brazilian hippie trunk where you can find a little of all. I have my current collection on my website organized  by one season and one style. Besides that, I have not had a reason to show my jewelry in sections, nor themes, nor a concept. I have done that for customers but not for myself. 

So getting back to the above stones, I juts bought it  because W. and  our friend Katie Hacker told me that they would look really good with some stretching bracelets I 've been making for guys. The shape is very wrist friendly and I did like it. It did not cost me too much( 5 bucks each strand) and I don't even remember the name of it. It's sort of a dark blue almost black jasper or granite...serious! I think that many women have been wearing granites against their bodies lately..there is so many agates, jasper's and quartz out there that they look just like some Brazilian granite to me.



The last image is a pair of lemon topaz fat drops. I bought those specifically to make a pair of earrings for a customer. The drops are sold by carat and the quality is higher than the ones sold on strands. Still, you can see that in one side of the tag reads the carat amount and the other is the price by each drop. 
Again, when it comes to finish your product and mark it to sell,  the end user don't understand the value of it... because the customer expect to buy your jewelry at your home or at a somebody else house for a bargain. 

These days I make jewelry more accessible to all. How? Make changes, adding different elements, not using high carat stones, and using base metal. I only use sterling silver and gold filled with specific stones and cuts. Wood, Lucite, resin, base metal, cords, few crystals and lower grade stones make jewelry more saleable. I keep some precious metal and high quality stones for special cases or when a customer ask for only. 

As far as the fabulous almandine garnet necklace, I will post a picture of it once is ready.  And I will make it fabulous and expensive. Maybe Barbara Walters will see it and end up buying my whole trunk.

We can only wish for THE BEST !!! Always!!!

Sources:

* almandine garnet and dark blue jasper : Wraps, Stones and Things - 
www.beadsuniverse.com ( don't bother to spend time at their website - you need to catch them at a Show. None of the gemstones dealers have the best inventory online.. bs : )
But u can call 415 - 863 4953 and talk to Sanjay.. he is wonderful!

* lemon topaz briolettes: 
Divinity Imports - www.divinityimports.com ( u will need a special code to see all) 
very polite people. 

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Celebrating "Exposed" in Lafayette - Louisiana


Glasses of "Cr'emant" to celebrate the last day of Workshops and display of "Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed" in Lafayette - books sold and signed and I've gained more fans into my bejeweled world.




View of "Exposed" display table at the Hilton in Lafayette - last March. Copies of the book were sold, signed and everybody got Brazilian candies. Spreading the beautiful work done by me and fellow designers, Katie Hacker and Margot Potter. 
I had to have a little bottle of bubbling to get the groove going.
Cheers  and thank to all and special thanks to Jodie Venace and Liz Brehmer with Stuller.

An earth 'n turf Saturday with caipirinhas



We've been cooking a lot lately...I believe that even a salad tastes better if its homemade. Yes, I am picky when it comes to food and thankfully I am a far better cook than I am a designer so it will be always a second chance.

Pan seared drumsticks with paprika, saffron, parsley and tomatoes...well, that is just a portion of the seasoning. 

Grilled smoked sausage, shrimps and puree.



Caipirinhas to cheers - Brazilian national drink - LOTS of sugar, tons of limes and sugar-cane rum..getting blessed by Buddha. 

Thursday, April 23, 2009

An homage to St. George










April 23rd in Brazil is a day devoted to St. George. 
From my side of the world I do my best thinking about him and his fiercely face, my achievements, the paths that I have taken in life and paths might be my way. I know that above of all a magical and unexplainable power guides my life. 


Monday, April 20, 2009

Amaryllis are in bloom


Last year we bought 3 vases of red amaryllis at the West Chester Growers Market and a year later we were blessed by the first indoor blooming...we are in awe. Aren't they gorgeous!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Naomi and Linda today



Naomi and Linda look fierce on this ad for DSquared2 eye wear. Those cuff bracelets are very chic! DALICIUUS !!!! 

Naomi Campbell yesterday


Naomi Campbell. Versace  Atelier Fall/Winter 96/97 - Photographed by the fabulous and unique Mario Testino.  

Another page of the incredible "Rock and Royalty" book by Gianni Versace.  We found this book at Giovanni's Room  an amazing bookstore in Philadelphia. It was the first thing I bought once we moved from Dallas 4 years ago and I nurtured this books a lot. It's my bible and when I am feeling un inspired I look through its pages and a different light come to my mind. 

More of my past



Kiwi quartz donut, aqua aura, amazonite, peridot, sterling silver toggle. 


Park Avenue necklace - faceted aquamarine and vermeil pinched focal bead.


 Turquoise nuggets, onyx, amazonite, gold foiled Venetian glass, carved focal turquoise, vermeil caps and gold filled chain. Quartz and blue CZ stones set on vermeil toggle. 

Linda Evangelista yesterday




It's fascinating seen Andy Warhol's work trough Versace's lenses and then having Linda Evangelista bridging this remarkable conjunction of Art and Fashion.  Andy - Linda - Versace.

Linda Evangelista - Women's Collection  Spring/Summer 92 - Photo by Irving Penn  

Sunday, April 12, 2009

OLD IS STILL IN STYLE


MULTI STRAND NECKLACE  WITH AMAZONITE  AND ACQUA AURA CRYSTAL. KNOTTED. DESIGN BY FERNANDO DASILVA © 2004 .

TURQUOISE DROP EARRINGS IN GOLD FILLED.


BLUE CHALCEDONY FACETED DROPS AND AMETHYST SOCCER BALL CUT BEADS. STERLING SILVER CONNECTORS.  FERNANDO DASILVA © 2004. 



TURQUOISE HEISHI ROUNDELLES, GOLD FILLED AND WHITE FRESH WATER PEARLS WRAPPED ON GOLD FILLED TOGGLE. DESIGN BY FERNANDO DASILVA © 2004.


Friday, April 10, 2009

A LUNATIC NECKLACE BY FERNANDO DASILVA




A CREATION INSPIRED BY THE MYSTERY OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON 
TO REMIND US THAT THERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT BEYOND THE DARKNESS.

CRYSTAL MOONLIGHT AND LIGHT SAPPHIRE CRYSTALLIZED™ WITH SWAROVSKI® ELEMENTS.
OFF  WHITE  ALUMINUM CHAIN, DA SILVA MOON MOTIF CHARMS AND STERLING SILVER MOON FACE BOX CLASP.

 

UPLIFTING OUR SPIRITS


Today's Outlook :

 The Moon enters transformational Scorpio at 5:23 am EDT, revealing magic that can unfold only in the shadows. But we are not worried now about fears that we sometimes face in the darkness because the bright Sun forms a supportive sextile with optimistic Jupiter. The light of awareness has the power to free us from the paralyzing grip of the unknown. Additionally, thoughtful Mercury's connection to Jupiter inspires our words and uplifts our spirits.

( TEXT EXTRACTED FROM WWW.BELIEFNET.COM )


"   Lua, lua, lua, lua
     por um momento
meu canto contigo compactua
no tempo estanca

branca, branca, branca, branca 
a minha, a nossa, a voz, a tua 
sendo silencio
teu canto nao tem nada  a ver com a lua

lua lua lua lua 
branca branca branca  branca "

Lyrics by Caetano Veloso ©   GAPA
  

Thursday, April 9, 2009

PISA


Cobblestones with shell motif on the central station's sidewalk.

I could make jewelry on those colors combinations..lovely! Yellow, light peach and salmon.


Tiles of Pisa Central Train Station. Um Luuuusho!!!


THE MEDIEVAL SIENA





UNDER THE TUSCANY SUN



San Gimignano - September 2008

A typical  villa in Tuscany. Peach 

Yellow wild flowers on the edge of the road.


Our Sun wasn't that shiny but it didn't matter at all. We take it on a rainy day as well..


An olive tree getting ready for its destiny.

FULL MOON ABOVE MY HEAD



Magnificent!
BEEELA!
Gorgeous!
There is no word in any language to describe the full moon beauty. I like the moonlight and I feel very creative under her domain.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Cuff bracelets by DENNY DIAMOND


"Pain in the brass" bracelet by  Denny Diamond © 2009  - a top-notch fusion of copper and bronze featuring a rich texture on its surface and rich ornated design and craftsmanship that turned my head on first sight.
I just looooooooVD it!
Beautiful work by this Canadian designer who shared her artsy approach with me.

This bracelet above is made with solid copper sewn to a raw brass cuff.  She perforated the edges and whip-stitched it with copper wire and brass (gold coloured) beads. This is actually a prototype for a sterling and goldfilled version. She named it "Bead, Bound and Beyond". 

The next one is sterling and goldfilled wire with goldfilled beads. According to her is "really much simpler to do because once it was
done, it was done--I didn't have to sew it to anything". It doesnt look simple to me.



Above " Double path" bracelet by Denny Diamond © 2009.  Sterling silver and gold-filled. 



Another highlight of our visit to Toronto was  Denny Diamond. We meet at John Bead showroom(it seems like the best Canadian designers are fans of John Bead) and I had to stop her(actually I grabbed her wrist just like we Brazilians like to do it) to ask about the cuff bracelet she was wearing. It is a one of a kind, made and designed by her and I incredibly loved her work. We hit and I believe on her ability to transform metal in wearable art. Since I started posting some of my beaded bracelets I thought it would be nice to have her work next to my one because is definitely DALICIUUS !!!  

Friday, April 3, 2009

And more bracelets

"Love in pink" bracelet.  Fuchsia n peach and double silver chain color.
© 2006 Fernando Dasilva for Beadalon.



An affair without roses. © Fernando Dasilva 2006



" DeLourdes" bracelet. Big colored wood and dichroic beads.
© Fernando Dasilva

Top: Green crystals, peridot roundels and dichroic beads. Simple, simple.
© Fernando Dasilva 2006


Bottom: © Fernando Dasilva for Beadalon
Blue chalcedony and black diamond and purple velvet helix Crystallized™ elements.



"Alice" bracelet. © 2008 Fernando Dasilva for Beadalon.
Brown polyester chain, organza and CZ Gem dropz.