My Experience on Etsy

I closed my Etsy shop. I am very disappointed in the changes Etsy has made that make it no longer profitable for me. The necklaces that I created and sold on Etsy were not the same ones sold on this website. They were all one of a kind and often contained unusual gemstones.

Etsy was originally a site where a small business owner or hobbyist sold his/her handmade items. Now Etsy allows large businesses selling mass produced factory made products. Not only do they just allow, but encourage these shops. Often the same owner may have multiple shops with different names selling similar or identical items.

In search results Etsy posts only 1 item from a shop on each page of results. The owner of more than one shop may have an item from each shop on a page. Search places an item at the top of results based on the date and time it was posted, most recent first. A large business with multiple shops could rotate the posting times. An item can be renewed before its time expires. A fee is charged when an item is posted or renewed. An ad can be purchased with price determined by auction. Highest price is placed first in search results.

Etsy has changed search results priorities to favor the number of times the same item has sold, been clicked on in search, or received favorable reviews. How can a one of a kind item compete?

Search now includes attributes, lists of descriptive words that a shopper may click. The lists often do not include a choice that describes my necklaces.

Clicking on an item in search results no longer takes the customer to my shop, only to a description of the item. A tiny link must be clicked to reach the shop.

Etsy is offering new programs that can be purchased to help the success of a shop. Old free programs now have fees.

All of these changes favor big business. My position in search results is lower. The traffic to my shop is lower. As a result my sales are lower. Other small shops have suffered the same results.

Will Etsy lose the customers that liked buying unique items?

What is Handmade Jewelry?

The phrase handmade jewelry carries the connotation of an artisan creating high quality, unique design, with personal attention to technique and supplies. There are many sellers labeling their products as handmade. Beaded jewelry is a good example.You can find it on personal websites, Etsy, Amazon, Ebay, in stores, craft shows, etc.

Is all of this jewelry made by an artisan? Probably not. Since beading has become a popular pastime, many inexperienced crafters have started selling their products. Other sources, often in China, are factories where workers mass produce.

What is the quality of this jewelry? Amateurs may be talented, but experience is important. In addition to construction techniques, it affects choice of materials. I have found many items to avoid, such as: flexible wire that kinks when it bends, fake gemstones, mislabeled gemstones, magnetic clasps with magnets that are stronger than the glue that holds them, sterling silver findings that bend and don’t hold their shape, silk thread that stretches over time. It is also important to know which materials are worth a higher cost. Since mass produced jewelry is often sold at lower prices, cheap low quality materials may be used.
Personal attention is difficult in a factory situation. Repetition results in boredom and loss of attention to detail. The quality of the construction depends on quality control procedures of the company.

Are the designs unique? I recently found the same handmade necklace in a department store, a boutique, numerous Etsy shops, Amazon, and a Chinese wholesale website. Since the jewelry sold in chain stores or large discount websites is mass produced, it will not be one of a kind.
True creative talent in designing jewelry requires the ability to combine the artistic with the practical, designs for wearing with a variety of clothes, designs for people with different tastes from conservative to trendy.

Although jewelry may be made by hand, it is not always worthy of the connotation associated with the term handmade jewelry.

Inventory Reduction Sale

Prices have been reduced.

I want to down size my business. My husband has retired, and I want to spend more time with him.

In addition to the large selection of jewelry on this website, I have enough beading supplies to make many additional one of a kind items. I will not reduce the quality, just the price.

Prices listed do not show the previous price. The current prices on all gemstone necklaces, wood necklaces, glass necklaces and pearl necklaces are lower by approximately 30%. A real bargain for fine quality jewelry.

Tips For Navigating Our Beaded Jewelry Website

A large website does not have to be overwhelming. It easy to find what you want from our huge selection of jewelry, including more than 450 beaded necklaces, 200 beaded earrings, numerous beaded bracelets and pendants.

Are you trying to match a color? Want to see your favorite color?
Use the drop down menus titled Beaded Necklaces By Color and Beaded Earrings By Color, located near the top of any page.

Do you need a particular gemstone? Perhaps a birthstone?
There is a page for each gemstone that can be reached from our gemstone directory. A link to the directory is in the right hand column of any page. There is a partial list of gemstone pages near the bottom of the home page.
Need a birthstone list? A link is in the Learn About Beads menu at the top of any page.

Looking for jewelry made from a certain type of bead material: pearl, wood, crystal, etc?
Use the links in the right hand column of any page.

Just want to browse?
The links in the Online Jewelry Store drop down menu at the top of any page, and the various Jewelry links in the right column take you to pages specifically designed for browsing necklaces (including matching bracelets or earrings). Photos are little thumbnail size with a short description. Easy to skim quickly. Click on a title or photo to see a larger total photo and additional information.

Who is the designer?
All of our beaded jewelry is designed and handmade by Nancy and Tracy. The item numbers tell you who.
100 – 999 necklaces or pendants by Nancy
1000 – 1999 necklaces by Tracy
2000 – 2999 bracelets by Nancy
3000 – 3999 bracelets by Tracy
4000 – 4999 earrings by Tracy
5000 – 5999 earrings by Nancy

Looking for educational info about the beads we use and other related topics?
Use the Learn About Beads menu near the top of any page.
Read blog posts in the News and Fashion category.
Look for links in the home page text.

Enjoy a touch of humor from the dog cartoons scattered throughout the site.
Our precious pet Coquette who was the inspiration for them died in Sept. 2013 at the age of 17 years.

Need more help? Contact us at handmadebeaded@aol.com

Is What You See What You Get?
There are many jewelry websites with beautiful photos, creative names for their items, and glowing descriptions. But do you really know what you are buying? Our goal is satisfied customers who will be happy when they receive their purchases. We give you the kind of information that tells you exactly what you are buying.

Photos: Each beaded jewelry item may have several different pictures. Little thumbnails are shown on pages designed for quick browsing. Click on it to see a large photo of the entire item including the back of a necklace and clasp. Close ups show interesting bead designs or shapes. A photo of a person wearing the jewelry helps to show length and bead size.
Photos are taken using professional photography lights with special daylight bulbs. Colors are adjusted using photoshop if necessry. However, even the actual bead colors can look different in daylight or indoor lighting. It is impossible to post a photo online that will display accurately on every computer screen or mobile device. We include written color descriptions. If the description does not seem to match the picture, trust the description.
Movies found on the home page or under News and Fashion show beads with special characteristics that do not show well in photos.

Detailed Text Descriptions: Necklace or earring lengths, bead sizes, and bead content can be deceiving in photos. This information is included in descriptions. Click on a thumbnail photo to see it.
We also offer posts on millimeter conversion and determining bead shapes. Look under Learn About Beads.

All of our information is meant to be helpful and accurate. Nothing is intended to be deceiving. Ask questions. Email me.

Read my navigation post for tips on finding information.
Find out more about our online jewelry store. See the home page. handmade beaded jewelry .org

Faux Advertising?

If you saw an ad with a photo titled: "Faux 18k Gold Diamond Ring", and another photo’s description was: "cz set in a gold colored metal ring", which ring would you buy? Which ring would have a higher price?
Actually, both photos could be the same ring.

Are you familiar with the phrase faux pearl? It is often used for man made glass or plastic pearls.

A large chain of women’s clothing stores mailed a spring catalog. Accessory jewelry items are described as faux 12kt gold plated or faux rhodium plated.

The important word in all these descriptions is "faux", a French word. It can be used as adjective, adverb, or noun. A French/English dictionary translates faux as: false, untrue, erroneous, wrong, spurious, unsound, base, counterfeit, artificial, imitation, mock, sham, pretended, insincere, double, treacherous, deceitful, forgery, falsehood. Most of these words imply an intent to deceive. Why advertise jewelry using a word with such a negative connotation? Perhaps the merchant thinks a French word makes the jewelry seem more stylish, or chic? Maybe the merchant assumes that most customers do not know French.

What does faux 12kt gold plated mean? Any word that follows faux could be false. Is the gold not 12kt? Is the plating not gold? Is it not plated, just a gold colored base metal? If this phrase is designed to tell what the jewelry looks like, why not just say it looks like gold?
Why use 12kt plated? Why not faux 14 kt gold, or even faux 18 kt? Most necklaces in this store’s catalog, or on the website, are priced between $49.50 and $79.50. Obviously an 18 kt gold necklace would cost more than $50. A gold plated necklace could be $50 or less. If a shopper overlooks the word "faux" the price might seem reasonable.

One necklace is described as faux rhodium plated brass and zinc. Since brass is usually gold colored, the zinc must be the plating? Another necklace is described as faux rhodium plated steel and zinc. Steel is often plated with zinc for industrial uses. Is this faux rhodium actually zinc plated steel?
Would a customer be more likely to buy "faux rhodium plated", "fake rhodium plated", or "zinc plated steel"?
This clothing store and website are charging high prices for mass produced, imported, imitation jewelry. Is it a rip off? You be the judge.

Is this false advertising? No. The simple little word "faux" prevents it. A description can say anything if it is labeled false.
Is it confusing? Yes. The shopper is told what the item is not, rather than what it is.
The photo shows how an item looks. The text should give additional accurate details.

Be a smart shopper. Look for both detailed photos and good descriptive text.

A New Trend In Beading and Handmade Beaded Jewelry

The rising prices of gold and silver have more than doubled the cost of jewelry findings and beads made of sterling silver and gold.
On line suppliers are beginning to offer silver filled as a substitute for sterling.

At recent bead shows, the exhibitors of findings and clasps were offering lead free pewter with silver and gold finishes. The designs in these more affordable metals are attractive and often the same as those previously made of sterling. Copper has become popular. I saw very little sterling or gold filled.

Prices of our current inventory of jewelry and new additions made with on hand supplies will not be raised. Eventually we will have to increase prices for jewelry made with new purchases of sterling and gold beads, clasps, or earring findings. We will include jewelry with pewter, copper, silver plated or gold plated beads and clasps.
Our detailed description of each jewelry item includes the type of metal used in the clasp, beads, or findings.

Visit the home page for more information about our jewelry. handmade beaded jewelry .org

Stewarts Caring Place Craft Show and Sale

Handmade Beaded Jewelry (HBJ) will be a vendor at a fund raising art and craft show and sale for Stewarts Caring Place. This will be our third year since 2008 at this event. We couldn’t make it 2010 and 2011 due to surgery and travel. But we our back for 2012!
The show will be held:

Nov. 3, 2012, Hours: 10 AM – 4 PM, Admission: free,

Fairlawn Community Center
3486 S. Smith Rd., Fairlawn, Ohio, 44333

Near Summit Mall, across the street from the Fairlawn city hall.
Fairlawn is located between Akron and Cleveland, Ohio.

Stewarts Caring Place is a non-profit facility that provides support to cancer patients and their families, including: support group meetings, counseling for family members and children, financial planning, educational classes, nutrition counseling, yoga, massage, wigs, library, and more, with no time limit. The center’s programs are free indefinitely for anyone who has been touched by cancer.


The Stewarts Caring Place Holiday Arts and Craft Boutique is an annual fund raisor to support this charitable organization. Vendors pay a table fee, donate a portion of all sales, and contribute a raffle item.

If you live in the Akron, Ohio or Cleveland, Ohio area, come to the show and stop by my table.

Unusual Gemstone Beads With Schiller and Chatoyant Effects Schiller is sheen or color change that seems to move across the surface of the bead. Thin layers of different minerals within the gemstone create the effect as the bead moves and is seen from different directions. Hypersthene and shadow stone have a silvery sheen. Labradorite and spectrolite often show blue or yellow. Moonstone usually flashes blue. Chatoyancy is a cat’s eye effect. Small inclusions of other minerals in the gemstone create bands that move across the bead. Tiger eye has parallel planes of different minerals that cause the lines and sheen.

This video shows schiller and chatoyant effects in beaded gemstone jewelry.

Look for beaded gemstone jewelry shown in the video. Click here.

Find out more about our online jewelry store. See the home page. handmade beaded jewelry .org

Gemstone Beads With Sparkling Inclusions

When you buy fine quality diamonds, inclusions are considered a defect. However, in certain gemstone beads inclusions are considered good quality. Small amounts of a different mineral create various effects. Beautiful color patterns are created on gemstones such as agate. Inclusions of a metallic type within the gemstone crystal can create small specks that sparkle. The sparkle shows best when jewelry is worn. As the beads move, the specks reflect light. It is difficult to capture in a photo. The video shows handmade beaded jewelry containing these sparkling gemstones: serafinite, muscovite, green aventurine, opaque emerald, sunstone, lepidolite, silver scale, blue goldstone

Look for beaded gemstone jewelry shown in the video. Click here.

Visit the home page for information about our jewelry. handmade beaded jewelry .org

Facts About Faceted Beads in Gemstone Jewelry, with Video

A facet is a flat plane cut into the surface of a bead. Each facet in a bead reflects light. A purpose for faceting is to create sparkle. The larger the number of facets on a bead, the more it sparkles. Facets can be large or small. Many small facets will sparkle more than a few large facets. Facets with unusual shapes can also create interesting designs on a bead. The surfaces of these black onyx beads are frosted. Facets cut through the surface reveal the area below. The effect looks like polka dots.

The designs and sparkle are difficult to capture in jewelry photos. Watch this video showing faceted beads in handmade gemstone jewelry.

Look for faceted beads in you favorite kind of beaded gemstone jewelry. Click here.

Visit the home page for information about our jewelry. handmade beaded jewelry .org

What Is Wholesale To The Public?

Can you buy wholesale?
Many websites are using the terms wholesale to the public or wholesale prices to the public.
Are these prices a bargain? Can you find a lower price?
Read this information before you buy.

A recent online search for the phrase wholesale to the public brought up 15,600,000 results. A search for wholesale price to the public showed approximately 9,750,000 results. What exactly do these phrases mean?

Dictionaries define wholesale as the sale of goods in quantity usually for resale, as opposed to retail which is defined as the sale of goods in small quantities directly to the ultimate consumer. Wholesale price is defined as cost of a good sold by a wholesaler to a retailer. The consumer is defined as one who acquires goods and services for his/her own personal needs, one who utilizes goods. Quantity, resale and consumer are the important words in these definitions.
Public is defined as the people as a whole, or accessible to and shared by all the people. The public includes consumers.

The phrase wholesale to the public is a contradiction. A merchant who sells to the public is a retail business.

Most states charge sales tax on goods sold to consumers. Any merchant who sells to consumers is required by state law to collect tax. Retail businesses acquire vendors’ licenses which give them the privilege and the obligation to collect sales tax. Since an item is only taxed once, sales from a wholesale business to a retail business are not taxed. By requiring wholesale merchants to keep records of customers’ vendor ids, the state ensures that tax will be charged when the item is resold to the consumer. Since each state has its own tax laws and collection policies, goods shipped to a different state are not taxed.
Most true wholesale websites require a tax id and large quantity purchases. The tax id may be required for all customers or only for in state customers.

Website businesses may offer both wholesale and retail. The wholesale customers will be given true wholesale prices. The retail customers may be given quantity discounts, but will not be tax exempt.
Foreign merchants may have other regulations, customs, or import laws.

So, what is wholesale to the public?
Simply an advertising technique designed to make customers think that prices are lower than other retail websites. It has no more real value to the customer than any other advertising.
Is it successful? Research of the phrases used for online searches estimated about 47 a day for wholesale to the public. Most searches will include a specific type of product – anything from fresh flowers to Chinese motorcycles. The number of searches for wholesale jewelry was estimated at 1,619 per day.
A recent search for wholesale jewelry brought up 16,500,000 results. The first site advertised wholesale clothes and jewelry. The items were priced individually with no quantity required. Sales tax information stated that tax would be charged to customers residing in state.
Even if a website does not post sales tax information, a shopping cart can calculate and add tax for in state addresses. If customers pay sales tax, the business is retail.

Is the advertised wholesale price a bargain?
Any price, whether wholesale or retail, is based on the cost of doing business plus the amount of profit.
The cost of doing business can include: maintaining a physical store, office, warehouse, website, employees, cost of buying or making products, transportation of products, packaging and shipping, record keeping, taxes, advertising, travel.
Profit can be affected by these factors: amount needed to support lifestyle of the owner, number of owners (sole owner, partners, public owned with shareholder dividends), type of income (sole, supplemental, hobby), amount and value of time spent by owner.
Look for information about the business on an About Us page. Other pages may offer clues.

Is the advertised wholesale price lower than other retail sites?
The best way to find the lowest price is by comparison shopping.
Here are some tips. Ignore all the advertising techniques: discounts, sales, lowest price guarantees, wholesale. Look at the price.
Examine photos of the whole product. On line photos do not always show size, shape, or color accurately. Look for text descriptions. Beware of websites that show only a title, photo, and price. The quality may be poor.
Compare same quality. Read product details.
Terms such as beautiful, high quality, unique, inexpensive, easy to use, low price are relative. Compare specific descriptions and judge for yourself.

We do not buy our jewelry from wholesale merchants. It is handmade by us. I have a vendor’s license and often buy beading supplies at wholesale prices. Our business, like any other website that sells to the public, is retail.

An Ancient Birthstone Jewelry Belief

Historical information tells us that people collected all the birthstones and wore each one during its assigned month. The belief was that a birthstone’s power could be beneficial for everyone. But the power had a greater effect for the person born in the month.

We have designed unique jewelry containing all the birthstones or birthstone colors. (Read about the importance of color in birthstones )
Whether you believe in the power of gemstones or just want a symbol of your birthday, an all birthstone necklace or bracelet would be appropriate. Honor family members or friends by wearing their birthstones.
The necklaces are designed to look nice with any color birthstone beads positioned in front. Rotate the necklace to show the current month’s birthstone. This versatile multi colored jewelry can be worn with any color clothes.

You can find this handmade all birthstone jewelry in the Birthstone Jewelry category.
Or look at Multi Colored Beaded Jewelry or Bracelets.

More beaded jewelry options. See the home page. handmade beaded jewelry .org

Importance of Color in Birthstones

It is not a coincidence that the birthstone for each month is a unique color.

The history of birthstones is very old. Gemologists did not have instruments, tests and the knowledge for accurate identification of gemstones. The physical appearance determined the identity. Gemstones of the same color were known by the same name. If a red stone looked like a ruby, it was called a ruby. Today we know that red tourmaline and red spinel are not rubies.

We also know that many gemstones have different colored varieties. Originally dark blue was the only color known as sapphire. Yellow sapphire was probably mistaken for topaz. Light blue topaz may have been confused with aquamarine. Peridot was combined with other green gemstones known as olivine.

People had faith in the power of gemstones to affect their lives. The beliefs concerning birthstones may have been influenced by astrological ideas that the powers of certain gemstones were affected by the position of planets. All people could benefit by wearing each gemstone at the proper time, but the person born at that time would receive greater benefit.

Here is a question to ponder. Did all the same color gemstones that shared the same name also share the same power? The color of a birthstone may be more important than its identity.

When you buy birthstone jewelry, do not choose a different color variety of your birthstone gemstone. You can substitute a same color different gemstone and still be historically correct.

List of U.S. Modern Birthstones and Colors

MONTH	BIRTHSTONE	OTHER SAME COLOR GEMSTONES
January	garnet – dark red	spinel
February	amethyst – purple	lepidolite, sugilite, tourmaline, fluorite
March	aquamarine – light aqua blue	blue topaz, sapphire, zircon, apatite
April	diamond – clear	rock crystal quartz, sapphire, zircon
May	emerald – dark green	garnet, tourmaline, aventurine
June	pearl, moonstone – white	mother of pearl
July	ruby – red	tourmaline, spinel, topaz
August	peridot – lime green	serpentine, garnet, tourmaline, vesuvianite
September	sapphire – dark blue	tanzanite, spinel, sodalite, dumortierite, kyanite
October	opal – multicolor opalescence
November	topaz – golden yellow	citrine, sapphire, spinel, garnet, calcite, zircon
December	turquoise – opaque greenish blue	amazonite, opaque aquamarine, chrysocolla

Historical birthstones charts often assigned the gemstones to different months or substituted different gemstones.

Click here to see birthstone jewelry.
Look at gemstone jewelry

More information about this website. Visit the home page. handmade beaded jewelry .org

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Ways to Save Money When Buying Birthstone Jewelry

When the tradition of birthstones began, there was wide spread belief in the power of gemstones. Different stones were assigned to planets as well as months. Anyone could benefit by wearing a gemstone during the time when its planet gave it power. However the person born then received greater benefit.
Would you like to collect all the birthstones?
Or only the one that is a symbol of your birthday month or zodiac period?
Birthstone jewelry is beautiful, but it can be expensive. You can find affordable birthstones. Here are some suggestions on how to save money.

Identity
The birthstones are gemstones. Some are obviously more expensive than others. The birthstone list currently used in the United States contains less expensive alternates for most months.
There are many other lists:
Astrological charts use different time periods that combine months.
Old historical lists often assign the gemstones to different months and may substitute a few different stones.
Different countries have their own lists.
You can find these birthstones charts in our Learn About Beads section.

Quality
The term genuine gemstone simply means that the stone has the necessary characteristics for its identity. The quality of color and clarity affects the price. Inclusions of other materials decrease clarity. The more visible the inclusions, the lower the price.
We have some affordable gemstones with inclusions that actually make the stone more interesting.

Color
Today many gemstones are color enhanced. Heat treating, diffusion, radiation, oiling, and dyeing are means of improving color. The gemstone industry assumes that these processes have been used, and sellers often do not volunteer the information. Ruby, sapphire, topaz, tanzanite, aquamarine, citrine, and others are routinely heated. Emerald is oiled. Beads may be dyed.
Assuming other qualities equal, natural color gemstones will be the most expensive. Dyed stones will be the least expensive.
We offer beaded jewelry with precious birthstone gemstones in either natural color or dyed color.

Size
Gemstones are sold by weight. The larger the stone, the higher the price per carat. One carat total weight of several small stones will cost less than a one carat single stone. Do not compare weight of different kinds of gemstones. They have different densities. A 1 carat ruby is not the same size as a 1 carat diamond.

Beads
When rough gemstone material comes out of the mine, the highest quality is set aside for cutting into loose stones for settings. The lower quality is used for beads. Why? Because drilling a bead hole wastes valuable weight.
Birthstone beaded jewelry is a good buy. The difference in quality is not always obvious.
The best quality gemstone beads are often tiny faceted rondelle shapes. The more valuable gemstones, such as ruby, emerald, and sapphire are seldom made into large beads, unless they are dyed or contain many inclusions.
If you want natural color birthstones, we have them in beaded jewelry at an affordable price.

Lab Created or Synthetic Gemstones
They have the same characteristics as natural gemstones, but not the same inclusions. The process contains similarities to the natural creation, but time and quality are controlled by man. These high quality stones are expensive, but should cost less than the same quality mined gemstone.

Imitation Birthstones
They may be other less expensive gemstones that are dyed. Howlite is used to imitate turquoise.
Other inexpensive man made materials, such as glass, are used for fake gemstones. The price should be much lower than genuine gemstone jewelry.
Swarovski crystal is a popular substitute as a birthstone. The colors are named after gemstones. You can order our custom made Swarovski jewelry.

Pearls
Pearls are organic gemstones created by oysters (salt water) or clams (freshwater). Natural pearls found by diving are rare and most expensive.
Today almost all genuine pearl jewelry is cultured on pearl farms. The clam or oyster is induced to create the pearl. Pearls are sorted according to quality, size, and shape. Lower quality freshwater pearls may be dyed. These characteristics determine price.
Freshwater pearls usually cost less than salt water pearls. Take a look at our handmade pearl jewelry .
Imitations are man made, usually by coating glass, crystal, or plastic. Faux is a French word for false and indicates imitation. Again, quality will determine price

Precious Metals
The cost of gold and silver has increased drastically. They are also sold by weight. Heavy ornate settings, clasps, or large beads will increase cost of the jewelry.
Different kinds of metal are priced from high to low in this order: gold, vermeil (gold plated sterling silver), sterling silver, gold filled (heavy plating), gold plated, silver plated, gold or silver tone base metals.

Beaded Jewelry
Beaded birthstone jewelry has other options for lower prices.
Tiny spacer beads reduce the number of birthstone beads needed. They can be silver, gold, inexpensive gemstones, or glass seed beads.
Look for other less expensive beads in the design, or just a few birthstones as focal points.
A larger number of small birthstone beads will show better than a single gemstone set in a ring or pendant of the same price.

Designer
This term can raise the price. Designer jewelry implies special talent, design experience or education. In reality, anyone can advertise as a designer. Jewelry that carries the name of a well known store, name brand, famous designer, or celebrity may cost more. Endorsements are expensive.
If fashion jewelry containing imitation gemstones and base metal is sold in a well known or upscale clothing store, it can cost more than jewelry with genuine gemstones sold on a website.
We design our own unique jewelry, but we do not increase the jewelry prices.

Custom Made
Birthstone jewelry that requires extra time, new design, buying new or unusual materials can increase cost.
Instead use our existing designs with substitution of in stock stones or beads.

Middlemen
The number between the mine and the jewelry seller is one of the biggest factors affecting price.
A hobbyist who buys materials from a retail store adds a middleman.
Because we make the jewelry sold on our website, we eliminate several middlemen.
We buy some of our beads directly from a cutter. Distributors are eliminated, and information about the gemstones is reliable. We pass the savings on to our customers.

Overhead
Sellers have to pay many of these business overhead costs: store, warehouse, office; employees; business records; website design and upkeep; photography; advertising.
Buy from a business that is run from a home. Look for information on the About Us page.

Mass Produced Jewelry
Large volume selling can mean cheap prices. Materials are bought in large quantities. Even handmade items are produced by a large number of workers repeating the same design. Usually the jewelry is imported from countries where labor is cheap. You can find this jewelry in chain stores, large websites, discount stores.
Few or one of a kind jewelry cannot be offered.
Quality may be affected by time deadlines, boring repetition, or inexpensive materials.
Because we design and make the jewelry we sell, we take pride in our quality.

Shipping and Packaging
It is never free. Websites that advertise free shipping must include the cost in overhead.
Flat rate shipping is easiest for the seller, but may not always be the cheapest. For small packages USPS first class is usually less.
International shipping is highest. If you buy directly from a country where labor costs are low, the savings may be offset by high shipping.
Handling costs can vary. Fancy boxes and other packaging affect the total cost of the jewelry.
We usually ship first class using inexpensive durable packaging, unless our customer has a special request.

Conclusion
If you do comparison shopping, be sure you are comparing the same quality birthstone jewelry.
Be suspicious of low cost items that cannot be returned easily, worthless guarantees, deceiving imitations.
If the price is too low to be true, it probably is not a bargain.
Save money, but do it intelligently.

Do not copy this post.
I recently submitted a different version of this article to several free article directories.

Find out more about our online jewelry store. See the home page. www.handmade beaded jewelry.org