It's no secret that the 'handmade' jewellery market is saturated and now as an antidote the current marketing advice is that makers should highlight their 'authenticity' instead. Authenticity and transparency are of course very important, but, we mustn't lose sight of the value of 'handmade' no matter how many times we hear it or read it.
The 'value' starts with the concept, the design and the hours spent making mistakes and starting again, time spent ensuring that the materials will work together and that the design is strong, wearable and has longevity. Then comes the passion, focus, skill and time that goes into the making, followed by the repeated buffing and polishing until the finish is exactly as it should be and sometimes there is the added joy that a teeny weeny scratch has been missed, and so the buffing and polishing process starts again; but that's ok because it must be right. And during all of this, there is the music that the maker listens to, the conversations and the person that comes in to the workshop to tell them their news, the dog snoring on the sofa in the corner and of course the endless cups of tea.
So you see there are moments embedded in 'handmade' even before it leaves the workshop to become the keeper of new stories and memories, and that is the 'value in handmade'.
