quality assurance / insurance

Let's face it. Jewelry is not industructible. In fact, considering the greater advance, through lifestyles changes, of the abuse heaped upon fine jewelry than the lesser advances in jewelry technology that serve to increase product durability, you're in an uphill battle to convince people that there is no such thing as the "rock-climbing"-proof white gold eternity band.

I have found it far better to give people, "Just the facts, ma'am."

TELL THEM the truth. A delicately crafted, filigree- or "vintage"=look band in karat gold has a twenty-year life-span at best. And that rock-climbing could shorten it considerably.

Then, proceed to explain that it simply would not be a function of crafting failure if such a ring failed. Truly, errors in craftsmanship rear their ugly heads within three months of wear.

Not that I want to be so cheap as to purchase 3 months of insurance (not really sure how I would do it, anyway!), but what I do is I pay for the first full-year of all-peril jewelry insurance on any piece I custom craft.

So, not only is my artwork covered for any errors I would have made (can you imagine?), it is also covered for any errors on the part of the wearer. And you're building a lot of good will, to boot.

And, by pointing out that the insurance is "for real," and not contingent upon quarterly inspections or restrictive limitations, you build a lot of good will.

Think about it.