Why is handmade jewelry expensive?

“Why is handmade jewelry so expensive?” “This earring costs that much?” “Can I get this bracelet for cheaper?” “No way I am paying that much for that” “I will only buy this if you give it for half the price.”

I have been selling my handmade trinkets online and at stalls & flea markets for a few years now and without fail I will hear this type of question at least once at every single event.

This is a common question and if you ask me, it’s missing a second part. Which is:

“Why is handmade jewelry expensive, compared to mass produced/ commercially made jewelry?”

Now that we have the full question, part of the answer is already there in the question.

Handmade jewelry is not mass produced commercially made jewelry.

You do not go to an upscale cafe and ask why their coffee is more expensive than your humble roadside tea shop. I enjoy both but they are different experiences, different categories. You expect different things from the two shops. And because you know they are two different categories, you do not compare their prices.

Handmade jewelry is not the same category of item as mass produced jewelry.

Yes, that may seem like a controversial thing to say and it might take a while to absorb that statement. But that is the truth.

Handmade is artisan, it is boutique; handmade jewelry is the result of years and perhaps decades of mastering a skill. Artists pour their heart and soul into making unique and quality products.

That is not the same thing as the mass factory production of commercial jewelry.

At Adorabilia studio we do try our best to make our products affordable so that they can be enjoyed by more people. But at the same time we need to pay respect to the experience, skill and creative ingenuity of the people making our products. Not to mention covering the costs of the quality materials we buy so that you can have jewelry that’s not only beautiful and unique but sturdy and long lasting as well.