why handmade jewellery costs what it does

Handmade jewellery often costs more than mass-produced jewellery — and that can feel confusing if you’re not familiar with how it’s made. This isn’t because handmade is “luxury” in the glossy sense, or because there’s a markup for a name. It’s because of time, skill, materials, and care — and the fact that everything is done by a human, not a machine.

1. Time is the main ingredient

When something is handmade, time isn’t a side cost — it’s the core material.

• Time to design.

• Time to form and shape.

• Time to solder, refine, and adjust.

• Time to finish and polish.

Each step depends on the one before it, and most of it can’t be rushed or automated without losing quality. That time is what makes the piece strong, comfortable, and made to last.

2. Skill takes years to build. The ability to make jewellery by hand doesn’t come from following instructions. It comes from years of practice, mistakes, learning, and refinement. What you’re paying for isn’t just the hours spent on your piece, but the years it took to be able to make it well.

3. Materials matter. Precious metals and stones are not cheap, and they fluctuate in price. On top of that, handmade jewellery often uses better-quality materials than mass production, because the work is built to last, not to survive a season.

4. Small scale is different from cheap. Small-scale, independent making doesn’t benefit from the economies of scale that large manufacturers do. There’s no factory, no bulk purchasing power, no automation — just a bench, a set of tools, and a person making one piece at a time.

That isn’t inefficient. It’s intentional.

5. You’re paying for care. Perhaps most importantly, handmade jewellery is made with attention.

• Attention to proportion.

• Attention to comfort.

• Attention to durability.

• Attention to the story and meaning behind the piece.

That care is invisible, but it’s what makes the difference between something that’s just worn and something that’s kept.

Handmade jewellery isn’t expensive, it’s honest about what it takes to make something well.