Interview with Independent Jewelry Designer, Daniel R. Spirer

One of the most valuable resources for new independent jewelry designers is advice from a designer who has developed his craft into a successful business venture.

Daniel Spirer often shares his expertise and knowledge in post responses on my favorite on line jewelry makers' forum, Ganoksin.

In response to a Ganoksin question, in March of 2008, about surviving recession, Mr. Spirer had this to say:

"While it's always hard to imagine it when you're in the midst of it, if you look at this historically you will see that the economy goes through fairly regular peaks and troughs. Some troughs are worse than others but some peaks are better than others. You can blame the current administration (and certainly many of their laissez faire policies have added to the current mess) but the fact of the matter is the economy goes up and down on a regular basis. When it's down, it's always a time when you separate the men/women from the boys/girls. Anyone can make it in an up market. Only the good survive a down one, and as hard as it is for egocentric Americans to understand, there are plenty of areas in the world now that are not going through what we are going through. The smart people recognize this and use it to increase business wherever it may be. Besides, you can look at a 5% (or 7% or 10%, whatever) unemployment rate as 1 in 20 or 1 in 10 people being unemployed or you can look at it as 19 out of 20 or 9 in 10 people are employed. I choose to look at it as 9 of 10 being employed. But then I've survived a whole number of these economics booms and busts, and managed to do it fairly successfully."

Mr. Spirer agreed to share more of his jewelry design business expertise in the following interview.

JSE: Interviewer

DRS: Daniel R.Spirer

JSE: How would you characterize your jewelry designs and who is your target market?

DRS: The goal at Daniel Spirer Jewelers is to create a lifetime relationship with each customer by offering unique, custom jewelry designs coupled with a lifetime warranty.

I only sell jewelry designs that I produce. I work in 18 karat and higher karat gold and in 950 platinum. The jewelry designs include basic wedding bands and anniversary bands as well as unusual engagement rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants. I use faceted and en cabochon gemstones in my custom designs. I also creat jewelry designs with stones my customers have supplied.

My target market is upscale couples, both those getting their first engagement/wedding rings and those who are old enough to be celebrating major anniversaries, birthdays, and other events that can be commemorated with jewelry gifts.

JSE: What is your background in the jewelry industry?

DRS: I began working for a jeweler when I was 15 years old. At the age of 19, I went out on my own, selling my jewelry designs wholesale only for five years and then exhibiting at retail and wholesale craft shows for five years. After that, I opened a store with a partner, Spirer-Somes Jewelers, in 1982 in Cambridge, MA. In 2004 the partnership broke up and I opened Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers in Cambridge Massachusetts.

I have a Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and have taken numerous other courses from GIA. I have also taken gem-related courses from American Gem Trade Association (AGTA).

JSE: What transitions and changes have you made in the way you have marketed your jewelry designs during your career?

DRS: The greatest change in marketing my jewelry was a gradual shift from lower-end to higher-end jewelry designs. Initially I worked primarily in sterling silver. When I started doing craft shows I began to sell gold. After opening a store there was a gradual, long-term transition away from less expensive work, culminating in a complete halt to working in sterling in about 1998. After that, I moved into offering jewelry designs with higher karat gold when I opened my own store. I also moved toward using higher-end gemstones and now design only with top quality, super fine gemstones.

The best marketing decision I have made was to open my own store. Having my own store immediately established legitimacy not possible by doing craft shows.

Print advertising proved to be a boon to my jewelry design business, although it took a rather major financial commitment over a number of years to develop the exposure necessary to impact our sales

JSE: Does the following prediction apply to jewelry designers?

Pam Danziger of Unity Marketing said: "With luxury consumer spending down and expectations for future luxury indulgence weak, luxury marketers are facing the toughest business environment they have seen for the past ten years. Most pundits believe that the luxury market will eventually rebound, but in the meantime the luxury consumer market is going to undergo fundamental changes. Those changes will be so wide-spread and far-reaching that the luxury market you will face after the recovery will be totally different than the one you faced before the current luxury drought."

DRS: Malarkey! Those people who provide a high-end, well-made product and service their customers properly will continue to be rewarded with reasonable sales.

JSE: How do you think independent jewelry designers will be affected when the economy rebounds? Will an online presence be a determining factor in their ability to compete?

DRS: I think an online presence has been necessary since the beginning of the widespread use of the Internet. However, in the jewelry design industry, I do not believe that success depends only on selling jewelry designs online. High-end jewelry designs are tactile, trust-dependent products that cannot be properly sold online.

JSE: Do you believe jewelry can be classified as art? Does the 'starving artist' label usually accurately describe independent jewelry designers?

DRS: Some jewelry designs can be classified as art. I'm sure there are some jewelry artists who are starving, but that's only because they haven't expanded their outlook enough.

JSE: How does the following excerpt from "Winning the Pricing Game" apply to independent Jewelry Designers?

"One third of the world considers price first and two thirds don't. Offering what the other two thirds want (and pricing accordingly) means less work and more profit. In fact, if offered well, the other one third may decide the prices are reasonable anyway."

DRS: I think it is absolutely accurate. While many people think price is the largest motivational factor in making sales, I find it to be the least important. How a customer is treated, the product you offer, and your guarantees are much larger factors. If you are a traditional jeweler, selling mass-produced traditional jewelry, then price may be your strongest selling point, but for jewelry artists who are offering unique designs, it is the last thing to discuss with the customer.

JSE: What advice would you give independent jewelry designers who are worried about surviving economic downturns?

DRS: I think a jewelry designer who can differentiate himself enough, offer a well-made product, be a decent self marketer and who knows a little bit about business can continue to make money regardless of the economy.

SOURCES:

Spirer, Daniel (2008, March). "Surviving Recession." Ganoksin.

Pam Danziger "Consumer Insights for Competitive Advantage." Unity Marketing.

Pratt, John (September 2001). "Winning the Pricing Game." Alpha Supply's Sublimation Library Contents.