Capitalizing on the American-Made Jewelry Movement

Earrings in 18k green gold with 0.60 ct. t.w. rubies and 0.26 ct. t.w. diamonds; $2,275; A. Jaron Fine Jewelry, Naples, Fla.; 239-596-8610; 

https://www.jckonline.com/magazine-article/capitalizing-on-the-american-made-jewelry-movement/

In December 2010, Amanda Jaron received an eye-opening piece of mail: Her monthly FedEx bill for shipping designs to and from the Chinese factory that manufactured her A. Jaron Studio line for the Home Shopping Network totaled $30,000. “I was spending more time and money on FedEx than on designing,” she recalls.

Anxious to have more say over the production of her collection and eager to return to her artistic roots, the former jewelry and watch designer for Avon opened A. Jaron Fine Jewelry in Naples, Fla., in 2011. She expected a slower pace than her days as a mass merchandiser, but instead, she struggled to keep up with demand. As she soon learned, jewelry not made in China was a hot seller.

“If I buy $30 rings in China, I have to buy 100 units and then drag $70 out of 70 people to make a profit,” she explains. “But if just one client comes in to have something made, I net that amount in one lump sum. The largest and most profitable jewelry I now make is right here in town.”