Have you noticed that a mall or the four corners of a street will have a jewelry store on each corner?
The odd fact is that people who buy jewelry (a luxury you don't have to have) keep buying more.
"Diamonds are a girls best friend" is no joke.
Its pure survival statagy, if she gets stranded or abandoned by unforseen events, she can walk into the nearest pawn shop and have enough cash for food and shelter while she regroups.
Some other interesting facts.
Original jewelry designs approach the fine art level, and fine art "has no upper limit on potential value."
MONEY MAGNET "MM" =
A SALEABLE PRODUCT WITH A KNOWN MARKET.
Gold, Silver, Gemstones---------The raw materials of jewelry are saleable in any form.
Surprisingly --VERY FEW JEWELERS MAKE JEWELRY-- they buy ready made settings, and cut stones. Then "SET" the stones for the "CUSTOM" choices of the customer.
Standard charges for "setting" a stone is $60.00/stone. Sizing is another $20.00 + triple keystone (triple the cost) for the setting and triple keystones for the gem.
Process:--here's the interesting part.
There are many steps and skills involved from raw material to a finished piece of jewelry.
An original design carved in wax can be cast in "BRASS" or with any previously made setting, then A mold can be made, and replicas in wax turned out in mass amounts.
Original designs ="MM"
The Mold = "MM"
The Wax replicas = "MM"
The cast mass produced items "unfinished" ="MM"
Cleaned up setting "filing, sanding, polishing" ="MM"

THE GEMSTONES------ "MINE RUN" --- as it comes from the ground, with most of the matrix, and dirt sorted out.
Mines like to sell at this level, as they can sell "all" of the material they mine, not just the highest grade.
Exporter of large quantities. = "MM" container loads= cheap shipping costs.
Importer of large quantities. = "MM" sells to lapidary shops, Dealers. 10's to 100's of lbs.
Dealers sells reasonably priced smaller quantities wholesale to manufacturer's or other Middlemen who grade mine rough to usage levels "MM"
and sell small quantities to manufacturers or hobbiests.
Each gemstone product, has its own levels of finishing, Select rough for each use = "MM"
Cut and polished Cabochons = "MM"
Cut and polished faceted stones = "MM"
You can purchase "parcels" and sort to grade and resell individual stones ="MM"
Now were back to the Jeweler on the street or in the mall!
He or she, sets stones in settings and sells "finished" jewelry to a consumer.
But were not done. How about old "vintage" jewelry.
Antique's ="MM"
Estate sale jewelry ="MM"
Pawn shop jewelry ="MM"
How about the "junk" to beat up to wear.
Remove the stones, sell to jeweler = "MM"
Reset into new settings = "MM"
Sell gold and silver back to refinery. ="MM"
Recast junk gold & silver into new settings = "MM"

DESIGNS------------FABRICATIONS------- There are literally hundreds of specialized techniques that can make a design have a
"UNIQUE MARGINAL DIFFERENCE"
which creates a specialized market.
EVERY TECHNIQUE HAS AN IMMEDIATE MARKET---EVERY STEP-- YOU LEARN HAS AN IMMEDIATE MARKET.
Just the simple ability to solder silver--------- You can buy stock shaped wire, that only needs to be cut to length, sand the ends, shape around a mandrel, solder, polish and sell. I've seen shops dedicated to just simple bands.
Solder on a premade setting, set a stone and sell.
Only 2 techniques, solder and set.
Each tool "for instance a rolling mill" and you can sell silver wire stock. = "MM" I know one man who goes out in the woods, and collects "sticks" of a certain type. He cuts and sands, them into beads, all with hand tools, makes necklaces and once a year goes to Portland, and sells what he's made.
And supports himself on it. He gets about $80.00 a necklace.
They are "unique" there are no two alike.
I've seen very nice bracelets, of polished flat "river rock" granite with just a silver bezel and jump rings.
Simple soldering, with high prices in a fancy specialty shop,

A UNIQUE MARGINAL DIFFERENCE.