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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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- Q. How much do you charge for your repair work and what is your hourly rate?
- A. All repair work is based on a rate of $50.00 per hour, our rate for custom smithing
gold, silver, brass or copper. The platinum family will be priced hourly per piece and quote. Custom
engraving starts at $100.00 per hour and will go as high as $300.00 per hour if gold inlay is included
in the work. These prices are based on price points in a market that is in constant flux. Noble metals
and gem prices can change daily. In fact noble metals such as gold, silver and platinum change every 5
minutes on the London and New Your Exchanges. This is called the “spot price”.
- Q. How does the spot price affect prices at Morning Mist?
- A. When we order gold for stock or a custom order, we are quoted a price for the order. Subsequently,
we place our order. We pay by C.O.D., because when we place the order, the metal could be priced at, for
example, $590.00 per ounce. When the metal is taken from the warehouse and placed in a box to be shipped
to Morning Mist, the spot price is again checked by the company, and that is the price we pay. If the
spot price is $603.00 per ounce, that is the price we ultimately pay. It could be lower, but that has
happened only once in the past six years of ordering gold.
- Q. When I purchase an item at a retail chain store and the product breaks, will Morning Mist repair the item?
- A. Yes, if it is doable. As we do not know which base metals are in the piece of jewelry that you
bring to us for repair, we need to evaluate this first. This is why we cannot immediately guarantee the
work we do. Morning Mist is not comfortable with turning down any individual request. It is the goal of the studio
to provide the finest materials and workmanship possible. We are not satisfied until you, the customer, are completely
happy with the work done on your adornment or piece that has been in your family for generations. Many of these items
are manufactured in countries that do not have laws regulating what goes into a specific product. Current events have
cited that some foreign-made, low-end jewelry contains lead. Our art pieces are stamped with the karat level of the
gold. We also stamp sterling or fine silver on the pieces we sell. All of our art pieces are guaranteed for workmanship
and overall quality, including the metals and gems used.
- Q. Why are you reluctant to repair mass produced jewelry?
- A. Again, we do not yet know the base metal of the item you have purchased until we are able to inspect
it. Alloys are added to the amount of gold in a piece that is made by any company or artist. At Morning
Mist we purchase gold casting grain, sheet, wire and finding from one company. We know what is in the
alloy. We can even specify what we want alloyed with the gold we purchase. The finest gold alloy from our
perspective is 14 parts gold, 5 parts silver and five parts copper. It is good to work with, has a rich yellow
color, and is more than half pure gold.
- Q. Why does gold have to have an alloy?
- A. Gold can be worked in its pure form, 24kt. It is, however, very brittle and cracks or breaks
easily. To add strength, gold has alloys added. This makes the gold malleable and not as hard to work
with. Your piece is stronger and will not wear out as gold will when worn daily. We prefer to use 18kt
gold when feasible. 18kt is 75% pure and is not only great for jewelry, but the value is closer to pure
and becomes an investment to the customer - as gold prices continue to rise, so does the value of your
adornment.
- Q. I notice silver items for sale on the Morning Mist site. Is silver offered to afford the customer a
better price or an alternative to the high price of gold?
- A. Not at all. Silver is a noble metal as well as gold. Silver is also subjected to spot pricing.
The price of silver has climbed from $1.83 per ounce to $13.00-$14.00 per ounce in the past four years.
Silver will continue to rise according to many experts in the commodities and noble metals market. It has
become an important component in the production of computer chips that process information. The demand is
rising faster than supply, which will drive the price up. Another factor in the continuing rise in the
silver market is the fact that silver has been mined and the level of need remaining consistent for several
decades. With the increase in demand old mines are re-opening and the availability of equipment to mine
profitably means that mining companies are purchasing state-of-the-art equipment. Silver is worked the
same way as gold; the hourly labor price is consistent with the overall studio rate. The price points for
the items of silver are also are based on the rising market costs.
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Tad S. Coffen
Morning Mist Jewelry and Fine Arts |
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