Mail Bag: Make Money Faceting

More faceting questions from the Mail Bag:

Like your site :)

Someone asked you about pricing and you did the usual dance around 
it, as you should!

But please post something about earnings, since no one mentions 
what part-times or full-times are making yearly doing this. 

I wish to go into this full-time, but can consider the investment
until I have some idea of return on that investment, (especially 
the time involved in learning, etc.).

The easiest way, I think, to do this, is to give examples of 
others who don't mind sharing their first or second year earnings 
for faceting.

Thanks, Jim

Hi, Jim.

Thanks for writing and glad you like the site!

I hope that I never “dance around” anything – I do my best to give clear and complete answers. The challenge about pricing is that it is subjective – and depends on the venue – the timing, etc. Prices can be very flexible in the gem industry. That’s not a “dance” – it’s just how things are.

Asking for a specific pricing formula is like asking for a specific formula for surfing. There are waves and then there are WAVES – and those things are as variable as location – and weather – which depends partly on season. Pricing is just like that.

As far as “typical earnings” – you’re asking for information that does not exist. There is no “typical”. And, what is possible this year for one person may not be possible next year even for the same person.

Out here in the surf the reality of existence is not the same as that on dry land. There simply is no “typical” or “expected”. This is professional art – and becoming a professional artist is … a bit on the wild side to begin with.

There are retirees who are doing work for what probably tallies to $15 an hour, and there are guys who are well over $100 / hour. Keep in mind that’s for the hands-on-the-gem time, not for every hour they’re doing business-related stuff.

If a person wants to make money faceting, that can be done rather easily, in my opinion. It’s a rare skill to do it well, and a rare person who will commit and invest the time and money necessary to doing it.

However, a person who is concerned primarily with guarantees and security may not want to become a professional artist. This kind of thing fits best for someone who is motivated primarily by their passion to create; to express; and to connect. The emotional state necessary for engaging that sort of thing is very different from the emotional state of counting the coins that may come – or go.

Even if someone would show you their books, while that could *possibly* shift your emotions about it – that would have no bearing on the reality of what you can – or will – personally create from your own efforts in your own environment – and the business climate you’re in THEN.

Income from a professional art endeavor depends on way more than artistic aptitude, although that’s the foundation whether someone wants to make money painting or make money faceting. There’s also productivity; marketing; communications; etc. – everything necessary to make a business run. And, there’s just no “typical” or expected measure of what any given person will likely produce – especially as a beginner.

What I can say is that if you’re the kind of person who passionately wants to express and connect – who likes standing on a surfboard, and who doesn’t mind falling into the drink sometimes, faceting can be a really great way to make some or all of your income – while you’re expressing and connecting.

Hope this helps!