In regards to production of stone items in Asia. Its not like you imagined it, or to make a mass statement about the quality, its a matter of steps. You can get the highest quality, depending on the cutter, then it depends on you to make sure everything goes right. There is a lot of mass produced items on the web, as Ebay has spent a lot of promotion with China. Some of the worst cutters don’t perceive themselves as poor cutters. I recently showed a very rare alphabet set photo to one of my cutters in China. He told me it was dyed and maybe he could make it. That was his point of view on a natural item made up in the mountains of Indonesia. And this is how it goes. Also, if you are a hobbyist cutter, its not possible to compete with pro cutters that have done it 12 hours a day every day of their life since they were 14. That is a false notion to think so. Most jewelry, craftsmen in the USA would have to work for years to reach any kind of level of the factory production of silver work in Asia. You would need both technical ability and natural design talent. We all would like to not have the competition from countries that have cheap labor, but its never gonna happen. If anything, the price of gas will make a lot of digging in the USA no longer profitable. I see a lot of the stone going away. Some vendors on Ebay are selling the worst stuff, calling it top grade. Some companies just lie.
Like these guys on Ebay. They lie. Its all African Jasper. My friend had a dig there.
Owyhee Picture Jasper Pendant Bead H18706(Free ship)
Item number: 110338006509
Owyhee Picture Jasper Pendant Bead Set N209023
Item number: 200298244919
Waly beads in the USA, 75 lies. He dont care as we pointed this out to him. He is selling $60,000 a month, average $6 each, all cut in China, many low quality said to be high quality. You will have to fix your own market in the USA and set standards before you need to worry about the Asian market. Its right in your own back door. (Fraud)
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