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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

knowing when to say no

recently i had two inquiries for custom rings. one was for wedding bands and an engagement ring in stainless steel and the other was for a ring with a large faceted stone. i am always at the ready for a new challenge and as usual believed i would just figure out how to make it all happen, which i am happy to say works great most of the time. however, after consulting jeweler friends and thinking long and hard i came to the conclusion that i am just not skilled in these areas. although i could learn new skills for these requests, in the end i think it's best to find another jeweler who's better suited to this kind of work. this way the clients get exactly what they want, and their pieces will be well made more quickly. it also means i don't have to stress over a design that will surely be hard or next to impossible for me to make, i don't have to worry about whether or not it is made well, and i don't have to take time away from all the other things on my plate. i really believe it is important to be realistic and i am glad i applied this notion to both situations. although i would have appreciated the challenge i am glad i ended up saying no. i have already found a jeweler for the wedding ring clients and i think they are psyched. i am close to finding an artist for the other client.

thanks for reading.

1 comment:

Katie Do said...

I've learned the same lesson. Stick to what you're familiar with until YOU are ready to explore new techniques. Otherwise it's too much anxiety!