Shopping And Comparing Prices Of Horsehair Jewellery

What to keep in mind when buying horsehair jewellery and comparing prices?

The internet is full of horsehair jewellery and their makers. The price range is wide, and sometimes it can be difficult to understand why two pieces that look visually similar can be priced so differently.

Here are the most important aspects to pay attention to. All of them have an impact on the price of a piece of jewellery. 1. Ribbon techniques

Most horsehair jewellery on the market is made using various braiding techniques. These are relatively quick and easy methods to work with horsehair.

Weaving a horsehair ribbon is a significantly more demanding and time consuming process: producing one high quality woven ribbon, including all work stages, takes almost a full working day.

In addition to appearance, the difference between these two techniques is in usability and durability. In braids the structure is not as dense as in a woven ribbon, and over time it may loosen slightly. Also, individual hairs easily catch on clothing or zippers.

A woven ribbon enables different patterns and is flat, smooth, and compact.

The working time and specialized skills required for weaving often explain the higher price.

PLEASE NOTE: On some jewellery makers’ websites, braided pieces are also referred to as “woven.” Here is how to tell them apart: A woven ribbon is made like a rug or fabric, with warp and weft that bind tightly together. Braids are made like hair braids or tail pleits, where the hairs are secured together only by the metal end cap.

A woven ribbon is flat; a braid is always more three dimensional. 2. Metal components – factory made or handcrafted?

The metal parts of horsehair jewellery have a significant impact on the price. This is one of the most important factors when comparing jewellery prices from different makers.

Many horsehair jewellery pieces use ready made, mass produced metal components. These are sold inexpensively in craft and jewellery supply stores.

When the metal components are designed specifically for a certain collection and made by a professional goldsmith, the price category is entirely different. Creating a collection and developing designs specifically suited for horsehair and woven ribbons also come at a cost. It requires years of professional expertise and a great deal of work.

Copying is inexpensive. When existing ideas developed by others are used, no personal working time or creative input is necessary for design. 3. Metals

The type of metal used in a piece of jewellery is a key factor in pricing. The choice of metal also affects durability and appearance. Here are some essential points to consider:

Silver – an affordable precious metal Silver is the most affordable of the precious metals, but due to its softness it scratches and dents easily. Sometimes inexpensive silver jewellery is gold-plated, but the plating may wear off over time and does not protect the silver from dents or scratches.

Gold, white gold – valuable and expensive The price of gold is currently more than fifty times higher than that of silver.

As mentioned, gold plating is one of the ways to keep the price lower. Another way to save is to make the piece as light and thin as possible.

Although horsehair has relatively good tensile strength, as an organic material it is sensitive to abrasion. For example in a ring where the metal edges surrounding the ribbon are very low, the ribbon or braid is constantly exposed to friction. Higher edges protect the horsehair, but naturally increase the amount of metal used in the designs. 4. Stones and gemstones

Factory produced jewellery components often use rhinestones that are attached with glue. Valuable gemstones are hand set into jewellery by a goldsmith. The most valuable and meaningful part of a horsehair jewellery piece is, of course, the hair from your own horse. It holds the memories and emotional connection to your companion, no matter what type of jewellery you choose, or even if you make it yourself.

Thank you for reading, we hope this was helpful!

---

nannasalmi horsehair jewellery designs were originally the first horsehair jewellery pieces to feature a woven ribbon. Product development began in the late 1990s, and the jewellery have been created by three artisans since the year 2000. Over the years, the ring designs in particular, have been refined to improve durability and wearibility.

All jewellery is made from solid silver, gold, or white gold, and everycomponent is designed specifically for nannasalmi collection. The jewellery components are finished by a goldsmith, all stones are set by hand. The woven ribbon collection is designed by Nanna Salmi, who also weaves the ribbons from your

own horse’s hair.