Industry of Gold Jewelry

Chain Chord
The chain chord looks like fine strings, but actually are chains which are sewn by hand, around a callibered steel cable (soul) which is removed after welding, also by hand, each one of the unions of such stones. Furthermore, the chain is shined through a process of chemical corrosion which, in the same manner, requires great ability.

The criteria to differentiate the types of chain chords is the diameter of the wire of alleation with which the rings are fabricated which goes from 0.009 inches (9 milesimas of inches) up to 0.024 inches. In the 0.009 caliber inches (0.023 mm.), a lineal foot of chord weighs only 3 to 4 grams and contains nearly 3,800 ring sewn by hand. This proves the great amount of hand work in handcraftsmanship which needs, similar to the one used to produce the philigrane, out of fashion.

The chain chord is used in many countries such as Costa Rica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, India and Yugoslavia, which are elaborating the chain chord. This has converted the market more competitive and the prices of the chain chord have reduced to the half of the two past years, Yugoslavia, for example, does not only sell the product at lower prices but gives lapses of 30 to 60 days to pay it.

Presently the volumes of exportation of chain chord to the United States occupy 43% of that market (the limit of the preferential quota is of 50%).

The condition of monoproducers and exporters of only one market makes the routes of the international commerce vulnerable. More than enough reasons for diversifying the production and markets of destiny.

Other Markets
The European market is more demanding than the American market due to the fact that it has traditionally been supplied by experimented jewelry stores in their same continent, mainly Italy, they export 40 million dollars per year, world leaders in the activity.

To pretend to enter the old continent implies modifying present fragile infrastructure and develop a very aggressive marketing. Maybe it would be easier if associated with European jewelers who give their signature of these products which are elaborated here. To do this, one requires to make strong investments of capital. In effect, each matrix of a model of jewelry costs about $4,000 to $5,000 and the Italian enterprises offer hundreds of varieties of each product.

The Japanese market, besides the same reasons previously mentioned, is also difficult to penetrate by its attraction to the commercial relations of old. The Japanese businessman takes a long time to agree upon business, but those are of long data.