Titanium, Stainless castings

Tinomics (http://www.tinomics.com/index.htm) is a start up company
in Fort Myers catering specifically to the jewelry industry. We
vacuum cast titanium and stainless jewelry. We are also working on a
number of new alloy concepts aimed specifically at the jewelry
industry in order to give jewelry designers alternatives in
materials.

We are interested in input from the industry as a way of gauging the
direction our efforts should take. Specifically, what are the
defining demographic issues in today’s jewelry industry determining
materials and design trends in the 20-45 year old markets? How can
the ability to acquire cast “blanks” in a range of high temperature
metals and alloys, something formerly difficult to acquire, aid
designers and manufacturers of fine jewelry reach these demographic
markets?

Scott Jackson
Tinomics

Hi Scott;

We are interested in input from the industry as a way of gauging
the direction our efforts should take. Specifically, what are the
defining demographic issues in today's jewelry industry
determining materials and design trends in the 20-45 year old
markets? 

I’d suggest you’ll need to build market awareness of these materials
and create interest. Just as the Platinum Guild did a few years back
when they were intent on fueling interest in platinum, you might
consider gathering a number of creative jewelry artists and
challenging them to produce some exemplary works using these new
materials. Then you showcase these pieces in a few trade
publications. Then, once you get producers, track their success in
the wholesale shows. Why not send some samples to a few of us :slight_smile: and
let us play around with the stuff and see if we can come up with
something interesting? As for the 20-45 year old markets, I wonder
if this is the best approach. Maybe the decision on an age specific
demographic should come after a little test marketing. Obviously,
this is a desirable market, but why do you assume that group would
necessarily respond to your product? Or that it would stay limited to
that market demographic?

David L. Huffman

For a test market I would go with the body modders. More and more
piercings are being installs in people nowadays, but jewellery is
still limited in design, scope and vision. Not only piercings, but
people already with surgical stainless and titanium in their bodies
should be keen to get necklaces, collars, bracelets and rings of the
same material.

I’d most likely talk to some cutting edge visionary artists in the
piercing field and see if they’d be interested in fielding some test
studies at reduced cost/at cost/prototypes-uniques or whatever it is
you need, and get it started, get the word out there, and let the
grapevine do the work.

Tom Brazda is someone I would start with, many in the field know him,
seems like a stand up guy in interviews.

http://www.tombrazda.com

Trying to keep it from being classified as costume jewellery will be
the hardest hurdle.

K. David Woolley
david.woolley@unb.ca