Modeliamo: Standing up to overseas manufacturing

by charlene_voisin | August 1, 2012 9:00 am

By Jacquie De Almeida

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You could say it was serendipity that brought Carlos Soto and Pino Vallecorsa together. Both were working in the jewellery industry—Soto as a wax carver and designer, Vallecorsa also designing, while selling milling machines on the side.

A phone call to Vallecorsa back in 2006 for tools brought the two together, and they soon realized they wanted the same thing. On their own, neither could afford a 3-D printer. Without enough volume, the investment was simply not economical. But together, that’s a different story, and one that eventually led to Soto and Vallecorsa forming Modeliamo, a 3-D design and rapid prototyping firm located in the heart of Toronto’s jewellery district.

Two years ago, the company—which also does custom design—started making finished jewellery in 18-karat and 14-karat gold. Its newest line is a collection of mesh jewellery enclosing loose gemstones, an invention that is patent pending.

Compared to other parts of the world where labour costs are significantly lower, manufacturing jewellery in Canada makes it next to impossible to compete on that level.

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Mechanizing production is not the answer, however, says Soto, Modeliamo’s president and co-designer of its finished jewellery. Instead, the partners design couture pieces no overseas manufacturer could produce economically given they are labour-intensive and the volume is much lower than what these centres would normally make. Each piece requires printing a new wax model, explains Soto, a time-consuming process that is too expensive for mega-mass producers.

“In order to make the pieces we make, you have to use the machinery we do,” adds Soto, who trained as a diamond setter in his native Spain. “Even if you were to make them by hand, it would take a very good goldsmith two weeks to make one piece. This is a way of sheltering ourselves from overseas manufacturing. These are not lines for mass consumption; they’re more sophisticated and will never be mass-produced. The point of an overseas manufacturer is it can mass-produce and do so cheaply.”

Vallecorsa, Modeliamo’s vice-president and co-designer, says applying for a patent on the caged jewellery line made sense given its unusual design. However, with any new product, creating brand awareness is one of the biggest challenges designers face, particularly when marketing dollars are limited. One tactic the partners are considering is to develop a less expensive line of more classic pieces like cabochon rings fashioned with lower-quality crystals. With their interesting inclusions and milky appearance, the idea is to create a fan base and help draw attention to the company’s higher-end pieces. Still, Vallecorsa stresses the need to ensure each piece, regardless of price point, carries the quality clients have come to expect from Modeliamo.

“Some companies use one name for a high-end line and another for a lower-end,” he notes. “But we don’t talk about it in these terms because the finishing is always high-end. We put the same passion into finishing a very expensive piece as we do one that costs less.” With that kind of passion, who says nice guys finish last?

Source URL: https://www.jewellerybusiness.com/features/modeliamo-standing-up-to-overseas-manufacturing/

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