Handmade beaded earrings made in Amsterdam: here is exactly what goes into every pair, and what you are paying for when you buy them.
People ask about my earring prices. Not always out loud, but I see them pause on the price tag, do a quick mental calculation, and compare it to something they saw on Etsy for €18.
I want to answer that question honestly. Not defensively. Just clearly.
Here is exactly what goes into a pair of Studio Mandariini earrings.
The materials
Every pair starts with Japanese glass beads. These are precision-made beads: colour-consistent, fade-resistant, the same quality used in fine jewellery worldwide. They are small. A single pair of earrings contains hundreds of them.
The thread is waxed nylon: strong, flexible and water-resistant. The hooks are stainless steel, hypoallergenic and tarnish-resistant. I attach each hook by hand.
None of these materials is expensive individually. But they add up, and more importantly, they are chosen for quality, not for cost.
The technique
I make my earrings by hand, using different beading techniques. I weave each row of beads, one row at a time, until the pattern emerges.
There is no faster way to do this. Every single bead passes through my hands.
A pair of earrings that is 8cm long and 2.5cm wide contains hundreds of individual beads. I place every one of them.
The time
A pair of earrings takes me several hours to make from start to finish: from selecting the colors to attaching the final hook. Complex patterns with more colours take longer. Simpler geometric designs are faster, but never fast.
I do not have an assembly line. I do not outsource. I do not batch-produce. Each pair is made individually, by me, in my Amsterdam studio.
The design
Before I make anything, I design the pattern. Some patterns come quickly. Others take longer. I draw inspiration from art, colour, weaving, and anything that catches my eye.
The design is invisible in the final earring. You cannot see the time I spent getting the colours right. But it is there, in every row.
What you are actually paying for
When you buy a pair of Studio Mandariini earrings you are paying for:
- Japanese glass beads - quality materials that hold colour and shape
- Waxed nylon thread - strong enough to last, flexible enough to move
- Stainless steel hooks - hypoallergenic, tarnish-free, attached by hand
- Several hours of skilled making time - my hands, my studio in Amsterdam
- An original design - no two pairs are perfectly identical
- Direct from maker - no middleman, no retailer margin, no factory
The €18 earrings you see elsewhere are made in a factory. Probably quickly. Probably by machine or by workers paid very little. They may look similar. They are not the same thing.
I am not a factory. I am a maker. That is the difference and that is what the price reflects.
A note on slow making
I make things slowly on purpose because the work requires it.
Beadwork cannot be rushed. Glass beads do not arrange themselves. The slowness is not a problem to solve. It is the whole point.
When you wear a pair of my earrings, you wear something that took hours to make. Something nobody else has. Something that will not show up on your colleague's desk or your friend's Instagram wearing something identical.
That is worth something. I think it is worth exactly what I charge.
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Frequently asked questions
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How long does it take to make a pair of beaded earrings?
Each pair takes several hours from start to finish: from choosing the colors to attaching the final hook. Complex patterns with more colours take longer. -
What beads do you use?
I use Japanese glass beads: precision-made, colour-consistent and fade-resistant. The same quality used in fine jewellery worldwide. -
Are your earrings suitable for sensitive ears?
Yes. I use stainless steel hooks: hypoallergenic and tarnish-resistant. Suitable for sensitive ears. -
Can I order custom earrings in my own colours?
Yes. I take a small number of earring commissions each month. Join the commission waitlist at studiomandariini.com to be notified when a slot opens. Lead time is 2–3 weeks once your slot opens. -
Where are Studio Mandariini earrings made?
Every pair is made by hand in my Amsterdam studio. I design the patterns and place every bead myself. -
Do you ship handmade earrings outside the Netherlands?
Yes. I ship across most of the EU and to the United Kingdom from Amsterdam with PostNL, fully tracked.