Success With Jewelry – Episode 161

How to Say Your Prices Confidently (Without Over-Explaining)
Hosts: Laryssa Wirstiuk & Liz Kantner
Date: February 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Laryssa and Liz tackle a challenge nearly all jewelry designers and creative entrepreneurs face: how to state your prices with confidence and resist the urge to over-explain or apologize. Against the backdrop of ongoing fluctuations in material costs, they discuss common anxieties around pricing, why undercharging is more pervasive than you think, and actionable strategies for clearly communicating your worth. The conversation is an honest, supportive exploration of mindset shifts, practical sales techniques, and industry realities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Current Pricing Climate for Jewelry Designers

• Ongoing Materials Cost Fluctuations: With precious metals rising unpredictably, many designers have had to reprice their pieces multiple times a year.
  • Liz (01:43): “I know a lot of designers have just finished repricing their work for maybe the second time this year already...so getting confident about your pricing is really important.”
• Everyone’s in it Together: Both Laryssa and Liz sooth listeners’ worries by reminding them these challenges aren’t unique—nearly the whole industry is experiencing the same pressures.
  • Laryssa (09:13): “You raising your prices isn’t going to be something that’s glaring...everyone’s raising their prices.”

2. Emotional Hurdles and Vulnerability in Pricing

• Self-Consciousness Around Value: Assigning a price to your own creative work or time can be deeply vulnerable, even for experienced marketers.
  • Liz (04:40): “It’s a vulnerable thing to say, ‘my time is worth this much.’ Designers truly created something that’s a piece of art, and the selling end becomes so transactional.”
• Comparison and Research: Doing market research and some “actual math” can help ground your prices in reality—removing some of the guesswork and emotion.
  • Laryssa (02:48): “What is a fair market value for services I offer and what do other people charge? That was a big eye-opener that made me have my own confidence.”

3. Why Over-Explaining Happens

• Lack of Consumer Understanding: Most people don’t grasp what goes into making jewelry—the hidden labor, sourcing, design, and inspiration.
  • Laryssa (05:25): “A big reason why there’s a gap in understanding about price on the consumer side is like, they just don’t know...They think something can just be whipped up out of thin air sometimes.”
• Temptation to Apologize or Justify: Creatives often preemptively apologize or over-clarify, sometimes out of fear the customer will undervalue their work.

4. The Risks of Underpricing

• Undercharging is More Common Than You Think: Most designers are likely underpricing their work, often hoping lower prices will be recognized as a “deal”—but customers rarely see things that way.
  • Liz (07:19): “I would guess most people listening, most designers, your work is probably underpriced.”
  • Laryssa (07:40): “If you feel like you’re giving someone a deal, that they’ll recognize that and appreciate it...That’s not how it works.”

5. How to Communicate Your Prices with Confidence

• Normalize Stating the Price: Practice saying your prices out loud, in a neutral tone, and with finality—then pause and don’t immediately fill the silence.
  • Liz (13:35): “State it once, neutral tone, one sentence, stop talking about the price after that...the client needs to think about if it makes sense for them. You don’t know what their financial situation is and you don’t want to try to know.”
• Use a Price List or Written Reference: Referring to a printed or posted price sheet adds a layer of objectivity and can ease discomfort.
  • Liz (12:20): “One of them was like, I have a price list...and so I just say the price and refer to the sheet. It kind of puts more of a barrier between me and, like, you know, this is what I have to charge.”
  • Laryssa (13:06): “Smart. I love that because...then you’re almost like operating as an employee of the business.”
• Don’t Presume Your Customer’s Wallet: Avoid projections about whether a price is “too high” for someone—what feels like a big increase to you might not matter to your customer.
  • Liz (14:19): “You just got to get your head out of other people’s wallets.”
• Maintain Healthy Boundaries: Decide in advance where you’re flexible (like payment plans or gifts) and where your parameters are firm.
  • Liz (16:48): “Get clear on what your boundaries are and write them down, and then it’s easier to stick with them.”

6. Handling Negative Reactions & Silence

• Negative Reactions Aren’t Personal: If someone reacts poorly or complains, it’s a reflection of their budget, not your work.
  • Liz (15:32): “It’s not a reflection of you. That is their own stuff that they’re dealing with and responding to.”
• Don’t Fear Silence: Silence after you state your price allows the customer to process—don’t over-explain to fill the space.
  • Liz (16:18): “Silence is not a no...just give them some time.”
• If It’s Not the Right Audience, Move On: Constructive feedback from the wrong event or audience can help refine your business strategy.
  • Laryssa (17:02): “Okay, like, a good amount of people are telling me this is, like, expensive. It’s like, okay, maybe don’t do events like that too.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is permission: permission to raise your prices. We are big advocates for raising your prices.”
  – Liz, 07:33
• “You just got to get your head out of other people’s wallets.”
  – Liz, 14:48
• “State it once, neutral tone, one sentence, stop talking about the price after that.”
  – Liz, 13:35
• “Silence is not a no.”
  – Liz, 16:18
• “If someone wants to be a jerk about it, well, good, go take your jerk business somewhere else.”
  – Laryssa, 12:12

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:58] Overview of the pricing climate & material cost fluctuations
• [04:40] Vulnerability in pricing your work
• [05:25] Why consumers struggle to understand jewelry pricing
• [07:19] Underpricing is rampant; permission to raise prices
• [13:06] Using a price list for objectivity
• [13:35] Practical tips for stating prices confidently
• [14:48] Don’t project your financial anxieties on customers
• [15:32] Handling negative reactions gracefully
• [16:18] The importance of pausing after sharing your price
• [16:47] Setting and sticking to sales boundaries
• [17:02] Using feedback to find your ideal audience

Summary Tone & Takeaway

Laryssa and Liz maintain their trademark supportive, honest, and approachable style throughout. Their conversation is peppered with real-world examples, self-deprecating humor, and gentle encouragement. The main message: you are not alone in your anxiety around pricing, but communicating your value—and standing by your prices without apology—is both a business skill and a mindset. Trust the worth of your work and remember: almost everyone underprices, but most customers respect confidence.

Action Steps for Listeners

• Review your own pricing—chances are, you could (and should) raise it.
• Practice stating your prices out loud, with confidence and brevity.
• Decide your boundaries and write them down in advance.
• Use tools like price lists to depersonalize pricing discussions.
• Give yourself permission not to over-explain—and don’t take “no” personally.

For further insight, the hosts recommend revisiting previous podcast episodes with Hillary Halstead Scott and Sharon Z for more pricing strategies and frameworks.

Visit SuccessWithJewelry.com to connect, share your pricing journeys, or leave a review.