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The Ra-Ro Index is the rarity scale created by Ra-Ro to measure how special each handmade piece it sells is. It has five levels, from Uncommon to Unique, and weighs three criteria: how many exist, the technique used and the time the piece takes to make. It is each product’s seal of singularity.
Origin
Ra-Ro was born to preserve crafts and products that were almost lost to time, from small productions and artisans who still know how to make what almost nobody makes. To show buyers how hard each piece is to find, Ra-Ro created the Ra-Ro Index, its seal of singularity.
The index appears on every product in the shop and helps compare very different pieces, from a cobertor de papa to a wine, in one shared language: rarity.
What it measures
The index asks three questions. Quantity: how many exist? It considers whether the piece exists in small numbers, made by small businesses and small productions. Technique: how is it made? It considers whether it follows an almost forgotten technique, kept by few artisans. Time: how long does it take? It considers whether it results from a slow process that cannot be rushed or mass-produced.
The five levels
- 1. Uncommon: You may have heard of it and even seen it somewhere, but not everywhere: it comes from small businesses and small productions.
- 2. Scarce: You will not find it round the corner. There are still local shops and some active artisans, but it may be seasonal or depend on raw materials.
- 3. Rare: Not easy to find, but possible. A few artisans remain and there is some risk it will disappear.
- 4. Very Rare: You will hardly find it. Production is limited or at risk and probably only a few artisans are left.
- 5. Unique: It is on the verge of no longer being sold. There may no longer be any active production.
How to use the index
On product pages and in collections, each piece shows its level with a small scale of five squares. The more squares are filled, the rarer the piece. The highest levels correspond to crafts with very few active artisans, such as Gondar soenga or hand-woven bunho.
Where to see it
You can explore pieces by level on the Ra-Ro Index page, which also shows how they are spread across the collection and by region. To meet the people behind each piece, visit the Makers page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ra-Ro Index?
It is Ra-Ro’s rarity scale, with five levels from Uncommon to Unique, showing how hard each handmade piece is to find.
What are the levels of the Ra-Ro Index?
Uncommon, Scarce, Rare, Very Rare and Unique. Each level reflects how many exist, the technique used and the production time.
How is the Ra-Ro Index calculated?
Based on three criteria: how many exist, whether the technique is almost forgotten and whether the process is slow and cannot be mass-produced.
