How to Start a Jewelry Business
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I Had to Either Start Selling Jewelry, or Stop Making It
How did I start a jewelry business?
For me, it all began with earrings.
I've always loved earrings, and this love has turned into my dream career - my own successful handcrafted jewelry business.
Several years ago, after two decades of buying earrings everywhere I went, I received a birthday gift that changed my life - a book called "You Can Make Your Own Earrings".
Somehow it had never occurred to me before that I could actually make jewelry myself - so receiving this book was really a pivotal moment in my life.
I was obsessed, and I sent for dozens of jewelry supply catalogs, ordered jewelry making supplies and tools, and began turning out dozens of pairs of handcrafted earrings. I made far more earrings than I could ever wear myself, so I gave them to everyone I knew and kept making more. It was the most addictive hobby I'd ever had!
Finally, when my earring supply reached critical mass, I realized I was going to have to either stop making them or start selling them.
And so my jewelry business was born.
But How to Start a Jewelry Business?
Okay, I was all geared up to start a jewelry business - but didn't know where or how to begin.
It took a bit of research to find what I needed to know, but I worked my way through the "setting up" part of how to start a jewelry business without any trouble. (It was actually not as big of a deal as I'd expected.)
Now I just needed to start finding some customers for my work.
Should I sell my jewelry at craft shows? At home jewelry parties? On eBay? To shops and galleries? Consign it? Wholesale it? Build my own website for it?
Well, I basically just jumped in and experimented with selling jewelry via all these methods and many more. I decided the only way to find out what direction to go with my jewelry business was to try everything.
I made a lot of mistakes, but I also had enough success to keep me motivated. And most importantly, I learned a LOT about what worked for me and what didn't.
My First Jewelry Business Lessons
One of the first things I learned was that if you want to sell a lot of jewelry, you have to make what people want to buy, not just what you like to make!
I found that I could sell a lot more jewelry by offering other pieces of jewelry to match my earrings, so I diversified and began designing bracelets, necklaces, and pendants too.
Another crucial selling point is accepting credit cards. I found that was my ticket to really big jewelry sales and profits.
As much as 75% of my sales are paid for with credit cards. In fact, the year I started up my jewelry business merchant account, my sales nearly quadrupled!
It's easier than you might think; I use ProPay, which is set up perfectly for small businesses and artists to accept credit cards.
People will buy more if they can pay with plastic instead of shelling out the cash right then and there, and many customers don't have their checkbook with them anyway. So if you're serious about making money from your handcrafted jewelry, it's essential to accept credit cards in addition to cash and checks.
Creating a Great Jewelry Display
I entered a few craft shows - and although it sounds like a no-brainer now, I learned that a professional looking display can sell ten times more jewelry than just a scattering of earrings on a table cloth.
I also discovered that elaborate jewelry displays are a pain to set up and take down, and require a lot of closet space to store at home. I began to evolve my jewelry booth to my current setup, which looks professional, is lightweight and compact to store and transport, and stays loaded with my inventory and ready to go at all times.
Now when I do shows, it takes me less than an hour to set up and take down my display, and if a customer calls wanting to look at jewelry, I can just whip out a nice display on my kitchen table or in the client's living room in only a few minutes.
Here are some more jewelry display ideas and possibilities.
What I Learned About Jewelry Packaging
I experimented with selling gift packaging to accompany my jewelry. But I soon found that nobody wanted to spend money on it, and that offering free jewelry gift packaging increased my sales.
So now I provide a selection of different types of elegant pouches, boxes, and bags. This is an especially important selling point around the holidays. My customers are thrilled to get complimentary gift packaging with each piece of jewelry, so they don't have to go home and hunt for a tiny box and wrap the jewelry themselves.
I even offer to ship or deliver the gift for them. Anything you can do to help make your customers' lives easier will give them a reason to come straight to you the next time they need to purchase a gift!
Other jewelry packaging is also important. I found that designing my own earring cards and jewelry tags gave my pieces a much more professional appearance. I printed my contact info on them as well as specific information about the components I used in the jewelry.
Selling Jewelry on eBay
I dabbled in selling my jewelry on eBay, and had some spectacular flops along with some thrilling successes.
Jewelry is a very competitive niche on eBay, and success in the online auction market takes time to develop. To be successful in selling jewelry on eBay, you need to have a constant presence there, with at least a couple of auctions up at all times for your repeat customers to find.
And if you want to make a profit instead of a loss, you need to understand and work with eBay's fees and policies.
Also, you may find you have much more success with selling jewelry-making supplies on eBay than with selling your finished handcrafted jewelry!
Clear, closeup photos of your jewelry (or other auction items) are also crucial for eBay success.
Figuring Out How to Photograph Jewelry
In fact, great photos are essential to any method of selling jewelry online. I learned through a great deal of trial and error how to photograph jewelry and get professional-looking results.
It's actually not that hard if you have the right equipment and spend some time experimenting with it. Then write down the settings, lighting, etc. that gave you the best results so you don't have to re-invent the wheel every time you need to photograph jewelry.
I finally figured out that the cheapie digital camera I started out with just wasn't designed to take close, sharp pictures of jewelry, so I mastered the technique of photographing jewelry with a scanner. You can get some beautifully artistic jewelry photos with a flatbed scanner, and it's a quick and simple way to get great shots for your website, auction listings, promotional literature, etc.
I also learned how to edit jewelry photos with PaintShop Pro.
Eventually I did get a higher-quality digital camera, and spent a day learning how to use it along with a Cloud Dome / light tent to get beautifully sharp jewelry photos.
Profiting from Home Jewelry Parties
While experimenting with various ways of selling my jewelry, I discovered that home jewelry parties are one of the most profitable ways to sell handcrafted jewelry.
So I spent some time figuring out how to do profitable jewelry parties that are also rewarding for the hostess without cutting into my profits too much. Hostess incentives are important if you want to keep scheduling jewelry parties, but you need to be sure they don't cut into your profit margin too much. I came up with an incentive plan that worked well for me.
I developed my own jewelry party invitations, different party formats, and found that an open-house type of party with just light snacks and no party games or formal presentations gets the highest attendance and sells the most jewelry.
And the number-one way to increase your home jewelry party profits and attendance is to have the hostess call all guests a day or two before the party to remind them about it and secure their commitment to attend.
See more great jewelry party tips and ideas.
Selling Jewelry at Shows, Fairs, and Festivals
When I first started my jewelry business, a friend talked me into being in a tiny Christmas craft sale at her church.
I was so nervous before this little show that I almost made myself sick, so I never even thought about using any kind of jewelry displays or even a table cloth! I just laid out tons of my earrings mounted on earring cards on a bare table and sat on a chair behind it.
But in spite of my initial nervousness and lack of jewelry displays, I made enough sales to have a sense of success. I spent $10 for my booth space, and came home with $175 - which was a big deal for me back then!
I've come a long way since that first show, doing countless other shows of all types and sizes.
I've learned how to find profitable shows to enter, types of shows to avoid, how much inventory I need, how to market my jewelry before the show to get all the traffic and sales I can handle, how to prepare for a successful show, and how to work with the customers who come to my jewelry booth.
I've written a step-by-step guide called Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth, which details every tip and secret I've learned for having more profitable jewelry shows.
Selling Jewelry Through Shops and Galleries
I jumped into consigning and wholesaling jewelry to gift shops and galleries, and just learned the ins and outs of it as I went along.
I learned how to approach shops with my jewelry, to be very selective about the places where I consign and wholesale jewelry - and to maintain great relationships with good shops!
Selling your jewelry via shops and galleries has its own rewards and challenges. You may have to make dozens - or even hundreds! - of one jewelry design for a chain of stores. Or you may find a privately-owned boutique that loves to carry your one-of-a-kind pieces.
If you want to sell your jewelry through shops and galleries, it's important to understand the needs of these businesses.
Shops are always looking for something new and different to add to their product mix, to give them an edge over competing shops and to keep customers coming back to see what's new. Shop and gallery owners want something unique that will fly off their shelves at a good price, and they need suppliers (such as jewelry artists) who are reliable and professional to do business with.
Like business owners everywhere, they're very concerned about their bottom line - and how your products can help them cover their expenses and turn a profit for them. When you sell your jewelry through a shop, it has to sell twice - once to the shop owner who makes the decision to carry your work, and once to the final retail customer who purchases it from the display in the shop.
Learning How to Build a Jewelry Website
Customers and shop owners assumed that since I was in business, I would have a website. So I learned how to build and promote a jewelry website.
I learned that a simple website design is best, so that your jewelry stands out. Although neat, flashy website features are fun to play with, you should resist the temptation to put them on your site. At best they distract visitors from your jewelry, and at worst they slow down the page's loading so that visitors on a slow Internet connection will give up and hit the back button.
And most especially, do not use any background images. They make it very hard to see photos and read text. Just a plain background is best for your visitors!
Use lots of photos of your jewelry if you want to sell it from your website. You'll need big closeup shots, and maybe several shots of the same piece to show different details such as a clasp, focal bead, or chainmaille pattern. People won't buy jewelry online without big, compelling photos.
They also don't stay on a website if the first page they land on shows them nothing but a screen filled with text. Be sure the top half of every page of your site (especially the home page) has one or more tempting photos of your jewelry!
Profit by Teaching Others How to Make Jewelry
One of the opportunities my jewelry business has brought me is teaching jewelry making workshops, which is very rewarding. It's also a good way to profit from your jewelry business during the times of year when your jewelry sales are slower.
However, I learned the hard way that workshops are a lot easier for me if everyone in a group jewelry workshop works on the same type of project at the same time, instead of each person doing a totally different thing!
From jewelry workshops I discovered the market niche of providing bracelet-making birthday parties for girls, which is a fun way to spend a few hours and make some good money for your time
Besides group jewelry classes, there's also a demand for individual jewelry-making sessions.
A lot of people have jewelry-making wants or needs, but don't want to get into it on a permanent basis themselves. They just want to make a specific project or two, or create an occasional special gift to give.
These customers need people like you and me to provide the supplies, tools, and guidance they need to accomplish the project they have in mind. And they are very willing to pay for our supplies and assistance.
Helping individual people make a special jewelry project is very rewarding, and in the process I always wind up with new ideas I probably wouldn't have otherwise.
Continuing to Learn and Grow
In addition to developing the technical skills involved making and selling jewelry, it's important to keep studying and learning about all kinds of issues involved in having a successful jewelry business.
I have to attribute the biggest leap in my professional development at the beginning stages of my business to online jewelry-making forums, where I found a wealth of information exchange, encouragement, and inspiration, and developed online friendships with kindred spirits.
I think that if you have any interest in starting a jewelry business, participating in jewelry-making forums is a fun and important element of your success!
Another important element in your success is to keep learning and brainstorming new jewelry-making techniques and designs. Always have something new to show your customers, and work toward using techniques and supplies that are different from what other jewelry artists are using. Uniqueness is a huge element in selling lots of jewelry.
For your own jewelry business success, I encourage you to follow your artistic heart and think with your business brain. I recommend that you study jewelry trends and styles, learn everything you can about jewelry making materials, set up your business recordkeeping so that you stay organized, and concentrate on providing solutions to your customers' problems.
Don't try to make all jewelry for all people; focus on your own style or niche and build a client base.
See Rena Klingenberg's Other Hubs:
- Designing Jewelry for Teens
Jewelry for teens is more popular than ever. American teens spend $33 billion a year on fashion, and most shop for clothes and accessories at least once a month. For teenagers, jewelry is an important part of establishing their identity. - 4 years ago
- Photographing Jewelry with a Scanner
Do you have a scanner in your computer setup? Flatbed scanners can be a great tool for photographing jewelry. For years I took all my jewelry photos this way. Scanners are fast, simple to use, and can take beautifully artistic photos. I started... - 4 years ago
- Jewelry Making Birthday Parties
Jewelry making birthday parties are a big hit with girls of all ages. Here's how to do a jewelry birthday party for fun and profit. - 4 years ago
- How to Start a Jewelry Business
How did I start a jewelry business? For me, it all began with earrings. I've always loved earrings, and this love has turned into my dream career - my own successful handcrafted jewelry business. Several years ago, after two decades of buying... - 4 years ago
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Sue,
You're welcome! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you liked my Hub.
I wish you every joy and success as your jewelry business grows and evolves!
Rena
Dear Rena,
Thank you so much for this little feed! I have loved to make jewlery for a long time and just recently thought of making it a business. Your insight will definatly help me out!
Love,
Danielle
Thank you, Danielle!
I hope your jewelry business gets off to a great start this year. There's nothing like the feeling of having people (who aren't your friends and family) fall in love with your handcrafted jewelry and make a purchase.
Best of luck to you!
Rena
Hi Rena! I wish you the best of lucks with your business. I like your earings, and the blue ones on your hub (can't remember where I saw them) are awesome!!! If you decide to sell on a website or something, let me know please! Good job and it's great that you are happy doing it!
Thanks so much, Sara! I actually sold quite a bit of jewelry in the past, but now that I'm spending so much time writing and publishing, I'm only doing sales and custom work for a few customers.
And you're right - there's nothing better than making a living from doing all the things you love! :o)
Wonderful as always my dear Rena!
Thank you, Carolina! And thanks for peeking in on my Hubs!
Thank you for the great insights Rena! Your tips on selling at craft shows really helped me. I've just been accepted at a local craft shop to begin selling my jewelry, and it's the most exciting thing that's happened to me in a long time. The shop owner was very excited to see my designs, and I owe it all to you!
LadyRocks, that's wonderful! Congratulations. It's great to have a good shop selling your work - it sounds like your jewelry business is really taking off. Thanks so much for sharing your success!
Rena
Hi Rena,
You offer a lot of great information for someone that is looking to get started in the jewelry making and selling business. Plus the information covers all of the important points that most people may not even think about when they are just getting started.
I want to compliment you on your photography.
Your jewelry looks very nice also.
Hi Jim,
Thanks so much for stopping in, and for your kind compliments!
I started out photographing my jewelry with just a scanner, then graduated to a Fuji FinePix digital camera and light tent. The scanner was quicker and easier, but usually not quite as sharp as the digicam and tent!
Rena
Dear Rena,
Thankyou so much for all your tips and how-to's. I have one question. Where did you purchase your jewelry trays?
Thanks, Vicky!
I've purchased my stacking jewelry trays and tray inserts from 3 different places; I think I've listed them here in order of least expensive to most expensive:
Store Fixture SuperCenter (formerly tfl4u.com)
http://www.storefixturesupercenter.com/default.asp
Fetpak
RioGrande Jewelry Supply
Hope this helps, and best of luck to you!
Rena
To often people want to charge for everything. It was so delightful to see INFORMATION! I got
To often people want to charge for everything. It was so delightful to see INFORMATION! I got the
To often people want to charge for everything. It was so delightful to see INFORMATION! I
The Fetpak link above is not working. It should be http://www.fetpak.com
Thanks for the packaging sources it helped a lot.
Hi Rena,
It is so nice to find a website that is honest, informative and easy to read. It is a joy to have found your site. I think it was meant to be. Is it just me or do jewelry artists love sharing ideas ? I do think we are kindred spirits and I do think we want people to feel good and look ood when they wear our works of art.
Sincerely,
Rose
Great info. I have been making jewelry for years now and finally starting to step into the business side of it.
Rena, this is a great overview of things to think about and how to prepare! Your ebooks on jewelry businesses are great! And I can't wait to go over the bracelet party hub! Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
Have just been looking at your website. I have just recently decided to go full time with my handmade jewelry, since retiring in Dec. of 2008. You really gave me some things to think about and some great ideas. I too started out with just earrings and finally said " if someone else can make accessories to match, so can I."I do the craft fairs but am considering just opening a small business and do home shows. I have been doing this for approximately two years now and have never made two pieces just alike. Thanks for all the insight you put on the internet.
Hi Rena,You mentioned in "The What I Learned About Jewelry Packaging" section that you include your contact info and the materials used in creating the piece.
I think this is an area where hand crafted jewelers can really set themselves apart. You're not just selling jewelry but a story. When you explain the inspiration involved with crafting a piece, it makes it intrinsically more valuable.
Including the life story or evolution of an item on a printed card, along with a jewelry box, makes it much easier to sell at a higher margin.
Thank you for your inspiring story- it's great to see your passion become a business! Thea Rademacher, fellow bead fan.
Rena,
Fantastic hub with unique information. I am in Gems and Jewelry business representing centuries old tradition of excellence in Gems and Jewelry.
However, I got some new ideas from your hub. Thumbs up!! I am interested in your handcrafted Jewelry.
Jyoti Kothari
Hi!
Thank you for the thorough explanation and sharing your experience. You are so inspiring and encouraging. I've been making jewelry for 12 years for myself, but for the past couple of months in my mind an idea is developing for starting my own business. Your words gave me a foment to seriously start.
Thank you!
Marija
Rena,
You have inspired me to follow my dream of starting my own jewelry business thank you so much. Your an inspiration to me.
Thank you for your story. I too was inspired to make my own earrings. I am a fanatic. So like you I started to make my own and then started to make necklaces and bracelets. I have only been doing it for not quite 3 months but I am addicted. I would like to start my own business as I think that I will do well. Do you think that it is too soon?
Thnak you so much for your advice and expertise.
I just adore making jewellery so I was pulled here. I loved this Hub great ideas.
yo reba u rock dude
How do you stock check your jewellry and the supplies.... over the years I have lots and lots Jewllery making stuff bundles stringing thousands componants all over the place would take me years to sort it all out.
Do you just use the stock you make up as stock for the Tax man or do you have to include all the pieces you have got everything.
Could you please tell me I also have made hundreds of earrings ect and they will just rust away...very stuck on how stock check.
Hi Rose,
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! Yes, I've discovered that jewelry artists are extremely generous in sharing ideas and tips - the online jewelry community is very friendly. :)
Thanks so much, Teri, for your kind words about this hub and my jewelry business books! I appreciate your taking the time to let me know!
Hi Peggy,
I think earrings are the starting point for a lot of us! :)
But once you start making any type of jewelry, it's a slippery slope into total addiction!
Hi Premier,
Excellent advice on including the life story or evolution of the jewelry item on a printed card. People love to discover the story behind a piece of jewelry - it makes the piece so much more interesting.
Hi Thea,
Thank you so much. I think the main thing that keeps so many creative people from achieving our dreams is that we stand on the edge, wavering, afraid to go for it.
Hi Marija and Sarah,
I hope you are both getting your jewelry out there and having some wonderful successes! Remember not to get discouraged when something doesn't work out, or if you have a show with low sales. Just keep sticking with it, asking your potential customers what they want, and trying all kinds of things till you hit on what works for you.
I wish you both every success in your jewelry businesses!
Hi Debra,
Nope, I don't think that's too soon at all. The fastest way to achieve your jewelry business dreams is to get out there, get your jewelry seen, ask people what they want, and wear your own fabulous pieces everywhere you go!
I wish you every joy and success on your jewelry business journey!
Wow!! I love this hub. I became very interested in creating jewelry. I checked out a couple of sites and started buying some beads in bulk. Can't wait to start!!
Thank you, Wendy!
One nice thing about buying beads is that you can really stash a HUGE quantity of them in a pretty small space - so your friends and family need never know the extent of your addiction! :o)
I think what you have hear is a great Hub with good, solid, and honest information. I make jewelry also (though my wrapped loops kind of suck, so I don't make earings all that often. I was wondering, how did you know you were ready to start selling? I mean I get compliments from friends and family, but that is primarily just friends and family. Besides that, I am a male, which makes it that much more difficult to sell at a craft show. Who buys hand made jewelry from a guy?!?
P.S. (And I haven't told anyone else this...) Please write more Hubs :)
Hi Karpouzlan,
Thank you so much for your kind request for more Hubs! I appreciate that very much.
"Who buys hand made jewelry from a guy?" - Well, let me just say that as a guy you have a huge advantage when it comes to selling jewelry to ladies! Women appreciate men who are polite and listen attentively; so taking your time with each female customer and genuinely listening to what she has to say will help tremendously in building good relationships with your lady customers.
And for selling your jewelry to other men, I know a male jewelry artist who does tremendously well with that. He sells a lot of his men's jewelry styles at gun & knife shows. He's also very good at providing gift-giving solutions (in the form of jewelry) to guys who are shopping for their ladies.
OK, now about your issue with wrapped loops - here's a very simple secret:
To get professional looking wire wraps, be sure to PULL your wrapping wire firmly away from the stem wire as you wind it around the stem. Don't push the wrapping wire around the stem wire; PULL it and keep it taut. Keeping your wrap wire TAUT while wrapping it is the secret to easy, even wire wraps.
Now, how did I know I was ready to start selling? Well, I didn't. In fact I kept finding ways to put it off. Then a friend encouraged (forced!) me to have a table at her church's Christmas craft show. I was so scared I was nearly sick that morning, but I did it anyway and sold about $175 of earrings to people I didn't even know. I was so psyched afterward - and then I was ready!
Every show, shop, and selling experience (regardless of whether you do well or not) is also a learning experience. So no matter what results you get, don't take it personally. Resolve to learn, improve, and never give up. Discover your "peeps" (your people who love what you do and come back to buy more) and make what they want to buy.
Also consider alternative places to sell your work - such as getting permission to do a trunk show at a coffee shop or café during their busiest time of day.
I hope this helps, Karpouzlan - and I wish you all the best! I know you'll do great.
Hi Rena, thank you so much for sharing your insight, you are so kind, I was struggling not knowing what to do on how to sell my jewelry until I've found you hubs.
I have tried several design and finally I have found it my own creations but still I just don't know what to do with them.
I used to live in England and I used to sell my work at the tourist market and crafts show.I can say I earn good money daily,then we have to go back to US and I was thinking "oh no..what am i going to do,well is easy I can start offer again" gee I was wrong, it is not as easy as I thought it will be.
once again,thank you very much for your insight it is very useful and help me to get started.
Great Tips Reena:)
Thanks Rena.
Hi RENA!
I am in the VERY beginning stages of it, where its still in the mind. I have always had a creative side to me and I enjoy wearing such jewelry. I am very excited about starting it and after reading your information, it was VERY helpful to me. I thank you SOOOO MUCH for sharing your insights and being detail as well
Hi Susan, Michelle, GlowingRocks, and Lencia,
Thank you so much for your kind, positive comments! I wish each of you a joyful journey as you discover the best products and venues for your unique jewelry businesses!
Great tips. I love the idea of the home jewelry party!!
Thanks
Hello Rena,
As always another great hub. I am always recommending your site to Jewellery Designers & Jewellery Assemblers. You have helped so many of our homeworkers to learn.
Once again thank you for an excellent article.
Regards,
Leyula
thank you veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy much for your advises.:)
hi rena thank you veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy much for your help
Thanks
I Read yr ideas i m Also following yrs Ideas.Today I m also on 1st Stage Of jewellery.We Make Jewellery In our Factory N Sell
We Take Partcipate in every fair at here. Now We Are selling Casted Jewellery N Handmade.Brass Cooper jewellery.
Hey Rena,
I really enjoyed reading your hub. I am in the beginning stages with my small jewelry business and I found your recommendations very helpful.. Thank you and Happy Holidays.
Rachel
Raw Elements Jewelry
can you tell me any good suppliers and especially for kingman turquoise
Hi Rena, I loved your hub..I am planning to start a jewelery business soon...Just needed a little help with the costing part of it..How should we cost the jewelery?
Looking at your explanation details and your other hubs, No doubt that you are the experts on this area. Excellent. Hope your business going well. Thanks Rena for sharing.
Recently I have started a Jewelry Business at Crystal Elegance and your post taught me a lot that will help me to running the business...
I learned a lot
Thanks
Very nice article! I just opened a store on Etsy. It's a lot of work. Thanks for the scanner tips!
Hey,
great article, i think what you said about starting out and trying a bit of everything is a really good method for several businesses!
Also your sterline silver wire pendants are beautiful!
Thanks for all your very useful information. It is great that you were willing to share the info.
Very interesting and informative article. Makes me want to get to the craft store, and make some earrings.
Rena you have given us great tips in just this one Hub . I must book mark it for future reference.
I do admire your wire wrapped jewelry and the way you use a scanner. I would never have thought of it.
Thank you again:-)
I very much like you this
Hey Rena
I am at the first stages of starting my jewellery business and would like to thank you for all the great info! The kids parties are a great idea. Keep up the good work.
Thank you again!
Cudden Crafts
wow..nice jewelries, i love jewelries..just want to ask! is this a good business for me as a ordinary man? i have my own business now but it is only a small business..not really a good source of income..Thanks for sharing this...
Thanks for the wonderful inspiration and information. I absolutely love making jewelry. It is a passion for me. You have covered so much information on starting a business; the setup of display and the effective ways of payment, I am greatly appreciative. Do you know how to create a signature charm, with your initials or where to get it?
Great content for a hub. I'll bookmark this one for later...
Hello RENA
Last 4 month i read yr History.And After 4 month I am selling jewellery now Today i am making My Website Now that time under Process.Really I am very Impress With U
Thanks
Deepak Jain
IMDIA
Hello Rena,
I'm only 19 but I've been making jewelry for a few years now. I'm confident in my skills and have wanted to start selling my work for a while (and I must say stumbling on your site has given me a better sense of direction than I had hoped for!). I know how to do a multitude of styles and designs, but the one thing I have yet to figure out is how to work with stones and gems with no holes or attachments. I was at a gem show a bit back and found some beautiful goldstone that I thought would make lovely necklaces, but I don't know what to do with them! I'm afraid to drill a hole in-not knowing if this will damage the gem-and I have no skill in wire wrapping in any form. Is there a direction you could point me in?
Much love and appreciation
Hi Rena,
I would love to get started on making jewellery and eventually selling it for profit. What book or DVD would you recommend on the tools, and components needed to work with crystals and chain links to create necklaces and bracelets?
Thanks for your help in advance!
HI, very good hub and lots of good information that could be applicable to almost any business.
Hi Rena,
I'm looking for suggestions on how to approach a spa or salon about setting up a table to do a truck show from thier business. Can you help?
Thank you,
Michelle
oops trunk show
Great hub, fabulous tips and advice.
Sue
Wow!! im very much impress with your hub!! Thank you for sharing!! I have bunch of mine here since im addicted to collect jewels http://www.ellexclusive.com
Where do you and do you buy all the stuff to make the jewelry? My Address is 1003 Sumner St. Kissimmee Fl. 34741 Please let me know , I mean how can you afford it all?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
if you need some material?maybe you can find some in my shop?http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/900676
I love making jewerly and I am just beginning to try and start my business. Like you were when you first started out wondering where do I begin. After reading your suggestions and how you started, I have some insight now. Thank you for putting this information out there.
This is a very well written and concise guide to starting a jewelry business. I've bookmarked it and forwarded it on to my girlfriend who is starting her own part-time jewelry business. I'm sure she will find this very informative along with the links you provided.
As both a jewelry artist and a gallery owner, I get to see both sides of the business, and it is always so much easier to deal with artists who are professional in all ways. Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Very through and well written hub. :)
Wonderful information here. Having your own jewelry business can be tough sometimes, but it is always worth it. Your booth display looks very good too. Thanks for sharing.
This is a wonderful story - I'm happy it worked for you! I took some ideas from you if you don't mind :) Thanks for sharing! You can contact me at me blog: http://www.farmvillevalley.wordpress.com/
very nice! thanks for sharing your tips. This will help a lot specially to those who are in business industry. keep sharing good tips. hope to see more in the future.
I too started my own jewelry business about 2 years ago mainly focusing on custom pieces for Bridal parties. I really enjoy the custom aspect of jewelry, but my real passion is discovering unique pieces of jewelry on my travels. I want eventually want to open up a retail boutique and have no idea the how to go about this. So technically, I want to become a buyer of produced goods, weather handmade or mass produced as long as its unique and made of quality materials. I've done research on locations and small business loans, but have no idea how to become a buyer. Any insight would be appreciated.
I loved every single piece of information you have posted!!! Thank you sooo much! It has really made me just jump and go for it!!
Thank you,
Johana
You have one of the most interesting topic that I've read so far that is why I enjoyed my time reading it.
I am not an expert when it comes to this matter yet I get so many information just by reading your post. It is such a fulfillment knowing this information!
I hope to read more of your post in the future,As I know you can share more interesting topics like this! :)
loved every single piece of information you have posted!!! Thank you sooo much! It has really made me just jump and go for it!!
Thank you,
I just started selling my jewelry at craft shows. I have 4 scheduled before Christmas. My 2 teenage daughters are helping me design and sell our stuff. It has been so much fun. Hoping it can go further after the holiday. I have written down so many ideas and tips from your site.THanks!
Thanks for such useful information. I have just decided to go into jewellery designing and selling business, but didnt know where to start. So signed up for a forthcoming exhibition, got our stand, the website is going to be ready in a few days (my brother is helping), now I have to find the jewellery display cabinets and organise the lighting etc. Any other tips coming from you would be really appreciative.
Thanks and regards.
Hi Rena,
I am a member of your site making jewellery now. I have actually just implemented the idea you gave me for my Chick Flick Charm Bracelets and the gift combo. Thank you so much for all your help.
Charlie
Just started with a Jewelry Website. Wish Me Luck :)
Magnificent hub for learning a jewelry business
Diamond Bands
Amazing post, Nice tips and views. Thanks for sharing.
I loved every single piece of information you have posted!!! Thank you sooo much! It has really made me just jump and go for it!!
Thank you,
THANKX FOR THE INFO VERY INFORMATIVE, LOVE YOUR IDEAS,AND HONESTY.
Rena, THANK YOU so much for sharing all this info. You are a great inspiration, not only to me but for so many others here. I have read other info on some other sites and was a little discouraged but you put me back on track.
Wow very well writted article,
You had put in so much of time in putting this article, and gave to us free of charge.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for contributing to jewelry community.
Thanks , Eurostarjewelry
So inspirational i am a beginner in jewellery design and want to make a business out of it i am yet to try other tecniques but wen i do i take photos of them and showcase them on facebook
love your story and i to am looking to sell my jweelry. i do alot of motorcycle shows, and have all types of people. what is the rule if any as to pricing.? all of my jewelry is real stones and crystals. i use all metal findings no plastic. i will also be doing so shows in indoor expos. thank you joan
Your story is very inspiering and convayes quality information. I know it will help me with my website:
http://Geralynsawesomestoe.com
I would like to hear an update from the past 3 years.
such a nice tips to start jewelery business
You have inspired me! just started my site: http://www.ticjewellery.co.uk/ going to give it a go selling other peoples stuff first then see how I get on selling my own oooo errr im nervous!!
If you are looking for a souce to get case packs of jewelry for your business go to http:/Geralynsawesomestore.com. Look in the wholesale jewelry catagory. You can buy case packs for under $250 for 12 dozen items that will sell for between $5.00 and $35.00 each. You can easaly make $800.00 to $5,000.00 on a case. We also recomened some ebooks that will help you set up profitable booths at fair, shows, and other events.
what is the rule if any as to pricing.? all of my jewelry is real stones and crystals.
Thanks for all the good advice. I am just starting with selling my own line of handmade jewelry, and was wondering if I need to copyright my brand name or is the brand name the same as a company name? If so, do I have to get a dba? Thanks for your input! Cheers!
how much money do you make, are you a mid-class person, or do you make enough profit to be near- wealthy?
Amazing
Amazing
Hi, Ive just started making earrings and am now just thinking about the possibility of turning it into a business venture and all your advice is priceless.
Hi Rena!
As a design passionate, I've been creating very unique and colorful patterns in Adobe Photoshop lately, which may find successful application in jewelry projects as well.
In this research phase, I am trying to get as much information as possible about jewelry making and jewelry marketing, and I'd like to thank you for your excellent and very and very informative article!
Indeed a very good roadmap to follow for new business starters!
Many thanks.
Cecilia Klinkenbergh
I think you are right when you say this. Hats off man, what a superlative knowledge you have on this subject…hope to see more work of yours.
Like everyone else I find your site very informative. Thanks heaps.
Hi Rena my name is armekia and i'm wanting to go into business selling earrings in other thing for my self... do you have a facebook page if so will you email me @ armekiawilliams_24@yahoo.com please!!!
You Rock!!! this Article was so inspiring... thanks for the new ways and ideas to promote my Brand
thanks
Yolandajo.com
Very Nice write
Very Nice write
how do you get a tv ad like you see on as seen on tv. i have looked ever wear and can noy fine a way to contack them to put my new jewelry line on tv.
kneeko.com i have work on this for 10 years now and am at a dead end.
Hi everyone!This is wonderful site.I like to do jewelrys too.I make handmade jewellryes from fimo.I am looking for buyers.If someone want to see my items just write me on my e-mail:xbox360360@abv.bg
i love jewels
please can you mail me a free jewerly catalodges to me at mrs angie grimes at 1740 cheyenne drive in merced, ca 95348-1105. thank you
Hi Rena,
Can you PLEASE help me figure out how to have my sketched designs made into actual sterling silver/gold/or cubic zirconia materials???.... Since the Victoria's Secret catalog doesn't list or advertise the model's jewelry I want to make my own renditions and some imiations of them. PLEASE help!! Also, where can I find elegant packaging like the cloth bags with ribbon that you've used? Thank You SO MUCH!)
Oh yes, my e-mail address is glamourgirl0904@yahoo.com. I would appreciate any info you can give.
Sue 4 years ago
Hi Rena,
Thank you soooooo much for sharing your insights and experiences. This little feed is exactly what I needed to read at this time. I'll be looking for more of your tips as I progress along the path of jewelry design.
Lots of love, Sue