Jewelry Software

Christina shopped for jewelry as though there was no tomorrow. On her 30th birthday, she received a gift that changed her life completely – a jewelry making tool box. She was thrilled by the thought of making jewelry herself. Lots of catalogs and jewelry making supplies found place on her shelves as Christina began turning out dozens of pairs of handcrafted jewelry.

This is what she had to say on how she set up a home based jewelry business.

“I made far more jewelry than I could ever wear myself, so I gave them to everyone I knew and kept making more. Finally, when my jewelry supply reached critical mass, my husband said, “I think you had better stop making jewelry or start selling it”. And so my jewelry business was born.

The following are some tips that Christina would like to share for the benefit of entrepreneurs who want to start a home based jewelry business:

Start small: Small orders from local art & craft shows gave Christina’s business the initial momentum. She also took up work for gift shops and galleries. This helped her learn the tricks of the trade quickly, without risking too much investment.

Customize & diversify: Soon Christina learnt her first marketing lesson, which was that she had to make what people wanted to buy, if she had any hope of increasing sales. That was a turning point for her home based jewelry business, which until now, had taken no note of market requirements. Christina also realized that there was profit to be made by offering a diversified range of jewelry, including accessories such as watch straps, belts and pins.

Package elegantly: A professional display sells ten times more jewelry than a careless scattering on a table cloth. Gradually, Christina’s home based jewelry business took on a smart new look. She preferred to design the packing cases and jewelry tags herself, so they not only looked aesthetic, but could also be matched to the different collections. She took care to ensure that the displays looked professional and were lightweight and compact for easy storage & transportation. What’s more, Christina provided a selection of elegant pouches, boxes and bags as a complimentary gift wrap. This simple gesture never failed to delight her customers.

Don’t forget after sales service: Christina also has some words of “common sense” advice. “I discovered that keeping jewelry dazzlingly clean and shiny increases their perceived value. So investing in an ionic jewelry cleaner and tarnish-prevention strips are a must.” She began to offer free jewelry cleaning as an added service, and needless to say, this presented further opportunities to sell to old customers who came in to get their pieces cleaned!

Offer many payment options: A crucial selling point, says Christina. “People will buy more if they can do so on credit instead of having to shell out cash right then and there.” That’s why even her simple home based jewelry business accepts credit cards, charge cards and checks.

Go online: Not one to stay behind times, Christina signed up on eBay at Now, several jewelry collections from Christina’s are on auction. She also made sure that she featured close up photographs of her favorite pieces to attract customers.

Encouraged by the prospect of online sales, she revamped her old website and added an online store. She encouraged people to give feedback about design and color preferences, and often incorporated customers’ suggestions while designing a new collection. Needless to say, they bought willingly!

Create events: By now, Christina was marketing savvy, and she hit upon a novel way to promote her products. She threw “open-house” parties where anyone who was interested in jewelry and light snacks was welcome! To her delight, she found that these jewelry parties drew in hordes of people and resulted in brisk sales. Her home based jewelry business really began to flourish.

We are sure you’ll benefit from Christina’s guidance when you set up your own home based jewelry business. All you need to do is follow your artistic heart and use your business brain to make it big. If you still need some pick up ‘Jewelry making tips & tricks of the trade’

I personally think that taking good photos is more difficult than making our handmade jewelry! Everything has to be perfect to do justice to your handcrafted artisan jewelry. A picture is worth a thousand words if you’re a writer; a picture is priceless if you are trying to market your jewelry and unique gifts online!

Handmade jewelry photography is too important to leave to chance. Waiting for the sun to be exactly right is okay if you don’t have anything better to do but time is money and both are in short supply! You don’t have to wait for the cloud to pass or the direct sun to be on the left. Actually most of our pictures have been taken in the wee hours of the morning, once you get everything right it’s like you just can’t stop! If you are serious about taking great pictures you need a studio set-up. It’s not difficult and not too expensive considering the online marketing advantages.

We made our own light tent by making a cube and covering it with white rip-stop nylon fabric, cost about $20 to make. Let me know if you need instructions. We use  three 5200′K spotlights (daylight) about $35 each. We use studio stands (kinda costly) but swing arm lamps work too, just less adjustable. We bought a professional digital camera with a great macro lens, it hooks up directly to the computer and you just press enter so no shaky out of focus shots. The photos come up on the monitor so you can adjust the coloring, etc. You just set up the first piece of your handcrafted artisan jewelry getting it just right, then replace it with the next item so photo shoots go quickly. Touch ups are at a minimum if the photos are taken well. There will always be those really shiny pieces that when zoomed in at 5000 times the actual size you will see yourself taking the picture. Smudging tools work well in those cases!

Take your time to learn about your camera and all the features, it will make your life much easier. Experiment with background colors but we have found that nothing shows our handmade jewelry as well as a white background. Make sure your designs stand out emphasizing the unique features of each piece. It is all about experimenting and finding the perfect settings for each photograph.

This maybe is extreme for someone just starting out but we have been making handcrafted jewelry and unique gifts for over 23 years and we have over 3,000 items! Photos are extremely important especially when marketing online and well worth the investment.

- Ideas for selling your jewelry to women clients

It is obvious that as a jewelry designer, a majority of your target buyers are women. Women love jewelry and women spend hours and hours deciding to buy and eventually buy a piece of jewelry. So how do you go about establishing your jewelry business so that you target your client base? How do you promote your business so as to attract and retain your client base? Here are a few tips which will guide you in establishing your jewelry business, target your client base (which is primarily comprised of women) and even retain your client base for a long time to come:

1. Establish a promotional tie-up with a quality clothing retailer – any customer spending above a certain amount of money would receive a discount coupon / gift certificate for your store.

2. How about a vice-versa tie-up with say, a hair salon? Establish a tie-up with a quality hair salon where women who buy above a certain price range in your shop would then receive a gift certificate / discount coupon to visit the hair salon.

3. Being a part of local shows, kity-party, women organisation or anything similar can boost the goodwill tremendously with the locals.

4. Donate gift certificates to charitable causes – this works especially if the committee members are mostly made up of women.

5. Target your clients through newspapers – don’t ignore the sports pages or the business sections as modern women are known to read these sections avidly.

6. Make sure your advertisements are also placed in upscale fashion publications. Frame such nice ads and put them up on your store walls in a nice manner.

7. Display the jewelry as it is meant to be worn. Making your staff wear jewelry on them would be a great idea. If the client is comfortable wearing the jewelry then make them wear it and appreciate it.

8. Make sure that your staff is well dressed, especially in the context of the market you are going to target.

9.Organize your displays / merchandise according to the price range. Don’t group expensive items with inexpensive items. Be sure to include any costing tags or price tags on the piece of jewelry and the same should be properly visible to the clients. If you are not comfortable with visible price labels, you can put up price range label (From $50 to $70) on the display case.

10. Show ensembles in different price ranges. This will allow women with smaller budgets to make purchases in your shop as well.

11. Make sure that your store hours are favorable for professional women – it is logical that women won’t be able to shop at your store if your store is open only when they are at work.

12. Provide for ample parking space around your shop. Make sure your shop parking area has good security. After dark, escort the clients back to their cars.

13. Don’t forget that little touches mean a lot. When customers visit your shop, offer them tea / coffee / cold drinks in attractive glassware.

14. Make sure your store bathrooms (especially those that customers can use) are well appointed. Use scented soaps, guest towels, potpourri – these subtle touches make women feel very comfortable while they are shopping at your store.

All these ideas should help you with creating the right client base, and create the right ambience and provide the right touch of elegance for your store, which eventually will help you build up your jewelry business.

At one time or another, we all have to admit to ourselves that bikers – with their gritty leather jackets, imposing motorbikes and Gothic Biker Jewelry – represent everything our repressed hearts secretly desire. The appeal of running loose, going anywhere you wish is universal, transcending age, race and gender.

What makes good law-abiding, peace-loving boys and girls suddenly get the burning desire to jump on their Harley Davidsons and hit the road? The cyclists are all about the image of S & M, leather and nails. Images of tough guys or Harley girls come with the territory. Perhaps it is because a cyclist is the last release, the act of running wild and running free, able to showcase their own style and live in their own time. Who does not want to imagine themselves as kings and queens of the road, visions of complete independence that would otherwise terrify many of us?

Images adopted by most bikers reflects their attitude. When traveling together, a cyclist or biker rally week, to identify themselves and their group membership by the things they wear. Some of the larger groups fashion their insignia and wear logos on their clothes, or pins and other forms of jewelry to put his person and belongings.

In general, cyclists are known to each other by the “look” they project. Cycling & jewelry is a vital part of this “gaze.” Reject convention change for anyone, never compromise – these slogans are important to keep in mind when trying to achieve the perfect biker image.

Most of the time making jewelry gothic themes, like skulls, cross, snakes, roses with thorns … bloodied and many of us can not but admit they could be quite sexy. The Gothic look, combining themes of sex and death, comes with its own appeal. A school in the Gothic style even advocates the liberal use of jewelry such as rings and piercings, to promote the image of death metal. Most often, this jewelry is delicate and complemented with black clothing, like black leather, which is quite basic cycling wear.

But biker jewelry is distinguished from a strictly “Gothic” to be made of thicker materials. This gives a clear masculine. Often, a combination of leather and steel, the two essential elements of the “born to be wild” image, dating as far back as James Dean and the other motorcycle, riding heartthrobs of Hollywood. The current theme is “bigger is better” that comes with the biker creed, not caring what people think, if you know you look good.

Biker Jewelry comes in different flavors. Gold is very popular in some circles. White gold goes well with almost anything, especially dark colors. Wings and stars are other popular reasons, and other things that speak of a true American way of life.

As an active jewelry designer who attends meetings and workshops all the time, I hear a lot of jewelry business owners complaining that their online stores are not a success at all. I used my web design experience and a lot of research in the domain to gather a few hands-on tips for you to use and turn your online jewelry store into a business success.

1. Photos that sell the product – The most important thing you have to remember when you have an online jewelry store is that your customer will not be able to feel your jewelry or try it on to see what it looks like. Therefore, clear photos that show as much detail as possible are very important because, afterall, the photo sells the product. Multiple photos for each item are very helpful to show your potential customer all the details. If you have a necklace, try to have at least one photo on a stand, so they can see what it will look like around their neck. If your necklace has a pendant, take an up-close photo of that alone, so you can show all the details of the stones used. When taking photos of jewelry it is crucial that you do that in daytime, without flash. This approach will show the true colors of the stones used without unnecessary reflections.
2. Search-friendly sites – If you have the possibility to add a search function on your site, please do so. People don’t always know the names of the stones they are looking for and a search functionality will give them the possibility to look for pieces that have a certain color for instance. The idea here is to create the easiest way for your clients to find what they want. When somebody looks for a pearl bracelet, it will be much easier to type that in the search box and hit “Go”, than look through your entire bracelets category to find what they want. Having a search function on your website will be very helpful to your customers but it will certainly add a little more work for you. When you add a product to your store you will have to always remember to tag it with terms that other people might be searching for.
3. Detailed information – Product descriptions are very important as well when it comes to online jewelry stores. After your client sees the photos, they will want to know what was used to make that piece of jewelry. Try to give as many details as possible about the materials and techniques used as well as sizes. The overall size of the necklace is important, but also include the size of the pendant if you have one, as photos don’t always show the true ratio of the pendant. If you are a custom jewelry designer, I found that people are always interested to find out what your inspiration was. Share that with your visitors and raise their interest in your products.
4. One size doesn’t always fit all – Since you are selling items that people wear, remember that “One size fits all” doesn’t always apply. Create your jewelry at standard sizes, but always offer people the opportunity to order a smaller or larger item. This way you will increase your clientele.
5. The price is right – Last but not least, price your jewelry pieces right. As there is a significantly large number of online jewelry stores, you have to be competitive, but at the same time respectful of your work and the materials you use. The art of pricing is probably one of the most difficult, and there is no exact formula or how-to. Using your best judgement and a lot of research in the market area that you are trying to reach, you can find the formula for your prices.

Jewelry making has long been an art form passed on from father to son, all the way back to ancient times; people have adorned themselves in Silver, Gold, and Gemstone Jewelry,

African tribes, the Native American Indian tribes and numerous ethnic tribes have used Bone carved pendants, Animal Ivory, Bird feathers and Seashells, to fashion accessories to use as jewelry.

Today we give our Jewelry titles ,such as Ethnic Jewelry ,Tribal Jewelry ,Antique Jewelry, Fashion Jewelry and so on .In this article we are going to Talk about Designer Hand made jewelry ,How to make it either for fun or for those really keen students how to do it and make money from your hobby .

Right lets get going .You have two options to start with, you can either buy raw silver from your local distributor, or find a Jewelry Manufacture that will supply you with the materials, there is a choice between 925 or 985 in the grade of silver you buy, I prefer to work in Fine silver 985, but you may find this a little difficult to buy. For the purpose of this article we are going to choose the second option and buy our material from a reputable Jewelry Manufacture and we are going to start with making a simple Sterling silver 925 pendant with a Turquoise cabochon Gemstone.

The majority of tools needed can be purchased form a good hardware store and some of the more hard to find items you will be able to get from either a Silver Jewelry Manufacture or Supplier.

Your heat source can be either a gas bottle with extension hose and flame adjusting nozzle or as we use in our workshop a petrol bellows and hose set with adjustable nozzle, its important witch ever set you buy that you can regulate the flame and heat .Next comes the hand tools you will need a small brass hammer, tweezers about 7inches long, small tin snips, brass block 4inches by 4inches and 1inch thick ,rags,2part epoxy, battery acid, fine grade file , a flexible shaft grinder and a ceramic base to heat your silver on ,here is a handy tip a house brick and unglazed roof tile work just great. That should be enough for you to get started.

Step1 is to cut a strip of silver slightly wider then the thickness of the turquoise and long enough to wrap around the diameter of the gemstone, and carefully cut it so as the 2 ends meet tightly around the gemstone.

Step2, take your solder and place a small amount of flux on the two joins, heat the silver strip till red, apply the solder carefully, and it’s joined. If you haven’t done any soldering before try a few practice runs first, you will be able to use that silver later on.

Step3, take your sterling silver band and place it on a flat piece of silver plate, check that the turquoise still fits, then as in step 2 apply flux and solder the band to the plate.

Step4, remove the excess silver with your tin snips and sand off any rough edges.

Step5,decide on a shape for your bail and cut it out of silver accordingly, bend into shape .now solder that to the pendant ,and while hot dip the whole pendant into a small jar of acid ,rinse in a jar of clear water and dry.

Step6, Place your turquoise into you silver and carefully trim away any surplus silver. Once your happy with the fit you can sand the silver again with fine grade emery paper, give a small amount of epoxy to the inside of the pendant and insert the turquoise stone .Now take a spoon and using the back work it around the pendant to give a snug fit with the silver and allow to dry.

Step7, Using your flexi grinder insert a polishing cloth disc, add some silver polish and buff the silver to the required finish.

The principles above are applied to all silver work; no it’s up to the imagination of the jewelry designer and skillfulness of the jeweler.