| Are you a jewelry designer who markets your own | | | | raised to compensate for the increased expense. |
| handmade jewelry line? If so, it can sometimes be | | | | To make a long story short, at her next craft show |
| beneficial to step back and take a fresh look at your | | | | she sold EVERY ONE of her new necklaces. |
| jewelry designs and ask yourself an important | | | | Needless to say, she was thrilled! |
| question: | | | | Is it time to look at your jewelry line with a fresh eye |
| "Does my handmade jewelry line have a unique | | | | for originality? Does your jewelry have a personality? If |
| personality?". | | | | not, it may be time to make some subtle changes to |
| This is an important question to ask because if your | | | | give your jewelry sales that extra boost. Here are |
| jewelry doesn't have a personality or voice of its own, | | | | some ideas for giving new personality to your jewelry: |
| it will be lost in the sea of imported and mass | | | | 1. Add few dichroic glass beads in strategic areas of |
| produced jewelry that bombards the consumer every | | | | your design. Dichroic glass gives off a beautiful, |
| day. | | | | iridescent sheen that adds color and life to a |
| We have a bead store customer who is quite a skillful | | | | handmade jewelry piece. |
| jewelry maker. She specializes in necklace sets which | | | | 2. Have you ever worked with polymer clay? Using |
| include matching earrings and sometimes a bracelet. | | | | polymer clay, you can create beautiful, one-of-kind |
| She uses high quality materials and her work is very | | | | signature beads using only a few hand tools and an |
| nice constructed. She keeps her prices at a very | | | | oven. You can create beads that no one else has |
| reasonable level without underselling herself. | | | | access to. You can point out to your customer that |
| Well this very nice handmade jewelry designer came | | | | these beads are "one-of-a-kind" handmade artisan |
| into our store with a distraught look on her face. She | | | | beads. |
| was visibly upset, even in tears. She tearfully claimed | | | | 3. Add a stunning pendant to the center of some of |
| that the jewelry she worked so hard on wasn't selling | | | | your necklaces. Don't settle for just an ordinary |
| at shows or through the consignment outlets where | | | | pendant. Look for something no one else has. You can |
| she consigns. She had the look of a defeated person | | | | make an incredible pendant by using a headpin, and |
| who was about to give up on her dream. We couldn't | | | | unusual lampwork bead and some decorative sterling |
| have that! | | | | silver beads. |
| We asked her to show us her jewelry designs which | | | | 4. Use a distinctive, large, beautifully detailed high quality |
| she happened to have with her. One look at her | | | | clasp that grabs attention. A simple clasp change can |
| designs told me quite a bit. Although you could tell a | | | | often give a necklace or bracelet an entirely new |
| great deal of care and workmanship had gone into | | | | personality. You may even consider having a signature |
| their construction and the designs were well executed, | | | | clasp cast for you by a jewelry casting company. This |
| her pieces lacked the kind of impact that turns a good | | | | is not as expensive as you might think and really adds |
| piece of handmade jewelry into a "must have" piece. | | | | to your design options. |
| This very frustrated handmade jewelry designer used | | | | 5. Try some unusual color combinations. Certain colors |
| gorgeous semiprecious stone beads and sterling, but | | | | placed together can really make a design "pop". |
| they were arranged in a pretty, but somewhat | | | | Review your color wheel and note how a color can |
| predictable manner. We decided that she needed to | | | | be markedly enhanced when placed next to its |
| add a "signature look' to her designs to give them | | | | complement. Don't settle for tired, overused color |
| personality and turn them into something special that | | | | combinations. Think out of the box! |
| consumers would have a hard time passing up. | | | | 6. Sign your work or add a hand stamped, metal |
| After circling the store for awhile and discussing | | | | signature tag to your designs. These can be custom |
| various options, we decided that the addition of a | | | | made for you by variety of companies on the internet |
| beautiful handmade lampwork bead or two to each | | | | or you can buy tiny metal discs and hand stamp your |
| design was just what was needed to give her jewelry | | | | own. |
| a signature look. Yes, she would have to raise her | | | | 7. Consider adding gorgeous buttons or charms with a |
| price points a bit since handmade lampwork beads | | | | vintage look as a centerpiece for some of your |
| can be expensive, but I felt sure that she could get | | | | necklaces. This can add such a vintage feel to your |
| these higher prices with more distinctive designs. | | | | creations. |
| Our frustrated jewelry designer went home and | | | | There are lots more ways to add personality to your |
| designed 15 new necklaces using one or two | | | | jewelry but, wanted to get you started thinking about |
| strategically placed lampwork beads in each design. | | | | the steps you might take to give you jewelry a more |
| The gorgeous colors in the lampwork beads made the | | | | identifiable personality. By regularly reassessing and |
| rest of her design pop, taking them from rather | | | | redefining your jewelry business, you can give it the |
| ordinary to quite extraordinary. Her price points were | | | | personality it needs to generate some serious profits. |