Thursday, December 27, 2007

Starting Out on Custom Jewelry Business


If you have a great sense of style and creativity, you should consider constructing quality custom jewelry for individual clients. If you are good at it, you will find that you have customers calling you over and over again to construct special pieces for them, or as gifts for others.

Making custom jewelry is not so hard. Again, you need a sense of style and creativity but the skills and knowledge needed to make jewelry are very easy to master. The object is to make your pieces unique and exclusive. When a client wears your jewelry, they should wear it knowing that there is none other like it in the whole world!

Working with clients is actually the hardest part. You need to get a picture in your mind that matches the picture that is in their minds. Never construct the piece while they are watching because this is in effect teaching them how to do it themselves, and you will probably lose a customer. Never let them know just how easy it is!

Talk at length with the client. This way you will know what they like and dislike and their personality which could help you to design a piece that suits them. If the piece is to be a gift for someone else, ask lots of questions about that person, and if possible, meet them in person yourself. Remember that uniqueness and exclusivity are the key to making this type of business successful. However, great communication with the clients is equally important as well.

Many clients will want you to make custom jewelry using stones or gems that they already have. They may even want you to just enhance a piece that they already have. Before you start doing this, make sure that you have the skill and qualifications necessary to do this work. You do not want to destroy a client’s beloved jewelry! Make sure that you ask about the history of the piece, and find out what special meaning that piece holds for your client as well.

Of course, you will purchase the pieces that you need to make the custom jewelry from wholesale resources. Just make sure that you are buying quality parts and look for sources for unique jewelry making supplies as well. Usually imported pieces are great sources for uniqueness. You will have to quote your client a price before you start, so be careful here. You don’t want to lose money. Once you’ve quoted a price, deduct 15% to 30% from it. Think of the remainder as your ‘budget’ when buying supplies to make the custom jewelry.

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