Category Archives: Buying Tips
Starting a Jewelry Business? 10 Things to Start Making Now
If you have been thinking about starting a Home Jewelry Business? Here is a simple an easy 10-points guideline to transform a hobby into a very profitable career. Check if you’re following the author’s 10 Golden Rules of Jewelry Business Starting.
When I started making jewelry it was just fun. Friend’s inquiries about pendants or earrings really made the dream start to take shape, as it may be happening to many of you. You have started wondering if you could make jewelry for a living. Well, the answer is as simple as YES. Every jewelry artist has started somewhere, and the lucky ones that today show their pieces on jewelry magazine covers started with little or no money and no clues about where the jewelry experience was going to take them.
Making jewelry is therapeutic and profitable, you can make it at home, be your own boss, work at the hours when you feel best and, above all, is a wonderful profession in which you add beauty to people’s lifes through your jewels. Making jewelry is fun!
But why is it that so many jewelry makers, some very talented, fall along the way and never reach their full potential? Mainly, for reasons that do not have to do at all with Jewelry Making, and the most common four are lack of commitment, procrastination, lack of confidence and of course, lack of knowledge about business and marketing techniques.
It is said that it takes 21 days to leave or start a habit. Changing from procrastinator to effective jewelry maker takes less, I think, but many of the things that will start showing its benefits in the (near) future must start being done today!!! Making a big decision like leaving your “proper” job really need a strong commitment to avoid ending up to your nose with debts and wondering “ What did I do wrong?” If you really want to success in this business, here are 10 tips that will help you start avoiding the more common beginner mistakes:
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1.This is your trip, not anybody’s: be very careful with the advice you follow and try to stay always within your own limits and desires. Focus on learning the business and stop listening to what people would do if they were you. Read jewelry websites, marketing and sales articles and never stop learning new things.
2.If you don’t have a studio, set up one. Yes, as small business owners we must sacrifice home spaces to our business. Cluttering the dining room or using a small corner will affect directly into your productivity and creativity. You need space, organization, light, and a door you can close whenever you decide your work has finished for today.
3.Organize your time effectively: work as many hours a day as in a “proper” job…well, the truth is that you will find that you will need more than proper job hours to get everything done! As in point 2, we must also sacrifice time.
4.Set up a blog/website. There are many free webs and blogs to choose from. Avoid repetitive descriptions and talk a little about yourself in every post. Take your time to write a good biography and take a good picture of yourself. Read other websites for examples and study the texts – which ones are more appealing to you, and why? Promote yourself in any way you find.
5.Dare to dream – do not underestimate yourself and try every crazy idea that comes to you mind… all of the biggest jewelry artists of the world were somewhere you are now. They made it because they were bold and trusted their own abilities. That business card design or new packaging boiling in your head deserves, at least, a try. What would you lose?
6.Don’t be scared of asking for favours to relative and friends when you’re starting, and always reward them in any way you can. A favour any female member in your family will love to do to you is wearing your gorgeous jewelry on parties and special events, and of course without having to buy it! They will return it to you after showing your jewelry to many people; of course you should provide them with business cards!
7.Learn to make good pics of your work, or you will never sell online. You can make a simple lightbox and digital camera and tripod are necessary. Learn to use the macro and light sensitivity settings of your camera and experiments with backgrounds and displays. Do as above: research and work!
8.Being a jeweler is not only about making jewelry! You can have other incomes coming from the same source. Teach classes or workshops, sell tutorials online, kits, become a gem seller…and if you have html knowledge you could even offer to make websites to jewelers!
9.Don’t wait until everything is perfect to start, because it will never be perfect. If you’re just a beginner, don’t overprice your products. Be honest and humble with your own work, but don’t miss opportunities to show your work in every way you find.
10.Be very patient. There are no fast success stories in jewelry making. You will have to prove you are really commited to your work If you don’t start now, it will never come!
Discount Shopping Online…is it for You?
To make sure that you have an easy time discount shopping online, all measures for security are taken. First, it is important to be safe when you are looking for discount shopping online. Another important tip for security while discount shopping online is that you should never send any of your personal info via email. If you are not just looking for discount shopping online but looking for the top quality product available, then online shopping can help you here too. You might find you can save money by trying to find one of the larger discount shopping online sites as even if they don’t have the cheapest price you can save money on shipping by buying several items at the one site.
Products
Search for thousands of products online to find the best price. The secret shoppers find the best discounts for consumer items. Products like electronics, computers, jewelry, and more are just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to high quality products and even designer brands, you can normally find them all online and in most cases at a discounted price. If you’re trying to find unique gift ideas for a friend or loved one, you can get great bargains and products by discount shopping at an online gift store. Shop with confidence, huge selection of brand-name products from well chosen trusted and secure online stores. So,those who are discount shopping for these products can browse through all the categories at one central location when visiting an online shopping center mall.
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Save
Shop, Compare and save on thousands of items everyday from electronics to shoes and more. 80% is not an uncommon savings off retail prices. Save on diamonds, gold, silver and gemstone jewelry. Shop & Save …the only way to shop. Discount shopping is fun because you save money and it almost becomes a challenge to see how much money you can save.
Travel
In fact many of our members would NEVER get involved in a network marketing opportunity, but because of the value in our products and the powerful ways you can save money on dining, travel, shopping, recreation, and lots more, it’s a no brainer. Promotional discount codes for online shopping at hundreds of retailers, travel companies, and consumer services. Your choices are unlimited when it comes to travel sites which leads to better savings. Discount shopping online is a great way to keep money in your checkbook and still be able to purchase a few luxuries. Money can be saved when online sources are used. When you shop online for gifts, you are saving valuable time because you don’t have to shop around from store to store. With thousands of online stores and discounts available from the comfort of your own home, youll wonder why you didnt start discount shopping online sooner.
Foods
The gourmet and specialty foods market is booming across the country. There are incredible gourmet foods that never make it into food shopsthe best smoked hams, amazing cookies and other productsbut how do you find them. Gourmet foods, exclusive services, pampering, luxury goods, glamorous gifts&&&the finer things in life. Artisan dairy products: artisanal butter, farmstead and artisanal cheeses and gourmet yogurt. Gourmet sweets and desserts: cake, cookies and brownies, candy, fudge and the very best chocolate, plus ice cream, pies and dessert sauces and toppings. Gourmet oil and vinegar: balsamic vinegar, other gourmet vinegars, olive oil, nut oil and other fine oils. Your tastebuds will enjoy anything you want fromseafood to hors d’oeuvres. Snacks: potato chips, pretzels and popcorn. Specialty Gourmet Areas: Diet Gourmet Food, Kosher Gourmet Food and Organic Gourmet Food, including health and wellness foods, and Kids’ Food Luxury Foods: caviar, foie gras, fine seafood including lobster, shrimp and smoked salmon. Figuring out where you’ll get the best and freshest foods at the lowest price is a matter of understanding the market, in particular, understanding how the wholesale beverage and food distributors work. Sources for gourmet business gifts, baskets and gourmet foods can be found at specialty food stores.
Jewelry Store Tips – Why To Buy Your Diamond Engagement Ring From A Trusted Jeweler
Jewelry stores can be a tricky place if you don’t know what to look for. If you are in the market for a diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry in general there are a couple things to keep in mind before you buy. Diamonds can be treated to hide flaws and unnaturally increase their value. Some of these techniques are not wrong; however, they all must be disclosed to the buyer. Ensure that you buy from a trusted jewelry so you know exactly what you are buying.
As long as people have been buying and selling diamonds, sellers have always found ways to increase the diamonds clarity and color through artificial methods. This can lead to a higher price on the diamond if one does not know what to look for. These alterations make purchasing a quality diamond much more difficult.
The oldest method to increase a diamond’s color rating is to coat it. Although, this is not used as commonly today, the process involves an ultra-thin layer of chemicals applied to the diamond to make the diamond appear less colorful. It is rather easy today to identify coated diamonds under magnification. Another method is to use irradiation to permanently change the color of a diamond throughout the stone. A third way to change the color is to use High Pressure, High Temperature, or HPHT treatment. This treatment can make the diamond colorless or add attractive colors like blue, green, pink, or yellow.
There are also techniques for improving a diamond’s clarity. Laser drilling is used to eliminate dark inclusions. The laser will bore into the diamond and burn away the inclusion. All that is left is the small drill hole. Another technique is fracture filling. This hides white areas, referred to as feathers. A glass like substance is then inserted into the fracture. Both of these techniques are effective in improving a diamond’s clarity; however, they are easily visible under magnification or with adequate lighting.
All techniques discussed above are required to be disclosed to purchasers. Not all jewelry stores follow this rule. That is why it is vital to only deal with trusted and to educate yourself before you buy. For more jewelry and diamond education visit us at .
Buying Discount Jewelry Abroad
If travelling abroad is second nature to you, vintage stores, bazaars and yard sales that sell discount jewelry may not be something new. These jewelry items are perfect souvenirs for family and friends back home and you can even buy them in bulk so can sell them per piece.
Below are some tips on how to get the best deals on abroad.
Visit Jewelry Stores Nearby
A few weeks or days before your travel date, visit jewelry shops in your area and check their item’s prices. Take note of the costs and discounts of their jewelry displays. You can also visit online stores and do the same thing. By doing so, you’ll already have an idea on which deals you should take while on a vacation.
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Be Skeptical
Do not be easily lured by brochures or dealers who sugar-coat their selling points. Always keep an open mind and ask questions first.
Use your Bargaining Skills
Do not be afraid to bargain for the item you like. If the dealer won’t budge, you can always leave and bargain again to the next jewelry booth. A little dose of charm will surely get you a long way.
Read the Fine Print
Take the time to read the return and replacement policies. Do not wait for you to go back home before reading the fine print, usually found at the back of the receipt. You may end up disputing a refund via email or through the phone which is a quite difficult.
Some suggestions of making quality, finished pieces of jewelry
1) Make sure you use the correct string or wire: This is a key factor. Some strings are not strong enough for the weight of certain beads, and some wires will kink regardless of the beads you use. Evaluate what you will be making and determine what is appropriate.
2) Purchase a set of jewelry pliers: These are pliers specifically designed for jewelry crafting. They are small, and easy to handle. This set should include a minimum of a pair of flat pliers, cutting pliers, and round-tip pliers. You will need these specific pliers for curling the edges of head pins, constant snipping of excess edges of wires, and crimping.
3) Purchase your curling technique: Curling technique is vital. You could have a beautiful pair of earrings that appear ruined, because your attachment curl is sloppy.
*Leave one inch (or cut to one inch) of wire at the end of a head pin after the beads are set.
*Use your flat pliers to grip the wire at the top of your beads, and bend it to a 90-degree angle.
*Switch to your round tip pliers, and grip the end of the wire, and rotate your hand to curl the wire. Practice this technique until you achieve a nice clean hook shape for attaching to jewelry findings for such as earring findings etc.
4) Use a tray: Dropping all your beaded work off of a wire/string is bad enough, loosing your beads to the carpet is worse. In the event that you drop your beads, you will at least have a tray for them to fall onto.
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5) Use the proper findings: Findings are the little metal pieces that complete a piece of jewelry. These include clasps, bails, headpins, jump rings, etc. Using the proper jewelry findings will create a finished, quality appearance to your jewelry, and a stronger structure.
6) Use extra wire/: By allowing an extra length to work with you are giving yourself a little bit of breathing room. Many times I am working from both ends of a string to create a symmetrical pattern. So securing one end and working my way down to the other end is usually not an option with me. I allow extra string so that I am less likely to loose beads if I drop one or even both ends. Extra string will also allow a certain degree of flexibility when it comes time to crimp the ends.
7) Use crimp beads: Crimp beads are tiny metal sections of tube, which you place at both ends of the string to prevent the beads from falling off. I personally feel using crimp beads are far more secure then knotting (however sometimes knotting is still a necessity).
*Place the string /wire through the crimp bead once, and then wind the end through the bottom and up once more.
*Pull the string tight around the bead.
*Then “crimp” the bead (use a flat pair of pliers and pinch the bead until it is flat). This process secures the edges of the wire/string.
*After you have secured the string snip off any excess before adding your findings. Occasionally findings will go on before you use the crimp bead, so make sure you have your sequence in order before you secure and snip.
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Estate Auction – 5 Tips to Become a Good Bidder
Jewelry items are really so powerful that it can take your breath away if you see one that is quite stunning and outstandingly beautiful. Just like a beautiful landscape painting or some melodious music to which you get attracted, a finely crafted jewelry has also the ability to attract you with the tremendous desire to get it. For jewelry collectors or lovers, estate auction can be the best place to find the jewelry items from old times with attractive designs.
In the estate auction, you can purchase vintage, used and antique merchandise for yourself or for someone whom you want to gift it to. If a little fortune will be with you, then you can be the luckiest one to get some great estate jewelry for a small part of their value.
Here are some useful tips for finding and bidding in the estate auction:
• Reading Newspapers
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Newspapers are often the best source for getting this kind of information. Estate auction may have been going to happen in your own area but you might not know the exact date or the place. So, read newspapers to get information on this topic. Most of the areas run their auction listings on Thursday edition.
• Surfing online
You can find lot of ads in the websites where you will get the information on estate auctions. By browsing through different such sites, you can collect lot of required information and prepare yourself for the auction.
• Viewing merchandise at preview
When you have the information about the place where are being holding, then you should show up at the place as soon as the preview opens. Go to the place and take enough time to view the estate jewelry so that you don’t need to regret later.
• Making notes
Bring with yourself a pen and a paper and make notes of all the items that you are interested in buying. Below the item, write down clearly the maximum amount that you can pay without hesitation. Don’t bid more than your maximum amount while playing in the bidding battle.
• Having control
If you are new to the bidding game, then wait until someone else starts the bidding amount. After you had also started bidding, don’t lose control and bid more than your maximum amount. Be careful or you might end up bidding more and overpay for the item.
