How to Create Your Own Jewelry Line: Design - Production - Finance - Marketing & More

by Emilie Shapiro

Overview

To develop a successful jewelry line, designers have to be more than just creative artists—they have to understand the ins and outs of running a crafts business. Emilie Shapiro’s detailed guide explores the many facets of creating a quality handmade collection that people will buy, including where to sell your work, how to do small-scale production, how to carry out market research and publicity, how to price and present your pieces for greatest effect, and so much more. It’s the perfect primer for budding jewelry entrepreneurs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454709336
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	04/05/2016
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Emilie Shapiro lives and works in New York City, where she designs and creates her own jewelry line, Emilie Shapiro Contemporary Metals. Before she started her own line, Emilie worked as the Production Manager at Pamela Love and Allforthemountain. She teaches wax-carving classes and specialty workshops at various studios including 92Y, Liloveve Jewelry School, and other studios throughout the NY Metro area. Her work is sold worldwide in locations such as the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Royal Ontario Museum.


 

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

1 Business Essentials

How to Form Your Business 1

Taxes and Licenses 3

Business Plans 8

Building a Brand 10

Jewelry Business Practices 17

2 Learning about Jewelry Design

DIY Learning 27

Individual Classes and Courses 28

Institutional Learning 29

Real-Life Experience 30

Professional Development 31

3 Design For Production

Types of Design 35

Designing a Collection 39

Foundations of a Marketable Collection 41

Pricing-Your Jewelry to Sell 45

4 Producing Your Collection

Stock and Inventory 51

Setting Up a Studio Space 54

Essential Studio Tools and Equipment 56

Essential Machines 61

Basic Jewelry-Making Techniques 66

Surface Pattern Techniques 70

Stone Setting 72

Where to Purchase Gemstones 73

Types of Metal and Where to Purchase Them 75

Wax Carving Techniques 77

Lost-Wax Casting 81

In-House Production 89

Out-of-House Production 91

Production Line Tips and Tricks 94

5 Marketing Your Jewelry Line

Websites 97

Email Marketing 102

Social Media 102

Cross Promotion 104

Press 104

6 How and Where To Sell Your Jewelry Line

Retail 107

What to Consider before Exhibiting at a Craft Fair 108

Craft Fairs: Getting There and Setting Up 110

Retailing Online 113

Wholesale 114

Wholesale Trade Shows 119

Sales Reps and Showrooms 132

Some Final Tips for Success 134

Insider Guidance from Industry Professionals 137

Glossary 165

Resource List 167

Acknowledgements 173

About the Author 174

Photography Credits 174

Index 175

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2016
After several of her jewelrymaking students asked for advice on starting their own businesses, Shapiro, whose jewelry line, Emilie Shapiro Contemporary Metals, is sold at boutiques, museums, and big-name retailers such as Anthropologie, started teaching a class specifically on the business side of jewelrymaking. This book is an extension of that popular class, and it addresses an array of topics relevant to craft-based businesses in general, including marketing, methods and strategies for approaching retailers, basic business and accounting practices, and pricing. Shapiro also delves into the specifics of jewelry production with extensive coverage of the ins-and-outs of establishing a brand, from necessary tools to wax carving and casting to the important decision of whether to manufacture in-house or to outsource. The illustrations and examples are drawn from Shapiro's various collections. An appendix provides insights into aspects of the jewelry industry from fellow jewelrymakers as well as buyers, editors, and small shop owners. VERDICT Jewelrymakers interested in moving beyond selling a few one-of-a-kind pieces at craft fairs or online marketplaces such as Etsy will gain the most from Shapiro's insights. Her advice is also relevant to crafters of any type who wish to take their craft-based business to the next level.

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