Starting a
Successful Jewelry Business

one jewelry artist's path

© by Patricia Swayze; all rights reserved

I started making jewelry two years ago for therapeutic reasons. I had taken one class on wire-wrapping and learned more advanced methods on my own through experimentation and looking at how-to books.

Patricia Swayze necklace - Patti M Designs Tiger Garden necklace by Patricia Swayze.

I must have made at least a hundred pieces of jewelry over a two month period.

I made mostly necklaces and sold them to friends, relatives and nurses at a local hospital. Most of these necklaces and bracelets were made with Austrian crystals and semi-precious beads.

After making about $3,000 selling my jewelry this way, I realized that this could become a part-time business for me.

I also loved making jewelry. I have a background in drawing and painting, but this excited me even more.

I started a website, and I make a few catalogs every year. I use my scanner for the photography because it is easier then dealing with a professional camera and the lights. I read an article here on Home Jewelry Business Tips about photographing jewelry with a scanner. This helped me a lot. Previously, my husband was using a camera and lights and it took forever, since he is not a professional photographer.

Recently, I started working with 14k and 18k gold wire and using some precious stones like rubies and emeralds.

The key to making these higher-end pieces is having a good wholesale supplier. Since I live in Los Angeles, there are many wholesalers to choose from, and I can go into the suppliers' place of business and actually inspect what I am going to purchase before buying it.

You also need the right clientele. Professional women are more inclined to wear the more expensive pieces because they have somewhere to show them off.

I am still learning as I continue to work on all aspects of my business. I recently had a jewelry show in my home prior to Christmas and made approximately $2000.

It's important to have good lighting over your jewelry. I put a black tablecloth over my pool table which had a skylight directly above. My jewelry sparkled!

Author Patricia Swayze of Patti M Designs Jewelry creates handmade fashion jewelry with freshwater pearls, semiprecious and precious gem stones.

Her jewelry is either beaded on beading wire, or wire-wrapped with wire and beads, gems, pearls and sometimes chain. She uses 14k and 18 k yellow gold and goldfilled; the silver in her designs is always sterling silver.