Making Jewelry at Home: Do Not Be Diffident About Professional Skills

The Taste JudgesOne of my boys is a professional chef, so when one of the networks started promoting a new food show called “The Taste” my husband and I tuned into watch.

Essentially the concept is that a cook presents a spoonful of food to four judges who then judge it in a blind taste test. That is, the judges don’t have any idea who prepared the food. Competitors included professional and home cooks.

Nigella Lawson, a popular British chef, is one of the judges. Nigella is renowned as a “domestic diva” in Great Britain and increasingly in the United States.  I mention her specifically because she is very supportive of home cooks. Two of the remaining three judges are professional restaurateurs and the third is a well-known food critic.

Although winning competitors included a few professional chefs, the majority of the winners were home chefs.

I couldn’t help but think about some of my students who took my courses, went on to produce and sell stunning jewelry, and yet still regard themselves as amateurs or hobbyists. They present themselves diffidently and without the self-confidence they should show as creators of beautiful and lasting jewelry.

Whether you take my courses or learn from someone else, the skills you develop are professional skills. They are the same skills the big jewelry houses rely upon to manufacture their jewelry. They’re the same skills you see in pieces at auction at Sotheby’s or Christies.  And, they’re the same skills that are employed by local jewelers to produce and/or repair jewelry.

This is not to suggest you display arrogance about your work (as some of the competitors did on the television show). It is to suggest that you present your work self-confidently. If someone asks you where you learned your skills, say you took professional courses or that you studied professionally. Because these are professional courses.

But, for heaven’s sake, do not begin a sentence with “I’m just a….”

You’re not.

 

 

 

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Sales and Remembering Who You are

As we start the new year, I want to emphasize a fact often overlooked by artists and artisans. And that is, sales, properly approached, can actually be fun.

When I ran the gallery, I loved selling jewelry. I loved seeing what pieces attracted different people. I loved discussing them with clients. And, I loved the moment when a client decided to buy something. It wasn’t just about the money, although of course to some extent it was, but every sale was an endorsement of what I was doing and what I stood for. If someone decided to buy something I’d made, and many people did, the pleasure was that much greater.

Let the Jewelry Speak for Itself

There are a million books out there about sales and I don’t pretend to be an expert in the area. But I spent a decade running a gallery devoted to studio jewelry and I learned a little about the subject. To me, a sale is an exchange of information that occurs in a couple of steps. That is, a client will provide you with direction on what he or she is looking for or a browser will react to an item. In both cases, you’re provided with information.

But the starting point is always the jewelry itself. Remember that. Your jewelry speaks for itself. It sells itself or it doesn’t. All the words in the world can’t compensate for a poorly designed or manufactured piece of jewelry. However, you do have an important role in the transaction.

Once a client or potential client is engaged, you can and should provide information about the jewelry. Answer any questions they might have. Tell them about the piece: discuss the gemstones it incorporates; the type of manufacture; and provide any care instructions. Frequently you’ll find that you’re providing information that they didn’t have. This piques interest and builds credibility. Clients are often interested in the background of the artist or his or her sources of inspiration. Be prepared for those questions. Never, never show impatience or appear to be too eager for a sale. Nothing is more amateurish and nothing puts off a potential client faster.

Be Wary of Offering Discounts

Here is another tip on sales. Because I ran a gallery, many people made the assumption that my prices were fluid. And, I’d often find myself dealing with people who wanted to bargain. Give some thought to this. Occasionally, if the piece was very expensive, I’d give a discount in the neighborhood of about ten percent. However, I didn’t do this routinely. My prices were always conservative, provided value and were more than fair. So, I usually declined to bargain, but was always courteous. Nevertheless, be prepared for this contingency and decide whether or not you will discount your jewelry and how much you’ll discount it. Then stick to it.

Remember Who You Are

Remember, you are a professional. You have worked to acquire the skills you need to make jewelry. These are real and they are valuable. Never discount them in a sales transaction. Remember who you are: a professional who is offering something that will impact the quality of life of the buyer. This isn’t a small thing.

Frankly, I feel the same way about offering these DVDs for sale. They’re the product of the skills I’ve developed over many years. They deliver value and if used properly, impact the quality of life of the user. I enjoy selling them. I enjoy hearing from students and I enjoy seeing their work. These, too, aren’t small things.

 

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Memo Transactions: Important Opportunity, but Use with Care

Cover Page - AGTA Memo TransactionsAlthough most pearl and bead stringers do not handle very expensive materials on a routine basis, some do. In addition, it is not at all unusual for a pearl and bead stringer to be asked to procure expensive materials for a client, South Seas Pearls, for example, or diamonds or other gemstones.

In these cases, it might be appropriate to consider asking a dealer to let you have the goods “on memo.” This is essentially a transaction where the dealer consigns goods to a merchant for a specific period of time.

There are significant risks to the consignor in this process and some dealers won’t do it. However, many do and it is a standard industry practice.

If you are considering such a request, here are some tips based on my own experience.

  • Be very sure that the client is seriously interested in the goods. Casual or “browsing” interest isn’t enough. When goods are consigned, the expectation from the dealer is that they will be sold. You jeopardize your relationship when you repeatedly return unsold goods. Conversely, if you do sell the goods, it’ll be easier to obtain them on memo the next time you need to.
  • Be very clear about exactly what it is that you want. Know exactly the size, cut, color and carat weight of the gemstone your client is interested in. For diamonds, understand the four C’s and be precise when you’re discussing the order with your client and with the dealer.
  • Accommodate whatever paperwork the dealer requires. Some dealers are casual about consigning goods and will do it on the basis of a personal relationship. Or they will do it because you are known in the industry. However, understand that in an economic downtown, dealers have become somewhat more reluctant to let goods on memo so be prepared to accommodate whatever paperwork they require.
  • Don’t take it personally if a dealer refuses to let the goods. Remember, you don’t know what show schedule he may have or what other commitments he may have made. If you’ve made the request from a dealer you don’t know and he goes to the major gem shows, take the opportunity to introduce yourself and give him your card. Do this professionally and pleasantly. There is no reason to be defensive. He made a purely business decision. But the extra effort on your part might be a persuasive factor in future potential transactions. After all, the dealer is in business and interested in expanding his client base.
  • Move quickly. Do not sit on the goods. Show them to the client as soon as possible after receiving them. Remember, during the time that you have the goods, the dealer can’t sell them elsewhere. This is called an “opportunity cost” and it is a real one. If you sell the materials, it’s a nice gesture to give the dealer a call immediately and let him know the check is on the way. Then make sure it is.
  • Never, ever consider asking a dealer to memo cheap or commercial goods. They will not do it and you’ll look like an amateur.

When I ran the gallery, I frequently had occasion to obtain goods on memo. Most of the dealers I worked with knew me personally and I was very careful not to jeopardize those relationships. Occasionally I had to work with dealers I didn’t know. However, fortunately I had a good reputation and never had any trouble getting the goods. The point here is to use care in taking advantage of this opportunity.

The American Gem Trade Association has developed a pamphlet titled “The Essential Guide to Memo Transactions” that describes the process from the point of view of the dealer. It is highly worthwhile taking a look at it to better understand the real risk dealers take in letting goods on memo.

 

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Whatever the Name, It’s a Useful Finding

Carabiner or necklace extenderAfter a certain amount of time and study, we can all become a little complacent about our knowledge base. I know I’m guilty of this. So when an unfamiliar technology, gemstone or word is used in the context of the jewelry industry, it’s a useful reminder of how much I really don’t know.

This morning while catching up on some back issues of trade magazines, I read Jennifer Heebner’s piece in JCK about carabiners, a term completely unfamiliar to me. Reading further, I understood that a carabiner is actually something I’d always referred to as a necklace extender. These are nifty devices that enable a wearer to loop long necklaces or combine several necklaces into one piece. A long carabiner as in this image can also enable a collector to use an long endless necklace as a belt.

The above is an image of a carabiner created by jeweler Marla Aaron. The design obviously reflects the jeweler’s interest in locks, but you can readily see how much versatility it can add to a jewelry collection.

When I ran the gallery, clients sometimes asked about necklace extenders and I kept a bag of commercially available extenders in the back so I could provide them if requested. (I always just gave them to clients since they were extremely inexpensive.) I love the idea of an artist designed extender and you can easily envision the possibilities.

In any event, whether you call them carabiners or necklace extenders, they’re important for pearl and bead stringers to know about. And, if you can pick some up inexpensively, it’s not a bad idea to have a few on hand.

 

 

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Stupid, Sloppy Customer Service

I am one of the people who are beginning to do most of their shopping online.

This is just me, but at this time of year, I really dislike the Christmas mobs at the mall and frankly, when I’m at a dead-end on what to buy someone, browsing through hundreds of items quickly can give me ideas.

If it’s not a big brand name where I’m reasonably certain they have well developed customer service policies, I’ll try out a site with a small purchase. Then, depending upon the customer service, I’ll make the judgment about whether or not to buy from it again.

On November 3 I made a small purchase from a site recommended by someone I trust.

Yesterday, December 5, I received an e-mail notifying me that the item had shipped.

Will I buy from this site again? Absolutely not.

I can understand that items can be out-of-stock. I can (marginally) understand shipping delays. But I cannot understand the stupidity of this kind of customer service, this failure to notify me that the order had been delayed.

When we receive an order, we notify the client that the order has been received and provide a shipping date. If the post office is closed for a long weekend, we’ll typically send another e-mail the day the order ships. This way, our clients understand that we are aware of the order and are handling it. In the approximately two years we’ve been in business we’ve had only two complaints about delayed orders. The items had been shipped but hadn’t arrived promptly. When this happens, we immediately ship another set of DVDs without any questions. (Both of those orders originated overseas.)

I love jewelry. I love making it and selling it. I love teaching and take great pride and pleasure in the accomplishments of my students, many of whom are far more creative than I am. I love the whole business far too much to sully it with sloppy, careless or stupid customer service.

If you make and sell jewelry, be sure to have solid customer service practices. Remember, you are the creator. You are providing a relatively unique service and probably a unique product, something that will be treasured. This is essentially a legacy. Don’t tarnish it with sloppy customer service.

 

 

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Stepping Out of Your Niche to Achieve Your Design Objectives

Pearls, precious metals, enamelWhen I ran the gallery, I represented artists who worked in a variety of mediums, precious metals and gemstones, aluminum, resin, even one who produced really striking jewelry using the pages of comic books. For every one artist I represented I probably looked at the work of another several hundred.

In over a decade of looking at work every day, I developed a few prejudices that guided my choices on which artists I offered representation.

I recently came across a couple of examples that precisely illustrate the type of work which would make me pause. (Now these of course are my own opinions. But they are backed by years of study and so might have some value.)

Jewelry Design and Technique

In making jewelry, design is central. A flawed design results in a flawed piece however accomplished the technique. But without technique, designs, however good, cannot be executed. So, both play a hugely important role in making jewelry.

A third area of importance is gemstone knowledge. If you use gemstones in your work, then you must take the trouble to learn a little about them. You need not be an expert, but you must be able to distinguish between, for example, quality pearls and pearls that are commercial grade. The improper or careless use of gemstones can make or break a design.

In the examples above, the gemstones, the pearls, flaw the design, although the metal work is pretty good.

So, let’s look a little closer.

Metal Work and Pearl and Bead Stringing

The work above, by two jewelry makers, illustrates the pitfalls that can occur when technique, including gemstone knowledge, falls short of design objectives.

In all three cases, the metal work is pretty good. The first and third pendants uses a technique that includes fusing tiny pieces of gold foil to sterling silver. This is a delicate and sophisticated technique calling for some mastery of the torch. The pendants are hammered and one is oxidized.

The middle pendant is enameled and set in gold.

So far, so good. But when you look at the pieces, you recognize intuitively that something’s wrong.

Listen to that intuition, because you’re right. All three pieces use commercial grade pearls of the wrong color and size. The size and color pulls the eye away from the central design element and conflicts with it. This sloppy choice of pearls degrades the work and ruins the design although the pendents themselves are fine.

It’s as if the metalsmiths couldn’t step out of their niches to learn the techniques associated with another niche or to learn the most basic pearl quality factors.

Collaboration

This is exactly the problem. They obviously didn’t deliberately choose to ruin their designs. Those pendants require quite a bit of work. But by choosing to remain ignorant of pearl basics, that’s what happened.

When I ran the gallery, occasionally a metalsmith would ask me to collaborate on a design. (Although I did my own metalwork, I also produced pearl and bead strung jewelry and taught it.) Similarly, a number of metalsmiths took my course.

These artists looked beyond their own niches to discern the techniques they required from other niches to achieve their design objectives. They produced beautiful jewelry.

It’s an important lesson.

 

 

 

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Stimulating Color and Design Ideas

We all get stuck occasionally. We’ll buy gemstones because they’re beautiful but once we get them home, we’ll look at them and ask ourselves: “Now what?”

We can always wait for an idea or an inspiration. But in today’s economy, I don’t know many people who are building inventory. So, sometimes we need a little push.

One way to get started is to keep a folder or bookmark images of jewelry you’ve seen and like. Paging through this resource can often get you thinking.

Another approach is to consider color swatches. What is the color of your gemstones and what color or colors complement them? This can get you thinking about combining gemstones in a single strand or multi-strand necklace.or bracelet or combining gemstones in earrings.

I found a useful free website that generates complementary colors at https://colorschemedesigner.com

The website is for graphic and web designers, not for jewelers, so there is a lot in it you can ignore. But play around with the color wheel in the five variations listed at the top. This will give you ideas on what colors are complementary and may help when you’re stuck for an idea.

Below is a good youtube video describing how to use colorschemedesigner. Again, the website is a service for graphic and web designers, not pearl and bead stringers, but, heck, ideas are ideas. We don’t care about the source.

 

 

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Verdura: Adornment and Achievement

Coco Chanel with Verdura CuffsOne of the most important jewelry designers of the 20th century was Italian born Fulco di Verdura or more accurately, Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura.

Verdura was born in 1896 to Sicilian aristocracy in Palermo, Italy and according to the Verdura website was a pampered child. Despite the pampering, in one of the pivotal moments that are of such interest when we look back at the development of men and women of great achievement, as a child Verdura discovered a book on Raphael in the family library. This led to a life-long love of art, especially the art of the Renaissance.

Despite his (by all accounts) lavish upbringing, by 1923 when he gained the title of Duke from his father, his resources were limited and it was necessary for him to look for a job. However, before that necessity became clear, he had already met the couple who would introduce him to his most important contact.

Verdura CuffsLinda and Cole Porter (of songwriting fame) met Verdura in Palermo in 1919 and became early supporters and eventual backers. In 1925, Linda introduced him to Coco Chanel who invited Verdura to join her in Paris as a “textile designer.” At the time Verdura went to work for Chanel, it was a time of her greatest fame and influence.

Despite being hired as a textile designers, it became clear very quickly that his true talent lay in jewelry design.

His first line included Byzantine influenced pieces that featured over-sized crosses, including the famous Maltese cross cuff bracelets that Chanel wore constantly. (Some accounts suggest that he designed the Maltese bracelets after emigrating to America. However, the Verdura website, without naming dates, implies that the cuffs were created during his association with Chanel in the early years in Paris. It probably doesn’t matter much except insofar as I dislike passing on inaccurate information.)

In Paris, Verdura became part of the swirl of artistic ferment during those years. Friends and acquaintances included Picasso, Hemingway, and Diaghilev. He also wholeheartedly participated in the social swirl and numbered the Rothschilds, Daisy Fellowes, Josephine Baker and of course the Porters among his friends.

Verdura in 1930 before emigratingRestless in Europe, Verdura sailed to America in 1934. There, he was introduced to jewelry designer Paul Flato (among others). After a time free lancing design for Flato, Verdura became part of Flato’s permanent staff in California.

Finally, he opened his own store in New York in 1939 just as war was declared in Europe. Nevertheless, he was sufficiently well known and connected that the store did well and his designs became very successful.

Although the Verdura “brand” was never as well known as Tiffiany’s or Cartier, Verdura patrons included a who’s who of the New York social scene and Hollywood celebrities of the time. Katherine Hepburn wore Verdura jewelry in “The Philadelphia Story.” Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich were enthusiastic devotees. On the East Coast, Babe Paley, wife of William S. Paley, founder of CBS, was a close friend and confident.

Shell BroochVerdura is especially well known for:

  • His association with Coco Chanel and his creation of the Maltese Cross cuff bracelets. You see echoes of these designs today.
  • His use of a variety of different gemstones in his jewelry which he set in gold and platinum. Verdura was not wedded to the “big three” (diamond, ruby and sapphire) and in fact made something of a point of generally avoiding them, although he did use them.
  • His use of gold twisted into ropes which he first began designing in the 1930s.
  • And, his use of actual shells which he encrusted with gold and gemstones. His shell Black and white torsade braceletsjewelry is perhaps his best known work.

There is more, of course. The career and contributions of such an important designer can’t be covered in an article like this.

So why is it important for pearl and bead stringers to have a nodding acquaintance with the great designers? We’re often asked about designers by clients. Although I do not follow the latest trendy work–or at least don’t make a point of doing so–great work in our business is great work. We need to know about it. In addition, it’s important to understand that his work, although less well known at the time than other major players in the jewelry industry, has influenced our use of gemstones and other material in jewelry and our perceptions of good design.

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Looking at Other Work

Maynard JewelryJewelry designer, Emily Maynard, is receiving attention for her “transformation of flea market beads into eye-catching earrings or reinvigorating an estate sale necklace with a blingy brooch turned pendent.”

Recycled jewelry does have some cache, but the use of a certain type of material in itself isn’t enough to claim the mantle of well-designed jewelry. That isn’t the case with this pearl and bead stringer, for Maynard’s jewelry is well designed. Let’s take a closer look at what makes it good and where we might have a reservation.

Design

The design is simple, but effective. Maynard either mixes inexpensive stones or combines them with a large decorative element on the side of the necklace. This is a good design, but it’s not unique. (Frankly, that doesn’t matter. Good design is good design.) In addition her materials aren’t unique except insofar as they are re-cycled and who among us hasn’t cut up an old piece of jewelry to re-do it or integrate it into something new?

Color

Here’s where it begins to get interesting. I would say she has a terrific color sensibility. Her color matches are subtle and sophisticated. In the example above, particularly example three, stones are in the same or similar hue. Selecting these beads requires a really discriminating eye. Also, notice that she appears to prefer matte finish to a shiny finish stones. Only the onyx above are shiny. Matte finishes can add wonderful texture to a piece.

Manufacture

Necklace ClaspI haven’t handled a Maynard piece, so this is based upon what I can see. In the picture opposite, I’ve blown up the clasp and jump rings so you can better see what I’m talking about.

All her necklaces, including this one, end with small beads. This is not uncommon. Sometimes, especially when you’re using large beads, adding several small beads to the end of a strand enables the user to better manipulate the clasp. Other times, adding small beads like this can “stretch” the number of beads you have in a strand.

She’s using a simple, hammered S-clasp which adds length, is good looking and easy to manipulate. Also, note that she’s pushed down one end of the S to help prevent that jump ring from sliding off the clasp. This is essential when you’re using S’s.

She is using crimps to secure the wire to the jump ring and has left a loop at the end so the strands aren’t too tight. I personally dislike the appearance of wire anywhere in a necklace and would have looked for another solution.

Finally, if you look closely at the jump rings, especially the one on the left, they do not appear to be soldered. This is not a good idea for necklaces that are heavy as these probably are. The weight can pull the jump ring apart.  Also, users aren’t especially mindful of design weaknesses and can pull a necklace which will also pull apart an unsoldered jump ring. Please notice, too, that because she’s using crimps, there is no manufacturing reason to use unsoldered jump rings.

Professional pearl and bead stringers must look at other work critically, not to steal ideas, although as one very famous artist I represented once told me, “we all bat around the same ideas, it’s execution that counts.”  In Maynard’s case, she has a very discriminating color sense and color palette. However, I have some reservations about her manufacturing skills.

 

 

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Star Trivia: Pearls, Gold and Gemstones

Here are a couple of pieces of jewelry trivia I came across this morning.

Mikimoto PearlsMarilyn’s Mikimoto Pearls: According to Meyer Hoffman, chief operating officer of Mikimoto America, Marilyn Monroe actually owned very few pieces of “real jewelry.” One such piece was a strand of Mikimoto pearls given to her by ballplayer Joe DiMaggio during their 20 day Japanese honeymoon in 1954.

In this picture, she is wearing the 16 inch strand of 44 akoya pearls…at the Santa Monica courthouse where she divorced the famous Yankee baseball player nine months later.

Marilyn, years later, gave the necklace to her drama coach Paula Strasberg. After her death, Strasberg gave them to her daughter Susan, who gifted them back to Mikimoto in 1998.

DiMaggio was Marilyn’s second husband. The first was James Dougherty and the third was to writer Arthur Miller. She famously had an affair with President John F. Kennedy and died in 1962 under circumstances that are controversial to this day.

Elvis Jewelry to be Sold:  The King of Rock and Roll loved jewelry. He loved to acquire it, wear it and give it away. These two pieces recently surfaced and will be sold by Atlanta jeweler Jonathan Shapero.

The first piece, a 4.5 ct tourmaline ring, is owned by Lamar Fike, a friend of Elvis. The superstar asked Fike to hold the ring for him during one of his shows and then gave him the ring.

The second piece, a gold bracelet, was given to Elvis to commemorate his Circle G ranch. The Circle G (named for Graceland, his Memphis home) was 163-acre cattle ranch just across the Tennessee state line in Mississippi which Elvis bought to house his burgeoning collection of horses in 1967. He sold the ranch in 1970.

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