here is another article I wrote for financial bin. com

http://financialbin.com/selling-alongside-the-foreign-factories/16658/

above is a little something I wrote on selling next to the foreign factories, its a really good article please check it out.

Jewelry-making project helps refugees in Ky. | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com

Jewelry-making project helps refugees in Ky. | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com


  Above is a link to a story that really made my heart sing, Its amazing the things that we woman will endure and rise above in life. I love making jewelry and I think its wonderful that someone is teaching these women a trade that is helping them provide for their families. Its Just amazing please injoy this link.

first article for another website

http://financialbin.com/16499/16499/ here is my first article for another website please read this and comment on it, I wrote my second one on selling alongside the foreign factories! something that is near and dear to our hearts right ladies. Anyway please injoy.

House of Harlow 1960 by Nicole Ritchie

Nicole Ritchie’s Jewelry Line is called House of Harlow 1960. Inspired by her love for the 60’s and 70’s. Her pieces seem to have a vintage appeal to them. Products used for the line include, leather  silk strings, fabric, chains, rivets, feathers and gold plated metals. Her line is directed at teens and women in their 30’s as well. 

 some of her fans have this to say about the line:

Amazing, Ive been waiting about 2 years for her to come out with jewelry and her styling guide but then she had Harlow and decided to do maternity and jewelry either way she's beautiful, her daughter is, and that ring is to die for.

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I love Nicole's edgy and vintage style! It's a must have in my collection. It's always fun to mix and match edgy pieces with classic ones like from Tina Tang.
 As we can see her fans are absolutely glowing with her new jewelry line.

Sneak Peek: My Belle Noel Jewelry Collection for Pascal Mouawad - Kim Kardashian videos, photos and blog: Official website

 

Sneak Peek: My Belle Noel Jewelry Collection for Pascal Mouawad - Kim Kardashian videos, photos and blog: Official website

Wow so I so did not see this coming, I think this line is beautiful and elegant, Its everything we would come to expect from Kim Kardashian right?

Have you noticed the jewelry sales slow online?

                                            Have you noticed jewelry sales slow online?

Well I have done a little research and found out that it isn’t just me it’s happening all over the industry. On EBAY discussions one person says this, on July 20,2011,”I have been selling jewelry for two years on EBAY and always give free shipping and 10% off all of July and I just received  my first order for July. responses very concerning her post some of them are as stated:

 this month I have started selling fashion jewelry. I have decided to sell almost at cost (once you subtract all the fees, usps charges, etc) to get customers and earn more feedbacks.
I  thought I was going to have lots of sales at those prices, but I am very disappointed.

  As we can see people are trying all different means to sell their jewelry next to giving it away. Lets take a look at what another fellow jewelry designer had to say

,” Are you kidding! My sales for JUNE turned out to be less than my FEES to Ebay at the end of the month. And, as for selling it for what I have in it, forget it, it have sold for LESS than what I have in it. Everything I sell in jewelry I have made myself in my own studio in Pennsylvania. Each piece is one-of-a-kind original. Honestly, I could have cried as I sent out some of the pieces it is so BAD. I think the economy is FAR worse than any statistics we are being given on TV these days. And while our sales go DOWN, the charges by eBay go UP - In jewelry, what I see is mass production in FACTORIES and the stuff being offered at prices I cannot even begin to make it for and it is NOT in the USA. Been selling my jewelry for about 10 years - never seen the economy  so BAD as it is right now and that includes the collectibles and vintage items that I also sell. SALES have been declining each year for the past several years. Looks to me like the only ones selling a lot right now on eBay is factory produced items coming from China, by the zillions.”

  I currently have read an article on forbs.com stating that Jewelry and watch sales have increased by 8% in the USA in 2011. They obviously must be talking about diamonds and Rolex right? Because here in the real world those of us making an honest living using our talents are losing money and dying out slowly.

 I have looked at what is selling the most on etsy.com , I didn’t say well, but what is selling the most,  what I seem to find is jewelry that looks high end, ornate beaded necklaces, vintage but not simple, The sales stats for each of the shops I looked at that had sold many items are as reads,

 A shop with lots of vintage items adorning lots of pearls and rhinestone incrusted flowers opened 2009, and has 760 sales to date.

A shop with jewelry weaved around beautiful natural stones is selling them in the forty dollar range and has sold 35 pieces this year so far.

Another shop is selling a multitude of items all in the fashion world, and looks to be using Jewelry as a filler now has had 574 sales since march of 2010.

 My best conclusion for an answer is that adding something to supplement your jewelry business is wise. In my region the winters are bitter cold so it’s safe to say that most people need hats and scarves. That’s why I make crocheted hats and scarves as well as some other fun things like leg warmers, and those gothic looking wrist warmers, they make great gifts and a lot of times people will choose a well crafted thick hat and a soft and large scarf to go with it, I like adding some light beadwork to the hats. This way I show off my beading skills, also if you throw in a free set of earrings that match the hat you will be telling your client hey don’t forget about the jewelry.

I hope this was  insightful for my readers please give me your feedback.

A little taste of my jewelry

A head set I designed

A slave anklet I designed

Here is a few of my more unique pieces, I am inspired to make jewelry with history behind it, I love history and I love fashion, I love crafting and I really enjoy beading, I also crochet, knit and sew. I learned to knit from a Friend of mine after my step mother tried teaching me and I never got the hang of it, I have crocheted from the age of 8 and to this day I make all my children hats for Christmas as I also make my nieces and nephews hats and scarfs as well, I love making Afghans as well, leg warmers, fingerless gloves and cowells are some of my favorite items to design while crocheting.