Jewelry Art

Rena Klingenberg asked:


Teaching jewelry making workshops is a fun and easy market niche, with the opportunity to earn good money by sharing something you love to do.

You’ll find a ready supply of students waiting to learn from you; currently there’s a big demand for jewelry workshops and classes.

Many people are thrilled with the idea of creating jewelry, but don’t want to invest in the supplies until they’ve tried it. Or they may want to add a new jewelry making skill to their repertoire, or simply enjoy socializing while they create something beautiful to wear.

Teaching is a good way to keep money coming in during the times of year when sales are slower for your finished jewelry. You can even choose to limit your workshops to only those months of the year when you’re not busy selling your own jewelry at shows.

Teaching opportunies abound. A few examples of places to hold workshops include your own studio; in local art, craft, or bead shops; in active retirement communities; in schools or for homeschooling groups; at birthday parties; for women’s clubs; at lapidary clubs; in community colleges; and at RV parks.

You can put together a variety of jewelry kits that your students can purchase from you to use at your workshops, or bring an open selection of supplies for them to choose their own components.

However, the more choices you make available, the longer your students will take to select their components. Your workshops can be much easier for you as the instructor if you simply provide a variety of kits containing all the parts to make something.

The more jewelry making workshops you teach, the more people will ask you to teach. Your students will want to make more jewelry, or they’ll ask you to do a workshop for a group they’re in, or to lead a jewelry-making session with their Girl Scouts.

Your teaching opportunities tend to snowball once you get started.

You probably won’t run out of workshop ideas, because your students will always let you know what they want to make next, or someone will have heard about your through the grapevine and contact you to ask if you can teach them how to make something special.

Here is a list of potential jewelry workshop students – groups who are VERY interested in what you have to offer them:

Girl Scouts

Women’s Clubs / Organizations

City Parks and Recreation

Local Art Galleries

Local Craft Stores

Local Bead Shops

Needlework Shops

Local Lapidaries

Lapidary Club

Women’s Craft Groups

Women’s Church Groups

Country Clubs

Community Colleges

Private Schools

Home-school Groups

Active Retirement Communities

Activity Centers

Women’s Home Parties

Spouses’ Activity at a Conference

Cruise Ship Activity

Summer Day Camps

Mentally / Physically Challenged

Veterans’ Groups

YMCA’s

Retired People’s Organizations

Adult Education Centers

After-School Care Programs

Vacation Resorts

RV Parks

This list should get you started; it’s just a general list, and with a little brainstorming you’ll probably come up with some great ideas for the area where you live. Every region has its own culture, with lots of possibilities for specific jewelry making workshops!

Keep your eyes open and be creative, and you’ll begin to find jewelry workshop students everywhere! And once you get started, ask your students and everyone else you know for suggestions on other groups who would be interested in a workshop.

Word-of-mouth publicity will soon bring you all the new students and opportunities you can keep up with!

thalermark asked:

More Jewelry Art by Mark Thaler

Andy Moquin asked:


The jewelry industry can provide exciting moments and lucrative pay. There are many fields to the business including design, goldsmith, gemologist, buyer, store manager, watchmaker, sales, and store ownership. Each has specific requirements in training and experience in order to succeed and become employable. With proper guidance and hard word work you can achieve any amount of success that you set your mind to. First, you must understand that there are many product types and you can spend a lifetime becoming an expert in one. Some of these product types include timepieces, polished diamonds, fashion jewelry, colored gemstones, bridal products, luxury items and many more. I recommend deciding which product intrigues you most and pursue a career in that product category. Choose the field that is most needed in that particular product category and then maintain a passion for what you are selling or creating, this is an important ingredient in a successful career.

Determine your Niche Field

As I said, each field has its benefits and you’ve got to determine which is going to be most beneficial to you and provide you with the lifestyle that you are looking for. Assess your skill sets and then try to match them up with the field that requires the most of what you possess. Read the chart below to identify the required skills for each career field:

Designer – Creativity, computer skills, basic jewelry making knowledge, fashion sense, math skills.

Goldsmith – Mechanical skills, hand-eye coordination, patience, detailed oriented, integrity, self-pride.

Gemologist – Math skills, organizational skills, integrity, quick learner, investigative, interest in gems.

Buyer – Eye for fashion, organizational skills, accounting skills, forecasting, management skills.

Store Manager – Sales skills, organizational skills, previous experience, effective at time management, integrity, customer service & relations, business management experience.

Watchmaker/horologist – Mechanical skills, hand-eye coordination, patience, detailed oriented, integrity, self-pride.

Salesperson – Sales skills, people skills, organizational skills, motivated, willingness to learn, knowledge of gems and goldsmithing.

Store Owner – Basic knowledge all of the above, investment capital.

Training and Education

As with any career choice, education and training is crucial to achieving success. The industry has several educational institutions that will prepare you by providing the proper knowledge of the business. I’ve always been a huge advocate of continuing education and even though I have 20 years experience in the jewelry business I’m still learning every day. I recommend a life-long effort in learning that not only includes industry specific information but also any business training and self-help that you can apply in your daily work. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a great resource for gemological training and is a must if you want to pursue the gemologist field. As a salesperson, the Accredited Jewelry Professional degree from GIA is a great start, especially if you don’t have experience. People trying to pursue a career in store management or ownership can take jewelry business management courses. Other training institutions worth mentioning are the American Gemological Society and Jewelers of America. Goldsmiths can also take jewelry making courses at GIA however there are much better schools for goldsmiths that you can attend. The most renowned jewelry making schools are The New Approach School for Jewelers and the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. These schools have specialized training for people that want to become benchmen, diamond setters, and designers.

Designers can attend GIA or the Fashion Institute of Technology to receive an in-depth education on creating jewelry designs using traditional methods or new technology like CAD-CAM. You can get examples of how custom design is performed using CAD-CAM at design your engagement ring Watch makers are one the fastest growing opportunities in the luxury products field. Mechanical Swiss watch sales in the US have grown considerably over the last 5 years and a need for qualified people that can repair them has also grown. A great resource to learn the craft of watch making is the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute.

Getting Your Foot in the Door

If you’ve had prior sales experience then you probably have a good chance at landing a sales position however, an AJP from GIA is a shoe in. As previously mentioned, integrity is of the utmost importance in the industry especially when considering the security issues surrounding high value items. When interviewing with potential employers you should be able to demonstrate a high level of integrity and honesty to the interviewer.

Completion of jewelry educational training is certainly a good way to find a job in the jewelry business however; you don’t necessarily need it to be guaranteed a job. Sometimes showing a sincere interest in a job and a willingness to start at the bottom and spend time learning can capture the interest of an employer. As a jeweler you’ll definitely need experience or training, however even with training you’ll still have to start at the bottom and work your way up. The best advice that I can give the goldsmith candidates is to never stop learning and always seek additional training. Additional training will make you invaluable and will help you earn higher pay scales.

Promote Your Craft

Once you’ve established yourself in the industry you should act as a responsible steward to the business. Treat your position and responsibilities with the utmost respect and integrity. A jewelry purchase can be an intimidating process for the average consumer and it is our responsibility as professionals to honor the customer’s needs and educated them in the best way we know how. You should also promote the business and encourage others to become involved in the industry. Finally, take the time to share your knowledge with others as this will further promote professionalism in our business.

Ketut Aryadana asked:


The Art of Organic Jewelry

If gold and silver jewelry is too expensive, then organic jewelry can provide the same decoration for a much cheaper price. Organic jewelry started from the Native Americans by using connecting simple seashells together. Today, organic jewelry has evolved into a major role in the fashion industry. The most popular type of organic jewelry today would be in the form of pearls.

Where do pearls come from? Pearls come from an irritation in an oyster’s shell. The irritation is then covered with calcium carbonate which after many years turns into a pearl. Pearls were first used for jewelry by the Native Americans that first settled the land. Thousands of years later, they are now considered a must-have fashion accessory.

Pearls are used in many forms of jewelry including Necklaces, bracelets, and rings.

Pearl necklaces are very popular, and they come in a variety of forms such as Bib, Choker, Matinee, Opera, Princess, and Rope.

Pearl bracelets also work very well as fabulous fashion accessories. The classic single strand of different pearls can be used to match any outfit.

You can never go wrong with a pearl ring. A gorgeous pearl ring set with gold or sterling silver will made any woman happy.

If pearls are not your thing, there are many other forms of organic jewelry such as bamboo and hardwood. Bamboo is not considered a type of wood, but is instead a type of grass. There are many types of bamboo that are yellow, tan, green, brown, and even purple providing a great fashion accessory. The most common use of bamboo for organic jewelry is earrings. Although they are relatively easy to take care for, the wearer has to re oil the earring periodically for easy insertion. If you like designs, bamboos can have great designs burnt in them. The best part is that bamboo earrings only cost around fifteen dollars.

A more expensive alternative to bamboo is actual hardwood. Wood plugs are usually hand crafted and each piece is unique. Plugs work best on dry areas of the body like ears and might cause an allergic reaction. Like bamboo, hardwood jewelry has to be re oiled from time to time. Common oils used are olive oil, peanut oil, and jojoba oil. There are six major types of wood used for jewelry: Chakte Kok, Chechon, Ebony, Granadillo, Katalox and Maple each of these a different color.

ChakteKok is a glowing reddish yellow and is lightweight. Chechen is brown and gives a natural look. Ebony is black and is the heaviest. Grandillo is dark brown. Katalox is very dark brown and is almost black. Katalox is the rarest type and is hard to obtain. Maple is light brown and is almost yellow.

If you’re interested in wood plugs, they come in many different shapes: Saddle shaped, cylinder shaped, flared, nail shaped, taper shaped, and spike shaped. When ordering wood plugs, you must specify in diameter and length.

These are just a few examples of modern organic jewelry. There are many other types of organic jewelry including bones, horns, stone, and amber. While each type of organic jewelry is different, they all serve as a great alternative to expensive silver and gold jewelry.

ilovekids asked:


“Art-raiser Online Events” is looking for artists to show in our upcoming online event. In particular we are looking for:
Collage, Ink, Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, etc..), Water color, Charcoal, Cartoon/animation, Apparel: Hats, scarfs, shirts, etc.., Themed Art around community

Art-raiser Online Events” uses Art to help raise funds to support workshops, special events, scholarships, and daily tasks involved with sustaining non-profit organizations in the Bay Area.
The goal of Art-raiser is to helps non-profits, Artists, and the community simultaneously. For one month, a non-profit is featured in an online event where contributing Artists donate a minimum of 20% of their proceeds in exchange for exposure and sales of their work to the non-profit community during the Art-raising event.

Kimiko@workartworld.com
lesliet.artraiser@gmail.com

theshowcasenetwork asked:

The hottest video network featuring the hottest properties, vehicles, jewelry, art, etc.. all available for sale!

Elle Jewelry asked:


As an active jewelry designer who attends meetings and workshops all the time, I hear a lot of jewelry business owners complaining that their online stores are not a success at all. I used my web design experience and a lot of research in the domain to gather a few hands-on tips for you to use and turn your online jewelry store into a business success.



Photos that sell the product – The most important thing you have to remember when you have an online jewelry store is that your customer will not be able to feel your jewelry or try it on to see what it looks like. Therefore, clear photos that show as much detail as possible are very important because, afterall, the photo sells the product. Multiple photos for each item are very helpful to show your potential customer all the details. If you have a necklace, try to have at least one photo on a stand, so they can see what it will look like around their neck. If your necklace has a pendant, take an up-close photo of that alone, so you can show all the details of the stones used. When taking photos of jewelry it is crucial that you do that in daytime, without flash. This approach will show the true colors of the stones used without unnecessary reflections.

Search-friendly sites – If you have the possibility to add a search function on your site, please do so. People don’t always know the names of the stones they are looking for and a search functionality will give them the possibility to look for pieces that have a certain color for instance. The idea here is to create the easiest way for your clients to find what they want. When somebody looks for a pearl bracelet, it will be much easier to type that in the search box and hit “Go”, than look through your entire bracelets category to find what they want. Having a search function on your website will be very helpful to your customers but it will certainly add a little more work for you. When you add a product to your store you will have to always remember to tag it with terms that other people might be searching for.

Detailed information – Product descriptions are very important as well when it comes to online jewelry stores. After your client sees the photos, they will want to know what was used to make that piece of jewelry. Try to give as many details as possible about the materials and techniques used as well as sizes. The overall size of the necklace is important, but also include the size of the pendant if you have one, as photos don’t always show the true ratio of the pendant. If you are a custom jewelry designer, I found that people are always interested to find out what your inspiration was. Share that with your visitors and raise their interest in your products.

One size doesn’t always fit all – Since you are selling items that people wear, remember that “One size fits all” doesn’t always apply. Create your jewelry at standard sizes, but always offer people the opportunity to order a smaller or larger item. This way you will increase your clientele.

The price is right – Last but not least, price your jewelry pieces right. As there is a significantly large number of online jewelry stores, you have to be competitive, but at the same time respectful of your work and the materials you use. The art of pricing is probably one of the most difficult, and there is no exact formula or how-to. Using your best judgement and a lot of research in the market area that you are trying to reach, you can find the formula for your prices.

xxhottiexx asked:


Relationships
When a relationship ends, a woman will cry and pour her heart out to her girlfriends, and she will write a poem titled “All Men Are Idiots”. Then she will get on with her life.

A man has a little more trouble letting go. Six months after the break-up, at 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday night, he will call and say, “I just wanted to let you know you ruined my life, and I’ll never forgive you, and I **** you, and you’re a total floozy. But I want you to know that there’s always a chance for us”. This is known as the “I **** You / I Love You” drunken phone call, that 99% of all men have made at least once. There are community colleges that offer courses to help men get over this need; alas, these classes rarely prove effective.

Maturity
Women mature much faster than men. Most 17-year-old females can function as adults. Most 17-year-old males are still trading baseball cards and giving each other wedgies after gym class. This is why high school romances rarely work out.

Handwriting
To their credit, men do not decorate their penmanship. They just chicken- scratch. Women use scented, colored stationary and they dot their “i’s” with circles and hearts. Women use ridiculously large loops in their “p’s” and “g’s”. It is a royal pain to read a note from a woman. Even when she’s dumping you, she’ll put a smiley face at the end of the note.

Bathrooms
A man has six items in his bathroom – a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of Dial soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn. The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

Groceries
A woman makes a list of things she needs and then goes to the store and buys these things. A man waits till the only items left in his fridge are half a lime and a beer. Then he goes grocery shopping. He buys everything that looks good. By the time a man reached the checkout counter, his cart is packed tighter that the Clampett’s car on Beverly Hillbillies. Of course, this will not stop him from going to the 10-items-or-less lane.

Shoes
When preparing for work, a woman will put on a Mondi wool suit, and then slip on Reebok sneakers. She will carry her dress shoes in a plastic bag. When a woman gets to work, she will put on her dress shoes. Five minutes later she will kick them off because her feet are under the desk. A man will wear the same pair of shoes all day.

Leg Warmers
A woman, even if she’s walking the dog or doing the dishes, is allowed to wear leg warmers. She can wear them any time she wants. A man can only wear leg warmers if he is auditioning for the “Gimme the Ball” number in “A Chorus Line.”

Going Out
When a man says he is ready to go out, it means he is ready to go out. When a woman says she is ready to go out, it means she will be ready to go out, as soon as she finds her earring, finishes putting on her makeup…

Cats
Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren’t looking, men kick cats.

Offspring
Ah!, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and soccer games and romances and best friends and favorite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

Dressing Up
A woman will dress up to: go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, get the mail etc. A man will dress up for: weddings, funerals.

Laundry
Women do laundry every couple of days. A man will wear every article of clothing he owns, including his surgical pants that were hip about eight years ago, before he will do his laundry. When he is finally out of clothes, he will wear a dirty sweatshirt inside out and take his mountain of clothes to the laundromat. Men always expect to meet beautiful women at the laundromat. This is a myth perpetuated by re-runs of old episodes of “Love, American Style.”

Socks
Men wear sensible socks. They wear standard white sweatsocks. Women wear strange socks. Socks that are cut way below the ankles, that have pictures of clouds on them, that have a big fuzzy ball on the back.

Nicknames
If Gloria, Suzanne, Deborah and Michelle get together for lunch, they will call each other Gloria, Suzanne, Deborah and Michelle. But if Mike, Dave, Rob and Jack go out for a brewsky, they will affectionately refer to each other as Bullet-Head, Godzilla, Peanut-Brain and Useless.

Eating Out
… and when the check comes, Mike, Dave, Rob and Jack will each throw in $20 bills, even though it’s only for $22.50. None of them will have anything smaller, and none will actually admit they want change back. When the girls get their check, out come the pocket calculators.

Mirrors
Men are vain; they will always check themselves out in a mirror. Women are ridiculous; they will check out their reflections in any shiny surface: mirrors, spoons, car windows, store windows, toasters, Joe Garagiola’s head.

The Telephone
Men see the telephone as a communication tool. They use the telephone to send short messages to other people. A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours.

Directions
If a woman is out driving, and she finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings, she will stop at a gas station and ask for directions. Men consider this to be a sign of weakness. Men will never stop and ask for directions. Men will drive in a circle for hours, all the while saying things like, “Looks like I’ve found a new way to get there.” and, “I know I’m in the general neighborhood. I recognize that 7-11 store.”

Admitting Mistakes
Women will sometimes admit making a mistake. The last man who admitted he was wrong was General George Custer.

Toys
Little girls love to play with toys. Then when they reach the age of 11 or 12, they lose interest. Men never grow out of their obsession with toys. As they get older, their toys simply become more expensive and silly and impractical. Examples of men’s toys: little miniature TV’s. Car phones. Complicated juicers and blenders. Graphic equalizers. Small robots that serve cocktails on command. Video games. Anything that blinks, beeps, and requires at least 6 “D” batteries to operate.

Plants
A woman asks a man to water her plants while she is on vacation. The man waters the plants. The woman comes home five or six days later to an apartment full of dead plants. No one knows why this happens.

Cameras
Men take photography very seriously. They’ll shell out $4000 for state of the art equipment, and build dark rooms and take photography classes. Women purchase Kodak Instamatics. Of course women always end up taking better pictures.

Jewelry
Women look nice when they wear jewelry. A man can get away with wearing one ring and that’s it. Any more than that and he will look like a lounge singer.

Double Dee asked:


Many women have allergies to nickel. Some pieces of Jewelry contain a small amount of nickel. This generally causes no problems for the majority of people however some people can be very sensitive to it. So it should be seen that what kind of metals different women wears.

Types of Jewelry can be in the form of beaded Jewelry, Silver Jewelry, Imitation Jewelry, semi precious Jewelry, key chains, So it depends on women what type of Jewelry she prefers or wears. So silver Jewelry enhances the looks of women with the choice of their color, style, occasions and changing fashions.

Southwest jewelry particularly by the Americans, was a fashion for many years, see a great increase in popularity during the 1970s. Artisans of the south-western United States have used their creativity to produce some of the most remarkable examples of the art laptop. The combination of silver with turquoise to create a unique and a kind of jewelry design is dominant in the region. These drawings are often represented by the integration of the symbolism of Native American heritage. Forms and patterns inspired by nature and spiritual beliefs of these peoples are very abundant.

This unique jewelry inspired by the south-west of the capture of the wishes and admiration of people from all walks of life. Its beauty, simplicity and attention to detail is unmatched in the market for jewelry. It could even spiritual experience of this feeling to wear jewelry that has been finely hand by local artisans dating back thousands of years.

The south-west of contemporary jewelry that we see today is made in the same way that the makers of the United States for their jewelry several years ago. The materials used and the techniques involved are, of course, evolved over time, but the basics remain the same. The use of silver in combination with semi-precious stones is a standard that will surely be popular for many years to come.

The south-west of sterling silver jewelry in today’s market is still very affordable compared to other metals such as gold or platinum. Just the fact that it is not mass produced and drawings are for the most unique, does nothing more to add to its mass as a quality product of lasting beauty and originality. In general, the popularity of jewelry has led to the production of “knock offs” of lesser quality or imitations of the real thing. The majority of these imitations are being made by hand many Asian countries where labor is cheap.

Thus, during the last decade the market has increasingly been flooded with inferior products and distorted. Recognizing the difference between the imitations of lesser quality and authenticity of products is often very difficult. To the layman, it would most likely be impossible. When you purchase, be sure to feel the confidence in the store or seller you are dealing.

Beautiful creations combined with superior craftsmanship and art unique to the south-west of jewelry popular among collectors today discriminatory. However, if you want to follow a very popular and created a fashion trend, the sense to take the opportunity of the great American culture or simply to raise the admiration, the south-western port of jewelry is an excellent choice.

Kevin Grinberg asked:


The variety of jewelry available on the market today is mind-boggling, and it is hard to make a choice among so many different options. One of the most beautiful yet affordable types of jewelry is Venetian glass jewelry also dubbed Murano glass jewelry. Not only is this jewelry beautiful, unique, and stylish, but it is made by hand only in Murano, Italy based on the ancient traditions, and therefore deserves a more in-depth look.

All authentic Venetian jewelry is made on the Murano Island which is located in the Venetian lagoon. All of the glassmakers were moved to this island in 1291 from Venice as a result of dangerous fires jeopardizing the largely wooden structures of Venice. These days, all the major Venetian glass companies are still based on this small island, and they keep up the ancient glassmaking traditions. So popular is their centuries-old art, that they export beautiful Murano glass jewelry world-wide.

Among various jewelry types, artistic jewelry made out of Murano glass beads is in high demand due to its unique look, gorgeous colors, and very high quality. In order to make these amazing glass beads, a master glassmaker needs to work with a variety of materials and compounds at exactly the right temperatures using the tools that hardly changed in the past 700 years. One of the biggest things that is unique about Venetian jewelry is the unbelievable variety of colors and hues to choose from.

The subtleties of the shades and shapes of Venetian glass jewelry are explained by the hand-made nature of it and by the unparalleled skill of Murano artisans. The unique skill set and experience of the best Murano artisans is assured by their membership in Consortium Promovetro – the only Venetian Glass industry organization that promotes authenticity of Murano glass against the multitude of counterfeits and fakes available in the world today. Quoting from the Consortium’s website, “it represents over 70 craft and industrial businesses on Murano and in Venice. Since its foundation, Promovetro has worked hard to promote the image of Murano\’s artistic glass with the declared intent of conserving, safeguarding and defending Murano\’s thousand year old art of glass, and at the same time to promote, develop and assist in properly marketing this important cultural heritage in the world.”

While it is not always easy to place a price tag on a piece of Venetian glass jewelry, some aspects to be guided by are the complexity of the technique used and the color scheme, the name and reputation of the producer, and, of course, the design. Due to a rising popularity of Venetian glass, many online retailers sell counterfeit Murano glass, often made in China or other Asian countries, and offer up deep discounts as a result. For this reason, these days one needs to be extra vigilant before deciding to buy a piece of Venetian jewelry. When buying on a website, always deal only with those companies who import from the members of Promovetro consortium, offer good high-resolution detailed pictures of products, and enclose certificates of authenticity. The authentic Murano glass jewelry made in Murano by accredited artisans ranges in price anywhere from ten-twenty U.S. dollars for a simple ring or a small pendant all the way up to hundreds of dollars for a complex designer piece.

Another great aspect of Venetian glass jewelry is its versatility and timeless look, which allow it to look great with pretty much any clothing style. Unique and stylish, this jewelry will accentuate and dress up anything from casual clothes like sweaters, blouses, turtlenecks, and jeans to classic business suites, to cocktail dresses and evening gowns. So whether you are trying to accentuate your wardrobe, instantly add style to your look, or just wear a beautiful one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry, Venetian glass with its centuries of history and quality craftsmanship will make a fantastic addition to your jewelry collection.