So you want to make jewelry for a living?

So you want to make jewelry for a living?

In the 10 years that I have been surviving in the trade of making and repairing jewelry in Asheville, NC., I have noticed that there are certain traits common to most successful jewelers. The following are some characteristics that have helped me along the way, that I feel are crucial to anyone looking to make a profession at the jewelers bench.

Attention to detail is crucial. Being a perfectionist is not. Are you able to take the time it takes to make the piece true? I am not talking about design or artistic merit, that is for the eye of the beholder. What I am talking about is the mechanics of the piece. Are pieces that are supposed to be circles round? Does the stone sit oriented in the way that it is supposed too? Are the solder joints clean and tight? On the other side of the spectrum, you can also stall over the same issues that aren't that important because you set unrealisticly high standards. Find yourself a middle ground.

Learn how to deal with people. If you are going to be making jewelry for people you had better know how to communicate and throw out a smile every now and then. You can only go so far sitting behind the bench, at some point you have to learn to sell it. If, like myself, you spend time with customers designing and talking them through their repairs you can go along ways simply being kind and taking the time to explain what you are going to do. This helps create true fans and repeat customers. This is the biggest key and the hardest part for most artists in any discipline.

The faint of heart are going to have a tough time in this business. If you are a nervous personality you may have trouble doing large orders. Consider the responsibility that goes along with being a bench jeweler. Can you imagine putting pressure on a 10,000 dollar gemstone while you are trying to set it? Are you willing and able to take that responsibility? Steady hands and nerves of steel help the cause. Be prepared to exude confidence in what you do. People need to trust your work, and that only happens when you trust yourself.

Finally, do you love jewelry and what it takes to make it? I know that part of what keeps me going in this business is not that I like every piece that someone asks me to make. What I do get from making pieces is exactly that, making the pieces. I enjoy the process. The cutting and the filing, the soldering and the setting. I get satisfaction from doing the work. It makes a big difference. If you think that you are going to get rich and start looking at jobs as paychecks you will burn out and will not last.

I happen to be lucky enough to be making jewelry in Asheville, NC, which has a tremendous arts and crafts community. Having a vibrant local scene keeps you going during those moments when it all starts to feel like a chore. Remember that making jewelry is a art and a craft, and there will be periods where it starts to feel like work. Appreciate those times for what they are and keep pushing yourself forward. Sometimes to get started and build a reputation it's better to take in the tedius work in order to build trust in the community. Trust me, the good work will come.

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