subject: Design Your Own Jewelry [print this page] If you want to design jewelry on your own you have to do your own research before launching into the activity. Jewelry designing requires skill and knowledge of the craft. You need quite a few raw materials to start with. One of the most essential start-up materials as far as designing jewelry is concerned are beads. Without finding out the source and quality of the beads if you buy them then you run the risk of being provided with poor quality materials. They may fade in color over time or break easily on impact.
If you want to buy beads of different shapes, sizes and colors then you may check out e-Bay for this purpose. The website has plenty of choice for beads that can be used in various pieces of jewelry for necklaces, ear rings and bracelets. The best part of e-Bay is that it offers variety at a reasonable price.
Gemstones and Metal Pieces
A lot of jewelry consists of gemstones and metallic pieces as part of the design. If inculcated well then these designs look very good. However, there is a chance for these gemstones and metal pieces to be of poor quality unless they are bought from a reliable source. For this reason before buying your raw materials for jewelry designing you should check the place out and ask people who have previously obtained the materials from the source.
Price versus Quality
A lot of places may provide you with jewelry designing materials such as beads, metallic pieces and precious and semi precious stones at reasonable prices. In fact some of them may be downright cheap for your expectations. However, don't be fooled by the price of the products. They may be of very bad quality. Invest in expensive or relatively costlier materials to lend your designs a longer life span. Even if the price of the product is expensive, the durability it will lend the final product will be worth it.
Size does Matter
When designing jewelry you need to be careful so as to choose the appropriate size of materials as per the look of the piece. Beads and metal pieces come in various sizes and shapes. If you are planning on creating a neck design you should not load it with too many heavy beads. That will add to the weight of the necklace and not fall well on the wearer. Make sure that the wires used in the necklace to hold the beads together are strong enough. They should not bend under the weight.
Amalgamation of Designs
Try to break away from tradition and experiment with your designs. Go back to ancient styles by keeping the metal rough and unpolished. But spice it up with colorful beads of appropriate size to make things look more contemporary.
Don't stick to set ideas and only do heavy weight designs. Neither should your designs lack substance. Once you try various versions you should be able to mix the two kinds well.
Price
Calculate your labor cost along with the raw materials and over heads before setting the price of your designs. You should also sell them at various places other than a shop, such as craft shows and exhibitions.
