Tag Archives: gemstones

Some Notes on My Jewelry Business

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Surprisingly successful.

I started creating wire-wrapped jewelry back in January of this year. I’ve come a long way.

Getting Serious and Developing a Style

Labradorite Wrapped in Silver
My first wire-wrapped jewelry piece. Don’t laugh; I was proud of it back then. And I still think those are excellent swirls.

My first attempts were predictably amateurish. Cringe-worthy, in fact, when looking back on them. I learned from watching a few YouTube videos — which, in hindsight, I now realize were the wrong YouTube videos. But I had a lot of positive feedback from the people who saw my work, including some professionals. (I was in Quartzsite, AZ at the time and literally surrounded by rock hounds and lapidaries.) I realize now that they were probably just being nice. That early stuff was gawdawful, although I subsequently did manage to sell every single piece. (Go figure, eh?)

Montana Agate
Finishing this first piece in sterling silver was when I think I started getting serious. That was a really beautiful stone. It was one of the first pieces I sold.

In mid January, I got a lesson from a friend who is one of those professionals. Dorothy guided me to create my first piece in sterling silver. I think this was the point at which I realized that if I wanted to acquire nice stones, I needed to get serious about creating nice jewelry with them. The things I learned really helped put me on the right path.

At around the same time, I found another YouTube wire-wrap artist who showed me additional techniques, such as wire-wrapped bails, that I’d incorporate into my own work to develop my own style. That style now includes hand-formed swirls at the top of each piece, an occasional drop-down wire or two that end in tiny loops, and a pair of tiny loops at the back of the piece.

Since January, I’ve created well over 100 pieces of wire-wrapped gemstone jewelry, most of which are wrapped with silver. I’ve shifted slowly from the inexpensive stones I acquired in Quartzsite to more exotic, higher quality stones I get from gemstone dealers and at gem shows.

It’s All about the Stones

For me, it’s all about the stones. I’ve always liked beautiful stones but never had a reason to acquire them. Making jewelry gives me an excuse to buy stones. I put them on display in cases so I can look at them and choose one for my next piece. It seems silly to folks who don’t have a thing for stones, but if you do, I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.

Of course, these stones aren’t cheap and I really didn’t want to continue funding this — dare I say it? — obsession with stones. So I decided to try to sell my jewelry.

The Birth of ML Jewelry Designs

I did a few things pretty much all at once:

  • I came up with a company name. I needed a name so I could identify the company. I’m afraid I didn’t get very creative. I put about 10 minutes of thought into it. ML Jewelry Designs.
  • I registered a domain name. Honestly, I don’t know why so many businesses put their eggs in the Facebook basket. There’s nothing that gives a company more legitimacy than an address on the web. So MLJewelryDesigns.com was born.
  • I set up a Facebook page. (I later pretty much abandoned it when I decided that I’d had enough of Facebook. I did the same for my other company, Flying M Air, LLC.)
  • I set up a Twitter account for the company. I wanted a way to tweet only company news, including photos and links to new pieces.
  • I registered my business with the state. I knew I’d have to collect and pay sales tax.
  • I built a website with WordPress. What else was I going to use?
  • I started photographing my jewelry and adding it with descriptions to the website.
  • I set up WordPress to automatically tweet posts about new pieces.
  • I set up Square to accept credit card payments and, more importantly, an online store.
  • I designed and bought materials for unique packaging that included clear pillow boxes and card inserts.

All this took less than a week. Maintaining the website and online store to add jewelry pieces would take a few hours every week.

I got my first online sale within a week. It was to a Twitter friend who lived overseas. (Thank you, mdy!) As I packed up the piece, I found myself kind of sad to see it go. But I felt less sad when I saw the money in my bank account and placed another order for stones. It’s all about the stones!

Selling in Person

The one thing I knew for sure is that the photos of my work that I was putting online did not do the pieces justice. They look way better in real life. That was confirmed when I showed photos to several shop owners and got a lukewarm response. (I don’t do that anymore. I tell people I don’t have photos with me.) One of those shop owners saw them in person yesterday and was very impressed.

I knew that Pybus Public Market, a local shop/restaurant/farmer’s market venue on the Wenatchee waterfront, had “day tables” for vendors. The rates were affordable. Some friends of mine were already selling handmade furniture and other woodworking items there on Saturdays. I decided too see if I could get a table there.

AtPybus
My first table at Pybus Public Market. I now use a black tablecloth and have really improved my display.

It was remarkably easy, especially in the spring when there wasn’t much of a demand for space. I set up one Saturday for the first time. My table consisted of several jewelry display busts with pendants hung around them and black burlap-covered boards with the pendants on display. I had the stones on display, too, all priced so folks could buy stones to take with them or have me wrap for them.

And I sold three pieces of jewelry.

Now that might not seem like a lot, but I’m not making cheap stuff. My prices range from $49 to $59 for most pieces, with a few cheaper ones (clearance items and quick wraps for folks on a budget) and a few more expensive ones (especially lately with the high quality stones I’ve been acquiring). The cost of the table was cheap enough that if I sold just one piece, I’d be ahead of the game. I considered three a good day.

I came back other Saturdays with mixed results. None of the Saturdays were bad, but some were better than others.

After talking to other vendors, I decided to try Fridays. With the exception of one day that no one did well — they didn’t even charge our table fees that day — I did fine.

Saturdays got busier when the Wenatchee Valley Farmer’s Market started up outside. That didn’t necessarily mean more people were spending money indoors, though. It was hit or miss, but never a complete failure. It did start getting better when the Seattle weekenders started coming in.

When the Wednesday evening farmer’s market started last week, I started coming on Wednesdays, too. I sold two pieces the first time — and I had to leave at 2 because of weather. (I’m still cherry drying pilot.) I sold four this past Friday. And I sold five yesterday.

Although I sit there making jewelry as I chat with shoppers, vendors, and employees, I often sell more pieces than I can make in the same time. Sometimes the jewelry I’m making is a special order for someone who really liked a stone in one of my cases and wanted a jewelry piece made from it.

I get lots of complements from everyone who stops to look, even if they don’t buy. (After all, I know that not everyone is interested in wearing a pretty rock on a cord around their neck.)

And a shopper yesterday, as I gave her my usual spiel — “I buy the stones already cut and polished. I do all the wire work to make the pendants and earrings in sterling silver, copper, or both.” — said, “I know. My friend told me about you.”

Whoa. Word of mouth. How cool is that?

The Gallery

Of course, a better way to sell my jewelry was to have someone else sell it for me. So I continued looking for places that might take my work.

I quickly learned not to use the phrase “wire wrap” when describing my jewelry to a shop owner. And not to show photos. The best way to approach a shop owner was to go in when it wasn’t crowded with my case of finished pieces.

You see, I store all my pieces in a glass-topped jewelry display case when it’s not on display on the labeled board at Pybus. The case has dividers and each piece fits into a slot on black velvet. It looks neat and impressive.

Native Silver
This piece of Native Silver sold at the Two Rivers Art Gallery last week.

And that’s what I took into the Two Rivers Art Gallery when I went to ask if they’d display them — despite the fact that the manager told me they had no room for me when I called him on the phone. They were suitably impressed and they made room. I’ve got a whole shelf in a locked case in one of the front rooms. And last week, I got a check for the sale of two pieces of jewelry, including my most expensive piece (Native Silver), which sold for $89.

But I’m not done. I’m hoping to get my jewelry into a handful of other stores in the area and beyond. (If you’re reading this and am interested in helping me sell my work in your store, please get in touch.)

Looking Ahead

I’m always looking for ways to improve my display with the goal of increasing sales at events.

Jewelry on Display
Here’s my current display board with some of the cabochon cases in front of them. (And yes, it’s a terrible photo.)

Over time, I modified my display to include a bigger board, labeled hooks that included the name of the stone and the price (so people wouldn’t have to fumble with the tag or unnecessarily touch anything), and lights. There was an easel to lift and tilt the board without having to depend on boxes behind it. My selling junk (iPad, Square, packaging, etc.) is hidden behind the easel, leaving the table neat. The three gemstone display boxes, which have plexiglas tops, are unsnapped so they can be easily opened to remove a stone for inspection by someone who is seriously interested, while keeping kids and light-fingered passersby from touching or taking home souvenirs. Not perfect, but better.

I’m also looking into other venues, specifically one where artwork is displayed and sold. I have a lead on an “Artisan’s Booth” at the Grant County Fair in August and am still sitting on the fence about it. I suspect I’ll give it a try just to see what it’s like, even though I don’t think it’s the kind of crowd my work would appeal to.

I’d like to get into some events in a metropolitan area like Seattle where people are willing to spend more money.

Meanwhile, I’m buying more rocks. I can’t tell you how many complements I get on my selection of stones.

Shiva Shell
The second Shiva shell piece I made yesterday sold, too.

And since I’m starting to learn what sells best, I’m making sure I always have pieces using those stones in stock. Kingman turquoise, Shiva shell, rose quartz, lapis lazuli, and K2 are nearly impossible to keep in stock. On Thursday night, I made a Shiva shell piece and it sold on Friday. On Saturday, I made one and it sold before I was finished. I made a second one and it sold before I packed up. I have one on order for my best customer and need to make at least two more — one for the gallery and one for Wednesday at Pybus. So you can guess what I’ll be doing this evening — or this afternoon when the wind invariably kicks up. (What is it with the wind this year?)

Black Pyrite
This little piece of black pyrite came out a lot better than I expected it to and is currently my favorite piece.

I need to stress that I enjoy making the jewelry. I find it strangely relaxing and rewarding, especially when a piece comes out better than I expected it to. I’ve never felt so creative before. Artistic, even. And although I’m kind of sad to see a piece I really like get sold, I’m also thrilled every time I make a sale. I’m creating something visual (as opposed to the millions of words I’ve sold as a writer) that people want to buy. How cool is that?

So at this point, I think it’s safe to say that this is not just a passing phase for me. I feel invested and rewarded and even still excited about this work. I’m looking forward to continuing and improving my technique and style for years to come.

Jewelry Making: A Hobby Gone Wild

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An update on my wire-wrapped jewelry endeavors.

By now, the folks who know me well know that my jewelry making hobby has blown up into something resembling an addiction. Indeed, it’s difficult for me to pass up a shop or website that offers gemstone cabochons (cabs, to those of us who work with these things) for sale without taking a look — and likely buying ones within my budget. I’ve now got a collection of about 4 dozen cabs in various shapes and sizes made of a stunning selection of stones. They’re almost all polished to a reflective shine. Just gorgeous.

The weird thing about this is that I’ve been going to Quartzsite, AZ where I bought about half the cabs I have now, for more than 20 years and saw cabs for sale every single year. It wasn’t until I realized what I could do with them that I began buying them. And when I started getting kind of good at turning them into jewelry, the draw became irresistible. I’ve since found a good supplier on Easy who sells decent quality stones at a reasonable price. I’ve bought two dozen from them in the past two weeks.

More about Cabochons

A cabochon, in case you’re wondering, is:

a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex (rounded) obverse with a flat reverse.

Nevada Dendritic Sage Agate Wrapped in Silver
Nevada Dendritic Sage Agate wrapped in sterling silver. I don’t think you can make a bad piece of jewelry out of such a nice stone — if you let the stone show.

Lapidaries create cabs by cutting stones into slabs, then cutting those slabs into shapes and polishing them with wheels of varying grits. I’ve seen guys do this and it looks like a ton of work. A good lapidary can produce beautiful cabs by finding the best features in a slab and featuring them in a finished cab. Those are the cabs I look for when I’m shopping.

Cabs range in size from very small — maybe 10 mm long — to quite large — over 50 mm on a side. I prefer them 30 to 45 mm long and 15 to 30 mm wide. Smaller than that and they’re tough to work with; larger and they make heavier pieces than I like.

Although I do like working with odd-shaped pieces, it’s a bit more challenging to get them properly wrapped. My skills aren’t quite reliable enough yet to tackle them successfully. So I stick with ovals, teardrops, and elongated pieces. I’m just starting to get the hang of dealing with square corners.

Turning Cabochons into Jewelry

There are basically three ways to turn a cab into a piece of jewelry:

  • Drill a hole in it and use that to secure a finding or beading string. Drilling a hole in a stone basically turns it into a bead. I don’t do this. I don’t like the idea of drilling into a beautiful stone or using a hole to secure it in jewelry. That’s my opinion. I’m sure a lot of beaders would disagree. Sorry. (I should add here that when working with very small stones, I think beading is the way to go. I may use gemstone beads as accents in future pieces; I’m still thinking about it.)
  • Use wire wrapping to secure the stone into the jewelry piece. This is what I do. There are several styles of wire-wrapping; the style I use is rather intricate, although I have experimented with simpler styles. I usually use 20 to 22 gauge square or round wire wrapped with 22 gauge half-round wire to create a custom frame for a stone, build a bail, and secure the stone into the frame. Then I use the excess frame wire to create accents with loops and swirls.
  • Cut and solder metal to create jewelry mounts for stones. This is another nice way to turn a cab into jewelry — especially if the cab’s reverse side is marred or unfinished. This is both harder and easier than wire-wrapping. It’s harder because you need good metal cutting and soldering skills. But, in a way, it’s also easier because you can work with virtually any size or shape cabochon and get good results.

I’ve begun work on a blog post providing more detail on how I make my pieces. The only thing I need to finish it are step-by-step photos. It won’t be enough to teach you how to do it, but at least you’ll see what I do. There are some good videos on YouTube to get you started if you want to try and I’ll link to the ones I think are best in that blog post.

The Metals

K2 Granite wrapped with Silver
This is K2 Granite — yes, from the mountain K2 — wrapped in sterling silver. The colored specs are natural. I’d score this a 5 out of 5; it’s currently my favorite piece.

Lately, I’ve been working almost exclusively with sterling silver, although I have worked with copper and silver plate in the past. (When getting started, it’s a good idea to work with cheaper metals.) My friend Dorothy sat down with me when we were both in Quartzsite in January and showed me how she makes her jewelry. That was the first time I worked with sterling silver. She stressed the importance of tight, even wraps and put me on the right track in a search for perfection. Every time I finish a piece, I give it an objective score of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. I’m always shooting for 5s but am happy with 4s. I learn a lot from 3s and usually disassemble anything that scores lower than that.

Dorothy also taught me to save every single bit of silver that gets cut away from the piece. When my little plastic container is full, I can send it back to the silver supplier for credit on the purchase of more silver. At $16.60 per ounce (today’s price), those trimmings can really add up.

My Progress

I’ve come a long way since I started creating wire-wrapped gemstone cabochon pendants back in January. In fact, I look at some of the pieces I created back then, remembering how proud I was of them, and cringe.

My First Pieces
My first pieces, prepped for sale. I’ll be selling these for just $10 each — a fraction of what I charge for my later pieces.

Why cringe? Well, most of them are terribly crude and generally immature. All those swirls — what was I thinking? This is the kind of jewelry a teenager would wear. That’s okay, but I’m not interested in making jewelry for teenagers.

Now compare those pieces to my most recent work here (and in closeups above):

Recent Wire-Wrapped Jewelry Pieces
Here are some of the pieces I created in the past week, all tagged and ready for packaging for sale. They range in price from about $40 to $50 each and are sold on a leather necklace with a hand-formed clasp.


If you like videos, try this one. It’s a show and tell for four recent pieces. (I really need to get a better setup for future videos.)

I think these designs are more finished looking and mature. (Maybe it’s just a matter of taste, though.) Not only am I using better cabochons, but I’m also wrapping them with sterling silver, although I haven’t completely given up on copper yet.

And yes, I am selling them. There’s a website where new pieces appear as they are finished: www.MLJewelryDesigns.com. There are links there to an online store. Selling them makes me happy and sad. Happy because other folks value what I do but sad because I hate to see them go.

I’ll also be at a kiosk/table at Pybus Public Market on three upcoming Saturdays, including this Saturday, March 31. I figure I’ll sit there for the day and make new pieces — maybe even some custom ones from unwrapped cabochons I’ll have on display and for sale. If you’re around, I hope you’ll stop by.

But if you’re not in the area, please do visit my online store and treat yourself or a loved one to a unique gift. I sure could use a cash inflow to feed my hobby with stones and silver wire!