Why is handmade jewellery getting so popular?
From the earliest of times, and across all cultures, jewellery has been an integral part of our lives. Even in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, a man called Tubal Cain is mentioned who created beautiful items from bronze and iron.
In ancient times, jewellery was used not only to adorn men, women and children, but for trading and payment. In many cultures around the world, the jewellery a person wears tells their story; their position in society, how many children they have, their job and accomplishments. Just think about the fabulously colourful beaded jewellery of the Masai and the intricately carved bone jewellery of the Inuits.
Hand made jewellery regularly comes up as one of the top trending crafting items. A closer look at why this is can help you individualise and streamline your business, in what could otherwise be a fairly saturated market.
From the viewpoint of crafters, jewellery making is a promising business proposition as start up costs are low and the profit margin is good. Your products can be sold both online and through markets and fairs, with plenty of marketing opportunities. What is it then, which makes handmade jewellery so popular with customers, and how can you capitalise on this?
As we have mentioned previously, jewellery often tells a story with items being given as gifts to mark special occasions, anniversaries or birthdays. They may be picked up at a sunny open air fair on holiday, or on a girls’ meander through a festive Christmas market. As they accumulate, each item will bring to mind a memory, a person, a place or an event. The gift is more than the piece of jewellery itself, however stunning: it’s the significant person or moment that it recalls.
One of the joys of handmade jewellery is it’s complete uniqueness. Not only will no two items be exactly the same, but it can also be designed for a particular customer. In an age when so much of retail is very impersonal, the ability to work with a client on a specific piece of bespoke jewellery can be very rewarding, for both crafter and customer. In this case, the item will also reflect the creative journey.
The jewellery market covers a wide spectrum when it comes to pricing, ranging from pocket money treasures right through to bespoke jewellery fashioned out of precious metals and stones. This offers huge scope for those starting up in business. Deciding upon your target audience will obviously direct the type of jewellery you will be making. Whatever price range you decide upon, you will need insurance, and as specialists in insurance for craft vendors, we can help you find the package which will best fit your individual products and business.
Another reason that handmade jewellery is in demand, is that customers can be assured of a certain ethical standard when they buy and wear it. It is obviously locally made, by both yourself and any staff you employ. Because you make the decisions over the raw materials which are used you can source UK manufactured components and packaging materials too. If you are working in the upper end of the market, you can ensure recycled gold is used and conflict free precious stones. You may also decide to give a certain amount of each purchase to a charity. If any or all of these are foundational aspects of your business, make sure they are reflected on your website, business cards and any other marketing tools you use. In an often seemingly cut throat retail world where profit margins are squeezed at the expense of staff and ethical working decisions, all of these will draw customers to your business.
Let’s now delve a little more into the world of craft fairs. Jewellery is ideally suited to these, as it is easy to transport, looks amazing and you can adapt your unique style to the customer base you will be serving. However, as we touched on previously, you may not be the only jewellery vendor at a craft market, so how can you ensure that your unique brand stands out? Display is all important. Using different levels on which to showcase your products, or choosing a colour theme for display items are great ways to catch the eye. Why not do a practice set up at home first, walk around the venue once set you’ve up and view your stall from different angles. And, don’t forget to have your insurance for craft vendors in place! Pick up the phone today and save any last minute stresses.
In a world which is arguably becoming increasingly impersonal, we still long for human connection. As a seller of hand made jewellery you can offer this. You are able to chat with customers you meet in person, be at the end of the phone for others, and even on a website, photos and videos of yourself and the story of your business will attract customers.
Finally, a few of you might consider taking your craft to a festival and offering customers the opportunity to buy individual components to make their own unique jewellery, alongside selling your own. These stalls are often very popular, particularly with young girls. It is especially important you have the correct insurance for craft vendors in place if you are branching out into this exciting world.
Whatever direction you choose to go in with your hand made jewellery, you will be offering something completely unique, and each item will be more than the sum of its components as it will tell a story and bring back memories. What a wonderful gift to offer!