[Jewelry making - Article 00231] - Re: [Orchid] Starting my career in jewlery

[Judy Hoch]

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    There are so many ways to make money in this business, it would seem
    that first you should find one part of the business that you really
    love.  Do you want to be a bench jeweler for someone else?  Or to
    sell fine jewelry? Or design fine jewelry? Or make art jewelry of
    the caliber of the ACC shows? Or teach in a public or private
    school? Or cut stones, or be a stone dealer? Or manage a jewelry
    store? Or create CAD systems for jewelers? Or run a casting shop? Or
    a job shop? Or appraise jewelry? Or do the art fair circuit? Or sell
    in galleries? Or run a gallery? And that just touches the surface. 

    Your GG from GIA gives you the tools to identify and value
    gemstones, and with the GJ, you have the capability to create and
    repair fine jewelry.  That's a pretty small part of the picture. ( I
    have my GG too and appreciate the education.) 

    I got into this business from a love of beautiful one of a kind hand
    made jewelry.  In the corporate world, for twenty some years, I
    spent massive amounts on fabulous jewelry from a goldsmith in
    California.  I wanted to know more about the stones she used, and
    she told me to go to GIA. I signed up to learn. I got laid off, and
    decided I didn't want to do corporate America any more. 

    My connection with GIA got me into a local gemological organization.
     While I loved the stones, I knew I wanted to wear them so I first
    took a basic adult education class in jewelry making, then found a
    really good professor in a local community college.  The class had
    some long time students that sold jewelry twice a year in a two day
    event at the college.  Some of them also sold at a local art and
    craft fair.  I wheedled my way into their booth a couple of times,
    and met more people selling the art fair circuit.  I stuck my neck
    out, bought a Sams club tent, bought some leftover tables from a
    closing business, put some skirts on the tables, and became a
    carney. Over the years, I've acquired a soulmate in design and we do
    most everything together. (I only regret that my husband has
    absolutely no interest in stones, jewelry, or anything related - it
    would be really nice to do all of this with him.) 

    Today I make a comfortable living in the business.  I make jewelry,
    sell jewelry, wrote a book on tumble finishing, teach a senior
    citizens class in metalsmithing, show in a bunch of galleries, do
    about a dozen art fairs each year, take care of a small but growing
    clientele for one of a kind jewelry and teach classes in the
    business of art, and in marketing and pricing.  I also sell stones
    to local college students and import stones and rocks from
    Scandinavia. And I love every minute. 

    Which is the long way of saying - find some folks doing what you
    like, and hang out with them. Listen, offer to help. Go to stores,
    galleries, craft and art fairs, ACC and Rosen shows. Listen to
    people, get involved in everything you can find that even touches
    the business.  Buy a hammer, and a torch and make something.  Make
    another something.  If you want to be a jeweler, make jewelry. 
    Figure out where you fit, try it all. You can't miss, this is a
    truly wonderful world. 

    Judy  Hoch, G.G. judy AT marstal.com 
    www.marstal.com  (Site needs work)


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