Repairing Handmade Jewelry For Profit

July 25th, 2010
by Kay Laura

Making jewelry is a fun hobby and it can be very rewarding, but it can also sap your creativity if you’re making a lot of unique jewelry designs and then spending lots of energy putting together the supplies for each piece over and over. One good way to alleviate that jewelry making burn out while still using your jewelry making skills is to begin to repair jewelry on the side! A lot of handcrafted jewelry designers work around the clock putting together new jewelry pieces and buying jewelry supplies for that new necklace or pair of earrings.

Instead of making a necklace from your own ideas, you generally need to take an existing jewelry pattern and find beads to replace lost or broken jewelry pieces that either look similar to the rest of the jewelry piece or at least compliment it. Fixing jewelry requires a slightly different approach to buying jewelry supplies because you’ll want to have lots of connectors, seed beads and stringing materials available. You’ll also want think about using a professional jewelry supply database software package to track what jewelry supplies you have on hand, what you’ll need to order soon and where you can get them for the cheapest price. Repairing someone else’s jewelry uses your jewelry making talents and will usually give you some unique challenges. Here are some other tips to remember when you begin repairing jewelry for others:

Don’t be afraid to get a bit creative, especially if you need to add in missing beads, but check with the customer first. Some people want their jewelry to be repaired to the exact specifications it had before, some do not mind minor bead or clasp changes.

As a handmade jewelry maker you may also want to make recommendations on other parts of a jewelry pieces to repair even though it may not be broken yet. If you notice worn clasps or cracked pieces it’s a good idea to tell your client so that she isn’t caught off guard when something else breaks.

Many times you will be fixing a jewelry piece that holds a sentimental meaning or is particularly favored by your customer. You’re providing a service of not just fixing a piece of jewelry, but often you’re helping restore a memory or feeling! Remember to price your services in line with the going rates.

Remember to have fun with it! Both fixing custom jewelry and making your own jewelry are fun ways to earn some extra cash, but it’s up to you to find the right balance to keep you happy and profitable at the same time. And really, you can generally charge just as much to repair a jewelry piece as you would to make it. But since are often working with existing jewelry materials fixing a piece of jewelry may be much more profitable.

Need to learn more tips and tricks? You can visit our site to read more about making handmade jewelry and get some great jewelry ideas while you’re there.


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