For many creative people, hobbies like jewelry making are a great way to relax after a hard day. But what if your products begin to attract the attention of friends and even strangers? In this case, you may wonder: can my hobby turn into a business?

To start a jewelry business, you need to understand the specifics of this industry. And here's one important thing: it's growing. The global jewelry market is expected to grow by $88 billion between 2024 and 2029. This opens up many opportunities for beginners — to find an unfilled niche or to offer a fresh look at the craft.

If you are looking for a creative way to earn money, read on. This guide contains expert advice on how to start your own jewelry business — based on the experiences of designers who have created their brands from scratch.

1. Find your niche in the jewelry industry

The jewelry industry has many niches and subcategories - from inexpensive plastic beads to exquisite products made of precious metals and stones. One of the first questions you should ask yourself: What type of jewelry do I want to sell?

You can choose high quality jewelry (fine jewelry), jewelry (fashion/costume jewelry)or something in between. Each category has its own characteristics: materials, manufacturing process, price and target audience.

Here are the main types of jewelry and their characteristics:

High quality jewelry (Fine jewelry)

This is the top segment of the market. The main features:

• Made of precious metals and stones
• High price category
• High level of skill
• Rarely mass-produced
• Focused on wedding, luxury or special clients

Bijouterie (Fashion/Costume jewelry)

Jewelry is sold in boutiques and online stores. Its features:

• Designs in line with fashion trends
• Materials: beads, wire, coated metals, plastic, synthetic stones
• Low price
• Often mass-produced
• For daily wear

Artist-designed jewelry

This category covers everything that is between the aforementioned types. Basically — it is handmade with an average level of materials. The main features:

• Mixed materials: textile, metals, semiprecious stones, wood, 3D printing, etc
• Unique design (custom, collectible, exclusive)
• Masterful execution
• The average price category, depending on the popularity of the designer
• For collectors and gifts

When you have already chosen a common category for your jewelry business, it's time define a specific nichefor your products.

Start by clearly outlining portrait of your ideal client:

• budget
• valuables
• preferences
• Geographical location
• buying habits, etc.

Also decide if your decorations will be:

• for special events(weddings, parties)
• whether for daily wear

This will help to form effective marketing strategyand properly address your target audience.

Products and categories in the jewelry business

When you have decided on the market, think about:
Will you create a full-fledged jewelry line or focus on one type of product?
For example, you can narrow your niche and specialize in wedding rings or vice versa — create a wide collection of jewelry for combining.

Here are the product options that you can include in your jewelry line:

• Rings(with fixed size or adjustable)
• Necklaces(chokers, pendants)
• Bracelets(hard, open)
• Earrings(hanging, clips, studs)
• Engagement rings and engagement rings
• Watches
• Body Jewelry(toe rings, body chains, etc.)
• Piercing(nose, navel)

Also think about Related Categories. For example, the brand Wolf & Moonsells its branded designs also in the form of hair accessoriesand bags.

2. Explore market trends

Before starting a business, it is important to know how to reach your audience. In other words, you need to find a market that is right for your products.

Keep abreast of trends in the jewelry industry

Trend research is one way to check your chosen market. Read fashion and jewelry blogs, follow fashion influencers and popular TikTok creators in the industry to stay up to date on trends for next season.

Look for inspiration from other jewelry designers. And do not be afraid to delve into the data. With Google Trends, you can view the global volume of search queries.

Another approach is to analyze related consumer trends, such as the demand for individualization, such as engraving. Or take advantage of the growing trend for eco-friendly shopping by using ethically sourced materials.

Of course, you don't have to follow jewelry trends — you can create your own. This is what Biko founder and designer Corrine Anestopoulos has done, releasing a collection based on her personal style.

“By some miracle, I accidentally found a market for something new without wanting it myself,” says Corinne. “But it was just my taste.”

When she launched her brand, she used a brass coating.

“No one ever did that anymore,” she notes, adding that shiny silver was the trend back then.

Despite the fact that the collections Bikochange according to the trends of the jewelry industry, they are united by Expressive corporate stylethat defines the brand and ensures customer returns.

Inspiration for jewelry design — everywhere around you

Success for a beginner in any field of the fashion industry depends on strong visual style, unique design and consistent branding.

Before hiring a designer to develop an identity or create individual products, it is worth doing a few exercises to form your recognisable style DNA.

Depending on how you find inspiration, you may be helped by:

• inception Boards on Pinterest,
• digital Mudboards,
• mobile applications for jewelry design,
• or even Physical Inspiration Boardsor sketchbooks.

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3. Define your brand

Successful jewelry brands have one thing in common — strong brand foundation.

It is worth remembering: a brand is much more than logos or packaging design.
The brand conveys your voice, Mission, visionsand History.
It forms the emotional attitude of the client towards your products.
In the fashion sphere, purchases are often emotional, so young brands can benefit at the expense of personal communication with the client, even because of something as simple as a business name.

Tell the story of the brand and find your voice

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Brand guidelines are the document that shapes all your communication.
It fixes:

• tone and stylecommunication
• mission,
• valuables.

This guide will allow you to save Brand sustainabilityEven when you scale your business.

Best Practices for Jewelry Brands:

• Study your audience: how they speak, what words and emotions are close to them
• Create a guide to the tone of voice
• Write a story on the “About Us” page
• Add emotionality in social networks: share the process of creating jewelry, inspiration

👉 The “About Us” page of the Anice Jewellery brand tells the personal story of the owner Britt.

Packaging, logo and visual identity

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Branding also includes Visual elements: logo, packaging, business cards, site design.

After you have formed:

• visual style of products
• Brand Name
• portrait of the client

... it will be easier for you to create visual image of the brandthat will be integral and recognizable. Take your time — this is a critical step, even for small businesses.

Design tasks for a new jewelry brand:

• Choose fonts, colors, and photo style
• Create a logo (yourself through free services or order from a designer)
• Prepare a set of brand elements (logo options, elements for social networks and packaging)
• Choose a recognizable domain name for the site
• Design stylish packaging and creative shipping materials that highlight your brand

👉 In the Frank Darling brand, the identity is maintained at all stages of interaction with the client - from packaging to social networks.

Business plan for a jewelry brand

A formal business plan is not required unless you plan to attract investors or financing right away. But creating it is a good exercise for better understanding:

• target audience
• purposes
• business models
• expenditure
• growth plan

Also, the business plan will help formulate the mission and values of the brand — which will come in handy when looking for partners or investors.

4. Manufacture or purchase of jewelry

That, how exactly you will make your jewelry— by hand or in the factory, at home or with the involvement of a contractor — depends on the complexity of the design, the price category, the materials and the level of skills required.

In general, there is 5 basic approaches to making or purchasing jewelry:

1. Handmade: unique and premium products

Example: Rachel Boston

This is one of the most complex, but at the same time the most flexible production methods.
Needs:

• Special education (or certification)
• expensive equipment
• time to hone skills

Possible techniques:

• soldering
• gold/silver finish
• moulding
• 3D printing
• laser cutting
• working with the skin
• weaving
• Fixing stones

👉 Start with free online lessons, then take paid courses or get an internship with experienced masters.

2. Handmade: fashion and jewelry

Example: One Chew Three— silicone jewelry for mothers with babies

Jewelry is usually created from Prefabricated elements— chains, wires, beads, pendants.
These are:

• accessible(does not require special education)
• easy to scale(you can buy items in bulk and create templates)

👉 If you like design and creativity more than handmade — hire assistants or delegate part of the production.

Korinne (Biko)attracts students from local universities for internships to have more time for creative work:
“I'm not looking for designers. I need people who will free up my time so I can design.”

💎 Success Story:
Riley Kinnan-Petersenbegan to disassemble old jewelry at the age of 5. Today its brand Gunner & Luxsold in global networks, such as J.Crew.

3. Outsourced production (factory)

Instead of making jewelry with your own hands, you can give the production to the contractor.

• Fitsfor fashion jewelry in large volumes
• Not suitablefor unique or premium products

Advantages of local production:

• marking “made locally”
• Easier quality control
• live communication

Cons:

• higher cost
• less choice of factories
• limited production

Advantages of production abroad:

• lower price with large volumes
• wide selection of factories

Cons:

• Language Barriers
• less control
• delays through supply chains

👉 If you give production — prepare accurate sketches or 3D models with technical requirements.

4. Print on demand

The least resource-intensive method of production. You create a design and then a service prints decoration (3D printing)and sends it directly to the client.

Materials: stainless steel, wood, plastic, silver, gold, etc.

👉 IN Shopify App StoreThere are applications for print on demand — you can print everything: from jewelry to T-shirts and cups.

5. Curated collection or dropshipping

If you are not a designer, but you love jewelry — You can sell products from other brands:

• buy and ship by yourself
• or use the dropshipping model

In dropshipping, you don't need to have a warehouse or invest in inventory — you receive the order and the supplier ships it for you.

5. Create a studio or workspace for a jewelry business

If you decide to make jewelry yourself — you need Workshop roomfor you and your team.

Here is what should be considered when arranging it:

🔁 Maneuverability of space

Organize the zone so that it is logical to switch between the stages of production:
from cutting → to grinding → to packing, for example.

🛡 Security

Jewelry may involve the use of chemicals, acids, or heating tools.
Important:

• venting
• safety goggles
• masks
• compliance with local safety regulations

📦 Storage system

For small details you need organized system with cells and labels.

“The most important thing is the jewelry table, the flex shaft and the safety equipment.”
— says Gillian Johnson, founder of the Canadian brand The Hawkly.

Flex shaft is a universal tool for drilling, polishing and processing products.

🧤 Safety tips from Gillian:

• Be sure to wear mask and goggles
• If you have long hair — tie itso as not to get into the tools

📍 What to do if the team is large or the work is difficult?

If you work with metal or silver — consider a commercial space.

💡 If the budget is limited:

• select coworking workshop
• or share the premises and expenses with other craftsmen

Gillian shares the studio with two other businesses.

It is also reduces the feeling of lonelinesswhich is mentioned by Corinne from Biko:

“After some time working from home, I started working once a week at a clothing store — just to avoid feeling lonely in the studio.”

🛠 Equipment and tools for making jewelry

There are many online resources where you can buy:

• tools
• equipment rental
• materials
• gemstones (wholesale)

Gillian Johnson finds his suppliers via word of mouth radio:
“Don't be afraid to ask other designers where they get materials”

She also visits:

• Industry exhibitions
• professional events
  ... to expand the supplier network and find new materials.

“My favorite place to buy stones and silver is the Tucson Gem and Jewelry Show. There are thousands of suppliers from all over the world”” says Gillian.

6. Take professional photos of your products

📸 Presentation is everything: why photos are critical

One of the most common mistakes of new brands is underestimating the role of visual representation and marketing.
In the fashion and jewelry industry quality photos can decide the fate of your online store.

Even with basic lighting and a smartphone, you can take beautiful DIY pictures. But in the case of jewelry, everything is complicated:

• richly small parts
• shiny surfacesthat are difficult to shoot without lights

Do not skimp on the photo.

“Do not spare the budget in the photo”— says Corinne Anestopoulos (Biko).
A professional photographer will not only take technically high-quality pictures, but will also be able to create an atmospherein which the model will feel comfortable.

📷 The team for shooting can include:

• Stylist
• makeup artist
• assistant

Models are not always expensive

“There are always people who want to replenish the portfolio or are willing to work for the product”“Corinne says.
It's not exploitation — you're just create a portfolio together and learn. Combining with other newcomers, you can achieve impressive results.

What photos do you need for your store?

1. Product photos
   • On clean background, without unnecessary elements
   • Show particularsproduct
   • A few angles and angles
2. Lifestyle photos (lifestyle photos)
   • On the model
   • Demonstrate scopeproduct on the body
   • They give ideas how Stylize the decoration
   • They work for apsels— motivate to buy a kit

For example, in The Hawklyshooting lifestyle photos are used as seasonal lookbooks.
A brand Ana Luisaperfectly combines close-up frames of the product with photos on the model.

How to save on shooting?

• Team up with clothing brands— shoot together
• Borrow jewelry for fashion shootseditors or stylists
  — in return, get high-quality photos and a new audience

7. Create your online store and start selling jewelry online

Once you have decided on the production, brand and photography, you need a place to sell your jewelry. For most people, that means selling online.

You don't need an expensive or complicated website to succeed. You can create a Shopify store using a free theme customized for your brand assets, fonts, and colors.

Choose a website template that complements jewelry by putting photos first. Check out these Shopify themes for jewelry businesses.

Most online store builders allow you to easily customize your chosen website template, even if you are not a developer.

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Required pages for a jewelry brand website

For an online jewelry store to be effective, it must contain Key Pagesthat not only inform, but also create an emotional connection with the client.

🏠 Home Page

• Large lifestyle-photothat immediately attract attention
• Minimalism: nothing superfluous, focus — on novelties and trendy products
• Necessary: Clear Call to Action (CTA)

🗂 Collection pages

Group products by:

• type (earrings, bracelets)
• priced
• materials
• occasion (wedding, casual, gifts)

📄 Product pages

Must contain:

• sizing
• materials
• care instructions
• price
• good photos from multiple angles

📞 Contact page + “About us” page

• Contacts: convenient for inquiries and after-sales support
• About us: tells Brand HistoryCreates trust

📣 General style of texts

On all pages, the text has:

• display brand voice
• inspire emotionally(what do you want the client to feel?)
• be informative and useful

Product Description = Brand History + Specifications

8. Promote your jewelry brand online

🧭 Competition in the fashion and jewelry industry is high. How do you get customers to choose you?

Everything Decides competent marketing strategy. It depends on:

• product
• target audience
• budget

🧪 With high probability you will have to test different approaches — Attracting customers will be a constant challenge for your brand.

🚀 Where to start: marketing channels

📱 Social Networking (Social Marketing)

Selling jewelry on social networks is not about aggressive “buy now” calls.

Use content that unobtrusively demonstrates the product:

• aesthetic videos
• Inspirational photos
• Stylish entertainment posts

📈 For sales to grow, you need Develop the audienceand establish a connection with her.

Tip from Korinne (Biko):
“In between posts about products, post inspired content. Over time, you will notice that you are inspired by similar things — this will be your visual story.”

✅ Develop own style, form an emotional background around the brand, and sales will come.

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📲 Social networks: test, adapt, scale

Each platform has your style and audience— so the approach should be individual:

• TikTok— authentic, live, creative videos
• Instagram— visually verified photos and video content

👀 Start with organic promotion(posts without budget), but necessarily test paid advertisingin order to:

• more accurately get to your audience
• scale coverage faster

🤝 Collaborations and influencer marketing

Korinne (Biko)achieved results through exchanges with instagram bloggers— sending jewelry in exchange for a mention in the post.

Before writing to the influencer:

• create your profile— to show the style, philosophy and aesthetics of the brand
• show that your brand in tune with their audience

“Creating a lifestyle around your product is more important than any advertising.”says Corinne.

📌 Why it works:

• influencers give social proof (social proof)
• Young people increasingly trust the recommendations of bloggers, not brands

💡 Platform Shopify Collabshelp to find influencers for cooperation.

🧩 Cooperation with other brands

Another organic way to promote:

• joint promotion/raffle
• Co-organization of the event
• joint product release

👉 Choose Complementary brands(such as jewelry + clothing or cosmetics) — this will expand the audience of both parties.

🗞 PR for jewelry brands: how to gain recognition through the media

Jewelry marketing has its challenges — the market is saturated, and the buyer is emotional. In 2011, when competition increased, Korinne (Biko)rebranded and hired PR-Agency.

“PR is expensive, but extremely effective.”— she says.
“It brought me the best press in the history of the brand. I sold only one bracelet for $5,000 after publication.”

📣 What does PR give for a jewelry brand?

• Publications in the media = social proof+ authoritativeness
• Ability to access fashion publications, guide lists, blogs
• Increasing awareness among the target audience

🧪 Test different strategies:

• SEO for eCommerce
• Email Marketing
• Social Networking
• Influencers
• PR

And most importantly — analyze the resultsto understand what works best for your brand.

🛍 Pop-up shops, wholesale sales and master marketplaces

Career Korinne (Biko)began by participating in a local clothing show, where she shared a booth with a colleague.
Back then, jewelry was just a hobby — but she sold out all the products on the first day. This was the impetus for starting a business.

🎪 Why participate in the markets?

• Live communication with customers
• Instant Feedbackabout products, prices, style
• Demand checkon your products
• Building Recognitionamong the local target audience

“The market is a chance to see customers in action and hear their opinions immediately.”says Corinne.

🧩 Who is it suitable for?

• New brands— to test ideas and start sales
• Online stores— to go beyond online and strengthen contact with the audience

💡 Formats like Pop-up points, art marketsor wholesale exhibitions, can be key to growth, especially at the start.

🧑 ‍ 🎨 Alternative to markets — events in your own studio

If participating in fairs or markets is not suitable for you — create your event:

“Sample sales are a great way to sell leftovers while inviting people into your space and showing off the process.”— says Korinne (Biko).

🏪 Other options:

• If your space is not suitable for visitors —
  hold a pop-up in a store of another brand
• Wholesale sales and commission agreements----
  Corinne began with the fact that I personally contacted local stores.

👉 Yes, cold calling often does not work —
but you only need one answer “yes” to get started.

🛍 Competition is not a minus

Yes, the jewelry market is competitive.
But this is a sign healthy market with high demand.

The main thing is to work smarter:

✅ stand out with design
✅ Create a unique experience
❌ do not copy what is already on the market

9. Expand your business

🏪 Wholesale sales, marketplaces and international channels

🔹 Start Small: Local Shops

New brands should start with local boutiques— offer your designs directly.
Over time, when the brand grows, you can move on to cooperation with major retailers.

Brand Bikostill makes most of its profits from wholesale sales.
Corinneworked with networks such as Nordstrom, Simonsand Hudson's Bay.

💻 Online store is just the beginning

Your own website is the foundation of your funnel. But do not limit yourself to him.
Today there are many Sales channels with built-in audience:

🔸 Marketplaces:

• Amazon— millions of buyers
• Etsy— popular among fans of handmade

👉 If you have Shopify, use the app Marketplace Connect,
to manage products directly from the store admin panel.

📱 Social networks as a showcase

TikTok Shop, Instagram Storefront— these are powerful new sales channels:

• Clients are buying without leaving the application
• Minimum friction → maximum conversion
• You sell right where interest in the product appears

🌍 Entering the international market

After a successful launch in the local market — go global.

Platforms like Shopify.com, enable:

• accept payment in various currencies
• tweak international shipping
• get out on Global Audience

💎 Ready to launch your jewelry brand, but don't know where to start?
Our agency will help you go all the way — from creating a stylish Shopify store to launching ads and building a sales strategy.

👉 Contact us if you want:

• launch a brand from scratch or scale an existing one
• make a website that sells
• connect influencers, PR or digital marketing
• get support from a team that really understands e-commerce

📩 Write to us — and let's create a brand that will be talked about!

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