Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 22, 2009

Question:

I was reading on your web page that if you don’t like making jewelry for stores you can become a personal jewelry artist. Does that mean that your customer would come up with their own design and you would make it for them?

Answer:

Although I did not write the information you are referring to, I can respond with my personal experience.

There are many different venues you can use to sell your work as a wire jewelry artist. The one you read about refers to selling your work ‘wholesale’, which is a great opportunity if you enjoy making a lot of the same design, over and over again and can make them quickly and consistently. Most stores are looking to purchase a ‘line’, meaning the pieces can be offered in either gold-filled or sterling silver and all look about the same, with the exception of maybe the stone used.

To me, a ‘personal’ jewelry artist is someone who makes what they want to make, and finds other areas to sell their work such as home shows, consignment boutiques, galleries and craft and art shows. At these locations a true wire jewelry artist welcomes the opportunity to take and create custom orders. This is when the customer does describe what they would like and the artist explains what they can do with regards to the customer’s requests, and not only is a great relationship formed, but the artist expands their techniques and skills while making a ‘new’ design.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 21, 2009

Question:

What would be an average size bracelet?  If I were making bracelets for a future show, would I need a variety of sizes and what would they be?

Answer:

During the year, I agree that it is important to create ‘regular stock’ items for our jewelry show inventory. Bracelets are always a popular item that is purchased both as a gift and as a personal accessory. Every jeweler has his or her own ‘magic number’ as far as how many to have on hand and in which sizes. My personal inventory contains small, medium, regular and large (as I think the term ‘extra large’ can be demeaning). These sizes, measured end-to-end are: Small = 6 ½ inches, Medium = 7 inches, Regular = 7 ½ inches, and Large = 8 inches. The numbers of each size that I personally try to have on-hand are: Small – 5, Medium – 5, Regular – 8 and Large – 4. Then, think about the different styles you enjoy making and if like me you regularly create 5 different styles, you have a lot of bracelets for customers to choose from! Of course there are always the one or two bracelets you make that were not figured correctly and you end up with a 5-½ inch bracelet, which always sells too, because there is usually a lady with a very small bone structure who is thrilled to find that you handcrafted a bracelet ‘just for her’! This is one of the wonderful features of being a wire jewelry artist; you can make a bracelet to fit anyone!

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 20, 2009

Question:

Does gold filled wire come in 18kt? If yes, can you recommend where this can be purchased?

Answer:

After doing some extensive research, the only 18kt gold-filled wire source I found would have you custom order it, prepaid, from a company in Taiwan (pricey). Unfortunately there is no supply source in North America or Europe. I’m sorry I can’t be of more assistance with this one.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 19, 2009

Question:

Your Tip of the Day states you can always find a use for 1″ – 2″ pieces of half round wire.  I haven’t figured our a use for that size of piece yet – What can I use small pieces for?

Answer:

I really do have several ‘scrap’ containers on my workbench; one is just for half-round, one is for round and the other is for anything else (and no I do separate the metals). A one to two inch of half-round wire will make 3 to 4 wraps on a frame, depending on how many wires you are binding together. When I am making several pieces, I just leave all of the half-round scraps piled on my mouse pad work surface and use them until they are gone! While you are working, watch how much wire it takes to make a set of bindings and you will realize where you can use your own small pieces of half-round. (There are also several patterns on my new DVDs that actually call for using a scrap of half-round!)

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 18, 2009

Question:

Are Red Ruby Quartz just man made glass beads, and will they stain the clothes?

Answer:

I am so glad you asked this question, as a few friends have emailed me with this same one: What is Red Ruby Quartz? Every year there is always at least one new sensation at the gem shows in Tucson which spreads across the continent and in the bead category this year we all fell instantly in love with those gorgeous red beads! Some of these ruby colored beads have even been irradiated so they appear to color change depending on the light. I remember several years ago when ‘strawberry quartz’ hit the markets and those of us involved with rocks and minerals know that there really is a ‘strawberry’ quartz, but also that it is a rare find and wondered how some much of it could appear at such low prices. Glass. Then came Pineapple and Cherry ‘quartz’. I am sorry to report that the latest ‘Red Ruby’ quartz is also glass.

As far as full disclosure goes, glass is made of silica which is a form of quartz and therefore foreign manufacturers can call such material ‘quartz’. This is a really great color though and as we know, true ‘red’ is difficult to come by in rocks and minerals.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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