I posted this custom jewelry niche idea originally in my old blog about a year and a half ago.

Recently a jewelry artist wrote to ask me about it, since she remembered reading it but didn't recall the details.  So here it is:

Nearly everyone who loves earrings has at least one lone earring sitting in her jewelry box, whose mate has been somehow lost.

Unfortunately, it's usually impossible to obtain a matching replacement for the lost earring, so the remaining earring sits, unwearable, in your jewelry box.

Here's a great way to make a leftover dangle earring wearable, and offer a custom jewelry service that makes your customers very happy: Read more

I've been using ProPay to accept credit cards for my jewelry business for several years now.

(I don't have any affiliation with them - I'm just a satisfied customer.)

Readers often ask me for more information on my own experience with ProPay, so I've written up a short ProPay Questions and Answers article to answer the three most common questions I receive on this topic:

1. How do you use ProPay to take credit cards at jewelry shows and parties, especially when there is no wireless connection available?
2. Have you ever had any problems with using ProPay to accept credit cards? And are you still satisfied with their service?
3. I know I don't need to have a credit card imprinter with ProPay transactions, but I want to use one anyway. Where can I get a credit card imprinter and supplies?

See my answers to these questions in my ProPay Questions and Answers article!

Graphic artist and jewelry designer Manyi Au shares some of her jewelry displays and packaging ideas in these two new photo-articles:

Badge and Pin Display Cards

Cool Jewelry Display Trays

You can also see more of Manyi's upbeat work at MAUstudio Jewelry & Gifts and MAUstudio Etsy Shop.  She is a fantastic graphic designer, and available to help you design your own packaging and other graphic needs!

Don't miss the article article Healing Jewelry by healing coach Joan Kaplan.

She describes how she uses intention and gemstone properties as she creates jewelry for personal empowerment and healing for her clients.

You can learn more about Joan's healing and mindfulness coaching at Bodhi Coach and see her jewelry at Bodhi Jewels.

Environmentally and socially responsible jewelry is fast becoming a big issue to jewelry consumers (see my ethical jewelry post).

I encourage you to read the insightful Sweatshop Free article on Laura Kramarsky's TorchSongs site.

It has some excellent information on buying socially responsible jewelry supplies, in addition to info on ethical jewelry issues.

Your customers will be asking you about these jewelry-related issues, and maybe even where your supplies come from.

It's a good idea to be well-versed on this topic so you can be a good information source to your customers.

You can educate them about ethical jewelry issues, and reassure them about your own jewelry at the same time.

Finally, at the request of many of my readers, each of my books - "Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth" and "Secrets of a Handcrafted Jewelry Shopping Service" - are now available in a printed, spiral-bound version.

They contain the exact text of the ebook versions.

I've set up a little bookstore for my printed books at the online book publisher called Lulu:

http://stores.lulu.com/jewelrybusiness

Your copy of the book will be printed by Lulu when you order it, and then shipped directly to you. Printing takes about 5 days.

So if you're in the continental U.S., you should receive your book about 14 days after you order it (slightly longer for Alaska, Hawaii, and outside the U.S.).

The price for the printed books is the same as for the ebooks, and LuLu charges a small additional fee to have your printed book shipped to you.

I ordered the printed versions of both books so I could test the process myself before letting you know about it. And I can tell you that I'm really impressed with the printing quality and how carefully they were packaged and shipped.

(Also that it's incredibly exciting to have my books actually in print!)

It took me a while to research various "on-demand" printers and work out the details of having printed copies done.

The first printer I went with turned out to be unacceptable. Their printing and shipping quality were not up to my standards (yes, I'm very picky!), so I had to research and test another printer.

This second printer, LuLu, does wonderful work, and is everything I'd hoped!

However, the delay in switching printers meant that it wasn't until now that I have been able to announce that my books are actually now available in print.

Of course, the ebook versions will also always be available if you prefer to download them and start reading right away. (See the right-hand column of this page.)

And now that I'm set up with a fantastic on-demand printer, I plan to offer all of my future books in both printed and ebook versions from the outset.

Thanks so much for your interest in my books, and for encouraging me to find a way to have them printed.

What features would your ideal jewelry studio have?

If we made a list, most of us would say our fantasy jewelry workspace would include

• storage space
• system for organizing supplies and tools
• big workspace
• good lighting
• comfortable seating
• space to leave out projects in progress
• storage for jewelry making books and magazines
• a window with a nice view so we can look up and refocus our eyes frequently
• boom box or MP3 player for our favorite creative music.

And if we really fantasize, we'd also like to have

• jewelry photography area - permanently set up
• utility sink
• computer space
• area dedicated to special equipment (kiln, drill press, clay tools, etc.)
• metalsmithing bench.

A reader named Mary recently asked if I knew of any resources to help her design her new in-home jewelry studio.

Read our jewelry studio conversation - and please add your own input, in a comment either here or at the end of my conversation with Mary!

Jewelry artist Holly Gage shares the magic her titanium jewelry creates in her booth.

Holly says,

In my jewelry booth at shows, I display signs that say "Please Touch". The first thing customers do is chuckle, because they are used to seeing signs begging the customer to do the complete opposite, "Don't Touch".

Then they head right for the Titanium jewelry. They are intrigued by it, because it's bright, colorful, sculptural, and very different from anything they have seen in the past.

They pick it up, turn it about, and examine the brilliant colors on all sides.

They hold it under the light tilting their hand, and suddenly they notice the subtle color changes and sparkle at every angle. They hold it up to their skin, in front of a mirror, and imagine what it would look like on.

Finally, they take a peek at the reverse side. I've always wondered Read more

Want to sell more jewelry to the customers who arrive at your website?

Of course you need to offer a selection of jewelry in styles and price ranges that people fall in love with.

But in addition to that, the "usability" experience your visitors have while shopping on your website is also crucial.

Since you're not there in person to guide them through the sale, your site has to do that for you.

So it's important to remove any barriers your customers might have in getting around your site, finding what they want, and checking out.

Your website doesn't have to have all of the following functions, but usability studies show that these features increase online sales.  Adding even a few of them to your site can help you sell more jewelry online.

Website Features:

• Sitemap
• FAQ (frequently asked questions)
• Site-search or product-search feature
• Contact form / easily visible email address
• Size chart / other help with choosing the right size (especially for ring and bracelet sizing, and necklace lengths)
• Clear website navigation links
• "About" page that introduces the jewelry designer and establishes a relationship with customers
• Wish-list feature
• Refer-a-friend / tell-a-friend feature

Jewelry Images:

• Ability to zoom in / click to enlarge images
• More than one view of each product, including closeups of focal or clasp details
• Images showing all the colors or other options available for a particular style

On-Site Marketing:

• Featured item page
• Clearance sale page
• Promotion of best selling items
• Online-only sale
• Targeted gift ideas (stocking stuffer gift ideas, teacher gift ideas, niece gift ideas, etc.)
• Volume discounts (save money when you buy more than one of an item)
• Cross-selling (recommend and link to related products on your site)
• Testimonials / customer reviews
• Gift certificates available on the website

Checkout / Payment:

• Accept credit cards
• Accept debit cards
• Accept PayPal
• Accept checks / money orders
• Redeem gift certificates
• Loyalty / repeat customer / "club" discount or bonus
• First-time buyer discount

Shipping / Delivery:

• Option to buy online, then pick up the order from your studio
• Free standard shipping
• Free upgrade to a faster shipping method
• Holiday shipping deadlines calendar

Customer Service:

• Personalized email or autoresponder messages (with customer's name and possibly other personal details inserted)
• Faster order fulfillment option
• Free gift wrap
• Email newsletter to keep customers updated on your products, news, events, and specials
• Blog to keep customers updated on your products, news, events, and specials
• Privacy statement
• Assurance of secure online payment

Basically your website needs to give people the most user-friendly online shopping experience possible, while making them feel completely secure about buying from your site.

(NOTE:  This article does not cover how to bring targeted traffic to your site; it focuses on how to make more sales to people once they arrive on your website.)

Using a variety of mainly black jewelry displays, one jewelry artist creates a strikingly elegant and unique jewelry booth.  See

Clementine Jewelry Booth
Don't miss Cassie Gray's beautiful Clementine jewelry booth.

By Cassie Gray of Shop Clementine.