How do you decide on a color scheme when you’re designing a new piece of jewelry?
Are you inspired by the colors that appear together in
- a scattering of beads on your work table?
- a painting, pottery, stained glass, or other art?
- the interior design of a room?
- a view of nature?
- the upcoming season’s trend forecast?
I’ve noticed that many of my jewelry customers buy my pieces based on color.
On custom orders, the customer nearly always starts out by mentioning the color (”Could you make me something like this, only in red?”).
If they’re just browsing through my display, they’re sometimes captivated by a certain color or color scheme, and finally decide they can’t leave without it.
Or they may be purposefully shopping for a color that goes with something in their wardrobe (”I need a pair of black earrings to go with a new dress.”).
And if my customers are shopping for a gift for someone else, color is usually the main factor in their choice (”My niece’s favorite color is purple.”).
If I’m selling to a shop, the owner nearly always buys based on color (”We’ve been selling a lot of blue lately – can you bring in a selection of whatever you have in blue?”)
So as much as possible, I’ve always displayed my jewelry organized by color, to make it easier for my customers to find what they’re looking for.
That system also helps me see at a glance what colors I need to concentrate on when I sit down to make more pieces for my inventory.
Color is also a major factor when I shop for jewelry supplies.
I have to make a conscious effort to buy cabochons and beads in colors that aren’t necessarily my own favorites, so I can have something for every color preference.
Even so, about half of my bead and cab supply is somehow my favorite lovely shades of green!
Have you ever experienced what I call the Fugly Color Phenomenon when selling your work?
Nearly every time I design a piece with an experimental color scheme that comes out looking so hideously ugly that I almost don’t put the piece on display – it’s the first thing that sells!
In fact, it seems to draw people to my booth like a beacon!
I have no idea why. There must be a mysterious, subliminal force in the chemistry of ugly color combinations.
I’d love to hear about your own experiences with color in creating and selling your jewelry!
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Aaaah the Fugly Color Phenomenon!!!!! You are so right! I’ve had that happen exactly the same: the most “experimental” piece I have is always the first to sell – have no answer of why either!
My customers mostly buy on colour too, and that’s why I think it is so important to know your customer base very well and always have pieces available for every “colour freak”. You always insist on this point – knowing the tastes of your customers and serving their needs – and I can prove this is propbably the most important key to successful selling and happy, returning customers.
Funny you mention this. I have this awesome shower curtain that has burgundy, cream, cocoa, and light pink tones. I kept walking by it and thinking- “I have to make a necklace that matches this” I don’t know why! I have been on a blue/ green kick because I am hurting for some ocean water in this horrible snowy winter in New England! So this brought me out of my funk…
I just made the necklace set a few weeks ago.-here it is:
http://www.janinedesign.com/Necklaces.html
“Champagne And Rose Pearl Set”
I don’t always make jewelry, but I found your blog when I was looking for questions about photographing some fabric jewelry I was making. I was wondering the same thing lately – if people buy things because of color trends – and how should I make things? I think I’m going to have to stick with making what I like, regardless of trends. Those are the things that sell best.
Since I do less bead work, color is less of a factor – but will definatley be part of the final decision of the client. I usually work in “families” and run from one design to another from the same family, I might start a new color bassed aproach and see how it goes.
I had a couple of people ask for necklaces in certain color combinations and when I made them I thought ‘yuk, there is no way they are going to like this’. When I gave the necklaces to them they loved them, it was exactly what they wanted. So when I make something I’m not sure about I think there is probably someone who will love it.
I make what I like , my creations are my art ,my expression of what I see. Its my hope that someone will find something from my collection that reflects their style.
I would have to agree with Rena on this. My designs are color inspired and I do tend to have more of my favorite colors in stock (no matter how hard I try to get other colors!). I think the one color I’ve been working hard to get more of is blue…guess it’s just not my “thing” but I am trying so as to allow the widest selection for my customers.
I like to make all different colors and combos. I know I have a winner, whenever my husband says “That is really ugly, that will never sell, or no one is ever going to buy that!” I know that will be the first thing that sells.
I too am very color inspired. I often worry that my pieces lack color because I use a lot of silver (not a lot of beads) and I keep being drawn back to colors I like best. I recently have been working on some Spring inspired pieces (with pastels) when my 11 year old daughter informed me she did not like my jewelry because it lacked color! Well fine then. I thought about what she said and created a necklace using her favorite colors and, I have to admit, it is now my favorite piece. I put it on the home page of my site and she is very pround to have inspired it!
To Dragonlady, You made me laugh, a lot of times I do not show my husband what I make because I don’t want to hear it.
Fugly colors — so funny, but true! I was furiously getting ready for a show late one night and ran across some large slab beads I’d never found a good use for, so I decided to try to make something out of them…kind of a deep mint green. So I threw them together with black onyx and silver thought the whole necklace was just hideous, but, heck, time was running short and I needed all the stock I could lay my hands on. Sure enough, it was one of the first things to go at the show and sold to a woman who I think has great taste in bold jewelry! Just goes to show everyone has their own idea of “pretty” and you can’t always make only what you would like to wear yourself–if you want to sell!
My designs tend to be all about the color. Sometimes I’m inspired by fabric or colors in nature. Sometimes I just go through my bins and grab some beads and look at them in the palm of my hand and try to visualize how they will look all strung together. I have found simple is best though, if you use every color of the rainbow, how many clothing options is the buyer going to have to wear it with. It’s all instinct I guess. Color is one of the topics I plan to discuss on my blog, Confessions of a Jewelry Designer, http://www.cofajd.blogspot.com.
In the article, you mentioned, ” I’ve always displayed my jewelry organized by color, to make it easier for my customers to find what they’re looking for.” I agree with you. Display jewelry by color is convenient for customers to choose what they want. Good job. Thank you very much.
How interesting! But then I come to a cross road. Shall I create something ugly just for the sake of making money? It hurts somewhere funny and there comes the dilemma: Am I a business person first or an artist? Then why did I quit my office job and embrace my bead box? Oh well!
I’ve run into this with style too. I made some necklaces (chokers) that were geared more toward men and at a home show a very feminine woman bought the necklace for herself! I just smiled and sold her the necklace and didn’t bother telling her it was from my men’s collection.
As for colors…I took my neice to a bead store to get some ideas. The colors she picked out were some I would have never picked out myself. Then while reading an article about color trends…that color was one of them! It pays to listen to the younger crowd.