Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein

"Hook Words"

You know that we talk about you, right?

In fact, you're hoping that folks are talking about you. But what are they saying?

You need to tell people what to think about you. You must give them the words you want associated with you or risk having them choose their own.

I call them "hook words" -- the quick buzz words used to describe your work to others.

Examples:
Pamela Froman - hammered texture she calls Crushed - and she does it in tri-color ("crushed, tricolor")
Anthony Nak - drapy chains, chainmail encased stones ("chain, drape, encased")
Gurhan - 24k hand-wrought gold (of course he's not the only one to do it but he's got the buzz for "24k")
Zaffiro - they do granulation but they've taught us that they're the ones that can do it in multiple colors ("yellow & white granulation")

You may not want to be so typecast but .... hard, cold fact is that to be remembered you have to be memorable for something.

And you want them to remember you and talk about you.

Applications for the 2008 NICHE Awards are now available online

www.AmericanCraft.com. Other useful ation includes updated rules and guidelines, as well as info information about the 2008 NICHE Awards ceremony, special display and finalist notifications.

The NICHE Awards, sponsored by NICHE magazine, celebrate excellence and innovation in American and Canadian craft.

Entry deadline for professionals is August 31, 2007; entry deadline for students is September 28, 2007.

Want to see the winners for this year? Visit their website here.

This contest brings very good publicity to the winners. And it's easy to enter.

WJA Diva Design Contest - call for entries

Women's Jewelry Association Announces the Call for Entries for it's DIVA Design Competition

Theme:   Platinum DIVA
Two People, Three Platinum Rings
The engagement ring symbolizes the promise, while the wedding band represents the commitment a couple makes to one another. The challenge is to depict these three rings using platinum.

Eligibility: All women are eligible (previous 1st place winners are not eligible).
Jewelry designs must be original and not have won any other contest. Designs many not exceed a retail price of $25k. A maximum of two entries per designer are allowed. A separate entry form must accompany each entry.

Submit: Rendering

Deadline: April 6th 2007

Prizes: Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place PLUS all three winners receive a ticket to the Clasp Convergence Conference in Denver in September -- courtesy of Rio Grande (value $800)

Application is available by emailing [email protected].

Direct all questions to Leslie McGeoch, [email protected] 856-423-3156 (WJA Executive Offices – Option 1)
or Cindy Edelstein, [email protected].

Need a boost to your Designing Skills?

Alan Revere of the famed San Francisco Revere Academy jewelry school is teaching at the upcoming Jewelry Arts Expo in Wilmington, Delaware: April 27-29.

His class, Jewelry Design, is a hands-on class that proceeds from the concept that original ideas for design come from two specific realms; interpretation and abstraction.  The class is 2 days Friday & Saturday, Apr. 27, 2007 and Apr. 28, 2007. Price: $295.00 + Materials Fee: $10.00 = Total Cost: $305.

See all about the Jewelry Arts Expo, a jewelry supplies trade show and seminar event, here.

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The Value of Good Photos

This past season I was privledged to judge three major industry design competitions.

I have a lot to say about the experience but the most important thing I must impart to you is ...

TAKE GOOD PHOTOS!

You would be surprised to know how many designers don't take professional photographs for their entries in design competitions. Presumably, they want to win those contests so why don't send the best representation possible? It's shocking.

You need to know:

• judges judge the quality of your entry as well as the jewelry
• your image is being shown for a very short time in between other images that might be of FANTASTIC quality
• if judges can't see your work well they can't score it high no matter what great attributes it might have

Bottom line: if you're not a professional photographer -- HIRE ONE! Your marketing image is too important to cheap out.

Lapidary Journal becomes Jewelry Arist

As of the June 2007 issue, the magazine will now be called Jewelry Artist. The aim is to help those who make jewelry become "master jewelry artists," says editor Merle White ([email protected]).

The magazine also gets a face lift and more how-to instructions. The recent issue had a great (for me!) article that took 10 artists and asked "where are they now."

Their choices interested me especially since I haven't seen Carolyn Morris Bach, Judith Kaufman, Marne Ryan and Michael Dyber in a long while. All are terrific artisans who seem to focus on the retail craft shows for their business -- and thus, I miss them often!

I'm looking forward to the new look and continued good read.

Spring Trade Magazine deadlines

It's time to send current photos to the trade magazines to make sure you'll be seen in the May/June/July issues.

These are the most visible issues and the most useful to your year-long marketing efforts.

Write a simple press release on your new collection, new items or new design direction and email it with a 300 dpi image to all the trade editors interested in designer jewelry (listed here for your convenience).

Carrie Soucy at JCK Magazine ([email protected])
Jeff Prine at Modern Jeweler ([email protected])
Beth Braverman at National Jeweler ([email protected])
Paul Holewa at InStore ([email protected])
Amber Michelle at Rappaport Report ([email protected])
Cynthia Unninayer at JQ ([email protected])

Good luck!

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I've been working for more than 15 years to help designers grow their businesses with information and insight. Think of me as your Guru for Successful Design'preneurship.