Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein

Everyone Should Send an Image for the Next Lark 500 Jewelry Book -- Great Publicity for Jewelry Designers

Totally cool... I've been chosen to jury the next in the 500 Series by Lark Books!

They are seeking high-quality images of jewelry featuring gems and stones to publish in an international juried collection.

Diverse materials, from rough, natural stones to fully faceted precious gems, are desired. All stones, designs and setting styles are welcome. All jewelry forms, such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and brooches will be considered.

There is no entry fee.

Download Entry Form from the Lark Books website.

Don't miss out on this great, free opportunity to be part of this beautiful book. I'm really looking forward to seeing your entry when I go to Asheville to do the jurying.

 

Entry Deadline: December 12, 2008

AGTA Spectrum Design Competition Winners Announced -- JRB Inner Circle Members Lauded

 AGTS Spectrum Design Competition winners were announced today and we are thrilled to see several JRB Inner Circle Members lauded for their designs. Here are their prize titles -- you can click through to see the whole list of winners.

Best Use of Platinum and Color and Platinum Honors in Bridal Wear:
Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney, Los Angeles.
Platinum necklace featuring a 112.84 ct. Aquamarine briolette accented with Diamonds and Aquamarines (4.79 ctw.).

Bridal Wear
First Place - Bridal Wear: Judy Evans, Richard Krementz Gemstones, Springdale, N.J.
Platinum earrings featuring Morganite briolettes (27.08 ctw.) accented with diamonds (2.35 ctw.).

Third Place - Bridal Wear: Carley  McGee-Boehm, Carley Jewels, Solana Beach, Calif.
Palladium earrings featuring cuprian Tourmalines (18.09 ctw.) accented with black Spinel and rock Crystal Quartz helioliths.

Business/Day Wear
Third Place - Business/Day Wear: Ashleigh Branstetter, Ashleigh Branstetter, LLC, Baton Rouge, La.
18K yellow gold ring featuring a 32.10 ct. pink tourmaline cabochon accented with Diamonds (.58 ctw.).

Classical

Second Place - Classical: Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney.
18K yellow gold ring featuring a 17.51 ct. chalcedony cabochon accented with turquoise cabochons (3.10 ctw.) and diamonds.

Manufacturing Honors - Evening Wear: Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney.
18K yellow gold earrings featuring pear-shaped and antique cushion-cut tanzanites (17.56 ctw.).

Platinum Honors - Men's Wear: Mark  Schneider, Mark Schneider Design, Long Beach, Calif.
Platinum ring featuring an 11.54 ct. indicolite tourmaline accented with white and yellow diamonds (1.58 ctw.).

Objects of Art

Honorable Mention - F - Objects of Art: Robert Wander, Robert Wander for Winc Creations, Honolulu, Hawaii.   Walking stick with an 18K yellow gold flamingo handle featuring multi-colored sapphires (95.58 ctw.) and chocolate diamonds (1.57 ctw).

See JCK online for all the winners -- and congratulations to all!

Introducing the JRB Designer Jewelry Marketing Academy

Coming to Tucson in February? Please come visit us at our  first Jeweler's Resource Bureau's Designer Marketing Academy -- three days of designer jewelry business seminars conducted by me and Marlene Richey.

We're running it at the beautiful, historic Manning House during the Manning House Bead Show. The Manning House is located in downtown Tucson near many of the best gem shows -- see their website at www.mhbeadshow.com.

Wed., Thurs, & Friday, February 4-6, 2009.

Our classes are for all designers -- not just those that work with beads. We are using this beautiful space for seven classes to help you "grow and prosper" (our company motto!).

 Learn how to start and run a jewelry design business while growing your marketing and sales acumen. It's one thing to make beautiful jewels and it's quite another to make a living at it. If you want to get your handmade jewels into the hands of others and turn a profit by doing that then these are the classes for you.

Take one, two, three or all seven classes and ramp up your business for the new year. Special pricing is available for multiple classes.

You'll be more prepared to take your business further than you ever have and increase your sales and marketing exposure, too.  You'll connect more with retailers, consumers, editors and all sorts of business entities that can help you grow and prosper.

We're offering Speed Coaching sessions with either or both of us each afternoon for one-on-one advice at the special Manning House Bead Show rate of $2 per minute. Bring your portfolio, your designs, your marketing materials and anything else you want feedback on. Book early so as not to get closed out!  To book, send an email to [email protected].   

Our Academy classes:

• How to Make a Living at Your Art  (beginners)
• Defining Your Brand Identity  (good for all levels)
• Building Your Marketing Toolkit  (good for all levels)
• Craft Fairs, Trade Shows & Appearances: How to "Show Up" for Personal Success (good for beginners and new to shows)
• How to do Your Own PR (good for all levels)
• The Art of Selling (good for all levels)
• Profiting from an Online Presence (good for all levels)

Hope to see you in Tucson!

Great Ductape Marketing Tip -- via InStore Magazine

Just read this on the tips page of INstoremag.com and had to share:

THINK SMALL Big dreams have their place, but it’s the sum of the little things that get you there, says John Jantsch of Ductape Marketing.

To ensure you’re focused on the right things — making more sales calls, networking in the local community and, yes, taking a journalist out to coffee, Jantsch suggests you create a scorecard with 10 marketing-related actions and rate each one for importance, say five points for attending a local women’s group meeting and one for writing on your blog. Set a daily target of 20 points.

This routine should help you stay focused on what’s really important. 

Ask Us! Tell Us Your Biggest Business Challenge and We'll Track Down the Answers

What's on your mind?

Tell us your biggest conundrum, share with us a current challenge, ask us your big question and we'll use the questions posted here in comments during our new teleconference series. We'll be talking with our Advisors, some famous designers and a host of other experts and we'll ask them YOUR questions. No guarantees we'll get to all nor that we'll go in any particular order but... the goal is definitely to be tidy and complete!

So...... Ask Us!

Jewelry Artist Magazine's Design Competition Awards 10 Outstanding Winners

We were so pleased to see the winners, a few in particular, of the seventh annual Jewelry Arts Awards. Entries were judged for excellence, visual appeal and impact, originality, and execution in these five categories: Pendants/Necklaces, Bracelets, Pins/Brooches, Rings, and Miscellaneous Jewelry.

This contest, sponsored by Jewelry Arts Magazine (used to be Lapidary Journal), always has a diverse roster of winners including newcomers. Every jewelry designer should try and enter sometime... it's a good thing to do.

Marie Scarpa won Best of Competition (also First Place, Pendants/Necklaces) NAUTILLESQUE. www.mariescarpadesigns.com

We loved seeing our friend -- designer and retailer extraordinaire, llyn strong, take First Place in the Miscellaneous Jewelry with her YELLOW BERYL SUITE. www.llynstrong.com

Visit Jewelry Artist website to see all the winners. And to get an application for the 2009 Contest which will be there in mid-November, they say.

Websites for Jewelry Designers - A Vital Part of Your Business

We've been hard at work for a few months now with a new internet company  that is offering the industry a very  integrated way to work together online while supporting the traditional sales chain. We're so deep in it that I see my computer in my sleep.

That's why the findings of a recent study were very heartening -- tells me we're on the right path:

Manufacturer and retailer Web sites have a bearing on the jewelry and watches consumers decide to buy, according to a new study by an Ohio-based research company, reported National Jeweler's news website.

The Fall 2008 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey shows that about 50 percent of respondents say manufacturer Web sites have some or a significant influence on their jewelry and watch purchases, while 43.4 percent say the same about jeweler and retailer Web sites.

The survey also found that:

—50.9 percent of U.S. adults ages 25-34 bought jewelry or a watch recently.

—About 84 percent of consumers prefer to buy jewelry and watches in a store rather than online.

"The results highlight the need for local jewelry and watch retailers to have a strong Web site that showcases their products visually, provides product availability information, and reviews or comments from previous customers," Smith said. "Pre-roll video advertising on other Web sites may also be an effective option for jewelry/watch marketers."

This info confirms that you absolutely NEED a good presence online.The days of a good-enough website are over; I'm calling a moritorium on amateurish sites, mediocre photos, flash homepages that the search engines cannot recognize and  empty  pages.

To compete in this economy you cannot give someone a reason not to do business with you; a bad website is a great reason.

Judith Bright Jewelry on "Samantha Who?" all Season

Judith Bright Jewelry (A JRB Network member!) has gotten a great product placement on the hit sitcom "Samantha Who?" where her jewelry will be seen all season.

Judith subscribes to LupRocks.com and that's how she connected with this great placement. The girls at Lup are the best at helping designers get the exposure they deserve in lots of media outlets.

Affluent Consumer Study - after the Bailout

The worldwide economic crisis is having a profound and widespread impact on the luxury market, according to a recent survey of affluent consumers, reported JCK online.

"Few luxury brands are going to weather this global economic crisis with impunity," says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing research firm.

Danziger added, "Because affluent shoppers are staying out of stores to resist temptation, retailers must offer shoppers new in-store experiences they simply can't ignore, like the cash-back gift card sale going on now at Bergdorf Goodman.

She says luxury brands need to look strategically at their product lines and price ranges, since these wealthy customers are saving money by choosing to buy fewer premium brands.

“So a luxury brand that offers more accessibly priced alternatives, like Vera Wang Lavender Label or the Akris Punto brand, can keep their customers from trading-down to another company's brand,” she said.

Danziger also noted that brand managers also need to boost the “value messaging” in their marketing efforts to help these consumers justify the expense of paying a premium for their brands."    read rest of article on JCK's website.

Great tip for jewelry designers -- diversify, create "bridge" line, expand AND PROMOTE your brand.

Claudia Endler in USA Today - Jewelry in Support of Breast Cancer Awareness

Kudo's to designer Claudia Endler for being written about in USA Today for her jewelry in support of breast cancer awareness.

Marie Claire wrote about her pendant, too. You can see more on claudiaendler.com

Tell us your good PR news and we'll feature some of them here on our blog in the future.