Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein: January 2011

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January 2011

January 24, 2011

Halstead Scholarships Now Available for fledgling jewelry artists to learn business skills at Visiting Artist Program of the Buyers Market of American Craft.

Through a generous gift from Halstead Bead Inc., scholarships are available for jewelry artists who want to receive business training in the Visiting Artist Program of the Buyers Market of American Craft.

The Visiting Artist Program, coming to Philadelphia February 19-20, 2011, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, will provide one- and two-day workshops teaching craft entrepreneurship -- how to launch a business, develop and promote product lines and price artwork for wholesale and retail sales.

Participants will tour the Buyers Market of American Craft, the nation’s largest wholesale tradeshow where artists from the U.S. and Canadian studios sell their work to galleries, boutiques, museum shops and catalogs. In addition, participants will receive a portfolio or product critique from retailers and tradeshow managers.

Offered twice a year, the Visiting Artist Program is tailored for studio-based artists who make and sell jewelry, fashion accessories and designer products for home or office such as tile, pottery, glass art and other fine crafts. The non-profit Arts Business Institute runs the program with a faculty of experienced retailers and artists. The Visiting Artist Program will also be offered this summer in Baltimore, Md., on July 11, 2011.

Family-owned Halstead Bead Inc., www.halsteadbead.com, of Prescott, Ariz., has been a supplier of findings, chain, beads, wire and tools for jewelry artists since 1973.

A scholarship donation presented to the Arts Business Institute by Halstead Bead will cover admission fees for several jewelry artists to attend the Visiting Artist Program in 2011. The company’s own Halstead Grant is presented each year to a new jewelry designer.

To register online for the upcoming Visiting Artist Program, please visit www.artsbusinessinstitute.org. Registration is $75 for a one-day workshop and $130 for a two-day workshop. To receive a scholarship application contact Erin Hartz at [email protected].

The application deadline for scholarships to the Philadelphia program is February 4, 201l. For information call 800.432.7238, ext. 206.

Posted at 10:14 PM in Entrepreneurship | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 19, 2011

Palladium Alliance Taps Vivian Westwood for Jewelry Line

Palladium Alliance International is teaming with Dame Vivienne Westwood to launch a collection of jewelry inspired by nature, reports by Samantha Conti in WWD Issue 01/18/2011.

The limited edition “Get a Life” Palladium Collection will make its debut at London Fashion Week in February, and the designs will be sold exclusively at Westwood’s boutiques in London and Los Angeles starting in the spring, PAI told WWD.

Palladium is a precious metal that comes from the same family as platinum, and is known for its natural whiteness and light weight. Generally, palladium costs less than platinum, although the prices for both metals are set to rise over the next five to 10 years as shortages increase, according to financial analysts.

The pieces in the collection are inspired by nature and by pagan symbols such as the acorn, the oak tree and the heart. The collection will feature pendants, bracelets, earrings and rings for men and women. Prices will range from 275 pounds to 550 pounds, or $435 to $869 at current exchange. Clients will also be able to commission bespoke pieces.

Westwood said she took on the project to highlight her concern for the environment. “‘Get a Life’ is about how we stop climate change and therefore preserve life for the next generation while at that same time get a better life,” the iconoclastic designer said. “My focus at the moment is what one person can do. Stop climate change. Save the planet. The acorn is symbolic of the rainforest, its importance, and how it is our first duty to save it.”

PAI underlined the sustainable, environmentally friendly aspects of palladium: It is naturally white, maintains its color over time, and is lightweight and durable.

John Stark, chairman of PAI, said the organization picked Westwood because of “her continued exploration and reinterpretation of history, combined with a tireless individualism. Her designs will complement our metal,” he said.

PAI is also moving forward on other fronts. In London, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design has created a design competition among its jewelry students to create a two-piece set of jewelry. The five most inspirational designs will be produced, in a limited edition, using palladium, and the winner will be revealed in March.

In the U.S., students from Fashion Institute of Technology’s jewelry design program will collaborate with fashion and lifestyle bloggers to create a bespoke collection of palladium jewelry that will be unveiled in the spring.

Posted at 10:04 PM in Famous designers, Green Jewels | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 17, 2011

Lark Books Curating second "500 Rings" book

500 Rings, to be juried by Bruce Metcalf, is second collection of juried rings in the 500 series. Following the widely popular 1000 Rings (Lark Books, 2004), this encore installment will be a 420-page, full color survey of contemporary rings created after 2000.

This international collection will be beautifully presented and widely distributed throughout the world in Spring 2012.They welcome outstanding images of rings made from any materials and in all design styles.

Jewelers whose work is selected for inclusion will receive full acknowledgment in the book, a complimentary copy, and discounts on the future purchase of books. Artists retain copyright to their work. Lark accepts high-quality digital images, transparencies, and slides. No entry fee is required. Submissions must be postmarked by March 30, 2011.

Detailed entry guidelines and permission forms are included on the 500 Rings Entry Form, which can be downloaded here.

Posted at 11:43 PM in Designers, Marketing | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 10, 2011

Gurhan debuts a brand new silver line at Accessories Circuit - GORGEOUS!!

Posted via email from JewelryBizGuru's posterous

Posted at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

January 09, 2011

Call for Entries: The 6th Annual Halstead Grant for New Jewelry Designers

Call for Entries: The 6th Annual Halstead Grant for New Jewelry Designers.

Halstead Bead Inc is inviting jewelry designers to enter its 6th annual grant competition for new entrepreneurs in the industry. The winner of the 2011 business development grant will receive $6,000 in cash and merchandise as well as other benefits.

Designers utilizing jewelry making techniques such as metalsmithing, lampworking, metal clay, wire wrapping, beading, or casting are eligible to enter the competition. Candidates must be US citizens who began their businesses after January 1, 2008. Their design companies must focus on “bridge jewelry” which is the segment between costume jewelry and fine jewelry that includes accessories in sterling silver, semi-precious stones, crystal, freshwater pearls and other similar materials. This segment is also known as “craft jewelry” or “art jewelry.”

Complete application details can be found at http://www.halsteadbead.com/Grant. Candidates are required to submit a design portfolio, resume and answers to several business planning questions. Applications must be received between April 15 and June 6, 2011. The grant website also includes several helpful articles on launching a national jewelry business as well as information on past winners and finalists. Previous grant winners include Cowboy’s Sweetheart Jewelry, VOSTENAKstudios, Bridgland Studios, Belle Brooke Designs, and Ananda Khalsa Jewelry.

The Halstead Grant differs from other jewelry industry competitions because of its emphasis on small business skills. Jewelry entrepreneurs applying for the grant must demonstrate not only extraordinary design, but also a strong business strategy. The application experience promotes the small business planning required to make a jewelry brand commercially viable at the national level in today’s competitive market. The award was previously known as The Jewelry Design Business Development Grant; however, it has been renamed in 2011.