Repairing Handcrafted Jewelry For Profit

A lot of handmade jewelry makers work around the clock putting together unique jewelry pieces and buying jewelry supplies for that new necklace or pair of earrings. Making jewelry is a creative hobby and it can be very rewarding, but it can also sap your creativity if you’re making a lot of jewelry pieces and then spending lots of time putting together the materials for each piece repeatedly. One great way to alleviate that jewelry making burn out while still using your jewelry making talents is to begin offering jewelry repair services!

Repairing handmade jewelry uses your jewelry design skills and will often give you some fun challenges. Instead of making a necklace from scratch, you usually need to take an existing jewelry pattern and find beads to replace lost or broken jewelry pieces that either look similar to the rest of the jewelry piece or at least compliment it. Fixing jewelry requires a slightly different approach to purchasing jewelry supplies because you’ll want to have lots of connectors, pendants and stringing materials available. You’ll also need think about using a professional jewelry supply inventory software package to track what jewelry supplies you have on hand, what you’ll need to purchase soon and where you can get them for the cheapest price. Here are some general tips and tricks to remember when you begin fixing jewelry for others:

Matching replacement pieces to older jewelry is often very difficult. You have a better chance of finding replacement jewelry supplies or pieces that are similar, though sometimes matching the color of certain precious stones can be very challenging.

Even though a connector isn’t broken, you may want to recommend replacing it before it does fall apart. Keep an eye out for structural weaknesses in older jewelry pieces.

Don’t be afraid to price your services in line with the going rates. Many times you’ll be fixing a piece of jewelry that holds a sentimental meaning or is particularly favored by your customer. You are providing a service of not just fixing a piece of jewelry, but often you’re helping restore a memory or feeling!

Finally, remember to have fun with it! Both repairing handcrafted jewelry and making your own jewelry are creative ways to earn some extra money, but it’s up to you to find the proper balance to keep you happy and making money at the same time. You can usually charge just as much to repair a jewelry piece as you would to build it. But since are often working with existing jewelry materials fixing a piece of jewelry may be much more profitable.

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