Jewelry for Generations Part 1
What a Grandmother and Her Granddaughters
Taught Each Other About Jewelry Business
by JoAnne Green.
I am 69 years old, and while I find that many of my creations are similar in style to current fashion jewelry designs, I do worry that I am out of touch with the tastes of younger people.
JoAnne Green’s jewelry shop and workspace
This summer my two teenage granddaughters visited for several weeks and I took advantage of it.
I gave my granddaughters a free hand to set up a fresh display in the cabinet, with the choice of any jewelry in stock.
After all, I can always rearrange what I don’t like. But it turns out that I haven’t changed a thing.
They both showed great taste in not overcrowding, in the arrangement of display props, in the placement of the jewelry and in the visual impact from the other side of the counter.
Antique gold seed beads, woven into
a liquid soft bracelet by JoAnne Green
The result is a display of the pieces they like most, with a sprinkling of what they wouldn’t wear but think is beautiful.
In addition to the joy of their company, I received the bonus of teenage likes and dislikes in freely expressed, if not always verbal communication.
The youngest also made several pieces of jewelry, marveled at the price I put on them, and grinned widely when I told her to put the last 2 digits of her birthday as part of the product code so that she could receive labor costs when it sold.
Another bonus was when a customer came in to buy something for her granddaughter and asked mine to help her choose. My granddaughter’s advice ended in the sale of additional items.
Earrings by Joanne Green
Validating my designs with the younger crowd is important in a college town. The students often buy jewelry, and later bring their parents in during a visit.
Both of my granddaughters were paid for the number of hours they worked this summer, validating the value of their work.
See JoAnne’s Updates to This Story:
Jewelry for Generations – Part 2
Jewelry for Generations – Part 3
Author JoAnne Green of DL Creations sells her jewelry from a consignment booth in an antique store. The store is located in a small town with two colleges. JoAnne also provides jewelry repair and redesigning services.
