Help – Starting a Jewelry Business Right Out of High School

by Dan.
(Pueblo)

I’ve recently become interested in a career in jewelry after attending a course at my local community college. I’ve also just recently graduated high school, so I’m looking to start making and selling pieces to get more experience.

One of my first pieces

Currently I only have the capacity to make wire wrap rings and the like. I know a few shops downtown that buy jewelry, there is also one that is a variety shop that sells small jewelry in the $5 – $15 range, and buys locally.

My thinking is that I could start making tarnish resistant brass wire wrap rings and selling them to this and/or other shops for $2 – 4 a piece, since these are rings you would usually see for sale at $5, and they are using cheaper material.

Does this sound like a good way to start out?

I can make them in small bulk quickly considering I have a lot of free time. After I build up some money I hope to get different materials to work with so I can hopefully make wire wrap rings with silver filled wire and Lapis Lazuli beads (with some help from tutorials I’ve seen on this website).

What I believe this will do is give me experience working with jewelry, and let me interact with other jewelers in a business setting while making some connections.

Does this seem like a sound idea?

From then on I’m not sure what I should do.

How do I seek out my first customers?

Just coming out of high school with a small bit of financial help from parents, should I focus on getting a job and start jewelry as a hobby, or should I start working ceaselessly at practicing and talking to others so I can start my own business as soon as possible?

Note from Rena: After you read the comments below here, hop over to this followup post from Dan – I’m Improving, but I Still Have Questions.

Dan