Working with Jewelry Clients – Communication is the Key

by Nata Shubin.
(Nevada City, California)

Michelle was obsessed with Andean culture, and wanted her jewelry to reflect that. Sun disk earrings.

When working with a client I enjoy the process of “teasing out” of her what is it that she really wants. You will be surprised how often my client thinks she wants one thing, yet in the end it turns out that she really wanted something else! And I am always happy when I have a chance to help her figure that out.

Of course, Michelle received her initial wish, the round blue earrings, as well. As my gift.

When this happens, my client’s Joy is truly a reward in itself. Case in point: Michelle asked me to make her blue round earrings reminiscent of the ones she got from an artisan in the Andes. As we started talking about what she liked the best about those earrings she confessed that she is obsessed with Andean culture. A-HA! The colors are bright and uplifting.

The necklace Michelle did’t even know she wanted when we first started working on her earrings.

So, I suggested to add some yellow, orange, red, a touch of green, perhaps? She liked the idea of sunshine. In the end Michelle chose the brightest yellow-orange earrings, and not the blue ones at all! (She still got the blue ones as my gift, of course). And now she wanted a necklace, as well. Plus, I used an extra beaded element for decorating her jewelry box, as a surprise. This is how we ended up with an “Andean collection”. Quite a way from the initial round blue earrings idea, don’t you think? Communication is the key.

See what we ended up with? Andean collection. Quite a way from round blue earrings idea, don’t you think?

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