Back to school for serious jewellery designers

Judging by the number of websites, articles and not to mention approaches we get at sister site pressies4princesses.co.uk, there seems to be no shortage of jewellery designing ambition out there. Trouble is, so many of these designers are doing the same thing: threading beads. Are all these people producing beaded jewellery because that's the best way to express their artistic talent? One has to ask whether it is pure coincidence that beaded is also the easiest technique to learn!

It seems pretty apparent that, while the ambition's definitely present in abundance, the will to make it happen is in rather shorter supply. And, that's a real shame because not having the necessary technical jewellery making skills will severely hamper your appeal and your business.



Choosing not to train in traditional jewellery making means you will forever be trapped in the most over-subscribed, price competitive portion of the market. An area where it is increasingly difficult to stand out and differentiate your work - there's just so much else available. Your beaded jewellery may be more beautiful and genuinely different, but keeping head and shoulders above the rising tide of dross will be a constant battle.



The world and his wife have started or are in the process of starting selling beaded jewellery. It's the same story over and again: "I started making for myself, but my friends liked my designs and asked me to make for them too. It spiralled from there". It's been written so often it has become a cliche. You will rarely read on to find out they got serious, quit their job and went back to school to learn the skills to make a real career out of it. Generally, these designers seem content to be hampered by their own lack of technical ability.

There are a few exceptions though - our own favourite jewellery designer Claire Wood being one of them. When her family and friends got excited about her simple beaded designs, she quit her career and went back to full-time education. She graduated with a first class honours degree in Jewellery Design three years later. Now, two years on her range of jewellery is the most popular we sell at sister site pressies'. And, with all the skills at her disposal, her style is developing and maturing into a simple but elegant geometric vernacular. This simply couldn't and wouldn't have happened without the trip 'back to school'.

So, if you find a potential jewellery designing career opening up before you - cliche style - don't opt for the easy option. That is the cliche. Instead of leaping into beaded jewellery, imagine what you could do with real handmaking skills - and go get them!