Starting your Jewelry Business: Producing a Line
Many of our students dream about making a living by selling their jewelry. It sounds wonderful, but getting from making jewelry to making a living can feel intimidating. Jenn Parnell Kirkpatrick is here to help you make the leap from hobbyist to professional with lots of info, tips and guidance in this online course series.
This course is part of a 4 part series (Design and Prototype; Photography and Social Media; Pricing, Brand and Marketing; and Producing a line). You can take these classes in any order.
In this course students will learn all about how to design, fabricate, and finish a line of production jewelry based on their previous work and inspiration. Starting with prototyping and design considerations, moving into methods of reproducing pieces, and into finishing techniques as well as utilizing commercial findings and mechanisms, this class covers a wide range of topics for any jeweler.
Starting your Jewelry Business: Producing a Line teaches the following:
- Methods for reproduction
- Outsourcing some of your production including casting, laser cutting, 3D printing, and other services
- Streamlining your work habits to be time efficient
- Cleaning, finishing, and using outsourced elements.
- Integrating and adjusting commercial findings for your line (like posts, clasps, chain, settings, etc.) into your line
- Mass finishing techniques to speed up polishing
- One-on-one design review and help
This course is available as an in-person workshop or live online class. Please check this page for times and formats available.
A kit of materials is included with this class.
Tools.
Classes at our school include use of tools, with each student having their own bench to use during class. Online students will need to have their own tools (see the list of tools below). Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Tools Required for Online Students
This is a list of tools online students need to practice the techniques shown in class. (in-person students have tools to use at school)
A list of tools with links to recommended suppliers for the best prices will be sent to you after registration. If you have questions about the tool list, please contact us.
- Prototypes, molds, or printable computer files of pieces
- Tools you normally use for creating your jewelry pieces.
- Whatever your chosen jewelry medium is- lost wax, metal clay, metal fabrication, beading, etc, you will need all the tools you would normally use. This varies greatly depending on what you make!
- Materials for creating your pieces based on your medium and method of production
- soldering set up
- Third hand
- dremel or flexshaft
- wire cutters
- round/flat forming pliers
- torch
- ring mandrel
- xacto or other blade
- Chain or cord for necklaces- your choice
Read what students have to say about our online classes on the testimonials page.
Prerequisites:
This class includes creating a jewelry line using your preferred medium and materials, experience with skills related to your chosen area is required. Basic jewelry skills like sawing, drilling, polishing, and soldering are highly recommended.
The class is adaptable to different jewelry mediums, like beadworking, fabrication and setting, casting, wax, laser cutting, enamelling, metal clay, etc.
Instructor:
If a class is online, or is a combination online and in-person session, all students receive a link to a recording of the class demonstrations. In-person only workshops are not recorded. For staff instructor classes, students have access to the recordings for one year. For guest instructors, access is 30 days.
If a kit is included with the class, online students will have them mailed to them. Kits for in-person students are delivered at the beginning of the first class. More information about the kit is included with the supplies list which is emailed after registration.
International students may be charged an additional amount for shipping, because of the increased cost to ship abroad. Also, shipments to other countries may incur a tariff payable by the student. International students are welcome to contact us re: these costs and options for their materials. Please be sure that the address with your payment is the correct one for shipping.
If this class is offered online, it uses the Zoom app/website. Through Zoom, you’ll be able to see demos and follow instructions, ask questions and interact with your instructor. Zoom is easy to use and free for students to use for class, and works on most devices, like phones (iPhone, Android, etc), tablets (iPads, etc), and computers (Mac or PC).
Your instructor is also available during free Zoom office hours for questions and help.
For classes that include work time, online students work at home or in their studio. All of our recommended tools and the kit materials are chosen to be home studio friendly. Links to preferred vendors are provided in the supplies list sent after registration. Some classes, like our short demo only classes, don't require tools or materials to attend.
We remain committed to keeping everyone as safe as possible while continuing to move forward and adapt to the current circumstances for our in person classes and open studios.
We recommend that in person students be vaccinated, but it's not required.
Face masks are encouraged while at the school, but no longer required. Students must bring a particulate face mask (N95, KN95, KF94 or similar) to protect against dust and particles when needed and required during class work time.
If you have tested positive for COVID, have symptoms that could be COVID, or feel ill, please don't come to class. Contact us for more information.
And now the fine print. Payment in full for class fees is due at the time of registration to reserve your place. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal. Checks and cash are accepted only if you register at school. If you mail a check, your registration is not processed until it clears and the class may fill during the wait.
If the workshop is canceled by our school for any reason, all class fees will be refunded, or you can transfer to another class, or you can keep a credit on account with us for future classes or purchases,
Students can cancel, receive a credit or refund, or transfer to another class up to 21 days before a workshop, whether it is online or in person. No cancellations are accepted after the 21-day deadline, however, we will do what we can to try and sell your place to a qualified student. If we can sell your place, you can receive a refund less a $50 cancellation fee, keep a credit on account with us, or apply your fees towards a transfer to another class.
If you can’t make it to class, you may send a participant who has the necessary prerequisites in your place. Please call or email us immediately with any changes in the student participant information. If a class includes an online section, your class will be recorded and you can watch later to make up a class you miss.
Students must be at least 15 years old to attend a class, and students under 18 must have a legal guardian sign our liability waiver form. We have had younger students attend classes, on a case by case basis. If you’re interested in enrolling your child, please call or email us.
If you sign up for a class and fail to have the required prerequisites as listed in the class description, you are still subject to the 21-day cancellation policy, listed above.
Lodging and meals are not included for in person classes.
If you don't come to class, there are no refunds, credits or transfers.