5 easy steps to start a jewelry business

Posted By Kat Plewa on Feb 6, 2019 | 0 comments

Jewelry has been around for centuries, it has already been known in ancient Egypt as the archeology shows. Starting your own jewelry business might seem overwhelming, but it’s not as hard as you might think. To help you out we prepared for you a simple guide to opening your first jewelry business. We will also show you how 3D printing can improve your designs and make your first steps in the industry much more simple. And as proof, we will also talk about the best examples of 3D printed jewelry businesses.

Our easy guide to start a jewelry business

We will introduce you to the most important steps you have to take to start your own jewelry business. You will learn where to start, how to build your business plan, marketing strategy and if you should set your business online or local. You will see that with a smart plan, starting your own jewelry business is achievable.

1. What type of jewelry are you planning to make?

Make sure you know what your style of jewelry is. Are you going to make distinguished watches or precious metal rings? Asking yourself this question is essential for the start of your jewelry business. Make sure you consider all the possibilities, for example, you might like wearing rings, but you have to keep in mind designing them would require producing adjustable rings or different sizes. Prepare your jewelry designs and choose your niche. It will help you with the next step- pick up the target group.

A part of your business plan is also creating the brand. You need to pick a business name which will correspond the best with your jewelry designs. Logo and branding are also essential for your brand to be easily recognizable. Otherwise, your customers won’t remember your company or you as a designer and they won’t purchase from you again.

https://www.malinkodesign.com/listing/568029318/lotus-flower-ring

An example of a 3D printed ring

2. Create your buyer persona

Putting it very simply, a buyer persona is your potential client. Let’s say you decided to create a collection of sterling silver 3D printed bracelets. Who would be interested in this product? Your audience would probably be millennials rather than baby boomers. Your 3D printed bracelet would probably be bought by a boyfriend for his girlfriend rather than a grandma for her granddaughter. There’s a high chance your typical client would be female, however, that only depends on your designs. Maybe male millennials would be a great niche to set as a target group?

It will help you to do research on other designers 3D printing their bracelets; who is their audience? How do they reach them? Check the industry and try to gather as much data as possible. Maybe you will notice that your future competitors don’t sell a specific material that you could check out.

Make sure you have a clear vision on your target group, otherwise you won’t be able to reach them through dedicated channels. It is as simple as writing down a list.

3. Establish costs

Starting a jewelry business often doesn’t require a huge amount of investment. It’s mostly the cost of tools and materials. If you think your business would require larger contributions maybe you should have a look at crowdfunding solutions. Then you have to also consider that people helping you actually paid for the products and you have to deliver them.

Carrying on with our 3D printed jewelry business, we would suggest using an online 3D printing service. An important cost to consider then is 3D modeling software license, however, there are plenty of free options. Next is the production, the costs depend on the material you use. When you choose to produce your 3D printed bracelets online, then all you need is to upload your 3D model and you don’t have to worry about the manufacturing process at all.

You thought about the production process, that’s great. But you still need to deliver your products. Even if you open a jewelry studio, but you are also selling online, you need to ask yourself if you want to target just your own country or you will decide to ship your jewelry to Europe, US, worldwide.

Lastly, when your company grows a bit, keep in mind to deliver the highest standards. Branding, such as business cards and packaging for your jewelry is very important to build trust and give a satisfying customer experience.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/264779166/3d-printed-jewelry-cuff-perfect-gift-for?ref=related-8

This 3D printed bracelet comes in an eco box

4. Reach your target group

Now, that you know who would be your typical customer and how much your jewelry will cost, ask yourself how to reach them, what channels do they use? Internet is the power of information, if you don’t exist on any channels, you basically don’t exist at all. Having your own website and social media accounts are a must.

Of course, you don’t have to be everywhere. Maybe Instagram or Pinterest will reach your audience more efficiently than LinkedIn. This is a very important step, even if you open a jewelry studio, because social media will let you promote it and your clients to share their experience with your products.

This is exactly why it is so important to know your target group. Possibly you don’t need a website from the start. If you don’t plan on producing luxury products, Facebook business page and/ or Instagram account might be enough as the first step of promoting your business. Check which social media channels will be dedicated to your potential client. Using our example of 3D printed bracelets, we would think an Instagram account with great pictures and fashion-orientated hashtags would be an appropriate starting point.

http://www.maison203.com/en/by-category/penrose-ring-1-bicolour.htm

Those rings are a combination of innovative 3D printing with Nylon and craftsmanship by hand painting them

5. Start selling jewelry

Finally, you know what you’re selling, who you’re selling it to, how to reach your customers and how much is it all going to cost you. Time to make your plan real and start selling. The start might not be easy and each step you took before might change- don’t be afraid of it. If you see that your products are also popular among a different clientele than you predicted, adjust your marketing strategy and business plan accordingly.

Depending on your idea for jewelry business, you might need a jewelry studio and/ or a workshop. However, selling your jewelry online is also a great start. If you don’t have resources to make your own website, you can begin with online shops like etsy.com where you can set up your own account. Setting your account at an online shop also eliminates worrying about the shipping costs.

Why would you 3D print your jewelry?

Additive Manufacturing can be a great asset to start a jewelry business. 3D technologies give you the freedom to design stunning products, unachievable with traditional manufacturing methods. Thanks to 3D printing, you have the possibility to create amazing structures such as interlocking parts and other abstract geometries. You have plenty of materials to choose from, who said jewelry has to be only gold or silver? Break the rules with a jewelry line of flexible necklaces or colorful rings.

We prepared for you some examples of 3D printed jewelry, but it’s never too late to enter the market, you can still become a 3D printing jewelry pioneer. Additive Manufacturing will help you not only to design very detailed and complex geometries but will also speed up your production process. And if you notice some imperfections, you can very easily edit the 3D model and just print the piece again.

Maison 203 and their Nylon collection

Maison 203 is proudly producing their geometrical jewelry in Italy in cooperation with different designers. They offer a wide range of products such as bracelets, rings, brooches, as well as jewelry lines 3D printed with Nylon material, which is robust, but flexible at the same time. They also offer 3D printed jewelry made with steel and brass.

Vojd Studio which specializes in luxury 3D printing

Vojd Studios aims for the use of the latest technology innovations to produce stunning, magnificent products. Based in Berlin, they cooperate with luxury brands like Loewe, Ferrary or Alexander McQueen to combine the quality of craftsmanship and new design possibilities of 3D printing to give their customers the ultimate jewelry experience.

Perfect geometry by Archetypez

Geometrical shapes driven to perfection to enhance the user’s style is what produces Archetypez. They design beautiful 3D models and produce their jewelry with 3D printing Nylon. Archetypez is yet another example of what we are able to achieve with Additive Manufacturing when it comes to jewelry business.

Malinko design and their award-winning clutch

Malinko Design invests in 3D printed jewelry pieces like rings and bracelets, but they don’t stop there. The company challenged themselves with creating something bigger and even more sophisticated. Their 3D printed clutch is lightweight, elegant and flexible, all thanks to Additive Manufacturing.

Start your jewelry business right now!

Don’t waste any more time and do it! You have easy steps to follow, now just fill them in. Make sure you have a clear business plan: what do you want to sell, to who, how to reach your potential client and how much is it going to cost you. Then, you’re good to go! To reach your goal you might want to consider using 3D printing for your production as it’s fast, offers plenty of materials and most important- gives you amazing design freedom.

If you choose Additive Manufacturing for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us. We have 8 3D printing technologies, 75+ materials and finishing options, and Design Studio if you need any help. Starting your own 3D printed jewelry business it’s as easy as uploading your files to our 3D printing service.

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