Jewellery Trunk Show - Benefits

What is a jewellery trunk show:

A trunk show is a retail event at which the jewellery designer and or jewellery manufacturer brings in designs that are new or not otherwise available at the boutique. A jewellery trunk show can take place not only in a jewellery specialty boutique, but also in a clothing boutique, gift store, or even gallery. It is an exciting opportunity for the jewellery designer as well as the boutique owners.

Why put on a jewellery trunk show

Jewellery Trunk Shows are great for the jewellery designer because:

- The jewellery designer gets to meet customers and increase brand recognition and customer loyalty - increase demand for her brand of jewellery designs

- The jewellery designer gets to build boutique staff loyalty for her brand of jewellery designs - staff always promote those people they like

- The jewellery designer gets to train store staff about her jewellery designs (how to sell her jewellery, unique selling features, what is the designer's capabilities and possible special orders, answer any burning questions about her jewellery)

- The jewellery designer can display and sell showpieces - test the water for a different look, show off jewellery designing talent, show the retailer she can sell at a higher price point & help persuade the boutique owner and or buyer to expand purchasing. Often retailers don't want to invest in higher ticket items or they started buying from you a certain look of jewellery and don't want to venture out because of risk. A jewellery trunk show is a risk-free way for them to see what other jewellery designs you can make & what other jewellery can sell in their store

- The jewellery designer can get a good view of the jewellery design competition out there [note: don't copy, it won't do the jewellery designer any good because those designs are already in the store. As a designer, you don't want to be considered a follower.] It is one thing to see other jewellery designer's booths at a tradeshow or craft market, it is quite another to see how much retail store real estate is given to the competition. Sometimes it is humbling to see all the jewellery design talent out there, but almost always you get a sense of what is selling. The jewellery boutique staff always knows which look or silhouettes sell best and what jewellery customers are asking for. This feedback is invaluable and it will help the jewellery designer edit her designs and help guide for future jewellery collections.

- The jewellery designer can sell off samples or unsold jewellery. Chances are, it is a new set of customers, and they're seeing these jewellery designs for the first time. A jewellery trunk show is a great event that brings a large concentration of new customers - retail opportunity not otherwise accessible for the jewellery designer, for those designs.

- Jewellery trunk shows are fun! It is a great reason to go out of the studio. Almost always, the customers will have great praise for the jewellery designer's talents. It's wonderful validation.

- The jewellery designer can learn some invaluable lessons about people management, and that's what retail really is: people management. If the jewellery designer pays attention, she/he can learn what makes the store work, and what pitfalls to avoid. The jewellery designer can spend the time to speak to the boutique managers and individual staff. You can learn something new at every store, every time.

Jewellery Trunk Shows are great for the boutiques because:

- A jewellery trunk show is a risk-free trial of new jewellery price points, new looks. They can see what sells and what doesn't, and this would be great before a new jewellery buying season.

- A jewellery trunk show brings in extra foot traffic to the store that would otherwise not be there. It keeps store visits interesting for regular customers, thereby increasing their occurrence. It is also great customer service to bring in the latest goods and allow the customer to interact with the jewellery designer.

- A jewellery trunk show, if well planned, can generate a great deal of press for the store, as well as for the event. This will help the boutique become recognized as a boutique offering designer jewellery, and help enhance its reputation as the place to be.

- Hosting a jewellery trunk show builds loyalty from the jewellery designer. If the boutique brings retail customers and promote the jewellery designer's line, they are less likely to sell to the boutique's competitors. Also, when the jewellery designers form relationships with the store staff, the designer is less likely to say no to the store's requests (such as custom orders for customers, rushed delivery).

Hosting a jewellery trunk show helps boutique managers to train and motivate the store's staff. No one knows more about the jewellery than the jewellery designer. Who best to train the staff than the expert? Some jewellery boutique chains are known to pay a great deal of money to bring in industry professionals to help coach their staff on selling, product knowledge and trends. A jewellery trunk show offers much of this for free. Also, the boutique's staff knows the jewellery designer will be there the entire day and would notice any flaws in the jewellery displays, the staff's product knowledge and their sales approach. Most boutique staff would work hard to brush up and make a good impression on the jewellery designer. An appreciative jewellery designer would also be generous with praise, if not with complimentary jewellery pieces outright. These are great pride builders and motivators which the boutique managers would not be able to easily match, but even if he/she does, it will not be the same.

To read about the Do's and Don'ts of Trunk Shows click here .

To read about what happens during a Trunk Show, click here.

To read about Other Trunk Show Practices click here .

What is Cubic Zirconia (CZ)?

As a synthetic substitute, cubic zirconia has somewhat the same effect as gold vermeil, sterling silver, and cultured pearls: it allows the everyday jewellery enthusiast to enjoy the aesthetic marvels of a truly precious substance (diamonds, in this case) without paying an arm and a leg. To anyone without a professionally trained eye, diamonds and cubic zirconia beads are virtually indistinguishable.
As a naturally occurring phenomenon, zirconium oxide was discovered by German mineralogists in 1937. Many people don't know that it occurs naturally at all, but it certainly does, albeit in incredibly scarce quantities. Natural cubic zirconia is so rare, in fact, that upon first discovery it seemed insignificant- there simply wasn't enough to make use of.
The discovery became immensely significant, however, in 1973, when Soviet scientists at the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow finally perfected synthesizing the substance. Three years later their discovery was published, and by 1980 cubic zirconia was in commercial production on a massive scale. The explosively fast rise of cubic zirconia in world attention and market prominence simply goes to show how hungry the world was for a good man-made diamond substitute.Cubic zirconia is most commonly thought of as a diamond substitute, and rightfully so. What shouldn't be overlooked, however, is the fascinating history and set of distinct qualities that make cubic zirconia wonderfully notable and unique all on its own

Diamonds, of course, are much harder in density, but cubic zirconia is still incredibly hard by gemstone standards (8.5 on the Mohs scale, where most gemstones are around 5-6) and therefore immensely durable and basically scratchproof. Another little recognized fact is that since cubic zirconia is synthetically produced, it is almost totally flawless in terms of surface consistency and irregularities, where diamonds are often marked by natural discolorations and other imperfections.

Cubic zirconia is often dyed as well, which is something that only happens as 'enhancement' of natural colour with diamonds. Presumably, the relatively low cost of cubic zirconia encourages more liberal experimentation with things like colour and cut. Far from being a just a cheap diamond copy, cubic zirconia is a gemstone medium in its own right.




Click here to browse Cubic Zirconia at Stones and Findings

Gold and Silver in the 21st Century Economy...

...and what it Means to the Accessories Industry

by: Damien Zielinski



Precious metals have always commanded the attention of both stock market traders and jewelry aficionados alike, but until recently the two have been mutually exclusive. As we bear witness to a continuing surge in the market value of gold and sterling silver and prices that are at an all-time high, it seems that exchanges normally confined to trading floors will be the topic of conversation at showrooms and boutiques… whether the jewelry community likes it or not.



Never insulated from concepts of money and riches, gold and silver have been symbols of wealth, prestige, and beauty since antiquity. Instantly recognizable and culturally transcendent, these precious metals seem to epitomize luxury. While it could be possible that the most beautiful minerals happen to be the most rare and expensive, the truth is that interest in precious metals is also caused, quite simply, by their scarcity: they are, by definition, precious in this world, and occur in limited quantity. If one should wear a gold chain around his neck, they are not only making a stylistic statement with the highly reflective and tantalizingly coloured element, but are also to some degree aligning their image with the kings, queens, pharaohs, and emperors who have been adorned by gold in the past. To wear gold is to say 'I can afford to wear gold.' However, the high market worth of pure gold only means so much when low karat alloys, plating, and gold vermeil enter the picture: one can look like royalty without necessarily footing a royal bill. With such innovations, it is difficult to assess whether or not gold still bears any meaningful imperial association with monarchs of old, but surely these impressions still linger, to some degree, in the subconscious of modern jewelry wearers, designers, and observers. The history and culture of the metal is simply so long and so rich that such connotations will always be ingrained in the collective mind.



Another complicating factor in the unfolding stories of gold and silver is that of their use as currency in the premodern era. With the establishment of Lydian mints in 700 BC, the precedent was set, and the association of silver with monetary value was inherited by countless civilizations. The words 'silver' and 'money' are synonymous in at least 14 different languages, and the contemporary stock exchange still uses gold as a benchmark litmus indicator for the market as a whole. Banks still carry gold bullion, and your grandparents probably have at least one silver dollar lying around somewhere. While it seems preposterous to actually wear money, no one is bothered by the time-honoured duality of gold and silver as fashion accessories and units of currency both. Yet, there is a kind of tension in this double nature: while the cultural appreciation of gold and silver has remained relatively unchanged, enjoying what seems to be permanent appreciation in the jewelry industry throughout transient fads and passing fashions, the market value of both metals is notoriously unstable.



Investors and traders are used to sitting on edge as numbers rise and fall, but there is less awareness of gold and silver's market worth for ground-level jewelry consumers. The reason for this is that global market-level fluctuations in value are not reflected in the prices of wholesale jewelry components at a rate that expresses the actual speed of market changes. In other words, while silver prices change daily, a jewelry designer may only buy silver components monthly. Something like gasoline, for example, is constantly priced based on market value, keeping the everyday consumer in touch with stock exchange realities, but precious metals have the effect of incremental increases and decreases that correspond with the rate of wholesale purchases. So, while wholesalers of components tend to buy silver and gold at prices directly dictated by market worth, a desire to remain competitive and shock repeat customers as little as possible causes more sporadic price increases than are actually representative of silver's true value at any given time.

As the bull market keeps rising, precious metals grow even more expensive, and wholesalers are unable to break even without raising prices. Having to shell out more for the same metal goodies may frustrate small businesses and amateur designers, and can come at some consternation if the market forces aren't understood. 'If silver and gold prices have always been changing, and the price hasn't significantly affected the consumer,' one might ask, 'why should prices go up so much now? And after all, couldn't market values go back down just as suddenly?'

It is always possible, and the stock exchange is naturally defined by unpredictability, but recent trends seem to suggest otherwise: since the spring of 2000, gold and silver have both more than doubled in worth, standing in contrast to a long period of relative stability since the last big spike in 1980. The central cause of the increase has been widely credited to a huge surge in demand associated with new and expanding markets in parts of the world that, previously, did not account for nearly as much jewelry consumption.


credit: http://www.palagems.com/gem_news_2007_v1.htm

India and China, especially, have recently witnessed a tremendous growth of the middle class, and a proportionate demand for things that such families crave, like travel, services, and luxury commodities. In attempting to explain the impact of this rising consumerist presence on the prices of gold and silver, some have pointed, for example, to gold's historic prominence in Chinese culture, and the resulting love of it that courses through the veins of Chinese people and transcends visual appeal. It is also said that Indian culture is even more reverent to precious metals, and that certain Indian ceremonies like weddings tend to spur gold purchase on such a large scale that stock market spikes can actually be mapped on a calendar. Whether or not investigations into localized histories and cultural stereotypes are even necessary, truthfully, is debatable at best. The simple reality is that enormous populations of jewelry wearers have exploded onto the scene, and their demand for gold and silver don't need any 'deeper' explanation. Statistics also show that demand for silver is actually going down in other fields, such as photography, which due to increasing digitization relies less and less on silver nitrate.

This rise in demand is occurring against the backdrop of an actual increase in the production of precious metals- 2005 saw, for example, an all time high in silver output. It has been recorded that 50% of all gold produced in history has been mined after 1960. Both of these figures demonstrate that increasing scarcity is not the issue; these things have never been more readily available. Almost all 'scrap' silver and gold is melted down and reused, so not only are we producing more, but we tend to lose almost none. With such extraordinary abundance, it seems as though prices should be going down. Unfortunately, the wealth in supply is met by an even greater presence of global demand, and therein lies the rub.

There is just no way around the fact that everyone loves to adorn themselves with gold and silver, and with record-breaking demographic transitions, millions more are suddenly able to afford it. The results are a stubborn bull market offering no sign of relent, and sweeping price changes that can no longer sit under the radar of designers and artists who would rather focus on fashion trends than those of the stock market.

Silver Earring Components

Silver Earring Components
by C.S.

There are limitless possible earring designs. However, popular Earrings have certain Jewellery Components in common. These Jewellery Components fall under the general categories of: Earring Hook component, and Findings, and sometimes Chains for longer earrings.

Earring Hook Component

This is the Earring Component that attaches the earring to the ear. It can be in the form of a Earring Hook, Earring Stud, Clip-On Backing. Stones And Findings carry a number of Silver Earring Hooks, Silver Leverbacks, and Silver Earring Studs. Sterling Silver Earring Findings, as well as Gold-Filled Earring Hooks and Gold-filled Leverbacks, and Gold Filled Earring Studs Gold Filled Findings.



Open ended Sterling Silver Earring Componentsallow for Semi-precious stone beads crystals to be inserted, and then a loop to be made for additional Earring Drops to be added. This allows for rather unusual accents for your Earring Designs.

Leverback Earring Components

Leverback Earring Components are wonderful and preferred by many Jewellery Designers because they don’t fall off the ear no matter how active the wearer is, and no matter how much their ear piercing has been stretched. The best Silver Leverback Earring Components come from Italian and Chinese factories, using Italian machines. Stay away from Silver Leverback Earring Components made in India, Thailand, and Bali. The spring mechanisms are not as strong, and don't spring back the way Italian machine made ones do. The price difference for Silver Leverback Earring Components is negligible, but the quality is highly noticeable.

Earring Studs

Earrings Studs are sometimes preferred to Earring Hooks, especially for those whose ear piercings have been stretched. The Earring Stud hides the stretched holes, which Earring Hooks do not. Silver Earring Studs and Gold-Filled Earring Studs are better than base metal because they come into contact with the skin. Some people are allergic to base metals, and even if there is a protective plating, the inside metal will leech out, sometimes changing the colour of a person’s skin. Earring Studs have more contact area with the skin.

Canadian Accessory Industry

The accessory industry is an ever changing landscape of competition. See where you fit in, and how to compete with the rest.

Large Scale Jewelry Manufacturers

This classification refers to companies that have more than 50 permanent staff, and produce millions of pieces of jewelry each year for sale to distributors or customers who sell large volumes. Companies of this magnitude have learned how to make the most out of globalization, and most of the factories producing their jewelry are located in South East Asian countries where labour costs are extremely low. This strategy results in a very low per-unit cost. The lower cost of labour more than makes up for the increased cost of shipping. You never want to compete head on with these suppliers since they will always be able to make things for less. There are some drawbacks to dealing with large scale jewelry manufacturers that the other players can exploit to compete effectively. Big companies cannot change their operations very fast. They are usually setup to do one thing well and repeat it over and over again, so as the styles change from stringing to wire wrapping to casting to gluing, they have all of their staff to retrain and the factory to retool.

Jewelry items produced by these factories are shipped via sea freight which is less expensive, but takes four to six weeks for delivery. They also may have long lead times for orders. From a jewelry order to delivery it may be 3 or 4 months. Once the jewelry order is made it is too late for adjustments. It can also be difficult to communicate precise jewelry design specifications, which are sometimes misinterpreted: one person's 'pink' might be different from another's; one person's 'acceptable' may be another's 'defective' , etc.

Small to Mid-Size Manufacturers

This calibre of organization has 3 to 20 permanent staff and sells jewelry to a broad area like an entire country or continent with the help of sales representatives. They can not usually depend on cheap labour to save on costs. Although jewelry component quantities ordered are not as high as large manufacturers, mid-sized companies still enjoy some level of bulk jewelry component discounts. Jewelry accessory operations at this level have usually made some international supplier contacts and tend to buy components locally and abroad. At the very least, jewelry companies don't have quite the same burden of unwieldy international communications or expensive and time-consuming shipping.

Their main strength is the distinctive jewelry design that made their jewelry operation sustainable in the first place, jewelry production methods that are streamlined as much as possible, and friendly connections to material suppliers that don't involve too many 'middle men.'

Independent Artisan Studios

These are usually comprised of a single energetic and slightly business-savvy designer who is responsible for designing, manufacturing, and selling their own jewelry creations to boutiques and other individuals. Jewelry is their main source of income. Material costs per unit are quite high because small quantities of jewelry components are purchased, but shipping is usually negligible as objects are coming from nearby places. Relying on locally available gemstones, wire, beads, and chains, however, may impose confining restrictions on creativity. Labour costs appear low because the designer does most or all of the work, but it is time-consuming. From a business point of view, it's a pretty taxing cost-to-benefit ratio, and doesn't amount to the most enticing hourly wage. Thankfully it's a small price to pay for creative people who have begun to make a living from their jewelry artistry.

Hobbyists
These are enthusiastic, self-motivated individuals who make jewelry on the side of their day job or other fulltime responsibilities. They may sell their unique jewelry creations to friends, family, and so on, but not in a way that significantly adds into their personal income. It is usually because of encouragement and positive feedback that they decide to pursue accessories as a career. Most established jewelry designers started out in this way.

Material costs per unit are very high because small quantities are typically purchased from bead or craft stores that add their own markups to jewelry components. These stores target casual crafters who are not selling much jewelry, and are therefore a bad place to shop for anyone producing significant quantities or hoping to turn a profit from sales. Labour costs normally don't exist in a monetary sense, but only because one person is doing all the work, on their own time. For these people, making jewelry is not considered labour or work.

Copycats

Some entrepreneurs make a living through copying existing jewelry designs and reproducing them at a reduced cost. They then sell these jewelry copies at a price point that undercuts the original seller, with their own jewelry designs. Sometimes boutiques and department stores actually request cheap copies of jewelry so they can improve their profit margins. 'Copycat' jewelry operations are typically smaller and locally run, making them very flexible and dynamic, without a large overhead or inventory. Since they usually use locally available components bought in relatively small quantities- an expensive combination- they must find creative ways of reducing the cost of jewelry production. Labour is one point of savings, as these jewelry manufacturers will generally work on their own and in their own home, and cheap materials are another. Since gemstones, crystals, precious metals, and other components all have a sizeable range in quality and value, there is always money to be saved in cutting corners on materials.