The Jewelry Making Supplier Should Be Your Best Friend

With the jewelry making business exploding into the economy these days, jewelry making suppliers are a dime a dozen. Because of the thousands of components that it takes to make jewelry, not to forget all of the gems, beads, pendants and charms, an artist needs to research all the avenues in which to find a good jewelry making supplier.
A phone book or the internet, of course, is excellent starting points. Checking out reviews of the different suppliers is always a good idea. Talk to fellow artists and see who they use and compile all of your findings before making a decision.
Research
Beginning your research for a good jewelry making supplier should start with yourself. What style of jewelry are you creating, and exactly what are the components and findings that you need to make a beautiful piece? List your components, and then decide exactly what market you are targeting. If it is just friends and family that you are selling to, then perhaps you do not need the best quality of components; a mid-range may do for that audience. If you already have a large medium to sell to, then perhaps the top quality suppliers would be best for your business.
These decisions definitely need to be made before choosing a jewelry making supplier. Once these questions have been answered, start your search. A jewelry making supplier should be reasonably priced and sell quality materials. This doesn’t mean that the higher priced supplier sells the quality merchandise. Search for critiques and reviews of their products.
Find out which manufacturers use their components. Check out their references and make sure they will sell their merchandise in bulk and, if you are a smaller client, make sure they don’t discriminate by the size of the order. A repeat customer is your best customer, whether a large order or a small one. Repeat business is what a jewelry making supplier needs to stay in business.
Once you have found a good jewelry making supplier, stay with him or her. When in a crunch, your supplier can become your best friend. He will help expedite materials to you, or search for a particular material that you may need. Good communication is the key to working with your suppliers. As the saying goes, ‘If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’. This is never as true as it is with a client and the jewelry making supplier. Establish a rapport, earn their respect and your jewelry making supplier will become your best friend.