How to Wrap Jewelry in the Last Minute

Ran out of the jewelry store so fast that you forgot to have the jewelry seller wrap the jewelry? Unfortunately, you've really never wrapped a gift before and there’s just no time for you to get one of those portable jewelry display cases to help you keep your jewelry intact. In these cases of panic, you have to find a good way to wrap your jewelry and keep it safe before giving it to your intended recipient. Unless you’re willing to risk your jewelry, finding something to wrap your jewelry in the last minute is essential.

1. Find a paper bag Paper bags can be pretty useful when you need them to be. If you have any old paper bags at home, you can easily use this to wrap your jewelry. The good news is – if you've bought jewelry from the same jewelry store before, you might still have the bags they give out. Use this, because they are manufactured especially to house jewelry. For those who cannot find a suitable paper bag, gift bags are okay. The more it fits your jewelry, the better to use it. Bigger paper bags end up only housing the jewelry but it doesn't really protect it from too much movement.

2. Box it Do you have a small box for your jewelry? If you do, then this is good news for you. You can easily put it in a box and decorate the box for aesthetic purposes. However, if your box is not entirely presentable, you can always quirk the plan up a bit by boxing your jewelry up. Put the jewelry in a small box. Close the box and put it in another box. Close the bigger box and put it in another box. This way, your wrapping becomes the fun way to unwrap, instead of the actual box. They won’t really notice the look of the boxes if they are too busy guessing what’s inside them.

3. Use old wrappers Who says old wrappers can’t be useful? In fact, any of those wrappers you used last year could be very beneficial for your case. If you really have no other choice, take the wrappers from old gifts. Jewelry is usually small, so you won’t need a lot. You can use the box method and wrap the jewelry in several different wrappers for “fun” unwrapping.

4. Use an envelope Too lazy to wrap? Use an envelope. Not every kind of jewelry will fit inside an envelope so you might have to change it up if the jewelry is too big. It’s an efficient way to wrap necklaces and bracelets, despite the lack of creativity. Don’t worry, you can always label the jewelry with something sweet or thoughtful.

5. Use an empty bottle Gone are the days when your old wine bottle would be used only for decorative and boasting purposes. You can use those old, but elegant wine bottles to store your jewelry. Just make sure they’re clean and don’t smell like alcohol anymore. Decorate the wine bottle with ribbons for finishing.

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Special Types of Wrapping Your Necklaces

Giving a gift to a special someone is always a challenge because you want to surprise them or make them feel as if you’ve made an effort to give them something. If you hand them a pretty necklace wrapped in the usual type of gift box, they’ll always appreciate it. There’s no doubt about that. But if you want to impress your customers and give each recipient an even bigger surprise, you’re going to have to work harder than simply wrapping the gift and placing it in a gift bag. That’s too common.

Photo Credits: GlimpseOfGlamour

Instead, you might want to use any of these unique ideas for wrapping your necklaces.

1. Use a ribbon – the best thing about a ribbon? You probably already have a roll of it, straight from your own jewelry display! You won’t even have to buy an extra roll until your set runs out. Ribbons are a great embellishment for nearly everything. They can make any simple thing look elegant and special. If you want to give your customer something different, you can wrap the necklace with a ribbon. Instead of tying the ribbon on a box, tie the ribbon to the necklace. Slide it in and out around the necklace until it forms a snakelike design around the necklace. Tie a small ribbon near the pendant. Now place the duo necklace in a big box with a soft cushion inside. Make sure the necklace doesn’t move while in transport so the ribbon stays in place. Nothing big, but something a little more special to complete the package.

2. Hang from a bottle – place a ribbon or string around the cork area. Pin the necklace over the string and slide the pendant and the rest of the chain into the bottle. Make sure that the finding is closed tightly over the string and that both don’t fall into the bottle. Do make sure that the bottle is presentable. Then tie a ribbon over the corkscrew of the bottle.

Photo Credits: RowHouseNest

3. Inside a cup – be a little more creative when it comes to your boxes. Prepare a special cup and make sure that it comes with its own cover. Place soft round cushions inside to protect the necklace. Lay the necklace around and around over the cushion and set the pendant in the middle of the chains. Cover the cup. Make sure the necklace doesn’t move while in transport, otherwise, your design will go to waste. If your cup is specifically designed, that’s a little extra effort that the recipient will definitely appreciate.

4. Picture frame – remove the back of a picture frame. Stick a soft, but thin cushion over the back of the frame. Set the necklace over the cushion. Set the back of the frame into the picture frame again so that the necklace serves as the photo. It might be best not to use 3D pendants for this type of wrapping. Unless you’re willing to thicken the frames of the picture frame, use flat pendants to display inside your picture frame. Now that’s a creative form of wrapping.

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5 Best Gifts for Men

When a woman celebrates her birthday or any other occasion that warrants gifts, you can get them just about anything. From flowers, chocolates, expensive fashion jewelry, clothes to personally-made cards, date nights and even slideshows – they’d love it. However, when it comes to buying gifts for men, things are a little more complicated.

You see, you cannot give men flowers. They don’t have the same effect on men as they do on women. Chocolates, well, you can give them, but I doubt they’d be considered as much of a gift as they do to a woman.

If there are gifts for women, there are also gifts that men would love to receive.

1.Gadgets

What man doesn’t love gadgets? From Plasma televisions, to Apple Mac Book to Apple IPhones, a man will truly love it once he opens up his gift. You can even watch him as he opens his present and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the look on his face once he sees what’s inside. Expensive? Probably? But when you see that bright smile he has after he receives his dream gadget? Priceless.

2.Specialty rings and pendants

There’s just something about specialty rings and pendants that make a man so manly. For some fashionable men, wearing rings that state who they are or who they come from give them a really good sense of pride. And we all know how important pride can be sometimes. Special rings from the Navy or Marines can make a man beam with pride. There’s nothing like a piece of jewelry to show off what they’ve done for their country. It will help them know how proud you are too.

3.Outdoor Equipment

If you happen to have a boyfriend, husband or brother who loves the outdoors, then anything that they can use outside will definitely be appreciated. Bicycles are usually very expensive and some of the best can be hard to find. Good tents are also appreciated because the best are rare. Backpacks, GPS, passport holders, cooking sets are all things that they can use while out traveling. Since many of these outdoor equipment can be quite expensive, if you give it to them as a gift, they’ll definitely thank you.

4.Wallets

This is the simplest out of this list. Wallets are common as a gift for man. But did you know that most men are really specific about the type of wallet they want? They’ll never admit it, but really, they want a very good wallet. It’s probably a boy’s thing, but the better the wallet you have, the bigger your earnings. If you do get them a wallet, make sure you get the one that they can’t stop looking at in the mall. It might be their current dream wallet.

5.A Car

Ah. Boys will be boys. Nothing makes a man happier than brand new, spanking clean wheels for them to take to work. And if those wheels just happen to belong to a fiery Ferrari or a Bentley, you’ll enjoy looking at their Cheshire Cat grin for the rest of the year.

So, have you given any of these to a man yet? How did they react?

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7 Deadly Sins to Displaying Your Jewelry

When you’re displaying jewelry in a booth or in your shop, it is important to make an impression on your customers. The better the impression you leave your customers, the more they will feel the connection to your jewelry. Once you’ve caught their attention, there’s nothing like a little sales talk to seal the deal.

But when it comes to displaying your jewelry, there are definite no-no’s for customers. Here are some things customers will never want to see in your jewelry display.

1.Clutter

Who likes clutter? No one. When you have a cluttered display for your jewelry, people will end up thinking that your jewelry is dirty. If you have a messy display, you can end up ruining the designs of your other jewelry. Good luck trying to establish a connection between a customer and your pieces. They might not even want to look at your booth with all the mess in it!

2.Lack of jewelry displays

If your jewelry lacks the aesthetics that display stands can give it, people won’t find themselves attracted to your jewelry at all. There’s nothing duller than seeing your jewelry displayed next to each other without any means of difference. Customers won’t be able to see your jewelry from afar. And sometimes, that’s how you catch their attention.

3.Too much jewelry display

Not having enough display stands and variety can result in the lack of flavor for your booth. However, if you use too many stands, trays and display towers for your jewelry, you might end up overwhelming the customer. Besides, it is not the jewelry display that you want to sell, it is the jewelry. The display is meant to help emphasize the jewelry’s beauty. It is not meant to overshadow it.

4.Dead colors

Colors can be quite useful in attracting customers. As long as you don’t use mismatched colors or those that clash, you’ll be able to help your display sell well. Avoid using dull colors because it ends up bringing your whole shop down. Be creative when picking out colors for your display. Use fabrics and cloths as background and give your display some life.

5.Lack of light

Light can be pretty helpful when it comes to emphasizing pieces of jewelry. Just be careful in choosing the colors of your light so you can give your jewelry a positive push in a buyer’s direction. If your display is too dark, customers won’t be able to see the designs, so make sure to illuminate your display well.

6.No arrangement and organization

Customers are very particular when it comes to choosing their jewelry. The best way to help them find what they want is to arrange your display to showcase jewelry in an organized manner. This way, they know where to find their earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Be creative in arranging your jewelry because this adds to the aesthetics of your display.

7.Hassle in setting up and taking down

This is more of a sin for sellers than for customers. If your jewelry takes too long to set up, you’ll end up rushing your display just before the opening. It’s a hassle to take down after everyday too. Before choosing which stands, towers and other display trays to buy, make sure you consider yourself and your booth. The easier to set up, the better.

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How to Use LED Lighting to Attract Your Customers

While the different types of jewelry display can definitely help you sell your jewelry, you can’t miss the importance of light. Yes, trays, towers, stands and even puff cards can help give your jewelry a little life. Even creating a background for your jewelry will help your pieces stand out. However, if your jewelry is displayed in a bad light, this could all mean bad news for you and your sales.

In order to prevent this from happening, you might want to consider using LED lighting to give your display a little spice. Not only will you help illuminate your display, but you can also help to emphasize the colors and brilliance of other pieces with real gemstones (assuming you have any for sale).

If you want to start using LED lights for your shop or booth, here are some very important guidelines to create a successful lighted display.

1.Choosing the colors

Colors are probably the most important thing to consider when choosing your LED lights. You don’t want to end up with orange lights and a selection of jewelry in red. Making your jewelry display look like a giant clash of colors isn’t going to attract many customers. When you choose your colors, consider the colors of your jewelry. You might also want to think of your theme for your display. For example, if you have a Mother Nature theme, gold can help to substitute brown. Unfortunately, gold won’t be too helpful when you have white external lights. You might want to consider green instead.

2.It must not over-expose your jewelry

If your lights are too grand, you might end up overexposing your jewelry. That’s not what you want. You want to attract customers. If you overexpose your jewelry, they’ll end up wowing your booth but not your pieces. The lights should give your jewelry positive illumination – just enough for them to see the design and appreciate it.

3.It shouldn’t be too expensive

Don’t fall for LED lights that are too expensive. There are times that you’ll want to change your lights depending on the current season. Spending thousands of bucks on a few pieces will only be a waste, especially if you end up changing the lights the very next week. On the other hand, buy in bulk if you can because this might save you some money. Do remember to get assorted colors so you can change your lights once in awhile.

4.Light must not hurt or affect the customers in a negative way

Keep your lights friendly to a customer’s eyes. Bright lights will only end up hurting your customer’s eyes and your chances of selling well. Learn how to dim your lights to positively shine on your jewelry but never on your customers. Be wary of your lights as well, because if the lights get too hot, they might end up heating your jewelry too. You don’t want to end up with a customer complaining about a burnt finger.

Have you used LED lights to light up your jewelry display?

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Traditional, Creative or Home-Made Jewelry Display: What Works and What Doesn’t?

Selling isn’t just about offering the most unique and creative pieces of jewelry. In fact, sometimes, the most attractive jewelry display can get more customers than those with good pieces. But, if there are so many creative ways to display your jewelry, how do you know which ones work best for your store?

Now that you can create home-made equipment to display your jewelry, will it beat the effects of actually using ready-made displays?

When you’re selling, you have to think of more than just the profit you’re going to earn. You need to know what the market wants. While home-made jewelry display will certainly give you some benefits, traditional displays are also pretty useful.

Here are some pros to using either type of jewelry displays:

Traditional display trays, towers and boxes

• Easier to pack.Since traditional displays are made especially to display jewelry, they are also catered to folding easily and being lightweight, allowing the seller to pack them easily at the end of every day. Even the earring towers itself can be folded with the clip of a switch.

• Ready-made, won’t take time to create. Being already made to display jewelry, the seller won’t have to think of ways to actually display the jewelry. Each traditional display comes with hooks, pins and wires to help the seller hang the pieces of jewelry. You won’t even have to worry about making a displaying the jewelry correctly because the traditional equipment will do that for you.

Home-made equipment to display jewelry

• No limit to creativity. If you’re creating a display for your jewelry using various other equipment and tools, you won’t have any limitations to the type of display. You can use almost anything just to display your jewelry. The more creative you are the better! You can use old tools, antique couches, your Mom’s China, your old sewing tools. You can even fish bowls and vases.

• Less expenses to display jewelry. The thing about making your own display is that you might not even need to spend just to get your jewelry out there. If you’re creative enough, you can simply make use of the things at home to get people to notice your pieces. If you’re opening up a store, this will help you in terms of cutting back costs before opening up shop. No more having to allot part of your budget to the display items you’re supposed to get.

While both types of displays definitely have their pros, having a good number of both can help you in producing the most creative display. Remember, not all home-made items will make a piece of jewelry look as good as it does on a traditional type of display. Not even a mannequin will look better than an acrylic hand display. However, if you use your creativity to match traditional towers and trays with some home-made jewelry display, you might just end up with a winning design, at least one that won’t take you hours just to set up.

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What Design and Type of Wedding Ring Should You Get?

Are you about to tie the knot? After getting your beautiful fiancée the engagement ring that almost cost you a leg, are you ready to give it one more shot? Now that your day is finally coming up, you need to get her the wedding ring that she deserves. But with all the different choices out there, how do you know what design and type of wedding ring to get for her?

Here are some factors to help you choose the perfect wedding ring for your fiancée.

The Metal

Everyone knows how important this is to a wedding ring. Yes, your fiancé may not be materialistic, but you know that she’ll appreciate something with an impressive metal – just like her engagement ring. While gold symbolizes value, diamond, on the other hand, simply states forever. If you’ve given her a diamond ring, you can get her gold this time. Or the other way around. But if you have enough money, settle on a little of both. Tell her what it’ll mean to you and I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.

Budget

Sometimes, this is the decisive factor, even when it comes to wedding rings. However, you have to remember that weddings usually only happen once in a lifetime – or at least, once every 50 years, supposing you and your wife are together for life. For a commitment this long, it deserves a pretty big budget. So before you make any steps into family life, make sure you are ready – both emotionally and financially. Although you don’t have to spend millions on a ring, it does pay to have some money for the wedding itself.

Something sentimental

Besides shining, shimmering wedding fashion jewelry, another thing that will definitely be appreciated by your fiancée is a sentimental wedding ring. This could be something you both were looking at, maybe a ring similar to her mother’s. It could also be a ring with a symbol of your love for her. Unlike engagement rings that will be publicly shown to many people, wedding rings could be private and sentimental, something only the two of you know the meaning of. This way, every time she looks at her ring, she remembers you.

Your Fiancé’s Lifestyle

Not only should you consider your fiancée’s likes and dislikes, but you should also take into consideration her lifestyle. Would she be able to wear her ring every day? Does it fit her lifestyle to wear the ring? Surely, you’d want her to wear her ring all the time, right? But if you get her a really expensive ring and she has to constantly remove it just to keep it safe, then your ring might even be the cause of several problems in the future. And that’s not the ring’s purpose.

Despite the fact that the appearance of a wedding ring will definitely be appreciated, you shouldn’t base your decisions on that alone. Wedding rings have to be valuable to both you and your fiancée to establish a bond. No matter how much it costs, or what metal’s inside, as long as this ring will symbolize your love for her, she’ll appreciate it.

Check out The Types of Rings Women would Gladly Accept.

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Vintage Fashion Jewelry? Hot or Not?

From simply being the celebrity stylist to the reality TV show that made her a hit, Rachel Zoe is definitely more than just the fashion icon she was known for. And now, even with a baby, she’s still expanding her empire by adding a new line to her long list of accomplishments: luxury fashion jewelry.

Image Credits @ Neiman Marcus

This time, her line of costume jewelry is vintage-inspired. Consisting of cuffs, statement rings, earrings and necklaces, she’s divided each into different collections. The collection is inspired out of different decades. The first is from the Old Hollywood glamour in 1920’s, while another inspires the 1970’s fashion. The third collection, on the other hand, consists of fashion from the 60’s with its shapes and colors, while the fourth collection, otherwise called the Knot, features intertwined, artistic pieces.

These luxurious jewelry can be bought at around $140 for a chain bracelet, up to $650 for a tassel-end necklace at 54 inches.

One of these pieces, a gold and black collar necklace is similar to those worn during the time of Cleopatra. At $595, the piece is outlined with gold bars, black quartz at the sides that connects to the glittering Pave Swarovski crystals. This necklace is definitely fashion-forward, despite the fact that it was inspired from fashion from the past.

Another piece at $325, also included in her jewelry line is a wide statement bracelet, also in elegant gold. Accentuated by a somewhat tribal figure (or what is called a Love Me Knot), shining with white Pave Swarovski crystals at the hinges, the cuff bracelet sure looks like a piece worn by an ancient goddess.

Her line also includes earrings, one of which hangs by black quartz rings, which holds onto a gold plated, glittering handle with Pave Swarovski crystals and connects to a red quartz (from afar looks like ruby diamonds!) square piece ($250). Absolutely gorgeous!

The collection will be sold at Neiman Marcus, one of the shops that Rachel Zoe had gone to, even as a child. Now that the luxury jewelry company will be supporting the stylist’s fashion line, the celebrity stylist is even more excited. In support, Neiman Marcus will also be hosting a video and a tab on Facebook, just to help people shop for Zoe’s new line. This video was also posted in Zoe’s Facebook page.

The final verdict?

Rachel Zoe is definitely one of the best designers and stylist in the world. With her long list of accomplishments, this line will surely do well.

Filled with style, personality and elegant colors that complement each other like green, red, gold, ivory and black, decorated with diamonds and crystals, the line is promising for those who enjoy fashion.

Unfortunately, while the pieces are definitely interesting and stylish, the price tag will be a bummer for many. Fans of Rachel Zoe will save up just to get one of these beautiful pieces.

So yes, vintage jewelry – definitely HOT!

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What Women Want: The 5 Rings They’ll Always Want

Women are a complicated set of human beings. If you’re a man in a relationship with a woman, you’ll find yourself constantly shaking your head as to why you’re even in that relationship. You’ll even reach points wherein you’re so lost that you don’t know anymore whether she wants something or she doesn’t. It’s a crazy world out there when you’re involved with one. But when you are, and she’s on her best, you know you love her. That’s the charm of women.

And then, there are also those days. Those birthdays, Christmases. Those events that you have to get her a gift. What should you get her? Would she even appreciate it?

If you’ve decided to get her a piece of fashion jewelry like a ring, there are 5 types she’ll definitely approve of.

Wedding rings

This, I’m pretty sure she’ll definitely understand. There’s nothing clearer than saying I want you than a wedding ring. If you present her with this, you can clarify everything she feels for you with just one word. Nothing will probably make her happier than getting a wedding ring from you. Now the only problem is – what design and type of wedding ring should you get her?

Engagement rings

Also highly appreciated by women, engagement rings are definitely welcomed, especially if you two have been dating for some time now. The difference between a wedding ring and an engagement ring, however, is that women tend to like grander engagement rings. These are the rings they’ll show everyone just to prove to them that they’ll be getting married. These are the rings that they’ll boast about, when they show them to their parents, their friends. If you plan to get her an engagement ring, make sure it’s the most beautiful one you’ve ever seen. Getting a sparkly one will also be appreciated too.

Promise rings

Ah, for the young in love. Nothing like a promise ring of forever for young adults or teenagers. Promise rings are NOT called engagement rings, but they might as well be. They might not be as expensive or as gorgeous as an engagement ring should be, but really, these are just women’s excuse to trap you into getting engaged. Anyway, still, women will love to receive a ring full of promises. Just make sure not to break your promises within a month or something.

Statement rings

It’s good you take note of your girlfriend’s fashion. If they have a liking for statement rings, you can give them one just for the kicks of being fashionable. Unfortunately, if you want to get a good statement ring for your girlfriend or wife, you may need their best friend’s opinion. After all, a woman’s eye in fashion is definitely different than a man’s.

Diamond rings

And the ultimate gift. Women cannot NOT love diamonds. It’s just the way it is. Diamonds are a woman’s best friend because they are forever. If you and your girlfriend have been fighting, present her with one and I’m pretty sure she won’t be mad anymore. However, if you’re giving this gift as just a plain gift, make sure that she knows it or else, she’ll mistake this ring as an engagement ring. Unless that’s your actual intention, it’s not wise to lead on a woman with a diamond ring. So, have you decided what to get her?

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How to Display Your Jewelry the Extraordinary Way

Are you a little tired of using the common types of jewelry display? Or do you just not have enough budget to buy those effective acrylic body forms? Well, even if you don’t have enough money to complete your display, it doesn’t mean that you have to delay the opening of your jewelry store or booth. In fact, this opens up a lot of windows for your creativity.

You see, in order to attract more people to your store or booth, especially during an Expo, you have to come up with an engaging display that will allow people to see your jewelry in a different light. Now, normally, people would use a wide range of display trays, towers and boxes. They’d even stock up on body forms just to accentuate their pieces. But if you cannot have these, you will have to resort to a different method of displaying your jewelry.

How? With a little creativity, these accessories may be able to give you an advantage over the usual trays and towers.

Make use of a sala chair

Image Credits to Snapretail.com

Weird? Maybe. But in fact, these soft, comfortable sala chairs can easily garner a lot of attention, especially because it’s not common to have it display pieces of jewelry. If you have special brooches or pendants for display, you can easily hang them on the chair or use a push pin to stick bracelets and earrings onto the chair. Catching the attention of customers? Check. Beautiful pieces of jewelry? Check.

Use a mannequin or a sewing body form

If you don’t have a body form especially for displaying jewelry, use your mother’s old mannequin or that sewing body form that you thought you’d never use. Make sure you clean it up first or at least wrap it with some clothes so it doesn’t look too awkward. Besides being able to hang some pieces of jewelry on a sewing body form, you can also stick pins easily onto it, thus, you’d be able to hang earrings, brooches and even bracelets on it.

Clear glass items

The good thing about glass is that it allows you to see through it. There’s an elegancy about it that will make you curious, and it won’t cost you more than your Mom’s special china or cocktail glasses to display it. Best used for huge, statement rings and even engagement rings (because glasses have been known to be used to present rings), prepare a simple, but elegant display using the cocktail glass. Put your best ring inside and prop it over a Styrofoam or small mattress so it doesn’t sink to the bottom. Decorate the surroundings with similar rings and top it over an aesthetic cloth for an elegant, finished look.

Image Credits: Snapretail.com

Stuffed toys

Toys are also good displays for jewelry. However, be careful not to stick anything into a stuffed bear, otherwise, you might get into trouble with a few parents. Instead, if you’ll be using a teddy bear, prettify the teddy bear by using a few pieces of jewelry. Not only will you garner a lot of appreciation from kids, you’ll also get a lot of oohs and ahhs from the crowd. You can also use a similar display like this stuffed octopus here. Since it has 8 arms, you can easily display bracelets. What a cutie!

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3 Jewelry Display Ideas to Attract Attention

When you put up a jewelry store, it is important that you give it everything you have – your capital, hard work and time and even your creativity. Having creativity and being business-minded in the jewelry business is essential so you can easily attract customers to your jewelry store.

While the pieces of jewelry are surely a major attraction to customers, you have to admit that it’s actually the jewelry display that will first and foremost catch the attention of your target customers. Without a good, attractive display, you won’t be able to make your first connection with your customers. In order to do this, making sure that your display is both attractive and functional is just as essential as the pieces you’re selling. Here are some ideas you may want to use for your jewelry store.

Keep your celebrity inspired jewelry in front

Everyone knows how celebrities affect fans and wanna-be-celebrities. If Selena Gomez comes out in this beautiful piece of jewelry, every die-hard fan would end up buying the same jewelry. And now that famous stars like Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton and Kate Hudson have offered their own jewelry lines, there’s a possibility that you can use this angle to attract more customers to your shop. If you arrange your jewelry store to display all celebrity-inspired jewelry at the forefront, you may be able to target and attract the fans of these celebrities to your store. Of course, you’ll have to think of an effective display before making this happen. Have a good theme to your display too, so it won’t be too obvious that this is partly a marketing strategy.

Use big displays that will showcase the jewelry well

Do you have those big displays that look like actual wrists, necks and ankles? Well, if you don’t, then it’s time to get one. Apparently, these types of displays may be the most expensive, but they are also the most effective when it comes to connecting with customers. People like to see how a piece of jewelry will look on an actual hand. While you can’t force them to wear the jewelry at first look, you may be able to attract them if you can showcase the pieces of jewelry already on the specific body part. If you have enough capital, you can also invest on a gorgeous set of wooden jewelry display. The closer it looks to a human body part, the better the connection with your customers.

Blend display colors with the colors of your jewelry

Choosing the color and theme of your jewelry display is also critical to attracting customers. If there is a specific season coming up, you can use the colors to match the season and gain appreciation from customers. But if its regular season, you have to be careful in match your theme’s colors to your jewelry. For example, putting a red necklace over an orange background is not going to garner you any points from a customer. Not only does this two colors clash pretty bad, orange is too bold of a color to use as a background. Keep your display simple and elegant so it won’t outshine your actual jewelry.

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4 Most Important Displays for Your Jewelry

As a jewelry seller, I keep having to wonder which types of jewelry display is the most important when it comes to sales booths and physical stores. Sometimes, I end up having to scour competition just to see what they’ve got.

After years passed, I’ve finally made up my mind on which jewelry trays and cases are the most important for my precious jewelry collection.

First, I definitely think that acrylic hands and necks are very important to a display. Even those these kinds of displays are kind of expensive, especially those made with good materials, they are essential to a display because they provide the customer with a background look at what the jewelry looks like when worn. After some time, I realized this was important because everything I display on these make-believe hands and necks, they sell out pretty quickly.

Second, I also think ring and earring trays and towers are very efficient when it comes to storing the jewelry. Since I sell quite a lot of earrings and rings, I make sure to have at least a tray set and a tower to help me display the jewelry. If I had to settle for single exposure, I’d never be able to get out all of my jewelry at once. At least, these trays and towers can hold a lot of earrings and rings at the same time.

Third, jewelry cases are very important when it comes to selling sets. People like to see sets of jewelry together so I needed a way to display them in one place. Now, jewelry cases are easy to find. The PROBLEM is – finding one that will suit the jewelry set. Each case cannot be just any case. They have to compliment the jewelry set, in order for it to stand out. Otherwise, if the case looks boring and ordinary, no one would notice the set at all.

Fourth and definitely one of the most important types of jewelry display – it should be anything that would be comfortable and safe for the jewelry. Selling various types of jewelry has made me realize that they can easily be ruined by anything. Small scratches and broken pieces end up not being sold at all. So instead, I make sure to buy only comfortable jewelry cases and trays to ensure that my pieces don’t get scratched out of the blue.

What about you? Have you figured out the most important types of display for you?

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How to Make a DIY Jewelry Display

Did you know that it isn’t that hard to create a creative jewelry display? I thought it would take me several brain aneurysms first before I could create one that can truly sell my pieces. If not a brain aneurysm, I’d have to drown in debt first just to pay all those expensive display trays. 

Good thing, I discovered that I can actually make a do-it-yourself display without having to sell my kidney. 

First, I had to think of a creative theme for my jewelry. Since I like nature and I have a thing for the color combination of blue, green and brown, I wanted to build an effective jewelry display that will focus on just that, plus the elements of nature. 

Now that I had a theme for my display, I needed to set up my materials first. I took some blue lace curtains and green fabrics from my house (luckily, I still had them). I also had to look for old plywood that I can turn into star risers and towers. I’m also pretty skilled in a little carpentry so I could easily make my own towers. However, while making my second star riser, I ended up running out of materials so I had to resort to using books instead. After painting my star risers, I was ready to set up my jewelry booth.

Using the fabrics, I spread them out over the table with the lace fabric decorated over the stretched out green cloth. I placed a few antique looking wood on the sides and used the books to create different heights. The star risers I placed in the middle. Since I also liked the common, but generally attractive acrylic hand and pendant boards, I spent some money on a piece each and surrounded the star riser with the ready-made jewelry display. Just to give the display a little more design, I took some pieces of branches from an old Christmas tree and added it to the design, near the wood, giving it a forestry look. To finish off my decorations, I also made sure to add some soft LED lights to emphasize the colors of all jewelry pieces on display. 

Through this DIY display, I didn’t have to spend much. How about you? Which type of display for your jewelry is your favorite? Did it take you as long as I did to create yours? 

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Ways to Clean Your Jewelry Display

What? You thought all you had to clean was your jewelry? Did you really think your jewelry display cases, trays and more would last years without cleaning? Of course not. So, once in awhile, you’d have to close up shop early, take all your display out and start cleaning. Well, you can always have someone else clean it, but where’s the fun in that?

Don’t worry, I promise, it’s not rocket science. Here are a few ways you can clean your display pieces.

By using a vacuum cleaner for visible dust and dirt

One of the easiest ways to get the dust and dirt out is by using a vacuum cleaner. If you happen to have one of those vacuums with hoses that can get into the corners of trays, then you’d have better luck in actually cleaning your jewelry display. Don’t use those big vacuums of course, otherwise, it’d probably suck the whole display. Complete failure!

By using a scotch tape

Okay, so this is a little harder and it’ll take much longer than a vacuum cleaner. However, if you really want to remove the lint and fingerprints on the display, you can use the sticky side of a scotch tape to dab and remove any lint on the surface. Yes, I imagine this is a really hard task, especially if the display keeps sticking to the scotch tape and it will. You can also try rolling a masking tape with its sticky side out and then roll it around the surface. This may be less effective, but easier to handle.

Pet rollers for removing dirt on pendant boards and flat trays

These pet rollers work almost exactly like a vacuum cleaner, but they are usually smaller and meant for actual pet hair on clothes. Although these won’t work on trays with compartments, they’ll work well on pendant boards and flat trays because they don’t have to creep into corners and crevices.

Damp cloth for wiping and finish off cleaning

Once the dust has been removed, it is now time to finish off cleaning by wiping your jewelry display with a damp cloth. And no, do not use this damp cloth cleaning method on carpeted displays like some pendant boards and jewelry trays because you’ll only get the opposite effect of cleaning.

I prefer to clean my own jewelry display. Sometimes, it’s like me and my shop time. Not only did I NOT want to spend a few hundred bucks on getting someone else to clean my jewelry display, but I also didn’t want to risk any of my unique jewelry displays. At least, if something happens, I can only blame myself for not cleaning well.

What about you? What do you do to clean your jewelry display?

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How to Clean Your Ivory Jewelry

Ivory is one of the popular, but controversial materials used for various kinds of traditional and elegant fashion jewelry. While it is illegal to sell ivory in some states, there are others where acquiring ivory the legal way is possible. And when you have an ivory necklace, it’s only right that you take proper care of it.

My husband knows I like the authenticity of ivory necklaces so when he’s able to buy some, he gives it to me as a present on special occasions. Unfortunately, he’s not always around to have them cleaned every now and then. But, instead of letting my ivory pieces dry out and darken, ruining its genuine texture and overall look, I decided to find out for myself how to clean my own ivory necklace.

Here’s two ways to get dust and dirt off one of my favorite accessories:

First, I can try dusting off the necklace first, using a paintbrush with fine tips. This way, I can remove any dust between the chains or small crevices in the pendant. Before I dust though, I make sure to wear cotton gloves so I don’t extend any dirt onto my necklace. A friend once suggested I use white, vinyl eraser to remove any dirt. I guess it depends on whichever you’re more comfortable with.

Second, I can also try removing the dirt off my ivory necklace by wiping it with lint-free cloth. Luckily, I have plenty of these since I own glasses. I always keep an extra pair or two just for use on any of my high fashion jewelry that may need cleaning. In order to wipe the dirt off, I make sure to use warm water and avoid soap or any other household products.

Small tip though: whenever I clean my ivory necklaces, I always make sure to dust it first, using the paintbrush before wiping it with water and cloth. The cloth can’t get into small spaces like paintbrushes can, but if I only use a paintbrush, I won’t be able to wipe the dirt off. I also make sure not to scrub, so I don’t ruin the pendant in any way. However, if you own an antique ivory necklace, maybe it’s best to leave the cleaning to professionals.

Do you own one of these lovely ivory pieces? How do clean it?

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Thinking of Miley, Liam and THE Engagement Ring

After getting engaged only a month ago, Miley has been rocking the headlines for a many of reasons. Aside from being engaged at a very young age of 19, Miley is back in the headlines with here newly blond tresses. She and her fiancé, Liam Hemsworth, were also reportedly planning to have their first baby as soon as possible. A couple of news sources say that this decision of the couple was influenced by Liam’s brother. Chris Hemsworth had baby in India not long ago and it impressed the celebrity couple making them more excited on planning a family instead of the actual ceremony.

If I had kids who would get married at 19 and have babies in their 20s, I would definitely freak out! I guess that’s just too early. I mean time is of the essence – you can never turn back the hands of time. Once you’re past your 20s, you can never go back. No reset or pause button that could help you get a breather anytime. Life just goes on.

But I’m happy for the both of them – for finding love at a very young age. I just hope they stay together as long as they live. Seeing celebrity couples head to splitsville every other day is heart breaking especially if they’ve been together for a long time and they seemed happy with their relationship. I never thought Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes would divorce – I love them! I watched the Oprah episode where Tom jumped up and down of the couch just to let the world know how thrilled he is with this new found love.

Oh well, let’s just hope it works for the best.

Why am I getting too emotional with these stars? Lol.

I just actually want to tell you guys that I saw a picture of Miley’s engagement ring – it’s gorgeous!

Do you think I can find replicas of that in wholesale fashion jewelry stores?

I don’t want the real thing. Lol. I’m sure it took Liam a fortune to have that made. But I really like the design – its basic shape and classic look will be perfect for DIY projects. Like now, I have tons of ideas for those rings. I can turn them into vintage or distressed cocktail rings. With a few tweaks here and there, I could surely turn them into a brooch or a pretty hair clip. I’m just so excited!

Oh! I just had an awesome idea – would you guys want DIY tips and tutorials for your accessories?

Just let me know.

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Tips to Picking Your Jewelry Display

Hey, jewelry sellers, I have a question for you. Did you know that your jewelry display is an important factor to selling your jewelry?

The answer to this question is yes, it is definitely an important factor. I, myself, thought that I should just buy wholesale jewelry displays and focus instead on making and preparing the jewelry to sell. However, I realized that the display was important because in order to attract customers, I needed to make them see the jewelry in a different light. I needed to display the jewelry in a way that will attract them and get them to buy. If I wanted this to happen, I needed to be more careful in picking out the display for my jewelry.

From jewelry seller to jewelry seller, here are some tips I took that helped me pick out the right type of display for my jewelry shop:

First, I needed to know and understand what kind of jewelry shop I had. Since I own an all-around type of jewelry shop, I could easily skip this tip and go onto the second tip. However, for those of you who only own formal, elegant jewelry shops, you’ll need to focus on displaying beautiful and genuine pieces. Traditional jewelry shop owners may want to think of a theme for their display too, as they can decorate their display, depending on their theme. Unlike shops that sell genuine pieces and prefer to keep their display mostly simple and white to help define the clarity of their pieces, traditional shops can play more with their creativity in display.

Second, I needed to consider the amount and type of jewelry I had to display. Since I had some genuine pieces to display, I made sure to find acrylic hands and mannequins so I can actively display the jewelry, as if it was worn on a real hand. I also had to find attaché cases, especially for the really expensive pieces. For my traditional pieces, which were a lot, I made sure to at least get some pendant boards, utility trays and rotating towers.

Third, I also had to consider my budget after all, I’m not building this jewelry shop out of thin air. Since I was bent on saving money, I considered buying these display pieces online or on wholesale so at least, I could get some discount.

So, jewelry sellers, did you have the same things in mind when you picked out your jewelry display? Or do you have other tips for us, sellers?

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Why Jewelry Makers Should Consider Selling Their Own Jewelry

As a jewelry maker, I know I am definitely (cue boasting smile here) talented and creative. However, when I first got the offer of selling my own jewelry, I was not at all ecstatic. Yes, I sell my pieces to some actual sellers, but to build my own business? It sounded like a bad joke, especially for me – who only relied on my talent and friendship with sellers to make money.

Despite my love for jewelry and talent to create beautiful pieces, I didn’t know anything about businesses. In fact, I was so scared to fund my own capital, most of all, because I had no idea how to start.

You see, in starting a business, it’s not just the capital that I had to consider. I also had to think of where to sell my jewelry, how to sell and which market to target. There are so many aspects of business that needed to be considered. I wasn’t even sure if my jewelry would sell!

Fortunately, as time passed, I realized a few things. Jewelry makers who can sell their own jewelry may benefit not only from their creative talents, but also for their business knowledge. Why?

Jewelry makers can make more profit

Being able to open up my own store opened up a lot of opportunities for me. Not only did I start attracting my own customers, but I was also able to attract resellers of my own. No more having to co-sign my jewelry to interested sellers or rely on friends to sell. Instead, I could focus on making jewelry and earning profits. Having a physical store allowed me to build my own reputation and attract more customers.

They can be recognized for their efforts

When I used to sell my jewelry to friends who were sellers, I was never really recognized as the jewelry maker. I’d see some people from my neighbors wearing my jewelry, but they never really knew it was ME who made it. Instead, they think it was my co-signer, my friend who sold the jewelry for me. However, when I opened up shop, I was able to establish my reputation, not only as a businesswoman, but as a talented jewelry maker.

A physical store tests the creativity of the jewelry maker

Building a business is hard, all the more a jewelry business. Besides having to make sure that I continuously create beautiful jewelry, I also had to consider the attractiveness of my store. This meant checking out various jewelry display ideas, getting a good interior designer or simply decorating my shop, in order to easily market and attract my customers. There wasn’t any day when I wouldn’t have to stretch my creativity.

How about you, talented jewelry maker? Are you ready to take your business to the next step? Why or why not?

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