Heart of Stone Studio Blog

5 Ways To Diversify Your Jewelry Designs

 

Have you ever thought about expanding your jewelry offerings? Collectors and galleries love it when your work has a thread of similarity running through all its pieces. But maybe, just maybe, you might want to expand your jewelry line a bit in order to attract a broader customer base. Also, changing things up a little is a great way to get energized and challenged by your work.

What are some ways you can diversify? Here are some suggestions:

1) Try some new colors, either of stones or of metals.

Sheet, wire, and PMC is now being offered in more than just gold and silver.
Check out PMC for new colors in bronze. Gold is available in rose, peach, and green.

Copper is gaining popularity. Or, you can explore cold-joining new metals--such as niobium and titanium, or even steel, to more traditional metals. Or, consider new ways to add surface color, or even patinate the metals you have on hand.

 

And of course, the Heart of Stone Studio Website has a huge variety of stone colors:

For cabs, start at our Vivid Colors category page. For Drusies, browse both the

coated and uncoated druzy sections to see a variety of colors.

Web Tip:   Typing in a color in the search box on our home page--purple for example--
will instantly call up every stone on our site that has purple in it. 

 

2) Change the scale of your designs

If you're used to working large, try building some petite pieces and see how they do, and vice versa.  You don't have to produce a lot--even four or five pieces might be enough to attract the notice of your customers.

Web Tip:   You can search for specific sizes of stones by going to our search box andtyping in the size class that you want: tiny, small, medium, large, extra-large, Jumbo. (See our Shopper's Guide for the size range in millimeters for each class).

 

3) Design for the other sex.

If you're used to designing for women, you might want to explore adapting your designs and making them more masculine (or heavier in look, color, or size) for men.
Those guys accompanying their wives shopping might start to take an interest in your pieces. Don't forget that watchbands, bolas, bracelets, rings, even money clips or credit card cases might pique the interest of the male browser.

4) Add in a new price point.

If you're used to building jewelry that does okay at a certain price point, you might want to explore going down or up in order to win new customers. Adding a small (melee)  diamond accent is one way to instantly increase the monetary value of your piece, if it fits within your design aesthetic.

Heart of Stone Studio also can help if you want to create a lower-priced line that's still interesting and fun--Look for smaller stones or drilled pendants in our search box, or browse our faux gems to create a  lighthearted line that will charm your buyers.

5) Start small and test your market. You don't have to completely retrofit your entire production all at once. Just narrow your options down to one new idea at a time, and try making a very limited number of pieces. Consider setting them apart by displaying them separately or on a different background, compared to the main body of your work. Introduce them to your customers as a "new direction you're exploring" and be sure to note their reactions and get their feedback.  If they don't catch on right away, don't give up--just try a different venue. Pay attention to who does notice and purchase them--that might be your new target audience. Keeping your production numbers small to start is a good way to experiment without taking big risks.    

 

Whatever you do, it's important that your new additions still contain some "signature aspect" that will make your piece recognizable as uniquely yours. 

 

Have fun and let me know how it goes.

For more ideas on ways to market your work, check out

my book: Making It As A Jewelry Artist.  

Malachite

Malachite is a wonderful stone. Its deep green color resembles the greens of Nature. In fact, its name comes from the Greek word for the Mallow plant, whose leaves it was thought to resemble.

The mineral has been known from antiquity, and was mined by the Egyptians as early as 4000 BC. The early Greeks and Romans used it for jewelry. In powdered form it was used for eye shadow, and also was used as a green pigment in paintings until it was replaced by synthetic pigments.

Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide, usually found deep underground in association with copper. Along with Azurite, Malachite has been frequently extracted from copper mines around the world.

It is a relatively soft stone, with the Mohs hardness of around 3.5 to 4.

In a metaphysical sense, malachite is said to release negative emotions and anxiety, and provide a connection with Nature. It is said to harmonize with and stimulate the Heart Chakra. In the Middle Ages it was kept in bedrooms to prevent nightmares.

We have a number of wonderful malachite cabochons on our Heart of Stone Studio webpage, www.heartofstonestudio.com.

Chinese and Tibetan Turquoise

Turquoise is a mineral produced from copper aluminum phosphate hydride. The blue color comes from the copper, and the greens and blacks come from iron impurities.

China has become one of the world's leading producers of turquoise, with approximately 75% of the world's turquoise production. However, because of environmental degradation caused by strip-mining in Chinese mines, the government has closed a number of the mines and has imposed strict mining regulations, somewhat limiting the production of turquoise.

Chinese turquoise tends to have mostly blues and black as a color scheme.

Tibetan turquoise comes from the Himalayan area of Tibet. It tends to have more greens, from higher levels of iron impurities. It is the same source of turquoise that the Tibetans have used and worn for centuries.

Over the centuries it has been prized by Tibetans for its alleged healing properties. It is said to promote fertility, well-being, and prosperity, and has been worn in jewelry by both male and female Tibetans.

Most of the Chinese and Tibetan turquoise has been stabilized. In turquoise, stabilization is not a bad thing. It strengthens the stone, deepens and enriches the color, and aids in its overall protection.

There are two types of stabilizing mixtures. One, called clear shot, doesn't change the color of the turquoise. It just makes it richer and easier to see. The other, used on low grade turquoise, is called color shot because it adds dye to the stone.

Clear shot uses a resin or a plastic to strengthen the turquoise, which is often very soft when non-stabilized, and in the process creates a somewhat shiny surface like putting water on a river pebble.

We have a number of Chinese and Tibetan turquoise cabochons on our Heart of Stone Studio website, www.heartofstonestudio.com.

Peruvian Opal

Peruvian Opals come from the San Patricio area near the Andes Mountains of Peru. The Peruvian Opal is the national stone of Peru, and was considered by the Incas as a gift from Pachamama, the goddess of Mother Earth.

They are associated with copper mines, and as copper has become more expensive, the mining of Peruvian Opals has generally stopped, in favor of mining the copper.

These opals are made up of hydrated silicon dioxide, with small inclusions of chrysocolla, which is a copper silicate. The chrysocolla gives the opals their soft blue color, which has sometimes been compared to the blue of the Caribbean Sea.

Many of these stones are translucent, so that you can see light coming through them. Unlike other opals, the crystalline structure of these is unorganized, so that you don't get flashes of different colors. Instead, you get a very tranquil blue color.

The Mohs hardness of these opals is 5.5 to 6, making them somewhat harder than many other opals. However, they are very susceptible to heat, and excessive heat can make them fracture or lose their color.

In the metaphysical sense, Peruvian opals are said to be associated with the throat chakra, and are said to promote and facilitate communication, creativity, and the free flow of ideas.

We have a number of Peruvian opal cabochons on our Heart of Stone Studio website, www.heartofstonestudio.com.

Pinolite

Pinolite is a metamorphic rock that is a mixture of dolomite, graphite, and magnesite. The dolomite and graphite give the stone a gray and black color, while the magnesite appears in whitish clumps that look like the edible seeds of the pine tree, Pinus pinea.

Because of the white clumps, the stone has also sometimes been called Pinolith or Pine Stone, or Pine Nuts Pinolith.

It was discovered in 1873 in the Styria region of Austria.

In a metaphysical sense, the stone is said to have a calming and grounding effect, channeling energy from the ground through the body to the heavens.

We have a number of Pinolite cabochons on our Heart of Stone Studio website, www.heartofstonestudio.com.

Sonoran Sunrise Jasper

Sonoran Sunrise Jasper is a beautiful stone that contains aqua blues, reds, and blacks, that are reminiscent of sunrises in the desert, where in the clear air the colors can be quite vivid and intense.

The stone is a mixture of chrysocolla and cuprite. The chrysocolla provides the blue and aqua colors, and the cuprite provides the red colors. The black color comes from either iron or the mineral tenorite.

Sonoran Sunrise Jasper comes from the Milpillas Mine in Sonora, Mexico. Unlike most copper mines which are open pit mines, this particular mine produces material that is covered by hundreds of feet of gravel.

The mine opened in 2006, and so Sonoran Sunrise Jasper is a relatively new material on the market. However, it is said that by 2011 most of the material in this mine has been extracted, and the stone has been harder to get in recent times, particularly stones showing the richness of the blues and reds.

From a metaphysical standpoint, the stone is said to combine the healing properties of both chrysocolla and cuprite. Chrysocolla is said to provide feelings of peace, calmness, and tranquility. Cuprite is said to provide relief from anxiety.

We have a number of wonderful specimens of Sonoran Sunrise Jasper on our website, at www.heartofstonestudio.com.

Star Stones: Star Ruby and Black Star Diopside

I would like to tell you about a couple of Star stones, both of which we offer on our website. The stones are the Star Ruby and the Black Star Diopside.

Let's take a look at Star Rubies first.

Rubies are a red form of corundum, made up of aluminum oxide crystals that contain the element chromium. They are hard stones, with a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, which gives them a hardness approaching that of diamonds. For that reason they have been valued as stones to be placed in jewelry.

Traditionally, most rubies have been mined in Asia, in places such as Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. However, rubies have also been found in a variety of other places around the world.

Star Rubies are distinctive because under a bright light they have a six pointed star on their surface. The stars are produced by titanium dioxide impurities in the form of needlelike fibers known as rutiles. Light reflects from these rutiles, producing the star effect.

In the metaphysical sense, rubies are said to help increase vitality and life force energy. Historically, they have been associated with love and commitment.

 

 

Now let's take a look at Black Star Diopside.

Diopside is a mineral made up of magnesium calcium silicon oxide. It is a relatively soft stone with the Mohs hardness of around 6. At the present time, most black Star Diopside comes from India, although other deposits have been found in various places around the world.

Under a bright light, Black Star Diopside has a four-pointed white star, instead of the six-pointed star found in Star Rubies. The star is produced by needle-thin rutiles made up magnetite inclusions.

Because of the way the rutiles are arranged and the way that they reflect light, two of the lines in the star appear to be straight while the other two appear to be crooked or wavy.

In the metaphysical sense, Black Star Diopside is said to revitalize the mind and to cleanse the emotions. Some say that it also helps stimulate creativity.

We have some Star Rubies and Black Star Diopside on our website, Heart of Stone Studio.

Montana Moss Agate

These are some of my favorite stones. They're translucent, which means that light comes through them, but in a very soft diffuse sort of way. The stones look like a misty morning in a fall landscape where occasional fall colors of orange, brown, and red peek through.

The stones come from Montana, from agates found along the banks of the Yellowstone River. The river got its name from Native Americans who called it the Yellow Stone River in their language. That name was translated into French by the French-Canadian trappers, and later Lewis and Clark translated the name into English.

Agates are a form of chalcedony made up from silicon dioxide, or basically quartz. They have a  Moss hardness of 7, just like clear quartz.

The colors inside Montana Moss Agates are due to small amounts of metals present as impurities. The red comes from iron oxides, and the black comes from manganese oxides.

Montana Moss Agates were formed by volcanic activity in the Yellowstone area during the Pleistocene age, roughly from 2.5 million years to about 12,000 years ago. The volcanoes produced the silicon dioxide, and then rainwater seeping into the rocks brought in the iron and manganese impurities, leading to wonderful bands and beautiful splashes of color in this translucent stone. 

In a metaphysical sense, Montana Moss Agate is said to cleanse and balance all of the chakras.

You can see our selection of stones on our website, heartofstonestudio.com.

Rhodonite

This is a very pretty mineral that is either pink or red.  Unlike some minerals, it does not have any industrial uses. Instead, it is used primarily in jewelry and as mineral specimens.  Stones used for jewelry often have inclusions of black manganese oxide along with the red of the rhodonite.

The name comes from the Greek word for “rose” or “rosy.”  It was formally named in 1819 by Christoph Friedrich Jasche.

Technically, it is a manganese inosilicate, with a Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6.5.  It is a relatively uncommon mineral, found in metamorphic rocks in a few deposits in different places in the world, including Australia, Brazil, Russia, Sweden, Peru, England, and the United States.  Rhodonite is the state gem of Massachusetts.

Metaphysically, it is said to have a strong energy of love, altruism, and generosity. It is said to be associated with the root (1^st) and heart (4^th) chakras, and is said to help people fulfill their destiny.

It is one of the birthstones associated with the Taurus astrological sign.

We have a number of fabulous rhodonite cabochons suitable for jewelry designs on our website, http://www.heartofstonestudio.com.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodonite, http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/rhodonite.html, http://www.mindat.org/min-3407.html, http://geology.com/minerals/rhodonite.shtml, Robert Simmons, 2015, The Pocket Book of Stones.

Azurite

This is a gorgeous mineral  that comes in shades of blue, deep blue, or purple.  It is found primarily in copper ore deposits, and is often associated with the mineral malachite.

Azurite has been used as a pigment since ancient times, and was mentioned in Pliny the Elder’s Natural History (Pliny wrote most of his Natural History in 77 A.D. in Latin, and died in 79 A.D. watching the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in what is now central Italy).  Many of the vivid blues in paintings from the Middle Ages have now been shown to be made from azurite.

Azurite as a mineral is a copper carbonate, and is relatively soft, with a Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 4.0. It is destroyed by high levels of heat, and the color can fade over time if it is left out in bright sunlight. When it is used in jewelry or if it is used as a specimen in a collection, it should be stored, like any blue or purple stone, in a cool dark place to prevent it from fading.

When azurite is cut as cabochons for jewelry, it is not soft, particularly if it is cut within a quartz matrix.

The mineral is found in the United States, Russia, Australia, China, Chile, and several parts of Europe.

Metaphysically, azurite is said to be good for meditation, promoting an opening of the third eye, an enhancement of psychic and intuitive abilities, and a clearing of the throat chakra. It is also said to provide insight into emotions and helps emotional growth.

We have a limited supply of azurite on our website, www.heartofstonestudio.com.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azurite, http://www.mindat.org/min-447.html, http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/azurite, Robert Simmons, 2015, The Pocket Book of Stones.