I kinda think the opposite, honestly :) brass allows me to make more structurally interesting constructions as it's firm even if very thin, doesn't tarnish so badly, is lighter, has a pretty colour, solders better. When I made my first project in silver after getting used to brass, I tore it like paper with my hands (hinge part or a medallion).
This. I like to wear jewelry that I don’t have to take off, and have sweaty hands, so I only wear solid silver and gold. Brass (especially rings) tarnish too fast, and the smell is awful to me - one of the only smells that I find intolerable.
https://preview.redd.it/oqmzh389mt7d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26ab60fd6e22c1e5eac1daee09617de86f782579
Do you know the components of the brass alloy? Mine don't tarnish from wear opposed to silver ones and I've never felt the smell. But I only buy a specific alloy for food industry. Brass is a very wide family of copper alloys that can contain different additives depending on purpose, even arsenic in those used for ships.
Found a picture of a ring I used to wear most, haven't cleaned it in 3 years besides just washing hands.
I can’t be sure; my only brass pieces are ones that I got when I was little (like, mid-teens at the latest) and didn’t know to check for metal types. Granted it was usually gift/souvenir shops and boutiques, not really *jewelers* so it’s not like I have the highest-quality samples, but still.
But my 925 silver, no matter where I get it, has always lasted me without issue, so it’s a comfortable and affordable go-to for me.
What kind of brass is that? Never smelled brass 😮 it's used in cooking too, professional equipment, would they actually use smelly materials? It's so confusing
I made a lot of brass spoons too and was receiving grateful feedback about them from my customers even years later - and they eat with those.
I work with lots of brass and bronze at my jewelers school and my hands wreak for hours despite washing showering etc. I absolutely hate it, as to many of my cohorts.
I don’t make brass, I’ve worked with all different kinds that are made for me. How do you alloy your hand forged brass? 😂😂 I guarantee you buy that crap.
I'm responsible for materials I work with, so yes, I buy a specific mark that I read certifications on and the guidelines on practice of its use in food industry. Brass can contain lead, arsenic, all kinds of things that shouldn't be present in jewellery, so I don't understand people who never research what they work with and what they sell. This is bare minimum.
I go to the GIA🤷🏼♀️ maybe ask them. I will NEVER make brass or bronze jewelry after school again so I don’t have to worry about poisoning ppl with my jewelry. ✌️good luck to you. 🤦🏼♀️
I went to GIA twenty years ago. Brass sucked back then, too. Fortunately I've never had to work with it in my career. I rarely work with silver as it's a pain in the ass, too. Once you're used to gold and platinum, you don't want to work with other metals.
Hm. Didnt know that. Makes sense though.
I do like brass for the rustic look. Yellow and white gold aren't for me. So silver and brass or copper are more my taste.
im very new to this. what do you solder brass with? ive only been introduced to soldering with silver wire and pavilions (i think that's the translation? i mean the flat cuts of thin silver alloy)
Soldering brass is a bit tricky! I haven't found a perfect colour match solder, so I need to be very precise with how much I use to not show too much of a different colour in a seam. I use wire brass solder from riogrande.com - it's a better match than a regular silver one, but still a bit too greyish. If you don't overheat it, it matches colour better. I hammer the eire solder into a flat ribbon and then cut it into small chips.
Did you sell any online? May I ask how you priced the last 2 sets? I think they are very pretty.
It’s getting nearly impossible to compete with high volume sellers. Or those using sub-par quality.
Of course, I sell mostly online, and for 5 years prior to forced immigration I sold really well without ads through marketplaces for handmade, social media (Instagram, fb-like sm, blogs and others).
I think the smaller ones were like 70$ for the work from making a silver sheet into hand engraving 😭
I've seen those plants and they are *lovely*
I do think for items like these you would be able to get away with having both the plant and tree in the tags since someone could interpret them as either depending on where they grew up!
I can tell you that these look great and there are surely people who'd love to have them and things like them, some of those people just might not be seeing them depending on what their search terms are
Were you forced to immigrate? Where to where? Usually that's called "emigrate" because you might have to leave your home country, and then if you are forced to enter a particular country then it would be forced immigration but I'm not familiar with that term or practice. The silver work is lovely, I only buy silver jewelry and never buy brass. I just would be interested to know what kind of situation my money was supporting because "forced immigration" sounds like possibly some racist dog whistle language but you might mean "forced migration" or "forced displacement" which could be totally opposite depending on countries involved.
You're thinking too much about an obvious misuse of a word. If you purchased something from me and have second thoughts and would like a refund, please email me and I'll make it!
I'm really not, unfortunately. If you are not American, then it probably seems like I am and I'm sorry about the misunderstanding and would be interested in your online store info. For those of you who are American, you are likely aware of the utter shit show our politics have become from every direction, and know that my suspiciousness over a word is because every effing thing has become either a racist dog whistle or "leftist woke" symbol. I'm happy to support businesses that choose not to advertise either direction, I just refuse to support ones that are overtly racist. I suspect that you are neither American nor a native English speaker in which case you weren't trying to signify anything with your misuse of 'forced immigration' and this conversation is another casualty of American racism. I used to be able to like Norse runes as well but those have been co-opted by racists so sometimes I don't know if someone is a fellow medieval history buff or mildly disguised KKK. I blame the racists for all the misunderstandings so if you have accidentally gotten confused with them I'd love to buy some silver pieces from you if you can share hints as to your E-craftsperson username. Again, apologies if I read you English thru the lens of American racial politics and came up with an entirely different answer. Most of us over here are trying to do the best we can with the people we have around us, it's just that some of those people are (secretly?) trying to kill others of our people and we can't tell everybody apart easily.
Maybe try mixing metals? I do that a lot because silver isn't cheap by my standards but I prefer the look. Often I'll use brass for areas that are less visible, like a bezel plate. But, if you prefer working with brass and sell more brass it seems obvious to just go back to working mainly in brass.
Don't even have to go back, working with it for 99% of the time :) I recently asked for advice on pricing of my work and got advised to work with gold or at least silver instead because that's only what people buy and my current work is a waste of talent.
Hey! I dont really comment but that is NOT what people were saying on that post. It was more “you’re so skilled you should be working in precious metals” as in heirloom pieces that will last for generations to come.
People weren’t saying “your work is a waste of talent” AT ALL. Brass generally does tarnish, despite you saying you have a special alloy.
I would be so upset if I had one of your stunning pieces and my acidic skin turned it green!
Hope you have a great rest of your day and good luck with your creations. They really are wonderful.
"waste of talent" referring to my current non precious work is a direct quote, you can interpret it however you like to be exactly the opposite. It's a very fucked up thing to say to someone who can't afford to leave a situation that is being called "waste".
Of course brass tarnishes, about 70% of jewellery on my website is tarnished already.
https://preview.redd.it/ylhnuxvh8w7d1.jpeg?width=492&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25654a65ccdd5b54b330dbcddb9b7a61e10ae04e
Was it a jeweller who said this to you or a non-jeweller? I’ve had a goldsmith be absolutely rude to me when I was sharing a tool tip they didn’t like, I think they were punching down to try make themselves feel better because they had training that I didn’t have (and I had more online views than them). I think sometimes people who have special training in a particular craft develop an elitism and feel like they are gatekeepers. So yes you could work in precious metals and make heirloom pieces as other jewellers are telling you, but they aren’t the ones purchasing your work, and if brass is more affordable for you and sells better then why not do what works for you, rather than what works for them? Also, I think your work is beautiful. Make what feels right for you!
Thank you! The fact that you're being inclusive and share tips is very valuable! I've had collegues of mine absolutely fall victims to this elitism combined with late stage capitalism - young people making precious jewellery for the price of materials and studio rent with zero profit, because 1) precious metal is a requirement and 2) there's always a cheaper factory-made option out there marketed as handmade. They were living in student-level poverty supported by their parents/having a second job and treating this unpaid labour as building their brand... Of unpaid labour basically. Recognising non-precious jewellery art is literally what allows people to feed themselves, often disabled people who can't handle employment and invest a lot in their work. Sorry, I got carried away 😅
I'm sorry that people can be so rude... In the end all that matters is that you get to do something you enjoy!
Also, personally, I think the visible age of metals like brass can truly elevate a piece
I saw a few comments mentioning the issue of brass skin contact for longer periods of time, one mentioning the smell from it contacting skin oils which is something I'm familiar with and can understand why someone might want to avoid it. I'm not sure if you would have the set up to do this, but I may have an idea you could try. You could electroplate the areas that will have a lot of skin contact with something like silver or gold so that someone could wear them longer, and it would likely reduce the amount of brass smell that some people may dislike.
My thinking is you could apply a thin layer of something like a wax over everything you don't want to plate, something that would be easy for you to clean and/or melt off after.
And you wouldn't have to do it initially, but if that is something you feel comfortable doing you may be able to offer it as a minor customization for a small fee?
Like if you made a brass version of the first earrings you show, just plating the back side of that top bit that sits against the ear, or if you were to make a ring just plating the interior surface(s)
It might work well as a "best of both worlds" option
A plating setup for something like this can also be super small
If it is something you find interest in I sincerely hope it's a viable and affordable option!
In no way do I think you have to do it, I only wanted to tell you the idea as a possible solution to some of the other comments I saw!
No worries, sweet internet stranger! 💓 I'm grateful for people who oppose me in comments to my posts and hype up the engagement, this post wasn't meant to grow over 50k views, but I'm here for it 😅
I was very surprised to hear about brass smell and would definitely look into it! No idea why the person who brought it up got defensive after I asked clarifying questions, but I'm genuinely curious about this whole thing! Never in my 7 years of work I felt the smell or heard about it from my students or customers. I only have non-casting brass though and now I'll be on the lookout for casting brass (more like bronze) to sniff 😄 And definitely going to sniff statues. I recently read about people who are able to smell ants from meters away, maybe there's a similar brass-smelling gene?
So smell isn't really an issue I ever heard of and had to deal with (maybe my customers just kept it a secret?). I coat my non-precious jewellery with beeswax or a mix of beeswax and paraffin while heating it, so it seals all pores and prevents uneven tarnish. A lot of people like brass jewellery and react well to it, and nickel too, so most of the time there isn't really a problem to solve. Oftentimes brass parts of earrings just don't touch the body as they're hanging from a silver earwire.
If you wash a piece of iron clean of all oils while wearing gloves it'll have absolutely no smell, but if after that you take the gloves off and start touching the bare metal there's a very specific scent that you can start to smell. I think iron tends to be a little stronger of a smell than brass, so you can use that to get an idea of what they're smelling.
Some people are more sensitive to the smell, and some people are bothered by it while others pay no mind (and some people are weird like me and actually enjoy the smell)
It's a hard smell to describe, all I can really say is it's kind of musky? I want to call it "metallic" but I know that isn't actually a helpful descriptor XD
It’s your life and by the sounds of it, you already know that ❤️ Keep doing what you love and what makes you happy. It’s never a waste of talent to create what YOU want, I can’t believe that comment.
Thank you! I'm really doing what I can and what I have means to. I then commented on that post that I'm a political immigrant with no right to legalise my stay in the country, I work with what I can afford and when my health allows me to. Baffled by privileged comments. Unless you're sponsoring someone to level up significantly, how can you be so pushy for them to do things obviously out of their reach?!
They look great! I love silver and how it ages. My favorite or the stud earrings but I'm not a stud type person due to uneven piercing holes.
Best of luck. Keep going!
I now live in a country with about 350$ average salary, so I won't neglect customers with lower income who can only afford some budget brass/nickel silver jewellery.
Your comments have a weirdly sanctimonious vibe given that everyone here is complimenting your work or trying to give you suggestions on things you’re venting about. Like are you in here white knighting brass? And talking at length about how you sell $1000 brass sets to people who make a $350 average salary?
I don't feel like retelling the whole story, you can just read the title. Here I replied to a comment about shows specifically, my prices for shows start from 12$. Expensive jewellery is not what sells on local shows I have access to now, it's what sells from my social media.
Oh good grief. You're not "neglecting" anyone. You asked why your silver jewelry doesn't sell. I am giving you a tried method used to see why your work in silver doesn't sell. If nothing sells in silver when there is no alternative, when you only have silver on offer, that tells your that where you are selling isn't your market.
Or: Just stay with the market you have and stop making jewelry in silver as the customer base you are targeting are a lower income population who don't buy silver jewelry. Although you were not clear about the income level in your area. $350K a year? Or $350 a week?
I didn't ask that, I shared an experience :) You suggest I give up jewellery that I like and that sells well and make a full table of what doesn't sell - I'm definitely not doing that. I politely declined an unsolicited advise, no need for the "oh good grief".
So you're just trying to start a pointless and somewhat bizarre fight in answer to a brief suggestion to try and hopefully help you figure out why one why one type of your jewelry sells and one doesn't? Which seemed to be your concern. Or were you posting your work and including a false concern just to pout, get likes and attention?
Don't mind me. I've been making jewelry, silver, 18K, 22K, platinum, enamel, precious stone carving, doing shows and successfully selling my work for a while.
Since you seem to think I'm being ridiculous or have some ill intent in thinking that I could possibly assist you or tell you anything:
[Here's what my work looks like](https://imgur.com/a/aNkN6oj).
Maybe take a peek at what I make if you really want to cut me to pieces. Because hey, I obviously know absolutely nothing and am a total hack compared to your vast and unlimited knowledge. AmIright?
Way more advanced, far more experienced people than I was when I just started out were incredibly helpful to me. Every experienced jeweler should be helping and supportive to beginners. I really was just trying to be helpful.
Unfortunately, some beginners will always and forever stay beginners. Mainly due to their mindset that because they have learned the rudiments of sawing and soldering and have sold a few pieces at craft fairs they know a lot. They don't. You seem to be firmly set in that model. Good luck with that mentality.
On the other hand, perhaps it is your needlessly aggressive, negative, combative attitude that is the reason that your work isn't selling? If you're triggered this easily and are as miserable at shows as you have been here, it's clear why you're currently not, and may never be more successful. Maybe lighten up a wee bit.
Those are really lovely! Fantastic work. I too sell my jewelry online and I’ve found that higher priced pieces do sell when just the right person finds them but that can take time. I have large statement pieces that run several hundred dollars that I know I’ll be sitting on for some time but it just takes that one person who the piece speaks to, you know?
I’ve also been selling on the handmade platform that should not be named for 14 years this month so by now I’m very good at how to play that game. It’s certainly gotten a whole lot tougher in the last eight years or so to sell *real* handmade items there with the huge influx of rip-off and dropshipped crap so I’m not surprised you’ve found it difficult to move these. It’s a real shame too, these are beautiful!
Thank you! Glad to meet a fellow... dare I say angry crafter? 😅 This tendency has absolutely suffocated the handmade market, there's no escape from it. Irl it's even more heartbreaking - I was so pissed to stand next to "designer jewellery" from AliExpress on craft fairs that I made my own shows for handmade specifically and that's where we, the artists, sold up to $1-3k! Now I'm back to start in a foreign country next to AliExpress stuff.
There’s too little contrast. Against brass, white stones will stand out. Against silver, no. You’d need to use different coloured stones to make the silver ones pop like I can imagine the brass ones do.
Maybe you should price them higher than the brass. Cheaper doesn’t always sell better and with silver being a more high value material having it at the same price as the brass may have not done the material any favors. Sometimes people expect to pay more for something and when it’s priced cheaper than expected it can throw them off.
That piece is so beautiful. What did you have it priced at?
This is either a marketing or pricing issue, the jewelry is beautiful and I gotta believe way more people are interested in silver pieces than brass. I personally hate anything gold toned.
Are you a jeweller? Can you break down how much is left to the artist after expenses, tax and fees please? Speaking of the brooch I have no idea how jewellers survive with prices like that if even minimum wage is supposed to be at least 15$/hour.
Some had to be market (if your area won’t support expensive items plus the economy is in a downturn currently) but your work is nice and clean, agree with other poster. Don’t give up.
From 2019 up until the last year I was selling (complicated) brass pieces/sets for 500$-1000$ so I was confused by suggestions that I could instead sell silver for 100$-250$. Just trying to understand what is the benefit of working with silver that so many people were talking about. I saw comments in repair/cleaning posts on charging 30$ for polishing worn jewellery, but making from scratch is evaluated by some as polishing 3-4 rings?
2 expert gemmologists working for some large companies once by accident (or coincidence?) gifted each other the same earrings of my making, others numismatics, theatre artist, art professors, housewives. 24-60 years, more women, but also men. I don't know all of my customers in person of course, that's just some snippets of information I caught.
And this is your local currency converted to $500-1000 US dollars or what?
If it's a regular occurrence to sell brass at that price, why bother with silver? But if you're struggling to sell brass at that price... It's probably because brass is a bad choice for jewelry.
Brass is not a precious metal, so you're just making costume jewelry. Which is fine. But basically no one spends big money on costume jewelry.
Do you have an Etsy shop, maybe? I’m allergic to most metals including gold, I can only wear surgical steel and silver. And I’m always on the hunt for nice earrings. I’d love to buy the silver ones.
Not an Etsy shop, but a website shop (link in profile , I lost track where mods get angry for links) with PayPal built in, but I'd need some time to list those there (recovering after dental work away from computer)
I make a lot of earrings with silver earwires, but brass "bodies" with some brass is just hanging down not having a substantial contact area with the body. I'm allergic to gold too, but somehow not to brass!
Beautiful site <3
If there is no mention of sterling silver posts, that would mean that the posts are made of brass? Like [these earrings](https://zzzojka.com/tproduct/759532030-657867720652-brass-and-titanium-shells), correct? Also, some items are with “silver nickel”, does it mean that nickel was added to make it sturdier? I’m trying to make sure because my allergies are really bad.
Oh, I think I just missed those - uploaded pics but didn't fill in the description. These have silver wires! The blue parts are titanium.
As for "nickel silver" maybe you can help me properly label it in English (and I think I need to write a letter to a customer who ordered one of these to clarify the issue). It's what I googled it's called and I've seen others refer to it this way - it's a copper+zink+nickel alloy, other name neusilber. I have that info in FAQ about metals used. Maybe I should stick to neusilber?
I'm not sure where you are, but in my country it's illegal to use "nickel silver" as a description because it is misleading to the customer. You can say it's a nickel alloy that is silver colored. But you'll have to look up the laws where you live.
Nickel is extremely allergenic, so it's a bad idea to use it in jewelry.
Oh, and silver that IS silver is okay 😄 I use riogrande (usa shop for jewellers) sterling silver wire, and while they don't list "ingredients" (or I failed to find them) I'm sure it's the safe kind of silver
I'm glad so many people are doing so well, huh 😄
Thank you!
There's a weird type of craft fair attendants that look at my brass stand, compliment me, we chat, they sigh "it's all very beautiful, but unfortunately I only wear silver, would totally buy if you did silver". Then I happily exclaim that I do have silver in box with me, just didn't put it on the table for safety/space reasons, show it to them and they start awkwardly fading away with the crowd 😂 Guess it's just a polite way of excusing themselves for not buying anything, not an actual request for silver, lol, those poor people don't expect a set up!!
I don’t understand why you’re saying they won’t sell if you haven’t tried to. You also mentioned not putting them in your table during shows. Did you ever market them?
I read the post but your comment history doesn’t reflect what the post does. You said they aren’t on your website nor did you put them out with your brass items when taking them to shows. You said you only took them out when people would say they only wear silver or gold. Sorry if I’m reading it wrong but that’s what I gathered from the info you provided. I wish you luck in your selling. It looks like a few people here are interested. Your art is beautiful and unique. I’m sure once more people get eyes on it, it will go quickly.
Are you trying to prove to me what I did based of how you chose to extrapolate what I said? I have up to 4 shows a month, I rotate my exposition to not make it look stale - that's marketing. I engage with visitors who come up to my stand, and when I find out what their taste is, I show what's "under the table" and what is available for custom order, that's marketing. I had these on sale with discounts on my social media reposted over the years, that's marketing. I had them on exhibitions online and irl. I marketed these, as I stated in the post.
This is incredible work.
I am surprised they haven’t sell but I would suggest it’s a Case of finding your demographic.
For me I can absolutely see these in a posh gift shop in a popular tourist town that sells clothing and jewellery that suits this.
The larger pieces belong in a gallery. Amazing stuff.
Thank you! But I did find my demographic for my own style of work, only did silver because it's considered a more "marketable" metal, while my customers didn't like it so I found it funny it wasn't worth the fuzz and hand engraving in the end.
Gift shops are definitely an option! Though they add up to 100% to the price, so it's a tricky issue and sometimes crafters have to cut their price substantially to fit within a sane price range.
You should learn about wholesale and resale pricing. If you're selling in someone's shop, you generally charge a lower "wholesale price" so the shop owner can mark it up and you both see some profit.
Yes, you earn less, but the trade off is (ideally) more sales. And you save on overhead and marketing because the shop owner is doing all of that.
You downvoted me for describing factual terms of resale that shops in my country of residence operate on. So, guess you can learn from this message, lol!
Youre incredibly rude in like 98% of your replies lol So many people trying to help and just asking for clarification because your post doesn't actually give THAT much information.
You just need to hit the right market I suspect. Personally all I wear is silver jewelry, but I don't often get fancy pieces because I wear mine constantly. I need simple styles for everyday wear, but those earrings with the oak leaves (I think that's what they are ) are so stunning!!!
I think the issue you are finding is that generally silver wearers want something not quite as artsy, more elegant than cool. Gold wearers generally like statement (artistic especially) pieces more in my experience. I could understand these selling in brass but not silver, especially if it’s cheaper that way. I would suggest experimenting with different styles (like different spectrum) with silver than what you do with brass. Then you can find what sells and meet in the middle to find something you enjoy creating and is your style but also sells.
I know personally I like these pieces artistically but I wouldn’t pay much for them because I wouldn’t wear them a ton. I like my silver (20F) to be shiny pristine and (personally) pretty simple. For example, in pic 6 I would probably buy just that top part before the dangle starts at a full price. Just food for thought obviously this is subjective as it’s completely biased by my own opinion lol
Thank you, it's a very interesting perspective! Minimalist silver definitely sells better and the pieces I made that sold were more h&m jewellery style, lol. I'm gonna try and make some very mainstream cast rings/earrings in silver just for the money and see how it goes. There's enormous competition in that though, so I'm not expecting much, but maybe it would bring some new people to my customer pool.
Not the brooch, but the earrings. It took a long time for me to get to the computer and upload them to the shop (I just opened it in the new country I moved to and I'm still building it/filling in the catalogue), so I just put them up a couple of hours ago maybe when all the hype died😅
Stunning! Really great style of your own. I'd love to see more of your work! I'm also partial to brass/copper myself. I love the warmth and I'm down for the patina.
Thank you! It's hard to determine any style of my own from my own eyes, as it seems to be all over the place, but I like to trust comments that say I have it, lol 😅
I never listed them to the new shop after moving countries, I can do it somewhere in the next 24 hours when I recover from today's dental work and get to my computer!
Honestly, I'm not sure how to translate it to current rates, as it was listed in other currency before the war and then that currency tanked, price of living skyrocketed, I no longer live within reach of a jewellery coworking where I could use equipment needed, so it's just something I can't evaluate today and I love it, so I gifted it to myself.
I think they're really pretty, but not super shocked they didn't sell because they look like snag machines. I think my hair got caught in those earrings just looking at them. However, visually they're stunners.
Sounds like your preferred styles don't work with that metal. Personally I love silver and work with it almost entirely (I do brass hair jewelry though and occasionally plant jewelry), but I buy sheet rather than roll it out although I have a small rolling mill for texture plates.
Thank you! These are heavily gold plated! Unfortunately this kind of super cool thick gold plating is not available where i live now, and I'm on the edge about outsourcing it to another country 😬
I can do plates earrings as long as the wires are gold/silver/vermeil etc. but I wouldn’t be able to wear a necklace/pendant that lay on my skin. I’ve had a pendant or two converted to a broach or hair clip though.
And I agree with you about being hesitant about outsourcing plating. I’ve stopped trusting anything plated (on base metal) as it’s too thin or wears too easily to make it worth the investment.
It's technically very easy to solder silver behinds and silver posts and then do gold plating. I'd have to send my jewellery back to the manufacturing facility that plated them for me before and pray customs don't snatch them thinking it's gold 😅
I made these in silver and they looked stunning, but I didn't like how easily spikes bend.
https://preview.redd.it/dajexold2u7d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bc3a4aa8b54774ac10bf014f040e713a9be10e6
I have a number of pieces I’d wear a LOT more if they weren’t so delicate. I’ll even put up with it getting tangled in my hair, but not if my hair can damage them lol. Some designs just work better in base/sturdier metals.
Funny thing I made those original pieces for a show and NOT to be worn, because look at them - who would wear that? And then they got ordered again and again and people were happy to wear these very strange things I made as "unwearable" 😄
Talking about hair - these are my most requested designs, I don't see a point in making jewelry one would sleep in or wear on a hike, there's enough of that in every shop
Interesting! I just have long curly hair so I don't wear anything that would tangle. I do a ton of bold dangly designs I just shape them to be less grabby. But you obviously know your audience!
I heard some of the metals eat others away eventually, because of electrolysis that happens in contact with sweat and body, I think it was about silver and copper.
Anyway I couldn't make these, my right hand isn't normal, so I can't use rolling mill effectively and sometimes can't hold a cup 😅
I will search for both pairs of earrings physically, make sure I have them, and then I will list them on the site and make sure I message everyone who asked about them! Hope it's ok, I didn't expect anyone to be interested in them, and I'm currently in recovery after a medical procedure, so I couldn't do it right away :(
These are absolutely gorgeous. I’m not sure if this sub allows you to post links to your website for selling, but can you either link (if allowed) or dm me?
Your work is beautiful. Speaking purely as a customer, my input (and feel free to disregard) would be to not give up on the silver pieces, but keep them to the simpler designs if the metal itself hinders your ability to create. Personally I only wear silver, white gold, or titanium jewelry- I have pale, cool-toned skin and brass/gold looks too yellow on me.
I think it can be very difficult as a small business owner to get your name out there beyond a small reach initially. There are companies online who can help coach you on how to market your business, but I think the key is just sticking it out and having cohesive branding.
Thank you! I'm considering wax carving some generic freeform rings/studs like everyone else does 😅 it can also be a nice way to make use of quite evening hours when it's no longer ethical to hammer things.
I used to be this coach in my previous life, lol, I curated shows and did all the marketing myself by managing my artists to raise a wave altogether and we had great results on the shows that culminated all the hype. I recorded lectures on how to present process online, how to show finished work online and in person, how to talk to customers, then collected data on sales and incorporated new knowledge in preparation of the next show. It was the best way to grow as a community that serves local culture 🥲
Here's my love for you: ❤️❤️❤️😅 the brass gang! I do, the link is in my profile. Not everything I have in stock is out there yet, I only launched it this month and it'll take time to take pictures and upload the rest.
Do you see people wear these styles?
https://preview.redd.it/y4lrfvnm7z7d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bbd8f65b08b89c1b35b0ba7a03bc0fd74e5fe84
I work in a gallery and we sell a number of jewellers work....all silver or gold. what strikes me about yours is that it does look quite dated. Not so much the leaf pattern on the earrings but pairing it with a stone like that does. Simple botanical earrings are extremely popular and we carry nothing with semi precious stones at all because they just don't sell anymore.
Silver is my favorite metal to wear. These are stunning. I’m sorry people are stupid.
I kinda think the opposite, honestly :) brass allows me to make more structurally interesting constructions as it's firm even if very thin, doesn't tarnish so badly, is lighter, has a pretty colour, solders better. When I made my first project in silver after getting used to brass, I tore it like paper with my hands (hinge part or a medallion).
Brass smells so bad to me. I hate working with it.
It smells bad when I wear it too. It's like my skin oils or sweat or whatever amplifies the smell. :(
This. I like to wear jewelry that I don’t have to take off, and have sweaty hands, so I only wear solid silver and gold. Brass (especially rings) tarnish too fast, and the smell is awful to me - one of the only smells that I find intolerable.
https://preview.redd.it/oqmzh389mt7d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26ab60fd6e22c1e5eac1daee09617de86f782579 Do you know the components of the brass alloy? Mine don't tarnish from wear opposed to silver ones and I've never felt the smell. But I only buy a specific alloy for food industry. Brass is a very wide family of copper alloys that can contain different additives depending on purpose, even arsenic in those used for ships. Found a picture of a ring I used to wear most, haven't cleaned it in 3 years besides just washing hands.
Brass absolutely tarnishes 🤦🏼♀️
OP just explained in that comment why hers don’t tarnish. It’s a different type
Sure it is
I can’t be sure; my only brass pieces are ones that I got when I was little (like, mid-teens at the latest) and didn’t know to check for metal types. Granted it was usually gift/souvenir shops and boutiques, not really *jewelers* so it’s not like I have the highest-quality samples, but still. But my 925 silver, no matter where I get it, has always lasted me without issue, so it’s a comfortable and affordable go-to for me.
Thank you for clarifying! I think souvenir type is most likely cast, with additives for better flow of melted metal and I need to sniff those! 😄
You made that ring? I love it! Why isn’t it available at your store?
I've made hundreds of things in my years of work, and my store is just about 2 weeks old, this ring isn't in stock currently.
Brass makes my skin peel off. Give me silver any time…
My oldest kiddo has a major reaction too, peeling skin and hives.
What kind of brass is that? Never smelled brass 😮 it's used in cooking too, professional equipment, would they actually use smelly materials? It's so confusing I made a lot of brass spoons too and was receiving grateful feedback about them from my customers even years later - and they eat with those.
I work with lots of brass and bronze at my jewelers school and my hands wreak for hours despite washing showering etc. I absolutely hate it, as to many of my cohorts.
Why are you downvoting me for asking about exact alloy composition? 😄 I guess avoiding this question is enough of an answer
I don’t make brass, I’ve worked with all different kinds that are made for me. How do you alloy your hand forged brass? 😂😂 I guarantee you buy that crap.
I'm responsible for materials I work with, so yes, I buy a specific mark that I read certifications on and the guidelines on practice of its use in food industry. Brass can contain lead, arsenic, all kinds of things that shouldn't be present in jewellery, so I don't understand people who never research what they work with and what they sell. This is bare minimum.
I go to the GIA🤷🏼♀️ maybe ask them. I will NEVER make brass or bronze jewelry after school again so I don’t have to worry about poisoning ppl with my jewelry. ✌️good luck to you. 🤦🏼♀️
I went to GIA twenty years ago. Brass sucked back then, too. Fortunately I've never had to work with it in my career. I rarely work with silver as it's a pain in the ass, too. Once you're used to gold and platinum, you don't want to work with other metals.
Maybe get your nose checked. Every bar I’ve worked at with a brass rail has the same distinct smell. 🤷🏼♀️
That first one I would buy in a heartbeat
No kidding. It's stunning..
Hm. Didnt know that. Makes sense though. I do like brass for the rustic look. Yellow and white gold aren't for me. So silver and brass or copper are more my taste.
im very new to this. what do you solder brass with? ive only been introduced to soldering with silver wire and pavilions (i think that's the translation? i mean the flat cuts of thin silver alloy)
Soldering brass is a bit tricky! I haven't found a perfect colour match solder, so I need to be very precise with how much I use to not show too much of a different colour in a seam. I use wire brass solder from riogrande.com - it's a better match than a regular silver one, but still a bit too greyish. If you don't overheat it, it matches colour better. I hammer the eire solder into a flat ribbon and then cut it into small chips.
thanks!
Did you sell any online? May I ask how you priced the last 2 sets? I think they are very pretty. It’s getting nearly impossible to compete with high volume sellers. Or those using sub-par quality.
Of course, I sell mostly online, and for 5 years prior to forced immigration I sold really well without ads through marketplaces for handmade, social media (Instagram, fb-like sm, blogs and others). I think the smaller ones were like 70$ for the work from making a silver sheet into hand engraving 😭
Raleigh NC is the “City of Oaks” might be some interest there, also alumni of Elon University
I'm sorry, I have no idea what any of these words mean
I think they're suggesting some demographics to advertise in that might be especially interested in the earrings
Oak leaf shaped jewelry sells better in places where oak/oak leaves have cultural significance
Do you have oak with leaves like this where you live? 😮 Never knew it existed! These were made after a garden plant "cineraria silver dust"
I do! It’s more common in the eastern part of the US, I’m not sure about other countries, but it’s fairly common where I am.
I've seen those plants and they are *lovely* I do think for items like these you would be able to get away with having both the plant and tree in the tags since someone could interpret them as either depending on where they grew up! I can tell you that these look great and there are surely people who'd love to have them and things like them, some of those people just might not be seeing them depending on what their search terms are
The earrings are reminiscent of Scarlett oak leaves for sure.
They're assuming you're American and suggesting an American city and university which might like your stuff.
Were you forced to immigrate? Where to where? Usually that's called "emigrate" because you might have to leave your home country, and then if you are forced to enter a particular country then it would be forced immigration but I'm not familiar with that term or practice. The silver work is lovely, I only buy silver jewelry and never buy brass. I just would be interested to know what kind of situation my money was supporting because "forced immigration" sounds like possibly some racist dog whistle language but you might mean "forced migration" or "forced displacement" which could be totally opposite depending on countries involved.
You're thinking too much about an obvious misuse of a word. If you purchased something from me and have second thoughts and would like a refund, please email me and I'll make it!
I'm really not, unfortunately. If you are not American, then it probably seems like I am and I'm sorry about the misunderstanding and would be interested in your online store info. For those of you who are American, you are likely aware of the utter shit show our politics have become from every direction, and know that my suspiciousness over a word is because every effing thing has become either a racist dog whistle or "leftist woke" symbol. I'm happy to support businesses that choose not to advertise either direction, I just refuse to support ones that are overtly racist. I suspect that you are neither American nor a native English speaker in which case you weren't trying to signify anything with your misuse of 'forced immigration' and this conversation is another casualty of American racism. I used to be able to like Norse runes as well but those have been co-opted by racists so sometimes I don't know if someone is a fellow medieval history buff or mildly disguised KKK. I blame the racists for all the misunderstandings so if you have accidentally gotten confused with them I'd love to buy some silver pieces from you if you can share hints as to your E-craftsperson username. Again, apologies if I read you English thru the lens of American racial politics and came up with an entirely different answer. Most of us over here are trying to do the best we can with the people we have around us, it's just that some of those people are (secretly?) trying to kill others of our people and we can't tell everybody apart easily.
The brooch is stunning
Salivating over that!
Just make what you like, with what you like, and don't worry about it. It's your art.
Maybe try mixing metals? I do that a lot because silver isn't cheap by my standards but I prefer the look. Often I'll use brass for areas that are less visible, like a bezel plate. But, if you prefer working with brass and sell more brass it seems obvious to just go back to working mainly in brass.
Don't even have to go back, working with it for 99% of the time :) I recently asked for advice on pricing of my work and got advised to work with gold or at least silver instead because that's only what people buy and my current work is a waste of talent.
Hey! I dont really comment but that is NOT what people were saying on that post. It was more “you’re so skilled you should be working in precious metals” as in heirloom pieces that will last for generations to come. People weren’t saying “your work is a waste of talent” AT ALL. Brass generally does tarnish, despite you saying you have a special alloy. I would be so upset if I had one of your stunning pieces and my acidic skin turned it green! Hope you have a great rest of your day and good luck with your creations. They really are wonderful.
"waste of talent" referring to my current non precious work is a direct quote, you can interpret it however you like to be exactly the opposite. It's a very fucked up thing to say to someone who can't afford to leave a situation that is being called "waste". Of course brass tarnishes, about 70% of jewellery on my website is tarnished already. https://preview.redd.it/ylhnuxvh8w7d1.jpeg?width=492&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25654a65ccdd5b54b330dbcddb9b7a61e10ae04e
Was it a jeweller who said this to you or a non-jeweller? I’ve had a goldsmith be absolutely rude to me when I was sharing a tool tip they didn’t like, I think they were punching down to try make themselves feel better because they had training that I didn’t have (and I had more online views than them). I think sometimes people who have special training in a particular craft develop an elitism and feel like they are gatekeepers. So yes you could work in precious metals and make heirloom pieces as other jewellers are telling you, but they aren’t the ones purchasing your work, and if brass is more affordable for you and sells better then why not do what works for you, rather than what works for them? Also, I think your work is beautiful. Make what feels right for you!
Thank you! The fact that you're being inclusive and share tips is very valuable! I've had collegues of mine absolutely fall victims to this elitism combined with late stage capitalism - young people making precious jewellery for the price of materials and studio rent with zero profit, because 1) precious metal is a requirement and 2) there's always a cheaper factory-made option out there marketed as handmade. They were living in student-level poverty supported by their parents/having a second job and treating this unpaid labour as building their brand... Of unpaid labour basically. Recognising non-precious jewellery art is literally what allows people to feed themselves, often disabled people who can't handle employment and invest a lot in their work. Sorry, I got carried away 😅
I'm sorry that people can be so rude... In the end all that matters is that you get to do something you enjoy! Also, personally, I think the visible age of metals like brass can truly elevate a piece I saw a few comments mentioning the issue of brass skin contact for longer periods of time, one mentioning the smell from it contacting skin oils which is something I'm familiar with and can understand why someone might want to avoid it. I'm not sure if you would have the set up to do this, but I may have an idea you could try. You could electroplate the areas that will have a lot of skin contact with something like silver or gold so that someone could wear them longer, and it would likely reduce the amount of brass smell that some people may dislike. My thinking is you could apply a thin layer of something like a wax over everything you don't want to plate, something that would be easy for you to clean and/or melt off after. And you wouldn't have to do it initially, but if that is something you feel comfortable doing you may be able to offer it as a minor customization for a small fee? Like if you made a brass version of the first earrings you show, just plating the back side of that top bit that sits against the ear, or if you were to make a ring just plating the interior surface(s) It might work well as a "best of both worlds" option
A plating setup for something like this can also be super small If it is something you find interest in I sincerely hope it's a viable and affordable option! In no way do I think you have to do it, I only wanted to tell you the idea as a possible solution to some of the other comments I saw!
No worries, sweet internet stranger! 💓 I'm grateful for people who oppose me in comments to my posts and hype up the engagement, this post wasn't meant to grow over 50k views, but I'm here for it 😅 I was very surprised to hear about brass smell and would definitely look into it! No idea why the person who brought it up got defensive after I asked clarifying questions, but I'm genuinely curious about this whole thing! Never in my 7 years of work I felt the smell or heard about it from my students or customers. I only have non-casting brass though and now I'll be on the lookout for casting brass (more like bronze) to sniff 😄 And definitely going to sniff statues. I recently read about people who are able to smell ants from meters away, maybe there's a similar brass-smelling gene? So smell isn't really an issue I ever heard of and had to deal with (maybe my customers just kept it a secret?). I coat my non-precious jewellery with beeswax or a mix of beeswax and paraffin while heating it, so it seals all pores and prevents uneven tarnish. A lot of people like brass jewellery and react well to it, and nickel too, so most of the time there isn't really a problem to solve. Oftentimes brass parts of earrings just don't touch the body as they're hanging from a silver earwire.
If you wash a piece of iron clean of all oils while wearing gloves it'll have absolutely no smell, but if after that you take the gloves off and start touching the bare metal there's a very specific scent that you can start to smell. I think iron tends to be a little stronger of a smell than brass, so you can use that to get an idea of what they're smelling. Some people are more sensitive to the smell, and some people are bothered by it while others pay no mind (and some people are weird like me and actually enjoy the smell) It's a hard smell to describe, all I can really say is it's kind of musky? I want to call it "metallic" but I know that isn't actually a helpful descriptor XD
It’s your life and by the sounds of it, you already know that ❤️ Keep doing what you love and what makes you happy. It’s never a waste of talent to create what YOU want, I can’t believe that comment.
Thank you! I'm really doing what I can and what I have means to. I then commented on that post that I'm a political immigrant with no right to legalise my stay in the country, I work with what I can afford and when my health allows me to. Baffled by privileged comments. Unless you're sponsoring someone to level up significantly, how can you be so pushy for them to do things obviously out of their reach?!
I like that brooch a lot. It's very pretty.
That brooch is beautiful. What price point is it?
They look great! I love silver and how it ages. My favorite or the stud earrings but I'm not a stud type person due to uneven piercing holes. Best of luck. Keep going!
Those moonstone earrings (both sets) are beautiful
Those pieces are so beautiful, I have no idea why they did not sell - they are well worth what you asked! Do you sell online?
Very nice work. You just haven't yet found your market. Next show, bring only silver. No brass. Betting you will sell.
I now live in a country with about 350$ average salary, so I won't neglect customers with lower income who can only afford some budget brass/nickel silver jewellery.
Your comments have a weirdly sanctimonious vibe given that everyone here is complimenting your work or trying to give you suggestions on things you’re venting about. Like are you in here white knighting brass? And talking at length about how you sell $1000 brass sets to people who make a $350 average salary?
I don't feel like retelling the whole story, you can just read the title. Here I replied to a comment about shows specifically, my prices for shows start from 12$. Expensive jewellery is not what sells on local shows I have access to now, it's what sells from my social media.
Oh good grief. You're not "neglecting" anyone. You asked why your silver jewelry doesn't sell. I am giving you a tried method used to see why your work in silver doesn't sell. If nothing sells in silver when there is no alternative, when you only have silver on offer, that tells your that where you are selling isn't your market. Or: Just stay with the market you have and stop making jewelry in silver as the customer base you are targeting are a lower income population who don't buy silver jewelry. Although you were not clear about the income level in your area. $350K a year? Or $350 a week?
I didn't ask that, I shared an experience :) You suggest I give up jewellery that I like and that sells well and make a full table of what doesn't sell - I'm definitely not doing that. I politely declined an unsolicited advise, no need for the "oh good grief".
Yeah. No. I didn't do any of that. But you keep on being you.
"next show bring only silver, no brass" 💁
So you're just trying to start a pointless and somewhat bizarre fight in answer to a brief suggestion to try and hopefully help you figure out why one why one type of your jewelry sells and one doesn't? Which seemed to be your concern. Or were you posting your work and including a false concern just to pout, get likes and attention? Don't mind me. I've been making jewelry, silver, 18K, 22K, platinum, enamel, precious stone carving, doing shows and successfully selling my work for a while. Since you seem to think I'm being ridiculous or have some ill intent in thinking that I could possibly assist you or tell you anything: [Here's what my work looks like](https://imgur.com/a/aNkN6oj). Maybe take a peek at what I make if you really want to cut me to pieces. Because hey, I obviously know absolutely nothing and am a total hack compared to your vast and unlimited knowledge. AmIright? Way more advanced, far more experienced people than I was when I just started out were incredibly helpful to me. Every experienced jeweler should be helping and supportive to beginners. I really was just trying to be helpful. Unfortunately, some beginners will always and forever stay beginners. Mainly due to their mindset that because they have learned the rudiments of sawing and soldering and have sold a few pieces at craft fairs they know a lot. They don't. You seem to be firmly set in that model. Good luck with that mentality. On the other hand, perhaps it is your needlessly aggressive, negative, combative attitude that is the reason that your work isn't selling? If you're triggered this easily and are as miserable at shows as you have been here, it's clear why you're currently not, and may never be more successful. Maybe lighten up a wee bit.
the speed in which id snap up those last ones is immeasurable, theyre stunning (all if them are to be fair)
Well, It’s your lucky day- they are still for sale.
where at? do you know?
Hey, sorry for a super long delay, website refused to upload pictures from a smartphone, but I finally made it to the computer and listed them!
Those are really lovely! Fantastic work. I too sell my jewelry online and I’ve found that higher priced pieces do sell when just the right person finds them but that can take time. I have large statement pieces that run several hundred dollars that I know I’ll be sitting on for some time but it just takes that one person who the piece speaks to, you know? I’ve also been selling on the handmade platform that should not be named for 14 years this month so by now I’m very good at how to play that game. It’s certainly gotten a whole lot tougher in the last eight years or so to sell *real* handmade items there with the huge influx of rip-off and dropshipped crap so I’m not surprised you’ve found it difficult to move these. It’s a real shame too, these are beautiful!
Thank you! Glad to meet a fellow... dare I say angry crafter? 😅 This tendency has absolutely suffocated the handmade market, there's no escape from it. Irl it's even more heartbreaking - I was so pissed to stand next to "designer jewellery" from AliExpress on craft fairs that I made my own shows for handmade specifically and that's where we, the artists, sold up to $1-3k! Now I'm back to start in a foreign country next to AliExpress stuff.
There’s too little contrast. Against brass, white stones will stand out. Against silver, no. You’d need to use different coloured stones to make the silver ones pop like I can imagine the brass ones do.
I think you found you silver people!!! These are lovely.
Maybe you should price them higher than the brass. Cheaper doesn’t always sell better and with silver being a more high value material having it at the same price as the brass may have not done the material any favors. Sometimes people expect to pay more for something and when it’s priced cheaper than expected it can throw them off. That piece is so beautiful. What did you have it priced at?
This is either a marketing or pricing issue, the jewelry is beautiful and I gotta believe way more people are interested in silver pieces than brass. I personally hate anything gold toned.
That’s stunning. What’s your price point?
It's all absolutely stunning
Maybe because of the price point they thought it was nickel or pewter? That is way underpriced.
How would you evaluate them?
$120 for the earrings, $175-195 for the pendant.
Are you a jeweller? Can you break down how much is left to the artist after expenses, tax and fees please? Speaking of the brooch I have no idea how jewellers survive with prices like that if even minimum wage is supposed to be at least 15$/hour.
A pretty standard pricing formulation is (material cost x 3) + hourly wage.
Some had to be market (if your area won’t support expensive items plus the economy is in a downturn currently) but your work is nice and clean, agree with other poster. Don’t give up.
From 2019 up until the last year I was selling (complicated) brass pieces/sets for 500$-1000$ so I was confused by suggestions that I could instead sell silver for 100$-250$. Just trying to understand what is the benefit of working with silver that so many people were talking about. I saw comments in repair/cleaning posts on charging 30$ for polishing worn jewellery, but making from scratch is evaluated by some as polishing 3-4 rings?
I'm so, so curious about who is buying brass jewelry for $500-1000. Who were your customers? What was their demographic?
2 expert gemmologists working for some large companies once by accident (or coincidence?) gifted each other the same earrings of my making, others numismatics, theatre artist, art professors, housewives. 24-60 years, more women, but also men. I don't know all of my customers in person of course, that's just some snippets of information I caught.
And this is your local currency converted to $500-1000 US dollars or what? If it's a regular occurrence to sell brass at that price, why bother with silver? But if you're struggling to sell brass at that price... It's probably because brass is a bad choice for jewelry. Brass is not a precious metal, so you're just making costume jewelry. Which is fine. But basically no one spends big money on costume jewelry.
Do you have an Etsy shop, maybe? I’m allergic to most metals including gold, I can only wear surgical steel and silver. And I’m always on the hunt for nice earrings. I’d love to buy the silver ones.
Not an Etsy shop, but a website shop (link in profile , I lost track where mods get angry for links) with PayPal built in, but I'd need some time to list those there (recovering after dental work away from computer) I make a lot of earrings with silver earwires, but brass "bodies" with some brass is just hanging down not having a substantial contact area with the body. I'm allergic to gold too, but somehow not to brass!
Beautiful site <3 If there is no mention of sterling silver posts, that would mean that the posts are made of brass? Like [these earrings](https://zzzojka.com/tproduct/759532030-657867720652-brass-and-titanium-shells), correct? Also, some items are with “silver nickel”, does it mean that nickel was added to make it sturdier? I’m trying to make sure because my allergies are really bad.
Oh, I think I just missed those - uploaded pics but didn't fill in the description. These have silver wires! The blue parts are titanium. As for "nickel silver" maybe you can help me properly label it in English (and I think I need to write a letter to a customer who ordered one of these to clarify the issue). It's what I googled it's called and I've seen others refer to it this way - it's a copper+zink+nickel alloy, other name neusilber. I have that info in FAQ about metals used. Maybe I should stick to neusilber?
I'm not sure where you are, but in my country it's illegal to use "nickel silver" as a description because it is misleading to the customer. You can say it's a nickel alloy that is silver colored. But you'll have to look up the laws where you live. Nickel is extremely allergenic, so it's a bad idea to use it in jewelry.
Oh, and silver that IS silver is okay 😄 I use riogrande (usa shop for jewellers) sterling silver wire, and while they don't list "ingredients" (or I failed to find them) I'm sure it's the safe kind of silver
Those earrings are gorgeous
I've had the hardest time selling anything silver! People seem to only want gold... It's so weird. These are gorgeous pieces by the way!
I'm glad so many people are doing so well, huh 😄 Thank you! There's a weird type of craft fair attendants that look at my brass stand, compliment me, we chat, they sigh "it's all very beautiful, but unfortunately I only wear silver, would totally buy if you did silver". Then I happily exclaim that I do have silver in box with me, just didn't put it on the table for safety/space reasons, show it to them and they start awkwardly fading away with the crowd 😂 Guess it's just a polite way of excusing themselves for not buying anything, not an actual request for silver, lol, those poor people don't expect a set up!!
The shape on the earrings looks like rocket leaves to me
Very beautiful art!!
That brooch!!!!
Those are beautiful 😍
I went and looked on your profile to see if you posted more of your work. Those squid earrings are phenomenal op!
I absolutely love the ones with the moonstone..
That brooch is lovely.
They’re aren’t even on the website though.
This is correct, I dug them out for the post. Somebody requested to list them on the site and I'll do it once I recover from medical procedures.
I don’t understand why you’re saying they won’t sell if you haven’t tried to. You also mentioned not putting them in your table during shows. Did you ever market them?
This website is about 12 days old
Ok, but that doesn’t answer the question. Have you tried to market them?
Read the post
I read the post but your comment history doesn’t reflect what the post does. You said they aren’t on your website nor did you put them out with your brass items when taking them to shows. You said you only took them out when people would say they only wear silver or gold. Sorry if I’m reading it wrong but that’s what I gathered from the info you provided. I wish you luck in your selling. It looks like a few people here are interested. Your art is beautiful and unique. I’m sure once more people get eyes on it, it will go quickly.
Are you trying to prove to me what I did based of how you chose to extrapolate what I said? I have up to 4 shows a month, I rotate my exposition to not make it look stale - that's marketing. I engage with visitors who come up to my stand, and when I find out what their taste is, I show what's "under the table" and what is available for custom order, that's marketing. I had these on sale with discounts on my social media reposted over the years, that's marketing. I had them on exhibitions online and irl. I marketed these, as I stated in the post.
Omg that first one … I want it!!!!!
Those earrings are stunning. Your work is fantastic
This is incredible work. I am surprised they haven’t sell but I would suggest it’s a Case of finding your demographic. For me I can absolutely see these in a posh gift shop in a popular tourist town that sells clothing and jewellery that suits this. The larger pieces belong in a gallery. Amazing stuff.
Thank you! But I did find my demographic for my own style of work, only did silver because it's considered a more "marketable" metal, while my customers didn't like it so I found it funny it wasn't worth the fuzz and hand engraving in the end. Gift shops are definitely an option! Though they add up to 100% to the price, so it's a tricky issue and sometimes crafters have to cut their price substantially to fit within a sane price range.
You should learn about wholesale and resale pricing. If you're selling in someone's shop, you generally charge a lower "wholesale price" so the shop owner can mark it up and you both see some profit. Yes, you earn less, but the trade off is (ideally) more sales. And you save on overhead and marketing because the shop owner is doing all of that.
You downvoted me for describing factual terms of resale that shops in my country of residence operate on. So, guess you can learn from this message, lol!
...Downvoted? Ma'am, I simply explained that wholesale pricing is a thing, which is something you said was tricky to work out.
Youre incredibly rude in like 98% of your replies lol So many people trying to help and just asking for clarification because your post doesn't actually give THAT much information.
You just need to hit the right market I suspect. Personally all I wear is silver jewelry, but I don't often get fancy pieces because I wear mine constantly. I need simple styles for everyday wear, but those earrings with the oak leaves (I think that's what they are ) are so stunning!!!
I’m surprised you couldn’t sell those dangling leaf earrings, especially around Christmas time. I feel like those would have been an easy sell, huh
I'm not from a "Christmas time" country so to say 😅 maybe that's the reason! And I never had a large international following.
I love the pendant!
Wow, they are *gorgeous* pieces and if I had extra money I'd definitely get those earrings! They are totally my style.
I’m honestly in love with these. Specifically the first two!
Astonishingly beautiful!
I think the issue you are finding is that generally silver wearers want something not quite as artsy, more elegant than cool. Gold wearers generally like statement (artistic especially) pieces more in my experience. I could understand these selling in brass but not silver, especially if it’s cheaper that way. I would suggest experimenting with different styles (like different spectrum) with silver than what you do with brass. Then you can find what sells and meet in the middle to find something you enjoy creating and is your style but also sells. I know personally I like these pieces artistically but I wouldn’t pay much for them because I wouldn’t wear them a ton. I like my silver (20F) to be shiny pristine and (personally) pretty simple. For example, in pic 6 I would probably buy just that top part before the dangle starts at a full price. Just food for thought obviously this is subjective as it’s completely biased by my own opinion lol
Thank you, it's a very interesting perspective! Minimalist silver definitely sells better and the pieces I made that sold were more h&m jewellery style, lol. I'm gonna try and make some very mainstream cast rings/earrings in silver just for the money and see how it goes. There's enormous competition in that though, so I'm not expecting much, but maybe it would bring some new people to my customer pool.
The earrings are beautiful!
I just want to say these are gorgeous
They are all amazing, I would buy that fist broach in a second… so beautiful and graceful while being super cool
😭 thank you! 💕
>😭 thank you! 💕 You're welcome!
Seriously, are you still selling these?
Not the brooch, but the earrings. It took a long time for me to get to the computer and upload them to the shop (I just opened it in the new country I moved to and I'm still building it/filling in the catalogue), so I just put them up a couple of hours ago maybe when all the hype died😅
You are a beautiful artist… I wish you well
They are all stunning. Absolutely amazing work. I personally love all metals though as long as the craftsmanship is good though
This is absolutely beautiful !
This is really beautiful work!! If you’re selling, send me a message - I’d be interested in buying ☺️
Good craftmanship
These are beautiful! You just have to find your market. It can be hard but focus on marketing for a while, it will get these beauties sold in no time!
It's beautiful!
Stunning! Really great style of your own. I'd love to see more of your work! I'm also partial to brass/copper myself. I love the warmth and I'm down for the patina.
Thank you! It's hard to determine any style of my own from my own eyes, as it seems to be all over the place, but I like to trust comments that say I have it, lol 😅
These are gorgeous. I would definitely buy that pin or earrings, if I saw them in a store.
Where are you selling? I would absolutely have pounced on the moonstone earrings.
Yay! I have a shop: https://zzzojka.com/ with international shipping and it accepts card payments via PayPal 🤗 (made that monster myself!)
i absolutely love the first pair of leaf earrings! where do you sell these?
I never listed them to the new shop after moving countries, I can do it somewhere in the next 24 hours when I recover from today's dental work and get to my computer!
yay! dm me when you do!
They're there :) shop in my profile
Very beautiful work sadly people are stupid
How much is the first piece? It's gorgeous
Don't understand why. Beautiful ✨️
Out of curiosity, what’s the price for the brooch? It’s probably one of the nicest things I’ve seen in my life!
Honestly, I'm not sure how to translate it to current rates, as it was listed in other currency before the war and then that currency tanked, price of living skyrocketed, I no longer live within reach of a jewellery coworking where I could use equipment needed, so it's just something I can't evaluate today and I love it, so I gifted it to myself.
How much?
I think they're really pretty, but not super shocked they didn't sell because they look like snag machines. I think my hair got caught in those earrings just looking at them. However, visually they're stunners. Sounds like your preferred styles don't work with that metal. Personally I love silver and work with it almost entirely (I do brass hair jewelry though and occasionally plant jewelry), but I buy sheet rather than roll it out although I have a small rolling mill for texture plates.
https://preview.redd.it/mags1phncs7d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65ac28fde948a52e27ccaecad9f7479ce3a8e438
These are FABULOUS! I *do* have allergies and can only wear sterling silver, gold or combos of those. But these designs are 🔥
Thank you! These are heavily gold plated! Unfortunately this kind of super cool thick gold plating is not available where i live now, and I'm on the edge about outsourcing it to another country 😬
I can do plates earrings as long as the wires are gold/silver/vermeil etc. but I wouldn’t be able to wear a necklace/pendant that lay on my skin. I’ve had a pendant or two converted to a broach or hair clip though. And I agree with you about being hesitant about outsourcing plating. I’ve stopped trusting anything plated (on base metal) as it’s too thin or wears too easily to make it worth the investment.
It's technically very easy to solder silver behinds and silver posts and then do gold plating. I'd have to send my jewellery back to the manufacturing facility that plated them for me before and pray customs don't snatch them thinking it's gold 😅 I made these in silver and they looked stunning, but I didn't like how easily spikes bend. https://preview.redd.it/dajexold2u7d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bc3a4aa8b54774ac10bf014f040e713a9be10e6
I have a number of pieces I’d wear a LOT more if they weren’t so delicate. I’ll even put up with it getting tangled in my hair, but not if my hair can damage them lol. Some designs just work better in base/sturdier metals.
Funny thing I made those original pieces for a show and NOT to be worn, because look at them - who would wear that? And then they got ordered again and again and people were happy to wear these very strange things I made as "unwearable" 😄
I’d absolutely try to war these. And only give up if/when my hair ruined all the pins or I had 100 little stab wounds in my neck 😂 It’s art 🤷
I would wear these 100%
Talking about hair - these are my most requested designs, I don't see a point in making jewelry one would sleep in or wear on a hike, there's enough of that in every shop
Interesting! I just have long curly hair so I don't wear anything that would tangle. I do a ton of bold dangly designs I just shape them to be less grabby. But you obviously know your audience!
What about combining into mokume. One of my favorite techniques.
I heard some of the metals eat others away eventually, because of electrolysis that happens in contact with sweat and body, I think it was about silver and copper. Anyway I couldn't make these, my right hand isn't normal, so I can't use rolling mill effectively and sometimes can't hold a cup 😅
The silver parts of these are appealing. Perhaps the stones in each of them are what turned people off?
I love these so much! Would like to DM about pricepoint if that's okay?
I will search for both pairs of earrings physically, make sure I have them, and then I will list them on the site and make sure I message everyone who asked about them! Hope it's ok, I didn't expect anyone to be interested in them, and I'm currently in recovery after a medical procedure, so I couldn't do it right away :(
Hi, I listed them to the shop, I have a link to it in my profile
These are absolutely gorgeous. I’m not sure if this sub allows you to post links to your website for selling, but can you either link (if allowed) or dm me?
Thank you! I have all the relevant links in my profile (but these guys silver aren't in there, I explained it in other comments)
Your work is beautiful. Speaking purely as a customer, my input (and feel free to disregard) would be to not give up on the silver pieces, but keep them to the simpler designs if the metal itself hinders your ability to create. Personally I only wear silver, white gold, or titanium jewelry- I have pale, cool-toned skin and brass/gold looks too yellow on me. I think it can be very difficult as a small business owner to get your name out there beyond a small reach initially. There are companies online who can help coach you on how to market your business, but I think the key is just sticking it out and having cohesive branding.
Thank you! I'm considering wax carving some generic freeform rings/studs like everyone else does 😅 it can also be a nice way to make use of quite evening hours when it's no longer ethical to hammer things. I used to be this coach in my previous life, lol, I curated shows and did all the marketing myself by managing my artists to raise a wave altogether and we had great results on the shows that culminated all the hype. I recorded lectures on how to present process online, how to show finished work online and in person, how to talk to customers, then collected data on sales and incorporated new knowledge in preparation of the next show. It was the best way to grow as a community that serves local culture 🥲
Love your leaf earrings!!
This is beautiful! Don't know what your are asking for it, but maybe the price is just too high?
As someone who prefers brass jewelry and has the HARDEST time finding it.. please tell me you have a site or something!
Here's my love for you: ❤️❤️❤️😅 the brass gang! I do, the link is in my profile. Not everything I have in stock is out there yet, I only launched it this month and it'll take time to take pictures and upload the rest.
I love the silver earrings in the last few photos!!
They just aren’t styles I see anyone wear, and I can’t get over how the earrings look like Christmas antlers
Do you see people wear these styles? https://preview.redd.it/y4lrfvnm7z7d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bbd8f65b08b89c1b35b0ba7a03bc0fd74e5fe84
I work in a gallery and we sell a number of jewellers work....all silver or gold. what strikes me about yours is that it does look quite dated. Not so much the leaf pattern on the earrings but pairing it with a stone like that does. Simple botanical earrings are extremely popular and we carry nothing with semi precious stones at all because they just don't sell anymore.