If you keep up with fashion trends, you know that permanent jewelry (or forever bracelet as it is popularly known) is a hot commodity right now. Just use the hashtags #permanentjewelry and #permanentbracelet on TikTok and Instagram right now, and you’ll discover they have hundreds of millions of views.
If you’ve seen a celebrity with a gold or platinum chain around their wrists or ankles, chances are they are permanently welded. If you’re curious about what the permanent jewelry hype is all about and are interested in starting your own permanent jewelry business, this article is for you.
[lwptoc depth=”2″]What Is Permanent Jewelry
Permanent jewelry is exactly what it sounds like. A piece of jewelry like a bracelet, chain or ring is permanently welded on your wrists, ankle, finger, or neck. For most people, the thought that something will be soldered next to their skin is sure to create some scare.
However, the process is fun and painless. Plus, the jewelry doesn’t touch or pierce the skin – some even say it’s a great alternative to tattoos. The best part is that the bracelet has no start or finish – it’s one complete loop. Not to mention the endless customization options, like this TikToker discovered. For example, you can customize your bracelet to match your nail polish or even add little gems or beads.
Some may wonder about the essence of having a piece of permanent jewelry on the body. Well, imagine you and your sister, sorority sisters, or mom having matching bracelets that are permanent. Or the entire bachelorette party donning similar jewelry that doesn’t come off. What better way to symbolize bonds of love, commitment, and friendship?
How to Start a Jewelry Business
Demand for permanent jewelry is ever-increasing, and if you’ve decided to join the bandwagon, here is everything you need to start the business.
1. Identify your products
For starters, you will need multiple styles of custom-length or bulk chains in various colors, including gold, platinum, rose gold, and silver. To enhance the look of the chains, you’ll need dangles and links.
Now, one thing you’ll realize is that there’s a broad category of jewelry to choose from. To maximize sales and success, you may want to carve out a niche for your products.
How do you do that?
- Define your ideal customer. Are they trendy, classic, brides, or socially conscious customers?
- Have different products that match specific occasions, from a wedding to a party to everyday jewelry.
Once you narrow down these elements, it becomes easier to market to your target audience. You can also discover trending products online and use this resource to launch your collection based on consumer habits.
If you aren’t a jeweler, we recommend getting a stainless-steel practice chain before you move up to precious metal. You’ll use this chain for training and familiarizing yourself with how the welder works (more on this later). Once you perfect the art of welding the chain closed, you can move to smaller and smaller chains until you master the technique.
2. Open an LLC for a jewelry business
The next step is to register your business. For a sole proprietorship, registration with the state may not be mandatory, except for filing your business name as a “doing business as” (DBA), unless you use your legal business name.
However, it’s important to note that a sole proprietorship does not provide personal asset protection in case of legal issues.
To ensure the highest level of protection, registering your jewelry business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) is recommended.
How to start an LLC for a jewelry business? Forming an LLC is a relatively straightforward process completed online within minutes.
You can open an LLC with the best LLC for jewelry business – Zen Business! Its basic package will cost you $0!
Otherwise, check my articles on how to start an LLC for beginners.
Remember that LLC offers personal asset protection while maintaining a relatively simple tax filing process. So, it is definitely what you need when starting a jewelry business.
3. Think about brand strategy
Perhaps the most important aspect of your entire jewelry business is your brand. It’s, therefore, important to clearly define your brand story, mission, and vision. Remember, your brand is your voice and should, therefore, be well-curated.
Start by developing a strategic plan that includes specific business and personal goals. Next, devise ways to help shape a specific image in your targeted audience’s mind. How do you want your business to present itself to your customers and stand out among competitors?
There’s no doubt that the permanent jewelry business is currently one of the best revenue streams. But you need to ask yourself, what’s my game plan for entering and conquering the market? Once you devise the game plan, you need to determine how you’ll deliver it. Here’s a three-step plan to help you develop a brand strategy:
- Create a plan. Research your market, your competitors, and your target audience.
- Brand building. Next, create your brand identity, which will include your logo, color palette, images, tone, voice, etc.
- Execution. Utilize all the marketing strategies at your disposal to get the word out. Of course, you’ll need a website where you promote your products and social media channels through which you’ll execute your brand strategy.
You can share your story via the About page on your website, where you share your personal story behind your inspirations and designs for the brand.
4. Jewelry production
If you are interested in how to do permanent jewelry, there are various ways to develop your products, including sourcing them from the manufacturer or 3D printing them. For a permanent jewelry business, you’ll need to buy bulk chains in custom lengths from jewelry stores like Stuller or Catbird. These chains are easier to measure and cut, making them perfect for this business.
Set up your workspace
Since this is a hands-on approach kind of business, you’ll need to set up your workspace. The good thing about starting a permanent jewelry business is that the equipment and supplies you need are quite small. It means you don’t need a big workstation.
So, what will you need for your workstation:
Permanent jewelry kits and tools (equipment for making jewelry)
Permanent jewelry welding starter kit. This welder uses a pulse of electricity to create a zap or micro weld that closes jump rings and chains. The machine is fast, safe, and requires little training to master.
Consider the following jewelry kits (for professional jewelry making)
What are the jewelry welder benefits:
- The leading permanent jewelry welder globally
- Intuitive touchscreen control
- Superior Quality
- Extended Warranty
4. Silver wire for making jewelry
7. Jewelry cutter and pliers kit
8. Jewelry laser for unique and custom jewelry designs
Jewelry-making kits for beginners
9. Siver chains
11. All-in-one jewelry-making kit for beginners
5. Take professional photos of the product
Most online stores rely on creative photos to sell their products, and yours should, too. Online consumers want to see what the product looks like before purchasing it. Without high-quality images, you won’t attract anyone to your site.
Note that you don’t need to hire a professional photographer or purchase an expensive camera. There are dozens of free photography courses online that show you everything from lighting setup, angles, backgrounds, and how to use your smartphone.
If your budget allows you to hire a professional photographer, go for it. These are highly skilled professionals who will guarantee top-notch photos that get the attention of buyers. An effective strategy that fashion houses use is to lend their jewelry pieces to models and celebrities when gracing various events and let the paparazzi do the rest.
6. Open a jewelry store
In fact, you have two options here – a physical store or/and an online store. The choice will depend on your business goals and investments.
How to open a physical jewelry store
1. Choose the right location
Consider foot traffic, accessibility, and visibility to attract potential customers.
2. Set up the store
The competition is high and you should do your best to attract more clients. Using neon signs for a new jewelry store is a fantastic way to create a unique ambiance, and leave a lasting impression on customers. Here are some ideas of what you can do:
- A catchy phrase in the storefront window
- Highlight special offers and promotions
- Showcase jewelry collections
- Use neon art to tell a story
- Custom neon jewelry display
- Highlight store sections
3. Hire knowledgeable staff
Employ salespeople who are well-versed in jewelry and customer service.
4. Focus on providing excellent customer service and after-sales support
Offering personalized service will help you to engage with customers, understand their needs, and build loyalty.
How to open an online jewelry store: e-commerce jewelry website
Your store needs exposure, and nothing works effectively like a website. An online store allows you to showcase your products and skills, and share details, customer reviews, or testimonials about your products.
- Hosting
To create a website for your jewelry business, get a special offer from Hostgator and pay only $2.75 a month for web hosting!
- Platform
With Shif4shop you can start for FREE! It is one of the most popular solutions among jewelry small business owners.
Some of the alternative platforms for creating your jewelry online store include:
- WooCommerce
- Shopify
- Squarespace
- Wix
- Magento
Once your store is up and running, you can utilize various tools and apps to enhance the customer shopping experience.
7. Promote your store
Now you have your products, equipment, brand, and online store. The only thing remaining is to promote your products. This is where you need to get aggressive with your marketing to penetrate this highly competitive market.
You can leverage various marketing channels at your disposal, including social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, which connect you to hundreds of millions of potential buyers.
You can also host permanent jewelry events for your customers and request them to invite friends and families. Attending local fashion events, fairs, home parties, or setting up a booth at artist markets and farmers’ markets also creates exposure. This marketing tactic gives you the chance to meet your customers in person, which can do wonders for building and strengthening customer relationships.
FAQs
How much does it cost to start a jewelry business?
If you are interested in how much do you need to start a jewelry business, let’s go through the potential expenses:
- LLC or business registration – you can start as low as $0 with ZenBusiness
- Jewelry equipment – $500 – $5,000
- E-commerce Platform: $0 if you start with Shift4shop
- Marketing and Advertising – you can start on Instagram for free
- Packaging and Branding: from $300
Total Estimated Cost: $800 – $5000+
This range can vary significantly based on your business model, scale, and location. You can start small with low investments and scale as your business grows.
Wrap-Up
Do you own a salon, boutique, tattoo shop, or piercing studio? You can rack up more revenue by adding a permanent jewelry service. The business doesn’t cost much to start, has a shorter learning curve, and has a high ROI.
Tetiana is a business coach and owner of IStartHub, a business media for ambitious female entrepreneurs and small business owners.