Nersel’s Designer Trendy Gold Jewelry

Please share with us your own jewelry business success stories by posting a comment here. We are looking forward to reading about your journey

• Find and define your niche. Fashion encompasses a huge market: women’s casual, men’s formal, teenage fashion etc, they to narrow your niche down. 
• Study the competition. Search your competiton online, read articles published about them, go to their stores, look at their products. Learn about their niches, why they stand out and how they market. How to they manage their employees and their business? Can you effectively compete? 
• Find out which retailers accept new designers. Search to find out which retailers, wholesalers and boutique stores would be interested in carrying your designs. Call them up, send them your catalog or sample design. 
• Have ample startup cash. You’ll need cash flow for at least two and a half years, since the fashion cycle is from 18 to 24 months between design and retail.
• Think creative but wearable. If your designs are too bold or cumbersome to wear nobody will want them even if they are fairly priced or look great on skinny models. For instance some jewelry designs look great in magazine pages on gorgeous models but will your average customer buy it, what can they wear it with, where will they wear it to?  
• Get your name out there. Start with a good label that speaks to your niche. Wear your own designs and hand out your business cards or catalog when people ask about them. Don’t be timid, talk about your passion and your designs. Participate in fashion trade shows. Get fashion media attention for your line. Persistence is the only way to attract buyers. 
• Put on your business hat. Being a successful fashion entrepreneur (whether it is clothing or accessories line) requires good business skills and some artistic skills. Some very talented new designers fail because they have impressive artistic skills but very limited business skills. 
• Get energized. Prepare physically and mentally to work long hours, seven days a week at least for the first year until you are able to hire help. 
• Solidify your concept. Gather information about your target maket and that you can execute. Make sure there’s value built into your concept. 
• Get a good location. If you are running a brick and mortar business you need to make sure that store is in a good location. 
• Design a user friendly and exciting website. Users decide in seconds to stay and surf or click away from a website. Make sure your colors and webdesign reflect your line and concept. Your web site need to be memorable and needs to stand out among other millions of shopping websites. Use visuals such as pictures, music, flash and video. Appeal to the senses.
• Train your team. Focus on staff training because customer service very important. You will not have a second chance to create a first impression. Your sales reps and customer service staff represent your business.
• Get ready to compete. Entrepreneurs can compete with big chains by offering unique designs, high quality products and excellent customer service. 
• Package well. Beauty and fashion business is highly visual and emotional.  We do not shop only out of necessity, we also shop to satisfy our emotional needs. We buy not only because we need things but because we want them. We like to experience the feeling of searching, finding, choosing, owning and looking good! You have to please the customer’s emotions and senses. Have packaging to please they eyes. 
• Get press. Try to get coverage from mainstream and fashion press. Familiarize yourself with fashion editors, send press kits (with sample products if possible but remember most of them do not pay for your shipping cost and they usually do not return the samples). 
• Don’t be ruled by trends. For long-term success, create an offering that has staying power. For instance gold and diamond jewelry is timeless.
• Try various avenues to sell. Decide if you want to sell via department stores, specialty boutique stores, online shops, or your own website. Where does your target market shop? Maybe it is best to try several different avenues at the same time. You maybe more successful if you sell a certain line online and another line of products in department stores.
• Plan to grow. Have a long-term approach, success it not an overnight story. Be flexible, be prepared to modify your plan down the road.

Feel free to check out our business at www.nerselandirene.com

Feel unsure about about buying gold jewelry online?

Like gold jewelry products and designs you find on the Internet but unsure about security and quality? Try to buy from sites which are willing to help you and answer all your questions about their products. Ask them questions to find out what karats and quality gold they carry. They should have an email adress, they need to reply to your emails on a timely manner, or they need have a help line or phone number you can call. They should be willing to send you a certificate and invoice with each product you buy affirming the price, quality and specifications of the product.  If you are not happy with what you have got make sure you can return the product. Find out if they have a “no questions asked policy”. Despite some risks, buying jewelry online can be very rewarding. You just have to be careful, selective and investigative.

Advantages of buying jewelry online:

* Speed. Today women have many roles not enough time; mother, sister, daughter, wife, girlfriend, friend, businesswoman, student, enterprenuer, manager, homemaker, cook, activist, artist, volunteer, athelete, sports fan, and professional. Do not have time to go to all the jewelry shops in your area? You can search and make your selection fast on the Internet. Enter search criteria such as “handmade designer gold jewelry” then click a button and you get a whole list of online stores. All from your own computer at home, work or even when you are traveling. You have access to world stores with a few clicks in your own privacy.

*Convenience. If you compare the online jewelry shopping experience with shopping at a mall jewelry store or department store you will find that shop online is really convenient. You rush to get to the store, fight traffic, look for parking, or wait for the train, bus or taxi, get jostled by crowds, endure pushy salespeople, suffer long lines at the register…By the time you get home with your purchase, you’re exhausted. And if you need to return the item, you can look forward to going through this hassle all over again. If you do not like the product you have bought online you can most of the time simple return it in the return envelope and mailing slip provided.

*Selection. Online Jewelry Stores have the capacity to offer a much wider selection of merchandise for sale in one place than either a traditional store or catalog. You can search as much as you like and look at hundreds of selections. You can uncover some truly unique jewelry items like ours you won’t find anywhere else.

* Value. Because as an Internet retailer we have lower inventory and other overhead costs than a bricks-and-mortar retailer, we pass these savings passed on to you, the consumer, in the form of lowered prices on the latest designs. When you buy in a store you are paying their rent and overhead. When you buy online you are paying for the product.

*Sharing. It is very easy to share your selected items with friends, family, spouse and colleagues with just a click by the email this product to someone function. You can attach a little note if you would like. Why not help your significant other choose the next anniversary or Christmas gift for you. We all know men would appreciate some help in that department!

*Information. There is vast variety of information available on the Internet. Women make smart, educated decisions. According to research women research and gather information about a product before they make the purchasing decision. Internet is a library full of information on anything. You can get information about how to judge the quality of the gold, how to clean and maintain it, latest fashion and styles.

*Customer Service. You can ask questions, search for answers in the FAQ pages and give feedback. You are free to change your mind, look for sellers who will not ask many questions like a pushy salesperson. Most of the time you will get fast and easy shipment, clear return policy, secure transactions, and certificates.  Choose businesses that respect your privacy.

*Pricing: Factors that determine the pricing of gold jewelry include: 1. Weight of the gold measured in grams 2. If it is imported it is subject to import duties and taxes. 3. Special processes used to create the gold jewelry such as individual molds for unique pieces. 4. Handmade jewelry is more expensive due to higher labor cost. 5. Shipping and handling costs.  But remember you will not be paying for the business owner’s store rent, overhead, and expenses to maintain the store.

If you are interested please feel free to check our privacy and return policies and FAQ page at www.nerselandirene.com

What is Gold? Gold is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Au (L. aurum) and atomic number 79. A soft, shiny, yellow, heavy, malleable, ductile (trivalent and univalent) transition metal, gold does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine, fluorine and aqua regia.

• Gold is a yellow, noble metal
• Its chemical symbol is Au, from Aurora, or dawn
• Pure gold is 24 karats, or 99.999% pure. 100% pure gold is nearly impossible to refine.
• Gold is a very dense metal with a density of 19.32 g/cm3 which gives it a very heavy atomic weight of 196.9665 g/atom.

Gold is one of the rarest and most precious elements of the nature. Its physical characteristics include its beautiful natural color, malleable to the extreme, and in its pure form, it is resistant to any kind of corrosion. Since gold is ductile and malleable in it’s pure form, it must be alloyed with various other metals to harden it and in some cases, change it’s color. The metals used in the alloying process include silver, copper, nickel, zinc, tin and manganese.
What is a Karat? Karat grade is used to express the proportion of gold in an alloy or the quality of a gold alloy. There are several carats available for gold. The carat is the gold content of the metal. The carat measures the proportion of pure gold mixed with other metal alloy to make up the final metal. Carat can also be called karat, represented by kt or K. Our jewelry has karat grades stamped on them followed by K.The higher the proportion of gold used in the final metal, the more valuable and expensive the metal will be. The remainder of the metals is made up of a combination of alloys, different metals which can help to give the metal its unique appearance, such as a different color.

Karat Gold 10K 41.67% 14K 58.33% 18K 75.00% 22K 91.66% 24K 99.55%

Resource: wikipedia

What are the different colors of Gold? Gold is available in several different colors such as yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, bronze, red and lime gold. Jewelry can also be made using a combination of different gold colors. These jewelry items are sometimes called two-tone, three-tone or multi-colored gold. The gold content of yellow gold is measured in the same way it is measured in for example white gold. The difference in color between yellow, white and rose is determined by the metals used in the alloy mix.As the color difference is due to the metal components in the alloy mix, the color will not chip, fade or wear off with age. Yellow gold is made by mixing pure gold with alloy metals such as copper and zinc. Rose gold is made using a mix of pure gold with alloys including copper. The copper provides the rose-reddish color.White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metals such as silver and palladium. 24 karat Gold has a stunning visual Gold effect Mixing Gold with Copper causes a visual Reddening effect Mixing Gold with Silver causes a visual Greening effect Mixing Gold with Zinc causes a visual Bleaching effect of the gold Mixing Gold with Nickel or Palladium causes a visual Whitening effect

Please see our gold color palette to get an idea about various gold colors and different finishes.
What is the difference between White Gold and Yellow Gold? Pure Yellow Gold (fine gold) is softer than pure silver, but harder than tin. Its beauty and luster are unmatched by any alloyed golds (pure gold mixed with other metals). The extreme malleability, ductility, and softness of pure gold make it practically useless for jewelry applications. The addition of alloying elements (other metals) to gold are used to increase the toughness and hardness of the metal. While almost any metal can be alloyed (melted) with gold, only certain metals will not dramatically change the color or make the metal brittle. The addition of the metal like Indium (great as an alloy with Platinum), for instance, turns gold into a purple color and gives resulting gold the workability of glass. Over time, certain percentages of gold have become legally recognized “karats.” The karat indicates the amount of gold as a percentage of the total: In karated gold, there is a balance of the other metals in the non-gold percentage. These metals provide the various colors and hardness of karated golds.
What is Planitum? Platinum is a white metal, but unlike gold it is used in jewelry in almost its pure form (approximately 95% pure). Platinum is extremely long wearing and is very white, so it does not need to be rhodium plated like white gold does. Platinum is very dense and heavy metal, so a platinum ring will feel heavier than an 18K gold ring. Platinum is, however, significantly more expensive than gold. With all other things being the same, a platinum ring will be approximately twice the price of an 18ct white gold ring. Platinum is a prestige choice and is often chosen for its sophisticated appeal and popularity amongst the rich and famous. Platinum’s price is higher compared to gold.

In the last few seasons gold jewelry has made a return after minimal days of nothing but diamond ear studs. Less is not more anymore! The trend in 2006 is ethnic inspired vibrant gold jewelry, extensive long chandelier earrings, beautiful exotic stones and colors. Silver and platinum are taking the back burner; gold is the star of the show in 2006! Long dangling earrings, artisan necklaces and bracelets are all in vogue this year. This year celebrities will be wearing a lot of boho, artisan and handmade gold jewerly. Chic must haves of the year are 18K and 24K gold jewelry, materials like silk and velvet ribbons, tiger’s eye, tourmaline and turquoise.

I started my jewelry business six months ago. My partner and I are childhood friends and we both were into jewelry and unique designs for the longest time. One day one of my colleagues told me that she hated her worn out, simple, white gold wedding band. She said she did not think her wedding band reflects her love for her husband and their marriage. She was right! Her ring did look dull and boring. I told her she would probably need something that sparkles, something unique, and hand crafted to reflect the hard work that goes into maintaining a happy marriage. Based on this discussion we created beautiful 18K yellow gold hand hammered antique looking wedding band for her. Two rings worn together to reflect the unity of two people. She loved it! Her husband loved it! She became our very first customer.

If you have a story like this you should tell it to other people and talk about it on your website. My partner and I have spent all our weekends and free time to building a business from our passion. Now that our website is up and running we needed to advertise it and get the word out. We have been selling on eBay and got great feedback from our first customers. Although eBay is a great way to start and one of the sales channels to use it is not and should not be the only sales channel because of the high listing fees involved. We looked into advertising our site on the Internet. Just search for jewelry on Google or Yahoo you will be bombarded with hundreds of links! How can you distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd? Other jewelers may have nice designs too, but you need to know what your competency is. Our competency is our inspiration, our heritage, rich culture and the meaning of each of our products. Women have been wearing jewelry not just for beautification purposes but also for the purposes of protection, and celebration of love and life.

Aim to create and give timeless, high quality jewelry that women can wear at various occasions, give to a loved one or pass onto their children. Transforming your heritage, art and culture into unique pieces of jewelry is a great experience. You can be inspired by your own life or the lives of other people. We believe you can distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd by telling your story, talking about your inspirations, the meaning your jewelry carries. If you have used the nature, history, relationships or anything that inspired you in designing your jewelry describe it on your ads, your site and your catalogs. The other way to distinguish your company is by creating a unique and memorable company logo. Your logo should reflect who you are. Our logo includes a twin goddess figure (the side-by-side double goddesses) which symbolizes the partnership behind our business, opposite seasons, and the alternating rhythm of day and night.   I hope these suggestions help you promote your jewelry business. To get inspiration and shop for unique jewelry, you can check out our products, descriptions and about us pages at www.nerselandirene.com