Try Making Fork Jewelry For Fun And Profit

As a metalsmith and art jeweler, I keep a tight lookout on the art jewelry market. As an author of art jewelry books and instructions, I’m also always on the lookout for ways for my readers to either enhance their skills or learn more about selling their work. As an occasional curator for art jewelry exhibitions, it’s more than clear to me that no matter what type of art jewelry one is making, it needs to be original or unique in some way to withstand economic shifts. While excellent hand skills and craftsmanship are the bottom line for successful art jewelry sales, originality of design can tip the sales scale very favorably. Catching a trend like the recent one on jewelry made from utensils can also give an art jeweler a leg up in the sales arena. So why not try making fork jewelry for fun and profit?

The jewelry industry moves fast and providing new designs and pieces is essential to staying ahead of the curve. It’s also not always easy to come up with new designs every three months (for the wholesale market) or to satisfy the needs of your collectors. Sometimes, especially if your current art jewelry line is selling well, it makes sense to go out on a limb and add something to your line completely new and refreshing. Like fork jewelry.

When testing out a new addition to a jewelry making line, it can make sense to do it with an item that is production conscious ie; doesn’t take that long to make. That way you won’t have invested vast sums as well as your time. This is a strategy I used many times with considerable success. Selling out of a new item quickly is a bit of a frustrating (you sold out too soon and don’t have more on hand) thrill (you sold out!!) but it’s also a prudent business strategy and the best kind of market information you can get.

I recently had the opportunity to review Maryann Cherubino’s DVD on Making Fork Jewelry and that’s part of what’s driven my thoughts on selling jewelry in this tough economy. You need to think smart and focus on being cost effective. Well, catching the newest retro l970’s fashion and jewelry trends, Ms. Cherubino is right on the money with her timely DVD. She’s market savvy and provides excellent instruction on how to make fork bracelets and necklaces.

This one hour or so DVD is so thorough that you could jump right off your couch and start making them immediately! She deftly takes you thru the simple steps of hammering, polishing, bending and grinding off rough edges. Then you add your choice of stone or centerpiece and bend the bracelet into shape. Voila!

As if that weren’t enough, Ms. Cherubino then makes a second bracelet, repeating the same simple process all over again making a different bracelet. It’s hard to miss anything or any single step with the way she’s presented the instruction. As a final touch, Maryann then shows you how to alter the process to make a pendant/necklace. All of this is done without having to anneal (heat) the fork which is a real asset for beginners.

The real beauty of this technique is that it’s hard to tell these pieces are made from utensils. And there is considerable room for adding your own creativity. Bend the tines of the fork any direction you choose. Encircle you centerpiece stones any way you choose. Make them linear or sinewy. Impose your own signature design style to this very simple method of making art jewelry.

Aside from the wisdom of adding new items like fork jewelry to your art jewelry line, this style of jewelry making is highly cost effective and more importantly, very fast and simple to make. You can hunt for and find gorgeous antique or contemporary forks and half the work is already done in the detailed embellishments originally on the forks. Also, with the current high price of silver, finding inexpensive sterling forks is a real plus. Honestly, after having watched this video, I realized that one could conceivably make at least a few, if not several, of these pieces in an hour. It’s hard to find a jewelry technique that offers that kind of potential rapid production with a good retail price to boot.

Having said all that, Ms. Cherubino offers a quicky video on her site that’s well worth watching if you’re either an art jewelry wannabe or an experienced pro like myself. Making Fork Jewelry: How to Make Amazingly Unique Fork Bracelets and Necklaces is not only timely but definitely also a winner.

IMPORTANT Update to this hub: The links to this product have had to be removed due to Google changes that no longer allow this kind of linking. I apologize for this yet another odd mandate from Google and can direct you to THIS BLOG where you can obtain more information about Ms. Cherabino's wonderful fork jewelry making video. All the best to you in your jewelry making endeavors.