Famous Jewelry Collections: THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

Sunday, March 11, 2012

THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

Posted: 11 Mar 2012 04:00 AM PDT

Many of you have already noticed that there is a huge number of jewelry makers on Etsy...and also on most other online selling sites. But just how many and what they make was what drove me to come up with this infographics post based on a single day of jewelry selling on the largest online craft market.

The data is just a quick snap shot of what is a very dynamic and large site. It's not strictly accurate as listings were expiring and being added even as I was making note of the numbers on January 6, 2012.

These numbers were also dependent on what was actually tagged by sellers. Some people may not be as diligent as others when tagging or used different terms - does "beaded" mean bead work or does it include stringing? Most likely the latter.

The infographics I created below does a good job of visually showing the huge category of jewelry listings, which eclipses virtually everything else. The "trouble", if you could call it that, with jewelry making is just how swiftly the hobby becomes an addictive passion. It sure makes things easier when one can justify the latest bead purchase as my friend Debbie does with " But honey, it's for the business!"

Most of the jewelry being sold are finished pieces with jewelry supplies and tutorials a distant second and third. Necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets and rings, in that order, were the most popular items to make. Sterling silver still rules despite rising costs. Surprisingly, not many artisans have switched to sterling silver filled yet. Not surprisingly, glass, crystals and gemstones were the most popular materials to use.

So what do you think? Would this information alter what you do to stand above the crowd? It is certainly true if you've ever wandered through Etsy that there are a lot of repetitive designs in an already competitive section.