Trying to discover a technique to attract new customers to your business? Include these five designs that may be worn by either sexe in your existing jewellery line to increase the size of your collection.
When you manage a jewellery business, one of the most important things you can do is expand your customer base and introduce new collections to your range. Investigate many different styles of jewellery in order to appeal to a greater number of customers.
Incorporating designs that are appropriate for both men and women into your existing jewellery line is one of the five simplest methods to increase the size of your collection.
Jewellery that was traditionally worn by males has long been popular with women as well. It’s possible that they began out as social statement items, like signet rings, which women weren’t allowed to wear in the past but have become popular again.
Or maybe it was when women started wearing pantsuits to work; when that started happening, tie clips and cuff links were certain to follow suit.
Regardless of where it first emerged, men’s jewellery continues to grow in popularity and blur the lines between genders, which has resulted in an even wider range of potential buyers.
Let’s have a look at these five different styles that have the ability to appeal to a large number of people, beginning with the one that is the simplest to produce.
How to fashion a money clip out of metal
Since its introduction, money clips have been an indispensable accessory in the world of jewellery. In 1931, L. Weeks received a patent for the now-common contemporary money clip.
These non-traditional pieces of jewellery are perfect for keeping both cash and cards, and because they eliminate the need for big wallets, they are attractive to a wide range of age groups and genders.
Money clips may be easily reproduced out of a variety of materials including stainless steel, titanium, sterling silver, brass, and copper.
Other materials include. The designs on money clips can be stamped, textured, or embellished with soldering ornaments, charms, granules, or soldering ornaments. Other options include engraving the designs.
Money clips made of metal have both advantages and disadvantages. Pro’s: Copper and brass are excellent materials for use in money clips because they can withstand the wear and tear of regular usage and they also age wonderfully.
When compared to leather and the many other types of money clips available, metal money clips tend to be on the heavier side.
Because of this, it is much simpler to determine whether or not they have fallen out of your pocket. They will survive for decades if they are properly maintained, which ought to be a major selling feature for the product.
Cons: Because they are made of metal, they are susceptible to bending, scratching, and denting if not properly cared for, and this is especially true of sterling silver money clips. When it comes to gifts or special events, sterling silver metal clips are the most appropriate choice.
Make sure you pick a sheet with a gauge of 16 or 18, because anything thinner than that will not maintain its form for very long. The most common criticism is that they might lose their tension, which results in the open ends becoming farther apart from one another.
Because this is such an easy remedy, you owe it to your clients to let them know about it. All your clients will need are a few common home items to get the job done.
Money clip: Wrap the money clip in leather or fabric to protect the finish, then place the pliers over the fold’s centre and push to bring the open ends back together where they should be.
Vice: Wrap the money clip fold in leather or fabric, then set it in a vise and gradually close the vise until the ends of the money clip are secured.
Pound: Once again, insert the metal in the leather or cloth and softly hammer the fold in the middle with a nylon or rawhide hammer or the wooden handle itself so that you do not harm the form of the metal.
Any one of these three approaches should produce the desired results. After putting each strategy through its paces, you should either publish a card including the detailed instructions or create a video demonstrating the approach that you find most useful and share it on Instagram or your website. This is a situation in which everybody comes out ahead.
Making a simple tie clip is straightforward.
A tie clip is yet another simple accessory that might be added to your collection. The need to secure one’s necktie to one’s body during particularly breezy days was the impetus for the creation of tie ornaments.
In those days, tie pins were the most common accessory, but as silk ties became popular, men no longer wanted to risk damaging their ties and button-down shirts by poking holes in them. In response to this need, the tie clip was developed.
Over the course of several decades, neckties have evolved into an alternate form of attire for women as well. This trend appeals to women’s feminine sides while also serving as a sign of strength in the professional world. Stamps can be applied to clips, or they can be left plain.
Clips can also be textured and bejewelled with CZ settings, charms, and decorations. Making a money clip and a tie clip need processes that are very similar to one another. Have a look at the video that I’ve embedded below to see how I made this tie clip.
Instructions for making cuff links
Think about expanding your collection with some new options for cuff links. In the 18th century, famous men would often wear ribbons or strings to tie the cuffs of their shirts together. However, these well-dressed men eventually desired something more sophisticated.
As a result, buttons started to dominate the fashion scene. Around the middle of the 19th century, ladies started wearing cuff links as well.
Over the course of the ages, the styles of cuff links altered and evolved into the current jewellery types that are seen today. Cuff links can be worn to create an image that is either formal or casual.
As soon as you have an understanding of the structure of a cufflink backing, you will be able to solder a wide variety of patterns onto its surface.
The number of possible embellishments is virtually endless, since it may include jewels, pearls, enamels, or inlays. These lovely non-traditional pieces of jewellery have the potential to appeal to a wide variety of people.
Make a bolo tie for yourself.
The process of making a bolo tie can range from being very easy to quite difficult. However, the design of the bolo tie may be traced back to the early 1930s or the 1940s. The history of the bolo tie is contentious.
Because they are equally popular among men and women in the states of the Southwestern United States, they are an excellent choice for inclusion in a unisex jewellery collection. In most cases, stones, other found things, or symbols are used to adorn the decorative clasp that may be seen on the front of bolo ties.
This clasp may be opened or closed using a leather string that is formed like a u. The ends of the cords, which hang down in front of the clasp, typically have a beautiful metal point at their end.
The clasp of the bolo tie needs to be able to remain securely in place while still being able to glide up and down along the cords without wearing out or otherwise ruining the leather. This is the key to the bolo tie.
There are a variety of methods available for attaching the decorative clasp to the leather cords. After looking at a number of other options, it appears that the loop pattern that is described below is the most common one.
The backing of John F. Heusler’s bolo ties is made in the following manner, as illustrated and described in the photographs and text that follow:
“The pattern I employ consists of a figure 8 as well as two loops,” you may say.
To increase the tension on the leather cord, simply pull the figure 8 loops apart until the appropriate level of holding tension has been reached. “To gain tension on the leather cord, simply press the figure 8 loops down.”
“The bolo should not fall due to the force of gravity; nevertheless, you should make sure that the tension is not too tight; otherwise, it will leave scratches on your cord.
The narrower the wire gauge, the simpler it is to bend; yet, using a thicker wire will offer you more gripping force.”
Note: If you’re interested in learning how to make the bolo tie worn by John F. Heusler, seen above, you can find detailed directions in the August 2019 edition of Lapidary Journal Jewellery Artist Magazine. You may find John on Instagram under the handle @geologistjohn and on Facebook under the name Heusler’s Lapidary and Jewellery.
Have a look at these two amazing bolo ties that have been displayed below. These two incredible artists were kind enough to provide me some useful pointers, which you might find useful for incorporating into your own creations.
Beautiful alternative signet rings
Signet rings are the last type, but certainly not the least. Signet rings were worn as a kind of formal signature, and they were often adorned with a family crest or other distinguishing insignia of some kind.
The process of signing papers would include using a soft clay or wax in which the mark of the ring would be incorporated into the substance. After some period of time had passed, the purpose of the signet rings shifted, and they were no longer required for signatures.
Soon after that, they were used as a manner to denote a person’s social standing and were worn as jewellery by royalty and noblemen.
During this time period, common men and all women were not permitted to wear them in public. To our great relief, things shifted, and in due time everybody was able to take pleasure in donning these lovely rings.
What makes a signet ring unique? It’s all in the detailed design. The shank features a raised flat face at the top that usually has a significant stone, symbol, or carving embedded into it. Traditionally, these rings were worn on the pinky finger of the non-dominate hand.