Handmade Jewelry

 

Each and every piece of jewelry you see on Jewelry By Thea is handmade by yours truly with my own two hands.  Yes, that means that every earring, necklace, and bracelet is handmade.  Many websites and clearing houses (like eBay and Amazon) sell what they claim to be handmade jewelry, but in reality, their materials are almost all machine made and cast.  They are also usually assembled by unskilled, underpaid, and in many cases, underage labor.

Handmade Jewelry Skill and Experience

It takes time to build up the skills necessary for handmade jewelry.  I, like many people, started out making beaded jewelry.  I was doing simple things like stringing different combinations of beads, mostly keeping things as symmetrical as possible.  Over time though, I branched out into more complex jewelry designs.  I started using jeweler's torches, anvils, punches, and saws to assemble my jewelry creations.  I also make extensive use of a jewelry tumbler.  The polish achieved on even my most delicate sterling silver craftwork by my jewelry tumbler is unmatched by any other jewelry polishing technique.

Even with all the right tools, there is still so much more that goes into making handmade jewelry.  I've spent many hours and many nights poring over my jewelry workstation.  I've been through more propane bottles than I can count and I've broken more saw blades than a carpenter.  I've done it all in the name of building up my handmade jewelry skills.

Many people ask me what it takes to design and craft the handmade jewelry I make.  Unfortunately, the reality is that it is expensive and time-consuming.  When I talk about the equipment, the materials, and the time it takes, most people are fairly discouraged.  But I do believe that anyone can build up the skills it takes to do their own jewelry design, it just takes dedication and purchasing the right tools and materials.

 

Handmade Jewelry Material Quality

 

When I am choosing new materials like freshwater pearls, semiprecious stones, and Swarovski crystals,  first and foremost, I look at the quality.  I've seen thousands of pearls, and there is most definitely a wide range of quality.  Some are so translucent that you can see the seed.  Many freshwater pearls contain a lot of dye to achieve their color.  I've even picked up an interesting string of pearls only to have the dye rub off on my hands.  Talk about poor quality!  The same goes for semiprecious stones.  Often they've been stored stacked right on top of each other and transported that way.  They often have scratches, scrapes and rub marks all over them.  Even some of the most expensive stones I use like sapphires, emeralds, and tourmaline have to be looked at very closely before purchasing.  You'd be surprised how little care can go into storing these stones by wholesalers.

The second thing I think about when I am looking at materials is what kind of necklace, earrings, or bracelet will I make from it.   Handmade jewelry can be very difficult to design and I get much of my inspiration from the materials themselves.

 

About Thea Gomez

Thea Gomez designs and crafts handmade sterling silver jewelry made with semiprecious stones, freshwater pearls, and Swarovski crystals.  To sign up for her newsletter just fill out the form below:

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