Strategies for Success in the Exciting and Lucrative Home-Based Business of Jewelry & Gemstones
by: Sam Serio

The business of jewelry is one of the most fun, exciting and profitable businesses that exist. The demand for jewelry by consumers is unrelenting and consistently growing. Like any other business worth pursuing by a new- comer; the jewelry business requires research, ongoing education, focus and persistence. Fear not,the rewards for this effort can be well-worth the investment of time and energy making jewelry one of the best home-based business opportunities available.

Finding your Niche

The world of jewelry is vast and can be overwhelming. It is imperative that the prospective jewelry entrepreneur narrow down to a specific area in which to concentrate there marketing efforts. In other words, you must avoid the temptation to spread-out in several directions. Rather, you should become an expert, a specialist. The ideal is to find a niche within a niche. Stake your claim and mine that pocket deep and hard. For example, sterling silver cat jewelry ,14 KT. gold Celtic jewelry, wire -wrapped birthstone jewelry etc.

Selecting your Approach

After the budding jewelry entrepeneur has settled on their niche, they must decide which business model makes the most sense to them. The following represent five basic strategies that one might follow:

1. Buy wholesale-sell retail- Remember, you make your profit by buying well. Any Search Engine will reveal countless wholesale sources, move steadily forward. Do your research. Not all wholesalers are equal. In fact, many so-called wholesalers are not really wholesalers at all and prey on the unsophisticated. Applied knowledge is key here.

2. Import directly from manufacturer and sell wholesale. This strategy is not the best for beginners, but if you have ties and are comfortable with a country like India, Thailand, Mexico and others. This can be a lucrative approach. Start small and learn the ropes before you grow.

3. Become an affiliate for an existing web-based jewelry company. This strategy is excellent for beginners, as it requires no inventory and you use the company's web-site. Also, they handle the product fulfillment and shipping. This is a great, low-risk way to get started.

4. Join a jewelry MLM- There are some advantages here and some individuals enjoy this type of marketing, again, do your due-diligence before you jump-in.

5. Make and sell your own jewelry- If you have the talent and the time, this path can be very rewarding. One tip, unless you want to be a starving artist; find out what type of handcrafted jewelry consumers will actually buy and produce jewelry for that market.

Marketing and Selling Jewelry

Once you have identified your niche and selected your approach, you need to explore marketing and selling for profit. Here are some suggestions for how and where to sell jewelry.

1. Special Events- Craft shows, wine festivals, Celtic festivals, street fairs etc. In the beginning, concentrate on low-cost booth fees i.e. under $100 until you gain experience.

2. Home parties- Low overhead. These can be a goldmine if you work them well. Referrals are the key to success.

3. Ebay- an easy, low-cost way to sell jewelry on the internet.

4. Your own website.

A. Ebay or yahoo store- both are excellent because of there built-in shopping audience and credibility.

B. Buy and fix-up a previously owned website-Many websites are For Sale by Owner on ebay.

The jewelry business can be a wonderful full or part-time home-based business. Use this article as a basis for your education. Learn everything you can about your chosen niche, study marketing and develop your selling skills. Keep a positive attitude and success will certainly follow.

About The Author

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at www.morninglightjewelry.com.

Gemstones – An Introduction For You To Make An Informed Choice
by: Rose Mary

Gemstones are mineral crystals or organic materials that have been cut and polished into beautiful items by skilled craftsmen. The minerals are naturally formed, solid, inorganic chemical compounds found in rocks. Each mineral has a fixed chemical composition and regular atomic structure, which gives it the specific hardness and color it possesses. Many natural crystals are attractive enough to be displayed. However, most of these crystals are faceted and polished to enhance their appearance.

Few gems, which are called organics, come from plants and animals. These gems include ivory, amber and pearl. There is a category of gemstones known as synthetics. They do not have any natural origin and are produce in laboratories. These artificial gems are cut to resemble the real ones. They have the same physical properties and chemical composition with natural gemstones. Gemstones are, typically, measured by their weight in carats.

To be considered a gemstone, it has to be rare, beautiful and durable. Gemstones, in its natural crystalline form, are rare, which means that they could only be found in certain parts of the world. Their scarcity makes them valuable in the market. The color of the minerals must be attractive, so that the gemstones will appear beautiful. Gemstones must be durable, which means that they should be hard enough to withstand scratches and damage.

The most valuable characteristic of gemstones is the color. Colorful gemstones such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires are highly priced. Diamonds, though colorless, are made beautiful and brilliant by skillful forms of cutting. White light is made up of a combination of the spectrum of colors. When white light falls on a gemstone, some of the colors are absorbed while the rest are reflected back. Those colors that are reflected are what we see as color of the gemstone. As each mineral interacts with light differently, a wide variety of colors of gemstones is produced.

The physical properties of gemstones are their hardness, their specific gravity, and the way they break. These properties depend largely on the atomic structure and the chemical bonding of the stone. The hardness of a gemstone is measured by how well it resists scratching. The specific gravity or density of a gemstone is derived by assessing its weight base on the weight of an equal volume of water. Gemstones can break in two ways, either by cleaving or fracture. The way they break depends on the atomic structure of the stone. Gemstones that cleave will break along the planes of weak atomic bonding. Those that fracture will break along a surface which has no relation to its atomic structure.

Gem cutting is a form of art which is done to produce finely cut faceted gems. This art contributes to the beauty of the gemstone and its value. There has been much progress made in gem cutting and polishing methods. These improved methods, coupled with an increased knowledge of the way gemstones responds to light, have resulted in marked improvements made on the appearance of gemstones.

Gemologists are fascinated by gemstones. They study each gemstone in-depth, both in its natural state and after it has been cut and polished. Gemologists are able identify every individual gemstone, as well as distinguish between a natural stone and a fake one.

Since early times, gemstones are considered precious and are well sought after. In the past, gemstones are known to represent wealth and power. They are used not only as jewels to decorate crowns and robes but also as amulets, talisman and charms. Nowadays, gemstones are not only for the wealthy, but rather they are appreciated by anyone who finds them beautiful and charming. Gemstones are commonly used to make creative jewelry pieces which are widely worn as accessories for personal adornment. Gemstones are highly treasured by people from all walks of life because of their unfading beauty with time. Being captivated by the timeless beauty of gemstones, most people desire to possess them. Hence, some people buy gemstones for collection purposes, while others buy gemstone jewelry for personal adornment or as gifts for friends. Gems that represent birthstones are commonly used as birthday presents. Due to the wide variety of gemstone jewelry items available in the market, there are plenty of gift ideas to choose from.

More information on gemstones jewelry can be found in:- http://www.internetbizcenter.com/gemstone/index.htm

About The Author

Rose Mary
Freelance Writer in various topics.
Please visit http://www.internetbizcenter.com/gemstone/index.htm for more information on Gemstones.

How to Buy Gemstones on the Internet
by: Ron Nash

6 Rules for Avoiding Ripoffs and Finding a Great Stone at a Good Price

Are there great bargains in gemstones on the internet, as many people claim? Or it as risky as the tourist who buys gems on the street in Bangkok, hoping to sell them at a profit back home, only to find out he's bought worthless glass?

The simple answer is that some buyers of gemstones on the internet do get ripped off, or at the very least, get less than they paid for. But at the same time, experienced buyers routinely find excellent buys – perhaps not the fantastic bargains that some claim, but choice and value that far exceed what they can find in retail outlets where they live.

So what do you need to know to buy gemstone online? Do you need to be a gemologist in order to tell the fake stones from the real? What about all the gem treatments that people talk about -- heating and "cooking" of gems? How can you tell whether a gem has been treated? Or does it really matter?

Here are 6 rules that will help you become a successful buyer. Follow them faithfully and your chances of finding excellent values in gemstones online will be as good as the experienced buyers who had to learn the hard way.

1. Know why you’re buying

There are 3 main reasons why people buy gemstones – because they are collectors, or because they are investors, or because they want a lovely stone to set in a piece of jewelry.

If you’re an investor, you want a gemstone that will appreciate in value so you can sell it for a profit later. Our advice: don’t even think about buying an investment-grade gemstone on the internet. The stones that appreciate most are rare stones, and rare stones are expensive (we're talking tens of thousands of dollars). Find reputable dealers near your home and establish a business relationship. Insist on lab certifications to protect your investment. And good luck. As much as we love gemstones, we think we'll stick with mutual funds for our retirement.

If you’re a collector, you might want to buy stones on the internet. There are many reasons to collect gems, just like collecting cars or stamps. A collector might aim for breadth in his collection, and try to collect samples of all the different varieties of gemstones. Or he might focus on one gem and collect sapphires from all the different regions where they're mined (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Madagascar, Tanzania, etc.). The possibilities are endless.

The collector usually has a shopping list, so the internet is a very good way for him to locate items for his collection from many different dealers. Of course if he is looking for very rare items, he becomes more like the gem investor – as soon there are very large amounts of money on the line, the rules change. Then he's better off dealing in person with dealers near his home.

Finally, we have the most typical buyer – someone who is looking for a very nice stone to have set in a custom piece of jewelry. This includes craftspeople who are making jewelry, either for their friends or as a small business. If you're willing to spend a little time, you can find a tremendous choice of gems and many excellents values online. But you need have some idea of what you want. If you don't make a list of requirements you'll be overwhelmed by the variety of gemstones, colors and shapes. You need to focus on specific gems and educate yourself about the specific kind of stone you want to buy.

2. Know what you want

So what do you want this gemstone for? A ring? A pendant? Earrings? It's an important question because some gemstones are suitable for some "applications" but not for others. Every gemstone has a hardness rating (on a scale of 1 to 10). Some stones are very hard (like diamond, ruby and sapphire) and some are quite soft (like opal, sphene and fluorite). Softer stones are not suitable for rings, because rings typically take a lot of knocks and scrapes. But softer stones are fine for pendants or pins or earrings, where they are less likely to be damaged.

Next, think about your preference for gem type, color, shape and size. If you have your heart set on a sapphire, that makes your search easier. But if you know only that you want a brilliant red-orange stone for a pendant, you want to narrow your search to a group of gems, such as citrine, fire opal and garnet.

Finally, decide how much you’re willing to spend. Attractive natural gems come in all price ranges, from $5 to thousands. You're not going to find a nice sapphire or ruby for $5, but you can find many beautiful stones in the garnet and quartz families, for example, for very affordable prices (under $25).

The key to a successful buy is getting the best possible stone for the best price. It's all about value.

But it's not just about buying the best possible sapphire, for example, that you can buy for $300. The fact is, the sapphire that meets that description might not be the right thing for you at all. The best sapphire for $300, based on gemological critieria, might be only 1/4 of a carat! But you may be looking for a stone of at least 1 carat for a ring. So it's a question of what you can find that meets all your criteria. The gemological critieria are actually only one factor in this buying decision. You need to buy the best stone for you.

3. Know who you're buying from

Five years ago it was hard to find online gemstone dealers. Now there are thousands of them. Who can you trust? Who has the best prices? Who ships reliably? Who has a fair return policy?

These days there are many online gemstone companies who are honest and reliable and sell quality product. If they're not, they don't stay in business very long. Negative information travels fast in the global internet village and good companies guard their reputation as much as they do their bottom line. So selecting a reputable company is extremely important. Check the search engines for negative comments on companies you're considering – if their customers have been unhappy, you'll find plenty of references.

Here's a short list of what to look for:

* Does the dealer provide his company name, physical address, phone, fax and email? Don't deal with someone who tries to hide his identity.

* Has the dealer has been in business for at least a few years? Bad companies rarely survive that long.

* Is the dealer committed to customer satisfaction? Some dealers just want to make a sale, but real businesses want you as a long term customer. It's usually easy to tell the difference.

* Does the dealer provides photos and descriptions for each individual stone? Some dealers have stock photos and descriptions and can't be bothered to photograph every stone. Don't buy a stone without detailed information of that specific stone.

* Is the dealer forthcoming with information about gem treatments? An honest dealer will disclose all treatments. Does he provide lots of reference information so you can educate yourself about the gems he has for sale?

4. Use a safe payment method

Pay for online purchases with a payment method that offers you some consumer protection, such as a credit card or PayPal. Do not ever pay by money order or wire transfer or any method that leaves you no recourse if you are unhappy with your purchase.

5. If you can't return it, don't buy it

Your best protection in any purchase is your ability to return the item for a full refund. Buying a gemstone on the basis of a photograph and a description is not foolproof, and if you're not completely delighted with what you've bought, return it. If the dealer doesn't have a "no questions asked" return policy, buy from someone else. If the dealer stands behind his product, he's unlikely to be trying to pull any fast ones on you. His money-back guarantee mean he's very confident that you'll be happy with your purchase. Beware of unreasonable restocking fees -- anything over 5% is not really a money-back guarantee.

6. Understand the economics of the gems business

Use your economic common sense. The gemstone business is just like any other business – people buy material, they add value to it, and then they find a way to reach the market. If the seller buys a lot of material, he gets it at a lower price. If the goods have to pass through many hands before they reach the consumer, then those goods are going to be more expensive. If the dealer has a lot of expenses – high labor costs, a big marketing budget -- you're the one paying for it. Companies become successful when they are committed to their business and have many happy customers.

So what does all this wisdom mean for you? I can sum it up for you in this way:

* Buy close to the source. If you're buying on the internet, your supplier is never further away than 3 days or so by air courier. So cut out the middlemen whenever possible.

* Buy from suppliers who have a significant stock – it means they are volume buyers and have lower costs.

* Buy from a vendor who is committed to the online business. Check to see if new content is added regularily to his website, and if the gem stock is current. Don't buy a gem unless the vendor can guarantee that the specific stone is in his stock.

OK, so you’re still a little worried, right? What about all those ripoffs? What about the fake stones and the heat treatments and all the technical stuff that gemologists go on about?

A large part of your problem is solved by choosing a reputable dealer. Reputable dealers don't sell fake stones. As a business strategy, it's simply stupid and risky. No one wants to put his whole business at risk for the sake of a little extra profit. Do be aware that there is a market for synthetic (i.e, lab-created) stones. In the case of a sapphire, for example, this is a not a fake stone – it's real corundum, the same stuff as a genuine sapphire – but it's not a "natural" stone. A dealer selling such a stone will always label it as "synthetic".

As far as gem treatments are concerned, assume that the gems you are buying are treated, with heat or irradiation or chemicals or a combination. For the most part, these treatments are permanent and do not affect the physical integrity of the stone. It's a fact of the gem business today that most gems are routinely treated to improve color. It's the reason why there are affordable gemstones at all in the market. If you’re buying a $10,000 ruby that the seller claims is untreated, then you need to get a lab certification on that gem before you pay that kind of money. We don't recommend buying $10,000 rubies online. But when you’re buying a very nice sapphire for $300, you can be fairly sure that it's a treated stone. What matters is that you find it beautiful, and that you're delighted with the the final result.

About The Author

Ron Nash is a gem enthusiast and web entrepreneur at GemSelect http://www.gemselect.com.