Jewelry Designer Blog

August 30, 2011

Blog Giveaway: Tips for Jewelry Photography

Filed under: Giveaways, Learn Something New — juanita @ 3:24 pm

Win $40 to spend at Nina Designs by offering a jewelry photography tip.

Jewelry Photography can be challenging. There are many things to consider so much so that when I began photographing my jewelry I felt overwhelmed. To gain some control over my runaway emotions, I narrowed my focus to the basics: buy a digital camera with a good macro- setting to get amazing close up shots, shoot in natural light, and use consistent backgrounds to lend my shop a cohesive look.

As Emily points out in Jewelry Display Tips beginning with a clear vision of your customers helps you develop the look of your shop – everything from packaging, display, and photography. My customer appreciates vintage finds, so I chose to use an old metal table in front of a window with great natural light as my background.

In the beginning, my photos were BORING! They were a snooze. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I did the only thing I could. I kept trying. By the time I shot hundreds of photos, I began to tweak my approach to jewelry photography in a way that made all the difference. This sounds counter-intuitive, but the more I thought of my jewelry as sculpture and not as jewelry at all, the more interesting my photos became. Once I freed my mind of the constraints of what jewelry should look like, I was able to position my jewelry into unique perspectives, and format my photos in eye-catching and unusual ways.

Win $40 to spend at Nina Designs! What tips have you learned that you can pass along? Offer your tip for a chance to win $40 to spend on jewelry findings. Earn an extra entry by sending a photo to go along with your tip. Leave your tip here as a blog comment and send photos to juanita(at)ninadesigns.com. My goal is to write a follow-up blog with everyone’s contributions. This way we can have a convenient and useful reference when we need it.

Earrings or Sculpture?

August 28, 2011

Silver Pendants & Hiring Decisions – Both Hard Choices!

Filed under: Business, Nina's Bookshelf — Tags: , , — nina @ 10:54 am

Choosing the right Silver Pendant can be difficult but not nearly as challenging as making a good hire. Whether you are looking for someone to help assemble jewelry or to organize your office there are a few guidelines that can help steer you toward a successful outcome. In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins offers some excellent advice:

Get the right people on the bus in the right seats.
- If you’re in doubt, don’t hire, keep looking.
- The moment you feel you have to tightly manage someone, you have made a hiring mistake.
- Whether someone is the right person has more to do with character traits and innate capabilities than with specific knowledge, background or skills.

I recently heard a presentation by Kerrie Halmi, who is often consulted by large companies to improve their hiring processes.   I think her advice is golden:

1. Cultural Fit – Anyone who is a poor fit won’t last. Reference your company values, does the candidate share them? This does NOT mean, “Are they just like me?” You want variety, different types of people. (At Zappos they have a whole department dedicated to making sure that new hires are a good cultural fit).

2. References – Spend more time on this. There are ways to persuade people to talk even when they say they can’t comment. “Kristin gave you as a reference, can I talk to you for a few minutes about her?” Take the time to draw out the conversation and ask probing questions. “What would be the best way to manage Kristin?” Listen VERY carefully. “Oh, that’s interesting, tell me more.” Ask open ended questions. “Our culture is very focused on initiative, how do you think Kristin will fit in?”

3. Continuously Recruit – Never get to the point where you are desperate to hire. Always be on the look out for new talent. Stay in touch with anyone who might be a good fit.

Halmi pointed out that a bad hire will usually cost you 1-3  years in gross salary if you tally the time, energy and money spent to correct the situation. She strongly recommends taking your time and waiting until you find just the right person. This is the same advice I heard from Lulu Lemon CEO, Chip Wilson, who counsels, ” Interview someone at least three times to see who they REALLY are.” Most people put up a good front on the first interview but by the third character flaws start to show. Wilson made another good point, “If you hire one good person, they will bring three good people with them. If you hire one bad person, they will bring ten people with them.”

In our experience here at Nina Designs, we have learned to trust our instincts. Even a small twinge of uncertainty is usually a sign that a candidate is not a good cultural fit. It is tempting to compromise when you are stressed for time but don’t give in. You WILL find the right person for the job and with the right people on the bus, you can go anywhere!

The Proud Members of the Nina Designs Team

August 26, 2011

Fashion Friday: Beaded Beauties

Filed under: Fashion Friday — Tags: , , , — juanita @ 1:53 pm

Lately, my eye has been drawn to colorful beaded jewelry that evokes Native American themes and patterns. I find the geometry in the patterns and the spirituality it represents very provocative. My inspiration boards and favorites on Etsy have been filling up quickly with beaded beauties. That’s why when Leah designed the chubby infinity jewelry link I couldn’t wait to try insetting it with colorful gemstone beads. I’ve been wire wrapping stones along the outside edge of circle links, but this was my first time wrapping to the inside. My beaded pendant is not exactly the way I envisioned it. I will definitely practice my technique to get this perfected. But, for my first time, I’m pleased with the result.

Though really . . . I’m not quite sure if it’s finished. What do you think? Would you add a ruffle of beads along the lower bottom edge? If so, what color?

beaded beauty


August 23, 2011

Chains to Match the Bronze Charms

Filed under: New Products, Tips and Techniques — juanita @ 12:38 pm

Since we introduced our line of bronze charms and pendants, we’ve received several inquiries regarding matching jewelry findings, like chains and jump rings. We are working on it, and will have something for you soon. We want to be sure that any new bronze or brass products we offer are the same quality you have come to expect from Nina Designs. Thanks for your patience!

In the meantime, we’d like to suggest pairing our bronze charms with gold fill chain and gold fill jewelry findings. As you can see from the photos, they look great together. The color of the bronze that we offer looks a lot like 14K gold. It has a warm golden hue and is less brown in color than much of the bronze finishes on the market. However, just like all bronze, over time our bronze will form a warm brown patina when exposed to air and the elements. We are currently testing this process and will report specific results soon. We understand that using gold filled chain is not the low cost alternative you may be looking for. We plan to offer affordable chain alternatives to match our bronze line soon.

In terms of earring findings, we will soon offer some of our popular Bali silver earrings in bronze. For handmade styles, the bronze alloy of copper and tin has to be modified to be a bit softer so it can be hand forged. We are working diligently on getting the best formula that has a lovely color and is the correct hardness. It is a fine balance. We will start to offer Bali style earrings and jewelry links in the upcoming months.

Another quick recommendation is mixing metals. I designed the earrings below to show how terrific our Bali silver earring tops look with the bronze bee charm. I think the result is fantastic. And, I used gold fill wire throughout all these designs with excellent results. We are happy to have our bronze line so well received and will soon offer all the supporting cast needed for a complete collection!

Mix your metals: bronze charm with sterling earring findings

Bronze charm with gold fill chain

Bronze charm with gold fill wire and chain

August 18, 2011

Modifying Our Jewelry Findings Based on Customer Feedback

Filed under: New Products — Tags: , , , — juanita @ 12:35 pm

The difference between the silver charms and jewelry findings we offer and those you find at the large one-stop online bead stores is that we design the vast majority of ours in house. This means we sketch jewelry findings into life. Based on our sketches, silversmiths make samples for our approval. The samples may or may not work, and most will go through several revisions. This entire process can take several months to complete, and means we offer you only our best.

Designing in-house also gives us the flexibility to continually improve our products based on your feedback. For example, the chubby teardrop links you see here have always been great sellers, which is why when we started hearing some criticisms we responded quickly. Several customers began requesting a little loop be added to the top so they stay in place. Others prefer the jewelry link without the loop, so now we offer both versions. Making these small tweaks is something we are happy to do for you, our valued customers. In fact, we love receiving this type of feedback because we strive to offer the best and to constantly improve our products.

Please feel free to leave requests for new jewelry findings and for modifications to existing designs in our Suggestion Box. You also have the power to review each and every product we offer online. Just find the item online and click the link under the text “In Your Own Words.”

Original on top, modified design based on customer feedback below

August 16, 2011

Blogging Adds a New Dimension to Your Silver Charms Jewelry

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — juanita @ 11:04 am

Here at Nina Designs, we keep a blog to keep you up-to-date on the latest news concerning our silver charms and findings. It’s a great way for us to network and interact with you, our valued customers. We love to stay in touch, let you know what’s going on in the office and provide inspiration. While many of you have probably talked to some or maybe all of us on the phone, our blog is another way to give you a glimpse into the women behind Nina Designs; who we are, what inspires us, and our own jewelry testimonials.

We encourage you to blog as well. Reach out to your customers. It’s a wonderful way to promote your designs and gain interest in your company. And, it’s free. I know that whenever I purchase jewelry made of wonderful silver charms and hand-crafted chain, I like to be informed about the story behind the piece. Who made it? What was the inspiration behind the design? What is the company’s business motto? What’s their take on the silver market? I like to know who and what I’m supporting. I like to know where my jewelry comes from.

A blog can be very personal, but it can also build stronger business relationships. Whatever your approach may be, a well-rounded and insightful blog is bound to make your designs that much more special.

Give a new perspective on your silver charms through blogging. We live in a digital world. Embrace it.

August 13, 2011

Jewelry Design Ideas Come from Unlikely Places

Filed under: Jewelry Design Ideas — Tags: , , , — juanita @ 2:23 pm

All jewelry designers experience “designers’ block,” but recently I learned that sometimes it is when you stop looking for inspiration that you find it. A little while ago I was under some pressure to design some jewelry. I struggled in my studio for a night . . . or two. Then the weekend came, and instead of working, I decided to make it a movie marathon weekend.

Well, you can guess what comes next . . . me in my comfy sweatsedo on my couch with my puppy, bags of chocolate, and bowls of popcorn nearby. I watched countless movies and shows that mostly blur together now. By Sunday evening I was bleary-eyed and a little panicky. My jewelry party was just a couple days away. That’s when I got off my you-know-what, and marched back to my studio to make something.

After making my “go-to” jewelry designs to get my juices flowing, my design inspiration hit. As if commanded, I designed necklaces inspired by Rango and Secretariat, my two favorite movies from my marathon weekend! Sounds cheesy, I know. But I loved them both. Secretariat because I was moved by the idea of being born into this world to do one thing and to do it with all your might. And Rango . . . well, all the lawless characters of the town of Dirt were heartwarming and unforgettable – rattlesnake, lizards, armadillos, and buzzards included. The animation and story of finding your own path were both artfully done.

The next day at Nina Designs I picked up the western-themed charms I needed – a silver cowboy boot, rattlesnake charms, and couple of horse charms – and got to work. This is what I came up with. They were the first to get plucked up at my jewelry party!

What do you think? All parts are now available at Nina Designs, and a parts list will be up on Design Ideas soon.

Winner's Circle Necklace inspired by the movie Secretariat


Winner's Circle


Spirit of the West Necklace inspired by Rango!

August 11, 2011

Silver Charms Introduce the Dark and Edgy Side of Nina Designs

Filed under: New Products — Tags: , , — Emily @ 10:35 am

The darker side of Nina Designs is slowly expanding with a growing collection of silver charms in edgier designs. With our current selection of silver charms modeled after snakes and skulls it’s easy to be tempted to explore the dark side of your jewelry style. I’ve been especially excited about our new silver bighorn sheep skull, with it’s elegantly macabre attitude that would mix perfectly with chunky chain or leather cord. The sterling silver beetle charm, with it’s precisely detailed legs, has been crawling around my imagination with labradorite, smoky quartz and even grey pearls for fierce earrings and necklaces.

Leah recently shared some sketches for new sterling silver charms that got a lot of excitement in the office, so I thought I’d share them with you. The skull & cross bone charm and beautiful animal skull charm shown below will make their appearance sometime in the next few months. While some new designs make their way to our office quickly, others have a longer, more tortured path full of revisions. These silver charms fit perfectly with my jewelry aesthetic, so I hope they arrive soon! Do you enjoy of the darker side of jewelry making? What do you think of the upcoming designs?

Sketches of upcoming silver charms


More sketches of upcoming silver charms


The darker side of Nina Designs

August 9, 2011

Silver Charm from Good to Great

Filed under: Business, Nina's Bookshelf — nina @ 12:54 pm

Silver Charm designs are limited only by imagination but when we created our silver hedgehog charm we had no idea we were creating a talisman for the acclaimed business book Good to Great by Jim Collins. Collins encourages companies to craft a hedgehog concept that will drive their business strategy. He includes cases of companies with outstanding performance and describes their concepts. For instance, Walgreens’ concept was, “the best, most convenient drugstores, with a high profit per customer visit.” They used that simple concept to drive all of their business decisions and were very disciplined about avoiding activities that did not tie into it.

Though many of the businesses in the book have since tanked (Circuit City, Fannie Mae), we have found the hedgehog concept very engaging and thought provoking. To discover your own hedgehog concept, explore the intersection of three circles:

1. What are you passionate about?
2. What can you be best in the world at?
3. What drives your economic engine? For instance, sales per customer? Sales per region? Sales per product category? etc.

The hedgehog concept is so named because the hedgehog does one thing really well, better than any other animal. It rolls into a tight little ball as a defensive mechanism. Figuring out your hedgehog concept is not a quick exercise but an ongoing conversation that can lead you to unexpected places. Let me know if you have yours pinned down. We are still working on ours!

August 6, 2011

Stamping on Silver Charms and Spangles

Filed under: Tips and Techniques — Tags: , , — Emily @ 11:56 am

We often receive questions about which sterling silver charms and spangles are best for stamping. We strongly recommend using our thicker sterling silver charms because the thickness of the metal absorbs the impression of each stamp for a nice clean finish. However, we also offer thinner silver spangle charms that can be used for stamping as well.

When stamping on our the thinner spangle charms, the results will be a bit more rustic and handmade looking, as shown below. Because they are thinner they became a bit warped after being stamped, but you can flatten them out again. The stamped designs also showed through on the back of the disk. And, the silver became a bit depressed around the letters, making them a bit more indistinct.

While we recommend using our thicker silver charms for stamping, you can achieve a rather charming and rustic finish by using our sterling silver spangles. To learn how to stamp on your sterling silver charms, read more in our classroom.

Achieve a Rustic FInish by Stamping on Silver Spangle Charms


Back Side of Spangle Charms after Stamping

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