Here are some of the best craft shows open to the public in the U.S. for finding unique, finely-crafted jewelry and, sometimes, gems, beads and materials to make your own. This list is updated regularly as dates become available. JANUARY Jan. 26-Feb. 12, 2012: Tucson Gem Shows FEBRUARY Feb. 24-26, 2012: American Craft Council...
Jewelry lovers – and makers without wholesale I.D.s who want gems and beads – can now get free admission to the popular Intergem shows. Founded four decades ago, International Gem & Jewelry Shows were one of the first to sell commercial jewelry to the public, with the broad selection and prices (from $5 to...
A calendar of the most important trade shows and antique jewelry fairs stateside for folks in the jewelry business.
Craft show season is now in full swing and – no surprise – most of the jewelry we’re seeing this summer is made from silver. Even the gold accents are diminishing as gold hits record highs. What do you do when silver (or even recycled aluminum) is all you or your customers can afford?...
New jewelry is like new love. Once acquired, it’s difficult to part with. We want to take it everywhere. We struggle to keep our hands off it. Alas, the moment comes when it must be unfastened and put away. One option is to return the beloved jewel to its velvet box and lock it...
Barbara Bayne’s jewelry is often dark and organic, like something dug from the earth. Perhaps this has something to do with her years of living and designing in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, where she got her inspiration on daily strolls through the woods with her yellow Lab. Bayne relocated to Havre de...
Yes, $10,000 worth of designer gems around your throat make a statement, but these hand-crafted works of art will get you noticed too. They may say something a little different though: You prefer art over status symbols. You’re more interested in design than intrinsic value. Maybe even that there’s irony in your sense of...
As I mentioned last year, SOFA (Sculptural Objects Functional Art) has come to represent the apex of craft and art, where skilled handwork intersects with wild creativity. SOFA began in Chicago and that show, held in November, is still the ultimate showcase for craft galleries. There’s a SOFA show in Santa Fe now as...
Buyers Market of American Craft applies the same high standards to the student entries to the NICHE Awards, with one exception. They don’t have to show “market viability.” In other words, student artists are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild. Congratulations to these talented young designers. Top to bottom: Patterns of Being by...
Here is some of the charming, inventive and beautifully-crafted jewelry that won NICHE Awards this year from the Buyers Market of American Craft. These winners in the professional categories were chosen for technical excellence, originality, creativity and market viability. Top to bottom: Unearthed Flora by Barb Fajardo of Albuquerque, N.M., winner polymer clay category...
