New jewelry designers often wonder about how to create their own style. It's a good idea to think about if you plan to sell your handmade work. The jewelry market is very crowded. How will you stand out and find your own audience?
One easy way to develop a theme or voice for your jewelry is to use a consistent design element. Hearts are one element that pop up periodically in my designs. I don't use them in everything, but I do go through phases where they appear quite often. This year I've found I'm using them more, probably to try to balance all the negative energy in the world with a little more love.
How to Use Hearts in Your Jewelry
Occasionally I use heart pendants or charms in a traditional Valentine way such as this necklace I created a couple of years ago. (Don't those beads look like sugared candy?) I also made matching earrings.
I've often used hearts as a way to send a message of love to the person wearing the jewelry. For example, when I was making earrings for the Ears to You charity, I sent at least one pair with hearts.
Sometimes I look for quotes that I can pair with a heart symbol. My "Do Small Things With Great Love" key chain isn't technically jewelry, but it could easily be made into a great pendant for a necklace.
Both my bracelet (shown below) and necklace projects in the Summer 2017 issue of Jewelry Affaire feature hearts. I've used the hearts to symbolize creativity and love of what you do.
More Heartfelt Inspiration
It's not just me who enjoys using hearts in jewelry. Here are two other heart-themed jewelry pieces in this summer issue of Jewelry Affaire:
These fun polymer clay bracelets are by Brooke Bock. I really like the turquoise and red combination. Bangles make great gifts since they can fit a range of wrist sizes.
This recycled necklace by Sue Orosz caught my eye. She uses a combination of old parts (like the rusty heart) and paper that feel irresistible. I'm envious of jewelry designers who have such fun vintage pieces to play with!
Need more? Here are a few links to artists who also included jewelry designs with hearts in this issue of the magazine:
- Susan LeGuyader
- Toni Pullen
- Milagros C. Rivera
- Stephanie Gard Buss
- Sherri Welser
- Joan Williams
- Nancy "fangles" Brown
Note: Links go to a mix of artist shops and blogs. You might not see their magazine pieces online, but you'll definitely see a lot of fun stuff!
Win a copy of this issue of Jewelry Affaire!
If hearts are not your favorite symbol, you'll find lots of others to admire in this magazine: stars, birds, starfish, butterflies, leaves, crowns, flowers ...
- To enter, please leave one comment on this blog post by midnight (Mountain Time) August 20, 2017. If you're not sure what to write, tell me if you use hearts or another symbol in your jewelry designs. I need to approve the comments manually, so there will probably be a little delay before you see your comment appear.
- Giveaway open to U.S. entrants only. (Magazine will be coming from the publisher.)
- I'll draw a random winner and contact that person during the week of August 20th. I'll post an update here once the winner has been successfully contacted.
- Feel free to share this giveaway with your friends. Think of it as a way to share the love of jewelry making!
- Good luck!
Update August 21, 2017: The drawing is now over. Congrats to Dawn who was the random winner! Enjoy the magazine!