The Truth About Gold JewelryWritten by Sam Serio
Without a doubt, Gold is one of world’s most precious metals. It is also a certainty that gold enjoys an unsurpassed popularity as a medium for jewelry expression. Both jewelry artisans and consumers alike are "in love" with gold. There seems to be no end to range of colors, finishes and styles available and gold remains a perennial favorite setting for gemstones. Gold can last forever, will not corrode or rust and can be found anywhere. Gold exists in plants, rivers, oceans, mountains, it’s nearly everywhere but it is extremely difficult and costly to extract this amazing metal. Did you know that a single ounce of gold can be pulled into a thin wire that stretches nearly five miles long? An artisans hammer can work that same ounce into a very thin sheet that can cover a 10ft x 10ft(100sq. ft.) area. Also, it takes nearly 3 tons of gold or to extract a single ounce of pure gold. Well if you didn’t now you know! Gold Basics The word Gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, karat quality should accompany any claim that item is gold. The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher karat rating, higher proportion of gold in piece of jewelry. Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near karat quality mark, you should see name of U.S. registered trademark of company that will stand behind mark. The trademark may be in form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don’t see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.
| | Strategies for Success in the Exciting and Lucrative Home-Based Business of Jewelry & GemstonesWritten by Sam Serio
The business of jewelry is one of 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; jewelry business requires research, ongoing education, focus and persistence. Fear not,the rewards for this effort can be well-worth investment of time and energy making jewelry one of best home-based business opportunities available. Finding your Niche The world of jewelry is vast and can be overwhelming. It is imperative that prospective jewelry entrepreneur narrow down to a specific area in which to concentrate there marketing efforts. In other words, you must avoid 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 budding jewelry entrepeneur has settled on their niche, they must decide which business model makes 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 unsophisticated. Applied knowledge is key here. 2. Import directly from manufacturer and sell wholesale. This strategy is not 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 ropes before you grow.
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