Prepare For Christmas, Turquoise & December Beading
16th November 2024
Online orders will be delayed between 22nd to 10th Dec, while we source new beads for you in China.
MrBead Shop: https://mrbeadshop.com. For bead fairs booked so far click Bead Fairs 2025.
Content:
Prepare For Christmas
December Beading
Turquoise Beads For December
London Gem n Bead Fair Report
2025 Bead Fairs
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New Beads
We’re always looking for anything different. You can see some of these new beads at the early fairs of 2025, and later online. However, while we’re away, we can’t mail online orders, so these will be delayed from 22nd November to 10th December.
Prepare for Christmas – A Jeweller’s Guide to the Festive Season
It’s time for jewellery makers to start preparing for the busiest season. With a little planning and creativity, you can stand out in the festive marketplace. Every piece you create has the potential to be a cherished gift!
1. Plan Your Collection
Start by highlighting a festive collection that reflects the holiday’s spirit. Incorporate traditional themes: snowflakes, stars, and Christmas colours like red, green, and gold. For a more contemporary style, explore designs that evoke the holiday vibe without being overtly festive.
2. Craft High-Quality Pieces & Keep On Trend
Customers are looking to invest in meaningful gifts. Use quality materials, pay attention to detail, and craft each piece with care. Offer a range of prices to cater to different budgets. Research current jewellery trends. Popular choices this 2024 season – include statement pieces, layering necklaces, and personalised items. Customers love designs that feel unique, yet on-trend.
3. Create Eye-Catching Displays
If you’re selling at markets or in stores, your display is important. Draw attention with twinkling lights, holly, or snowflakes. Ensure your pieces are well-lit and highlight their beauty. With props that evoke warmth and celebration.
4. Market Effectively
Showcase your holiday collection on social media. Create engaging content that highlights the craftsmanship behind your pieces. Share customer testimonials and styling tips. Consider hosting giveaways or promotions to generate buzz and encourage purchases.
5. Offer Personalisation
Personalised jewellery makes thoughtful gifts and is a major selling point. Offer custom engravings and birthstones, to attract shoppers looking for something special. Promote these well in advance so customers have time to place orders.
6. Prepare for Shipping and Packaging
Organise shipping. Show deadlines for holiday post to avoid delays. Use beautiful packaging that enhances gift-giving – turning a simple purchase into a memorable present.
7. Extend Your Availability
As Christmas approaches, extend your business hours or consider a pop-up shop for last-minute shoppers. Be responsive to inquiries and ensure your customers feel valued. A little extra customer service goes a long way during this busy season.
8. Plan for Post-Holiday Sales
After Christmas, many customers look for sales or gifts for themselves. Prepare a strategy for this period to maintain momentum and engage with your audience. As the holiday season ends, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Gather feedback from customers, assess your inventory, and start planning for the year ahead. Continuous improvement will keep business thriving.
DECEMBER BEADING
Early December is a busy time for beading. Sell at Christmas markets and make designs for presents.
Beaded jewellery makes great gifts. Small and light, and easily mailed or tucked in a stocking. It’s also personal and easy to remember who the gift came from. You can even hang jewellery on the Christmas tree.
Boxed necklaces with matching earring sets make great presents and easy to wrap. Offer your customers free gift wrapping and mailing. For personal gifts buy ready-made jewellery online, requesting your supplier to mail direct with no invoice and a happy Christmas note.
December is the peak retail season, when many stores take one-third of their entire year’s sales. So ensure you make lots of quality necklaces and bracelets well in advance. You can always give away as presents if they don’t all sell.
Turquoise and Blue Topaz is the birthstone for December. December colours symbolize happiness, prosperity, and success. Pearls also make ideal Christmas presents – try combining the two or mixing pearls with silver to create an air of sophisticated quality.
Click For Our Ready-Made Jewellery
Click For Our Blue Turquoise
TURQUOISE Beads For DECEMBER
Turquoise: Colour of Summer In the Gem For December
Turquoise beads are often associated with December jewellery because:
- Birthstone
Turquoise is the birthstones for December. Many people like to wear jewellery featuring their birthstone, believing it brings good luck and positive energy. - Aesthetic Appeal
Turquoise’s blue-green colour complements the winter season, resembling the icy tones and cool hues of December. - Symbolism
Turquoise has historical and cultural significance. It’s often associated with protection, healing, and positive energy.
For selling, turquoise is similar to jade and pearl for the same reasons. Everyone appreciates it, and the gem always looks good however its used. Turquoise is the birthstone for December.
What is turquoise?
Turquoise is a soft, opaque gemstone, formed by volcanic rock reacting to copper deposits brought by water. Colour ranges from blue-green, to yellow-green with grey, black or brown veining.
Reconstituted Turquoise
Most non-green turquoise these days is dyed. Don’t believe otherwise! It’s easy to tell if turquoise is 100% natural: it will cost well over £40 a string.
Therefore, unless you sell your jewellery upmarket, you’ll be using reconstituted turquoise. This is usual, crafted from real turquoise chips fused with other stones to make affordable. Another cost-cutter is to use howlite.
Howlite Beads
Howlite, named after the Nova Scotia geologist, Henry How, is formed in nodules with veins of black web-like streaks. It’s always white or grey, but commonly dyed blue.
Howlite’s main fame is to imitate turquoise. This is nothing wrong, because it makes an affordable substitute. It accepts a nice polish with attractive lustre, and has similar benefits to turquoise. A simple and gentle stone that aids sleep.
History
Turquoise has been found in 5,000-year-old Egyptian tombs and the Tibetans used to use it as currency. Most turquoise today originates from Burma and is carved in China. Turquoise didn’t reach Europe until the crusades when the name originated, meaning “Turkish stone”.
Benefits
Ancient doctors thought turquoise prevented injury and ground it into a powder to cure stomach disorders and internal bleeding!
Turquoise has always been used to protect the wearer from danger, attract wealth, and warn as a talisman or good luck charm.
Some believe it will fade when danger or illness is near, or a lover is unfaithful. It’s also said to protect against pollution and strengthen the body.
Looking after
Turquoise is porous, so protect from liquids, oils, and perspiration. This is why it’s often impregnated with plastic, colourless oil or wax, to improve colour and durability. Take turquoise jewellery off before washing. Untreated turquoise will eventually turn green.
See what can be done with howlite starfish beads, by one of our creative customers’.
MrBead has a lot of turquoise, see at Turquoise Beads
London Gem n Bead Fair Report
November London Gem n Bead Fair used to be the best. Crammed with well-spending, eager visitors. However, the past few years it’s been terrible. Some exhibiters barley covered their table cost. Therefore, next year we’ll miss the autumn and March shows – just exhibiting at the Kempton summer show in July. Pix is Nigel reading the newspaper at Kempton – nothing better to do!
Shame, as we do enjoy the show, the largest Gem n Bead at Kempton Park Racecourse – but it’s just not economically viable. It also takes three-days, yet we turnover more in a single day at one of our own shows. Next year we’ll be close to London at London Luton Bead Fairs, Kent Bead Fair, and the New Forest Bead Fairs. Plus slightly further: Cambridge & Oxfordshire Fairs.
2025 Bead Fairs
That’s it this year – first show of 2025 will be Harrogate Gem n Bead in February. For the shows, click: 2025 Bead Fairs.
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