Jewellers Academy Podcast

What does it really take to launch your own jewellery business?

In this episode, Jessica Rose shares the story behind the launch of her new jewellery brand, Jessica Rose Jewellery, and ten of the biggest lessons she has learnt along the way.

Jess first ran a jewellery business around 20 years ago, before moving into teaching and eventually building Jewellers Academy. Now she is back at the bench, creating an organic fine jewellery collection using wax, gold, gemstones and stone-setting techniques and experiencing first-hand what it means to build a jewellery business in today's market.

Jess talks openly about choosing what to make, investing in materials before you know when the money will come back, creating a cohesive collection, dealing with broken stones and things going wrong at the bench, and the self-doubt that can appear when you finally put your work out into the world.

She also shares her approach to photography, branding, building her own website, keeping the first version of the business simple and why launching your website is only the beginning.

In this episode:

• Why Jess decided to start another jewellery business now

• How she chose the style and techniques for her first collection

• Why she started with creativity rather than a commercial idea

• How she built a 28-piece jewellery collection over time

• The reality of investing in gold, gemstones and professional photography

• What she learnt when stones broke and settings went wrong

• Dealing with fears about originality and being judged

• Why your jewellery does not need to appeal to everyone

• Keeping your branding, website and launch simple

• Why a slow start after launching your jewellery business is completely normal

If you are starting a jewellery business, preparing to launch your first collection or wondering how to turn your jewellery-making skills into a brand of your own, this episode is full of practical lessons and reassurance from someone going through the process right now.

Find Jessica Rose Jewellery: Website: jessicarose.com Instagram: @JessicaRoseJewellery

Want support growing your own jewellery business?

The Jewellery Business Academy is our year-long programme for jewellers who want to build and grow a successful jewellery business. From branding and pricing to marketing, selling, websites, email marketing and launching, you'll work through the key areas of your business with training, mentoring, planning sessions and support from the Jewellers Academy community.

Find out more about the Jewellery Business Academy at https://www.jewellersacademy.com/the-jewellery-business-academy

If you already have a grounding in stone setting and you are ready to develop your skills further, this episode is for you.

Jess is joined by jeweller and Jewellers Academy mentor Iain Sainsbury to talk about what it really takes to move into more advanced stone setting and jewellery making. Iain has completed all three of the Jewellers Academy advanced stone setting Masterclasses himself and now supports other jewellers going through the programme.

In this episode, Jess and Iain discuss the three Masterclasses - Decorative Collets, Fishtail Setting and Tiara Wedding Bands - and how each one develops different technical skills at the bench. They also explore why advanced jewellery making is about much more than mastering one technique, and how learning complex construction, setting and finishing skills can give you more confidence in your own designs and commissions.

They also talk about the importance of practice, why you should not expect to get an advanced technique right the first time, and how mistakes are often an essential part of becoming a more skilled jeweller.

In this episode:

• How advanced stone setting differs from learning the basics

• Why complex projects can improve your overall jewellery-making skills

• Decorative collets and developing precision, piercing and construction skills

• Fishtail and pavé setting using traditional hand-pushed gravers

• Creating tiara-style wedding bands for bridal jewellery

• Why repetition and practice are essential at an advanced level

• How detailed tuition can help when projects involve multiple technical stages

• The value of learning alongside a community of experienced jewellers

• How advanced techniques can help with future commissions and fine jewellery work

The Jewellers Academy advanced stone setting Masterclasses are open for enrolment until 31st October 2026, with immediate access to all three courses and lifetime access to the training.

About Iain Sainsbury

Iain Sainsbury is a British fine jewellery designer and goldsmith based in South Cambridgeshire, creating bespoke and one-of-a-kind pieces. His work combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, with a particular focus on precision, ethical sourcing and meaningful jewellery. He is also a Jewellers Academy mentor and tutor.

Connect with Iain

Instagram: @iains_jewellery Website: iainsainsbury.com

What does learning jewellery making really look like behind the finished pieces?

In this episode of the Jewellers Academy Podcast, Jess is joined by jeweller and content creator Kelly Twigg of Willow and Twigg, the original Diploma Diary creator, to talk about the reality of learning new jewellery-making skills and why sharing the process can be just as valuable as sharing the finished result.

Kelly began her Diploma Diaries when she joined the Diploma in Silver Jewellery two years ago, documenting the projects she was making, the things she was learning and the moments when everything did not quite go according to plan. Since then, the Diploma Diaries have grown to include different students, tutors and jewellery-making techniques, giving an honest look at the highs, lows and breakthroughs that are part of learning a craft.

Jess and Kelly talk about why seeing other jewellers make mistakes can be so reassuring, how sharing your learning can help build connection and trust with your audience, and why experimenting with techniques outside your usual style can sometimes take your jewellery in a completely unexpected direction.

Kelly is also back on a Jewellers Academy Diploma this year, this time on the new Diploma in Wax Jewellery. She shares what it feels like to become a student again, why she missed the structure and community of learning alongside other jewellers, and how working in wax has given her more freedom to experiment and start again.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT:

• Why the Diploma Diaries were created and how Kelly became the first Diploma Diary creator
• What it is really like to document your jewellery-making journey while you are still learning
• Why sharing mistakes and difficult moments can be just as useful as sharing successes
• How seeing other students learn can make online jewellery courses feel less isolating
• Why process content can help customers understand the skill behind handmade jewellery
• How documenting your learning can give you months, or even years, of social media content
• What Kelly learnt from revisiting her original Silver Diploma Diaries a year later
• The different perspectives shared by Emma René, Tori Foster and Jane Taylor through their own Diploma Diaries
• Why trying jewellery-making techniques outside your usual style can help you discover new directions
• Kelly's experience of starting the Wax Jewellery Diploma and learning to slow down, experiment and work in a completely different way

If you're currently on a Jewellers Academy Diploma, we'd love to see your own Diploma Diaries. You don't need to document the whole year. Share a project, a technique you're learning, something that went wrong, something you're proud of or simply a moment from your week at the bench.

Tag @jewellersacademy and use #DiplomaDiaries so we can follow your journey too.

Follow Kelly's journey on Instagram this year @willowandtwigg and discover other Diploma Diaries at @jewellersacademy

Find out more about the Jewellers Academy online jewellery diplomas:

https://www.jewellersacademy.com/diplomas

Scared to show your face on Instagram? Jewellery designer Lauren Gunning knows the feeling.

In this episode, Jess speaks to Lauren about how sharing her personality helped her grow to nearly 30,000 followers, having originally set herself a goal of just 1,500. They explore finding confidence on camera, building connections through honest, imperfect content and the pricing mistake that almost made Lauren give up her jewellery career. Lauren also shares how she transforms found sea glass into gems and builds her business around family life. An encouraging conversation about being yourself, valuing your work and giving your jewellery business a chance to grow.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Lauren's journey from her grandmother's bead collection to starting a jewellery business.

• How she turns found sea glass into handcrafted jewellery.

• Moving beyond product photographs and showing the maker behind the jewellery.

• Overcoming the discomfort of seeing and hearing yourself on camera.

• Growing an Instagram community through humour and honesty.

• Learning to price handmade jewellery to support a sustainable business.

• Returning to jewellery making after having children.

Discover Lauren's jewellery and connect with her on Instagram through her website: Lauren Gunning Jewellery

Explore jewellery courses, free tutorials and business support: Jewellers Academy

What makes a jewellery business newsworthy and why would a journalist want to write about yours?

In this episode, Anna Campbell is joined by PR and visibility expert Amanda FitzGerald, also known as Major Visibility, to explore how jewellers can uncover the compelling stories already hiding inside their businesses.

Amanda explains why announcing a new collection is not always enough to attract media attention. Instead, journalists are looking for engaging human stories, unusual details and ideas that matter to their readers right now.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why press coverage remains valuable in the age of social media and AI

• How to turn your personal journey into a compelling PR story

• Why your materials, provenance and creative process matter

• How meaningful commissions and customer stories can attract attention

• Ways to use local heritage, specialist niches and collaborations

• How to connect your story to a trend, event or awareness day

• How to identify the right publication and journalist

• What to include in a short and effective press pitch

• When and how to follow up with journalists

• Why local, niche and online coverage can be so valuable

Amanda also shares the remarkable story of her mother Janet Coles, whose bead business grew from a hand-drawn A4 mail-order sheet into a million-pound company, with press coverage playing a major part in its success.

If you have ever wondered, "Why would anyone be interested in my business?", this episode will help you recognise the stories that make your jewellery brand distinctive—and give you the confidence to share them.

About Amanda FitzGerald

Amanda FitzGerald is a PR and visibility expert who helps business owners get seen, heard and recognised through press coverage, podcasts and speaking opportunities. She is passionate about helping women become more confident about self-promotion and turn their expertise into meaningful visibility.

Find Amanda online:

Website: https://amandapr.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaprexpert

If you're getting back to your jewellery business after the summer, you might already have a long list of things you think you should be doing.

But going from zero to overwhelmed isn't the way to build momentum, especially when you're heading towards one of the busiest times of the year for jewellery businesses.

In this episode, Jessica Rose shares her favourite ways to ease back into work, jewellery making and business after a summer break.

She talks about:

• why starting small can make it easier to get back into the flow
• simple rituals for resetting your jewellery bench and workspace
• what to do when your motivation has disappeared
• the power of choosing just one thing to move your business forward each day
• how to decide what really matters between September and Christmas
• choosing three key goals for your jewellery business
• focusing on high-impact tasks rather than trying to do everything
• preparing your jewellery, website, commissions and marketing for Christmas
• creating start-of-day and end-of-day rituals that make running your business more sustainable
• how to keep making progress when you only have a small amount of time available

If you've had a proper summer break, been juggling work around school holidays or simply found yourself out of your usual routine, this episode will help you get back to the bench without piling on the pressure.

Remember: you don't have to do everything today. Start with one thing and build from there.

Follow Jewellers Academy on Instagram to join our September challenge, where we'll be sharing one manageable prompt each week to help you reconnect with your audience and build towards the Christmas sales season.

https://www.instagram.com/jewellersacademy

There are so many things you could spend money on when you're starting or growing a jewellery business. New tools, packaging, paid ads, magazine features, more stock, a fancy website... it's very easy for your money to disappear before you've worked out what is actually going to help your business grow.

In this episode, Jessica Rose is joined by Anna Campbell to talk about some of the common places jewellers spend money that may not give them the return they're hoping for.

We talk about paid magazine features, paying for social media exposure, making too much stock, buying packaging in huge quantities, investing in every tool you want, paid advertising, expensive websites and awards. We also share some of our own experiences of spending money on things that, looking back, probably weren't the best investment at that stage of the business.

More importantly, we look at where your money can make a real difference, including investing in your skills, increasing your capacity and building useful business assets such as great photography, your website and your email list.

If you're wondering where to invest your next £500, £1,000 or £2,000 in your jewellery business, this episode will help you make that decision much more consciously.

In this episode, we cover:

• What to ask yourself before making a big business purchase

• Why paid magazine features may not deliver the sales you expect

• Why more followers doesn't necessarily mean more customers

• How much jewellery stock you really need when you're starting out

• Why buying packaging in bulk can be a false economy

• How to decide whether an expensive jewellery tool is worth the investment

• Why paid advertising may not be the best place to start

• How simple your first jewellery website can be

• What to look for when entering business and jewellery awards

• The three areas we believe are worth investing in: skills, capacity and assets

Jewellery Business Academy

If you're serious about growing a sustainable and profitable jewellery business, enrolment for the next Jewellery Business Academy will be opening soon.

https://www.jewellersacademy.com/the-jewellery-business-academy

The Academy is our year-long programme supporting jewellers with the business side of growing their jewellery brand, with training, mentoring and support throughout the year.

Sign up to be informed when Jewellery Business Academy enrolment opens: LET ME KNOW!

How do you know which craft fairs, markets and selling events are right for your jewellery business?

In this episode of the Jewellers Academy Podcast, Jess is joined by Emma René, founder of jewellery brand Narratorium, to talk about how to choose events that suit your jewellery, your customer and the stage your business is at.

Emma has been selling her jewellery at events for around ten years, from larger trade shows and established craft fairs to local markets, art fairs, collaborative pop-ups and more niche events. She shares what she has learned about starting local, researching events before you apply, finding the right mix of makers and understanding whether your ideal customer is actually likely to be there.

Jess and Emma also explore why a successful event isn't only about the sales you make on the day. Craft fairs can give you invaluable customer feedback, help you become more confident talking about your jewellery, build awareness of your brand and create connections that lead to sales and opportunities much later.

Plus, they run through some of the UK jewellery and contemporary craft fairs worth having on your radar, from Goldsmiths' Fair and Desire to Handmade Chelsea, Craft Festival Bovey Tracey and more.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to choose the right craft fairs for your jewellery business

• Why starting with smaller local events can be so valuable

• What to look for when researching a fair

• Why the other exhibitors and overall curation matter

• How to tell whether your ideal customer is likely to attend

• Using events to learn more about your customers and your jewellery

• Talking about the story and inspiration behind your work

• Finding niche selling opportunities beyond traditional craft fairs

• Choosing jewellery and price points to suit different events

• Why one disappointing fair doesn't necessarily mean the event is wrong for you

• UK jewellery and craft fairs to explore

• How to strengthen your application and improve your chances of being selected

Listen now to discover how to choose selling events that are a good fit for your jewellery, your customers and your business.

Looking for more places to sell your jewellery? Check out our directory of UK jewellery and craft events to have on your radar.

https://www.jewellersacademy.com/blog/uk-craft-fairs-for-jewellers-where-to-sell-your-handmade-jewellery

How do you build a jewellery collection that feels creatively exciting but also makes commercial sense?

In this episode of the Jewellers Academy Podcast, host Elin Horgan is joined by fashion business consultant Kirsty Pruce to talk about range planning and how to build a jewellery collection that sells.

Kirsty has worked in buying and product development for brands including Whistles, COS and The White Company, and now brings that expertise to independent jewellery and accessory businesses.

In this episode, we talk about:

✨ What range planning actually means ✨ Why every piece in your collection needs a job ✨ How to balance creativity with commerciality ✨ How to create a cohesive jewellery collection ✨ Entry, mid and higher price points ✨ Why starting small can be a smart move ✨ Using your sales history to decide what to design next ✨ How to build on your bestsellers ✨ Knowing when it's time to retire older designs ✨ Why looking at bigger jewellery brands can help you make better decisions in your own business

Kirsty also shares some simple principles you can use when reviewing your existing collection or planning your next one.

If you've ever found yourself designing one piece at a time and then wondering how everything fits together, this episode will help you zoom out and look at your jewellery range as a whole.

About Kirsty Kirsty Pruce is a jewellery and accessories consultant and industry expert with over 15 years of experience specialising in buying, product development, and commercial strategy. She works with jewellery brands and designers to develop compelling collections, build balanced and profitable ranges, and shape product strategies that support sustainable brand growth. Kirsty is passionate about helping creatives gain the commercial clarity and confidence they need to turn their vision into a successful brand. https://www.kirsty-pruce.co.uk/

Award-winning jewellery designer Kathryn Reid joins Kelly to share how she turned inspiration from her family farm into a distinctive jewellery business with customers around the world.

Kathryn talks about finding her way into jewellery making after initially planning to study photography, beginning university without any previous jewellery experience and nearly dropping out when she felt behind the rest of her class. She explains how the freedom of her final year helped her find her creative direction, discover her love of wax carving and develop work inspired by the animals, landscapes and memories of her Northern Irish home.

After returning from travelling in 2020, Kathryn decided to give her jewellery business a proper go. Her first TikTok video, showing the making of her cow ear tag earrings, reached around 1.3 million views. As her audience grew, orders began arriving from around the world, and redundancy from her retail job gave her the push to take the business full-time.

Kathryn also shares the personal stories behind her sculptural animal nose rings, including the childhood dog who inspired the first design. She talks honestly about managing demand when collections began selling out, the pressure of limited restocks and how tariffs and changing customer behaviour led her to create a steadier and more sustainable way of selling.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Kathryn found her way into jewellery making and developed her own creative style • Why wax carving became the central technique in her jewellery practice • How personal memories and life on the family farm inspire her designs • What happened when her first TikTok video reached 1.3 million views • How she managed growing demand and international jewellery orders • Why she moved away from limited restocks towards a more sustainable business model • What Kathryn learned from trying to outsource parts of her production • Why she continues to finish every piece of jewellery herself • How she has adapted to Brexit, US tariffs and rising precious metal prices • Why growing a successful jewellery business does not have to mean building a large team • Kathryn's advice for anyone considering training as a jeweller • The importance of recognising challenges, learning from them and celebrating the small wins

Kathryn and Kelly also discuss product photography, creating social media content, winning awards at the Goldsmiths' Craftsmanship and Design Awards and Kathryn's ambition to take her jewellery to an international pop-up or exhibition.

Find Kathryn and her work

https://kathrynreidjewellery.com/

@kathrynreidjewellery on Instagram and TikTok

Learn jewellery making and grow your jewellery business with expert online courses, diplomas and support from Jewellers Academy at jewellersacademy.com.