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.

Gemstones are at the heart of so many jewellery designs, but how much do you really know about them? In this episode, Kelly Twigg is joined by award-winning gemmologist Marie Chalmers for a fascinating conversation about diamonds, coloured gemstones and the science behind them.

Together they explore what gemmology is, how diamonds are graded, the differences between natural, lab-grown and recycled gemstones, and why understanding the stones you work with can help you become a more confident jeweller. Marie also shares practical advice on sourcing gemstones, working with suppliers and building your knowledge throughout your jewellery career.

If you're just beginning your jewellery journey or have years of experience, this episode is packed with insights you'll be able to apply to your own work.

About Marie Chalmers

Marie Chalmers is an award-winning gemmologist with over 20 years' experience in the jewellery industry. Through her business, Chalmers Gems, she specialises in responsibly sourced gemstones and diamonds while sharing her passion for gemmology through education and industry expertise.

Find out more: https://chalmersgems.com/

About Jewellers Academy

Jewellers Academy offers online jewellery making and jewellery business courses, from beginner workshops to one-year professional diplomas, helping jewellers develop their making skills and build successful creative businesses. Find out more at www.jewellersacademy.com.

Have you ever wondered how jewellery collections come together? Where do the ideas come from? How do they develop into cohesive designs? And how do you create work that people instantly recognise as yours?

In this episode of the Jewellers Academy Podcast, Anna Campbell is joined by jewellery designer, maker and Jewellers Academy mentor Elin Horgan to explore the creative process behind designing a jewellery collection.

Elin shares how she finds inspiration in architecture, why she gathers ideas long before she starts designing, and how she transforms simple geometric shapes into timeless jewellery collections. She also takes us behind the scenes of using CAD and casting, planning a professional brand photoshoot, refreshing her visual identity and building a recognisable style that has evolved over years in business.

If you're just beginning to design your own jewellery or you're looking to create a more cohesive collection, this conversation is full of practical advice and inspiration.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How to gather inspiration without forcing creativity
• Developing a cohesive jewellery collection from one central idea
• Designing with production and manufacturing in mind
• When outsourcing can strengthen your jewellery business
• The value of professional photography when launching a collection
• How branding evolves as your jewellery business grows
• Why your signature style develops naturally over time

About Elin Horgan

Elin Horgan is a jewellery designer and maker based in Bristol. Inspired by the geometry of architecture, she creates understated contemporary jewellery in recycled silver and gold using traditional silversmithing techniques alongside wax carving, CAD and casting. Elin is also a Jewellers Academy mentor and tutor on the Diploma in Wax Jewellery.

Find Elin: Website: https://www.elinhorgan.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elinhorgan

Discover more jewellery making courses, workshops and the Jewellers Academy community at: https://www.jewellersacademy.com

Christmas might still feel a long way off, but if you want your best sales season yet, now is the time to start preparing.

In this episode, Jessica Rose shares a practical six-month plan to help handmade jewellers build towards a successful Christmas. Rather than trying to make, market and sell everything at once, you'll learn how to spread the workload across the coming months so you can stay organised, avoid burnout and maximise your sales.

Jess covers:

• How to set a realistic Christmas sales goal
• How much jewellery you need to make to reach your target
• When to focus on making, photography, marketing and selling
• Simple ways to prepare your website and email marketing
• Why planning ahead leads to more sales and less stress

Whether your goal is £3,000, £20,000 or even £100,000, the same principles apply. Start with a clear plan, work backwards from your sales target and give yourself plenty of time to prepare for your busiest season.

Free Christmas Planning Resources

Ready to put your own plan together? Enrol on our free 20K Christmas in Your Jewellery Business course to watch the video lessons and download your free Christmas Sales Planner.

https://jewelleryschoolonline.teachable.com/p/how-to-have-a-20k-christmas-in-your-jewellery-business