I recently started drafting a simple website for my jewelry and it has been so much fun. The activity is a blend of storytelling, graphic design, art direction, writing, and commerce.
Over the years I’ve made a few websites for various personal and professional purposes. The first few times around were an overwhelming swirl of unfamiliar steps and frankly my websites looked bad. However as with most things, each attempt improves upon the last.
Most of the websites I’ve worked on before are for SaaS products or financial services. In my experience, SaaS sites generally push visitors through a quick sales funnel while financial services sites make almost no mention of a sale and instead promote trust in the firm.
For jewelry, my current observations are that websites often lean toward commercial (where products and calls to action are front and center - example) or artistic (where visuals and storytelling dominate - example). It’s really interesting to try making a website for a completely different industry than I’ve made in the past. The hardest part for me so far is the storytelling. SaaS and financial service websites focus more on the product’s purpose while I think a strong jewelry website focuses on the brand’s purpose.
The nice part with websites though is that they evolve - it’s easy to improve them over time so you don’t need everything perfect from the start. I’m reminded of the principle “make it exist first, make it good later” that I’ve seen floating around on the internet. Not sure who first came up with the exact phrasing, but it’s good advice!
New bracelet
I finished a new bracelet this past week that is a miniature version of my heart pendants. It features a small heart charm balanced between delicate, looped gold chains. I think I will go literal and call it the Heartstrings Bracelet.
Soldering the jump rings for the clasps was a true test of dexterity. When working with such a thin chain, the jump ring has to be very small to fit through it and you also have to be careful not to melt either during the soldering process.
Through working with my mentors at ileava jewelry over the past few months, a practical detail I learned is that bracelets can be tricky to size. Clients’ wrist sizes and bracelet tightness preferences vary significantly. It’s possible to add an extender to a bracelet, but it’s not ideal to have a small chain dangling beneath an arm (the extender can get caught in a sleeve). I opted to make my bracelet without an extender and 17cm long as I think the design looks better with a slim fit.
Current projects
I have quite a few pieces in-progress that I’m excited about. They include a simple pearl pendant, a ring version of the mini heart motif, and a bold flowery ring with a center pearl. I am obsessed with the look of pearls with mitsuro’s ribboning. I’m still tweaking the exact designs but hopefully in a few weeks I’ll be able to show them here.
Recent inspirations
Helle Mardahl - Danish designer of playful glassware. I think her website really strongly emphasizes the visual identity of her collection.
Geoffrey Mak’s essay about Japanese writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Tadanori Yokoo - my boyfriend and I bought a some prints a few months ago and recently I’ve been particularly drawn to the bright colors and sense of movement in the two pictured below.
