How Jewellery Designers Really Make Money: Side Hustles, Second Jobs and Income Streams
Why working multiple jobs doesn't mean you've failed as a jeweller…
Did you know that most, if not all, of the successful jewellers I know work multiple jobs for many, many years before their jewellery business supports them 100% financially?
Did you also know that many still work a second or third job?
Consulting for international companies, teaching, designing for other brands, lecturing, sourcing stones…the list goes on.
Jewellery is an EX-PEN-SIVE business. So expensive. It is not like starting an online business where your only overhead is time. Materials, gold, gemstones, insurance, packaging, web design, display stands, fair entry fees - none of this is cheap.
That's why it's much more common than you think to have to work a few jobs at the same time - sometimes forever.
For example…
Barbara Hepworth (below) drew portraits and medical illustrations for money during her career
Barbara Hepworth
René Lalique kept freelancing for Cartier, Boucheron and others for years even while developing his own designs
Georg Jensen ran a functional silver workshop producing cutlery alongside his more artistic jewellery
Wendy Ramshaw (below) & David Watkins both combined teaching and jewellery-making for much of their careers, not just at the start…
Jewellery Designer Wendy Ramshaw
Andrew Grima (below) maintained a design consultancy for watches and accessoriesfor big brands, even after becoming a leading jeweller…
Jewellery Designer Andrew Grima
So many of the 'big' jewellers today do the same thing, and I talk to them about it a lot in private.
If you feel the passion and draw to your creativity, it's a need that you have to fulfil.
Working a more lucrative job on the side, or even during 9-5, holds no shame, and allows you to pursue this artistic work.
Instead of shame, hold it as a sense of pride.
You're supporting your creativity, you're juggling multiple things, and as we discussed last night in our September Session for GoldDust Collective, these other jobs and endeavours feed into your design work, and will without a doubt be useful and inspiring in some way to your jewellery.
So let's embrace the juggle…it's worth it.
Kate x