Interview with Diploma in Silver Jewellery student Amy Mason

Jeweller Amy Mason has been running her own businesses for 12 years. She ran The Bead Pot jewellery store in Canterbury and has since moved her business online and specialises in bespoke hand stamped jewellery.

Amy decided that she wanted to elevate her skills so is currently completing the Diploma in Silver Jewellery at the London Jewellery School and has made some beautiful jewellery as part of the course.   We wanted to interview Amy about her jewellery making journey, her tips and challenges and why she chose the Diploma course.

 

Why did you decide to set up your own jewellery business?

It actually wasn’t that I wanted a jewellery business! When I was a kid, say about 12, I said to my parents I’m going to run my own business! The point for me as a child was, why am I working for someone else and giving them like half my wages? Because essentially, I’m earning someone else money. It was never specifically jewellery, I just always wanted to work for myself.

 

So, what was it that led you into a jewellery business or did you fall into it?

A bit of both! At 17 my sister had done a jewellery course (beading) in Nottingham and I thought ‘you could show me how to do that.’ From then on I’ve always been making jewellery, making things. I was working to go travelling and I started making jewellery as a hobby. I sold a bit to make money to go travelling. My business kind of started as a joke, as I couldn’t find the suppliers I wanted, so I basically started my own shop. My other half kind of dared me into it and because I’m very stubborn I opened a bead shop. I did look into a business plan and that’s how it started. Essentially, I was meant to go travelling but I opened a shop instead!

Personalised stamped skinny cuff bracelet from the Bead Pot

What is it you love about making jewellery?

I think that anyone can do it! And I think that anyone can do it on any budget. It hasn’t got to be high end and it hasn’t got to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming and it can be fast. It can be cheap…. You don't have to change your outfit you can just change your jewellery!

I think jewellery can start a great conversation, it can be quite striking, the necklace I’m wearing for example, every time I’ve worn it, someone has said to me “I really like that” and then we have a whole conversation about it how I made that, it can be a great talking point. It’s a flexible medium, socially connecting.

 

How long has your business been running for?

12 years

 

Has it been an easy road or has there been a lot of challenges and bumps along the way?

I don’t think anything’s really easy, but I don’t think anything’s too hard, I’m very self-sufficient as a person and always have been. I ask, ‘how do I do this’ and if I can’t do it, I ask for help. I’ve got quite a nice network around me, a little community of creatives and we ask each other for help if we need it. If I wanted to do something with textiles I’d ask my sister for example or I’d YouTube or Google it. I’ve worked hard for everything and I believe in working hard. People do say to me ‘you’re so lucky,’ it’s not luck, I do work really hard.

 

How many hours do you work per day roughly?

10 hours per day and it depends on the time of year, that’s what’s nice about having your own business, its freedom. There are positives and negatives but that goes with anything.

Personalised hexagon necklace from the Bead Pot

What has been the most successful part of running your own business?

I could answer this in different ways. Someone might say to me ‘I really like that piece of jewellery' and that’s a really nice win for me! Working for myself, being able to pay my bills. I saw it as a massive win when I shut my shop and made jewellery full time when I did what I actually wanted to do. I did love chatting with suppliers and networking but I really wanted to make jewellery full time. Sometimes when people pay me a compliment, that’s a big success to me.

It was great that my mentor on the Diploma course Helen was really complimentary of my pieces, that felt like success.

 

What has been your toughest challenges e.g. if certain Jewellery ranges aren’t doing well? How did you get around that?

I don’t really think about it, I try to compartmentalise and move on. Things that really affect me is when a customer is upset but I've learnt I can’t please everyone all the time! For example, a customer had picked a font for one of my personalised pieces and then they ended up not liking it and they’ve been upset. With them choosing it, I’d try to make them happy, I am a bit of a people pleaser. I don’t know how to say no sometimes.

 

What training did you do to start your own business?

None, I was self-taught when I started. I did use jewellery books. If I have an idea in my head, I can see the picture and I’ll find a way to do it. I will practise and try it. YouTube is amazing now, but back in the day it was not as popular. I love learning and I have done little courses in the past year, I do read a lot in general, feeding and learning.

 

Who would you say is your largest customer base?

In the broadest sense 95% to women and some male, 40% of sales goes to America approx and I sell to the UK as well. I have a little list on the wall of everywhere I sent my jewellery i.e. Saudi Arabia. There’s no set age range, it’s quite broad.

 

What do you think it takes to run your own Jewellery Business?

Passion in one word! ….. I truly believe that in Jewellery you’ve got to love it. I recently came back from Greece and thought ‘I can’t wait to do some work.’ I love going away and switching off and designs will come into my head and it's quite inspiring. Essentially, when I came back I couldn’t wait to get back to work!

You’ve got to love what you do, busy times of the year for me could be 16 hours per day. If you don’t chase money, I know we all need it, when I’m doing well and I’ve got a supportive partner who earns well, but I didn’t always have that, when I started my business I lived at my in-laws house. It was crazy but I just kept going. You can be dedicated to anything but if you’re going to spend that much of your life something, you might as well enjoy it.

 

Does Jewellery making relax you?

Yes, it does depend on what type of jewellery making I’m doing, bench soldering etc it can be with a podcast and music in the background. My partner can tell when I’m soldering because I’m normally singing. If I’m at my workbench I listen to Netflix in the background or sometimes just quiet time.

 

Some people find jewellery a bit solitary, what do you think?

I love my own space and I like interacting with people when playing hockey and I coach goalkeeping as well as coach juniors.

 

Personalised aluminium keyring, The Bead Pot

What would you say are your golden nuggets of advice to another jewellery person wanting to set up their own business?

Passion, don’t do it for money, do it because you enjoy it. Find your way! ……  I think it’s good to have a go at certain things and get the creative juices flowing, it can inspire you in a different way. You’ll find your niche and stick to it. Ignore the nay sayers. Also, some people have 10,000 followers, however, that’s not sales, don’t compare yourself to others and don’t worry about it, there is nobody else like you in the world.

 

If a jeweller is not making any money or profit, what would you advise them?

I recently had a conversation with someone about that funny enough. Yesterday I was feeling blue and I decided to share some Instagram stories to other people of different jewellery pieces that I liked. One of the people I posted about on Instagram, also said she was really down and hadn’t sold anything for a while and I posted that I really liked her jewellery. We got into a conversation and I didn’t realise she was feeling like that. However, she said to me that it was really nice of me that I adored her jewellery and I told her, her jewellery makes me feel really happy when I see it. She has thousands of followers but it really made her day to get the compliment. It doesn’t mean because a business is big, that there doing well or making lots of money, so I said to this girl ‘just keep doing what you’re doing, you’ve got lovely jewellery.’ Keep posting, there’s no magic formula to make that into sales. Don’t be tempted to go and do something else, stick with your own style. There’s no particular way but also know that there are big companies out there that also struggle with things, I don’t want them to struggle but it does make me think about that.

 

Why did you decide you decide to do the Silver Diploma at the LJS? Did you look at other schools? What was it that attracted you to LJS?

I wanted to go to the LJS because 10 years ago I remember Jessica Rose opening and I’d had her magazine in my shop I used to teach beginners jewellery and there was nothing like this. So, I’ve watched the progress of the school over the years and I’ve looked at the silver diploma before, and it was only running on a weekend at one point and I played hockey then, so I wanted something during the week. One of my friends had finished this Diploma last year and she told me all about it. I looked again at courses now and again and saw this Diploma was on during the week. I had some first-hand experience and watched the LJS business grow. This was the right time for me.

 

What have you enjoyed learning the most out of all the classes?

I’ve honestly loved everything, I wanted to do wax carving for years and I want to change my workshop around it. I love it, and there are so many sculptural things I want to do. I loved talking to SJ about wax, so I’ve got a whole line of rings I want to do, I haven’t got a proper workbench yet, there are desks but I want to get a bench. One that really surprised me but I’ve really enjoyed it, is stone setting, I’ve never been interested and I’m really quite excited like rub over setting, so that surprised me and I really enjoyed that. Do love the wax carving!

 

What have you found challenging to learn at the school?

I enjoyed everything! Obviously, some things are more time consuming to make.

 

Personalised banner necklace from the Bead Pot

Why did you not go down the accreditation route (a formal qualification)?

At the time of choosing a degree, I picked what I picked as a month before my dad passed away and I remember my mum said do something that comes natural i.e. sport, maths. My customers never ask me what qualifications I have, I’m quite proud of what I’ve taught myself. I would like to do photography too, however, funding stopped me.

 

How are you going to use the silver diploma for your current jewellery business?

I initially wanted to be able to offer more high-end jewellery, expand some ranges, I think it’s good to keep learning, never stop expanding your mind.  So that was the initial aim, having done the course, it’s changed quite a lot of what I want to do, because yes I‘ll still do that, but I’ve really enjoyed the stone setting, new pieces and just make things that I really like, it sounds arrogant but actually making designs in my own style, what I do now is so much ‘ you tell me what you want’, and I’d like to do what I like, this is where I love different jewellers because everyone’s got their own unique style, I don’t understand why people copy or are territorial. There is enough for everything to go around. I really believe in supporting other people, one of my friends did a private tuition with one of the tutors hear, we share ideas and tips, Etsy and business. I’m in a group called ‘made in Hearn bay’ and it’s a little local group of creatives and everyone’s makes things. We come together once per month and we help each other make sales and events. It’s so nice because you’ve got that support and you can build your own network. We’re all locals, I just really think it’s about supporting other people. I will help anyone, I don’t mind and I think it’s nice.

 

So, you were interested in the Advanced Diploma, why would you like to do this course now?

When the ad came through, it looked amazing, the wax carving, the rings, I thought no way can I make that, it looks like a really good mix. It fits in timing wise with my life, so its pre-season with hockey, it’s not too close to Christmas which will be really busy. I did think will I be able to make these pieces? And I asked my mentor Helen if she thinks I could do it, and she was very honest and said yes, so it looks awesome, I’ve enjoyed coming here and I don’t want to stop coming here. It’s nice, and it’s a day for myself, switching off, for me, learn to expand, the reading the learning and that’s how you get better.

If you're interested in what you'll learn on the Diploma in Silver Jewellery click here>

If you'd like to know more about the Advanced Jewellery Diploma click here >

Thanks to Amy for being interviewed! You can find out more about Amy and see her gorgeous jewellery ranges here www.beadpot.co.uk (We just love her hand stamped jewellery which is very personalised and unique). We look forward to seeing Amy’s business grow from strength to strength!

 All the images in this blog post are copyright Amy Mason 2019