For years, I avoided trying to neatly describe my jewelry. I thought labels would limit me and that defining my work too clearly might somehow shrink my creativity. But the more I grew as an artist—and as a business owner—the more I realized that being able to articulate what I make isn’t about boxing myself in, it’s about inviting people in. This post is about the moment I finally confronted that discomfort, stumbled through an awkward description of my work, and began to uncover the words that actually feel true to what I create.
As artists, we’re constantly being asked to describe our jewelry—whether it’s for a grant proposal, the About page on our website, or a casual conversation with someone who’s curious about our work.
This has baffled me for awhile because I never wanted to put myself in a box because I felt like that would be the death of my creativity. But the truth is, being able to clearly describe your work is not only helpful—it’s vitally necessary if you want to build a successful jewelry business. And I do.
A few weeks ago, I was with a client for my day job, when she asked what kind of jewelry I make. All I could say was "It's sterling silver and gemstones. It's not fine jewelry, but it's not beaded either." How lame, right?! It occurred to me that just saying what it's made of doesn't describe the vibe of the jewelry, how it feels when wearing it or the story I'm trying to tell with my designs and branding.
So I started thinking out loud and came up with the following:
My jewelry is Modernist, Tactile, Rooted in natural phenomena, and Museum-inspired. The way I think about it is this: You're walking through a museum and are drawn to really interesting modern sculptures and paintings. As you walk through the gift shop, you spot my jewelry in the case, and say "Oh wow, that piece reminds me of that cool sculpture/painting and I want to take it home and wear it always."
Not only am I going for sculptural mementos, but the work needs to be comfortable. Because if your jewelry isn't comfortable, you're not going to wear it.
Ultimately, the goal is to create pieces that feel meaningful, wearable, and worth keeping close.
