Confessions of a Jewelry Supply Hoarder

The question I get most often is “Where do you get all your supplies?  Do you travel?”  The long and short answer is yes.  I source my components from all over the globe, both when I travel and through the contacts that I have made over the years.  

I have purchased jewelry components while trekking though ethnic minority villages in Northern Vietnam and at the Night Market in Luang Prabang, Laos.  My biggest shopping trip of the year, however, is a little less exotic, but very rewarding - the annual, massive gem show in Tucson, AZ.  This is where I meet with suppliers and buy treasures from all over the globe. 

Over the years I have developed some wonderful sources, from Southeast and Central Asia to Africa and India.  They know me well, what I like and what I will go nuts over.  Some send me boxes to pick through, others send photos. 

And, well, I am a shopper!  I can’t resist loading up on all the wonderful things that provide inspiration and creative energy.  My studio is brimming with beautiful things.  Drawers and drawers of gemstones.  Tibetan pendants.  Afghani beads.  African amber.   Turquoise.  Coral.  And so many pearls.  All of this is accompanied by findings, wire, tools and all of the little details that add the finishing touch.

Can I admit something to you?  I am, in fact, a hoarder when it comes to my jewelry supplies.  Lately my studio has been feeling a little crowded, cramped, over-stuffed.  I feel a need to unload some of it.  So, that is just what I am doing.  I have set up a shop, on etsy.com, where I will start selling off some of the supplies in my studio to make room for more.  Seems a little crazy, but if you make jewelry it is a benefit to you!  I am selling items at the wholesale price, or less.  

I will post new items regularly, as I make my way through the boxes and drawers in my studio.  So keep checking in to see what’s new.  And tell your jewelry making friends.  


I have called it IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS, because that is the truth!