Making Headway: A panel talk on opportunity and progression in Birmingham
The Jewellery Collective is breaking down barriers to those finding their way in the jewellery industry; a saturated market that's been historically tricky to crack without existing social capital. Nurturing environments where advice and knowledge is gladly shared without expecting anything in return - creating supportive spaces for jewellery professionals to develop their confidence, skillsets and networks - we’re founded on a vision of greater connection, opportunity and inclusivity.
Teaming up with Birmingham City University’s School of Jewellery in November 2024, we hosted a panel and networking event for members of Birmingham's jewellery industry to gain honest, up-to-date insights on ‘making headway’ on their jewellery journeys. Whether an experienced industry veteran seeking fresh perspectives or an aspiring jeweller looking ahead to the future, this laid-back event was an inclusive opportunity for seeking inspiration, useful new connections, opportunities and guidance.
For those who missed it, this blog post unpacks some of the panel discussion’s key takeaways. The full recording of this panel discussion is available exclusively to The Jewellery Collective’s members as an evergreen resource. Please click here to learn more about the perks and prices of our membership packages.
“Thank you so much for inviting me to take part in this wonderful event. It was lovely meeting everyone and it felt good to share and learn. Looking forward to more stuff happening in the future.”
The Panel
Moderated by Rebecca Skeels (Course Director and Senior Lecturer of Jewellery & Objects at BCU and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and External Examiner on the Designer Maker course at Brighton University), the panel represented various facets of the industry - from education to trade, manufacturing, designing and education.
We welcomed Sarah Huelwen Lewis (award-winning jewellery designer and founder of Huelwen Lewis Bespoke, with 20 years of industry experience); Michael Lin (BCU alumni, award-winning jewellery designer-maker and Early Career Representative at the Association of Contemporary Jewellery); Marie Brennan (Commercial Manager and Business Development Officer with over 20 years of experience at the Birmingham Assay Office); and Margo Misiak-Orlovic (BCU alumni and multi-award-winning jewellery artist.)
Together our speakers drew on their own experiences to share pearls of wisdom and offer refreshing takes on the pathways possible to our audience members.
Building a Supportive Community in the Jewellery Industry
As ever, the panel talk was opened by a welcome speech from The Jewellery Collective, emphasising the importance of connection in an industry that can often feel isolating. Founded to address barriers to entry and progression, the Jewellery Collective offers a peer mentoring scheme, online masterclasses, panel talks and networking events, all designed to foster openness and collaboration.
Our panellists too consistently highlighted the importance of networking as a cornerstone for career development. Sarah shared her experience of working hard to build a strong network over the first seven years in the industry, forging connections with both clients and fellow professionals that she knows now to be integral to her brand’s success. This involved trialling out a number of different craftspeople and suppliers before nurturing the personal and professional relationships with those whose work she most trusted – people she still works closely with today, almost 20 years down the line.
Marie echoed this sentiment, attributing her 38-year career to the enduring relationships she’s built. Whether through formal networking events, professional collaborations, or casual interactions in supply shops, these connections have proven vital in maintaining her relevance and adaptability in a changing industry. The key is to remind open-minded and ready to converse – you never know what a chat might lead to.
Finding Your Niche
Defining your USP
Michael stressed the importance of identifying and leaning into your unique traits without fear or hesitation. “Finding your USP is key to standing out,” he advised. For him, this means regularly incorporating unconventional materials (recently, Jesmonite and biomaterial) and blending traditional Japanese techniques and aesthetics with modern concepts. Yours might be the specific story that your jewels tell, your unique source of inspiration, or a lesser-used craft technique. In a market driven by commerciality and trends it can be daunting to stay true to what makes you different, but doing so can afford you a space in this crowded market that is yours only. In the long term, this honest authenticity is more sustainable for you as a jeweller.
Managing Feedback – Whilst Staying Authentic
On the topic of remaining authentic, Margo shared a valuable lesson about navigating external feedback. Whilst it’s crucial to seek advice and perspectives from others sometimes, she advised critical reflection on what aligns with your ultimate goals and values. “You know what’s right for you,” she said, reminding attendees to stay focussed even in the face of conflicting opinions.
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
Margo also touched on the challenges of impostor syndrome, particularly as a mature student returning to education after many years on a totally different career path as a translator, and having become a mother. In spite of this initial trepidation, she now credits her postgraduate studies with transforming her confidence and perception of her value as a creative professional. Her story resonated with many attendees, offering encouragement to those doubting their legitimacy in the industry as ‘part-timers’ and lacking the conviction to continue moving forwards. You owe it to yourself to nurture your passion, no matter how ‘unconventional’ that step might seem at the time.
Flying your Flag
“People buy from people they trust,” Sarah said, telling the audience of how she is not afraid to get chatting to somebody in her local shop or yoga class to tell them what she does, allowing them to put a face to her brand’s name next time they’re in the market for a significant piece of jewellery. With an increasing number of jewellery customers hoping to shop local and independent, this approach is perhaps more effective than it’s ever been. All panellists agreed that word of mouth remains the most reliable source of new business, with personal recommendations often resulting in the highest-quality leads.
This being said, social media is of course a powerful – and free – marketing tool. Whilst Margo and Michael find that Instagram lends itself kindly to their visually arresting art jewels, Sarah noted that Facebook in fact remains her top platform for conversing with clients – particularly concerning bespoke remodelling projects. For those of us in the audience who had come to disregard Facebook, this was an interesting revelation. Sarah recognises the correlation between Facebook and her assumed role as a local family jeweller, highlighting the importance of tracking content metrics and employing critical thinking to understand your target audience and be selective about the platforms you invest time in.
Getting Down to Business
For those in the audience hoping to start or scale their jewellery brands, Sarah recommended QuickBooks as a great tool for tracking sales trends. For most jewellery brands, the ebb and flow of seasonal demand greatly impacts the financial landscape of the year. Identifying peak periods like bridal season early on allows you to budget for quieter months. Being adaptable and strategic in forward planning is key to maintaining stability year-round.
Sarah also strongly advised prioritising small pockets within your budget to hire expert freelancers – like an accountant - to take care of tasks outside your skillset. This not only frees up time for you to engage in the tasks of highest priority to you (whether that’s designing, creating or liaising with clients) – but ensures that the job is done properly, averting the risk of subsequent hiccups down the line.
Managing numerous social media platforms, for example, can be an overwhelming task for small business owners. Sarah’s solution was to hire a virtual assistant to spend a few hours per week managing content creation and interactions. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big expense – but it’s the change that enabled her to maintain a better work-life balance.
Her approach to phased rebranding - investing in small improvements over time, whenever a little extra room in the budget avails itself - demonstrated that growing a successful brand doesn’t require a large upfront investment. “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”
“Shoutout to The Jewellery Collective and Birmingham School of Jewellery for a great evening. The Q&A session really made me remember about who I am as a jeweller and what path I want to follow, because being yourself is what’s most important in this industry. I’m looking forward to the next event in Birmingham.”
Grabbing the Bull by the Horns
As an integral player in Birmingham’s jewellery industry for almost four decades, Marie is familiar with the wealth of career pathways offered up by the jewellery industry – from hallmarking to gemmology, valuation, illustration and analysing. For those excited by the possibilities but unsure of which direction to begin on, Marie recommended exploring the Assay Office’s website for upcoming career events, short e-learning courses, apprenticeships and part-time roles. It’s worth mentioning here that the Birmingham Assay Office is an official business partner to the Jewellery Collective, offering 10% off all e-learning courses as an exclusive benefit for our members.
Margo’s advice? “Apply for everything.”
“Even if you don’t get selected, you’re putting your work in front of people’s eyes,” she explained. This proactive approach not only builds confidence, as you challenge yourself to identify your strengths and ‘sell’ yourself to potential employers – it also increases visibility in a tight-knit industry, possibly leading to unexpected opportunities down the line. It’s this very approach that has led to Margo exhibiting her work in various galleries and exhibitions.