Matching jewelry?

[BlackCatStudio98]

For those of you who sell jewelry (or buy jewelry for that matter), what are your thoughts on matching pieces?

Do you try to have some matching sets? Do customers ask you for matching pieces?

I personally don't wear matching jewelry and don't typically make matching jewelry. With the exception of a friend of mine, I haven't had anyone ask me for matching pieces at craft shows or on Etsy, but I haven't been doing either for very long. I do know some people won't buy single jewelry pieces, they have to have a set. But is this very common? I don't want to miss out on sales because I mostly have single pieces.

It isn't my style, so I don't plan to have everything I make have a matching piece with it and if I do make some pieces that go together I will still sell them seperately, but will direct people to the other pieces that go. I'm just wondering if I should put a little effort into providing more pieces that go together just so it's available for those customers who want them. Most of my necklaces are on the larger and bolder side and I wouldn't like matching earrings with them, but I could make some earrings to go with some of my bracelets.

What do you all do?

[RestlessSky]

Good question - I've been wondering the same myself. I don't wear sets - and don't make sets. I have items that blend and look good together, but would also like to know what other jewelry designers think.

[Former_Member]

i sell TONS of bracelet/earring sets at shows.
i also sell both seperately.
occasionally someone will ask me to break up a set which i usually will do.

[SomeKindOfPretty]

I wondered this too!

I make some sets but sell the individually. I lower the price if they do buy them together. But I have sold a few sets on occasion. But usually it is individual pieces.

[weekendjewelry1]

I don't do as many shows as I used to (no, I don't mean for supplies, I mean for jewelry). I try to always have pieces that work together - sometimes matching, sometimes coordinating - but not "sets". People often ask if they can see a pair of earrings to go with the necklace, or whatever. I try hard to have items to show them. I don't wear sets myself but I'm happy to provide items that can be used that way!

And they are all priced individually. That way there's no "breaking up sets" - and usually if it's a set people except a lower price. I'd rather decide on the spot (or so it seems to the customer) to offer them a slight discount - make them feel a bit special. But I don't feel I need to (and sometimes I don't).

But having coordinating items? Definitely.

[wavejewelry]

Like the OP, I don't wear my jewelry in sets. That "matchy matchy" look isn't my style either. But I do make some of my earrings match some of my pendants and I make a point to show the matching pieces to my customers and this can lead to a bigger sale. I do occasionally get people who only buy complete sets of jewelry like pendant, earrings, bracelet and ring sets. I do offer to make custom sets but I don't think this type of customer is my market base anyway because they rarely go for the custom set.

[TheSalvagedEdge]

I sell individual pieces. What is "matching" to me is not to someone else.

[Drakestail]

I do matching sets sometimes, depending on whether I have the materials to do so. If people buy both pieces, I'll give them a small discount. For those who don't, no biggie. I have lots of items that are "orphans" from a set but they are interesting enough on their own that they sell, too.

Ultimately, you should make what you're inspired to make, just expect that you'll get the occasional question about sets. Perhaps offer to make a matched piece as a custom order - people often like that it's made just for them!

[TerahClassyCreations]

I started out making matching pieces because I have family and friends that love to have everything matching! But so many people love just one piece or the other of a set, I sell them separately as coordinating pieces. It's also fun because you can make variations on a theme and pretty soon you have a cohesive line that all goes together. That being said, I only do that for some pieces. Most of the time I make single pieces of jewelry as stand-alones.

[BlackCatStudio98]

Thank you for the replies everyone. :)

@Drakestail, that is a good idea, to offer to make custom pieces. I have done that for my friend, but I will try to mention that to customers at shows. It will also give me something to talk about with the customers since I struggle with that part.

@Terah, I love what you said about a theme and having a cohesive collection. Like Drakestail said, it's best to make what you're inspired to make and I was seeing matching pieces as non-inspiring (besides not liking the matchy matchy look, but I've been thinking about it and I'm starting to see it as more of a challenge. I have pieces where I don't have more of the main focal parts, so it could be challenging and fun to make pieces that go despite not having the exact same supplies. That goes with what weekendjewelry1 and Julie said about having something to show to go with another piece, but also have pieces that can be sold seperately. And I could possibly build a collection from there. :)

[ArtisticSparkle]

I don't have actual sets, but I do have pieces that can go together, so I point the customer to the other pieces as well. Some customers will buy several pieces that can all go together... but most only buy the one piece. Once in a while you will have a lady say "I just love sets"... but most don't buy that way from my experience.

[BlackCatStitches]

I don't buy or wear sets, but I think the displays look nice when coordinating pieces are grouped together, if that makes sense.

[BokBokJewelry]

I make a lot of pieces that would be considered "statement" pieces, so I don't currently have any truly matching sets. However, I do have a signature line of necklaces and earrings all made from the same materials, so they're pretty easy to mix-and-match, though I'm selling them individually. I'm also working my way into simpler pieces that aren't OOAK, and those will have some style coordination with one another.

[paragraphloop]

I think selling items in sets is a nice way to promote them for people looking to buy a gift. Think of them as "coordinating" rather than "matching" — matching sounds granny.

Many people set a price range for a gift and shop within that range. Someone who wants to spend $30 on a birthday gift may not buy 3 separate pairs of $10 earrings, but they might buy a coordinating set of $20 necklace and $10 earrings.

[Former_Member]

I have a few sets. But I'm not a matchy person either.
Lately I have wanted to get completely away from making ear rings for shows.
I donated 58 pairs at Christmas to our local Arts Council Org.

I have put both my ear ring rotating stands up for listing in my shop. I figure if I sale the display stand s then I really CAN quit making ear drops.

The ones I do make are special "the only ones" but it just got to a point where I was bored with making them.

[RainnRoseArt]

most of my jewelry are sold separate.I do have a few sets on my shop, But normally I don't make sets. I have not sold a set on etsy. i do sometimes get custom orders off etsy for sets around xmas/yule time.

and if someone wanted me to break a set, Id most likely be willing to do that as well

[LaGlasSea]

I find when I make sets people want one part of it. When I make just a pendant someone wants earrings to match. I will separate a set if someone asks. I can not make something match if made desperately because glass is so hard to match up. So for craft shows I try to have some sets and some separates. I hope this helps.

[FlameOnGlass]

I usually have earrings to match some of my bracelets but I sell them separately. I only started making earrings because so many people asked for them but now they are one of my biggest bread & butter items both at shows & in gallerys.

[paragraphloop]

Another thing - even sets of like items might be successful. I started putting together the most inexpensive earrings in my shop in sets of 3, and they've sold really well. Much better than the earrings individually.

[Former_Member]

I've been asked if i have matching earrings to my chokers( they are beaded with a handmade stoneware focal). I thought about it, it would be easy to make a matching beaded dangle earring but what would i do with the earrings if someone only buys the choker? Would someone be interested in just buying a glass bead pair of earrings from a potter?

[Lunachick]

Very rarely do I make sets of anything, though I have done so before. I've had a couple of people request sets, but I reserve them for custom orders most of the time.

Personally, I don't wear mathing jewelry.

[TigersandDragons]

Kiln Goddess wrote: I've been asked if i have matching earrings to my chokers( they are beaded with a handmade stoneware focal). I thought about it, it would be easy to make a matching beaded dangle earring but what would i do with the earrings if someone only buys the choker? Would someone be interested in just buying a glass bead pair of earrings from a potter?
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I find that a pair of earrings is always easier to sell when separated from a set, than when a pendant or necklace has been separated.
Can you make a little clay pieces so that the earrings are still pottery based, with the addition of glass?

[Former_Member]

That would hike up the price of them and i hate to make clay beads, they are a pain, always rolling away, the holes shrinking to small, not to mention needing to buy special kiln furniture for them if i want them glazed. Glass beads would match the chokers and take very little time so a nice little add on instead of a big time suck doing something I don't enjoy. Thats the same reason I don't make mugs, time hogging boring handles on an otherwise perfectly good vessel.

I taught a teen class in clay this past month and one of the days i did pendants and beads, they hated making the beads...said they were too hard and didn't even glaze them.

[MoonlightDesigns2]

I sell quite a few sets at shows usually necklaces and earrings but will break up a set if asked. I have also had people ask me to make matching earrings when buying a necklace or bracelet. I try to have as many separate pieces as possible and also sets since you never know what people might want to buy.

[TigersandDragons]

How about making tiny clay discs instead of beads? They can be glazed on only one side.
If holes close, you can drill them out using glass drill bits, drilling so the pieces are lightly covered with water.
Do you need special Kiln furniture? Can't you just use high temperature wire and make your own kiln furniture putting it together with high fire clay? I'm not sure how high you fire,
cone 4? 6? 8? 10?