I’m thinking about making a line of brass jewelry. It will be an investment though because the wholesale site has a $200 min. Of course I can buy just one or two pendants off Etsy but they are obviously so much more expensive than buying direct.
So, can you share your fashionable opinions with me? What do you think of brass jewelry? Do you wear it? Do you think it is over done right now?
I’ve talked to the Co. I am thinking of buying from and they say they have never had any returns or complaints about the brass greening skin. That the metal does lighten and darken, which many consider part of it’s charm but I can use a wax to prevent that if I like.
Here are a couple of the pendants I have in my cart right now
For some reason I love this scarab although an icky big may be a hard sell lol
The designs I have in mind are similar to these. Large pendants with simple beading. I don’t want to make anything too fringy and hippie looking.
Shannon, I think the pendants you've chosen are pretty. But–JMO–I know that I would never buy brass jewelry, due to the green issue. While I would trust you of course
as a customer I would be skeptical about claims that the manufacturer never had complaints. JMO.
I hear you Hex. I think I better do my own experiment. My skin is very sensitive, so how I react should give me some idea.
I think the look is so so pretty but I wouldn't want green-ness either.
Forgot to add, I like the scarab beetle too
Just does not appeal to me so I would probably not buy.
Jean
I have a few brass jewelry pieces, but I"ll admit I don't wear them very often — not because of the green issue, but they are just too casual for work. I like the butterfly necklace with the pretty amber and rose beads. A smaller pendant would be better on me. I think it's nice that you want to branch out into other types of metals. Why not!
I like the pieces you currently make. I'm not down with brass jewelry. I don't own a single piece. It doesn't look right on me. It stirs up thoughts of racks of stuff I see whenever I'm near the register at Urban Outfitters.
Besides the material, the styling also looks very different from the rest of the Dressing Room jewelry. Almost like they would be from different stores. I think the pieces may look out of place on your stylized dressingroomjewelry site. I guess it's the branding that's confusing me. Perhaps toting them as a separate "collection" would be a good idea.
I hope this didn't sound too harsh.
Have fun!
I love brass jewelry. I have a brass version of the pearl garden bracelet that I made and I wear it all the time and get tons of compliments. I am also a huge fan of the sterling silver dipped in Liver of Sulfer so it gets black. I think either one of the mediums when combined with light turquoise and clear beads is such a nice contrast.
JKW- That is a good point.. I hadn't thought about the casualness of brass. Something to keep in mind!
Cyclone, not harsh at all! I appreciate your thoughts on whether it fits in with the rest of my store
Icsmom- The contrast of brass and pearl sounds very pretty!
To each their own, but I would never buy brass. I think it looks cheap and there isn't much one can do to not make it look that way.
It all looks very hippie/Grateful dead…etc… It also looks downmarket. Your stuff is so elegant,creative, and expensive looking. Don't do it.
I definitely love the style of the necklaces, especially the swallow and the butterfly – however I agree that silver, dipped/blackened silver and gold or antiqued gold is nicer. I have brass pieces from vintage stores that are pretty, but I RARELY wear them, so would probably not buy more.
Someone mentioned the racks at urban outfitters – which is what it reminded me of too. Bought my teen daughter a necklace there recently – and they are inexpensive. So investing 200.00 might be hard to recoup.
Either way-good luck! Your pieces are always incredibly beautiful, and you will do well, I am sure!
I have some Liz Palacios jewelry I bought several years ago from Nordstrom that were brass (I think or at least they look brass) with dainty colored crystals. Out of the ones I have, I only rarely wear two sets that are composed of delicate pendant/matching earrings that incorporate pink/orange or aqua/green and still feel fresh and actually sometimes layer them over my Tiffany diamond pendants. The other brass-type pieces now seem much more goth/bohemian/Anthro-ish and I don't wear these anymore at all. I think the JC-type jewelry you do looks beautiful. HTH.
Shannon,
I personally find this type of jewlery sort of an eye candy. Pretty to look at, rarely venture to buy. Simply b/c it demands a certain style to go with it. No offense to anyone, but I can see a Chicco's girl wearing it , not J Crew. Nothing wrong with Chicco, it's just an altogether a different animal.I really like your J crew-like renditions. I find those items very very beautiful.
Just my 2 cents!
Unique!
Butterfly is my choice.
Shannon – still thinking about this. What about using antique brass findings but keeping with your more classic style. If you look at all the fall jewelry a lot of the findings are brass. The fall J Crew line inspired me to do my brass bauble bracelet. The brass with the all the navy clothing is fantastic.
Sorry – forgot to include the link to photos of my brass piece http://thesplurgeorthesteal.blogspot.com/2009/04/antique-brass-cluster-bracelet.html
You are a million times more talented than I am, I can't imagine what you could come up with. I just limp along trying to make a piece for myself here and there
Love that bracelet!
I noticed that too, Jc's new rhinestone pieces are set in brass. So it can be upscaled..something to think about..
Brass has a "dirtiness"…my kid just found this in the dirt kind of look. Not my taste and I am a jewelry fanatic! I love big, bold pieces that you can just wear with jeans and a t-shirt and let the piece stand on it's own, but I'm not sure about brass. It looks like if I wore it with a white t-shirt, my shirt would be dirty where the necklace was touching me.