What does a former bartender, graphic designer and pastry chef do? Become a top-notch real estate agent who also creates stunning jewelry.
Profession: A full-time real estate agent for RE/MAX of Boulder, with a penchant for early morning and late night jewelry-making.
Where she’s from: Lived in Wilmington, North Carolina and moved to Boulder 11 years ago, after spending a short time in Breckenridge.
How she began making jewelry: She saw a pair of earrings in a boutique in North Carolina selling for over $100. She loved them but knew they were overpriced, so she went to a bead shop where they taught her how to make a similar pair of earrings for a much lower cost.
How she started selling jewelry: Working as a server in Breckenridge, co-workers and customers began noticing her jewelry and asking to buy pieces from her. She began crafting and selling to them for fun, and eventually approached retail shops with her work.
What she makes: Mostly earrings and necklaces using wire-wrapped natural stones and geodes.
Where she sources her materials: Attends gem shows and stores to buy select pieces and fine materials.
Her experience on Etsy: It took a year and half before she received much traffic from Etsy because over 7.5 million pieces of jewelry are posted on the site. Over time, she has learned how to run her Etsy site as a business, with efforts toward marketing, search engine optimization, and cost effectiveness.
On in-store sales: She has sold her creations to as many as ten stores nationwide, but has decided to concentrate her business on Etsy where she has more control over the supply and marketing.
Who she sells to: Customers locally, across the U.S., and even internationally – including places like Australia, Norway, France and Switzerland.
How she keeps her skills fresh: She takes metalsmithing classes every two years, and spends time regularly looking at fashion trends, boutique shops, and inspiration from designers around the world.
Why she makes jewelry: She needs to balance her business and artistic sensibilities to be satisfied. Jewelry-making enables her to express her artistic side by applying her creative energies. She loves being a real estate agent and has no desire to become a full-time jewelry designer, but having a creative outlet and making these wearable treasures is both rewarding and “keeps her sane.”
Sarah’s studio where her magical craftsmanship happens!
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To order jewelry from Sarah Cavey visit sarahcavey.etsy.com and use the code “GoLocal” for a 10% discount.
Visit her page on the Our Network directory of recommended businesses: http://bouldersource.com/directory/sarah-cavey-jewelry-artisan/
