You might feel that the history of handcrafted beaded jewelry cannot possibly be very interesting, but in fact, it is quite intriguing to learn where this part of culture began. Some say that it began more than 70,000 years ago when man found the beads and gems and thought it was incredibly beautiful. Beaded jewelry has been used in many ways. One way is simply for beauty. Another is for value. Some would trade and buy with beaded jewelry or beads.

Although a man or a woman living in those times would not possibly have any practical use for them; however, they could not carry them around without modern day bags or carrying devices, nor did they have pockets. So, as legend tells us, they attached the gemstones or beads to leather straps and wore them around their neck to create the first handcrafted beaded jewelry. Over time, handcrafted jewelry started to become a status symbol. Those with power and wealth were the ones who had beaded jewelry. Beads even have been used as an item of value for which trade could be made.

Beaded jewelry has been made out of many types of beads. Beads have been known to be made out of glass, bone, porcelain, shells, paper, clay, metals, gemstones, ivory, and even wood. Bead craftsman often held the trade secrets in confidence. They were expected to keep the bead-making skills a secret. Some of them even risked themselves if they failed to keep the information to themselves. Mass production of beads didn’t even begin until the 1800s when glass beading became widely available. It was at this time that Swarovski created their process for making their special beads which are still in high demand today.

Different parts of the world created different types of handcrafted beaded jewelry. Central and South America are known for their wampum and quill creations, while Native American beadwork usually included a lot of turquoise and silver. Bead making in France began as early as 38,000 BC! Worry beads, Filigree, and highly decorated ceramic beads originated in Greece, while Italy specialized in the Murano glass beads. There are dozens of other countries not yet discussed here, but this jewelry has a rich and vast history that is incredibly interesting. Suffice it to say that there is a rich cultural tradition with wearing beaded jewelry.

To sell handmade jewelry online, you can take several approaches. You can put up a website and hope to drive a reasonable amount of traffic to your site and make a few sales. This can be a challenge unless you plan on devoting a considerable amount of time to marketing, which means less time to create new jewelry designs. With so many competing websites out there, it can be difficult to drive traffic to a stand alone website, particularly if you’re not well versed in internet marketing techniques.

Another way to sell handmade jewelry online is to sell on auction sites such as Ebay. Although Ebay receives a considerable amount of traffic, auction buyers often have a “bargain basement” mentality which makes it difficult to sell artisan quality handmade jewelry. Yes, you may make some sales, but chances are you won’t get enough profit to justify the time it took to design and create the piece.

The final, and best, way to sell handmade jewelry online is to display your designs in an online art and craft gallery. Here your jewelry will be displayed among the work of other artisans who have devoted their time and energy to creating beautiful pieces. Customers visiting these galleries expect to pay more and appreciate the hard work that went into handcrafting each piece. Plus, an art and craft gallery will draw targeted buyers so you don’t have to waste time out of your studio marketing your own stand alone website. There’s also a higher possibility of attracting interesting wholesale buyers if you sell in an online art and craft gallery.