Modern jewelers are exploring new ways to supplement their incomes from sales, and one of the most popular trends is releasing tutorials.  Many jewelers are finding huge success by packaging their knowledge and expertise in an easy to follow and nicely presented 'How To' document and selling them on their sites as well as craft communities such asEtsy, Artfire and JewelryLessons.com.

Wire artist Perri Jackson is one such artist.  She says "I love tutorials! The number of tutorials now available to jewellers of all skill levels is amazing. Tutorials are a great bridge of information - more in-depth than magazine articles - less expensive than live workshops, but still rich in content. Sounds like a win-win to me!!! They can also be used as an inexpensive way to 'preview' a class at a larger venue or festival."

Many jewelers are quite possessive of their techniques and designs, and I have been to more than one event where I was viewed with suspicion when I visited another jeweler's booth andcomplimented a piece of jewelry that I admired.  Design theft was, and still is, a strong concern for many jewelers, whether it is warranted or not.  So it is refreshing to see some jewelers sharing their knowledge so openly.

"It wasn't always so easy to find this information," says Perri, "but now people are sharing their ideas and expertise very freely and affordably. The benefits to both teachers and students are great - the students can get information from artists who care deeply about not only their finished pieces, but the process they used to complete it. The artists get exposure, generate goodwill, friends and customers."

While money is an obvious plus, since unlike jewelery you can create a tutorial once and sell it over and over again, it seems there is a strong sense of community driving these artists to share their work.  Perri also notes that there is a great deal of promotional value to be had indistributing tutorials, stating, "I actually think they are more important as a promotional tool - your ability to create quality jewelry is pretty much proven in your tutorials. How cool is it to be able to generate your own press!"

But of course, creating tutorials requires hard work, and in order for them to be valuable you need to employ the high standards in creating your tutorials as you do your jewelry. 

"About the only down side I see to sharing designs as tutorials is working hard to keep the quality of instruction high industry-wide. I'm a big believer in giving good value for the money folks spend by including those little tips and tricks that make our work special and professional. Those of us who create tutorials need to do the work necessary to write clearly, take good photos, and stay open to feedback from our students."

If that has inspired you,  why not visit JewelryLesson.com to see a wide range of quality tutorials, and then have a go at creating and submitting your own.