Knowledge Center

In the June MJSA Journal: Made in the USA

This month’s MJSA Journal offers an update on the jewelry industry’s efforts to promote homegrown products as well as finishing tips for precious metals.

Made in the USA: Where We Stand by Irina Missiuro 
An overview on how manufacturers and designers have been tackling the challenge to label their products in view of Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines. 

The Big Finish by John Shanahan
Top jewelers share their best practices, techniques, and tips for creating some of their most popular finishes.

Get a FREE Trial Subscription

"More than other publications, MJSA Journal is oriented toward people like me: those trying to earn a living by designing and making jewelry," says Jim Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts. Click here for a FREE four-month trial subscription, and see how MJSA Journal can help your professional success.

Events/Programs

MJSA Expo Delivers a Hands-On Experience

Although the 2017 MJSA Expo was cut short by a day, thanks to a looming blizzard and a declared a state of emergency, buyers made the most of their shortened time: They talked at length with leading trade suppliers and contractors, packed the expert seminar sessions, and inspected and tested everything from 3-D printers and diamond testers (suitable even for synthetics) to trending gems and sustainable materials. The result?

"The Expo was truly inspiring," sums up one buyer, Meg Carter, a jewelry designer from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She attended the show with her husband, Jon, in the hope of finding "ways to improve our business." The Expo, she says, "gave us the opportunity to see the latest technology and tools to be able to plan for the future." Thanks to what they learned at the show, they’ve begun rearranging their studio to accommodate more tools and equipment that will lead to efficiencies.

"It also inspired us to evaluate our entire jewelry line... There’s no doubt that attending has changed our business and future for the better," she adds.

Click here to read more about the 2017 MJSA Expo.

Click here to see the 2017 MJSA Expo Look Book.

The 2018 Expo will run March 11-13 at the Javits Center. For updates, go to MJSAExpo.org.

Sourcing Help

Do You Have Your Copy of the MJSA Buyer’s Guide?

The 2017 print edition of the MJSA Buyer’s Guide—the "go-to" resource for jewelry-making supplies and services—features hundreds of listings for everything from 3-D printers and service bureaus to bench tools and on-trend findings and gems. It also includes a range of articles to help make buying decisions easier: updates on design and business software, fashion forecasts, and tips on how to select a bench, source metals and gemstones responsibly, and have the best refining experience. Click here to learn more.

You can also search for products and services online in our digital MJSA Buyer’s Guide and the MJSA Guide to Subcontractors. All supplies and services in the guides are offered by MJSA members, who agreed to abide by our rigorously enforced Code of Ethics.