When you go browsing for jewelry, what are you trying to find? Do you make a selection based on the amount you'll have to spend? Do you decide based on the color? Do you fancy your jewelry based on appearance? Are you concerned with rarity? It is important to you to have an one of a kind piece? If uniqueness is something important, you could save a lot of time by shopping only for handcrafted jewelry. Mass produced jewelry for department stores is all fine and dandy, though if you prefer a piece that is very unique, handmade jewelry is the route you should pursue.
Selling your own designs is perhaps the best way to get handmade jewelry. If you have time and the inclination to do so, you could think about setting up a booth at your town's next arts and crafts event. These are great opportunities for networking with other designers and artists. Obviously you might not have the time to produce the sheer amount of work you will need to have on hand to keep your buyers happy. If you have a lot of work that you want to unload, however, an arts festival is a great way to sell that work and to meet other designers in your area. There is the potential that you will meet a jewelry designer who likes to trade for new things and get new jewelry that way. This way you can get new handmade jewelry and not have to spend your money. You might also be able to find a way to buy handmade jewelry for free by selling your own stuff on Etsy or one of the auction sites. Ebay and Etsy are two of the most popular sites if you want to sell your stuff. Almost everybody knows what Ebay is. While EBay can help you get money that you can use to buy new pieces from other designers, Etsy is a great site to use for trading pieces. Most artists use Etsy to make money but there are a fair number of designers who don't mind trading. If you see a piece of jewelry that you like but that you cannot afford to purchase, perhaps the seller will trade some of her pieces for yours instead. This way you will only have to pay for the postage to mail your own pieces out to the trader.
If you are trying to find handmade jewelry, you might want to just do a Google search for jewelry designers and artists. Many people sell their wares directly to customers through individual websites. It is usually a bit more of a challenge to track down these websites, but they can be a myriad for handmade jewelry and other crafts. Another great reason to buy directly from an artist's website is that you have a better chance of being able to convince the artist to create a piece that is designed specifically for you. You would have to shell out a lot of money, doing this offline. However, online, there are tons of deals and bargains waiting for you!
Handmade jewelry is a fantastic addition to any accessory box or wardrobe. There are so many reasons to buy handmade jewelry. This type of jewelry is often cheaper than the jewelry that you will find in the jewelry shops in your town or city. It is exclusive (in comparison to mass produced pieces that never are). It is also rare.
An attractive thing about having a jewelry that is handmade, is you won't be paying the high price tag associated with buying jewelry that has been specifically commissioned.