Tips for Taking Your Lapidary Business to the Next Level

Forging your own lapidary business is a difficult but rewarding step. Creating your own beautiful gem cuts for sale takes skill, creativity, and hard work, but in the end, that hard work is well worth it.

But, as with any entrepreneurial venture, no one wants their business to stagnate. And the same is true in the world of lapidary. That’s why following these tips for taking your lapidary business to the next level is essential for keeping your business strong.

Expand Your Skills

When most people enter the lapidary business, they tend to specialize in one or two skills related to gem cutting and shaping. This is a good first step for finding your niche and establishing yourself in the market.

But once you are well established, it’s a good idea to start expanding your skillset as a lapidary. This way, you can cater to a wider variety of clientele for increased profits. A few new skills to branch out with include:

• Tumbling
• Faceting
• Cabbing
• Inlaying
• Carving

Different skills tend to make lapidary businesses more money. But even acquiring a skill that seems less profitable is valuable because it allows clientele to come to you for all their gem needs.

Invest in Better Quality Gems

Many wise people have said of life, “You get out of it what you put into it.” The same is true of the lapidary business. The better-quality materials you put into your business, the better profits you will get out of it. That means trying to invest in better gemstones as your profit margin increases.

This may mean expanding where you purchase your gemstones from. For instance, you may want to travel to mining sites or gem shows rather than only buying retail gems.

Network

Part of getting better raw materials as a lapidary involves finding better suppliers. The best way to do that is by trying to find new contacts and maintaining old ones through better networking practices. Here are a few networking practices you may want to put in place in your business:

• Attending gem and mineral shows
• Joining area guilds or networks of artisans
• Starting or expanding your business’s social media accounts
• Bringing your wares to art showcases

Taking your lapidary business to the next level isn’t without its challenges, and at Cutting Edge Supply, we want to make sure you have the tools you need to meet them. That’s why we’re offering the quality lapidary polishing equipment you need to create the gem cuts your customers want to buy.