Home studio custom jewelry and repairs

Individuals looking for engagement rings, wedding bands, gifts or repairs, plus people with inherited jewelry they want reworked.

Fixed prices for repairs and resizing, and quoted prices for custom work based on metal cost plus your labor. Many makers also sell finished pieces online or at craft fairs.

• Soldering, sawing, filing and polishing metal
• Design sense and basic sketching or CAD
• Careful, patient hand work
• Clear quoting and customer communication

• Insurance that covers customers' jewelry while it is in your care; standard homeowner's policies often exclude business property, so check with an agent
• Home occupation permit, zoning, and HOA or lease rules for running a workshop at home
• Torch, fumes and chemical safety, including good ventilation and safe storage of acids and solders
• If you buy scrap gold or secondhand jewelry, check whether your state or city requires a precious metal or secondhand dealer license
• Check FTC Jewelry Guides and your state's rules on karat marking and describing metals accurately
• Theft risk when keeping gold and customer pieces at home, so plan secure storage

Estimates are typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on the bench, tools, torch and ventilation setup, metal stock, secure storage and insurance. Buying used tools can lower the cost.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,500, depending on your mix of custom commissions and repairs, your pricing and your skill. Estimates start from about 10 hours a week.

Check insurance for customers' jewelry in your care, home occupation, zoning and HOA or lease rules, and torch and chemical safety. Also check any dealer license if you buy scrap or secondhand pieces, and FTC Jewelry Guides.