Creating a Classic
Photo courtesy of Barbie Levy Jewelry Design
Most artists take a long, winding path from their creative beginning to their ultimate success. The road is seldom straight or speedy. One exception, however, might be jewelry artist Barbie Levy, who has crafted a fabulously successful business based on her college experience.
Barbie attended the University of Georgia where, as an arts and craft major, she concentrated on jewelry and metalworking and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts. She learned all sorts of techniques and worked with various metals and materials. In her free time, she made modern art earrings, bending wires to create interesting designs and adding colorful glass tubing. Her dorm friends christened the line “Barb-Wire Earrings.” Although she thought it a bit hokey, Barbie went along with the name.
After graduation she returned home to Baltimore, where she answered an ad for a jewelry apprentice to work with three fine jewelers whose work supplied some of the finest jewelry stores in Maryland. She worked with them for three years, learning stone cutting, assembly, and most importantly, the basic organization and practices of a successful jewelry business.
When it was time for her to go out on her own, she decided to sell the earrings she had been making since college. Armed with a shoe box full of Barb-Wire Earrings, she approached a very successful local craft gallery. Imagine her surprise when the owner said he wanted to purchase the entire contents of the shoe box!
Photo courtesy of Barbie Levy Jewelry Design
Barbie kept learning along the way, taking time to attend workshops at Penland School of Crafts, Haystack, and Peters Valley. She made other designs, but never let the Barb-Wire Earrings leave her repertoire. In 1994, she decided to expand her wholesale reach by attending the Buyers Market of American Craft, in Philadelphia. Her earrings were on their way across America, and today they are in stores in every U.S. state!
Another smart decision Barbie made was attending the wholesale Expo at the Museum Store Association’s annual meetings. Now her Barb-Wire earrings and necklaces are sold in prestigious museum gift shops across the country, including the Corning Museum of Glass and several Smithsonian museums.
Barbie carefully adds new designs to her line, and according to her, the timeless combination “features color, balance, geometry, and clean lines to create a light and contemporary look.” The earrings are featherweight, bright, and easy to wear. They also feature a unique hook that secures the earring for the wearer. For her customers who wanted a total look, or for those who do not wear earrings, she added a dozen necklace designs to complete her line. You can see them all at barbielevyjewelry.com.
Photo courtesy of Barbie Levy Jewelry Design
It’s also clear her customers — both retail and wholesale — love Barbie’s product and working with her. She is reliable and truly helpful. Over the years, she has built a reputation based on quality, honesty, and a very friendly spirit. She genuinely loves her customers and gets to know and understand them, so they know they can count on her.
It has been a long time since Barbie made her first Barb-Wire Earrings in college. She has been selling them to shops, stores, and museums for nearly 30 years. While she continues the challenge of making new, innovative designs, they all adhere to the Barb-Wire aesthetic, and many of her original college-day designs are still top sellers. Barbie Levy created a successful business and a true classic in the jewelry world — the Barb-Wire Earring!
About the Author
Diane Sulg
Diane Sulg is executive director of CRAFT and founder and co-chair of American Craft Week (ACW). She is a handmade advocate who provides valuable information in her one-day seminars titled “All About Wholesale” at wholesale shows throughout the United States. Diane is the former owner of Maddi’s Gallery, in Charlotte and Huntersville, North Carolina.