The popularity of permanent jewelry is skyrocketing across social media and in-person pop-up events. This isn’t just a trend — it’s a lifestyle, and it’s here to stay.
Sarah Otto, co-founder of LINKED, reports on her website that permanent jewelry has recently garnered over 25,000 Instagram hashtags and a 552% increase in Google searches. Today, she gives entrepreneurs the skills and equipment they need to capitalize on this skyrocketing beauty trend.
Turning Permanent Jewelry Into a Sustainable Side Hustle
More and more entrepreneurs are discovering just how easy it is to join in on this rising trend. “Unlike businesses that require tens of thousands of dollars to launch, the entry barrier to permanent jewelry is incredibly low,” explains Otto. “I have seen college students have amazing success setting up tables at boutiques, bachelorette parties, coffee shops, farmer’s markets, or wineries. For these pop-up events, they simply set up a table, chairs, welding machine, and jewelry display. The owner of the establishment announces their event, and people schedule appointments ahead of time. Permanent jewelry can be your portable side hustle or your full-time brick-and-mortar business.”
The learning curve for welding is minimal and poses absolutely no safety risk. “People have the idea that we’re soldering,” Otto says.
“Where soldering uses extreme heat to melt metal, our method of welding uses electrical current. When we weld, the welding electrode, the jewelry itself, and the customer’s skin remain cool. The electrical current is completely safe as well since it only reacts to metal. Even if you touch the ground and the electrode at the same time, the machine will never react to your skin.”
Otto is quick to say that aspiring jewelry makers with no previous welding experience can learn the trade in a matter of hours. Along with her training courses, she offers everything entrepreneurs will need, including the welding machine, stylus, 10 feet of chain link material, jump rings, needle nose plyers, cutters, protective eyewear, tungsten needles, a diamond-plate Dremel, a magnifier, and other supplies. In addition, she provides pre-made marketing materials, lifetime support, and a permanent discount on supplies.
This business offers extraordinary profit margins thanks to inexpensive materials and quick customer turnaround. According to Otto’s website, the initial starting kit supplies material for approximately 20 bracelets. In just two and a half hours, jewelry makers can generate over $2,100 in profits.
“With this kind of revenue potential, the trend of permanent jewelry is way more than fun,” says Otto. “It’s a serious business opportunity.”
What is Permanent Jewelry?
As the name implies, people wear permanent jewelry around the clock. For this reason, Otto’s pieces are composed of high-quality sterling silver and solid 14K gold that will not cause allergic reactions.
“People have a lot of questions about permanent jewelry,” says Otto. “First, we’re not embedding anything into your skin, and the process is one-hundred percent painless. The chains are simply permanent because they have no form of clasp. Depending on the material and how well you care for the pieces, they can last between 3 and 15 years.”
The dainty bracelets and necklaces Otto’s customers accent with personalized gemstones and charms are designed to complement any occasion. People wear the jewelry with pajamas in bed, for an elegant night on the town, and even on a rugged mountain hike.
When fusing permanent jewelry around a customer’s wrist, neck, or ankle, jewelers like Otto meticulously check the fit and feel of a piece and then “zap” it into place. Zapping is the term applied to the welding process employed to create jewelry without clasps.
The dainty chains stand up to daily wear and tear for years, but can be easily removed with a regular pair of scissors or jewelry cutter. Should people need to remove the pieces for any reason — such as a medical procedure — they can snip the chain anywhere along its length. At a later date, they can ask jewelers to zap the bracelet, necklace, or anklet in place again.
Why is Permanent Jewelry Trending?
In a world where things seem to move at the speed of light, people of all ages and walks of life are intrigued by the concept of permanency. They choose personalized chains, bracelets, anklets, and rings to express some part of their deeper self and then wear it like a second skin.
The permanent jewelry trend is also about a bonding experience with the pieces, representing an enduring outward expression of love and friendship. “Getting zapped is typically a group event,” Otto remarks.
“It offers a powerful memory for dating couples, husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, and best friends who all walk away with a long-lasting, tangible memento of their experience together.”
The trend is drawing every demographic. BFFs see permanent jewelry as the ultimate friendship bracelet, and married couples celebrate wedding anniversaries with jewelry that symbolizes their vows of “’till death do us part.” As people create these pieces together, the jewelry takes on significant meaning. And once the necklace or bracelet is fashioned, permanent jewelry safeguards these sentimental keepsakes by locking them in place, meaning people never have to worry about losing a cherished bracelet or ring as they go about their day.
There is no doubt that social media is, to a large extent, responsible for permanent jewelry’s explosive rise in popularity. “The permanent jewelry experience is extremely sharable,” observes Otto. “As customers post their jewelry making online, they give the trend the absolute best in organic, viral marketing. Permanent jewelry is all over Instagram reels and TikTok channels.”
Convenience is another reason people are opting for permanent jewelry, as today’s hectic schedules don’t allow for primping in the mornings. Permanent jewelry coordinates with every outfit and ensures people will never again lack sparkle.
“Believe it or not, I went to a concert a few weeks ago and walked out of the house completely forgetting to put on earrings,” recalls Otto. “I was in such a rush that I almost forgot makeup, but guess what I already had on my body? This works every day. I don’t have to think about putting jewelry on because it’s already there.”
