What does the term "handmade jewelry" actually mean?

This is a tough question to answer since, you're right, the term is hardly even relevant these days. Handmade jewelry used to refer to jewelry that was fashioned from raw materials only from start to finish. A maker of handmade jewelry would know how to work metal, and all other raw materials. They would have special tools at home along with special experience. Today,however, with nearly all "raw" products being machine made, the term is really blurry. Frequently, handmade jewelry makers will buy ready-made beads, metal pieces, cloth, and other ingredients that have been manufactured, but will put the jewelry together themselves and design the patterns themselves, therefore landing the label "handmade" since they are made at home as a one of a kind item as opposed to bought in a store from a company who mass produces their jewelry. However, there are designers and up and coming jewelry makers who don't like to categorize their jewelry as handmade specifically because the term is associated with women who sit at home and knit, or kitchy designs or cheap materials. Despite the fact that they may not be using fine materials such as diamonds or precious metals, these designers still steer clear of the label "handmade". And yet, it all depends. Handmade ethnic and indigenous jewelry seems to be in high demand. Peruvian thread earrings, for example, have made a huge splash in the US market. This means, if you aren't white and you are trying to market your jewelry, handmade might actually be a positive tag. Like almost everything else these days, the terms thrown around such as "handmade" etc are now mostly marketing techniques as opposed to legit and clear-cut descriptions. So don't worry yourself too much over categorizations and labels. If you see a piece of jewelry you like, get it. Or, alternatively, make it yourself at home!

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"Handmade" jewelry also used to indicate quality level, handmade being higher quality. This, however, is no longer the case.

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