How to Start an Online Jewelry Store Business?

Do you need a compelling justification for selling jewellery online?

Consider the fact that 29 million people buy jewellery every day.

Do you not desire a slice of that pie?

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for information on how to sell jewellery online.

It’s not that simple, though, like all online businesses. The outrageous markups are the beginning of the jewellery industry’s enticing advantages, though.

Profit margins for jewellery have been reported to range from 25 to 75 per cent, with the perceived value of the jewellery playing a significant role.

And for this reason, jewellery is one of the best niches to enter. It’s not like the electronics industry, where everyone knows the exact price at which a particular laptop model should be offered. Consumers cannot ascertain a necklace’s actual best pricing (besides estimating what a stone is worth).

Therefore, most of the time, it depends on whether the customer finds it attractive. And that gives the vendor a ton of new chances.

I’ll now go through the advantages of selling fine jewellery online and show you how to locate wholesale suppliers, consider dropshipping, create a business, and promote that store. If you’re considering using dropshipping to sell jewellery, look out to Aliexpress, Alibaba, and Printful as some of the most well-known suppliers.

What Justifies Online Jewellery Sales and Purchases?

I’ve already mentioned how daily jewellery purchases amount to enormous sums. I also looked into how the business making the sales is ultimately responsible for profit margins.

What other benefits do internet jewellery sales offer, though?

  • Small and simple to ship is jewellery. Additionally, there is a slight possibility that anything will break in transit.
  • Given how different jewellery is, your internet business can offer various possibilities. For instance, a huge variety of necklace, anklet, and ring styles are available, as well as gold, diamonds, and shells. You can either establish a large store with everything or concentrate on one of these areas.
  • One possibility is customization. Vendors can increase their earnings by taking orders from customers and producing bespoke jewellery.
  • There are lots of sources you can choose from.

Finally, online jewellery sales and purchases are popular. People exchange their old antiques in this booming bazaar in the hopes of finding their next prized diamond.

In the same way that motorcycling is a hobby, the jewellery industry is driven by the love of the craft.

A few options exist for selling jewellery online. So, for your benefit, we’ll list a couple of them below:

Sell Jewellery On Your Website

You must locate and use the ecommerce website builder most appropriate for your business if you plan to sell jewellery on your website.

If you didn’t know, an ecommerce website builder allows you to design and develop your online store. You are in complete control since you own your website. The best part is that getting started doesn’t require any coding knowledge!

Some of your more time-consuming duties can be automated using these platforms. Tools for inventory management, real-time shipping quotes, SEO optimization, etc., are offered by the most advanced website builders available. The correct ecommerce builder will surely free up your time so that you may concentrate on more important duties that will generate more income.

Unlike other marketplace sites (Amazon, Etsy, etc.), you won’t have to pay listing fees, which will also make you happy. But more on online markets after this!

This is only one of the many factors that make owning your own business more affordable in the long term than using an internet marketplace.

One of the top ecommerce platform builders is Shopify. It contains every element required to start a digital jewellery store and establish a recognizable brand.

There are more e-commerce website builders besides Shopify that you can pick from:

  • BigCommerce
  • Squarespace
  • WooCommerce

These are just a few examples!

Do your homework by investigating these programs and reading reviews before investing your hard-earned money in anything. This information determines which platform is most appropriate for your online jewellery company. Take advantage of the free trials offered by the majority of ecommerce builders!

When choosing an e-commerce site builder, keep the following in mind:

Your budget: Look at their pricing options; are they within your means? Do they meet your company’s spending plan?

Top Tip: Consider the cost of their higher-tier plans rather than just their cheapest paid-for package. We’ll assume that you want to expand your company. This involves budgeting and preparing for expansion; it is crucial to know how much it’ll cost to update.

  • What attributes do they provide? Examine each available tool. Do they meet your requirements for starting and expanding your online jewellery business? For example, can you run a blog with an internet store? Do they have website analytics built-in? A drag-and-drop editor might be an option.
  • How about style? You require an elegant and professional online business. Check out the ecommerce builder’s selection of “templates” and “themes” to see how many are available. How easy is it to change these templates? How well-crafted are these themes?
  • How does customer service fare? There’s a considerable possibility you’ll require assistance when starting a new business. Check out their options for customer service. Are you content with the options available?

After selecting the ideal e-commerce platform, you must select a unique web address for your website.

When customers visit your website, a domain name appears in the web address bar as a URL. Therefore, our domain name for E-commerce Platforms is ecommerce-platforms.com. Get it?

Picking a great domain name for your online jewellery company is crucial. They shape the identity of your business and aid in gaining the trust of potential customers.

Every domain name is distinct. So, when you know what you want, register it and fast! Although domain prices vary, we’re looking at annual costs of $10 to $60.

You may even receive a free web domain for the first year with some of the ecommerce builders mentioned above. This is typically a benefit of joining one of their yearly paid-for programs.

A Few Tips for Picking a Domain Name

Here are a handful of pieces of advice for picking a kick-butt domain name for your online jewellery store:

  • Choose a domain that represents your company to stand out from the crowd. Keep it distinct. Don’t just add a few random numbers or letters to the end of a domain name if it has already been claimed! Don’t be lazy; go back to the drawing board and start over!
  • Less is more: The better the domain, the shorter, snappier, and more simple it is. This enhances brand recognition and keeps your domain memorable.

What About Personalized Stores?

There are a few things you’ll want to take into account while customizing your digital store:

Make your product descriptions interesting.

You lose the advantage of developing a personal connection with customers when you sell jewellery online. Convincing product descriptions are essential because all you have are your words and images. These must be filled to the brim with information and radiate your brand.

Post-Top-Notch Product Photos

Customers want to know what they’re receiving for their money when shopping. This is a legitimate request.

What does this entail for you as an internet business owner, then?

Simple. Start taking and utilizing product images that look professional. Period.

Consider Pandora as an example.

One of the most popular jewellery brands in the world is this one. So, use their web store as inspiration. View the number of product images they employ. There are numerous. They employ multiple photos instead of simply one. You should aim to take pictures that display your merchandise from various perspectives. In this manner, the client may experience the product.

If you can, employ a model to display your jewels and learn from their example.

Top Tip: Try to publish a selection of photographs. By this, we mean ones with a model and photos of the parts on their own.

Here are a few other things to take in mind:

  • Your images need to be sharp and in focus.
  • Before you begin shooting pictures, make sure your surroundings are well-lit.
  • Use a neutral background if at all possible. You don’t want to draw attention away from the jewellery you display, which is the major attraction.

Set the Right Jewellery Price

Maintain consistency in your jewellery pricing across all of your lines. You want your clients to understand their situation! It’s not cool to operate a weak brand by confusing customers!

Top Tip: Be open and honest about the price. Consider Tiffany; they are quite explicit about the price of their jewels. You should avoid making customers look around for the cost of your goods if you want to give them a seamless user experience.

Make it clear where the buyer must click to request a quote if you specialize in developing customized items.

Sort Your Jewellery by Type

For a moment, let’s get back to offering customers a smooth user experience.

Sorting products into categories is one step toward attaining this. Utilize them to provide direction for your website’s navigation. Product categories greatly aid customers in finding the jewellery they’re looking for when organizing your website’s main navigation.

Traditional illustrations of jewellery categories include:

  • Necklaces
  • Rings for marriage
  • Bracelets
  • Rings
  • Watches
  • Earings

You see what I mean!

Alternately, you can group your jewellery according to the type of metal, such as gold, silver, platinum, white gold, rose gold, etc. Or maybe by event, like gifts for women, jewellery for a wedding, an anniversary, etc. Consider how your target market prefers to shop, then classify your goods properly.

You can (typically) offer an infinite number of products when you run your own online jewellery business. You can only imagine how chaotic it would be to have hundreds of products in your store without categorizing them! So stop this in its tracks and label your valuables right away.

Choose Your Style

Style is crucial when creating the look of your online jewellery company. Period.

Your brand’s message, values, and vision must be reflected in your online store. Use the power of a sleek and professional website design, for instance, if you offer high-quality jewellery. On the other hand, a website with a more boho feel would be great if you offered handcrafted jewellery with a more relaxed mood.

However, perform some market and competitor research before taking any action. Consider your intended audience. What are they expecting to see? Give them the response when you have it to that inquiry!

Hire a qualified web and graphic designer if you’re not particularly creative and you have the money to do so. This eliminates the stress associated with perfecting your online jewellery store’s appearance.

Use a freelance network like Fiverr to get specialists at reasonable prices. You’ll be astounded at the high of work you get for such low costs.

Provide a Few Payment Methods

Make sure your online store accepts a range of payment methods. As we have repeatedly stated, you want to give your customers the best possible user experience. This includes being adaptable with your payment alternatives.

You should ideally include the following payment options:

  • Credit card
  • Paypal
  • Stripe
  • Afterpay

Most ecommerce website builders make it simple to integrate various payment channels.

Digital Marketplaces

Okay, now that we’ve discussed selling jewellery on your website, let’s look at a couple of online bazaars.

Etsy

The jewel in the crown of websites that market handcrafted goods are Etsy.

So, if you make handcrafted jewellery or are looking for one-of-a-kind pieces, come here!

Despite its enormous size, this market is still more specialized than the other eCommerce behemoths, which is one of the reasons it has been so successful.

Etsy offers some impressive statistics at the time of writing, including:

  • 54+ million users who have signed up
  • More than 20 million active buyers
  • 1.4 million-plus sellers.

Although Etsy has immense potential, you must contend with thousands of other sellers. To achieve this, one must put up a lot of effort. 

Additionally, each item you publish will incur a $0.20 listing fee. These costs can add up rapidly, especially if you have a large selection of products.

A transaction fee of 5% is additionally charged. This costs significantly more on average than the typical payment gateways you’ll employ on your e-commerce website. Consider Stripe, which charges only $0.30 and 2.9 per cent.

eBay

Next to Amazon, eBay is the biggest e-commerce site in the US. So, it’s undoubtedly something to think about.

Use their auction option if you’re considering selling jewellery on this platform. This is a great option for selling jewellery, particularly if you sell used items.

However, you’ll have to put some time and effort into optimizing your listings. If not, your products will undoubtedly get lost in a sea of rivals. So learn everything you can about it and put it to use!

Fun fact: eBay has published a manual on how to sell jewellery! So be sure to read this if you’re considering using eBay as a sales channel.

Bonanza

Another great choice for selling jewellery online is Bonanza, which seems to be a great alternative to Amazon and eBay. Specifically, there aren’t as many jewellery listings as on other more well-known digital markets.

Why does that matter?

Less competition, you got it.

The only thing left is finding or creating jewellery that people truly want to purchase and then promoting it effectively. There is a good possibility that you will be successful in selling jewellery on Bonanza if you can complete those two requirements.

The best part is that opening your store is free. Additionally, they only retain 3.5 per cent of the proceeds from each transaction you make. Your profit margins will increase as a result. Particularly in contrast to some of the more expensive listing fees levied by competing for online marketplaces.

After outlining the benefits of getting started, continue reading to discover how to sell jewellery online:

Step 1: Finding Suppliers/Dropshippers for Your Jewellery Store

Decide where you will get the jewellery as your first order of business. When searching for your suppliers, consider your specialty (such as beautiful earrings or diamond necklaces).

You have two choices for your sourcing strategy: dropshipping or wholesale.

Purchasing jewellery in bulk entails buying more of it and keeping it at your chosen location. This is the conventional method of doing business, and it has advantages and disadvantages:

Wholesale Pros

  • Since you can touch and inspect the jewellery, you have more control over its quality.
  • The jewellery can be packaged whichever you choose and shipped more quickly.
  • This strategy frequently results in low storage costs since jewellery is so compact (Like if you stored the inventory in your garage or basement).

Wholesale Cons

  • Because of storage, shipping, and packaging costs, buying wholesale is frequently more expensive.
  • You are compelled to purchase a lot of inventory. As a result, you can end yourself with unsold goods.
  • You need to put in more effort. Consider packaging and shipment.
  • On the other side, you might choose dropshipping, where you work with a supplier who takes care of the packaging, storage, and delivery of your jewellery. Managing your website, marketing, and customer service are your key duties.

Dropshipping Pros

  • In the long run, dropshipping is often far less expensive.
  • The provider handles the bulk of the tiresome shipping and packaging tasks.
  • You don’t need to stress about using up all the space in your garage or looking for pricey warehouse space.

Dropshipping Cons

  • The shipment procedure eludes your control. Your consumers’ delivery times can be very long.
  • Before they are distributed, you are not permitted to inspect the goods.
  • Since you’re not the one mailing out the things or collecting returns, providing customer service might be challenging.

You have a lot more options to identify suppliers when you buy wholesale. The majority of jewellers will at least consider giving you a wholesale discount. For instance, the personalized jewellery business Azera has joined with internet retailers to offer stunning jewellery at discount rates.

You can also get in touch with nearby producers because doing so will allow you to control shipping times and alter margins to account for greater costs.

It’s best to look for wholesale jewellery online and see what comes up, as most of you will have distinct specialities. A short search, for instance, turns up Fashion Bella and Rose Wholesale, both of which provide a wide variety and intriguing categories.

On Alibaba or AliExpress, you can also get in touch with a supplier. This normally means you’ll collaborate with a Chinese provider, but there are many reliable companies to pick from.

Remember that Alibaba is designed for wholesale while AliExpress is great for dropshipping.

Step 2: Vetting Your Jewellery Suppliers

The screening procedure is the same whether you choose dropshipping or bulk purchase.

However, verifying jewellery suppliers is a little different compared to other industries.

Suppliers of jewellery on AliExpress could be excellent or awful. You need to determine the following:

  • Is the jewellery up to your standards in terms of quality? After all, judging quality from an online image isn’t the ideal option.
  • Will there be someone to contact for updates? This is how you’ll keep the process under control and ensure that you have a contact person in case of late delivery, product issues, etc.
  • The business’s reputation, compliance, and financial stability?

This calls for investigation in terms of compliance and financial soundness. Press releases, supplier websites, and other sources of information often include questioning people who have worked with the companies or reading press releases.

Finding a point person is related to the initial phone call you make. Make sure to inquire about your point person regularly.

You can count on it to make that initial discussion into a successful conversion.

Only by requesting samples can one determine the calibre of your goods. Look elsewhere if a supplier won’t provide samples.

After all, there are countless additional fish in the ocean. Yes, I’m referring to pearls and oysters.

The quality is also related to counterfeiting:

Several people make fake designer jewellery, including Tiffany & Co. and Gucci. While haggling for a pair of fake Bvlgari earrings while on vacation in China can be entertaining, your customers won’t appreciate it if they pay top dollar for fake jewellery only to find out it’s not the real thing.

The conclusion is that offering discounted fake jewellery is not a smart idea since you will probably be discovered, and your business will be shut down.

Step 3: Establishing a Reputable Online Jewellery Store

Unlike less clutter obstructing the visitor from the product pages, jewellery stores resemble other internet retailers.

People demand to see the jewels as soon as possible, along with the prices and descriptions.

Because of this, websites like Shopify and BigCommerce (see our reviews of each here) have layouts specifically made for jewellery companies.

That also explains their extraordinary success.

You should ensure that your store is mobile-responsive after choosing a theme designed for the jewellery industry. You should also have excellent marketing tools and a fantastic product management area.

Finally, while trust certifications from organizations like PayPal, Shopify, and the BBB are good, you must demonstrate to your clients that you are an authorized dealer when you work with a reputable jewellery supplier.

Step 4: Promote Your Jewellery Brand

Understanding how jewellery sells deeply is necessary for effective jewellery brand marketing.

It’s comparable to the fashion business in that consumers prefer to see the products being worn out and about.

Social networking can help in the situation.

When studying how to sell jewellery online, consider the following additional marketing advice:

  • Get as many individuals as you can to wear your jewellery. This applies to famous people and your friends and family (often willing to promote your jewellery on social media if the price is right).
  • Your advertising efforts should be concentrated primarily on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Take lovely pictures of your jewellery on and off models.
  • Create an email list and combine it with prizes and coupons.
  • People will notice your jewellery and inquire about its origin if you wear it.
  • Use additional avenues, such as Etsy, Amazon, and eBay. There are other places to sell jewellery besides your website.

To expand your contact list and interact with current and potential customers, think about using a tool like HubSpot CRM. Your CRM’s information will enable you to design highly targeted email campaigns, and the integrated ad management tool will help your campaigns be more effective.

How to Market Custom Jewellery Online

Here are a few general “pro tips” to support your online jewellery business and the advice we’ve already provided.

Avoid Fake Products

Avoid the temptation to claim that you are “handmaking” your products when you are merely sourcing them from China and reselling them.

This is not only unethical but there is a good chance that you will be discovered. Therefore, avoid buying fake goods at all costs. We assure you that doing so will ultimately save you and your customers a great deal of hassle.

The same rule applies if you source fake branded goods instead of jewellery you claim to have made by hand. You must refrain from selling designer goods. Period. There’s a strong chance the items you find while exploring a dropshipping marketplace like AliExpress have fake brand names like Tiffany, Gucci, Ralf Lauren, and others.

Most fake goods make your skin green and, in more extreme circumstances, can result in rashes. If you choose that route, you can only imagine the kinds of customer reviews you’ll receive!

Only conducting business with Better Business Bureau members or creating your jewellery is the only safe way to avoid buying and selling fake jewellery.

If you can, support fair trade.

As you may have already guessed, the internet jewellery market is competitive. On the internet, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of vendors all competing to sell their gorgeous goods.

Make it your goal to stand out from the crowd—we’ve said it before. Selling fair trade products, in our opinion, is a fantastic method to accomplish this.

In addition to being “nice,” doing this also benefits the huge market for fair trade jewellery.

Our society is more aware of what it consumes and where it comes from. So it’s not surprising that there has been a significant push toward ethical consumerism. If you haven’t considered this in your company plan, this might be a good moment to do so!

Fair Trade definition:

Anything manufactured by an artisan under secure and humane working circumstances is generally considered fair trade. The employee will also receive a reasonable payment. Recently, there has also been a stronger push for fair trade products to only use environmentally friendly production practices throughout the full process of manufacture.

Overall, selling fair trade has nothing to be disliked!

Run-wise Facebook advertisements

It’s time to include Facebook advertisements in your arsenal of internet marketing tactics.

The ability to laser-target customers is the main feature that sets Facebook head and shoulders above other marketing platforms. Based on particular demographics and interests, you can identify your ideal audience.

Overall, Facebook campaigns allow you to connect with a huge audience, regardless of whether they are current or potential clients.

You can also impose strict daily budgets on your advertising. Therefore, there is no risk that you will “accidentally” spend more money than you have.

It’s not nearly so easy to master Facebook ads. As a result, you’ll need to learn the craft of developing and executing high-converting advertisements. However, we promise it will be worthwhile in the end.

Daily Content Sharing

You must maintain consistency when creating a content marketing strategy to advertise your jewellery. This entails daily social media post sharing. Fear not—using a program like Buffer, you can easily spend an afternoon scheduling material rather than doing it manually.

Content includes things like:

  • Blog entries
  • Images of goods
  • Motivational sayings
  • Infographics
  • Videos

That sort of thing!

The best online jewellery marketplace

Made by Amazon

Amazon introduced a sibling website called “Amazon Handmade” back in 2015. The goal was to give skilled artisans a more focused platform. 

Because Amazon reviews every maker who applies to sell on their platform, customers have confidence in the businesses listed on Amazon Handmade. Confirming that the company is handcrafting its products entails auditing its production processes.

This is a wonderful alternative for any entrepreneur making and producing handcrafted jewellery.

Why?

The portal removes competitors who sell inexpensive jewellery by focusing on handcrafted products. This network’s users are looking for handcrafted goods, which is great for you as an artisan!

Amazon is giving away its professional selling plan for free through the end of 2019! Now is the perfect opportunity to join the trend as this usually costs $39.99 monthly.

Additionally, keep in mind that Amazon charges a referral fee of 15% with a $1 minimum. Include that in your budget before moving on at full speed.

How to Launch an Online Vintage Jewellery Store

Ruby Lane

Ruby Lane is another great online marketplace for selling jewellery. Antiques, vintage treasures, art, and jewellery are the only topics this website covers. It is, in essence, a one-stop-shop for all things artistic.

Although Ruby Lane is smaller than firms like Etsy, Ruby Lane has a laser-focused consumer base. Not to add, compared to the other online selling platforms in this post, it is much more advanced. Shoppers anticipate spending more money. This may be because most of Ruby Lane’s users are older ladies (over 85 per cent). This group typically has more extra income to spend on jewellery, which almost goes without saying. Therefore, here is the area for you if you’re selling more expensive, vintage, or antique jewellery.

It’s interesting to note that Ruby Lane receives up to 1.1 million visitors per month. Although we can’t guarantee that all of these shoppers will become clients, it’s clear what kind of possibility this market presents to you.

You should be aware that Ruby Lane charges $0.19 per item in listing fees. You’ll also be required to pay “maintenance” fees on top of that. The cost of upkeep will vary depending on the size of your company and how you intend to use Ruby Lane as a sales channel.

FAQ about Selling Jewellery Online

Where can I sell costume jewellery online most effectively?

You can sell costume jewellery on various online markets and on your website. The majority of these have already been discussed, but here is a brief list:

  • Etsy
  • eBay
  • Ruby Lane
  • ArtFire
  • Amazon
  • Bonanza
  • Zibbet

Check out these platforms if you haven’t already!

Where can I sell diamond jewellery online most profitably?

We haven’t talked specifically about diamond jewellery in this post. So we thought we’d highlight a few internet stores that are more appropriate for selling diamond jewellery:

  • Worthy
  • Version James
  • Vaunte
  • EBTH

Where may used jewellery be sold online?

As mentioned earlier in this article, eBay, particularly its auction feature, is one of the greatest sites to sell old jewellery.

Which online jewellery marketplace is the best?

The ones we’ve mentioned in this post are, in our opinion, the top online platforms for selling jewellery:

  • Etsy
  • eBay
  • Ruby Lane
  • Amazon
  • Bonanza

Naturally, there are other fantastic internet markets where you can sell jewellery. Find out which sales channel best satisfies your brand’s requirements by doing some research.

Learn About the Bling Industry and How to Sell Jewellery Online

After going over the fundamentals, you should have the groundwork to create an online jewellery store from the start at a fraction of the price of opening a physical store.

Get to work on that jewellery from AliExpress and expand your jewellery business.