Selling jewelry is an ideal business idea if you are a creative person with a special knack for working with metals or precious stones.
Many successful businesses started as a hobby and gradually turned into fantastic business ideas. This could happen to you if you go for it!
If you have a special talent for jewelry, exploit it!
✅-selling jewelry online is a traditional commercial activity with a lot of competition. The key may be to focus on a specific niche and customer.
💍 Jewelry: a constant online market 💍
In Spain alone, the jewelry industry generated 1.75 billion euros in 2019, according to data from the DBK Informa Sector Observatory.
It is still a sector with room for new businesses that can bring a new approach to such an old and traditional profession.
More now with the demand for online jewelry sales
The situation of online jewelry in Spain
According to the latest Survey on Equipment and Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Households corresponding to 2020, which has just been made public by the National Institute of Statistics (INE):
Almost 19 million people, 53.8% of the population aged 16 to 74, have bought online in 2020
In addition, of all of them, 51.2% bought some product in physical format; 30.2% clothing, shoes, or accessories, among which are jewelry.
The impact of Covid-19 in the luxury industry
Online purchases of jewelry have exploded in 2020, doubling their market share to 23% compared to the 12% they represented in 2019.
Now that you know the state of the sector in Spain and the other parts of the world, let us see what to do to get started:
- Fine jewelry or fashion jewelry
Ask yourself when you start in this business: do I want to sell fine jewelry or fashion jewelry?
Maybe you are interested in something in between; it can also be a valid option!
Each category has materials, production processes, sales prices, and individual customer profiles:
✅ Jewelry
Follow trends.
Low-cost metals and materials (beads, wire, veneers, plastic, synthetic gems, etc.)
Low selling prices, sometimes mass-produced.
For everyday use or trendsetting clients.
👉 Example: a ‘checker’ with a silver-plated earring.
✅ Fine jewelry
Precious and semi-precious metals and stones.
High selling prices, excellent gold smiting.
Luxury / weddings / occasional customer.
👉 Example: a diamond engagement ring.
Others / Intermediate products
This category covers everything from medium range materials (or blends of high and low-quality textiles, metals, stones, wood, 3D prints, acrylic, etc.) to art jewelry (collectibles or one-of-a-kind products) or crafts (pieces that require advanced craftsmanship or gold smiting skills).
It has an emphasis on design and originality.
Variable selling prices, generally in the mid-range.
Special Occasion, Design Connoisseurs, Collectors, Gift-Wishing Customers.
👉 Example: laser-cut acrylic structural collar.
Once you’ve identified the category for your jewelry business, find a niche for your products.
Start by defining your ideal client (classic, fashion trendsetter, girlfriends, socially sensitive clients, etc.).
Decide if your products are for a specific occasion (weddings, parties, daily wear, etc.)
- Research current trends to spot opportunities
One-way to determine (and validate) the direction your business should take is by researching market trends.
Do you want a trick? Include the reading of fashion and jewelry blogs in your daily routine, JewelryBund’s official blog is a great one you can start with.
This will keep you abreast of trends for future seasons.
In Google Trends, you can get an overview of the search trends for a particular jewelry term.
Interesting findings you may want to read: 6 Major U.S. Fashion Jewlery Trends Noticed from the Spring 2021 Runways
☝ Do you want to see an example?
Here are some examples of current trends in jewelry:
➡ offering a personalized experience through engravings with the legend that your client decides is a technique that always works, many jewelry makers are working in this personalized jewelry field and made great success.
- Define well how your own brand will be
Once you have established the image of your products and defined the profile of your customers, it should be easier to identify the general image that will define your brand.
✅ To get started, you can create a Shopify store with a free theme and your own logo
Watchful is the free online logo maker you can use for your own logo design.
➡ Start creating your own logo right now! ⬅
Depending on your initial budget for online jewelry sales, you can work with a designer to translate your project into a complete brand for your business.
What to take into account when designing my own brand?
If you are hiring an assembly staff or a manufacturing contractor, it is imperative to have accurate sketches or samples of your 3D printed designs.
There are many options depending on your skills and budget:
✅ Tools for manual design: pencils, sketch paper, and jewelry design templates. For beaded and wire jewelry, use a bead pattern board (low cost).
✅ 2D or 3D design software: Photoshop, Illustrator, GIMP, Pixlr, Inkscape, Affinity Designer (free to medium cost).
✅ Specific software for jewelry design (recommended for fine jewelry): Jewel CAD, Matrix, Rhino jewel (high cost).
- Decide how the jewelry will be produced
How you manufacture your products – by hand or in a factory, at home, or with a contractor – depends on the complexity of the design, sales price, materials, and skill mastery.
→ Production: manual, personalized, and unique (fine art)
The manual elaboration of jewelry or goldsmith can be one of the production methods that require more personal participation and versatility.
Depending on the materials and design, some goldsmith methods require personalized training or expensive certifications and equipment.
These methods include:
- Soldering
- Sawing
- Melting
- Casting
- Filling
- Openwork in leather
- Engraving
- Gemstone setting
⚠️ the artisan sector shows its most innovative and avant-garde side
Handmade works have been revalued in 2021 and there is a multitude of creators full of talent and innovation, look for them out there!
→ Production: Assembly (fashion / jewelry)
Many times handmade jewelry only involves assembling existing items, such as:
- Chains
- Wire
- Beads
- Cloth
- Etc.
It can be done without overly technical knowledge or technical equipment beyond pliers, jewelry hammers, glue, and wire cutters.
This type of business is easier to scale, as parts can be purchased in bulk and you can create a step-by-step method for assembling the parts that you can then assign to your assistants, employees, or your contractors.
→ Production: Outsourcing and distribution (Fashion and costume jewelry)
Instead of making the jewelry with your own hands, you can have someone else make your designs for you.
This method is not ideal for fine, personalized, or one-of-a-kind jewelry; but it is very affordable for mass-produced fashion and costume jewelry.
Here are some options for outside contractors:
Manufacturing in the USA:
Higher costs, fewer options, use of ‘made in the USA’ or ‘made locally’ slogan, faster shipping times, easier communication.
It is also easier to verify the reputation of the provider.
🌍 Manufacture in other countries:
Lower costs, more options (materials and processes), less rigid work standards (sometimes), potential communication barriers.
The most relaxed production method involves submitting your designs to a distribution company like JewelryBund, Dazzle Mark or Zazzy Live.
They operate in the same way as companies that print and ship t-shirts or merchandise, such as Printful. Actually many jewelry designers and brands are outsourcing their manufacturing to wholesale jewelry China factories so they can concentrate on their designs and marketings.
Your original designs are recreate in stainless steel, wood, plastic, gold, and silver and are sent directly to your clients.
- Where to find valuable information you can benefit?
There are many resources with which to sell jewelry online to find wholesalers who have the right tools, supplies, including gemstones and raw materials.
☝ here is an example!
Here is what Gillian Johnson of Hawley Jewelry tells Shopify about her own sources for materials for her jewelry business:
I found many of my vendors through word-of-mouth recommendations. And you should not be afraid to consult other designers where they find their supplies; usually most of them would like to share valuable information.
- Always train, be a continuous learner!
If you decide to learn specialized gem setting skills, look at the wide variety of educational resources in the area of jewelry. This is really important because it is hard for beginers and even you are a veteran in the jewelry field, there are always something new for your to grasp.
Get online and you will surely find a multitude of free courses and webinars.
You can start with these online resources:
Top of the best jewelry design schools in the world
- London Jewelry School
- How cast: How to Make Jewelry (Video Tutorials)
- Crafty (online classes)
- Annie’s Craft Store (Online classes)
- The Jewelry Workshop (Spanish)
- Work space and equipment
Have you already thought about where you are going to locate your “operations center”?
If you decide to make jewelry to sell online yourself or with a small team, follow these tips to set up your home office:
✅ Maneuverability:
Consider the space required for your workflow, especially if your assembly has multiple steps.
Can you go from one station to another in a logical sequence? Plant it well.
✅ Security:
Some chemicals and heating tools used to make jewelry may require adequate ventilation and precautionary measures. If you have kids around, you will need to keep these potentially dangeous items from their reach.
✅ Storage:
A well-organized, multi-compartment warehouse is essential in small workshops.
The most important things to consider, according to Gillian Johnson of “Hawkly”, are these:
A jeweler’s workbench, a flexible shaft tool, and your safety. The flex shaft tool is wonderful and very versatile, as you can use it to drill, finish, and polish your parts.
When it comes to your safety, tie up your hair if you wear it long and wear a safety mask for as long as you can.
- Create an ecommerce where you can sell your jewelry online
You already have the products, the brand and your workplace!
Can you imagine that in a matter of a few hours you could have a functional online store where you can start selling your creations? Most of jewelry sellers now use WooCommerce or shopify, you can rely on these eCommerce platform providers to buld up your own store there.
Moreover, it is noticed some of the jewelry resellers buying wholesale jewelry for resale are using 3rd party shopping cart as well and save tons of time and effort. However, if you do want to run your business in a long term and look for a more customized design of your online shop and better user experience, you do want to find a developer or shopping cart coder to help.
Now you know the important steps and tips to start selling your jewelry online.
You just have to invest the necessary time and put a large dose of passion into it for success.
