Selling jewelry online is a great bet for entrepreneurs wanting to explore ecommerce niches with high earning potential. Check out everything you need to know to start a jewelry business today.
It’s a trope you probably know by now: guy meets girl, they fall in love, something happens, they split up, but then realize their true feelings and reconcile in a big romantic scene at the airport. Or on the subway. Or in the middle of the street. The movie closes with a show-stopping scene and you’re already fetching your tissues to wipe those tears because, well, nobody needs to know that you cried over a rom-com.
You probably also know that a good rom-com involves some sort of jewelry: a minimalist necklace. A gold watch. A delicate bracelet. Or the mother of them all: a diamond ring that evokes church bells and white dresses.
But before Marylin Monroe starts singing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in your ear and you start thinking that in order to sell jewelry online you’ll need to work solely with precious gems, why don’t we evoke a tagline from another rom-com classic: Ladies, frost yourselves.
True, this amazing tagline was created as a marketing campaign for a big diamond company in How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days; however, it’s also a great example of what you can and should do if you’re looking to start a jewelry business online.
So bring out the frost, the glitter, and your pen and paper: let us show you how to sell jewelry online.
It’s simple, really: selling jewelry online is a great alternative for any entrepreneur hoping to enter a competitive market ― and one that always has room for more brands, too. This happens because, much like the garment niche, the jewelry business is constantly providing good results.
Just think about it. People buy jewelry for a whole bunch of different reasons, and the sheer amount of products you can pick from is enormous: rings, piercings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, wristwatches, fine jewelry, engagement rings, jewelry sets, body jewelry…
The complete list is way bigger, and we haven’t even considered the materials you’ll be using on your jewelry: steel, enamel, ceramic, semi-precious gems, seashell…
But apart from the high selling potential and the big assortment of products you can work with, selling jewelry online is also a great business idea if you’re considering dropshipping. Here’s why:
Most jewelry pieces are quite small and lightweight, so if you do decide to sell jewelry online, you’ll be able to save on packaging sizes and shipping fees.
Jewelry is also a great candidate for ePacket, especially if you’re using international suppliers to power your dropshipping business. Just in case you don’t know what ePacket is yet, it’s a shipping service that allows fast, economic and reliable delivery for packages that don't exceed 2 kilos (this includes package + product).
Tread carefully, though. Just because you won’t be spending a lot of money on packaging and shipping doesn’t mean that you can run freely with it. Jewelry is a very fragile item, so make sure you’re working with packages and carriers that are mindful of this specific challenge.
Packaging-wise, consider the following materials before you start to sell jewelry online:
🍁 If you’re based in Canada and have decided to sell jewelry online, make sure to check out Canada Post’s shipping solutions for small businesses and our guide for USPS shipping.
It’s hard to resist jewelry of any kind, be it diamond jewelry or seashell necklaces: they’re shiny, they’re pretty, the photos are usually a knockout, and if the price is appealing enough, then why not take the plunge?
This is exactly why merchants who sell jewelry online can and should explore marketing techniques that encourage impulse buying. The idea here is to target your potential customers at the right time, with the right offer, the right visuals and, obviously, the right price.
Check out how you can make that happen:
🛍️ Enamel pins are also a great product for impulse buying. They’re also one of the best dropshipping products to get if you’re managing an online store that caters to teens or to folks that are a bit on the artsy side.
You know what’s better than a product that is great for impulse buying? A product that sells all year long. And surprise, surprise, jewelry is both!
If you haven’t quite decided if you should start a jewelry business, then you need to know that selling jewelry is a sustainable business all year round.
Think about it: apart from the fact that many customers tend to purchase jewelry for themselves, people also buy jewelry as a gift on a number of different occasions.
Lemme give you an example. For Mother’s Day last year, I gave my mom a pair of earrings from a vintage jewelry store I found online. And just this past week, I bought a ring to give to a cousin on her sweet sixteen — and while I was browsing stores to pick out that ring, I set my eyes on a necklace that I’m thinking about buying for myself when my birthday comes. That’s three sales already, all from one customer.
Below’s a quick list of some of the special dates you can explore in your own jewelry store:
👩🏫 Like what you’re reading so far but want some more info before you start a jewelry business? Here’s a list of resources that can interest you:
👘 If you’re also interested in selling clothes online, check out how you can grow your fashion ecommerce with dropshipping here on Shoplazza!
You’re convinced: you want to start a jewelry business. Now it’s time we talk a bit about the main points you should take into consideration before opening up your online store.
There already are plenty of jewelry businesses out there, catering to different customer demographics and handling different price tags, so it’s important that you create a brand that really stands out.
To do that, you’ll need to focus on three key aspects of your business:
The fact that there are so many jewelry options for you to choose from is probably a big factor in your wanting to start a jewelry business. But remember: this same variety of products can also work against you, especially if you’re just starting out.
One way to make sure you actually sell jewelry online is to select a niche within the jewelry niche. Instead of selling bracelets, anklets, watches, necklaces, rings and earrings ― which would mean handling a whole array of suppliers and materials ― sell only rings.
You could explore a whole universe of customers and products just by selling rings:
🔥 Here’s a tip that is as fine as fine jewelry: Consider selling jewelry-making products. You’ll be able to reach a whole different audience that is not intent on purchasing readymade rings or necklaces but is instead interested in making their own handmade jewelry.
You know that pretty ring you bought at a flea market one sunny Saturday? The one that wasn’t really expensive, but was just so pretty you had to have it? Remember also how it left a kinda greenish-blue stain on your finger when you first used it?
Yeah. You can’t have that in your store. And to make sure that doesn’t happen, you need to assess your suppliers thoroughly.
If you’re working with dropshipping, make sure to order some products from potential suppliers and test the hell out of them: wear them for a couple of days straight, put them under water, drop them on the floor, ask close friends to wear them too, take some pictures up close to see all the tiny details. If, after all this testing, the product is still intact, then go ahead and settle with that supplier.
Also, be sure to incorporate this into a sort of quality control check. Every once in a while, order some of those products for yourself to evaluate if your supplier is consistently selling good products.
💡 If you don’t think the time is right to sell your jewelry online, then how about some other business ideas, like selling crafts? Or maybe selling plants?
Selling jewelry means, first and foremost, selling the right product to the right people. But the internet is such a big place that you might find it hard to locate the right people for your business.
When it comes to picking where you’ll sell jewelry online, you’ll be choosing from two main options: selling in your own store or selling in an online marketplace.
Selling jewelry on your own website is probably the best alternative if you’re already building your own brand and creating your online store.
You’ll have more control over every single aspect of your sales funnel, and you’ll also be 100% in charge of curating your product descriptions and photography, not to mention your customer service and your shipping options.
However, managing an online store can be a challenge, especially at those early stages of development while you’re waiting for your following on social media to grow and your traffic to finally take off.
If you want to give online stores a go, there are some ecommerce platforms for startups and small business owners. Shoplazza, for instance, is super easy to use and allows you to create a beautiful online store that looks just like your business. And the best part is that you have seven days to try it for free and see if it's right for you.
If you don’t have enough money to invest in paid advertising, nor the resources to start a jewelry business from scratch, then selling on an online marketplace might be the way to go.
In places like Jedora, Bonanza or Handmade, you don’t need to worry about crafting your own website: you just create your profile and sell your products directly on a jewelry-oriented or crafts-oriented platform. Normally, an online marketplace is also responsible for transactions that are costly for first-time entrepreneurs, such as customer service, inventory housing and shipping fees — but remember: the platform always takes a percentage of your sale, too.
💡 Pop-up stores are still going strong and continue to be a good alternative for small businesses that want to sell in-person without having to spend a lot on infrastructure. If your goal is to eventually get into this kind of selling model, make sure to plan accordingly and save up some of your revenue for that.
Remember the “Ladies, frost yourselves” tagline I mentioned earlier on? Let’s get back to it because, in order to run a successful jewelry shop, you’ll need to market your products — and market them well.
What’s so great about the tagline that Matthew McConaughey’s character creates for that diamond campaign is that it’s simple, yet captivating; kinda funny, yet perfect for fine jewelry. The commercial they film is also quite something, with men turning into little sparkling diamonds.
This is exactly the combination you should aim for when the time comes for you to sell jewelry online. Try to find that sweet spot between sassy and elegant, refined and approachable, attainable yet exclusive — and don’t forget to create some beautiful visuals of your products to really make them shine.
In terms of marketing channels, remember to prioritize platforms that are highly focused on visual content and, depending on your jewelry niche, platforms that encourage local artisans and handmade artisanal goods. This means that you’ll be either looking at YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok or Pinterest.
🔥 Check out some resources that can help you boost your social media presence:
You shouldn’t be scared of SEO, especially because it can be one of your most important allies when you start selling jewelry online, whether it be on your website, on social media or on an online marketplace.
Use it when crafting your product descriptions and your product names, but don’t forget that you’re not a robot and neither are your customers — so be sure to use those valuable keywords in an organic manner. Instead of Sterling Silver Ring - Silver Ring, try naming your products and use something like: White Rose | Beautiful Sterling Silver Ring.
See? The frost is in the details.
Phew! Starting a jewelry business is tough work, but hopefully, you now have all the details to make this journey a little bit easier. You already know that the jewelry industry is competitive, but it can pay off to invest in it; now all you have to do is start carving your own name inside your customer’s minds. So go sell jewelry online and share the frostiness around, whichever way works best for you! Just remember to take it bit by bit, one sparkling rock at a time.