Are you thinking about setting up a Shopify jewelry store? You might be wondering where to start.
With online jewelry and watch sales in the US expected to hit $7.6 billion in 2021, according to statistics from IBIS World, you'll be joining a thriving market. The question is, how can you find a unique angle so that you can stand out from the crowd?
We'll be looking at 7 excellent examples of Shopify jewelry stores so that you can get some inspiration for your own business. These stores have used Shopify to create beautiful and professional websites that draw in customers and keep loyal shoppers coming back for more.
We'll also give you a few hints and tips on things to focus on before you get going, as well as a guide on how to get started with Shopify!
Tips for Starting a Shopify Jewelry Store
If you're thinking of starting a jewelry store on Shopify, we have a few tips for you before showing you some other stores for inspiration.
Pick a Niche
Finding the best products to sell on Shopify can be difficult. Just picking 'jewelry' as your niche may not be specialist enough to make you stand out. What will your unique selling point be? There are several options within the jewelry niche:
- If you make the jewelry yourself, you can focus on your unique style, with an emphasis on creating unique pieces
- You can focus on an occasion (like wedding jewelry)
- You can choose to sell jewelry made from a specific type of material (like Qalo, which we'll be looking at later in this article - they sell silicone jewelry)
- You can focus on a particular item (like necklaces or rings)
- You can create a style and stick to that (like boho jewelry or goth-style jewelry)
Ideally, you'll pick something that reflects your style and interests. This will give you the passion you need to push through the difficult times (which everyone has to face from time to time).
Look for suppliers
If you're making your jewelry, you'll already have an idea of where to get your supplies. It's worth shopping around to see if you can get a better price, or even buy in bulk so you can get a discount (this is a risk as you have no guarantees in terms of making that money back, so this will be a very personal decision based on your situation).
If you're looking for a jewelry supplier, there are ways you can find a genuine, trustworthy supplier.
You can go for wholesale suppliers from overseas, like Alibaba. This allows you to gain access to tons of suppliers across a wide range of niches, including jewelry. The downside is that the shipping times can be longer, and the quality can vary.
You can also find US-based suppliers, like Wholesale Sterling, which gives you access to many different styles and products at wholesale prices.
Work Out Your Budget
Working out finances is not an easy task, especially if this is a new venture and you've never stepped into eCommerce before. There are several things you need to take into account, including:
- Materials and supplies
- The products themselves
- The costs of running an online store (including monthly fees for different platforms)
- Advertising
- Packaging and postage
- Branding and logo design
You can find out more information on this in our eCommerce Business Plan, which will guide you through the process of creating a business plan - so you won't forget anything.
Think About Branding
Now's the time to start thinking about branding - from your Shopify store to your social media channels, your branding needs to be clear and consistent throughout. This includes your copywriting tone, the colors and fonts you've chosen, logos, and photography style.
Need some inspiration? Let's look at 7 of our favorite Shopify jewelry stores and how they have created their brands.
7 Best Shopify Jewelry Store Brands
1. Rebel Nell
Rebel Nell is a unique jewelry store with an important mission: to provide employment and opportunities for women with barriers to employment. Based in Detroit, it was inspired by graffiti murals.
Rebel Nell's message is woven into every page on their website, and with collections named 'evolve,' 'fierce,' 'strong,' and 'unique,' it's clear that their theme is empowerment.
Their store's layout is straightforward, making use of sharp, large pictures - prominently displaying the products. They also use banners with information on promotions to draw in customers and information on initiatives like virtual events for International Women's Day, which is a great way to interact with their customer base.
Rebel Nell is a great example of how you can use a Shopify store to create something that gives back to the local community, combining a passion for creating jewelry with a passion for helping others.
2. By Charlotte
By Charlotte is a popular Shopify jewelry store with a loyal customer base, including celebrities like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Georgia May Jagger. It focuses on delicate boho-style jewelry.
It has a spiritual focus, using semi-precious stones, symbology, and crystals. Everything from the website design to the jewelry itself to the logos and packaging reflects a very feminine, minimal look.
They release new collections often, which is a great way to encourage repeat purchases - for example, they have a 'monthly mantra' with jewelry to match.
Charlotte uses a site layout that focuses on high-quality photography to showcase the beautiful jewelry, as well as some pop-ups offering 10% off if you subscribe to their newsletter.
It's a great example of an elegant design layout and how this can reinforce your branding, appealing to a specific audience.
3. Paolo Costagli
Paolo Costagli is an excellent example of minimal website design creating a sense of sophistication and exclusivity. The jewelry itself is bold and bright, so clear photography allows the designs to take center stage.
Paolo Costagli is a higher-end brand, as the founder is an expert in rare diamonds and gemstones with a high level of expertise in jewelry design. There is a little backstory on Costagli on the 'brand soul' page.
What is great about this store is that the clean design, sophisticated fonts and logos, and minimal pop-ups (they don't have banners with money off, for example) reinforces the exclusivity and sophistication of the brand.
4. Twigs & Honey
Twigs & Honey makes hand-crafted jewelry with an extensive collection of bridal accessories, like headpieces and veils. They also sell bridal wear, but the main focus is on jewelry and accessories.
While there is still a strong emphasis on large, clear photographs, they also use text to explain each collection's theme. They also use a banner at the top of the screen to advertise promotions as well as their social media channels.
Twigs & Honey has a blog, mostly with updates on sales or new collections and valuable ideas and information for brides-to-be, like hairstyles using their headpieces. This is a clever way to draw in new customers by offering them helpful information that the brand can share on their social media channels. It also acts as a different way to showcase their products.
5. Gwen Delicious
Gwen Delicious is an excellent example of how doing something you love can turn into a full-time business. The founder, Bonnie A.Doyle, spent her childhood watching her father create jewelry in his workshop before turning to jewelry making herself. Now she runs the company full-time with her husband.
We like Gwen Delicious because it's a great example of how to use Shopify as a smaller business. It uses a simple layout that focuses on the products, with the company's logo and branding displayed throughout.
6. Qalo
Qalo is a great example of a Shopify store with a unique selling point. They focus on creating unique and interesting silicone jewelry, ideal for people with active lifestyles or those that find traditional jewelry uncomfortable to wear. With some high-profile fans like LeBron James and many other athletes and competitors, they have a clear target audience.
They make the most of a large image on their homepage, creating a sense of urgency and scarcity with the words used ('these styles won't be around forever). The logo matches the kind of industrial, geometric style of the jewelry itself.
They also sell rings to raise money for charities, like the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians Foundation and the American Nurses Foundation.
Qalo is an excellent example of choosing a niche (silicone jewelry) and sticking to it!
7. Vivien Frank
Vivien Frank is another great example of how a passion project can become a full-time business if you can have enough drive and focus. The founder, Simona, quit her full-time job to be a stay-at-home mother, and in the meantime, took up jewelry-making as a hobby. This slowly developed into Vivien Frank.
Each piece is handmade, and she has gained attention from Vogue UK and Glamour Magazine. She uses Shopify to emphasize the jewelry itself, and she also uses Pinterest and other social media channels to attract new customers.
We like the minimal layout, with subtle encouragement to buy (like the 'free shipping' banner at the top of the page).
Getting Started with Shopify
Are you feeling inspired? You may be wanting to get started on Shopify right away. Luckily we've got an in-depth guide on this: How to Start a Shopify Store. It's really easy to get going with Shopify, even if you have little to no technical experience.
There are a few things to focus on when it comes to making a Shopify jewelry store:
Picking a Good Theme
A good Shopify theme can make a world of difference. You'll notice that the jewelry brands we've talked about today all have one thing in common - a focus on large, clear photographs. Several Shopify themes allow for this, including Venture, a free theme, and Retina, a paid theme.
Certain types of themes are better for conversion rates - you can find out more about this in our guide to the 8 Best Converting Shopify Themes (and why they work so well).
Get the Photography Right!
Linked to the above point, photography is super important when it comes to jewelry! As you'll be working with such small items, you'll need access to a good camera and excellent lighting to pick up the fine details. If you can't afford to work with a photographer (which, let's face it, is the case for many people starting up a small business), you can practice your photography skills yourself.
There are tons of courses online on photography, some of which are free to take, as well as blogs and YouTube videos. Shopify has a great guide on 10 Common Jewelry Product Photography Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them).
Think About Packaging
Good packaging can make a massive difference to your customers. If you're running a small business, including extra touches like handwritten thank you notes, free stickers, and pretty packaging can increase your chances of a customer coming back again. Many people want to support small business owners, so adding some kind of personal touch can help them feel connected.
Plus, you can take your branding through to the packaging itself. Think of the iconic blue Tiffany boxes - it's all part of the experience. High-end brands will want to focus on quality boxes and packaging, but that doesn't suit smaller, hand-crafted jewelry businesses, which may want to focus more on quirky, individual packaging.
Either way, putting effort into packaging can make a big difference to your customers' enjoyment levels. If you're struggling with packaging and shipping costs, check out our guide on 6 Ways to Reduce Shipping Costs as an eCommerce Business.
Think About Social Media
You can build a bit of hype in the run-up to your business launch using social media. Fire up your social media accounts (Instagram and Pinterest are great ones for jewelry, as they're very visual platforms - making the most of your new photography skills!).
You can also build a landing page to give your customers a great first impression of your brand, which will give your social media followers a link to check out while they wait. You can find out more about this in our guide on How to Create a Coming Soon Page in Shopify.
You might also find our 30 Day Launch Social Media Calendar and the Social Media Activity Calendar useful if you can't think of ideas on how to build hype for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let's take a look at some frequently asked questions about creating a Shopify jewelry store.
Can I dropship jewelry?
Yes, you can dropship jewelry! There are several ways you can find a drop shipper that specializes in jewelry. One way is by using our Dropshipping Suppliers' Directory. It gives you lifetime access to vetted suppliers across a wide range of niches (including jewelry) with direct links to the suppliers' landing pages and contact details.
Plus, for a one-time purchase, you get lifetime access to updates, with new suppliers being added all the time.
Should I start a newsletter for my Shopify jewelry store?
There are a few benefits to starting a newsletter for your jewelry store:
- You can notify customers of sales and promotions
- You can send them vouchers or discounts (for example, you can send them a discount code on their birthday)
- You can build hype for new collections.
- You can give customers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your business, building customer familiarity and brand loyalty.
- You can let your customers know when your store is open for business.
It's a great way to reach customers, so we'd recommend looking into it. Some email subscription platforms are easier to use than others. For beginners, MailChimp is pretty good, and it has a free plan so you can 'try before you buy.
How can I advertise my Shopify jewelry store?
There are a few things you can do, including:
- Look into Google Ads - this is a good way of drawing in new business.
- Focus on your social media accounts and building followers.
- Learn about SEO - Shopify has a few built-in SEO tools, and they have a guide on improving your SEO on their Help Center.
A Final Thought …
Setting up a new eCommerce business can feel daunting. Sometimes you need a little inspiration to kick-start your ideas. Hopefully, this has helped you think about your niche - so you can get going with your new Shopify jewelry store!
You can get going right away using our guide on How to Set Up a Shopify Store, and when you're ready, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial of Shopify.