Earrings Guide

Take a deep breath!  You don’t need to limit yourself to a target market.  Let your market come to you. The reason I suggest that you not limit yourself to a target market is because there are several excellent sites that will allow categorize your earrings so that people can find them.  Target marketing is crucial to develop an advertising campaign if you plan to build your own website.  However, if you are just starting out, I would not recommend paying tons of money to advertise your drop earrings or diamond earrings website.  It is very likely that your budget will run dry before very long and you will get discouraged and quit.  Keep in mind, the most expensive part of owning and operating your own retail website is the advertising and the infrastructure.  If you are an experienced web designer and have been around the block then I would not want to hold you back.  However, for the majority of us, there are established websites like Ruby Lane, Ecrater, Etsy, and Ebay.  And since these sites are already established, you do not need to advertise because the buyers will come to these sites looking for the specific earrings you are selling.  You can create an online store within minutes.  And if you want to sell pearl earrings or silver earrings, the sky is the limit!

Make sure you have descriptive photographs of your earrings.  Quality photographs give you credibility with a buyer. If you are not talented with photography, you may want to hire a professional or seek help from a friend who is good with a lens…especially with earrings.  Remember that your viewer will not stay on your website very long if the photography is not quality enough to catch their eye.  You also need an articulate description of the earrings you are selling.  You would be amazed at how well your earrings will be received with a few quality photos and a good item description.  And if you are selling silver earrings, it is important that the earrings have a shine.

If you already know how to buy earrings on the Internet, it should be a breeze for you to set up an online store.  The following sites (listed below) will walk you through the process of setting up an online venue to sell your earrings.  And the best part about these sites is that they each have a built-in merchant account so you don’t have to purchase one.

Established in 1998, Ruby Lane has an excellent track record of buyers and seller from around the world.  The items within your web store are sold at set prices rather than in an auction format. However, their website has special software that can automatically accept, counter or reject offers for you.

Ecrater allows you to easily create your online store in minutes. You will receive free website hosting, a free subdomain, and a powerful administration tool to manage your online stores.  All products are posted to Google Product Search as well.

When you sign up to be a seller, Etsy will give you an easy-to-use online shop. You can customize it the way you want.  Etsy sellers can also participate in a feature on their site that allows buyers to post requests for custom made items and allows sellers to bid on the buyer’s requests.

I am certain that you are no stranger to Ebay. With more than 88 million active users globally, eBay is considered the largest online marketplace in the world.  They are always improving their features and I believe they have come a long way since they were founded in 1995.  They provide easy-to-follow steps for you to get your items on the web in minutes.

The best way to select your jewelry wisely is by shopping around.  It is a good idea to go to several jewelry stores, gallerias, and websites.  Compare the services they offer, the quality of their jewelry, the knowledge of their sales staff, and their pricing.  This will give you a good idea as to the market value of the jewelry you are looking for.  Whether you are shopping in a store or on the phone/email with an online salesperson, there are seven important questions to ask.

The first thing you need to know is how long the company has been in business.  A check with the Better Business Bureau or the local Chamber of Commerce may reveal whether or not the business has received significant complaints.

Second thing you want to know is the gemological credentials of the jeweler, manager, owner, or salesperson.  Is there a gemologist on staff?  If so, does the company have an onsite laboratory?

Third, what special services are provided?  Does the purchase of your earrings come with custom design services, educational programs, engraving, or lifetime cleaning?

Fourth question you want to ask is how would you describe the storefront window or website?  Is the jewelry displayed in a quality manner?  If you are shopping online, do the photos of the earrings look professional?  Is the website easy to navigate?

Fifth, how would you describe the overall environment of the store in which you are shopping?  Are the sales people professional, respectful, and helpful or are they pushy and intimidating?

Sixth, what is the policy with regard to returns?  Do you only get store credit or do you get a full cash refund?  How many days after the purchase are you allowed to return the earrings?  What is the basis for return or is there a circumstance that will not allow a return?  Is the policy the same for hoop earrings and stud earrings?  How long does it take to get a refund if you return pearl earrings?

Seventh, does the company have a lifetime guarantee on their earrings?  Does it matter if you buy silver earrings or diamond earrings, for example.  Does the company have a repair or replacement policy?  You want to make sure that the jeweler will stand by any defective pieces.  If you are not clear about this, be sure to get something in writing that explains the guarantee policy.

If the company cannot or will not provide an answer to the abovementioned questions, you should continue shopping around.  Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by a salesperson who wants you to trust them without getting all your questions answered.  Remember that you are buying a fine piece of jewelry, not a used car.  You will always be in a more advantageous position if you have been able to shop around and get all your questions answered.  Unless you are a professional, it is important to shop around, ask questions, and examine the earrings.  After going through this process with several jewelers, you will be able to buy with the utmost confidence and feel good about your purchase.

Earrings should never be bought casually since there are too many financial risks.  The best way to reduce the risk of buying earrings is to familiarize yourself with the specific earrings you want to buy.  While you may not be able to make the same judgment as a professional jeweler who has scientific training and years of experience, you can learn to judge the gems within the earrings based upon cut, clarity, color, brilliance, and weight.  Learning about these factors and spending time shopping and researching will help you get what you want at a fair price.

Make an effort to learn as much as you can about the earrings you want to buy.  Examine the earrings owned by your family and friends.  You may also want to ask a friend to accompany you when comparing earrings at different jewelry stores, mall, or gallerias.  A second set of trusted eyes is always a good thing.  Moreover, it gives you an edge when you and a friend are speaking with a salesperson as opposed to just you alone.

There are a few simple questions you want to ask yourself before you begin shopping for your earrings.  First, what is your desired color or style?  Second, what shape are you looking for?  Third, do the earrings match your personality?  Finally, are the earrings within your budget?  There is a big price difference between ruby earrings and silver earrings.

Once you have found the earrings you want to buy, there are four basic rules you need to follow before making the purchase.  If you are looking for pearl earrings, make sure the earrings are clean.  If you are working with a jeweler, ask them to clean the earrings for you.  If you are looking at diamond earrings or gold drop earrings, make sure you get a current appraisal.

Second, place the earrings under proper lighting. Many jewelers use multiple incandescent or fluorescent spotlights, usually recessed or on a track lighting system.  The purpose it to make the earring gems look super brilliant.  However, once you bring the earrings to a typical place with normal lighting, the gems will not have the same brilliance.  Simply take the earrings away from the display glass and look at them in normal light.

Third, rotate the earrings in order to view them from different angles.  Lastly, if you are using a loupe, focus it both on the surface and into the interior.  To focus into the interior, shift the gem up and down until you are able to see all the depth points.  Leave no stones unturned since this will likely be an expensive purchase.