Online shop for jewellery makers: selling your creations on the internet

You thread beads, you solder silver, you spend whole evenings on a stubborn clasp. Then you put everything away in a box until the next craft market. An online shop is a shop window that stays open all year round, even when your stall is folded up in the boot.

123Ventes is designed for craftspeople who would rather be at the workbench than at the computer. Here is how an online shop answers the questions that come with making jewellery.

One-off pieces and small runs

A ring set with a hand-picked stone only exists once. In your shop, you set the stock to 1: as soon as it is sold, it can no longer be ordered. No two customers end up fighting over the same necklace.

You can leave the sold piece online, marked “Sold”. Your visitors see the range of your work, and some will ask you for a piece in the same spirit.

For your small runs, such as earrings made in several colours, enter the real stock and offer the variants as options on a single product page.

Sorted like your jewellery box

Necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, hair accessories: you sort your creations by type, by material (silver, brass, beads, stones) or by collection. The customer looking for silver hoops finds them straight away, without scrolling through your friendship bracelets.

There is no limit on the number of products. Your new products and your special offers can have their own page, which is handy when a collection comes out.

Photographing an object two centimetres long

Jewellery is small, shiny, and loves to reflect the photographer. Yet the photo has to show every detail. Each product page takes a main photo and four views: front, side, top and bottom. Show the clasp, the back of the piece and the grain of the metal.

• Use your phone’s macro mode, or a suitable lens, for the details.
• Take your photos in daylight, without flash, on a neutral background: white, light grey or slate.
• Add a photo of the piece being worn. A ring on a finger or a necklace on a neckline shows the scale better than a long speech.
• Give the dimensions and the weight. “Small pendant” means nothing, “15 mm” does.

A short video can also show how the piece moves and catches the light.

Ring sizes and chain lengths

This is the question that comes up most often. Offer the ring size or chain length as an option for the customer to choose, with or without an extra charge. A longer chain costs more? The extra is added to the basket automatically.

In the long description, explain simply how to measure a finger with a piece of thread or a ring the customer already owns. You will avoid a few exchanges, and a few parcels going back and forth.

Engraving and personalised jewellery

A first name, a date, initials: engraving turns a piece of jewellery into a gift. Offer it as an option, with its extra charge, and show a making time on the product page, for example “ships within 10 days”. The customer knows that engraving takes time, and won’t chase you the next day.

Remember to state in your terms of sale that personalised jewellery is generally neither taken back nor exchanged. Check the exact rules that apply to your situation.

Small, light parcels

Good news: jewellery weighs very little and travels well. A few good habits are enough:

• Choose tracked delivery, such as Colissimo, for valuable pieces. Pick-up points, with Mondial Relay for example, are perfect for lower prices.
• Weigh the parcel ready to go, box included. Your shipping costs are then worked out automatically, by weight band.
• Offer gift wrapping as an option, for a small extra charge. A lot of jewellery is bought to be given away.
• Offer free delivery above a set amount with the promotion rules: one more bracelet often ends up in the basket.

Collection from the workshop is still possible for your local customers. The details are on the delivery options page.

Precious metals and allergies

If you work with silver or gold, hallmarking and guarantee rules may apply, depending on the metal and the weight of the pieces. Check with your chamber of trades or the hallmarking authority in your country (in France, the services de la garantie) before you start selling.

For costume jewellery, state the materials clearly in the details of each product page. A customer with a nickel allergy looks for this information before buying, and will thank you for making it easy to find.

Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas

Jewellery is the king of gifts, and the calendar knows it. With the site collection, you prepare a version of your shop for each occasion: a red home page for Valentine’s Day, another for Mother’s Day, another for Christmas. When the day comes, you put it online. You can also put your gift ideas front and centre and send a newsletter to your customers a few weeks before the date.

How much it costs

The subscription costs 29 € a month or 319 € a year, with hosting and the security certificate included. 123Ventes takes no commission on your sales: only your payment provider’s fees apply, about 1 € on a 50 € piece of jewellery paid by card. Catalogue management is included, with no limit on the number of products. If you would rather not do anything yourself, the turnkey set-up costs 400 €. The details are on the pricing page.

Your questions

Do I need a special business status to sell jewellery online?

You need a status that allows you to sell: self-employed, registered craftsperson or company. If you already sell at craft markets, it is the same status. For silver and gold, also check the hallmarking rules.

How do I handle ring sizes?

Offer the size as an option on the product page, with an extra charge if needed. Add a short measuring guide to the description, and set out your exchange policy in case the size is wrong.

Can I sell abroad?

Yes. You choose the countries you deliver to and the rate for each one, by zone. A light piece of jewellery travels easily, and your product pages can be translated into French, English, German, Spanish and Italian.

How long does it take to put my jewellery online?

The shop is created in a minute. After that, allow about ten minutes per piece, photos included. Start with fifteen beautiful pieces, and add the next ones as you make them.