Ten Reasons — What Makes Customers Buy Jewelry from Specific Designers

I hope you’ve been enjoying my 30 Daily Tips — after starting this project, I had no idea that it would be so impactful. With each tip I reveal I’ve been creating some powerful and thought-provoking discussions (both in my comments, as well as my question boxes I leave in my Story). For one of my tips, I urge my followers to buy from designers they’ve been long-admiring. I started out by asking everyone which designers are on everyone’s wish lists. It was neat to see so many names being said and very interesting to see certain designers constantly being called out. There are definitely brands out there that have made a lasting impression and have a long line of devoted fans. Sometimes it can be easy to see why, while others maybe not so obvious. It left me wondering WHY? What makes you choose specific designers?

After posing this question and getting LOTS of responses, I decided to gather the information and put it into a blog post! I thought it would be really beneficial for designers as some may be wanting to gain some insight into the consumers’ minds. What better way than a voluntary question from an unbiased asker. Hope this information helps!

What makes you choose specific designers? Why do you buy what you buy?

1 — Great photos: lots of people responded with this and it was actually quite surprising. People want to see jewelry photographed well.  All angles. On a hand, neck, wrist or ear. If there’s one aspect you’d like to improve upon for your jewelry business this year — upgrade your photography!

2 — Design itself: must be unique, not super trendy, and not something that gets produced in a factory. People noted that they love special finishes and textures, and love handmade. Out of the box thinking.

3 — Originality: this was a keyword that continued to pop up in the responses.

4 — Quality: another key component is quality and hand-fabricated was frequently mentioned. People want jewelry they can feel confident with investing in and knowing it will last more than a lifetime.

5 — Personal touches: with this I mean parts of a piece of jewelry that, when you see them, you know exactly which designer created it. Do you make your bails a certain shape or size? Do you finish all your pieces with your signature texture? Does your finished piece reflect YOU or could it be confused for another designer?

6 — Designer as a person: this wasn’t a top response but I did see different iterations of it. People want to interact and feel a connection with jewelry designers they buy from. They want their aesthetic to line up, whether it is completely style-focused or has a sustainability factor to it. If certain aspects are important to the designer, those are the types of customers they will attract.

7 — Use of color: people want to see colorful gemstones used in an original way. Putting stones together is an artform which takes a very special talent to master. One wouldn’t realize this unless they actually try themselves — from start (having access to a large gem show and figuring out what to buy) to finish (designing and creating a piece of jewelry).

8 — Easy to wear: comfort is key, but that’s not the only aspect of this component. People want designers to create jewelry that can function with what they already wear…something they can mix, match and layer with other designer pieces and antique jewelry.

9 — Good website: it is important to have a beautiful website that showcases the jewelry, with easy navigation and sections where we can read to learn more.

10 — Longevity: both the jewelry itself and the designer as a brand. We want someone who is as passionate about making the piece as we are wearing the jewelry. People don’t want to wear a brand that is here one day and gone the next. In terms of jewelry speaking, the piece has to be durable and last both in quality and style.

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