Where to buy handmade jewelry online can be a hard thing to do. There are not a lot of good independent jewelry companies such as Harmony Crystals and Jewelry out there that sell handcrafted jewelry through their websites. Yet the ones that do put a lot of time and energy into making jewelry that is unique and high-quality.
Here are a few things to look for when shopping for handmade jewelry
Do They Know Gemstones and Precious Metals?
Look for a person who knows jewelry. If the site states the owner or jewelry artisans are jewelers, precious metal experts, or precious gemstone experts, you found a unique website. These people blend their knowledge of high-end gemstones and metals with a handmade process of jewelry making.
This is like the gold standard for a handmade jewelry website. You can have confidence that the jewelry you are buying is worth what you pay for it. You can also trust the sourcing of materials and the quality of craftsmanship.
Sourcing Materials?
A question to ask your handmade jeweler is, where do you get your materials? A good jeweler will keep receipts and will mainly source from the USA. The only exception is if the gemstone is rare or only mined outside the USA.
An example would be emeralds. Columbian emeralds are some of the rarest and most beautiful. Depending on the size, they often cost upwards of $15K to $20K or more. Other stones like high-quality Citrine will only come from Madagascar. This is the only place a jeweler can find a mine with clear Citrine worthy of a handmade piece of jewelry.
Guarantees?
If you are still reading and on the hunt for where to buy handmade jewelry online, head to the website’s guarantee or return page and read through it. Does it guarantee your satisfaction?
Does it provide a way to return the item if you are not OK with what you received? What are the instructions and rules to do so? How many days do you have to return your item?
A reputable jeweler of handmade goods will have all this spelled out before buying. Some websites will offer a generous 30-day moneyback guarantee, and others will only provide a seven days guarantee. Does it matter? Not really.
Ninety-nine percent of buyers know within a day or two if there is something wrong with an item or if it just does not work for them. You don’t need 30 days to figure that out. 7 days or even three days is enough.
Is a guarantee important? Yes, it is. Is the time allowed to return important? Not really. Are clear instructions essential to return and receive the guarantee? Yes, it is.
Guarantees are essential no matter what you buy on the internet.
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Customer Service
How good is the customer service? Do the shopkeeper’s reply to you in 24 to 48 hours? Are they friendly when they respond? Do they solve your concerns or answer your questions thoroughly? If you can check off all of these as a YES, then the customer service is good.
Now, if you are looking for excellent service, it is crucial to buy from an expert in gemstones and precious metals. They will be good at answering your easy questions, but they will also be good at answering your hard questions.
Things like metal weights, karat size, clarity, cut, etc. All those things can be vital if you buy something of high value. When you buy real gold, silver, or precious gemstones, you are trading money for some value.
Of course, it is pretty or prestigious to wear, but you also want to make sure that something of high value will grow in value to increase your overall wealth. For example, people buy gold to hold it. A person who buys 21 karat gold is not only looking for beauty. They are also looking for appreciation in the piece of jewelry they buy. When the price of gold increases, so does the value of your gold ring, bracelet, necklace, or anything else you have purchased in this kind of metal. Silver is no different, as are bronze, copper, etc.
Kinds of Handmade Jewelry
You want a website to have a variety of jewelry, and a few new things added a few times a year to keep the inventory fresh. A website that carries the same stuff for years does not sell handmade goods. They are mostly buying premade goods and selling them as handmade.
Artisans rarely produce the same thing over and over again. Now that is not to say they won’t make a few hundred pieces of earrings. When an artisan buys materials, they buy in large quantities. They will make that material into fashion that may last a year or more. The material needs to be used up, so there may be a time before that entire handmade ring design sells out or bracelet design or other. It will only be when those items sell out and the artesian can recoup their investment to make more dazzling, delicious jewelry for your needs.
What you will see are other gemstones being used for the same look. Or perhaps a high grade of metal is added for those pieces that sell well. It is not uncommon to see a pair of earrings such as Citrine come in non-gold stems, gold plated. Or even 21, 18, or 14 karat gold. You also have the fine sterling silver that comes in 925 purity up to 950, which is the highest purity of silver on the market.
What to know even more about handmade jewelry sites, then we have the article for you. Handmade Jewelry Websites.
Finally, you want to look for ease of use When looking for where to buy handmade jewelry online
How easy is navigating the website and finding what you are looking for? Are the categories well labeled? When you search, are you finding what you want, or does the site return just unexpected results? Does the website have a place to read articles that educates its buyers and readers?
An easy-to-navigate site is essential. Most websites like to hide things for some reason. An excellent developed website will have everything you need right on the front page. Are you looking for earrings? Then they should be an easy link to click to go right to them. How about bracelets? There should be an easy way on any site page to either go back to the front page or go to different sections of the site without confusion.
Can you quickly click on a cart icon or check out button to see what is in your basket? This is important because if you don’t know what you added to the cart, it will take time to go back and forth from the checkout page, breaking your focus on your shopping experience.
The shopping cart page is just as important as the checkout page. Also, a great site will allow you to skip the shopping cart and go right to check out without confusion or worry that you are doing something wrong.
I hope these few jewelry tips helped you find peace of mind when searching for where to buy handmade jewelry online. Happy handmade jewelry website hunting!
We have even more information on unique handmade jewelry that you read about here Unique Handmade Jewelry Tips!
Harmony is one of those sites that check all the boxes. We strive in all areas to make your visit to our website a breeze with outstanding customer service, products, materials, and all the rest.
Welcome to Harmony, and come check out our complete catalog of handmade jewelry from our artisans and a few chosen rock stars of handmade jewelry like Albert Charles. If you have never heard of him, we have a treat for you. You can read all about Charles here, Charles Albert Jewelry – Acclaimed Jewelry Designer.
