Providing complete information about a jewelry piece means a buyer doesn’t have to stop and ask questions before deciding to buy. People who are pressed for time, such as those shopping for a gift, will almost never want to ask questions and have to wait for answers, they simply move on.

Here are some of the most common description omissions shop owners make when listing jewelry pieces:

Missing Keywords
When using abbreviated words, or acronyms, for describing jewelry items, their condition or components always take into account that an interested buyer may have absolutely no idea what word or words an acronym is replacing. Spell it out for them in the item description. To a novice buyer an item title such as, OOAK MOC Coro Pin with AB and Red RS can look as if someone spilled a bowl of alphabet soup on the page rather than a title that makes sense. Just because you know what an acronym or abbreviation means, don't assume potential buyers will.

Also, keep in mind that RS can stand for Rhinestone or it can stand for Reinhold Schlegelmilch of RS Prussia fame, which is porcelain. Similar issues would be possible for other acronyms commonly used in jewelry listings to substitute for whole keywords. AB can mean Aurora Borealis in jewelry, but people selling old cut glass also use it as an acronym for American Brilliant; B & W may be used as a stand-in for Black and White enamel or stones, but Blue and White china collectors also use B & W.

Most jewelry collectors don't generally perform a search using only the acronym RS for rhinestone, so using a typing shortcut and not including a complete keyword or keyword phrase will affect the display of your items in a search return. In other words, using acronyms instead of complete words or word phrases may leave your items in the dark.

Condition?
Since a buyer cannot examine the piece in person, they rely on the shop’s owner to describe jewelry pieces fully and accurately. Mentioning flaws in a jewelry piece along with an overview of the general condition is up to you. We recommend examining all jewelry items closely with a loupe before listing them. It doesn’t matter if the item is fine jewelry or costume, examination under magnification is essential in order to ensure your statement of condition will be accurate. It is often difficult to spot issues with respect to jewelry with the naked eye. Expect that buyers will perform a loupe examination as soon as the item is received, or that they will take the piece to their jeweler for to be examined.

Note: If you or the previous owner of a piece replaced the rhinestone settings in costume jewelry, trust that this will be visually apparent to the trained eye under magnification. It is quite easy to find replacement ‘stones’ for costume pieces that are missing settings, and these may match well enough to make it wearable again, but will the buyer consider a repaired item or an item with replacement stones ‘original’ enough to go into their collection? Always note repairs and replacement components in an item description.

How big is it?
Be sure to provide the measurements of a jewelry piece in your listing. Don’t just guess or base a measurement on the assumption something visually seems to be the same length as another item you have already measured. Actually measure each piece and then enter those measurements into your description. A slight difference in size of only a half an inch can mean that the buyer who purchased your Bakelite bangle bracelet will not be able to get it over her hand and onto her wrist to wear it. The anatomy of buyers varies greatly and each buyer generally knows what size they require in order to comfortably wear an item.

Some jewelry terms may seem to mean common measurements apply, when they do not. You wouldn’t want the necklace whose length you described only as “choker” to in fact actually do that once the buyer locks it around her neck, so be sure to include the measurements.

Another type of item for which you shouldn’t entirely omit sizing or ‘guesstimate’ a size for is a ring. Professional ring sizing mandrels are inexpensive and easily found on the Internet for purchase. If you regularly sell rings in your shop then you should purchase a mandrel. In consideration of potential International buyers, keep in mind that a size quoted by U.S. standards may not be helpful if a buyer is accustomed to using the metric system. For more information on converting ring sizes internationally, see the wikipedia.org wiki on Ring size.

Jewelry descriptions that lack essential information can be a major contributing factor to slow sales. They also result in buyer dissatisfaction and jewelry items returned for a refund. When someone receives a purchased jewelry piece that fails to meet their expectations concerning size, components, or condition, it is unrealistic to expect a buyer to just keep it, without complaint. If you were the disappointed buyer, would you?

Ruby Lane Customer Support

Need help with your Ruby Lane shop? Have a question about opening a shop? Get answers from the Ruby Lane Help Desk --- access the FAQ Knowledge Data Base, Live Help, or send an email. Ruby Lane Shop Owners can also find answers in the Ruby Lane Forums and the Selling Successfully section of their Shop Owners Page.