written by Ann Glynn
If you want to help your customers create a complete jewelry collection, the retailer may have to go on their own treasure hunt to unearth facets of their customer’s personality and family history. Start with some basic questions that may lead to opening the proverbial Pandora’s box. Do they have a favorite aunt or special grandparent whose birthday they would like to commemorate with a gorgeous gemstone or piece of jewelry that holds special meaning for them? Most people will love adding or creating a new part of their jewelry collection. They are just looking for you to give them or to help them to find a reason.
Ask if your customer is looking to expand a certain part of her collection, such as adding more earrings, or more bracelets, or more necklaces. Once you know the answer you can guide them from there. Take this opportunity to learn more about your customer, such as their style, likes and the type of business atmosphere they operate in on a daily basis, as well as activities they do daily in their regular lifestyle. Ask about their likes and dislikes and which jewelry category they have cultivated as their favorite. For example, is it rings, bracelets, or earrings? And find out what gemstones are missing from their collection, so you can help them round out their existing jewelry collection.
The first thing you want to do when helping a friend or customer assemble a treasured jewelry collection or choosing a cornerstone piece of jewelry is to pick the metal. Gold, sterling silver or platinum? Platinum is a good metal for jewelry, but it’s not an ideal option if you are interested in creating a large collection of pieces that does not have to be a custom created collection because it is so rare and difficult to find DELIVERY READY platinum jewelry. Silver and yellow or white gold are both used in jewelry; silver isn’t ideal because it will tarnish and isn”t as strong as gold, meaning it will scratch easier and bend or break easier.
If your customer likes the look of mixed metals, or a more unusual metal option – like rose gold or platinum encourage their choice, but make sure to explain that an affinity for something like rose gold, or platinum will narrow their in-stock jewelry selection options. If they like rose gold, then yay for them and you, because both yellow and rose gold look beautiful teamed up with platinum and these metals.
Once they have shared with you their metal of choice, plan to assist by helping plan a portion of the customers collection around this type or color of metal.
The number one item that leads most ladies’ jewelry collections will be either her engagement ring, or her wedding band. Notwithstanding all of the other questions we’ve mentioned above. This is another great way to start them on the treasure hunt.
Make recommendations to them based on their choices and style, as well as what is currently in style and trending. Be sure to let them know you would be happy to offer them a “free” jewelry cleaning and inspection for their existing collection. And set up a time to personally review their collection with them. Once you have reviewed their collection, make some suggestions on low-cost pieces and gemstones that will fit with what they already have. For example, many women love the look of rose quartz, smoky quartz or lapis and citrine, but most people don’t realize how inexpensive these items are to add to their jewelry collections. Take the time to review their collection, so you can become their jewelry go-to specialist. Show them all of the beautiful and less expensive options they can purchase and encourage them to consider growing their collection with these types of inexpensive gemstones pieces. Blue topaz, topaz, citrine, peridot, all the many types of color and shapes and pearls colors, etc.
Help them and work with them to create a family history jewelry collection. Pick gemstones that represent them and their husband, and then add gemstones that represent their children and grandchildren. From there, add gemstones that represent parents, siblings or your husband’s siblings. Keep in mind that you are creating a collection that will represent their family as a collective legacy. Consider it your family legacy collection.
