Did you know that the tradition of men proposing to women with a diamond engagement ring is less than a century old? While we are led to believe that engagement rings are an ancient tradition, the truth is, this "tradition" was cooked up around a board table by the De Beers diamond syndicate — a powerful team of diamond miners and their very clever marketers.
Since then, jewelry brands such as Tiffany & Co. and Zales have worked carefully to ensure that men and women all over the world associate love with jewelry.
The jewelry eCommerce market is massive, and it’s not just men who are buying fancy jewelry for their sweethearts: Men buy for their mothers and women buy for themselves, their friends and their family members.
This makes the eCommerce jewelry market large and varied, with lots of potential customers. On eBay and some other online marketplaces, however, jewelry can be very competitive. This guide should help you to decide whether jewelry is the right market for you, and give you some ideas for products to sell.
Why sell jewelry?
- Lots of good suppliers to choose from.
- It can be cheap to source items: You can get rings and necklaces for as low as 50 cents apiece.
- If you have money to invest, diamond/high-quality pieces do sell well online. Once upon a time, very few people would make a large purchase over the Internet, but there is much less buyer fear for high-ticket purchasing these days.
- There's a broad market with lots of sub-niches such as fair-trade jewelry, gold jewelry, used jewelry, costume jewelry, moissanite jewelry and more.
- Great opportunities for free marketing on Facebook and Pinterest. As long as you are willing to put in some time, this will help you build a customer base.
- Great opportunities for repeat customers via email marketing. Email marketing is one of the best ways to get repeat business from existing customers. There are some free options for email marketing such as Mail Chimp that you can test out. Additionally, SaleHoo Stores have in-built email marketing functionality that is very simple to use, but highly effective.
The downsides of selling jewelry
- Competition can be high on eBay and other markets. Overcome this by selling more unique items rather than generic jewelry that is already available. Better yet, sell on your own website and help eliminate the issue of competitors.
- Some jewelry is hard to photograph, and photos are super important in this niche!
- In general, this is a high-volume, low-profit market. You’ll be selling a lot of stock, but your margins on each sale might be small.
- Fakes can be a problem if you are trying to source items like Tiffany & Co. jewelry. Stick with non-branded or source from liquidators who can get legit brand names for low prices.
Can you spot which is the fake?
Secrets for success when selling jewelry online
- Sell on Esty, ArtFire, or Rubylane, where you will find less competition and more targeted buyers. All these sites are popular for gift-buyers and jewelry shoppers.
- Focus on niche markets like men's jewelry (cufflinks, tie clips, watches, men's wedding rings, etc.) or used jewelry to create a brand which supports the circular economy. Or, you could open a SaleHoo Store and sell wedding jewelry such as bridal tiaras, flower girl jewelry, earrings, bracelets, bridesmaid gifts and mother-of-the-bride gifts.
- Gain a following on Facebook and Pinterest. It’s a low-cost way to assemble and maintain a loyal customer base.
- Offer deals using Facebook or SaleHoo Store coupon codes.
- Aim to buy bulk wholesale rather than drop ship. You'll make more sales and your profits will be higher.
Here are the best online marketplaces and websites to sell jewelry online:
Browse all our jewelry suppliers, or view our hand-picked list below:
- View listing (log in or join now to access): This New York-based supplier offers international shipping and has no minimum order requirements (MOQ). Choose from a range of brands including Playboy, Baby Phat, Rocawear and more. You'll also find regular and body jewelry as well as gift boxes and key chains.
- View listing (log in or join now to access): This supplier is based in Thailand and offers a range of Swarovski crystal jewelry as well as shell and hand-crafted jewelry items.
- View listing (log in or join now to access): Based in Canada, this supplier offers all the usual top-selling jewelry items along with organic jewelry (which could be a great niche!). You'll also find some great jewelry display items that are worth checking out — they can be fantastic for photographing your pieces.
- View listing (log in or join now to access): Another Canadian-based supplier with wholesale bargains! The website is not the prettiest or easiest to navigate (which is often the case with wholesalers), but it's well worth spending time trawling through what's available.
Ready to start selling jewelry online? Save time and make life easier for yourself by joining SaleHoo. You'll get instant access to our directory of more than 8,000 trusted and pre-screened suppliers, including of course, jewelry suppliers!
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