How to sell jewellery online in India: Tips and LIVE examples

(Last Updated On: June 29, 2022)

The questions are already swimming in your mind – selling jewellery online? Would that be safe? How do I ship fragile jewellery to customers? How can customers trust our products sold online without touching it?

Let’s figure it out through this guide.

You’ll also get some inspiration along the way from home-made jewellery brands that are doing well with eCommerce.

Why sell jewellery online?

Because it is lightweight and therefore easy to ship? Or because you do not have the anxiety of maintaining a brick and mortar store? There are many reasons why you need to sell jewellery online:

The Indian gems and jewellery sector is one of the largest in the world and contributes to over 29% of the global jewellery consumption, according to Statista. Currently, we are home to over 300,000 jewellery brands and sellers.

Jewellery market in the eCommerce sector is also set to see a huge increase. Indian online Jewellery market is estimated at $850 Million in 2019 and is projected to grow to $3.7 Billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 28%.

Another advantage is the increased purchases from tier 2 and tier 3 towns. According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation, online sales from jewellery shopping are expected to account for 1–2% of the fine jewellery segment by 2021–22.

A recent trends report published by our team also predicts that entrepreneurs today understand the power of online presence and digital operation. eCommerce is on the rise, with COVID leading to an increase in shopping online and from home.

Weddings are a huge market for jewellery. Also, an increase in buyer demand. As per the ibef report, low-cost gold metal loans and likely stabilisation of gold prices at lower levels is expected to drive volume growth for jewellers over short to medium term.

Besides this, several rescheduled weddings will take place in 2021. Even during COVID, jewellery shopping sales went up by 25%!

According to CaratLane, India’s top online jewellery brand, people are cutting down on wedding ceremony budgets, making more room for jewellery purchases.

What are the biggest challenges in selling jewellery in India?

1. Identifying customers and gaining their trust

Who are you selling jewellery to? Identify your customer base using online surveys, Google Analytics or SEMRush.

We have seen ads where people shop for jewellery after carefully scanning each item in the store. So what happens when you shift online? How do your customers know you are not scamming them?

Our team carried out a short poll asking jewellery brands about the biggest challenges they faced and ‘gaining customer trust’ was the highest – at 75%!

Hey you small businesses 📢

Question – Which among these is the biggest challenge while setting up a #jewellery business in India?#jewelryaddict #SmallBusiness #onlineshopping #mondaythoughts #ComingSoon

— instamojo (@instamojo) January 18, 2021

2. Limited customer interaction

According to Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, Founder of BlueStone.com, websites do not offer enough customer interaction space, the way a physical store does.

Customers need to be assured constantly about the money they will spend on jewellery, and this can be a challenge when it is done online.

Related Read: How to start an eCommerce business in India

How to get customers to trust you? Here are 3 ways

💡 Ensure the best quality and trademark – Just like the jewellery itself, it is all in the fine details. Check the BIS hallmark signs. This has – the BIS Logo, purity grade and fineness, jewellers identification mark and hallmark. Check this super helpful guide to know how to assure the customer of jewellery quality.

💡 Keep in touch with them using social media or a WhatsApp business account. Share a phone number with them through which they can contact you. For example, Caratlane has a 24-hour customer care helpline to take care of any customer queries or complaints.

💡 When shipping jewellery, make sure you pack it with a lot of care, packaging, and receipts. For expensive metal jewellery, request customer to send photos or send a representative to help unpack the box for them. Here’s a helpful packing tutorial from Staples for any small jewellery brand.

Read this guide on building customer trust online for more tips.

Get an online store 

Customers are going to pay you a large amount for the jewellery item they purchase. Therefore, you need to have a secure, safe, and trusted payment gateway policy. Our advice: opt for an online store in India before you decide to set up a website for your jewellery business.

With Instamojo, you can get an online store for free!

3. Refunds vs returns vs exchanges

Create a refund or return policy and upload it on your online platforms. A return policy clearly informs customers about your policies regarding any return or refund of a product.

Why is this important? You need to be able to trust your customers just as much as they trust you. Sellers have faced the agony of receiving empty boxes at the time of return!

How to make it easy? Choosing a payment gateway with a solid refund policy.

Ensure your chosen payment gateway offers –

1. A clear description of the refund time
2. Allows customer and seller to track refunds online. For example – All Instamojo merchants have access to an ARN (Acquirer Reference Number), which is a tracking ID used to trace the status of a transaction with your bank. If you are a seller on Instamojo and have issued a refund to your buyer, they can track the status of their refund with the bank. An email and SMS with the ARN is sent to the buyer as soon as the refund is generated.
3. Final receipts, payout file, and any other document you need to keep as proof of purchase.

Your refund policy can look like:

” Products you return/replace must be in the same condition you received it and in the original packaging. Please keep the receipt.”

Checklist to keep when setting up an online jewellery brand

✅ Setting up an aesthetic online store/website

Make it aesthetic

Therefore, if you are just setting up but want your jewellery to look beautiful for customers, choose the premium online store feature on Instamojo. Set it up easily and add your photos, description and the payment gateway will be ready too.

For example, Aurora Hope Pins, a BTS merchandise jewellery brand, uses Instamojo premium online store to sell their products online. Started by Nitisha Sham, a huge fan of BTS, features dainty, self-designed jewellery for the BTS fandom.

Want to setup your own online jewelry store for free? Sign up on Instamojo eCommerce platform and start creating the store of your dreams!

Start your own jewellery store online for free

Add details

Add information down to the last little detail about the jewellery item you are selling. For example, Ae Ri Sakhi uses beautiful photographs and provides complete information on the products they sell. Here’s how you can nail the perfect product description for your jewellery item. 

Get started here to sell jewelry on your own online store.

✅ Creating social media accounts

Set it up – Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Do not underestimate the power of a beautiful jewellery photo. Social media is the safe space for you to boost your brand, emphasis the features of the products you are selling, and dabble in a little luxury marketing. How?

Here’s guide to help you get started with social media for your business.

Speak to influencers!

Invest in influencer marketing efforts and allow them to promote the quality of the products you sell! Encourage customers to share testimonials and stories about their purchases. This is the most organic way to boost customer trust!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Quirksmith (@quirksmithjewelry)

✅ Reliable shipping partner

Find an ideal shipping partner on Instamojo’s mojoXpress. Ensure your shipping partners have a record of safe shipping, zero packaging problems, and great customer reviews.

In fact, here is a guide to understand and setup shipping for your small business in India.

Silver sisters: How Quirksmith grew their jewellery brand online

Since Quirksmith joined Instamojo, we have seen plenty of jewellery sellers using online store to interact and sell jewellery online. But it started here.

Check out their awe-inspiring story here:

Like Silver Sisters, many passionate jewelry makers are growing their business online using an Instamojo eCommerce storefront. You can be the next successful jewelry seller online! Just take the first step and sign up for your free online store.

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Sell jewelry on your own online store