Writing Jewelry Descriptions

by Jo_Murphy

There is an art to writing brief descriptions of any kind of jewelry. Your writing must be succinct while appealing to as many of the five senses as possible.

I find this kind of descriptive writing hard, because I don't wear jewelry myself and hadn't realised just what an art writing descriptions of the tiny pieces of sculpture can be. Usually the word count is very short 30 - 60 words and they accompany a high resolution image. It is as difficult as writing that 'one minute elevator pitch' that people seem to find so valuable.

The Niche Positioning and the Images Attract

The Words Sell the Product

According to jewelry copywriter.com, to be successful artists who sell jewelry online "need compelling, romantic copy to convince readers their jewelry is as beautiful as pictured".  I guess I had wondered why there is a need for writing descriptions when clear succinct pictures are there to tell the tale.   And yet, I guess this makes sense, the buyer needs to be convinced that the real thing will be just like the picture or even better. 

People love to look at images and dream.  Especially about travel, holidays, jewelry, clothes and houses.   With jewelry though, it can be hard to find much to write about. Good solid copy will have the correct ingredients, such as, size, materials and the kind of clasp used.

Purple Kaleidoscope lamp work earrings

 

 

 

 

 

 

But to sell jewelry well there must be something more.  A hook, or a talking point that captures the interest of the buyer.  What you are trying to do is keep the buyer on the page long enough to fall in love with the piece of jewelry.

Kate Farrant

I asked Kate Farrant whether she had some jewelry I could write about for the purpose of exploring Jewelry Product Descriptions.  The piece featured above is on Etsy in the KateFarrantArt shop.

This piece is called Purple Kaleidoscope lamp work earrings.

So there is the hook!  What is lamp work?  

Her product description reads: Artist made lamp work beads in a beautiful kaleidoscope of purples, amethyst colored crystal beads with antiqued bronze bead caps and Boho French style ear wires. Beautiful!

Wikipedia says that Lampworking is a type of glasswork where a torch or lamp is primarily used to melt the glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements.Once asked, Kate went on to say. "They also twirl it on thin round mandrels to make the hole in the middle for beading such as this." 

Lamp Work - A Style of Beading

A Whole New Field of Art
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Green Heart Lamp Work Necklace

Green and white necklace featuring unique heart-shaped, lamp work, acrylic beads, along with sparkling confetti beads. The art glass beads are gorgeous green and white with gree...

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Beautiful Hand made Porcelain Beads

Complimented by contrasting fuchsia colored jade glass beading and bronze bead caps

Boho French ear wires hold these beautiful porcelain floral beads flanked by bronze bead caps and a single fuchsia colored jade glass bead. About 5cm total length. Kate.

Beautiful Handmade Porcelain BeadsWith this piece, the quality of the artistry of the hand painted porcelain beads are subtly accentuated by contrasting 'minty' greens and shades of lavender.  The bronze bead caps and Boho French ear wires have an antique feel ensuring the whole sculptural composition comes together in an elegant style.

 

Interestingly the price is a mere $21.95 AUD

I wonder how this artwork can be this cheap?  The craftsmanship and the quality of the materials is clearly evident.

Notice the way Kate has placed the composition when photographing her work.  She has used dark rocks to set the scene and laid the jewelry on a mottled brown/ochre/grey background so that the antique rustic 'rusty' feel exudes from the arrangement.  It is a very clear, detailed close up of the attractive design.  

Notice we said in the introduction that the writer sets out to appeal to the five senses.  Use 'feeling' words ....rustic feel.  And appeal to the olfactory sense (sense of smell) lavender and minty.  So for example the writer might introduce the work by saying -

These exquisitely hand crafted antique earrings have a delightful fresh summery aura, while retaining the time worn tradition of antique artistry.  Then go on to incorporate as many of the five senses as possible.   Whilst it is true, you are trying to appeal to as many types of learners as possible - you are also developing your 'hook'!

Getting Started in a Home Based Jewelry Business

How to Start a Home-Based Jewelry Making Business: *Turn your passion into profit *Develop a smar...

How to Start a Home-Based Jewelry Making Business is for creative, talented women who want to turn their passion for beautiful jewelry into a profitable sideline or full-time bu...

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The Gestalt of Jewelry Copy

Why do buyers trust artists and buy online?

There is no doubt that buying online is convenient and that there is an unlimited range from which to choose.  Etsy, Amazon and eBay are just a few of the reputable online shop front spaces where art lovers can browse to buy handmade jewelry.

All artists whether professional or hobbyists must learn to present their work not only in it's best light but creatively with a view to firmly placing it within a niche. Kate provides examples above where she has capitalised on the nature of lamp work and firmly places her work within the antique jewelry genre. 

But the real artistry of copy writing is when embedding 'copy' within an extremely well composed and staged visual composition that illustrates the words. Then the effect has the magic of poetry. Remember - you want the customer to stay on the page long enough to see that the picture really does represent the real thing!

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Updated: 09/29/2014, Jo_Murphy
 
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Jo_Murphy on 12/14/2023

I am only just discovering AI

DerdriuMarriner on 12/14/2023

An artificial intelligence article is welcome.

AI answers to online questions might be quite competitive with human answers. For example, it offered a great poem about inept librarians. Bing AI realizes really great haiku and limericks!

But AI seems somewhat variable in other contexts, such as just one really astute one as a customer-service agent to a chain-store business.

Jo_Murphy on 12/13/2023

Hey..... might this be the beginnings of an article about AI. ?

DerdriuMarriner on 12/13/2023

Your comments three boxes down are intriguing, about image- and word-synthesizing brain centers.

Do you know why the photos "didn't come off"?

My artistry focuses upon architecture and art appreciation, not architecture and art activities (even though as a child I had some great tinker-toy creations).

But might it be possible to synthesize all the images first since the end-product must be about visual aesthetics? Then might it not be possible to synthesize the words with one another and then with the images?

Jo_Murphy on 12/13/2023

I think of the market as world wide now. Online

DerdriuMarriner on 12/12/2023

Everything about your project fits in with something artistic, educational, entertaining and timely.

Australian and Unitedstatesian word usage sometimes is quite different.

Is the location identified as "the markets" a physical entity such as a fresh-food, outdoor stall? Or is it an office building where advertising, marketing and public-relations professionals work?

Jo_Murphy on 12/08/2023

My next article is about marketing children's books. I painted a mural from the page of one of the series of books. I then took it to the markets. The idea was to set it up with lights and feature the mural. The photos didn't come off, and now I am stumped. I will need to restage the whole thing because some require synthesising words and images.
Words are left-brained, and images are right-brained. We need both connections to synthesise to capture the whole meaning and context. What do you think, Derdriu?

DerdriuMarriner on 12/08/2023

Your articles -- all of which I've read -- are persuasive because of their attention to associative thinking, facts and succinctness.

In another direction, isn't it interesting that some people go by image and others by written content? Might the former not validate the saying that "A picture is worth a thousand words"? But might the latter not validate the saying that "The pen is mightier than the sword" and than the image?!

Jo_Murphy on 12/06/2023

"might not noting how jewellery is described operate like a sale or a sample in making potential purchasers almost feel like they sampled the goods?" To some extent, that would be the goal of marketing. Picture yourself driving this swish car. I think it is time I re-read some of my own articles.

DerdriuMarriner on 12/06/2023

The first paragraph to the first subheading, The Niche Positioning and the Images Attract
The Words Sell the Product, considers that a description backs up an image to persuade a potential purchaser "that the real thing will be just like the picture or even better."

That interpretation describes how I tend to think of planned and less-than-planned purchases going. For example, people go to the grocery store -- at least here, generally -- with a list in mind even as they go to the library with a specific check-out in mind.

Book-store visitors may be persuaded to purchase more or other than what they intend even as they resist that impulse in a library.

Grocery-store visitors may be persuaded to purchase more or other than what they intend because of sales and samples.

In a way, might not noting how jewelry is described operate like a sale or a sample in making potential purchasers almost feel like they sampled the goods?


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