Writing Jewelry Descriptions

Question: I'm trying to write my jewelry product descriptions for my website, but my descriptions don't flow like I want them to. Are there are some tips on this or could you point me in the right direction?

Answer: Writing descriptions for my jewelry is something I really enjoy doing, but sometimes I get stumped too, and just can't come up with anything.

I try to "romanticize" each piece, to help customers get a feel for why the jewelry would be neat to wear. I usually start by saying something that sets a scene or communicates a mood, throw in a bit of gemstone lore, and then work in the technical details such as the materials used in the piece, its measurements, etc.

What's cool or unique about your materials? That's good filler for your descriptions too.

Good marketing also involves giving the reader the sense that they already own the item - it helps to write it in "you" terms (like, "When you wear this bracelet….")

Although my descriptions usually turn out to be something I would feel a little ridiculous saying out loud, they sound good in writing.

Here's an example of one my jewelry product descriptions, from a couple of years ago:

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Black Mother of Pearl Sterling Silver Pendant

A delicate waterfall of silver cascades down to the green pool of a stone known as black mother of pearl.

When you wear this pendant, you'll often be asked what the stone is. Its surface flashes with a lovely green irridescence that bears a hint of pink rainbows in it.

A stone of new beginnings and an open heart.

Sterling silver wire setting. Pendant measures 1-7/8" x 5/8".

Handcrafted by Rena Klingenberg.

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When I get tangled up in my words, or sit there with writer's block over jewelry descriptions, I get my words flowing by seeing what the professionals do.

My favorite reference materials are catalogs such as Coldwater Creek, Sundance, J. Jill, etc. They always have such wonderful descriptions that I want to buy everything in the catalog! A quick browse through those, even reading descriptions for the non-jewelry items, and my imagination gets flowing again.

If you don't have any of those catalogs, visit their sites and request one from each of them. Their printed catalogs tend to have longer and better descriptions than their websites do.

www.coldwatercreek.com

www.sundancecatalog.com

www.jjill.com

Another great resource is your thesaurus, or go to www.thesaurus.com for an online one. It can really help you come up with the best possible word to set just the right mood.

I think the best strategy is to read and collect catalogs that inspire you, and study what they do - why are their descriptions effective? How can you adapt their techniques to your own jewelry and website? What specific words do they use that move you?