Goldmark Jewelers Overcomes Design Challenges Using CounterSketch® Software

Meet Cal Brockman, owner of Goldmark Jewelers in Portland, Oregon

Finding the Right Fit

Cal Brockman began learning the basics of jewelry making in 1970. Then, in 1976, he founded his jewelry business. He’s spent the last 43 years making original one-of-a-kind jewelry for his customers. “I really enjoy what I do. But it is getting harder. Eight years ago, I was considering how I might benefit from using computer-aided design in my work,” Cal explains.

After trying out a few of the programs that were available, he immediately thought the learning process would be difficult. “I wasn’t convinced it was for me— until Stuller introduced CounterSketch software. It looked simple and elegant, and I thought it could be what I needed to cut my production time on bands and traditional style rings,” Cal says. “I tried the demos and decided to buy CounterSketch. I was determined to learn how to use it.”

Getting Familiar with CounterSketch

“I bought a fast, new computer, installed CounterSketch, and watched all of the training videos and just started creating! At first, it was fun to just add new components, change sizes, and change stones while a client joyfully watched their ring come to life. Then, I learned how to bend and mirror, and use polar array, too,” Cal adds. He’s become confident using these CounterSketch software features with clients. Cal attends the online CounterSketch webinars to improve his techniques and learn new things.

“With Countersketch, I can create dramatic and artistic jewelry with precision. I can create fine details that I can’t achieve using hand tools— twisting, bending, stretching and altering a component to match my vision is thrilling. It’s such a rewarding process for me.” Cal is quick to demonstrate CounterSketch software to anyone who is interested. “I open to a portfolio whenever I think someone will enjoy seeing an idea in 3D and move it around the screen. Viewing models on a computer screen is a familiar experience for most young buyers. This enables them to participate in the creative process.”

Growing with CounterSketch Software

“I don’t claim that it makes me feel younger,” Cal laughs, “but I am able to do things with CounterSketch that I could not imagine myself doing when I was younger. It makes me feel energized. I’ve increased accuracy in layout and precise placement of stones, resulting in some of my best work and I’ ready for more. I like being able to offer a new kind of designing tool as part of what I can do. CounterSketch stretches me as I try to improve on what I’ve done as I discover new methods.”

Cal encourages lots of practice with CounterSketch. “It does require effort if you want to use it well, but the results are stunning. I use CounterSketch every day and I look forward to seeing what the developers will add to the next release. I’ll be ready to learn how I can use the exciting new functions in the future!”

Here are five exquisite examples where Cal overcame design challenges using CounterSketch software:

Filigree Gallery Ring

“This ring needed open gallery sides. I achieved this by making a duplicate band in a larger finger size, then fitting it over the original and bringing in the sides to blend. Then, I filled the with small-scale scrolls. Stuller’s CAM Services had to scale these design elements up until they were castable, but the overall design came out looking fine!”

Bold Men’s Band

“This man’s ring was challenging to create because it needed a wide, thick top. I chose a heavy profile band with an oval and did everything I could think of to get it bulkier, flat, and thick enough for the stone. I built the white gold top from wire forms using CounterSketch and then filled under the ends with another strip of wire.”

Deep-Profile Morganite Ring

“This client wanted a Morganite center stone. I found a beautiful stone, but it had a really deep profile and the client wanted this open-strut-prong-style ring. After I got the top to fit the stone, I scaled scrolls until I could fit them into these open spaces. In the end, the ring protects the stone and looks elegant.”

Two Trillion-Cut Emeralds Ring

“This large looking ring with two 6.5 mm trillion-cut Emeralds is a size 5, while the center Diamond is 7.0 mm. It needed to be classy and artistic, yet wearable and protective of the Emeralds. That was a tough assignment and I don’t think I would have tried to do this without CounterSketch. Getting the stones to fit required many attempts and restarts— as the Emeralds had to be placed down into the sides. The outer framing rings are opposing copies tilted to taper and blend. It looks wonderful, but it is more suited to special occasion wear.”

Freeform Floral Motif Ring

“This ring is a large collection of freeform parts that fit inside this frame and holds these stones. The client is a gardener and loves being outdoors, so she wanted an expressive, natural-feeling floral motif in a large ring with emeralds and diamonds that she could wear a lot. Looking closely, you will see underlying support wires which were to ensure a complete casting and to support the stones. It worked well on both accounts.”

How to Use Insights to Inform Your Social Strategy

Social media plays an imperative role in almost any company’s success. However, as most are finding out, it goes beyond just posting photos of products and responding to customers online. Having an effective presence takes time. And time is money, am I right? So, let’s make sure we’re using social media effectively AND efficiently. Here’s the secret sauce:

Serve the right content to the right person at the right time.

“But Kristyn,” you ask, “I don’t know what the right content, the right person, OR the right time is.” Neither do I, TBH. You know who does though? Your Facebook Insights. Let’s dive in.

To better understand how to take advantage of Facebook insights, you must know where to find them. The GIF below shows how to navigate to the parts of Facebook Insights you will need today. 1. What’s the right content?

There’s a section of Facebook Insights that breaks down the success of different post types based on average reach and engagement specific to your page. In the screenshot below, you can see that our link posts (mostly blog posts) are currently outperforming our other content types.

Try to keep a good mix of content types flowing through your Facebook Page. But, if your insights are telling you that your blogs and videos outperform your photos, what should you be investing time in creating? More blogs and videos, of course! Check out the results of this section on your own page for guidance on the types of content you should focus on creating. 2. Determine Content Themes

Now that you know which content types are resonating with your audience, you need to determine what content themes will perform well. If you scroll down on this same page of your Facebook insights, you will come across the section below. Here you will find a breakdown of the individual performance of your most recent posts. The most important metric here is your per post engagement rate. The higher this percentage, the better. Take a look at this section of your insights to see which posts outperform others. Try to draw conclusions based on that data. Maybe you will start to notice common threads. Perhaps fun facts about gemstones perform really well or lifestyle photos get more likes compared to jewelry photography. Pay close attention to this section to better understand what to post in an effort to get the most engagement out of your audience!

3. Who’s the right person?

Now, you’ve used your insights to generate some effective content ideas! The next step is to make sure your audience engages with that content. What’s the key to getting your audience to engage with your content on social media? Understanding who they are in the first place. Think about it. How can you create posts your audience will like if you don’t even know who they are? That’s why I encourage you to check the Your Fans section of your Facebook Insights regularly: Do you have a predominantly male audience? That could definitely change the way you speak to them in your posts. What age is the majority of your followers? You probably have products that steer more toward that age group. Knowing what types of content resonates with your audience AND having a clear picture of who you’re talking to will help create content that works!

4. When’s the right time?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever Googled something like: When’s the best time to post on Facebook? ‍♀️ Same! And it did not give me the correct answer, so who do we trust?

In your Facebook Insights, choose the Posts tab and that’s when you will see this data: Here, you’ll find which times and days of the week most of YOUR Facebook audience is online. This data is much more valuable and targeted than any general recommendations found using Google search. This section will tell you not only what days of the week will work best, but what time of those popular days, too.

Here’s the pro tip: If your Facebook insights tell you that Thursday at 8PM is when the highest concentration of your audience is online, schedule your post for 7PM. Publishing at 7PM will give your content enough time to get through Facebook’s algorithm and start showing up to your active 8PM audience.

So what’s the recipe for social media success? No, it’s not funny memes or viral cat videos. Simply put: deliver the right content to the right person at the right time.

Have I convinced you to be more deliberate with your social strategy? Let me know in the comments down below so I can cheer you on! 3 Summer Social Media Suggestions to Improve Your Strategy

Hello sweet, sweet summertime.

Well, if by sweet you mean slooooow, then we’re on the same page. Summertime in the jewelry industry is infamous for its seasonal slowdown. So, if your spring cleaning didn’t happen because you were buried in Mother’s Day business— it’ll happen this summer. And what about the inventory that hasn’t had any attention in years? Time to melt them down! You know what else you are going to do this summer? You are going to spend some downtime stepping up your social game. And I’m going to tell you how!

Here are my summer social media suggestions to turn your downtime into social showtime.

1. Take Inventory on Your Audience

What’s the key to getting your audience to engage with your content on social media? Understanding who your audience is in the first place. Think about it. How can you create posts that your audience will like if you don’t even know who they are? That’s why the first, and most important, social task you should complete this summer is to conduct an audience inventory.

An audience inventory (see examples below) is simply a quick exercise to help you understand your audience relative to each platform. You will use the different insights available within your active social spaces to get the following information:

Total Follower Count Gender Breakdown Age Distribution Location Concentration Most Active Day/Time

Gather this information for each platform and use it to learn more about your audience. Having a clearer picture of who you’re talking to will help you create more engaging content! Facebook-Social-Audience-Infographic.jpeg -Social-Audience-Infographic.jpeg 2. Perform Research

This summer social media suggestion is for all the Instagrammers! By now, I think we’re all pretty familiar with the concept of . We know how they work AND how important they are for discoverability and engagement. What you may not know, however, is which ones freaking work! Take some time this summer to do some hashtag research and make that 30-per-post hashtag limit count.

NOTE: If you were like, “Wait, girl, I know nothing about Instagram,” check out this Instagram For Beginners blog post.

How to Conduct Hashtag Research for Instagram

To conduct hashtag research, start by simply checking out how your current hashtags are contributing to your posts’ success. Do this by clicking View Insights when looking at a particular post. Next, look for the following two metrics: % of accounts reached that weren’t following you AND impressions from hashtags. Both of these are under the Discovery section of your account. This will help you understand how users discovered your Instagram post! If either of these numbers is higher than that of your other posts, this is an indicator that your hashtag game was on point for that post. Try using similar combinations in future posts and see if you achieve the same results!

If you want to take it a step further, there are tools like SmartHash that allow you to search for hashtags (ranked by highest performing), get new suggestions based on hashtags you already know are popular, and even split-test different sets of hashtags on your posts!

Check out the following video to learn more about hashtag research. 3. Build Your Community

Our first two summer social media suggestions were designed to help get more people to discover your accounts on social media. This next step is all about you discovering others on social media, which is just as important— especially on Instagram!

Engagement goes two ways, and the algorithms know that. In fact, many platforms prioritize showing your content to users who like and comment on your posts regularly AND those you proactively engage with. Spend some downtime this summer liking and commenting on your customers’ (and prospective target audience) posts from your business account. This will signal to the algorithm that two-way communication is happening. This will ultimately start showing your content to those users more often.

And there you have it! These are my summer social media suggestions. Follow this three-step guide to step up your social game this summer. I will openly admit that each of these recommendations requires a bit of your time. BUT, if you’re serious about improving your social strategy, doing the heavy lifting over the next few months is totally worth it. Get it out of the way to set yourself up for social success for the rest of the year! ASTRO MANIA by Swarovski: The Art of Astrological Jewelry

Travelers, nomads, scholars, navigators, scientists, and the just plain curious have always looked up to our star-filled heavens and wondered about the power and attraction of the universe. Whether the mysteries of astrology and cosmology, or recurring miracles like Halley’s Comet, or solar and lunar eclipses, these spark in us a sense of wonder. Science can explain some of them, but we also love the mystery and how jewelry through the ages has always drawn on celestial bodies and astrological symbols. We may not understand how heavenly bodies affect our lives, but we adore them as talismans and symbols. Heavenly Design Inspiration

Jewelry designers today are enthusiastically embracing all things celestial. The stars, moon and sun, the planets, constellations, the mysterious moons of Saturn, and trails of light from comets all inspire a graphic, abstract, and distinctly modernist approach to today’s astrological jewelry.

The Swarovski Gemstones and Swarovski Zirconia assortments are treasure troves for creating astrological jewelry with the symbolism of the heavens. Think of the stars and reach for the Swarovski Zirconia Pentagon Star Cut, while the Swarovski Zirconia Triangle Cut can also be fashioned into the tips of stars, or even combined to form star shapes. TheSwarovski Zirconia Octagon Sun Cut exudes all the power of the sun and Swarovski Genuine Topaz in Violac, and Swarovski Zirconia in Fancy Purple reflect the deep, mysterious purple of the night sky.

Symbolic Astrological Jewelry

Symbolism has always been at the forefront of jewelry design. Back in 1932, Gabrielle Chanel chose the comet, or shooting star, a symbol of good luck as her design motif when she created a diamond jewelry collection. Victorian women wore the crescent moon as a symbol of female empowerment and to illustrate the ebb and flow of life. Brides of the period wore ‘honeymoon brooches’, a crescent moon cradling a blossom to represent lunar mystery and the sweet nectar of the flower. Star-shaped jewelry worn as hair ornaments were said to symbolize guidance, leading the wearer in the right direction. The inclusion of moonstone was to protect the wearer.

Stuller-Swarovski-Astrological-Jewelry-Stars-

Stuller-Swarovski-Lunar-Astrological-Jewelry-

Stuller-Swarovski-Moon-Astrological-Jewelry- Astrology and Swarovski Gemstones

The 12 astrological signs of the zodiac are enduring motifs for jewelry design and today come in endless formats, both traditionally figurative and graphic interpretations, and in a variety of materials. Birthstone jewelry, heavy in symbol and meaning, is also enjoying a revival and appears in intriguing new designs.

Water Element Gemstones

The Water signs of the zodiac (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) can be beautifully interpreted by blue stones such as the trend colors, Swarovski Genuine Bright Blue Sapphire or Swarovski Kashmir Blue Topaz.

Earth Element Gemstones

The Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) are well suited to pure, simple silver jewelry featuringSwarovski Genuine Rainforest Topaz and Swarovski Genuine Peridot.

Air Element Gemstones

To design pieces for the Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) zodiac signs, choose sparkling Swarovski Genuine Sapphire and Swarovski Genuine Topaz White.

Fire Element Gemstones

Try Swarovski Poppy Passion Topaz and the Swarovski Genuine Golden Citrine set in warm rose gold and gold jewelry for the Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius). Celestial-themed jewelry is now hugely popular. It is a revival that perhaps captures our desire to find new dimensions, and new meaning in an increasingly complex world. And while modern jewelry borrows from the heavens, it also reflects our fascination with science, and the unexplainable far beyond.

Shop Swarovski Gemstones on Stuller.com

Images as seen in Swarovski Gem Visions Talismans & Symbols and Autumn / Winter 2019/20. Illustrations by Frédéric Mané.

A Quick Look at Platinum Metal History

Today, we take for granted that platinum is a coveted precious metal. But how long have we actually known this? Only since 1751 — a mere 270 years. By comparison, Ancient Egyptians began using gold and silver to decorate sacred objects around 3,000 BCE. And from 2551 BCE to 2490 BCE, they capped the Pyramids of Giza with solid gold, the ultimate sign of the metal’s importance and value. So we’re curious about platinum metal history. Where was platinum through all this time?

Shop the Stuller Platinum Jewelry Lookbook Discover all that platinum jewelry has to offer in our latest lookbook.

Incognito Platinum Metal

Platinum metal history slipped into human use as a by-product of gold and silver mining. Gold was found with platinum and the two blended as they were hammered into shape. Platinum was thought to be silver — even though it was much harder. Chemists have identified platinum mixed with gold in items dating back to Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (1991-1718 BCE). One example is the gold and “silver” cover on the 700 BCE Egyptian Casket of Thebes. An early examiner noted that while some of the silver was heavily oxidized, curiously enough, other “silver” was unaffected. In 1901, French chemist, Marcellin Berthelot, tested the metal and learned that the untarnished silver metal was a combination of platinum, iridium, and gold.

White Specks and “Little Silver”

Across the Atlantic, archaeologists discovered Pre-Columbian sacred and decorative pieces made of gold with distinctive white specks. These were identified as platinum. In th16 century South America, Spanish conquistadors searched rivers and streams for gold and silver the Spanish King so desperately needed. In the process, they found chunks of platinum. Alas, they called it “platina,” meaning “little silver” and discarded it with no idea it was rare and valuable. A Hard Fact

To call platinum “little silver” is insulting enough and that isn’t the worst of platinum metal history. In 1735, Antonio de Ulloa, a Spanish scientist, naval general, and explorer, visited Ecuador on a scientific mission. He encountered “platina” in gold mines where it was considered a gold “impurity.” Some thought it was “unripe gold,” and put it back in the mine or ground to “ripen” believing it would yellow with age. Intrigued, de Ulloa undertook to study it. He identified platinum as a separate metal that occurred with gold in alluvial deposits. Indeed, Ulloa found it extremely hard and invulnerable to heat which made it almost impossible to separate from gold nuggets. He observed that platinum was a “nuisance” or “hindrance” that interfered with gold mining. The Spanish abandoned some gold mines with high concentrations of this “nuisance.”

Precious Platinum Metal

In 1751, Swedish scientist, Henrik Scheffer, published the results of his platinum studies. He called it “white gold” and stated that it was —

1. hard but malleable with the hardness of malleable iron.

2. a precious metal with durability and corrosion resistance similar to gold. 3. unlike any of the six “old metals” because it is entirely precious containing no copper, tin, lead, iron, or mercury. Scheffer declared it a “seventh metal.”

4. fusible with arsenic.

Workable? Well . . .

In 1786, Francois Chabaneau, a French chemist working for Charles III of Spain, developed a technique for creating somewhat workable platinum but the results were highly inconsistent. At one point, a story says he grew so frustrated with platinum that he trashed the lab given him by the king. That same year, Antoine Lavoisier, “the father of modern chemistry,” succeeded in melting tiny quantities of platinum, but not enough to work with.

Who Is Marc Etienne Janety?

Monsieur Janety was Louis XVI’s Royal Goldsmith. He created a platinum and glass sugar bowl for the king whose beauty caused Louis XVI to famously declare that platinum was “the only metal fit for kings.” In 1794, a year after revolutionary government executed Louis XVI, Janety prudently left Paris. In 1796, he returned to create the revolutionary government’s official kilogram and meter measures out of platinum because it was the most durable and corrosion-resistant metal.

Pure Platinum

Above, I mentioned Chabaneau’s efforts to create workable platinum. The results proved inconsistent because he didn’t realize that platinum ore contained other platinum group metals — osmium, iridium, rhodium, and palladium. In the early 1800s, an English chemist, William Wollaston, found a way to produce pure platinum on a commercial scale. He kept his technique secret until just before his death.

The Heat Is On

In the waning years of the 19th century, new high-temperature blowtorches made it possible to work platinum into fine jewelry. Cartier in Paris and Tiffany & Co in New York took the lead, making platinum jewelry a status symbol. Many famous stones are set in platinum — including the Hope Diamond — are set in platinum. Nothing less will do for beauty, strength, purity, and natural white color. Platinum Metal Strength

Today it holds its status as the elite precious metal chosen by celebrities. It has also become the symbol of the exclusive credit cards, programs, and so on. Yet thanks to advances in technology and techniques — not to mention that its price per ounce is significantly lower than gold — platinum is available to many more customers and very popular in bridal rings. Can anything match the platinum solitaire?

Platinum: The Hypoallergenic Metal

Over the decades, we’ve learned much more about platinum. One discovery stands out: it’s hypoallergenic. This makes it a prime consideration for customers with sensitivities to nickel and copper. Shop platinum and platinum jewelry on Stuller.com

School Your Sales Staff with CounterSketch Training and Webinars

Did you know over half of today’s engagement rings are custom designed? Fortunately for your business, customization commands higher prices. And with the just-in-time manufacturing and virtual inventory that comes along with CounterSketch®, you can enjoy lower overhead and therefore higher margins.

So, customization software is clearly a win-win for you AND your customers. But, to maximize its effectiveness, make sure your entire sales team knows how to use CounterSketch to its full potential.

Register for CounterSketch training today so your entire staff can feel comfortable using the software.

2019 CounterSketch Training Dates at Stuller:

• April 17 – April 19*

• July 24 – July 26*

• September 25 – September 27*

• October 23 – October 25*

* A Stuller Bridge Event precedes these CounterSketch training dates. CounterSketch Training is a Must!

Stuller’s CounterSketch training covers the core tools you will use every day when working with the software. In training, we’ll cover all the basic skills needed to close a sale using Countersketch— from using the style quiz to searching the showcase to selecting a starting model. Then, we learn how to navigate in the viewport using the design stack and then how to properly save your designs. Once you have the design a customer loves, you can then create a basic render and walk through the order process.

Upon completing the CounterSketch training, your sales staff will be better equipped to qualify prospective customers, determining exactly what they are looking for and how to narrow results to a few options. Then, if closing the sale requires more advanced tools like Freehand, your sales staff can save the design and make a followup appointment where the project can be passed to your jewelry designer or expert CounterSketch user.

This sort of strategy removes some of the burden from your sales staff by handing the project to your CounterSketch expert, all while ushering your customer along down the sales pipeline.

Welcome your newest sales staff with this CounterSketch quick start guide to kick off the software training

Try CounterSketch FREE Webinars

Once a month, Stuller hosts a free CounterSketch® webinar for those seeking to grow and refine their software skills. These are sure to boost your business and help serve your customers’ customization cravings. There is also a recording of the most recent webinar on this page for those who were unable to attend live.

View dates, sign up, or learn more at Stuller.com/CSSwebinar

Have you attended CounterSketch training at Stuller Headquarters? How has it enhanced your business? Let us know in the comments below!

Get Ready to Embrace Swarovski Blue Gemstones in 2019

When Lady Gaga appeared on the 2019 Golden Globes Red Carpet in January, her show-stopping Valentino Haute Couture gown with its huge train and voluminous sleeves highlighted a resurgence of the color blue. Gaga even chose matching blue tones for her hairstyle. The trend for blue in fashion was further underlined by Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, when she attended the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s Totem in London this past January wearing a midnight blue gown by Roland Mouret.

Blue is now poised to be a significant color trend in 2019. And fashion aside, the color blue is also a hot trend in jewelry and other design-related segments, according to the latest edition of Swarovski Gem Visions.

Color it Blue in 2019

Experts at Pantone, the color authority, have also predicted that variations of ‘little boy blue’ will be one of the most chosen shades of blue. These brighter blues are set to join deeper, richer versions of the color that are currently trending. Meanwhile, calming, inviting blues will be favored by interior designers for kitchens, bedrooms, dining rooms, and front doors.

Blue on the Runways

Blue has already made a splash on the 2019 runways with light and sky blues supported by softer, blue-grey tones. These are romantic and a bit more subtle than the traditional pastel shade. Blue-grey plays well with darker blue, black, and can be highlighted with splashes of stronger primary colors like red or yellow accessories, particularly in jewelry.

Blue— the Language of Jewelry for 2019

Blue is an enduring theme. It can mimic the perfect midnight blue of the nighttime sky. Or, it can reflect the multicolor blues of the ocean— from alluring light blues close to the shoreline to the dark indigo of mysterious deeper waters. The resurgence of blue was mirrored by the Swarovski Gem Visions trend team who, in their 2019-2020 predictions, noticed jewelry designers exploring possibilities in the three megatrends they identified: Midnight Flowers, Cosmic Mythologies, and Night Light. Meanwhile, designers like Sirciam, Theresa Kaz, and Judi Powers are already choosing from blue color palettes for their recent creations.

Swarovski Blue Gemstones

With the color blue poised to be a favorite for jewelry designers in the seasons ahead, Swarovski Genuine Topaz is pre-programmed to suit their creative needs. Kashmir Blue in the Natural Brilliance cut is expected to stand out this season. These Swarovski blue gemstones intensify the original beauty of the stone and accentuate the release of its radiant light. Kashmir is just one of the blue tones in the Swarovski assortment of Genuine Topaz. It’ll be the perfect for fashion in sky blue and grey-blue and is ideal for combining with stones of other primary colors for striking contrast effect, such as the new Pantone Color of the Year, Living Coral. Swarovski Genuine Topaz stones are cut to perfection by Swarovski experts and infused with color using the patented TCF™ (Thermal Color Fusion) technology. This process treats the clear natural stone with a permanent, protective hard ceramic enhancement which involves no radiation.

Shop Swarovski Kashmir Topaz on Stuller.com

Looking for more Swarovski gemstone trends? Find more on-trend gemstone advice here.

From Picture to Perfection: How to Engage Using CounterSketch Software

Pictures paint a thousand words. So, it’s no surprise that our customers scour , lifestyle blogs, websites, Instagram, and more in search of their picture-perfect inspiration. This practice has become an integral part of their buying processes, especially when considering large purchases.

All this research may bring customers to your store with their set on a particular design. They come with screenshots, printouts, magazine clippings— the list goes on and on. So, on one hand, it’s great that they’ve made up their mind about what they want and have some clear direction. But now, the pressure is on you to concoct their desired item at a price they can afford.

The success of the sale is in your hands. Use CounterSketch software to engage and entrance your customers.

Start by Sharing on Social Media

You can be a part of customers’ research and discovery process by sharing, sharing, sharing on all your marketing channels. Use Pinterest to post your own daring designs. And feel free to pin other inspiring pieces as well. Use Instagram to flex your creative capabilities, too. Let all of Facebook know you have limitless power to customize any design through CounterSketch software. Keep your website updated with all your latest and most engaging creations. This way, customers will feel comfortable coming to you with their pictured inspirations, as you confidently take on their wildest ideas.

Step 1: Check Your Live Inventory

Once your customer has found their inspiration, it’s now your job to bring it to life. Take a look at your customer’s inspiration image. Then, check your showcase. Is there anything identical, or at least similar, that you can offer them to try on? This initial try-on can clear up a lot of confusion later. As a jeweler, you are trained to see a photo and translate that into a physical piece of jewelry. But your customers aren’t. Not to mention, that is why they came to your jewelry store . . . to try on jewelry!

Here’s a good example: Customers love the look of eternity bands in photos. But all too often, once they put the ring on, they don’t like how the stones feel between their fingers. Suggesting a similar item, like an anniversary band instead, could be a huge help.

This also sparks conversation around the particular design aspects that are most important to them. If you have exactly they’re looking for in stock, give your merchandising manager a high-five for predicting consumer demand. But, let’s assume you’re not that lucky. Let’s pretend your customer came to you with the earrings below. They want a similar ring with lots of stones.

Step 2: Check Your Online Showcase

Take your customer over to the computer on your sales floor. On your Stuller Showcase page, you can browse Stuller’s entire inventory using descriptive terms to narrow down the results. For example, in our bridal jewelry category, we have twelve initial categories available. Then, there are 60+ sub- categories to consider, and several have sub-sub-categories to refine your search further. Once you’ve found the right design type, and then perhaps a similar style, you can use 3C models to modify the design to exactly what your customer showed you when she walked in the door. However, maybe something is missing. Maybe the ring below is almost what they’re looking for, but not quite their dream ring. Why make them settle for good enough when you can offer perfection?

72064 • White Gold Ruby Accented Evil Eye Ring

Step 3: Co-create With Your Customer

Now, you can import that almost design into CounterSketch software to refine it further. Make modifications or add freehand parts to craft the design into your customer’s specific request. And the best part is that they’ll be at your side to assist with the entire design process.

Furthermore, if your customer’s idea is completely different from existing designs in Stuller Showcase and CounterSketch, fear not! Simply use your jewelry expertise to identify key attributes or aspects of the ring. Then, begin virtually assembling using CounterSketch Freehand Parts.

For this example, we have a plain band or shank, a marquise- shaped halo, a bezel-set ruby, and horizontal bars of gold. You can now work shoulder-to-shoulder with your customer to get the design just right. After all, you and your customer are in complete control using CounterSketch software. So, if a ring needs to be thinner or calls for fewer diamonds to meet a specific price-point, you can easily modify the design to fit their parameters.

Step 4: For Even More Details…

The adventure doesn’t stop here. Maybe there are unique scrolls, script initials, or other meaningful details your customer just has to have. When this is the case, you can always turn to MatrixGold Essentials, Matrix, or RhinoGold to craft an even more intricate design. And if you’d rather have Stuller do the heavy lifting, simply submit a sketch to our CAD/CAM Services to deliver exactly what your customer wants! So, next time you’re tasked with creating a unique design from a picture, no worries. Turn to CounterSketch software to create that picture-perfect piece!

Increase Your ever&ever Engagement Ring Sales by 20%

The 2018 holiday sales season was record-breaking. Online shopping reached all-new heights. It’s evident that e- commerce is growing with no end in sight. Industry giants like Amazon and Walmart are excelling online, while sales platforms like eBay, Etsy, and Shopify are helping small businesses — just like yours — join in on the action. Luckily, Stuller is here to be your silent partner in creating a shoppable, sellable digital space for your customers.

And speaking of your customers, if you think they aren’t shopping online, think again! According to a 2018 Forbes article, Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964) spend more time online than they do watching television. They’re on social media too, sharing more content compared to other generations. And I’m sure you’re already aware how much time younger folks spend on their smartphones, tablets, and the web in general.

Are you ready to join in on the e- commerce opportunities available? Take advantage of ever&ever iframe functionality today.

Enter ever&ever® Bridal Collection

Our ever&ever bridal program features prototype samples with 3C flexibility. This elite bridal line boasts engagement rings available in 12 metal qualities with flush matching bands, all presented nicely in an elegant platform display. The comprehensive bridal program comes complete with a bank of beautiful marketing materials like pre-configured magazine and newspaper ads, billboards, postcards, and social media imagery, just to name a few. And guess what? Our ever&ever bridal line lives on TheKnot.com, too. Yeah— it’s kind of a big deal!

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