5 Things to Consider When Buying Handmade Jewelry Online
Online marketplaces like Etsy are known for providing platforms for small businesses and local artisans. Recently, these online shops have reported ridiculously large revenues. In fact, the pandemic actually made it easier for customers to buy handmade jewelry and other products online!
Handcrafted jewelry designers are fulfilling the market demand for sustainable handmade jewelry. However, there are some important things customers fail to consider when buying handmade jewelry online. Let’s discuss some of them.
The Products Won’t Be Identical
Large corporations can only mass-produce products because every single one of them is identical. That’s not the case with handmade jewelry! Online jewelry designers put a lot of time and effort into crafting each product by hand. Due to the manual nature of the process, it’s impossible for every finished product to be identical.
Custom Products Take Longer to Make
When you browse through an online jewelry store and add an in-stock product to your cart, the vendor just has to pack the product and deliver it to you. On the other hand, when you place a custom order, the vendor has to manually produce a new piece as per your unique requirements. This process naturally takes a lot longer than buying pre-made products.
Different Products Require Different Maintenance
The maintenance needs for handmade jewelry depend on the materials your jewelry contains. For gemstone beaded jewelry, you mainly just have to care about preventing them from getting scratched, keeping them away from direct heat, and storing them safely. Some other beads may need to be kept away from water. Freshwater pearls cannot be dipped in any type of silver cleaner and instead must be carefully cleaned with a jewelry cleaning cloth.
Stringed Jewelry Can Be Easily Damaged
Many customers complain about their string beaded bracelets or necklaces coming loose, breaking, or becoming stiff instead of stretchy. These problems are out of the vendors’ control. Strings used in jewelry are often naturally short-lived. But don’t worry! You can always just find a jewelry designer who can restring your pieces for you.
It is a good idea to get your bracelets restrung when you suspect they might break because if they do break, you might end up losing some of the beads. Restringing is also a good way to give your older jewelry a fresh new look.
Each Store Has Different Policies
You should never assume that two stores you found online will have the same policies. The shipping, refund, return policies differ per store. Most commonly, however, online jewelry vendors accept returns within 7 business days of you receiving them. If the product you received is defected, broken, or damaged in any way, most retailers will also refund them for you.
Buy From Our Stunning Jewelry Collection
SWCreations is the perfect store for all your handmade jewelry desires!
We offer a range of high-quality handmade products in our online store. You can explore our handmade jewelry collection and buy custom bead anklets, beaded bracelets, handmade lampwork beads, and much more! We also offer the best handmade gifts and wedding jewelry you can buy online.
Feel free to reach out to us for any queries.
Photo Credits:
- SWCreations
- 123RF - bialasiewicz
