If you've got enough stores, you shouldn't be selling on the Web. Diamonds are among the few jewelry-related items that are selling relatively well, according to Edelstein. Diamond sales are doing perfectly. It's a commodity. You don't have to see it.
Cost is another key issue.
Kathleen DiResta, vice president of the Jewelry Design Professionals' Network, has launched her own Web site but says that she is not about to start selling online, mainly because of the cost involved. Harvey says that small operations that rely on an artisan's or designer's existing reputation could do well eventually, because the customer knows what to expect. Designers and artisans seem most likely to benefit if they turn to larger online retailers with a variety of items to offer, much as in the past when they have relied on distributors and galleries to carry their lines. This provides a larger umbrella and shifts much of the infrastructure to the distributor, rather than requiring the artisan to start from scratch. These companies can develop a range of suppliers to keep consumers happy with a constantly changing inventory.