New jewelry websites seem to be debuting all the time, but The Jewelry Showcase, which formally threw its hat into the ring earlier this month, means to differentiate itself by trading on the growing appeal of underexposed, artisan-designed, handmade jewelry.
Faith Marcus, a veteran luxury fashion and accessories executive who has worked at Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, and owned her own vintage interior design business, has created a curated platform for discovering designers that are legitimately talented and show great promise in the indie designer marketplace but have yet to land that big consumer editorial hit or store buy-in.
Faith Marcus, founder of The Jewelry Showcase
“We are about hand-selecting the designers and we have a very careful vetting process, so we don’t accept everyone who submits an application,” says Marcus.
All of the designers are partnering with Marcus as way to take their game to the next level. Once reviewed and accepted, they pay a small fee to help with the back end of the site. The fee also includes ongoing advice from Marcus as far as refining their offerings or developing a better merchandising strategy.
“I personally work with the artists to uplift them and to realize their full potential and improve upon aspects of their branding and presentation,” says Marcus.
The Jewelry Showcase is launching with 19 designers, many of whom have been featured on this blog, who share a creative philosophy and specialize in one-of-a-kind and made-to-order pieces.
The intent is to create a connection point to the customer by placing the emphasis on, and devoting much of the site’s real estate to, brand storytelling content versus inanimate grids of product.
“We create an in-depth look into the designer’s world so the customer has a better understanding of the designer they are (or may be) purchasing from,” says Marcus.
Each designer landing page includes a full-page bio, an artistic statement, insight into his or her creative process, and a shoppable boutique.
Video content is central to what Marcus hopes to achieve. She and her team are producing an original “spotlight” video to encapsulate each designer’s particular métier and the singularity of her products. “Even the music in each video is original, every artist has music composed specifically for them,” says Marcus.
An original video, created for jewelry designer Andrea Gutierrez, by The Jewelry Showcase
A rotating Featured Artist video series will kick off on September 15.
Meanwhile, the edit below shines a light on a selection of the pieces for sale. The site’s functionality allows consumers to shop by both category and designer; the pages are set up to first draw you into the designer’s story, which puts the products in context and, hopefully, makes them even more desirable.
Provence earrings with moonstones and tanzanites in 14k gold, $1,550; Loriann Jewelry
Needle pendant with white sapphires in rhodium, $3,600; Andrea Gutierrez
Kate engagement ring with white sapphire in 18k white and yellow gold, $1,390; J.Noelle
Halo Effect pendant with enamel, garnets, and diamonds in 14k gold and silver $1,245; May Came Home
Marina on Fire necklace with aquamarine and lemon quartz in oxidized sterling silver, $2,950; Nataly Aponte
Scallop earrings with Montana sapphires and 18k Fairmined gold, $2,305; Jill Kathleen Designs
Wishbone pendant in 14k gold with diamonds, $1,340; DRU.
Top: Bar earrings with sunset chalcedony hand-set in 14k yellow gold, Airy Heights
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