More and more fine jewellery lovers are buying their treasured pieces online. Major retailers and credit companies reported huge increases in online purchases over the 2017 festive season compared to the previous year; Chow Tai Fook in Asia (57%,) Signet in the USA (47.7%,) and MasterCard worldwide (18.1%).
Fine jewellery has remained one of the few retail sectors where buyers still prefer purchasing in person, though evidently consumer attitudes are shifting quickly. With many luxury fashion portals offering fine jewellery as a part of their product range, the question that is being asked now is "which are best?"
Wealth of choice at Net-a-Porter
Net-a-Porter is a website which is predominantly known for its luxury fashion selection, offering prestigious brands alongside newer designers. It also carries a wide selection of all types of jewellery; including categories as specific as ‘demi-fine’ and ‘body jewellery’. Very few other sites offer such a wealth of fine jewellery brands, with the site boasting striking pieces from such prominent brands as Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Boucheron, Buccellati and Piaget, as well as many trend based designers.
Trunk show concept at Moda Operandi
One of the few websites which offers a ‘trunk show’ for a selection of custom pieces is Moda Operandi, meaning that variations such as sizing and gemstone options are able to be changed to suit the buyer. The website features an easily searchable interface for browsing, making it simple to discover some new brands. Fine jewellery with a focus on contemporary design is the niche of this website, which features brands such as Alina Abegg, Pomellato and Yeprem.
Focus on intricate designs at Marissa Collections
Marissa Collections has a very specific aesthetic, and the website offers jewellery from brands who favour complex, intricate designs. The selection would best suit fans of bohemian styles, and those who prefer pieces with embellishment and a variety of decorative motifs. Here you can find artistic designs by Sevan Beckaki, Cadar, Spinelli Kilcollin, and Sylvia Furmanovich, among many others.
La Maison Couture - source of ethical jewellery
A great option for those who want to explore ‘responsible’ jewellery brands is La Maison Couture, since this website offers a dedicated section for ethical jewellery among fine jewellery pieces. Some of the names you will find on La Maison Couture are Gyan Jewels from India and Raleigh Goss from the UK, proving that La Maison Couture include a wide-reaching range of fine jewellery styles from all over the world, as well as showcasing the work of up and coming designers.
Luisa Via Roma - Rich in history
The benefit of the Luisa Via Roma website is that the selection of designers has gradually been built over almost 90 years, with the company’s first iteration being a bricks and mortar shopping location in 1930s Florence. Here, you can search through Azza Fahmy, Antonini, Dauphin and more for your perfect piece of fine jewellery.
Although many jewellery lovers still prefer to see fine pieces in person before purchasing, for some of them visitong a store in person is a luxury they can’t afford. The convenience of buying online is undeniable, and allows those who are unable to experience the extravagance of fine jewellery in person to have access to this exclusive world.
