There is a huge resale market for jewelry, and you can make some serious cash selling jewelry online.
Whether you’re selling luxurious diamonds, fun costume jewelry, or handmade masterpieces, these are all top-selling categories on many reselling marketplaces.
Did you know that jewelry is a top-selling category on eBay, year after year?
eBay is the largest peer-to-peer online marketplace with a bigger audience than all others- combined! This alone makes eBay the best place to sell almost everything, especially jewelry. If you’re selling valuable, fine jewelry, eBay is a trusted and established place to sell pieces of higher value.
Tip: eBay requires a lot of information in their listing form. Be sure that you know what you have and fill out as much information as you can for maximum exposure.
If you make your own jewelry, there is no better place to sell it than Etsy. Etsy buyers love shopping small and purchasing pieces made with love.
Etsy also has all of the tools and promotions to help you put your handmade items in front of interested buyers (whereas it is a bit harder to sell “unbranded” pieces on other marketplaces).
Did you know that you can also sell beads and jewelry-making supplies on Etsy?
To learn more about selling your handmade jewelry and accessories, check out A Reseller’s Guide to Selling on Etsy.
Note: Etsy only allows the sale of three types of items: handmade items, vintage items, and craft supplies. If your item is not at least 20 years old and you didn’t make it yourself, you cannot sell it on Etsy. You can, however, sell items you designed in conjunction with a production partner).
Poshmark is a fashion powerhouse and the largest peer-to-peer marketplace that is exclusively for fashion. On Poshmark, you can sell women’s, men’s, and children’s fashion, including jewelry.
I have personally sold over 5k pieces of jewelry on Poshmark, including mall brands, costume jewelry, vintage jewelry, and wholesale jewelry. At one point, I was selling so much that I had an entire second closet devoted to it!
If you order wholesale and sell under your own brand, Poshmark allows you to opt into boutique selling!
Did you know that the entire description in your Poshmark listings is searchable? Meaning, if a buyer performs a search and the words are identical or similar to your listing description, your listing will show up. Learn more about how to maximize your Poshmark listings in The Poshmark Bible.
One of my favorite things about Depop is that the brand doesn’t matter the way it does everywhere else; it’s all about the style. If you use the right hashtags and great pictures, your items will sell!
I’ve sold a ton of jewelry on Depop, and for much higher prices than I could anywhere else:
Start crosslisting your jewelry to 11 marketplaces with Vendoo!
You can sell with confidence on Vestiaire, knowing that all listings are reviewed by the team prior to publishing and that most items will be sent to Vesitaire directly upon purchase for review before being sent out to your buyer.
Vestiaire is selective in the brands that they allow. Learn more in the article Everything You Need to Know About Selling on Vestiaire Collective.
Selling fine jewelry and diamonds? You might also consider selling them on The RealReal. To learn about selling fine jewelry on consignment, click here.
Like any item you sell, it is important to capture every detail of the item you’re selling. This is especially important with jewelry.
Make sure that you photograph everything: the front, back, inside, and outside, and include close-up photos of every surface, any markings, and of course any flaws or scratches.
If your item comes with a dustbag, original box, authentication paperwork, warranty, or proof of purchase, be sure to photograph that as well.
You might have a hard time zooming in to see the internal markings on small pieces of jewelry on your cell phone camera. If you do not have a camera, try to prop the cell phone so it is completely still, enabling you to zoom in to see internal markings.
Here are some of my favorite ways to photograph jewelry and also some of my favorite supplies- all under $20!
Flat Lay. You can simply put the jewelry on any surface, and capture an image. This is the simplest way to photograph jewelry.
I recommend using a white or lightly-colored surface. This set of reversible photography sheets works great, too.
Light Box. If you sell a lot of jewelry, you might consider a mini light box for perfect pictures. Tiny items require direct light for the best photos, and it can be difficult to achieve decent lighting with natural or larger artificial lights.
This mini light box was super inexpensive and takes amazing photographs of jewelry and small items.
This image is unedited, and that is amazing. While you might be able to accomplish this look with a background remover, background removers generally don’t work well with jewelry because they don’t detect the background between the nooks and crannies of the subject. So, you generally want to capture the best photo you can rather than rely on editing.
Jewelry stands. Another thing you can do is consider using jewelry stands. These are very professional and will help you to take amazing photographs.
You can find necklace holders and earring stands on Amazon, very inexpensively. These are very professional and an amazing way to showcase jewelry (especially fine jewelry).
Modeling. Modeling is my favorite way to sell jewelry because you don’t have to worry about perfect placement, using gadgets and tools, and you can show how the items look on!
This also gives the buyer confidence that you have the actual item in your possession when it comes to fine jewelry.
Did you know that Depop reports that your item is 70% more likely to sell if you show it modeled?
This is also a great way to get more for your funky costume jewelry: showing it worn and styled to attract buyers that might not otherwise look twice.
Selling personalized jewelry? Be sure to include some examples in the listing and all of the different selections that a buyer can customize!
Unlock Explosive Growth: Sign Up for Vendoo and Start Crosslisting Today!
When selecting a title and description for your jewelry, make sure it is as detailed as possible. This will help your listings to yield more searches.
Most purchases do not happen by chance or by frivolous news feed scrolling; many are a direct result of a search performed by the buyer. The key is to maximize your descriptions to enhance your rankings and make more sales.
Let’s look at each of these a little closer:
Not sure if a piece contains fine metals and genuine stones? Do not guess. A return isn’t the worst that can happen; the worst that can happen is you will be penalized for selling an item that is not authentic. Many marketplaces have zero-tolerance policies for the sale of non authentic/ “replicas,” and you could jeopardize your account forever.
You might also be interested in 10 Great Marketplaces Every Reseller Should Consider
I suggest having jewelry authenticated in person. There are places online that do it, but most certificates from these companies are not accepted as legitimate proof of authenticity; which makes sense, because they didn’t test the metals or stones.
The best place to have jewelry authenticated is by the company itself or an authorized retailer. For example, you would want to take a Tiffany bracelet to a Tiffany & Co. location or an authorized retailer listed on their website.
If you’re not sure of the brand but you just want to know if the metal and/or stones are real, consider taking it to a local, trusted jeweler. Even local pawn shops often have the equipment to test diamonds and metals; a routine practice they do before they would consider buying or pawning the item.
Style tags, hashtags, and keywords describe the style of the item, and it is highly searched in conjunction with jewelry and accessories. This just refers to describing the aesthetic, whether it be “gothic,” “vintage,” “retro,” “steampunk,” “western,” “handmade,” or any other applicable adjectives. Be sure to use as many relevant, trendy style words as you can think of!
In addition to the tips provided throughout, here are a few more tips and tricks to selling jewelry online:
I love selling jewelry online; it has always been one of my top sellers. Thrift stores have a ton of jewelry and it is generally inexpensive. Another great thing about selling jewelry and accessories is that most jewelry does not have a size; so your buyer pool is significantly larger than selling clothing which is size-based.
Answer: You can sell almost any type of jewelry online! Including vintage pieces, handmade items, costume jewelry, and fine jewelry. Each type has its own market and sells best on different marketplaces, so choose what fits your niche.
Answer: Research similar items online to see what they sell for. Take into account factors like materials, brand, condition, and market demand. If the item is high-value, you may also want to consult a professional.
Answer: Yes, ensure you comply with local regulations, such as business licenses or tax requirements. If selling precious metals or stones, be aware of regulations regarding authenticity and disclosures.
Answer: Outline shipping methods, estimated delivery times, and costs. Include your return policy, specifying whether you accept returns, and under what conditions.
Answer: Research the brand's markings, tags, and packaging. Use online resources dedicated to jewelry authentication, and you may want to consider getting a certificate of authenticity for high-value pieces.
Do you sell jewelry online? Drop tips and tricks below!