The Journal
Advice for jewellers
Guides on pricing, clients, orders and marketing — for people who make and sell jewellery.
Photographing Jewellery for Online Sales
Your camera is almost never the problem. Jewellery is hard to shoot because metal is a mirror and stones are prisms — and in the UK, a flattering photo that lies is now a legal liability.
Read →Building Customer Loyalty in a Jewellery Shop
A loyalty card is a bet on frequency. Jewellery is a low-frequency purchase, so retention here runs on occasions and after-care — not stamps, points or discounts.
Read →Anti-Money-Laundering Rules for Jewellers: The High Value Dealer Regime
Money laundering compliance isn't triggered by selling expensive things — it's triggered by touching £10,000 in cash. The High Value Dealer regime, and why most small shops should simply opt out.
Read →Jewellery Valuations for Insurance: What Independent Jewellers Need to Know
The valuation on your letterhead isn't a courtesy or a sales aid — it's a professional opinion that carries legal weight, and the liability for the number is yours.
Read →Running a Profitable Jewellery Repair Service
Repairs aren't the low-margin nuisance that keeps footfall up. Per bench hour they often out-earn the cabinets — and they quietly make you a bailee, not a shopkeeper.
Read →UK Hallmarking: What Independent Jewellers Need to Know
Hallmarking is the law, and the offence sits with whoever describes and supplies the piece — usually you. The weights, the marks, the Dealer's Notice, and what enforcement looks like now.
Read →Taking Deposits for Bespoke Work Without Losing the Argument
The word "non-refundable" is the risky part, not the deposit. How cooling-off rights actually work on commissions, what you can defensibly retain, and the cash trap.
Read →Reducing No-Shows for Jewellery Consultations
Most advice asks whether you should charge for no-shows. The more useful question is whether you can — and UK consumer law is fairly specific about the answer.
Read →Marketing Ideas for Small Jewellery Businesses
Your Instagram caption is a point of sale — legally. A budget-conscious look at local search, the occasion calendar, and why your compliance is marketing you already paid for.
Read →Managing Custom Jewellery Orders From Enquiry to Delivery
A bespoke customer generally can't change their mind — which raises the stakes on the brief rather than lowering them. The stages where liability is captured or lost.
Read →Jewellery Inventory Management: Methods and Common Mistakes
The stock book HMRC wants and the inventory record you actually need are nearly the same document. Why sloppy records cost the margin scheme — and the profit on the piece.
Read →What a Jewellery CRM Does — and How to Choose One
A plain-English guide to what a jewellery CRM actually does, the features that matter for a jewellery business, and how to choose the right one.
Read →How Independent Jewellers Can Compete With Online Retailers
Independent jewellers can't out-scale online giants — but they can out-serve them. Practical ways to compete on trust, service and experience.
Read →How to Price Handmade Jewellery for Profit
A clear, step-by-step framework for pricing handmade jewellery so every piece covers materials, your time and overheads — and still leaves a profit.
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