The collective groan from brick-and-mortar jewelry retailers regarding the power and allure of internet diamond sellers has grown ever louder over the past few years.
Sometimes, the best way to fight fire is with fire – in this case, some internet power of your own. Last summer at the JCK Show, I was able to demo the new Virtual Diamond Boutique app and I walked away incredibly impressed. VDB will be showing at the upcoming Centurion Show in Scottsdale; if you’re planning on going (or even if you’re not), here’s why you should give this app a test run.
First off, it’s free. The app, available for iPad, iPhone and Android, allows store owners to search thousands of diamonds based on a variety of possible parameters like budget, shape, carat weight, color and clarity from easy-to-navigate display. Searches can be saved and “collections” can be created in order to personalize a selection of diamonds for a particular client. Retailers can even pre-program the markup they want so that clients see the price they want to charge. The availability of any given stone is updated in real time. It’s the pinnacle of internet technology at no cost to you.
Second, the visuals of the app are surprisingly clear and comprehensive. Each diamond comes with a high-definition image and most also include a 360-degree video so that salespeople can show the client exactly what the diamond looks like, making it far less likely for the store to waste time and money bringing in diamonds that the client may not like. The app also includes a visual image of any attached lab reports for each diamond.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this technology is available to certified trade professionals only – the public does not have access to it. In order to download the app for your platform, you must first provide trade credentials, which are checked by the company, before they will issue your password.
If this sounds like an ad, it’s not – I was personally impressed by the technology and I think we have many readers out there who could benefit from giving it a shot. Check it out at www.vdbapp.com and decide for yourself.
This story is an INSTORE online extra.