Every return costs you money: postage, time spent checking and repacking, sometimes goods that you can no longer sell at full price. And a disappointed customer rarely orders a second time.
Many returns originate long before the purchase, in the product image. According to a Bitkom survey from 2023, on average one in ten online purchases is returned. 42 per cent of respondents cited goods differing from the image or description as a reason. With jewellery, where size, colour and shine mean everything, the image is therefore your most important tool against returns.
Six image rules that prevent returns
Show the real size
“Much smaller than expected” is one of the most common reasons for disappointment with jewellery. A photo worn on a hand, ear or neck shows the size immediately, better than any measurement in millimetres. Read more in How big is the jewellery really?
Show colours honestly
Yellow gold, rose gold and silver, as well as a stone's colour, need to look the same in the image as in real life. This requires the right light and honest editing. “Slightly prettier” gold in the image leads to “looks different” when the parcel is opened.
All the important views
From the front, at a slight angle, from the side, the back or the clasp. What customers would pick up and turn over in a shop needs to be available as an image online.
Realistic shine and stones
A brilliant-cut diamond that sparkles like fireworks in the image but looks subtle in real life disappoints. Good light shows shine as the eye sees it. That is also why I advise against AI images for jewellery.
Photograph variants separately
If a piece comes in gold and silver or with different stones, each variant needs its own image. Someone who orders silver but saw gold in the image sends it back.
Show complete sets
Sets need an image showing all the pieces so it is clear what is in the parcel. This prevents questions and the feeling that something is missing.
Returns calculator: what do returns cost you?
The fields contain example values. Enter your own figures. Nothing is saved.
Cost per return: postage, your time spent checking and repacking, and any loss in value. How much your rate falls depends on your range. The calculator only shows what each percentage point is worth.
Does it pay off?
A product cutout from me costs €20 per image and view including editing, an on-model photo from about €30. For a piece of jewellery with three cutouts and one on-model photo, that is around €90, as a one-off cost. If this prevents just a handful of returns in a year and a few customers come back, the images quickly pay for themselves for a well-selling piece.
Then there is what is hard to express in euros: customers who receive what they expected write good reviews and recommend your shop.
How I work
I have been photographing jewellery for online shops and brands since 2020, several thousand pieces so far. Every piece is really photographed and honestly edited: dust removed, background clean, colours as they are. In Berlin I collect your jewellery by arrangement; from anywhere in Germany and Austria, you send it by post. The images are ready in about 3 to 5 days. You can read about the available image types in Cutouts, on-model or lifestyle photos?
Source of the figures: Bitkom survey of 1,024 online shoppers aged 16 and over, published in February 2023.
Frequently asked questions
Why do customers return jewellery?
According to a Bitkom survey from 2023, the most common reasons in online retail are “don't like it” (54 per cent) and differences from the image or description (42 per cent). For jewellery, this usually means the piece was smaller, the gold tone different or the stone less striking than expected.
Which product photos reduce returns the most?
An on-model photo showing the real size, colour-accurate cutouts from several angles and an image of the clasp. These three answer questions that would otherwise only be answered when the parcel is opened.
May I edit jewellery photos to look better than the jewellery?
Removing dust, aligning the image and creating a clean background is appropriate. Changing colours, stones or size, however, leads to disappointed customers and returns. An image should show what will arrive.
How many images does a piece of jewellery need to avoid returns?
Usually 4 to 6: a front-facing cutout, one or two additional views, an image of the clasp or back, and an on-model photo. For sets, add an image showing all the pieces.
What do these images cost with you?
A product cutout costs €20 per image and view including editing, on-model photos from about €30, lifestyle photos from about €25 per image. As a small business, I do not charge VAT.
Images that show what will arrive
Send me a brief description of the pieces you would like photographed. I will reply within 24 hours with a quote.