SourcingJan 28, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair to Debut Designer Showcase in TucsonThe new addition will feature finished jewelry created using “consciously sourced” gemstones.
IndependentsDec 12, 2019
Designer’s Diary: A Unique, Artistic Approach to Holiday Sales
Vittoria d’Aste-Surcouf tried selling her designs online only using just renderings. Did it work?
A custom fine jewelry designer, Vittoria d’Aste-Surcouf, has a diverse background in art history, events and public relations, jewelry fabrication, sales and fine jewelry rendering. She can be reached at info@vasbijoux.com.
As the pressure of holiday sales started to descend upon the jewelry world, I began, like every other designer, to plot my holiday plan of attack.
To date, my designs have been purely bespoke and my strength has been working one-on-one with clients, hand-rendering designs for either engagement rings or updated heirloom pieces. This means I start from scratch and hand-render every project that crosses my desk.
I toyed with the idea of creating a line of jewelry but, up until this point, had not really needed to.
My thought process shifted as I began strategizing on holiday sales and marketing.
As I did this I wrestled with three nagging questions: Should I design a collection? If I do, how do I promote it? And, most importantly, do I give into the pressure of inventory?
I began to strategize about what exactly I could offer my customers. I analyzed my marketing goals, reviewed my “dream” customer profiles, scrutinized the brevity of my mailing list and analyzed my approach to selling jewelry.
I concluded it was best not to solely rely on bespoke design for making sales during the holiday season but to invest in designing four small collections that would give my customers (primarily men) quick, direct and easy gift choices.
Each collection would be unique, easy to fabricate and casual enough for everyday wear, with just a hint of diamond.
I also kept a bit of the bespoke by allowing room for each piece to be customized based on the gold color or letter engraving.
Once the renderings were finished, I anguished over the idea of stocking actual, physical inventory.
Do I bite the bullet, fork over a large amount of money and mass produce several pieces in anticipation of a flood of sales?
After many rounds of debate with my marketing consultant, fellow National Jeweler columnist Jacqueline Stone of Bubblegum and Duct Tape, and further analysis of my business model and customer base, I decided against this.
We settled on selling the collections through an online holiday gift guide; I would promote this virtually through personal emails/calls, email campaigns and social media.
Jacqueline and I scrutinized my market, strategized and came up with a marketing game plan.
Not giving into the pressure of inventory meant that I would still have to fabricate the orders as they came in, which means they would technically not be ready-to-wear but still “custom.”
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
The only negative I could see was that I would still need a couple of weeks lead time for fabrication, as well as a cutoff date to ensure delivery before Dec. 25.
Another question that came up was whether or not customers would be patient enough to wait a few weeks to have their pieces fabricated.
After researching other jewelry companies, I discovered it has become common practice for designers to ask customers to wait a few weeks while their pieces are being produced.
What about missing out on those last-minute holiday sales? The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t have the type of clientele who buys last minute so, for this holiday season at least, my approach might work.
I took this even further by not showcasing finished pieces of the collection in the gift guide. Instead, I settled on an artistic approach and featured my renderings.
This was the part that made me the most nervous. I was not sure if this very unique approach was too abstract for customers to wrap their heads around. Would I be able to sell from renderings alone?
After a bit more thought, I realized: I sell from my drawings all the time. This is how I approach my bespoke design business. I don’t use CAD images as a sales tool but rely on my realistic, multi-view renderings instead.
I did not see why this should be any different with my holiday gift guide since this is what my customers expect from me.
I worked with my graphic designer to superimpose the renderings on actual black-and-white photographs of models.
The pieces were sketched in yellow gold, and the warmth of gold was a beautiful contrast that popped against the stark background. The result was stunning and incredibly professional-looking.
The renderings flowed perfectly on the necks and ears of the models and the gift guide turned out even better than I could have imagined.
It was a huge success, and my customers did not seem to have an issue with the fact that I was not displaying actual images of jewelry. Sales flowed in and I was really pleased with the fact that this novel approach had worked.
It is a great feeling to know that creating something unique and unconventional was successful.
While I do not think this strategy will work for all designers, I wanted to share my story to encourage all of you to really think outside the box with your marketing.
The success of my renderings-in-an-online-gift-guide experiment also proves that having a deep understanding of your client base can work wonders.
During this time of extreme competitiveness in the jewelry industry, it is necessary to take big chances with marketing, own the decisions you make, go out on a limb and trust your belief that whatever you are planning will work.
A custom fine jewelry designer, Vittoria d'Aste-Surcouf, has a diverse background in art history, events and public relations, jewelry fabrication, sales and fine jewelry rendering. She currently serves as CEO of her own jewelry company, VAS Bijoux. She also designs part-time for Gleim the Jeweler. She can be reached at info@vasbijoux.com.
Another question that came up was whether or not customers would be patient enough to wait a few weeks to have their pieces fabricated.
After researching other jewelry companies, I discovered it has become common practice for designers to ask customers to wait a few weeks while their pieces are being produced.
What about missing out on those last-minute holiday sales? The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t have the type of clientele who buys last minute so, for this holiday season at least, my approach might work.
I took this even further by not showcasing finished pieces of the collection in the gift guide. Instead, I settled on an artistic approach and featured my renderings.
This was the part that made me the most nervous. I was not sure if this very unique approach was too abstract for customers to wrap their heads around. Would I be able to sell from renderings alone?
After a bit more thought, I realized: I sell from my drawings all the time. This is how I approach my bespoke design business. I don’t use CAD images as a sales tool but rely on my realistic, multi-view renderings instead.
I did not see why this should be any different with my holiday gift guide since this is what my customers expect from me.
I worked with my graphic designer to superimpose the renderings on actual black-and-white photographs of models.
The pieces were sketched in yellow gold, and the warmth of gold was a beautiful contrast that popped against the stark background. The result was stunning and incredibly professional-looking.
The renderings flowed perfectly on the necks and ears of the models and the gift guide turned out even better than I could have imagined.
It was a huge success, and my customers did not seem to have an issue with the fact that I was not displaying actual images of jewelry. Sales flowed in and I was really pleased with the fact that this novel approach had worked.
It is a great feeling to know that creating something unique and unconventional was successful.
While I do not think this strategy will work for all designers, I wanted to share my story to encourage all of you to really think outside the box with your marketing.
The success of my renderings-in-an-online-gift-guide experiment also proves that having a deep understanding of your client base can work wonders.
During this time of extreme competitiveness in the jewelry industry, it is necessary to take big chances with marketing, own the decisions you make, go out on a limb and trust your belief that whatever you are planning will work.
A custom fine jewelry designer, Vittoria d'Aste-Surcouf, has a diverse background in art history, events and public relations, jewelry fabrication, sales and fine jewelry rendering. She currently serves as CEO of her own jewelry company, VAS Bijoux. She also designs part-time for Gleim the Jeweler. She can be reached at info@vasbijoux.com.
More on Independents
The Latest
ColumnistsJan 28, 2026
Peter Smith: Setting the Next Generation Up for SuccessIn his new column, Smith advises playing to your successor's strengths and resisting the urge to become a backseat driver.
SurveysJan 28, 2026
Consumer Confidence Falls Below Pandemic Lows in JanuaryThe index fell to its lowest level since May 2014 amid concerns about the present and the future.
Brought to you by
The MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program: Attracting & Training the Next Generation of Bench JewelersLaunched in 2023, the program will help the passing of knowledge between generations and alleviate the shortage of bench jewelers.
FinancialsJan 28, 2026
Tiffany & Co., Bulgari Sales Resilient as LVMH’s 2025 Sales SlipThe brands’ high jewelry collections performed especially well last year despite a challenging environment.
Weekly QuizJan 22, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsJan 27, 2026
De Beers London, GemFair Debut New Collection Highlighting Artisanal DiamondsThe collection marks the first time GemFair’s artisanal diamonds will be brought directly to consumers.
SourcingJan 27, 2026
GemGuide Launches Pricing for Montana SapphiresThe initial charts are for blue, teal, and green material, each grouped into three charts categorized as good, fine, and extra fine.
Brought to you by
How Jewelers Can Fight Back Against Cell JammersCriminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.
TechnologyJan 27, 2026
Clientbook Launches Appointment Booking ToolThe new tool can assign the appropriate associate based on the client or appointment type and automate personalized text message follow-ups.
SourcingJan 26, 2026
Tucson Preview 2026: Earthy Tones and Innovative Shapes Buyers are expected to gravitate toward gemstones that have a little something special, just like last year.
SourcingJan 26, 2026
Angolan Diamond Cos. Join NDC as Rio Tinto, Murowa Exit Endiama and Sodiam will contribute money to the marketing of natural diamonds as new members of the Natural Diamond Council.
MajorsJan 26, 2026
Francesca’s To Close All StoresThe retailer operates more than 450 boutiques across 45 states, according to its website.
MajorsJan 26, 2026
BIJC Names 5 New Board MembersThe new members’ skills span communications, business development, advocacy, and industry leadership.
CollectionsJan 26, 2026
Tiffany & Co. Celebrates 189 Years of Love StoriesThe jeweler’s 2026 Valentine’s Day campaign, “Celebrating Love Stories Since 1837,” includes a short firm starring actress Adria Arjona.
GradingJan 26, 2026
DCA Updates Colored Gemstone CourseThe new features include interactive flashcards and scenario-based roleplay with AI tools.
MajorsJan 23, 2026
Watches of Switzerland Acquires 4-Store Jewelry Chain in TexasFamily-owned jewelry and watch retailer Deutsch & Deutsch has stores in El Paso, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.
WatchesJan 23, 2026
Damiani Group to Acquire Baume & MercierThe Italian luxury company purchased the nearly 200-year-old Swiss watch brand from Richemont.
TrendsJan 23, 2026
Martin Katz’s Earrings Call to Mind Wintry Weather Micro-set with hundreds of diamonds, these snowflake earrings recreate “winter’s most elegant silhouette,” and are our Piece of the Week.
MajorsJan 23, 2026
Rembrandt Charms Names New Director of Creative, Brand StrategyElla Blum was appointed to the newly created role.
Supplier BulletinJan 22, 2026
The Rise of Centralized Sourcing in the Colored Gemstone MarketSponsored by RapNet
MajorsJan 22, 2026
Lugano Diamonds Finds a BuyerInvestment firm Enhanced Retail Funding, a division of Gordon Brothers, was the successful bidder.
SourcingJan 22, 2026
De Beers To Release ‘A Diamond Is Forever’ BookIt explores the history of the iconic tagline and the company’s strategy to redefine the role of diamonds in society.
MajorsJan 22, 2026
Swarovski Appoints New North America PresidentRetail veteran Sindhu Culas has stepped into the role.
MajorsJan 22, 2026
Stuller Names New Chief Merchandising, Marketing, Sales OfficerTaylor Burgess, who has been at Stuller since 2013, was promoted to the newly created role.
PodcastsJan 21, 2026
Episode 1: High Gold Prices, the Diamond Dilemma, & What’s NextWas 2025 a good year for jewelers? Did lab-grown diamonds outsell natural? Find out on the first episode of the “My Next Question” podcast.
EditorsJan 21, 2026
6 Jewelry Designers Poised to Have a Breakout Year in 2026Whether you recognize their jewels or are just discovering them now, these designers’ talent and vision make them ones to watch this year.
CrimeJan 21, 2026
4 Men Charged in $1.7M California Smash-and-Grab Jewelry Store RobberyPlus, JSA’s Scott Guginsky discusses the need for jewelers to take more precautions as the gold price continues to climb.
