The agreement will allocate an increasing proportion of the country’s rough diamonds to the government of Botswana over the next decade.
Web Tech Co. Brings Augmented Reality to Jewelry Industry
Augmentes provides a shopping platform for retailers designed to entertain, engage and educate today’s consumers.
Houston--Global technology firm Augmentes is bringing a shopping platform to the jewelry industry that is designed to engage and educate today’s consumers.
The company is offering retailers e-commerce solutions ranging from web to mobile and allowing print and social media platforms to be more transactional with consumers through augmented reality.
Augmented reality is technology that superimposes a computer generated image onto a user’s view of the real world, providing a composite view. The proprietary software modules that Augmentes brings to retailers provide a cohesive digital consumer experience across online, mobile and in-store channels.
Augmentes said it can implement its turnkey solutions into existing software systems within 90 days.
Among the offerings for retailers are mobile-augmented commerce, augmented product catalog, print and product augmentation, 3-D augmented view, virtual touch and try-on, beacons for “near me” coupons and offers, image recognition for digital offers, and geo-fencing and sensor integration.
Rapid City, South Dakota-based Riddle’s Jewelry is the company’s first jewelry retail partner. The 65-store chain has said that since it partnered with Augmentes this year to redesign its website, e-commerce sales were up 30 percent in April and May, and 400 percent in June compared to last year.
Website page views are up 30 percent and online sessions increased by more than 20 percent, the store added.
The augmented reality market, along with that of virtual reality, is skyrocketing. In 2016, the market size of the two was $6.1 billion dollars, according to Statista, and is expected to more than double to $13.9 billion this year and reach $143.3 billion in 2020.
“You can imagine the potential augmented technologies have for the buyer socially and visually,” Augmentes founder Sundar Moorthi said. “Give customers the chance to interact on their smart phones and mobile devices, and you will compel them to purchases more often, simply because they are more involved with and stimulated by your products. More than any other industry, selling jewelry is about establishing empathy and creating desire, and nothing spurs desire like trying on jewelry. Augmented apps place customers virtually inside a product or store.”
For more information, call 281-401-9883, email sales@augmentes.com or visit augmentes.com.
The Latest
“Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry From the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels,” opens April 11 at the American Museum of Natural History.
Those celebrating Valentine’s Day this year are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on jewels, flowers, candy, and more.
Colored stones are stepping into a jewelry spotlight typically reserved for diamonds—are you ready to sell color?
From Lady Gaga’s 1930s Tiffany & Co. necklace to Taylor Swift’s “T,” Michelle Graff recaps the night’s most memorable jewelry looks.
Layoffs will reportedly start next month as HSN plans to move into QVC’s location in Pennsylvania.
A group of creatives talked to Associate Editor Lauren McLemore about their approach to the annual Tucson gem, mineral, and fossil shows.
The new year feels like a clean slate, inspiring reflection, hope, and the motivation to become better versions of ourselves.
The auction also featured the sale of a Cartier necklace made when Egyptomania was sweeping Great Britain.
The “Blossom Rosette” blooms with love, beauty, and hope for the year ahead.
Rovinsky is remembered as a great mentor who made the employees of his stores feel like family.
For every jeweler who tries their luck, the company will make a donation to Jewelers for Children.
The boards of at least five chapters have resigned in response to controversial statements the WJA national board president made last month.
An experienced jewelry writer and curator, Grant led the organization for two years.
Five new designs were added, all donning Tahitian cultured pearls and spear-like trident motifs, along with the new “Titan” setting.
The inaugural event is being co-hosted by the American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America.
Jewelers of America’s Annie Doresca and AGTA CEO John W. Ford Sr. are among the new members.
The jeweler’s latest high jewelry collection looks into the Boucheron archives to create a “living encyclopedia of high jewelry.”
Watch and jewelry sales slipped 3 percent in 2024, though the luxury conglomerate did see business pick up in the fourth quarter.
Olivier Kessler-Gay will take over the role on March 3.
It hit a four-month low in January due to concerns about the job market, though consumers remain bullish about the stock market.
The jewelry designer and master metalsmith will present on the ancient Japanese metalworking technique at the Atlanta Jewelry Show in March.
The “Moments” social media campaign emphasizes the emotional ties between natural diamonds and life’s special milestones.
The versatile “As We Are” collection features 14 pieces with interlocking designs allowing for 27 different looks worn around the body.
Letsile Tebogo will help to promote natural diamonds and the good they have done for his country.
The showcase, in its second year, will feature more than 20 international brands at its curated event from Feb. 2-4.
“My Next Question” guests Sherry Smith and Edahn Golan share their 2025 forecasts, from sales and marketing to what retailers should stock.