5 Ways the Online Jewelry Community Is Keeping Us Connected During COVID-19
Here's a glimpse into a few sources of positivity within the online jewelry community, and how it's adding glimmers of light to the COVID-19 darkness.
This article was originally published on a WordPress blog that I’ve retired in favor of Substack. Thanks for reading!
As a content writer, I’ve spent much of the past eight weeks composing various articles about the effects of COVID-19. So, I’m probably going to write just this one my own blog. But you’ll have to stick with me, because I’m actually feeling pretty good about it!
Here, I’m sharing just a small handful of all the positive things I’ve seen lately from the online jewelry community. In spite of all the difficult things happening right now, there's lots of light being cast into the darkness.
I’m admittedly pretty new to the online jewelry tribe. But I’ve already experienced such a warm welcome and so much goodness, I just can’t keep it to myself!
So, without further ado, here are five of my favorite ways the online jewelry community is coming together to keep us all sane, lift our spirits, and forge virtual connections from a safe distance through social media and other digital platforms.
1. Sparkly distractions and jewelry-induced escapism
Ever since creating my jewelry Instagram account, I’ve loved having a virtual place to escape and enjoy beautiful things. When life gets stressful, it’s soothing to click through Instagram stories full of stunning jewels and equally beautiful, positive messages. I definitely think a little diamond distraction can be helpful – and I’m apparently not alone in that!
On day three of my own shelter-in-place saga, an amazing poll from Gem Gossip’s Instagram Stories made me smile:
“Do you need more Instagram posts of sparkly jewels?!”
YES: 95%
NO: 5%
You can guess which camp I’m in!
Then, on the first Monday in May – the usual date of the glorious Met Gala – Christine Cheng pieced together imaginary Gala looks on her own Instagram account. They were inspired by followers’ responses, from the gowns to the accompanying jewelry.
Given my background in fashion history, I loved that quite a few people reached back into the archives. Especially with this sumptuous silk dress designed c. 1913 by the oft-overlooked Maison Margaine-Lacroix. Like a lot of period gowns, it features real metal threads – so it’s practically jewelry in and of itself! 😉
2. Uplifting stories and sweet reminders
In addition to the imaginary adornment, I’ve also been following Catbird’s Instagram story updates. I (not-so) secretly look forward to the brand’s sweet “morning coffee with you” posts at the start of each work-from-home day, and the kind customer order notes and thank yous they share into the afternoon.
Plus, Catbird’s “stretch o’clock” stories always remind me to take little micro-breaks and move around to get out of a mid-afternoon slump. Little things like these friendly posts actually do help establish a sense of routine and normalcy, even when things are a bit topsy-turvy.
Whether jewelry brands on Instagram are shining their own light or passing along good vibes from their followers, it’s nice to know that there are plenty of other people throughout the online jewelry community who find the same positivity in the same places.
3. Energetic live sales with dazzling jewelry details
While so many people are practicing social distancing, it seems like social media is at its most social – which brings me to mention the amazing sales happening on Instagram Live.
As soon as I came across these, I was completely hooked. They’re basically just as exciting as live auctions, except the prices usually get lower instead of higher! And viewers can chime in with questions, ask to see certain pieces in detail, or call out “sold” and claim a jewel for their own collection.
The Curio offers up major eye candy with displays of luxurious gemmy jewels and antique finds. Meanwhile, Market Square Jewelers curates tempting collections of affordable jewelry pieces that get snapped up within minutes of the start of each evening show.
At the end of the day, it’s fun to view unusual pieces of jewelry in this up-close-and-personal format, with a glass of wine in hand, while keeping up with the banter in the comments thread. It almost feels like shopping with a bunch of girlfriends. Plus, I learn something new every time I peek into the live streams.
4. Enlightening jewelry webinars
Speaking of learning new things, I’ve been enjoying all of the webinars happening across the online jewelry community – especially the GemfliX series by GemX.
For anyone who has missed the live events, GemX's video archive is available with a $10 monthly subscription. And the group is currently raising funds for nonprofit organizations like Gem Legacy in lieu of an event fee.
So far I’ve tuned in to hear stories from Simon Teakle’s jewelry journeys, Emily Stoehrer’s curatorial career at the MFA Boston, Katerina Perez’s blogging business, and more.
Most recently, I was captivated by the presentation by Robert Weldon, the GIA’s library director and master gem photographer. It’s been fascinating to visit so many different facets of the industry from the comforts of home.
5. Online GIA courses with free tuition
And finally, this brings me to the most exciting thing I’ve discovered during my COVID-19 quarantine: The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is offering three eLearning courses free of charge!!
If you’re a first-time GIA student like me, you may be able to take $750 worth of courses for free, if you enroll for a start date between May 4th and June 29th. Upon passing the three eligible courses – Jewelry Essentials, Diamond Essentials, and Colored Stone Essentials – you’ll earn an Accredited Jewelry Professional certification from the GIA.
I was looking into the AJP sequence anyway, but the tuition waiver is a huge help and a great reason to move forward with the courses now instead of someday in the future.
(Special thanks to Toi et Moi Jewellery Consulting who shared this amazing news on Instagram, which is how I learned about the tuition waiver earlier this week.)
So, of course, I’m all signed up and gearing up to begin my first class in just a few days! And I’m sure you’ll hear more about it in the near future – I can’t wait to dive into the material and report back.
(Update: Read my GIA program review here!)
What treasures have you discovered within the online jewelry community? Any other positive social media accounts to follow or educational resources to know about?