Smoky Mountain Gift Show Section

Where Gifts Are a Natural (From page 96)

into the metaphysical elements of the minerals and healing properties. More and more, people are asking about the different properties,” explained Jim DeLong , president of Crystal Cave. “We’re also selling a lot of wire-wrapped as opposed to those with a little hole drilled into the stone. The leatherwrapped with an adjustable cord are popular.”

Harmony Ramirez , buyer for Caverns of Sonora in Sonora, Tex., said, “Lately we’ve been selling a lot of raw mineral jewelry, and moldovite has been pretty popular. Nothing polished has been selling that great. Turquoise also sells pretty well down here.” She added that as the only rock shop for miles around Sonora, the prices in their 5,000-square-foot store are among the best in the area. Similarly, Ciera Giuttari , buyer/manager for Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio, Tex., said their most popular items are “natural stones. I like to find local vendors that work with natural stones. Anything in the shape of Texas sells well. Also Wheeler jewelry with lab-made opals. I think the trend for jewelry is either ‘the bigger the better’ or ‘the daintier the bet-

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What Is Your Top Jewelry Display Tip?

Displaying jewelry in an attractive, eye-catching way is almost sure to boost sales. A combination of placement, lighting, and how the items are organized on the rack or in the case work together to draw customers and secure a sale. “We put a lot near the register for impulse buys,” said Jim Delong, president and buyer at Crystal Cave in Kutztown, Pa. “We have real trees in a rotating base that are about two to three feet high, and we hang items on there. It looks spectacular when it’s lit.” Harmony Ramirez, buyer at the Caverns of Sonora in Sonora, Texas, said her best display tip is to organize the items by vendor. “We have a large jewelry display, and we put the most likely to sell items on top based on the rock or mineral. [For instance] moldovite sells quickly, so we put that out first,” she explained. “A good display has a lot of variety. Don’t put the same colors or types of pieces next to each other. We try to make it interesting—it gives the customer something to look at, and they keep looking until they find a piece they like. We want to have a pretty display, too.”

Arranging items which are similar, but not identical, is also effective, according to Terri Schleiden, management at Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park in Centre Hall, Pa. “We like to showcase the stones and pieces together, or maybe display them in a way where they’re not necessarily a matched set with earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet, but have a similar stone,” she suggests.

Ciera Giuttari, buyer and manager at Natural Bridge

Caverns in San Antonio, Texas, said visibility is key. “It needs to be somewhere people can see it,” she said. “It needs to be lit—let it sparkle. For seasonal items, have them at the front of the store in a seasonal display, closer to the front where people are checking out. And what makes a good jewelry display for us…we like for it to have multiple sides so it can spin. It takes up less space and everyone can see the items. In a case, if it’s not super visible or spinning, it’s harder for people to see it. We have some things in a case or on a rack that doesn’t spin and they don’t sell as well. Sometimes people ask to try things on. We don’t let people try on pierced earrings, but we do let them try on rings.” ❖