Victorian women were often said to swoon, going weak at the knees anytime something shocking was uttered (in fact that lightheadedness was likely due to the extremely tight corsets they wore).
Thankfully our attitudes toward gender (and wardrobe) have evolved in the intervening years –Swoonery, an online destination to shop for the world’s top fine jewelry brands, is about as far away from the fainting couch as can be imagined. The business is all about empowering both women and men to find jewelry that is unique and impeccably crafted. If that diamond earring happens to be swoon-worthy, all the better.
Founded by Jean Z. Poh, the company grew out of Poh’s long history in both the startup and the jewelry industries. Poh began her professional life as a venture-capital attorney, investing in burgeoning tech companies, before deciding to join the family business – she’s a fourth-generation fine jewelry industry professional.
After apprenticing with a Russian master jeweler, earning a graduate degree from the Gemological Institute of America, and learning to design and handcraft jewelry, Poh began to notice a deficiency in the typical jewelry shopping experience. All too often the online experience felt like a trade-off between convenience and quality. “[And] at the store, they’re just trying to sell you something,” Poh explained. “They aren’t truly trying to understand the customer. That’s what I saw was missing.”
And so Swoonery was launched on Valentine’s Day 2016. The website is a customer-first experience, using chatbots and machine learning to engage shoppers, as well as encouraging visitors to create a Style Profile to receive tailored recommendation.
“To sell jewelry well online, it’s important to be able to translate that personal relationship and understanding of your digital customer,” Poh said. “Service, access and convenience are the key, while design, quality and social media are the most important elements to selling online. Bear in mind that technology and customer behavior changes faster now that it ever has.”
But Swoonery’s customer obsession isn’t merely tech enabled. A dedicated Client Experience Team is available online or by phone to help customers find the perfect piece of jewelry, for themselves or as a gift. And it’s not about the hard sell. “Customers have told me they feel more like a sales target, and not seen or treated like a human being,” Poh said. “And that’s just not how we treat people at the Swoonery.”
Today Swoonery carries 25 high-end jewelry brands offering a selection of rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and men’s jewelry. They’re also featured in our Amazon Pay Holiday Gift Guide – check out our pick, the California Dreaming necklace by Ana Katarina, and then have a look at everything else Swoonery has to offer. Swoon if you must.