Don't miss a gem
Founder & CEO
Founder of The Jewels Club, Andrew creates platforms that connect the world of jewellery through community, content and access.
For years, online gemstone sourcing has relied on photography, videos, certificates and trust.
While these tools have helped retailers and consumers purchase gemstones remotely, one challenge has remained surprisingly difficult to solve: understanding how a stone will actually look in real life.
A gemstone may appear impressive on screen, but questions around scale, finger coverage and proportions often remain unanswered until the stone is physically viewed.
It is a challenge that CR Gems believes technology can help address.
The gemstone supplier has introduced a new AI-powered virtual try-on feature, allowing users to visualise gemstones against their own hand, a model hand or familiar reference objects before making an enquiry.
The feature was recently showcased to the trade as part of the company’s presence at JCK Las Vegas, one of the jewellery industry’s largest international events.
The coloured gemstone market has become increasingly digital.
Retailers can now browse thousands of stones online, access certification instantly and view high-resolution photography and video from suppliers around the world.
Yet one issue remains.
Understanding size.
Two gemstones of the same weight can appear dramatically different depending on their shape, dimensions and cutting style. While measurements and carat weights provide important information, they do not always help customers visualise how a gemstone will look when worn.
For retailers working remotely with clients, this can create additional uncertainty during the decision-making process.
CR Gems’ new AI Virtual Try-On feature allows retailers and customers to visualise gemstones at scale before making an enquiry, helping bring greater confidence to online gemstone sourcing. Photo Credit: CR Gems
CR Gems’ new virtual try-on feature has been developed to bridge that gap.
The technology allows users to view a gemstone against:
The aim is to provide a more realistic visual guide before a stone is requested on approval or discussed with a customer.
The feature is available across boxed stones on the CR Gems website and can be accessed directly from the product page.
According to CR Gems, retailers can also share unbranded product links with customers, allowing them to use the same virtual try-on functionality remotely.
One of the most interesting aspects of the technology is how it supports retailer-to-customer communication.
Rather than relying solely on measurements or static images, retailers can now provide customers with a visual representation of how a gemstone may appear in context.
This has the potential to improve conversations around stone selection, particularly for bespoke commissions where gemstone choice forms the foundation of the design process.
By helping customers better understand scale before requesting a viewing, virtual try-on technology could also reduce some of the uncertainty often associated with remote gemstone sourcing.
David Brough of Jewellery Outlook testing CR Gems’ new AI Virtual Try-On technology, which allows users to visualise gemstones at scale against their own hand before making an enquiry. Photo Credit: David Brough, Jewellery Outlook
Artificial intelligence continues to influence multiple areas of the jewellery industry, from design software and customer service to marketing and visualisation tools.
The introduction of virtual try-on technology within the gemstone sector highlights another area where digital innovation is beginning to reshape traditional processes.
While gemstones will always benefit from being viewed in person, technologies that improve understanding and confidence before that stage are likely to become increasingly important as online sourcing continues to grow.
The ability to visualise a gemstone more accurately may not replace physical viewing, but it can help retailers and customers make more informed decisions earlier in the journey.
The launch follows CR Gems’ continued investment in digital tools for the jewellery trade.
Earlier this year, The Jewels Club explored the company’s API technology, which allows retailers to integrate CR Gems’ gemstone inventory directly into their own websites while maintaining their own branding, pricing and customer experience.
Together, the two developments demonstrate how gemstone suppliers are increasingly looking beyond inventory alone and exploring ways to improve the overall buying journey.
Technology has transformed many aspects of jewellery retail, yet gemstones remain one of the most difficult products to sell remotely.
Photography can show colour. Certificates can confirm quality. Videos can demonstrate brilliance.
Understanding scale, however, has often remained a challenge.
CR Gems’ virtual try-on technology addresses a practical problem that many retailers and consumers face when sourcing gemstones online. Whether tools like this become commonplace across the industry remains to be seen, but they represent an interesting step towards making remote gemstone buying more accessible, informative and engaging.
Explore CR Gems’ virtual try-on technology and gemstone inventory at CR Gems
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