I’m hearing a lot right now about one-of-a-kind and custom work. In an age when independents (and most designers, for that matter) truly need to differentiate themselves from online and chain-store competition, this is one area that many are discovering as a way to stand apart from the crowd.

Interesting, then, the juxtaposition when I came across objectfetish.com, a website dedicated to art jewels. It seems to me that this is one category in which customers would ESPECIALLY want to see, touch and feel the pieces they are buying. But, on the other hand, we once said that about all fine jewelry. Just a little food for thought… Is this a viable e-commerce concept? Or is a one-of-a-kind creation something that requires a hands-on sales approach? If not, is it an e-commerce idea that independents can tap into? I hope you’ll check out the link and let me know what you think.

JCK