Return policy strategies for jewelry brands in 2025
The jewelry category is as diverse as they come: Your brand might be known for its $5 beaded wristlets for TikTok-obsessed tweens, or you might sell $15,000 diamond-encrusted rose gold wedding sets for moneyed and discerning couples.
Whatever the case, you already know that not all jewelry purchases are just the right fit for your shoppers— so it’s important for your jewelry brand to build a customized returns strategy that suits your needs, keeps your customers happy, and reduces the impact of returns fraud on your business.
The challenge of creating a return policy for jewelry brands
The good news is, jewelry has a comparatively low return rate: The average return rate for ecommerce jewelry purchases is around 8%, while many other industries face return rates of up to 30%. However, jewelry returns are still unavoidable—some returns are due to sizing issues; sometimes the buyer doesn’t like the style as much once they see it in person; and some are gifts that the recipient didn’t care for.
If your products are on the pricier side, it’s important that they’re returned in good-as-new condition, or you may struggle to recoup their value. On the other hand, for products at a low price point, you may end up running at a loss after paying the costs associated with returning and restocking the product, even if they’re in mint condition.
Some brands also offer jewelry with engravings and other forms of personalization. If yours is one of them, it’s important to think carefully about your return policy for these items, and if you even want to offer returns at all—after all, you’re not likely to have much luck reselling a bracelet that’s custom engraved for “Kayleigh Alessandra.”
Another issue? We’re seeing an increase in returns fraud across all industries, and jewelry isn’t immune. In fact, it may be particularly susceptible, as criminals are able to replace valuable gemstones with counterfeit jewels, which may slide by unnoticed if your team doesn’t set up controls for monitoring and approving your returned products.
For these reasons, it’s important to build a custom return policy that makes sense specifically for your brand instead of using a one-size-fits-all template. In other words, if you sell high-fashion pieces that range in the hundreds to thousands of dollars, your policy should look very different from a brand that sells silicone rings.
3 strategies to optimize your jewelry return policy
We’re not asking you to recreate your jewelry return policy from scratch. Instead, consider these recommendations and weave them in where it makes sense. You’ll find that these strategies will maximize the impact of your return policy.
1. Be flexible where it makes sense for your brand
Again, every brand is different so no two return policies will be exactly the same. Regardless of what you sell, you can always find a place in your policy to be as customer-centric as possible. Here are a few examples to consider:
- Warranty/replacements: Many jewelry brands – whether they’re higher-end or more affordable – offer a warranty on their products. For example, Oak & Luna offers a 24-month warranty, guaranteeing that they’ll fix or replace any broken parts in your products for a full two-year period. This is a great policy because it demonstrates confidence in the quality of your products and gives customers peace of mind, making it more likely that they’ll shop with you – especially since 67% of shoppers check the returns page before making a purchase.
- Exchanges: If possible, be flexible when it comes to exchanges. Why? The last thing you want is for customers to ask for a refund on a bracelet or ring they love – just because it’s the wrong size. To prevent this, you have to make exchanges more appealing than refunds, whether that’s by offering free shipping on exchanges (v. customer-paid for refunds) or offering bonus credit as an incentive.
- Return window: While it’s tempting to default to a 30-day return window, there’s little evidence to show this is the ideal length of time. So, if it makes sense for your brand, offer a more generous return window. Or, even better, combine this with our recommendation above and offer a longer return window exclusively for exchanges. Qalo follows this model by offering a 30-day period for returns, and a 60-day period for exchanges.
- “Keep Item” exceptions: What do you do when someone wants to send back a $10 ring? Consider letting them keep it and issuing a refund anyway. That will win you some customer goodwill, and you’d likely come out at a net loss after reverse logistics costs if you requested the item back.
2. Clearly communicate exceptions to the rule
Given the various types of jewelry that exist, there are bound to be different rules for different products. That’s totally ok—as long as you’re transparent about these differences and can communicate them to your customers.
Specifically, think about what your approach to personalized jewelry, special collection items, and custom-made pieces will be. Then clearly call out what your policy for each of these categories is—both in your return policy and, where it makes sense, directly on the product pages. Take a look at this product page from Stone and Strand, which spotlights their return policy exclusions, as an example.
In your returns portal, your shoppers should be able to easily see their past purchases and the associated returns policy for each one. That way, they’ll be able to tell which items are eligible for a return, and whether special conditions apply, such as only items that are in original packaging. That keeps them from sending back an item that isn’t eligible for a return, and being unpleasantly surprised when the item comes back to them.
3. Add safeguards for higher-value products
It’s no secret that there are more risks associated with higher-value products like a diamond ring. But that doesn’t mean you have to load your return policy with legalese or threaten your customers with fees—these actions will only deter people from shopping with you in the first place.
Instead, there are other safeguards you can put in place that protect your business while also serving your customers. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Offer a complimentary return service: With higher-value items, it’s usually recommended that customers get their return shipment insured, in case anything gets lost or stolen. If you want to provide a truly exceptional level of service, consider providing customers with a shipping label that’s already insured so they have one less thing to worry about.
- Provide packaging guidance: Provide clear instructions to customers on how to package their return shipment. This will reduce the chances of the jewelry getting damaged during transit. For instance, many brands encourage customers to reuse the original packaging that the jewelry came in. But if that’s not an option, make sure customers return their items in a similarly-sized box and with enough padding to prevent jostling.
- Communicate throughout the process: When returning an expensive piece of jewelry, customers may feel anxious about whether the product will make it back safely. To alleviate their concerns, we recommend using an automated returns portal that will email customers at various checkpoints – such as when the package is received, when the refund has been sent, or when the new product is on its way.
- Set up a manual inspection post prior to issuing a refund: Protect your brand from the risk of shoppers sending back an empty box or fake item in exchange for a refund, while pocketing the original (highly valuable) product. By setting up an inspection process when items are returned to your warehouse, you can verify that the items are genuine and in the required condition before issuing the shopper a refund. That helps you protect your profits from fraud and abuse, while ensuring that legitimate customers have the opportunity to return products that aren’t right for them.
- Use smart fraud detection technology: It’s also important to set up safeguards that protect your brand even before a customer has processed a returned item. Loop’s custom algorithm has identified key indicators of high-risk return behavior that are frequently tied to fraud or abuse. By setting up alerts for these red flags, you can manually review the transaction and deny the return request if it doesn’t seem legitimate.
These strategies can help strengthen your existing return policy – regardless of what type of jewelry you sell. Consider incorporating these recommendations to create a better returns experience for your customers and your business.
Want to make returns and exchanges easy for your jewelry brand? Get in touch for a product demo.
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