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Danielle Miele from Gem Gossip is our special guest this week.
As a widely acclaimed professional jewelry blogger and jewelry influencer, she takes us behind the scenes into her very successful Gem Gossip blog and Instagram jewelry shopping platform.
Danielle shares how she built her Instagram and Twitter empire of followers.
Clickable Show Notes
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Question #1 – You know, most career counselors wouldn’t suggest quitting your full-time job to become a full-time blogger. How did one of your first big gigs at LoveGold prepare you for eventually leaving your job to launch Gem Gossip? Timestamp: [3:23]
Question #2 – When we were pulling together the research for this interview, we came across this great story of when you were a co-curator at the Doyle & Doyle Vault exhibition. You got to share that experience with our listeners. Timestamp: [5:54]
Question #3 – Most American jewelry designers it seems, live on one of the two coasts, but I would imagine some of our audience would be shocked to know you’re actually based in Nashville. How did you end up in Nashville, how did you turn this potential negative into a positive, and what is “Jewels at my Doorstep?” Timestamp: [8:48]
Question #4 – Seriously Danielle, when you look at the numbers of followers you have on the various social platforms, you are crushing it! At last check, you’ve got over 169,000 Instagram followers, 23,600 Twitter followers, not to mention thousands of followers on Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr. How have all of those followers helped your business, and are there any tips you could share with jewelers who are listening who want to grow their social presence? Timestamp: [12:42]
Question #5 – Not only do you write about jewelry and emerging jewelry trends daily, but you also photograph hundreds of pieces of jewelry yearly, and you travel extensively across the country visiting jewelry stores. In my mind, if anyone has a feel for emerging designers and jewelry trends it has to be you. So, where are we headed? Are their trends emerging that we should know about, are their jewelry designers that are on the cusp of breaking out, and perhaps a few that have slipped under the mainstream media’s radar in your opinion? Timestamp: [16:31]
Question #6 – One of your blog features that I really enjoy is your #JewelryRoadTrip project. Honestly, there has to be a lot of behind the scenes coordinating going on here. First, you’ve got the travel itinerary, then comes juggling appointments with the stores and jewelry designers, not to mention all the time needed to set up the jewelry photo shoots. For our listeners who aren’t as familiar with this project, can you pull back the curtain a bit and share some behind the scenes stories about this fan-favorite on-going blog segment? Timestamp: [19:46]
Question #7 – One of the advantages of visiting as many jewelry stores as you’ve had across the country is that you get a chance to see a cross-section of best practices. You know, certain aspects of successful stores that really make them stand out in your mind. So hypothetically, if you were to open a brick and mortar, what would it be like? From layout to merchandise selection, to marketing, and as a followup, are there some stores in your travels that really stand out? Timestamp: [23:25]
Question #8 – In late 2016, just before the holidays, you launched @shopGEMGOSSIP on Instagram. I really like how easy you’ve made it to see the product, check out the details, and make a purchase. There are a lot of jewelers listening right now who want to set up a selling page on Instagram. Can you share some of the details about what @shopGEMGOSSIP is, what it takes to maintain it, and do think more jewelry brands should be selling on Instagram? Timestamp: [28:31]
Question #9 – Danielle, you’re a rare combination of a trained GIA graduate gemologist who has a proven track record of spotting emerging jewelry trends combined with someone who clearly understands how to build a formidable social media presence. The obvious question here is, are their opportunities for jewelry brands to work with you? Are there programs and services you offer Main Street jewelers, jewelry brands, and other jewelry trade publications? Timestamp: [32:23]
Question #10 – Over these past three seasons of “Inside the Jewelry Trade” Radio Show, we’ve always finished the episode with the same question. A question that retired CBS news anchor, Dan Rather use to say was his favorite question of all time, and that question is, “We’ve covered a lot of ground today, but is there one question I should have asked you, but didn’t” Timestamp: [37:07]
What You Need To Know About Danielle Miele:
Danielle has been a jewelry collector since she was four years old, but her career in the jewelry business officially started in 2008 when she first began her successful blog, Gem Gossip.
The jewelry blog focuses on jewelry trends, antique and period jewelry, celebrity jewelry, as well as exclusive designer interviews.
It is also a hub for gemstone and jewelry education, considering Danielle’s Graduate Gemologist studies through the Gemological Institute of America.
With five years of experience as head gemologist and appraiser at a local antique jewelry store, she has most recently decided to pursue writing and consulting full-time.
You can currently find Danielle traveling the US on her #JewelryRoadTrip project where she has visited over 100 jewelry stores, studios, and antique shops across 14 different states, giving each a spotlight into her audience of over 200k people.
When not on the road or behind her computer, she is collecting antique jewelry (she has over 300 rings). Danielle also contributes a monthly column to The Knot & the Observer.
Fun & Helpful “Gem Gossip” Links
Hire Me to Take Your Instagram Aesthetic from Zero to One Hundred
The Ultimate Jewelry Book List
Jewels at my Doorstep: Loren Nicole
Jewelry Stores Mentioned by Danielle on the Show:
Doyle & Doyle Jewelers Sunday & Sunday Antique Jewelry
TwistOnline Jewelry Love Adorned Jewelry
Connecting With Danielle Miele
Connect with Danielle: Email
Our “Inside the Jewelry Trade” Radio Show Episodes
The host of “Inside the Jewelry Trade” Radio Show – Jewelry Business Strategist – President of Four Grainer LLC. Author of the business books “A Reason To Chant,” and “A Reason to Chant – Jewelry Trade Edition.” Rod lives in Atlanta with his wife and two almost-human cats.