Augmented Reality For Jewelers Enhances The Customer Experience

An augmented reality visual of a ring design from The Inspired Collection pops out of  a smartphone

By Chris Benham, co-founder and director of Inspired Jewellery Ltd.

Are we on the cusp of an explosion of augmented reality experiences for customers? A couple years ago we worked with 3D animator Chris Williamson to create an animation of one of our tension set diamond ring designs. 

We sent him a 3D CAD file of the ring we wanted him to animate and then he worked his magic. He came into the studio and what followed blew my mind. He had taken the 3D version of our ring and literally made it jump out from the screen. 

How? We picked up a smartphone, opened an app and then scanned it over the image of the same ring on our website. The ring image was like a reference point, almost like a barcode (or QR code) and then the phone proceeded to make the ring pop out from the screen in 3D and allowed you to admire it from all angles and even virtually try it on.  

Watch this video on augmented reality to see how its application is used in day-to-day life:

It only took minutes to create and anyone with a smartphone could use it, meaning this experience is accessible to just about everyone. 

It then turned into one of those scenarios where you suddenly see augmented reality being used in small applications everywhere. However, it is still far from mainstream. If you ask someone on the street about augmented reality most will not know much about it. 

It’s now two years on and I am yet to see many jewelry companies take advantage of this technology. Compared to other businesses, jewelry companies are perfectly suited to this technology. The barriers to entry are low, as most jewelry companies now develop their new jewelry designs in 3D. In our business we’ve embraced 3D technology as a tool, although we start all of our designs from the heart with a pencil and paper. We then translate those designs in 3D to make the manufacturing process more efficient and also to enable our customers to better visualize what the finished piece will look like.  

CAD Operator Zach Hornblow creating a 3D CAD ring design

Other industries are perfectly suited to take advantage of augmented reality including architects and car manufacturers. For example, you’re just about to lock in the contract to purchase that yet unbuilt penthouse apartment. More than slightly nervous about committing your life savings, you can now take an augmented walk through the apartment, helping you to visualize it better and provide a little peace of mind. 

Maybe the reason that jewelers haven’t more readily adopted this technology is because copying in the industry is rife. Why hand on a platter a 3D view of your design to a competitor? At the end of the day they can still look at it and buy it in order to copy it. So that’s not really an excuse. Or as the saying goes ‘be prepared to disrupt or be disrupted.’ 

Loupe Platinum Diamond ring design from The Inspired Collection

Another challenge for jewelers is converting their files from 3D CAD technology into a more lifelike form. There are already challenges for the jeweler and 3D CAD operator when it comes to rendering metallic and gem-like surfaces. Jewelry rendering requires techniques like “environment mapping” to allow reflections to change as the angle of view changes, making surfaces appear lifelike. Current augmented reality platforms like Layar and AugmentedDev will rapidly evolve and these challenges will be overcome and integrations will be developed with 3D jewelry software like Gemvision’s Matrix. 

The simple fact is most people struggle to visualize designs, especially when they see them in 2D on a screen. How many times have you sat in front of your computer doing some online shopping and wished you could grab the product out of the screen and have a good look at it? Even try it on. The cool thing is with augmented reality you can do that. 

Although jewelry is a hugely tactile product and many would argue that you have to see it in store to experience it, the simple fact is that a growing percentage of people are doing their research and window shopping online. Augmented reality provides another tool for a jeweler to enhance the luxury experience. In our business alone we’ve seen massive growth in customers willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a ring without ever stepping foot into a store. 

Chris Williamson who has created animations and augmented reality scenes for our company, The Inspired Collection, and some of the world’s biggest brands, believes augmented reality is set to explode. Chris believes that “we are on the edge of a real revolution, it's going to have a massive impact on the way we do a lot of things, perhaps as much as the computer monitor has had.” 

He continues, “The people behind Oculus Rift have started a film company, filming in 360 degree vision so you can sit there with a headset on and look anywhere in the movie scene. The Microsoft HoloLens in particular I think will be a total game changer for manufacturing. Imagine sitting there with a headset on, and your manufacturer sitting overseas with his headset on, and you both see a representation of the same design in front of you with you both being able to manipulate it while the other looks on. Or even being able to point to sections of a real world physical object in another country, while the person in that room can see the areas you are indicating floating over the object and kind of attached to it.

“It seems every day now some new company has bought out some kind of VR or AR headset.” 

A new generation of digitally connected customers is rapidly becoming the biggest purchasers of engagement rings. Augmented reality provides yet another great tool for jewelers to provide a new way for customers to experience their creations. It will be an exciting time for consumers when 3D CAD software companies make it easy for the CAD operators to translate their creations, until then it will largely remain the domain of the big retail chains and tech savvy early adopters. 

Jewelry News Network guest columnist, Chris Benham, is co-founder and director of Inspired Jewellery Ltd., Wellington, New Zealand, a global creative studio for specialist jewelry design.  

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website

Ice Unveils ‘Try It On’ Mobile App

Online jewelry retailer Ice hops onto the augmented reality (AR) bandwagon with a mobile app that allows shoppers to virtually “try on” rings and bracelets before purchasing. It is currently only available for iPhones while an Android version of the app will be available later this year.

AR is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input. In this case Ice is using the technology via a mobile app to provide digital shoppers the opportunity to view the Ice catalog of jewelry products, select an item of their liking and opt to virtually "try on" the piece. Utilizing their personal mobile device camera, a picture of the shoppers hand will act as the landscape for the ring or bracelet of interest. The desired piece of jewelry can then be super imposed on the picture. Ice shoppers will be invited to then share their “try it on” pictures with friends and family via email, Facebook and Twitter, or add to their wish list.

“It's about enhancing our customer's experience, customer engagement with our products as well as overall conversion. For the first time, we are offering our customers with the complete shopping experience,” said Shmuel Gniwisch, CEO of Ice. “No longer will online shoppers have to question "will this look good on me?" they will have the answer right on their smartphone desktop and be able to ask their family and friend's thoughts from around the globe with just a few clicks.”

You can find the app by following this link.

De Beers Uses Augmented Reality to Promote Forevermark

De Beers is allowing people all over the world to “virtually try on” a new jewelry collection that features its Forevermark diamond brand.

The mining giant has turned to augmented reality (AR) to make this possible. AR is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input. In this case people using their computers are able to see rings, earrings and pendants from the new Forevermark Millemoi collection sparkle in the light and to see how the jewelry will move as they virtually wear it in a seemingly live 3D environment. Those who wish to experience this can go to the “My Forevermark Fitting” website, see a demonstration of how it works and then download the software. Below is a video of the demonstration.

With a Webcam and a printer, users go to the website, print a page that has seemingly generic images (“symbols”) and cut the images as directed. On the computer screen the paper is transformed into a piece of jewelry. It’s as if the person is looking at a mirror and wearing the product.

“Not only does the experience reflect all the beauty of a Forevermark diamond; it is also a remarkable digital achievement to have jewelry moving with the wearer in real time.” says Stephen Lussier, Forevermark CEO.

My Forevermark Fitting is the first deployment of a 3D virtual try-on for Forevermark diamonds, the branded diamond in which De Beers say is the product of beauty, rarity and responsibly sourcing. The company says only one percent of its diamonds earn the Forevermark brand. Each diamond receives a microscopic inscription of the Forevermark icon and an individual number.

Forevermark worked with creative agency AKQA and 3D augmented reality company, Holition, to create the experience.

Jonathan Chippindale, Holition CEO, says this particular application of its AI technology is the first time the jewelry actually moves when worn.

“Not only is the user able to see real time light move throughout the Forevermark diamond, they are additionally able to imagine the way in which the unique articulated design will flow with their movement; a true reflection of the actual item of jewelry which comes to life when worn,” he said.

Of course, regular readers of this website will be familiar with Holition through its work with jewelry and watch companies Tacori, Boucheron, Tissot and, yes, De Beers.

The Forevermark Millemoi collection is currently available in China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Singapore and Malaysia.

Tatler Readers to Virtually ‘Try On’ Million Dollar Rings

The British magazine of glamorous lives and lifestyles, Tatler, is bringing augmented reality to its pages. Starting Thursday, those who have purchased the magazine’s September issue will be able to virtually “try on” rings worth millions of dollars.

Augmented reality is an engaging way of combining live video with computer-generated data, visualizations and sound for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment. The magazine will release the details of how to use this technology with its website tomorrow, but let me explain how it will most likely work.

The September issue of Tatler (to be released Thursday) will contain a page with a seemingly generic image of a ring. Just cut out the image and place it on your finger. Then you need a computer and a webcam. Go to the Tatler website, find the “Try Me” page. Following the directions, place the paper ring on your finger in from of the webcam and an image of an actual will appear on the computer screen. It will be as if you are looking in the mirror trying on the actual ring. There will most likely be screen prompts that will allow you to try on different rings.

And what an assortment of rings you’ll be able to virtually wear. International jewelry brands featured in this AR-enhance piece of editorial are Boodles, Cartier, Chanel Fine Jewelry, Chopard, De Beers, Fabergé, Graff, Harry Winston, Louis Vuitton, Mikimoto, Tiffany and Van Cleef & Arpels.

The AR is being provided by Holition, a U.K.-based company that provides 3D augmented reality solutions and specializes with luxury providers. It’s a name that regular readers of Jewelry News Network will no doubt recognize as it has graced these electronic pages through its projects with De Beers, Tissot, Tacori and Boucheron.

Tatler, which claims its roots to 1709, calls itself the oldest magazine in the world.

“What excites me is that we have brought together the oldest magazine in the world with an industry steeped in heritage and tradition—and combined the two to create a digital innovation,” said Jessica Walsh, Tatler’s jewelry editor. “Digital technologies are changing the way in which people interact with both media and brands and I am excited to be contributing to this shift.”

Tissot’s Interactive Window Display at Harrods

Those of you who read this website regularly know that Swiss watchmaker Tissot has been using augmented reality displays to market its products at department stores and online. This time, the famous Harrods department store in London gets the interactive treatment.

The company is showcasing its Ladies and T-Touch collection in one of Harrods window displays on Brompton Road as part of the store’s new promotion celebrating all things Swiss. The window display allow consumers to virtually “try on” watches by placing a paper band around their wrist and showing it to the interactive display screen on the window. The fully interactive touch screen allows these potential customers to engage with a wider range of Tissot watches than in the past.

The augmented reality display, which began April 1, is live and fully interactive on weekends between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. The display will be in place till April 24.

As part of the promotion, customers have the opportunity to win a Tissot Jungfraubahn watch and a holiday to Jungfraujoch to witness the mountain panorama in Switzerland.

The display is provided by London-based Holition, which specializes in 3D and augmented reality applications online, in-stores and at live events for luxury retailers and brands.

Customers Virtually ‘Try On’ Tacori Jewelry at Bloomingdales

There was fun and excitement on the third floor of the Bloomingdales flagship store in New York City this past weekend where customers had a chance to “virtually” try on jewelry from the Tacori 18k925 Collection.

In front of a video screen mounted with a webcam, customers were able to wrap a paper cutout of a piece of jewelry, such as ring, select which jewelry item from the new Tacori collection they would like to see by touching the screen and then holding the cutout to the webcam. On the screen the ring, or other jewelry, would appear as if they are actually trying it on.

The “Try It On” experience, known as augmented reality, was provided by Holition, a U.K.-based technology company that specializes in 3D and augmented reality solutions. The use of this type of technology isn’t brand new, but it has been very active during the past year. Earlier this year, Holition launched a Tissot 3D interactive touch screen window display experience at Selfridges department store in London.

“Shoppers today are busy, and sometimes don’t have the time or inclination to wait at a jewelry counter for a sales person to help them try on the below the counter items they desire,” said Paul Tacorian, SVP of sales and marketing, TACORI. “Our virtual ‘Try It On’ experience allows clients the fun and instant gratification of trying on beautiful gems, and customizing their style to quickly find what Tacori 18k925 design they like best.”

You can virtually try on the new Tacori 18k925 on a personal computer if you have a webcam by following this link.

Boucheron Allows People to Virtually Try On Jewelry at Home

French luxury jeweler Boucheron has created a way for people to virtually try on the company's collection of jewelry and watches from their home computer.

The tool works in real time via the Web, in this case the Boucheron Web site, and in selected stores through augmented reality application. Augmented reality is an engaging way of combining live video with computer-generated data and visualizations.

The application was created by a London-based company called Holition. Savvy Jewelry News Network readers may remember this company through interactive window displays they created for Tissot and De Beers.

With a Webcam and a printer, users can go to the Boucheron Web site, print a page that has a seemingly generic image (“symbol”) of a watch and ring, put them on their wrist and finger and show it onto the Webcam. On the computer screen the paper is transformed into a piece of Boucheron jewelry. It’s as if the person is looking at a mirror and wearing the luxury product. The augmented reality experience allows Boucheron’s customers around the world to virtually try on more than 20 different watches and rings from Boucheron’s collections, including the Chameleon and Quatre rings, set with sapphires, diamonds and other precious gems.

The augmented reality application integrates with social media through a “sharing” capability that allows potential customers to take a picture of them virtually wearing the jewelry and watches and then share it with family and friends via social networking sites.

Below is the demonstration video.