How to Design a Jewelry Shop

There's an art---and a science--to designing a retail shop that showcases beautiful products. Clothing stores present unique sets of challenges. Flower boutiques must be designed around refrigeration requirements. But when it comes to fine jewelry, the shared importance of dramatic lighting and security precautions makes laying out and outfitting this type of emporium an exacting task.

Things You'll Need

• Building or storefront
• Contractor
• Fixtures and furniture
• Lighting
• Retail store design consultant (optional)
• Store design software (optional)

Instructions

1. Visit as many jewelry stores as you can to evaluate types of jewelry cases, cabinet and drawer units, showcase options and decorative accessories. Don't rely upon the visual information you get from department-store jewelry sections because their designs are dependent on the the rest of the store's layout.

2. Consult with your insurance agent to learn about security measures required by your insurance company, such as specific types of glass, alarms such as panic buttons and storage vaults for jewelry. The company's requirements could narrow your choice of display cases and other fixtures.

3. Choose from five standard floor plans. A straight plan is the least expensive to install because it relies upon walls and fixtures for uniform display lines. Diagonal floor plans offer the best site lines for sales personnel and the most relaxed traffic patterns. Geometric floor plans showcase islands of goods, while a mixed layout heightens a store's functionality. Jewelry shops and other high-end boutiques tend to work best as angular floor plans. These layouts are the most expensive to install.

4. Work with an designer to lay out the floor plan if it fits your budget. He or she can assess the look and per-square-foot selling space parameters. You or the consultant may use a CAD computer program to help design the store based on your evaluation of other jewelry stores. Alternately, purchase standard retail store blueprints, available as hard copy or in CD or DVD format.

5. Shop commercial furniture and fixture outlets to choose cabinets, drawer units, showcases, carpet and permanent displays. Comparison-shop by visiting websites and retail stores to make certain your choices fit within the parameters of the shop's design. Consult vault specialists to determine the ideal safe size for your shop and opt for the one that offers the best security features.

6. Pay particular attention to the lighting you choose. Experts recommend a combination of T-5 fluorescent tubes and showcase halogen lights. Working with a tight budget? Opt for metal halide lighting. It's four times more powerful than halogen, lasts about 10,000 hours and makes jewelry look spectacular.

7. Complete your floor plan once you have obtained fittings noted in Step 4. Use a template of the shop floor and cutouts of fixtures (proportionally downsized) to give you an accurate assessment of how much space you're filling if you don't have software to do the job. With all plans in place, bring in at least one security consultant (more if time allows) to bid on alarm systems and other safeguards.

8. Work with your contractor to finish the store once the vault has been installed. After all of the furniture and fixture installations are complete, invite law enforcement officials over to review your floor plan and to evaluate the security system you have selected. This is the time to put to rest any additional security concerns you may have regarding the store's layout. Have the security system installed and pay your premium to have the store properly insured.

9. Add art, sculpture and other aesthetic touches to complement the ambiance of your shop. Fill display cases with jewelry and add small touches of color to trays. For instance, if your shop is decorated in rich cherry wood, red silk hibiscus blooms scattered among the trays adds a beautiful touch that won't detract from the precious gems and gold.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Find store planning software
• Shop for affordable jewelry displays
• Get help from a jewelry store design consultant
• Look for jewelry display tips here