AI Is Adding Sparkle to Jewellery, but What About Craft and Story?
A new horizon is being formed for the jewellery industry through AI. However how rosy things look from the top is yet to be figured out.
From making the design and craft process more efficient to making customizations easier, AI has taken the jewellery world by storm. However, as a tremendous shift happens in any industry, it raises several questions about the effect on jobs and the manufacturing processes, the shopping experience for consumers and the overall outlook of the industry on whether this new-age technology is a boon that would improve the efficiency of the industry or a threat to true artistic expression that gives jewellery an emotional touch. The most profound question is whether efficiency and a better prediction of trends are a good enough replacement for jewellery with an artisan’s soul in it, or can we simply have the best of both worlds?
AI In Jewellery Design
AI’s impact on the jewellery design segment is massive. In jewellery design, AI challenges the limits of innovation and blurs the boundaries between what’s possible and what’s not. AI tools help designers visualise 3D or 2D representations of jewellery, giving the designers an accurate idea of what the design would look post getting manufactured. This saves time and production resources as one doesn’t have to create multiple prototypes before finalising the design. This also helps in assigning material costs, analysing production constraints, and picking the best techniques and manufacturing procedures. Artificial intelligence also helps analyse data and predict market trends. Making it easier to design jewellery that aligns well with the current consumer preferences. This leads to jewellery with an optimal price and designs that meet at the apex of creativity and regulation.
AI’s Role In The Development Of Jewellery eCommerce
As jewellery is such a big purchase there are hesitations when it comes to buying it online. One of them is the factor that eCommerce doesn’t allow one to touch, feel and try on how the said jewellery looks on them. AI systems like augmented and virtual reality allow people to experience jewellery virtually. One can try jewellery online through augmented reality and see how it looks on them. The development of AI removes part of the hesitation involved in buying jewellery online. However, this only solves a part of the problem, at least in India’s market. With each online jewellery purchase trust is an essential factor. Which is earned mostly through people and not through a faceless eCom marketplace, no matter how high-tech it is.
Challenges Only A Human Can Solve
Building a brand story, understanding how to gain a consumer’s trust, and analysing AI’s market data collection from a human perspective are things only a human can do, at least at the moment. Although Al can learn fast, it cannot deal with unprecedented challenges like anomalies in the supply chain. In today’s competitive jewellery market, we also need a human touch to cut through the noise. For instance, building a seamless omnichannel experience that has never been witnessed before by people needs human intervention.
The Humane Touch Of True Craftsmanship
The most noteworthy fact though is, that AI can help create designs, analyse and predict new trends, and make the designing and manufacturing processes more efficient, but a true touch of emotions and craftsmanship is possible only through human artisans. Jewellery in India is not just about adorning yourself, these are mostly heirlooms, souvenirs of treasured life events, and precious gifts that are cherished forever. Creating jewellery that speaks to such emotions can only be created through what we popularly call the labour of love. AI is just one more tool (an intelligent one) in an artisan’s kit.
Understanding What The Consumer Wants
Jewellery consultations are a popular and much-demanded phase in a jewellery customer’s buying journey, and although AI can help enhance the consumer experience through quick response to queries, helps create marketing campaigns as per the data present on the web. But here’s where the limitation comes in. Although AI can analyse online data, creating something truly remarkable marketing campaign requires lived experiences. Also, solving individual problems, and giving personalised suggestions is only possible through a human who understands the psyche behind each decision and trouble, this makes getting problem-specific solutions more seamless than with an AI.
The Conscious Luxury Shoppers Dilemma
One more dilemma that arises with the advent of AI in Luxe jewellery, is the probability that it might take away parts of the effort that goes behind creating a truly handcrafted piece of jewellery. As AI makes the process of creating jewellery faster and more efficient, it increases the chances of removing the exclusivity aspect of luxury, giving rise to the question if such jewellery can be considered luxury. But then again AI contributes highly to increasing the sustainability aspect of jewellery by cutting out chances for error. So, would the next step be to work out a way around this and help a conscious consumer find a middle ground that appeals to both their ideas and aesthetics? As we move forward with artificial intelligence, figuring out such nuances becomes essential.
In the jewellery space, AI has massive potential to take the industry to the next level and become collaborators to their human partners in bringing about innovation in the industry. AI’s full potential in adding sparkle to the industry is yet to be realised.