Writing Product Descriptions for Your Jewelry: “Inspired by Nature”

by Chelsea Clarey.
(TangoPig Jewelry Creations)

Inspired by nature” could describe the shape of this brooch, the texture of the stones, the spiral motifs or the chaotic wirework – but it’s not an “inspiring” way to describe any of them! (Brooch by Chelsea Clarey.)

Copywriting is something that most of us “in the trade” learn on the fly. One of the hallmarks of inexperienced writing is an over-reliance on cliches, something we’re all guilty of at some point!

In this part of our series on avoiding vague or overused words in item descriptions, we’re going to pick apart the very common phrase “inspired by nature” and look at more forceful ways to express that idea.

Clearly this is a powerful concept among jewelry designers, and it’s technically true: Many of us draw on natural elements when we choose colors, shapes, textures and rhythms in our designs.

However, a few thousand items later, the phrase falls flat.

I will leave it to someone with much more SEO experience to identify whether this is a useful item tag, but I would suggest it is to be avoided as a description and a conveyor of emotion.

A business might include
“inspired by nature” in its copy for
the following reasons:

* to garner search hits from those interested in jewelry inspired by the natural world

* to suggest that the product is “green,” forestalling consumer guilt

* to give the shopper, or the writer/businessperson him-or-herself a sense of artistic legitimacy.

These are not obvious messages (except the first one, which is often painfully obvious), but it’s usually the goal of using this phrase.

It just doesn’t work anymore. At best, the reader skims it; at worst, they roll their eyes and make a mental note that they’re too savvy for this grassy-green guilt trip!

Here are a few examples of
how you might see the term used –
and why they just don’t quite work:

* “Shop a selection of home décor inspired by nature.”

What part of nature? Lush forests, as the writer is usually trying to imply? Or baking salt flats? That’s nature too. The only thing we can say for sure about this home-decor collection is that it (probably) does not involve buildings or cars or the inner city. Besides, consumers are skeptical of this. I saw a commenter on a blog post write, in effect, “This isn’t inspired by nature, it’s plant-themed. There’s a difference.”

* “My tadpole plushies are inspired by nature.”

Really? Not wax museums or vehicle oil changes? It’s clear that something more is trying to be said here, but where is it?

* “Our policies are inspired by nature.”

Yea, and nature extended her green hand to us and bade us, “you must dispose of your BPA-free plastics in the appropriate designated receptacles.” It just comes across as mawkish, overly upbeat rhetoric inspired more by the PR department than by actual sentiment.

* “My collages are one-of-a-kind works inspired by nature.”

We have to forgive this one a little; it’s trying to hearken back to a legacy of artistic vision, which never hurts. William Morris and William Wordsworth alike were inspired by nature. But once again, it’s way too vague (mountains? beach? fire-scarred devastation?), and it’s said much too often.

Note that both “inspired” and “nature” are problematic here, though we’re focusing on “nature.” Both of them come across as trite in these examples, and consequently, they don’t tell us anything.

As jewelry designers, we’re told from every side that this is a good phrase and a good mantra for creativity.

Pick up a few months’ worth of beading magazines, or do a quick Google search. If you can’t find anything telling you how to be inspired by nature, or offering designs for beading inspired by nature, I’ll eat my wire conditioner. On toast.

Is the use of natural shell in this pendant enough to mean it’s “inspired by nature”? (Pendant by Chelsea Clarey.)

Let’s rise above this all-too-common wording,
and make our advertising copy
more concise and fruitful:

* Instead of “The jewelry in this shop is inspired by nature,”

try, “I make jewelry that echoes the shapes and patterns in the rocks I used to collect from the stream behind my parents’ home. Though I don’t usually use stone, many of my pieces are based on recollections of my childhood treasure trove.” More personal, more personable, more informative.

* Instead of “My jewelry is nature-inspired, made with green materials,”

try “When available, I use ethically sourced, renewable materials. That way, I can truly tell you that your purchase from my shop supports sound practices in the supply market and jewelry trade.” This takes a bit more space, but by explaining how nature inspires your business ethos, it makes much more of an impression than the usual doggerel.

* Instead of “Like many of the jewellers of history, I am inspired by nature,”

try “One of my artistic goals is to reinterpret the flower designs in the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.” It gives the same sense of artistic roots, but it’s more specific. Or, if you prefer more casual-sounding copy, try, “I’m interested by how tree branches have historically been rendered in jewelry designs and I like to experiment with that motif,” or even, “English landscape-gardening books from the Enlightenment are a well of ideas for me!” More specific, more interesting.

By using the phrase “inspired by nature” sparingly and thoughtfully, you preserve its meaning – and by choosing alternatives, you maximize your text’s uniqueness and thus its impact.

Next Time:

This series will continue when we tackle the word “elegant.”

See the rest of this series:

Writing Product Descriptions for Your Jewelry

Author Chelsea Clarey of TangoPig Jewelry Creations is a jewelry designer who gravitates toward bead and wire jewelry because the simple techniques have infinite artistic applications. She specializes in reusing vintage components in stylish one-of-a-kind designs. When not creating, she thinks much too much about word choice in jewelry descriptions. Be sure to keep up with Chelsea on her TangoPig Jewelry Creations blog.

Comments:

More great info on writing jewelry descriptions and copy
by: Rena

Thanks so much for this fantastic writeup, Chelsea!

What eye-opening stats on the use of “inspired by nature” on just Etsy alone!

I really appreciate your analysis of why we use this phrase so much, and tips for conveying something even better with different words.

I’m really enjoying this series – lots of things to think about, and great strategies to start using.

Great Article!
by: Janine G

I needed a little boost on what to write as descriptions.
It’s one of my most dreaded tasks. I am still baffled as to what to say about my own jewelry which I personally call “all over the place” like my life!HA

I would love to see a blurb about a totally overused word in jewelry description-“chic”

Half the time it’s mispronounced.
Thanks!

It needed saying
by: Rebecca Stone

Wow, Chelsea. What a coincidence. For some reason, this morning I woke up thinking about this very issue. While being “inspired by Nature myself,” I, too, am getting burned out on the phrase. I use “Inspired by the Earth’s Treasures,” but that is also starting to sound like a cliche. Thanks for your thoughts and ideas on this.

Thank you
by: Cathy H.

You have a wonderful way with words and your articles really make you think. Thank you for posting these articles. They really helped inspire me to write more thoughtful descriptions.

Thank you!
by: Chelsea

I’m so glad you’re finding this useful!

I will make sure to address “chic” in a future entry.

I like the “Earth’s Treasures” option, actually, Rebecca. The thing I’ve realized as I wrote this and read the comments is that “inspired” is as much of the problem as “nature,” so I maybe should have split the two more clearly! “Inspired” has sort of lost its connotation too, though not as much as the whole phrase. Invigorated? Kindled? Enlivened? The problem is that if they’re put together wrong it’s now starting to sound less like Prometheus bringing fire from the heavens and a little more like a male-enhancement commercial. :p

Maybe a metaphor would be the way to do it? Creativity sparked or set alight, “my imagery flows from the shapes and patterns of river stones,” etc. The nice thing about this is that the metaphor lets you reinforce the image of nature a second time.

Great advice on copy writing
by: Helenka

Just got round reading your series and am glad that I am not using authentic or inspired by nature in my descriptions. I might be guilty of the next one – elegant.
I think the key seems to be that you are simply more accurate with your descriptions, even it this means that they take longer to write and take up more space. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Helen

great tips
by: Anna

Rena, you’re terrific. Easy to comprehend & remember. I have been so used to writing only informative jewelry descriptions that I was having difficulty in telling a ‘story’, ie, relating my experiences in my métier. Many thanks. Enjoy the day…Anna K.
http://www.bijouxwow.com

thank you
by: Jasmine

Thank you so much, Rena! I truly appreciate the energy you have put out to help others with their jewelry businesses!!! You are an inspiration to me, and have helped me out endlessly as I’ve started to finally get my jewelry out there. You’ve helped me with such practical tips to see what is possible, and you’ve made me see how simple it really can be. Thank you again always for sharing these invaluable tips. You are a wonderful person!

Writing Product Descriptions
by: Rena

Oh my goodness, Jasmine and Anna, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m thrilled to hear you’re finding so much inspiration here.

And thanks again to Chelsea for putting together this insightful series for us on writing more precise, thoughtful jewelry descriptions!