A Smorgasbord of Gold & Silver Delight
Written: Mar 25 '04
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Think jewel-toned colors and classic style. Dream of white gold, perfect white pearls, and precious gemstones. From lovely baubles for ladies to handsome watches for men, HSN.com may not be the first jeweler that comes to mind when you’re in the market for a new gold watch. However, this prominent retailer has dedicated a noteworthy portion of their website to jewelry offered in a wide range of brands, styles, materials, and prices.
HSN.com is the abbreviated stepchild of the highly successful cable network, Home Shopping Network. Home Shopping Networkis a global, 24/7, multi-channel retailer with $2 billion dollars in annual sales from consumers who are serious about shopping. HSN’s strength is in their seemingly unlimited product line, energetic salesmanship, in-depth knowledge of the merchandise, and their ability to convince shoppers that every purchase is a “bargain.” HSN.com continues this formula with a snappy website that begs to be explored.
The website is well designed and easy to navigate with the standard department store menus on the left hand side. The majority of the home page is dedicated to highlighting “exclusives,” “best sellers,” “specials,” “showstoppers,” and “powerful newcomers.” With that type of a line-up, who wouldn’t want to stop and browse? You may arrive at the website planning to buy a skillet, but get sidetracked by the free shipping & handling offer for the brand new Fuji 3.1MP digital camera ($399.95).
For die-hard shoppers, you can use the link to the “View Live Show” to open another browser window and check out what’s being offered on the live cable telecast. In addition, you can check out the HSN collections that boast celebrity names like Suzanne Somers, Wolfgang Puck, Christopher Radko, and more.
Although I was sidetracked a few times by the appealing ads, I quickly got to business searching for a pendant for my 15-year old daughter, Amber. In particular, I wanted to get her a piece of jewelry containing an “amber” stone (get it?), with a gift price limit of approximately $40 or so. I found a discount coupon code at atozdeals.com that offered $15 off my first purchase at HSN.com.
The jewelry section of the site was attractive, with various rings, necklaces, and bracelets highlighted on the main page. Since I didn’t see a link that would direct me straight to all things “amber,” I typed the keyword in the search box at the top. The ability to further refine the search created subcategories where I then whittled down my choices to “Jewelry” (123), “Deals under $50” (30), and “Deals under $25” (14). In addition, the search results page is effortless to browse because of the “at-a-glance” product images, descriptions, and price.
It quickly became apparent that purchasing the amber stone was not going to be a one-size-fits-all proposition. The sheer variety of pieces ranged in price from a $12 amber sterling silver ring, to a $175 amber beaded necklace. In addition, the colors ranged from honey amber, to cherry amber, to dark green amber. Who knew? At any rate, I browsed the styles and settled upon the perfect choice for a young lady: a silver sterling amber heart earrings/pendant set. The description of the set was quite detailed with measurements, care instructions, weight, materials, and packaging. I felt very well informed about the product itself, and I was comfortable that I was buying a decent quality item at a good price. In addition, the item description page listed pictures of “More Choices” of similar items that I might also be interested in.
The set was on sale for a very reasonable $29.90. With my $15 discount, I was able to purchase the jewelry for under $15. Shipping and handling charges added $5.95 to the total cost of $20.85—half of what I had initially planned to spend on just the pendant alone. Ordering was straightforward, and I received the usual confirmation emails. The order was placed on the 19th and shipped on the 23rd. I received it soon after, and was satisfied with the quality of the set. More important, my daughter, Amber, loved her amber hearts gift!
Conclusion
For more help in selecting and purchasing jewelry at HSN.com, be sure to check out the “Tips and Guides” section which includes: Gem Finder, Gemstone Enhancement, Gemstone Lore & Legends, Ring and Necklace Sizing Charts, Jewelry Care and Birthstone Guides.
While I will probably never spend my leisure time watching the Home Shopping Network on television, my jewelry buying experience at HSN.com was positive overall and definitely merits a return visit. It’s a fun browsing experience, and there are some good bargains to be had amid some of the higher priced offerings.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
vemartin
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Vincent
Location: Aurora, IL
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