As we advance in our quest for clear, forceful text, especially in online item descriptions, it's clear that with a thesaurus and some ingenuity we can make our site copy much more engaging, entertaining, and effective.

The concept of beauty is naturally something we want to evoke, but to get vivid, sparkling text, we have to choose the most unique and apt wording possible.

What we're aiming for in our site copy is connotative language, which is wording that causes the reader to feel emotion. The emotional sense your customer attaches to a piece is what makes him or her want to buy it.

"Beautiful" is so vague and obvious that our usual format for these articles breaks down - it's hard to analyze intent because there are simply too many ways to use it. Besides, we all think our jewelry is beautiful!

So instead, let's make this a quick one and jump into a discussion of our alternatives:

• "Beautiful" - avoid this word. Just like every baby is beautiful to its mother, all jewelry is beautiful to its creator. In most cases, even deliberately odd art jewelry has a beauty of its own. How can such a non-specific word convey the emotions that enhance your product in the eyes of the buyer?


• "Lovely" - only a little better than "beautiful." It has a softer, more feminine sound, but it's not terribly connotative.


• "Pretty" - more girlish than the previous two, suggesting a piece for younger women, but also vague.

I wanted to suggest both cool classiness and a touch of whimsy
in the description for this piece, so instead of calling it a
"beautiful pendant," I said, "This hand-blown bead has been
made into a mystical crystal fruit. Glossy and alluring though
it looks, please do not try to eat the pendant."
(Pendant by Chelsea Clarey.)

When we're considering alternates, carefully choosing appropriate terms like the ones in this list, which I've tailored to the needs of jewelry sellers but which other online copy-writers may find helpful as well, may help your site stand out:

• Pleasing, graceful, classic, shapely, heirloom-quality, handsome, lustrous -
  
  These are an excellent choice for vintage-inspired jewelry and simple, traditional designs because they suggest a slightly vintage, candlelit glamour. Someone who wanted, for instance, classic and traditional wedding jewelry with the "Grandma's pearls" look would be attracted to jewelry that was accurately described this way.


• Intriguing, alluring, fascinating, enthralling, tantalizing,
  compelling -
  
  These words connote equal parts romance and mystery. They suggest an engaging or even hypnotic effect. They might be particularly appropriate for found-object jewelry, steampunk jewelry, particularly unusual materials or techniques like chainmaille where the structural complexity is important to the appeal.


• Delightful, darling, sparkling, delicious, charming, precious -
  
  Superb for jewelry that's either intended for younger women and girls or uses a feminine "cuteness" for its appeal. Consider these for more delicate designs, charm bracelets and necklaces, miniatures of bigger items, or colorful polymer clay, because the connotation of these choices is all about sweetness and fun.


• Splendid, exquisite, magnificent, luxurious, queenly, divine -
  
  Perfect diction when you're selling wedding jewelry or pieces made with very fine materials, directing your customer's attention to the quality you've put into every step. It makes your pieces sound worthy to be crown jewels, perfect for your top-dollar pieces and for advertising custom special-occasion work.


• Luscious, touchable, magnetic, mesmerizing -
  
  These guide your customer to recognize a hypnotic, sexy quality. These words have a very sensual connotation, great for dark lustrous colors, Old Hollywood designs, and pin-up curves!