How Yuliya Chorna Jewellery launched a timeless, story-driven Shopify website that reflects its heirloom craftsmanship and old world romance

Meet Yuliya Chorna Jewellery

Yuliya Chorna Jewellery is a Toronto based boutique studio known for handcrafted fine jewellery that blends old world romance with modern design. Each piece is created with sentimental intention, exceptional craftsmanship, and deep respect for the structural integrity of fine gemstones. Yuliya draws inspiration from her Ukrainian roots and from the centuries old art of traditional goldsmithing, which is reflected in her hand carved models, intricate settings, and ethically sourced stones.

Her work is defined by rare gemstones, clean but romantic silhouettes, and a dedication to creating future heirlooms. According to her brand philosophy, every design is a “celebration of uniqueness, storytelling, and emotional meaning” . Customers come to YCJ not just for jewellery, but for a piece that feels like a chapter in their personal history.

Her studio offers ready to ship designs, custom engagement rings, one of a kind gemstone pieces, and a curated selection of fine sapphires and diamonds. As outlined in the Website Copy document, each piece is designed and handcrafted in Toronto using age old goldsmithing techniques such as wax carving, lost wax casting, and hand fabrication, creating a unique balance between heritage and modern craftsmanship .

The challenge

Before working together, Yuliya shared that her website felt outdated, visually inconsistent, and not reflective of the level of artistry behind her work. It also was not optimized for sales. She explained in her Project Feedback Form that the site “no longer reflected the level of quality, craftsmanship, and unique selling points my business offers my clients and needed a real refresh” .

The existing site made it difficult for customers to understand the full range of offerings, including custom work, ready to ship pieces, and the Build Your Own Ring experience. Navigation felt heavy and the visual hierarchy did not support how customers naturally browse fine jewellery online.

She needed a professional, thoughtfully structured Shopify website that communicated the romantic heritage of her brand, her commitment to craftsmanship, and the exquisite nature of her gemstones. She also needed a design that honored both her old world inspiration and her modern clientele.

Scope of work

I provided a custom Shopify Website in a Week design and build. This included:

• full information architecture

• UX planning to simplify multi pathway shopping

• a refined visual layout to match her brand essence

• conversion driven product page design

• mobile optimized typography and navigation

• structure for future SEO growth

The goal was to create a seamless, intuitive shopping experience that showcases the sentimental value, handcrafted quality, and artistry that define YCJ.

My approach

YCJ’s brand essence is powerful and poetic, so the website needed to feel like an extension of that story. Every decision was grounded in her core values: sentimentality, craftsmanship, expertise, cultural heritage, and modern elegance .

Organizing the collections for clarity

Yuliya’s business is multi layered with custom pieces, made to order designs, ready to ship items, and a build your own ring experience. To support this, I organized collections in a way that guides shoppers easily and naturally.

The main navigation separates the ready to ship collection from custom and made to order offerings, helping customers quickly find what they need without confusion. This structure also highlights her deep knowledge of gemstones and her personalized custom process, both key parts of her brand identity.

Creating skimmable, visual layouts

Fine jewellery requires thoughtful storytelling. Customers want to understand not only what a piece looks like, but the craftsmanship, the stone’s origin, and what makes it unique.

I designed layouts that are skimmable and visually expressive, allowing customers to move from hero images to product details with ease. The content blocks highlight:

• the old world romance behind each design

• the meticulous hand carved details

• the ethically sourced gemstones

• the meaning behind her signature styles

This structure makes the shopping experience feel calm, confident, and immersive.

A refined product page experience

The product pages were crafted to feel like a boutique consultation. Details are written clearly and simply, while honoring the elevated tone of her brand. Customers can browse craftsmanship notes, gemstone details, and quality assurances without feeling overwhelmed.

The Build Your Own Ring pages guide customers step by step through choosing a gemstone, selecting a setting, and understanding what makes her hand carved details so special. This supports both education and conversion.

Performance minded typography and SEO structure

Because her target audience often shops on mobile, I selected fonts that feel elevated and modern but also load quickly. This improves site speed, accessibility, and SEO ranking.

Technical decisions included:

• clean URL structure

• optimized image compression

• descriptive alt text for gemstone and ring photographs

• internal linking between collections

• product metadata structured for search visibility

These foundations help increase organic discovery for keywords such as handmade jewellery Toronto, custom engagement rings Toronto, unique sapphire rings, and heirloom fine jewellery.

The results

The final site feels like a romantic, old world studio brought to life online. Customers can navigate easily, learn about the brand’s values, and explore the custom process without confusion. The structure is thoughtful, the visuals are polished, and the entire experience reflects the artistry and integrity of Yuliya’s work.

From her testimonial:

“My website being outdated and not optimized for more sales. It no longer reflected the level of quality, craftsmanship and unique selling points my business offers my clients and needed a real refresh” .

After launch, she shared:

“You really listened to my unique needs and nailed the flow of a well put together website that reflects my multi faceted offerings. Your eye for color and visual layout made it all come together so nicely” .

And most importantly:

“The result is a beautiful website that truly reflects my business and is a perfect place for all my ideal clients to land and discover what I do best” .

Why this project worked

This project succeeded because the website now expresses exactly who YCJ is: a brand rooted in storytelling, heritage, and masterful craftsmanship. The structure supports both emotional connection and practical clarity, which are essential for fine jewellery shoppers.

What made this project effective:

• a design grounded in brand values

• clear pathways between ready to ship, custom, and build your own

• an elegant product page experience that educates without overwhelming

• performance oriented choices that strengthen SEO

• visual layouts that highlight craftsmanship and gemstone quality

• copy and structure that reflect old world romance with modern simplicity

The new site feels confident, beautiful, and aligned with her identity as an artist and goldsmith.

Key takeaways

• A jewellery website should feel like a calm, guided boutique experience

• Clear navigation reduces hesitation and improves conversions

• Storytelling and craftsmanship deserve prominent placement

• SEO structure helps attract customers beyond social referrals

• Small technical choices have a large impact on speed and trust

Ready to bring old world romance and modern design to life online?

If your jewellery brand needs a sophisticated, conversion minded Shopify website or brand identity that reflects your craft, I would love to help.