Project Description

Gemfolio started from a personal need: my partner needed a proper system to showcase and sell jewelry online. Existing solutions were either too generic, too expensive, or lacked the specific features needed for jewelry retail.

What began as a custom solution is evolving into a product that can serve other small retailers facing the same challenges.

The Challenge

Jewelry retail has unique requirements:

• Product variants: Same design in different sizes, materials, or stones
• High-quality images: Jewelry needs detailed photos from multiple angles
• Stock tracking: Managing inventory across variants
• Dual-mode operation: Sometimes you want a catalog, sometimes a store

Generic e-commerce platforms handle this poorly or require expensive add-ons.

Key Features

Product Management

• Variant system: Define products with multiple options (size, material, color, stone type)
• HD photo galleries: Multiple high-resolution images per product
• Stock tracking: Real-time inventory per variant
• Collections: Organize products into thematic groups

Customer Experience

• Smart search: Find products by name, description, or attributes
• Advanced filtering: Narrow down by price, material, availability
• Local wishlist: Save favorites without requiring an account
• Responsive gallery: Beautiful product display on any device

Dual-Mode Operation

Switch between two modes based on your needs:

• Catalog mode: Show products without prices or cart (for in-store reference or lookbooks)
• Sales mode: Full e-commerce with pricing, cart, and checkout

AI Integration

AI-powered features to enhance the experience:

• Product description generation
• Smart recommendations
• Search improvement

Technical Architecture

Stack

• Astro: Static site generation for fast catalog pages
• React: Interactive components for search, filters, and cart
• Tailwind CSS: Modern, responsive styling
• Drizzle ORM: Type-safe database access
• PostgreSQL: Reliable data storage

Design Principles

• Performance first: Fast loading even with high-resolution images
• Mobile-friendly: Designed to browse on any device
• Easy to manage: Simple admin interface for non-technical users

Use Cases

For Jewelry Retailers

• Show collections to in-store customers
• Enable online browsing and purchasing
• Manage inventory across variants
• Share digital lookbooks

For Artisans

• Showcase portfolio of work
• Accept custom orders
• Track commissions and sales

Current Status

Gemfolio is in active development with a planned launch by late December 2025 or early January 2026. Core catalog functionality is working, with ongoing work on sales features and AI integration.

Business Model

Initially built for a specific need, Gemfolio will be offered as a product for other small jewelry retailers and artisans who need a professional online presence without the complexity of large e-commerce platforms.