A jewellery store that looks like the jewellery
Mirela had a basic Shopify store. Fine gold. Lab-grown diamonds. The site didn't match.
I take 1–2 projects at a time.
The Problem
Mirela came to me with a basic Shopify store. Curaye sells hallmarked 9ct gold and lab-grown diamond studs — pieces you wear every day, priced like it. The store looked like a starter theme.
She runs the brand around a full-time job. Two weeks. Not a six-month from-scratch rebuild. I used an existing theme as the base, then customised it in code until it stopped looking like that theme.
The challenge:
- A generic Shopify look for a jewellery brand
- Three named pieces treated like a normal catalogue
- Gold, diamonds and shipping buried away from the buy button
- Two weeks to get it live
What I Changed
1. Custom build, theme as the base
- Started from an existing Shopify theme so we weren't drawing the house from scratch
- Then customised the code — layout, product pages, the bits a theme editor can't do
- Photography-led homepage. Quiet type. No clutter fighting the gold
Why this worked: The photography was already good. The store was getting in the way. Custom work on a theme base got us there in two weeks.
2. The menu is the range
- The Paperclip, The Fifteen, The One Carat, Our Story
- Three pieces. That's the shop. No "Shop all" dump
- Each piece gets its own page instead of hiding in a collection grid
Why this worked: People buying $1,295 studs don't want 40 SKUs. They want the piece, then the story.
3. Product pages that answer the expensive questions
- Carat, colour, clarity and 9ct gold on the product page, not in a PDF
- Free express shipping and 9ct gold next to add to cart
- Details, Materials & Care, Shipping & Returns as accordions so the buy button stays put
Why this worked: Jewellery buyers check the gold and the returns before they check out. If that's missing, they leave.
Product page for The One Carat — materials, shipping and add to cart on the same screen
The Results
Live in two weeks
Custom build on an existing theme. Tight catalogue. Tight timeline.
Three named pieces, each with its own page
The One Carat, The Fifteen, The Paperclip. Navigation matches how the brand actually sells.
The store looks like the jewellery
Hallmarked gold, express shipping, 30-day returns on non-pierced pieces — on the homepage, not buried.
"Jus has been fantastic to work with on my Shopify store. He's quick to respond, explains things clearly, and handles changes and updates without any fuss — genuinely reassuring when you're running a business around a full-time job and don't have time to chase things up. Reliable, easy to communicate with, and clearly cares about getting the details right. Highly recommend him if you need someone dependable for your website. Will def use him again!!"
— Mirela, Founder, Curaye
What I Learned
1. A theme as the base is still a custom build
You don't always start from a blank file. Use a theme for the bones, then write the bits the editor can't do. Faster than from scratch. More control than a theme setup.
2. Named products beat a catalogue
Curaye doesn't sell "studs". It sells The One Carat. The menu should say that.
3. Materials belong next to the price
9ct gold, lab-grown diamonds, shipping, returns. If that's below the fold, you're asking people to trust you on vibe.
Want a store built to convert like this?
Custom builds from $7,500 AUD — fixed quote after we talk. Or start with a $699 audit if you want a clear fix list first.
I take 1–2 projects at a time — your deposit holds your spot.
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