Ever seen a product online that the pictures don’t do it justice, not conveying how it may look in your hands or intricate details. For jewellery this can be even more so as a flat 2D image just doesn’t show it at its best. Now fine jeweller, Gabriel & Co. has launched Gabriel Magic an app that lets customers view any piece of jewellery in its collection in virtual reality (VR).
Gabriel Magic is an app for iOS and Android devices that allows Gabriel & Co’s. jewellery to be rotated in 360-degrees, enabling customers to get the best view of it without seeing it in person, using a compatible VR head-mounted display (HMD). Consumers can get a Gabriel & Co. branded VR headset at Gabriel & Co.’s authorized retailers.
“Within a couple of years, not only will consumers be able to view the Gabriel & Co. collection through the Gabriel Magic tool, but they will also be able to shop through it,” said Jack Gabriel, co-founder of the brand. “It will be as natural as using a mobile app to purchase. This new technology will offer the consumers a completely new shopping experience.”
Gabriel & Co. launched the app in Las Vegas, Nevada, showcasing it to retailers from across the US. Jacques from Koerber’s Fine Jewelry, New Albany, Indiana commented: “It’s like an Atari, and it’s only going to get better.” While Nicki from SVS Fine Jewelry, Oceanside, New York said: “Wow, I’ve never seen something like this before! It will change retail as we know it.”
Retailers have been slowly coming round to the idea of using VR as a means of marketing products and getting customers more involved. Last year fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Rebecca Minkoff trialled VR by shooting their catwalk shows in 360-degrees, and last month a survey by Walker Sands said that 74 percent of shoppers surveyed anticipated that VR will have an impact on what they buy.
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