One of my favorite things to shop for online is jewelry, because I often struggle with shopping for it in-person. A lot of jewelry racks tend to be visually cluttered or crowded with small price tags, and it can be challenging to visualize how a piece can be incorporated with existing items in my wardrobe, especially under fluorescent lights. I switched to exclusively online shopping after my favorite jewelry store closed in college, but it still took a lot of trial and error to figure out what I liked. Having access to image descriptions for jewelry within shopping listings has helped me tremendously with not just learning what styles I like, but visualizing what types of styles will work well for me. Here are my tips for how to write image descriptions for jewelry, from the perspective of someone with low vision who is almost always wearing a necklace and set of earrings.
What is an image description? What is alt text?
Image descriptions are text-based descriptions of visual details in an image written primarily for people who are visually impaired (inclusive of blind/low vision/neurological visual impairment). Image descriptions are similar to alt text descriptions that are used by screen readers to recognize images, though there are a few key differences between alt text and image descriptions:
- Location. Alt text is typically attached to an image metadata or added in the “alt text” box on social media. Image descriptions may be in the image caption, in a text post, or otherwise incorporated into a social media post.
- Visibility. Alt text is usually only visible to screen readers, which read the alt text out loud or display it on a braille display. Image descriptions are “exposed” and can be read by anyone. Saving an image does not save its alt text.
- Length of text. While alt text is typically limited to 100-250 characters, image descriptions can be the same length or even longer, since they are included in the photo caption, in a text post, or text link.
- Level of detail. Image descriptions tend to go more in-depth about visual details than alt text due to the larger character limit.
I recommend including both alt text and image descriptions when posting content on social media so that everyone can read descriptions of images, not just screen reader users- especially since many users with low vision do not use screen readers when browsing social media. I personally prefer accessing image descriptions because they can be rendered in large print sizes, unlike alt text that may appear smaller or only when hovering.
Related links
- How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the Visually Impaired
- How To Write Video Descriptions For TikTok
How to post alt text on popular shopping platforms and image descriptions
When it comes to posting alt text and image descriptions for visually impaired audiences, I recommend posting image descriptions in the caption of a post or listing with the label “Image Description:” or “ID:”, and embedding alt text into the image when uploading. Since alt text disappears if the user saves the image to their own device, I recommend including both alt text and image descriptions in a post.
How to add alt text to Etsy (known as text alternative)
- Go to Shop Manager
- Select Listings, and then select a listing
- Hover over an image and select the Pencil icon. A text box will appear
- Type alt text in the text box and select save
- Repeat for additional images
How to add alternative text to Shopify
- From the Shopify admin page, go to Products (Products > All Products on mobile)
- Select the name of a product to edit
- From the product details page, select a media item to view the Preview Media page.
- Select add alt text. Users on mobile may need to select the three dot icon
- Type alt text and then select save alt text
- Select the X icon to exit the Preview Media page
How to add alt text to Squarespace products
- On the Store page, hover over a product and double-click it
- Hover over the product image, and select the three dot icon that appears
- Select Edit Metadata
- Add desired alt text to the alt text field
- Select Apply
Related links
How to write alt text for jewelry
Alt text for jewelry is intended to be about 250 characters long, or a maximum of twelve words. In this context, alt text is read by a screen reader and is what will likely get someone using assistive technology to open a listing and read for additional details. With that in mind, examples of information to include when writing alt text for jewelry include:
- Type of jewelry displayed in the image, such as hoop earrings or a statement necklace. No need to describe what that type of style looks like at this point, as the viewer likely knows that hoop earrings are circular and statement necklaces are very detailed.
- Dominant colors or materials, such as purple ceramic or pearls. The color of metal can also be included, such as sterling silver or gold karat values.
- General size of jewelry. This can be basic descriptions like tiny, small, medium, large, or oversized. More specific measurements can be described later. Alternatively, specific carat information can be included for gemstones.
- Shape of jewelry, such as horizontal silver bar necklace or cat earrings
- Cut of stone if relevant, such as princess cut diamond ring or cabochon amethyst earrings.
- Specific aesthetic for the jewelry, such as steampunk, boho, minimalist, etc.
- Any relevant text included in an image
Wow, that sounds like a lot of information to include in a small space! Chances are though that at least some of this is already located in the title of the listing, which will be read out first when navigating shopping websites. With that in mind, information from the title of the listing doesn’t necessarily need to be repeated, or only the most important details can be included. A good question to ask is “what do I want people to notice the most about this image?”
What to exclude when writing alt text for jewelry
Examples of details to exclude in alt text for jewelry include:
- Name of the product, which is already read out loud in the link title by screen readers and may not provide much description
- Price of the product, which can change over time. The exception is if the price is written directly on the image
- Information about the model or background of the image, unless it is relevant for people purchasing the product- I don’t care that the earrings are sitting on a leaf, but I do want to know if the earrings are on the upper part of the ear instead of the earlobe
- Subjective thoughts on jewelry, such as if it is pretty, trendy, or ugly. A key goal of alt text is to allow the viewer to come to their own conclusion about how they should feel about an image
How to write image descriptions for jewelry
Image descriptions are located in the caption of a social media post, pinned as a comment, or included as part of a product listing so that the content can be enlarged with browser zoom, read with text-to-speech, or otherwise made accessible to those who benefit from having additional context when looking at an image. Since image descriptions generally don’t have a character limit, there is more flexibility when it comes to including detailed information. I recommend including image descriptions for product images and also providing a transcription of size charts so that the information is easier to read.
Helpful information to include when writing image descriptions for jewelry include:
- The type of jewelry being shown and 2-3 interesting details about it. When choosing what details to describe, consider which details of a product are likely to be noticed, such as the shape of a pendant, the color of beads, or specific patterns.
- Color of jewelry, including metal type, color of gemstones, or other elements. Since gemstones can come in multiple colors, it is helpful to clarify what color is shown, and share if there is a specific pattern for how items are arranged (such as one stone surrounded by smaller stones)
- Measurements of the item, i.e earrings with a 0.5 inch drop or a necklace with a 24-inch long chain
- Item weight, which is separate from shipping weight
- Clasp/closure information for necklaces, bracelets, or specialty backs for earrings. This can be especially relevant for customers with fine motor or dexterity challenges
- Materials used in the jewelry, such as 24K gold, rhodium plating, leather/bone, beads, and similar details
- Metal or material texture, if relevant. This could be hammered metal, a high polish finish, or if there are 3D details in a pendant
Having items tagged with materials when searching for specific products is tremendously helpful, as is filtering by size/weight. If a person is modeling the jewelry in any product images, it can also be helpful to include things like their wrist size, ring size, or if multiple pieces are layered/stacked together.
Related links
Examples of alt text and image descriptions from my personal jewelry collection
To better explain how to write image descriptions for jewelry, I’ve grabbed a few pieces from my own jewelry collection and written a few examples below:
- Alt text: Yellow and gold ceramic sun charm on gold chain. Image description: A rounded ceramic charm with a gold painted sun against a yellow background, measuring 3/4 inch long. Shown on a 18-inch 24K yellow gold chain with a lobster clasp, weighing approximately 2 ounces total. Product images show item in pink display box (included) and layered with blue cloud necklace from shop (not included).
- Alt text: Small round rose quartz hook earrings surrounded by sterling silver. Image description: Round rose quartz gemstones surrounded by a thin frame of sterling silver, measuring 2.9 centimeters long and 1.1 centimeter wide. Earrings have a hook back and high polish finish. Minor variations in color and size expected due to natural gemstones used.
- Alt text: Lightweight gold deer antler post earrings. Image description: One inch lightweight stud earrings with thin gold wire shaped to resemble deer antlers, made by hand. The earrings rest alongside the base of the earlobe, and have a 3/8 inch post for securing to the ear. Also shown in silver.
- Alt text: Formal tiara statement necklace. Image description: 16-inch silver necklace with linked ball chains designed to resemble a tiara or crown, with heart shape patterns woven towards the ending of the chain extending 10 millimeters wide. Lobster claw clasp has a 1.5-inch extension and high polish finish. Necklace weighs 0.5 ounces and is shown in jewelry bag.
More resources on writing alt text and image descriptions for jewelry
- Curious how I store jewelry? Learn more in Organizing Jewelry With Vision Loss
- Another tool that has been helpful when shopping for jewelry is Stylebook, a digital closet app that makes it easier to see how different items look with my existing wardrobe. Learn more in How I Use The Stylebook App With Low Vision
- Is jewelry not the focal point of the outfit? I share more tips for writing image descriptions in How To Write Alt Text For Casual Outfits and How To Create Image Descriptions For Red Carpet Looks
Published May 11, 2020. Updated November 2024