In addition to the commerce element, the app is also aimed at educating consumers about the Hearts of Fire brand through videos. The Hearts on Fire mobile app is available for free download from Apple’s App Store.

“Most people when shopping for diamond jewelry do their research online,” said Caryl Capeci, vice president of marketing at Hearts On Fire, Boston.

“We knew that whenever someone was shopping from us or going into a store, it would be helpful to look up all the product information,” she said.

Mobile cut
Users can browse through the Hearts on Fire catalog to view the company’s line of rings, earrings and necklaces.

Consumers can then customize pieces with metals, weight and sizes. Based on what information a user enters, the app then gives an estimate price for the item.

The company plans to integrate its mobile site into the app in future updates to let consumers buy directly from the app.

Hearts of Fire has also included four branded videos inside the app that showcase the quality of the company’s diamonds.

The videos range in length from 30 seconds to six minutes and give users an inside look at the company. For example, one video shows what one of the company’s diamond cutters is looking for in each diamond.

Virtual jewelry
Hearts on Fire claims that the app will be updated approximately every two weeks with content from its Web site.

Additionally, Hearts of Fire is also in the middle of revamping its Web site, which will correlate with what features are added.

For example, the company is looking to add a tool that will let users create their own engagement ring and comparison shop collections.

With the high number of iPhone and iPad users, the company decided to initially launch on iOS, but is also looking at other platforms such as Android in the future.

In addition to the app, Hearts of Fire also has a mobile site.

Being able to buy and learn more about a jewelry brand while on the go is a great way to educate consumers on a brand.

However, more importantly the app shows how consumers are comparison shopping more while in-store and expect to be able to find the best product from their devices.

For a jewelry brand such as Hearts of Fire, price and product comparison is a crucial part of buying, and having a mobile component is becoming more regularly used by companies.

Fred Meyer Jewelers also recently rolled out two mobile sites to let consumers shop from their handsets, for example (see story).

“Mobile is growing very quickly,” Ms. Capeci said. “The percentage of traffic from mobile devices is jumping by leaps and bounds, so we recognize that we need to give consumers mobile options.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York