We have walked a Thin Line between having a website focused on Adult Sexuality Jewelry and a “Porn Site” since the very beginning of publicly offering our designs.
A brief background history: Oz and Zia marry and have a household with no children. After the Studio was set up, Oz shows Zia (who had never been in an Adult Store her entire life) a catalog with Nipple Jewelry and asks if she might be interested in having a pair. She quickly responds: No. They are cheap, ugly and look like they hurt. Oz says: Well, you are a Metalsmith, why don’t you design something?
Challenge accepted.
They spend a delightful 18 months playing with and refining designs for their own personal use. When attending a Holiday Gathering, all adults, the topic of conversation turns to Adult Shops and their Adult Merchandise. Oz and Zia lock eyes with mutual realization of other Couples looking for items that were well made and not sleazy. Sensual Silver was officially born.
The internet was in its infancy. Of course, the hard core porn sites flourished with graphic descriptions, video and CD products and photos that hurt your eyes. We ventured into the website with great reserve. How to separate our audience and message from hard core sex? One of our first lessons was paying for clicks…….we had posted an image of an attractive woman wearing a sexy red outfit and one of our designs. We paid for a LOT of Clicks on the image, with not one order!!!
After that first experience, we then had a few product images with one of the new payment processors. Soon, they merged with another online sales venue that objected to the use of the name “Cockring”. When I refused to change it, they closed our account.
We attended CES the following January, where the company had a very large display in the Convention Concourse. I asked to speak with someone about my issue and was told to come back in a hour. When I returned, I was told to speak with a dark haired young man and explained our situation to him. I am unsure exactly with whom I had this conversation regarding the difference between Adult Sex and Porn, but became aware that other people were listening. I explained this company was missing out on an important and mature demographic and source of income. I was told he would look into it.
Two months later, we received an email telling us our account was reinstated, as well as others on the same level.
To this day, we refuse to publish graphic images of how our products work and look when worn or used. Do we have them? Of course. I have one phone that has only these images. We will not use graphic images in ads or put them on our websites for just anyone to view.
These images are reserved for serious customers, who have specific questions about form and function. Some of our conversations are almost mechanical in nature because we know if something does not fit properly or designed with the correct measurements, they will not function as designed.
Our customers are those individuals who treasure the Gift of Human Sexuality and make sure their shared experiences are of the highest and most pleasurable possible.
We call is Gourmet Sexuality.
Ring of Kings 