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S H O P ‘ T I L YA
It might just be the most fun you have this year — the
world’s best jewelry designers are coming to Vegas and it’s YOU
they want to meet. To make sure you’re up to speed on what’s hot
and what’s oh-so 2005, we’ve picked the brains of some of the
industry’s top pundits, sourced images of what will be on
show and polled your peers to find out what’s
happening in markets across North America.
In terms of overall trends, the circle
revolution looks set to continue,
with designers
seeking to
excite overly
familiar
customers
with new
circle types, as well as brandnew geometric shapes. (Ladies and
gentlemen, introducing the square!) Pastel
gemstone colors are out — back are traditional colors like red,
blue and purple. In earrings, there’s great news for stretched-out
earlobes — heavy, flashy earrings are out, and small is in. As for
specific product categories, consider traveling alongside the
Diamond Promotion Service as they promote Journey diamond
jewelry this fall. Also, try buying jewelry with uncut gems — yes,
give those gem-cutters a break and just set some rough in a stone.
Also, that flower and animal jewelry you love to hate? It’s ba-aack. And, gold prices be darned, manufacturers are trying to
replace those stacks of bangles with statement-making cuffs in a
variety of materials. Finally, if you’re ready to gamble in Vegas
(or wherever you buy this summer), we’ve got some potential
expansion categories: cool non-jewelry products, a brand-new
metal to watch and even pet jewelry ... woof, woof!
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3
OVERALL TRENDS
STYLE COUNSEL
OUTSIDE THE
“
Shapes that are hot are
circles, ovals, ovoids and
variations on these as well as
squares and rectangles.
Designers are even using
geometric links of different
materials to set off the design.”
CIRCLE
Cindy Edelstein
JEWELER’S RESOURCE BUREAU; PELHAM, NY
“
The geometric look continues in the gold category
with more than just circles — new shapes such as
squares, triangles and discs are expanding the trend.”
Summary: Circles getting a new spin, plus
designers expand to other geometric shapes
Duvall O’Steen
WORLD GOLD COUNCIL; NEW YORK, NY
“
Different size and shape links look best, especially
gold, rose-gold and white-gold combinations.”
4
Shaye Strager
5
STUDIO PR; NEW YORK , NY
RETAILER FEEDBACK
*Jewelry designer
STAR PICK
73
%
N O
Y E S
Is this a product category you’d consider
adding for the 2006 holiday season?
27
FERN
FREEMAN strikes the 18K and
22K yellow gold when it’s hot
to create this hammered,
rectangle link necklace.
%
RETAILER RESPONSES: 252
Studio
œ Great success with
MYSTERE collection by
HEARTS ON FIRE. Not
everyone wants the same
plain Jane circle — jazz it up!
—Tom Ozment Jr; Fincher &
Ozment Jewelers
œ Simply put, it’s the hottest
item to come down the line in
a while. We sold out twice
this past Christmas and also
did very well at Valentine’s
Day. It will continue on! —
Bill Warren; The Gold Mine
œ The circles were such a hit
at Christmas that we do
intend to keep them in stock,
but will watch them carefully.
Once a strong trend like this
catches on, the fakes come
out in force and will usually
kill sales for the “real thing”.
—Vicki Cunningham;
Cunningham Fine Jewelry
œ Although it’s getting a bit
tired, it is lightweight,
diamond-driven and popular
— but I’d definitely go for
new shapes! — Eve J. Alfille;
Eve J. Alfille Gallery and
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JUNE 2006
œ All the circles bought for
Christmas came back and
were exchanged for better
basics. — Shawn Cormier;
Cormier Jewelers
DESCRIPTIONS
1 SANGINI fits a round diamond in a square pendant
with this classy 18K yellow and white-gold design.
œ We’ve done well with
circles and think other
geometric shapes will do well.
People like to be different —
the circles sales will dwindle.
— Terry and Sandy Smith;
GoldSmith Jewelers
œ I don’t like the look. It
reminds me of the old
virginity jewelry. — Pam and
Russ Shoemaker; Stories in
Stones
œ I have found circles to be a
dead end. A customer comes
in with a $299 price point in
mind and a nicer circle
pendant is $600-$700. It’s
hard to pull them over on the
quality difference. This is the
only item I’ve experienced
this with recently. Since I
won’t carry junk I’m going to
avoid them. — Mark Snyder;
Snyder Jewelers
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2
CHAD ALLISON scores extra points for combining
the equally trendy nature and shape themes. Round
brilliant diamonds are set throughout, even on the bale.
3
1
2
JODI RAE DESIGNS creates a concentric look with
her BARB 2 COLLECTION’S sterling-silver pendant and
18K yellow-gold pendant and earrings set with
diamonds.
6
4
THE STUCKEY CO.’S new bridal pendant takes the
geometric trend in a symbolic direction with
interlocking yellow-gold circles set with diamonds.
5 DALUMI GROUP joins the ranks of designers
moving toward ovals, with these diamond-set whitegold earrings.
6
Now part of the concentric crowd is LATA K
but the company uses contrasting squares in
diamond-set 18K white-gold and agate.
DESIGNS,
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OVERALL TRENDS
3
STYLE COUNSEL
“
Buttons, studs, and all
sweet shapes close to the
ear are coming back in vogue.
Whether the style is feminine
or whimsical, make sure it
complements your face shape!
Contrast is best, especially for round and oval faces.”
Shaye Strager
STUDIO PR, NEW YORK, NY
“
Designers have cleaned up their act and so are
women. It’s less gobs and gobs of jewelry and more
basics like button earrings and studs — studs are the
hot item as women return to basics.”
4
NO FEARS
FOR EARS
Summary: Last year’s earlobe-stretching styles
are history. This year, it’s small and tasteful.
Michelle Orman & Jessica Milstein
LÜP; NEW YORK, NY
“
Asscher-cut studs are getting hotter as women
turn a classic into something more modern.”
DESCRIPTIONS
Judd Rottenberg
1 Simply beautiful are
these 18K white gold earrings
from JANE TAYLOR . Squarecut amethysts secured with
enlarged prongs are
surrounded by round brilliant
diamonds.
LONG’S JEWELERS; BURLINGTON, MA
RETAILER FEEDBACK
85% 15%
RETAILER RESPONSES: 245
œ Any trend in earring sales
œ This has always been
should be followed closely.
This is the easiest category to
get women to shop for
themselves. No woman can
have too many earrings. —
Timothy Flowers; Charles
Koll Jewelers
bread-and-butter in our area.
Now we can increase and
reach both our “regulars” and
the “trend setters”. — Leann
Stokes; Stokes Jewelry
Services
œ With the price of gold
œ Our small town is always
œ We always seemed to do
better with ear-hugging
earrings anyway. A few select
customers have liked the
dangle but most have stuck to
the more traditional ...
especially in the higher pricepoint earrings. — Sarah
Hurwitz; Colonial Jewelers
œ We still have buttons,
small drops and studs left
over from the last time they
were “in”! — Craig Husar;
Lyle Husar Designs
JUNE 2006
œ Small earrings are a must
for the working woman. —
Terry Parresol; Parresol
Jewelers
being sky-high, we’d love
smaller, more affordable
options. — Brian Holman;
Holman Jewelers
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2 For a classic look, try
these 18K white-gold studs
from RAND. Pavé-set backings
add to the high-fashion style.
N O
Y E S
Is this a product category you’d consider
adding for the 2006 holiday season?
so far behind the trends that
we’ll be able to buy threaders
as close-outs! — Carla Ann
Hillies; Diamond Works
œ Small earrings, big
earrings, as long as they buy
them! I hope that the return
of the 4.00 TWC diamond
stud is “in” this season, too! —
Sarah Priest; Forever
Jewelers
œ They are more timeless
and classic. I hated the
chandeliers! — Ila Manners;
Goldiggers Jewelers
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*Designer
5
STAR PICK
SLANE & SLANE puts a bug on your ear, instead of
inside it, with these gold earrings set with diamonds and
aquamarines that feature a bee as a central design element.
6
1
2
3
JAMIE WOLF is looking
over her four-leaf clover as
part of her recent natureinspired series. These 18K
yellow-gold earrings feature
bezel-set diamonds.
4 These 20K gold earrings
from COOMI are set with rosecut diamonds. This old cut for
diamonds is making new
friends as today’s women go
for antique-looking jewelry.
5
Designer JESSICA FIELDS
capitalizes on the circle trend
and the nature trend with
LEAF LOOP — these 18K
yellow-gold and ruby earrings.
6 The most precious of
gemstones and metals come
together in these platinum
stud-earrings set with round
brilliant diamonds created by
MAEVE GILLIES.
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OVERALL TRENDS
STYLE COUNSEL
“
Pastel colors may fall from favor with ‘deep jewel
hues’ taking their place, namely (ruby) red,
(sapphire) blue and (emerald) green.”
Shaye Strager
STUDIO PR; NEW YORK, NY
“
Popular color combinations include orange and blue,
purple and green, and a variety of luminescent hues.”
Deborah Yonick
“THE JEWELRY LADY”; GLEN ROCK, PA
“
Pastels tend to go when the weather gets colder.
Purple and green are hot colors for spring and
summer 2006. Purple will still be an important color in
fall 2006 fashions, but not as important as it is now.”
3
IN LIVING
COLORS
4
Summary: Drop those ice-cream flavor colors,
this year’s hottest hues are classically rich.
Helena Krodel
5
JEWELRY INFORMATION CENTER; NEW YORK, NY
DESCRIPTIONS
RETAILER FEEDBACK
1
75
N O
Y E S
Is this a product category you’d consider
adding for the 2006 holiday season?
%
25
%
2
From LORINCZI JEWELRY
comes BRANCH RING, made
from sterling silver with 23K
gold vermeil set with garnets.
6
RETAILER RESPONSES: 252
œ I’m sick of pale stones! —
Gary L. Hill, Leo Hamel &
Co. Fine Jewelry
œ Women like color, and
traditional colors are safer for
women self-purchasers. —
Dorothy Vodicka, The Gem
Collection
œ “We have heard big color
is what’s selling so we have
chosen larger looks and basic
colors.” — Tina Snelling,
Pugh’s Diamond Jewelers
œ No doubt about it —
color sells if you have the
right pieces so we have
expanded our circle
pendant into colored-stone
circle pendants. They are
also hot as we sell them
for anniversaries and
birthdays. — Lisa Corbin,
Tompkins Jewellers Ltd
œ These colors sell
themselves; pastel didn’t go
well for us. — Faye Berman,
Robert Jewelers
œ Purple seems to be getting
a lot of attention (it’s the new
pink)...and it doesn’t hurt that
it’s my favorite color. —
David Lindsay, Purdy’s
3
Jewelry designers like
lapis lazuli for its rich, deep
blue color. KAREN ASTRACHAN
DESIGNS uses plenty of it in this
necklace that also features 14K
gold accents.
Jewellery & Gems
œ Clear white stones are bo-r-i-n-g. The fashionjewelry market is dominated
by the female self-purchaser.
Our ladies want to step out
of tradition, if only
temporarily, and to express
their fun and fashionable
side. Show them colorful
pieces that are current — but
that still stand out in terms
of color. Colors that are
selling well for us besides
clear colorless stones are:
blue sapphire, light and dark
pink sapphire, Swiss blue
topaz, yellow canary,
champagne, and citrine. —
Au-Co Mai, Emitations.com
MAHLIA COLLECTION
created ABINAYA , gold domeshaped earrings with delicate
scroll detailing, plus detachable
emerald and diamond drops.
*
4 Tanzanite is best suited
for brooches, like this design
from ERIC COHEN . Done in high
karatage yellow gold, the
trillion-cut tanzanite, along
with diamonds and pearls, is
set in white gold.
STAR PICK
LAURA GIBSON loves color and it shows with this 22K yellow
gold necklace and matching earrings set with amethyst,
prehnite, peridot, tanzanite, purple rhodolite, chrysoberyl
and chrome diopside.
2
œ Back to basics seems to
resonate with my customer
base. — Lawrence Allphin,
Allphin Jewelers
7
5 MARIA T embraces the
purple trend with 18K yellow
gold castle-top earrings set
with amethyst and diamonds.
6
MARILYN F. COOPERMAN
uses emerald in her SHADOW
RIBBON made from textured,
high-karatage gold.
œ Our color business has
improved dramatically over
the last year by featuring
these very colors. We have
done best with jewelry
from BELLARRI and
LIVINGSTONE. — Vicki
Cunningham, Cunningham
Fine Jewelry
7
It might take forever to
tire of COOMI’S ETERNITY ring.
Made in 22K yellow gold, the
ring features assorted fancy
colored sapphires and rubies.
1
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