These Are the 3 Macro Trends Guiding Stuller’s Gold Jewelry Assortment This Fall

By Victoria Gomelsky | September 18, 2024

There’s no better way to get a read on the fine jewelry market—from the headwinds and tailwinds affecting business to the trends driving sales—than to attend a three-day Bridge conference at Stuller.

The Lafayette, La.–based mega-supplier founded the Bridge conference series in 2011 and has since hosted multiple sessions annually (save, of course, for the pandemic year of 2020).

For the past decade, JCK has made Bridge the centerpiece of its fall travel schedule. We last attended in 2019 and when the lovely folks at Stuller invited us to come to the first Bridge event of 2024, we eagerly said yes.

The conference concluded Sept. 10, just a day before Hurricane Francine blew through this corner of Louisiana (aka the heart of Cajun country). Nearly 100 retailers attended the event, including a cohort of 20-something Aussies from Down Under (representing Nationwide Jewellers, a buying group based in New South Wales) and a fun, rowdy gang of 14 from Worthmore Jewelers in Atlanta.

*Four of the 14 members of the Worthmore Jewelers team that attended Bridge, including co-owners Geri and Harris Botnick (on far l. and far r., respectively)*

If they’re anything like us, they came for the in-depth education, including an engaging day 1 session focused on trend-spotting and curation, with an emphasis on gold jewels, and stayed for the epic Cajun hospitality.

Presented by Katelyn Meche, Stuller’s director of bridal merchandising, and senior designer Austin Zarobell, the hour-long session was like a mini masterclass on trends: what they are and how to spot and interpret them.

We came away from the presentation convinced that if you haven’t bought into the three gold trends outlined below, you’re leaving money on the table this season.

“More Is More”

“It’s all about maximalism,” Zarobell said in her opening remarks, which touched on why metal-heavy designs in yellow gold are resonating with fashion buyers. “Clothing silhouettes are oversized, you’re seeing lots of all-denim looks, metallic fabrics. Jewelry has to scale up to compete.”

Stuller gold dome ring — *Dome ring in 14k yellow gold, $2,514*

That explains the recent ubiquity of 1970s-esque puffed gold styles, chunky gold rings in domed shapes, and classic cigar bands. Zarobell also singled out huggie-style earrings (“Because of the price of gold, hollow is good,” she said), heavy link statement chains featuring mariner links, and free-form shapes that help “offset the puffy look, adding fluidity.”

Stuller gold hoops — *40 mm hoop earrings in 14k yellow gold, $2,118*

Meche said the spirit of maximalism is alive and well in the bridal category, too. “Women are wanting to wear chunkier, thicker styles,” she said, citing “wide shanks and bands both in engagement rings and wedding and anniversary bands” as popular choices.

Brides are also responding well to contour styles and sweeping organic shapes; clean, contemporary bezel settings; and bold multi-stone looks with fancy-shape center or side stones, Meche added.

“Coquette”

In sharp contrast to the “more is more” look, the second major trend driving gold sales this fall is all about being “fun, flirty, and feminine,” Zarobell said.

Stuller bow necklace — *Bow necklace in 14k yellow gold, $900*

Rife with nostalgic elements in a palette of pretty, poppy pastels, coquette-inspired jewels complement clothing adorned with details such as silk bows and lace ruffles. Think faceted stones paired with cabochons, whimsical motifs like bows, and flora and fauna in saturated colors like blue and green.

But if you’re looking for a single motif to represent the coquette trend, it’s the once-treacly, now-trendy heart—as seen in clasps, chain links, gemstone shapes, you name it.

Stuller garnet ring — *Five-stone ring in 14k yellow gold with Mozambique garnets, $1,506*

In the bridal space, the trend comes to life in the details, such as floral elements or filigree on galleries and shanks. Meche also pointed to fashion-forward ring enhancers, like pearl contour bands, as a way to add a dash of coquette to a bridal stack.

“It’s Personal”

The third and final macro trend driving jewelry sales, especially in gold, is—say it with us—personalization.

“It’s a juggernaut, but it’s evolving,” Zarobell said. “We’re seeing a lot of tarot and symbolism, like Taylor Swift’s cat signet ring, where the meaning is secondary or hidden.”

Stuller hamsa tarot necklace — *Hamsa hand tarot necklace in 14k yellow gold, $1,092*

From new, gold-centric takes on mother’s jewelry (think “mama bear” pendants in place of more traditional birthstone styles) to animal motifs (snakes!), from engravable charms with decorative details to zodiac signs and spiritual icons, the universe of personalized styles is vast—with plenty of room to accommodate all tastes.

Stuller mama bear pendant — *Mama Bear 18-inch necklace in 14k yellow gold with 0.03 ct. t.w. natural diamonds, $1,170*

The boom in personalization even, or especially, applies to bridal, Meche said, noting that demand for specially engraved wedding bands is on the rise. “We’ve seen it go to the next level with scenery engraved on bands,” she said, as an image of a wide gold wedding band engraved with a mountain scene appeared on her PowerPoint presentation.