Going into the holiday season, we can feel pretty confident that we know at least something about what customers want: Shoppers have been showing a preference for personalized jewels, talismanic designs, and custom pieces—things with meaning. Many of the pieces we’ve been labeling as in-demand have been relatively small—at least in the sense that they’re considered low-maintenance, easy to wear, and possible to leave on for long periods of time.
But there’s a somewhat unexpected category that feels prominent to note ahead of the holiday season: large gemstones. That’s big necklaces, cocktail rings, even gemstone-centric earrings.
This is happening for a few important reasons. First, customers—not all of them, certainly—are finding themselves with more disposable income at the moment. In light of quarantine, they haven’t been traveling or dining out. But they’re got this pent-up desire to spend some money, and they’re looking ahead to better times as they consider their purchases. For some, this means buying larger pieces of jewelry to wear perhaps now at home in sweatpants, but really for all those anticipated social engagements later on.
Some shoppers may have revenge spending on the brain, but they still want a good deal, and they want more bang for their buck. In many cases, this means bigger gemstones. As Diamondoodles’ Hannah Becker explained in a trends session at the JCK Virtual show, the high price of gold means settings are getting lighter on metal, making way for gemstones to take up the extra space. The less metal in a setting, the larger a stone can appear.
Reinforcing this thirst for big, bold color was the recent 2020 Emmy Awards telecast. While there wasn’t a traditional red carpet, there were still some stellar looks to discuss the next day. Emmy winner Zendaya sparkled in a standout Bulgari necklace, rich with amethysts, rubellite, and emeralds (plus plenty of pavé diamonds). Holland Taylor wore an incredible Irene Neuwirth Super Bloom necklace with large turquoise rounds framed in gold floral settings. And Kerry Washington chose emerald chandelier earrings and a massive matching cocktail ring from Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection.
While it’s imperative to ensure you’re well stocked with customizable, meaningful jewelry this holiday season, make sure you don’t skimp on big, beautiful gemstones.
Top: Ring in platinum with 8.02 ct. oval lavender spinel, 3 cts. t.w. round lavender spinels, and 0.19 ct. t.w. diamonds, $41,000; Omi Privé
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