We all have our handful of apps that keep us (regrettably) glued to our phones from time to time. I like a virtual closet app that helps me keep track of my clothes and accessories, and I obsess over Feedly, which organizes my recipes. And then there’s Instagram, the obvious.
For my husband, it’s Reddit. He’s always chuckling about something he finds on there, and I’d never quite understood it. Until I started Googling health symptoms (don’t do it) and landed on a Reddit board I found immensely helpful. So I stayed. And that’s how I found the jewelry Reddit. Oh. my. goodness.
As a member of the industry, I have become fascinated by how consumers are talking about jewelry. Retailers and designers with some time to spare (or lose track of) might find some useful tidbits of information in the jewelry-related threads on Reddit.
While those offering opinions on Reddit represent only a portion of all consumers out there, it’s still evidence of how people think, feel, and react to jewelry. My recent favorite feed discusses jewelry trends—the thread is a year old, so quite a bit may have changed since then, but it still compels.
“Jewelry trends you hate?” was the question posed to Redditors, with 832 responses, ranging from passionate to peanut gallery. The OP (original poster) mentioned their distaste for stacking rings, and a surprising number of commenters echoed the sentiment.
“I don’t like the super-thin rings of the past handful of years,” said one. “Jewelers started marketing them about the time gold prices went sky-high. Coincidence? I think not.”
“YES, thank you, and jewelers using terms like ‘dainty,’ ‘delicate,’ etc. doesn’t make it any more appealing, all I see is an overpriced & very breakable 1mm band,” added another user.
Several people came to the defense of thin stacking rings, declaring their love for well-made, built-to-last pieces that look beautiful on the hands.
An interesting take on a continually popular trend is dislike of permanent jewelry. “As someone who works in healthcare and often needs their patients to remove their jewelry, it’s the stupidest inconvenience,” said one user. “The slogan should be ‘it’s like regular jewelry but less convenient,'” said another.
Other hot topics—jewelry labeled as gold that’s really vermeil (that’s a fair one to dislike); hidden halos; brown diamonds, toi et moi rings (people have very strong opinions on these, which surprised me); and a number of brand names, none of which will be mentioned here. You can have a look for yourself if curiosity gets the best of you—just be warned, you may fall down the rabbit hole too.
When I finally get to the end of the comments on this one thread, I have the entirety of the jewelry subreddit to consume—so apparently I don’t read books anymore, just Reddit.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
