Stuller identifies categories expected to fly off the shelves this season.
Amid the trials of the last year, the jewelry industry rose to the challenge, adapting to customers’ needs and seeing record sales. Customers—who went without weddings, holiday celebrations, and travel plans due the pandemic—decided to put that money into other luxuries like boats, pools, and, especially, fine jewelry and watches. Even as the country begins to open again, the jewelry industry is on track to beat even last year’s results, so retailers are gearing up for a blockbuster holiday selling season. So, what should you stock up on now?
JCK talked to Lafayette, La.–based jewelry manufacturer Stuller—which provides numerous retailers with a whopping 200,000 products, and next-day delivery service for most—to discover what items are expected to fly off the shelves this year. Emily Graffagnino, the company’s senior director of fine jewelry, identified four must-have categories.
Ear Party
Always a mainstay of holiday gifting, diamond studs are expected to sell well this holiday season. But Graffagnino notes that consumers aren’t wearing just one matching pair. “We’re seeing upward of six to seven earrings in one ear,” she notes. “That includes microstuds and huggies. We’re seeing a heavy interest in not only diamonds but colored [gems] too. Then there are the classic gold hoops, which remain strong.” Graffagnino emphasizes that gone are the traditional looks when it comes to earrings. “It doesn’t matter if the earrings match,” she says. “Women are curating a story on one side and then having a lot of fun with different shapes on the other. All the rules are broken.”
Make It Personal
Personalization has been the name of the game for the last several years, and this trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Meghan Markle was spotted in August wearing Gemini and Taurus constellation necklaces in honor of her children, sparking a frenzy for zodiac-themed pieces. But it doesn’t stop there. Charms, handwritten engravings, birthstones, dog tags, initials, dates, symbols of beliefs—anything that represents the individual is expected to sell. “These pieces are important to the wearer,” says Graffagnino.
Load Up on Lab-Grown
Lab-grown diamonds are increasingly popular with consumers, as the rock continues to make strides as an accepted alternative to natural diamonds. Younger generations, in particular, favor the stone, and because it is man-made, people can afford larger pieces that feature it. Graffagnino is seeing an interest in high-carat diamond hearts, studs, tennis necklaces and bracelets, and stackable chokers. “Lab-grown presents a lot of opportunity this holiday season,” she says. “People are buying bigger pieces—up to 7 cts.—and lab-grown gives customers savings.”
The Chain Gang
Finally, stores can’t go wrong with a classic chain necklace or bracelet. Graffagnino says Stuller has been providing stores with several prominent chain looks, including the Herringbone and Figaro styles. “The chain remains a hot look,” says Graffagnino. “There’s a lot of interest in buying great basics and wearing a lot more of them at one time. Again, whether it’s earrings or chains, the trend is buying the essentials and layering them up to create a personalized look.”
See these styles and more at stuller.com.