More than any particular cut, material, or style, however, one of the most talked-about trends of the show focused on quite a different consideration: price.
“We noticed most of the retailers that came by our booth and expressed interest in our brand said they sell fine jewellery, but were looking for something a bit different—something unique that had meaning behind it, but was also accessible and affordable,” says Naomi Traimer of Ontario-based MeditationRings.
Phillip Gavriel Maroof, president of Royal Chain Group, agrees.
“Recently, with rising prices, customers have moved more toward affordable, nonprecious metals,” he says. “My philosophy is getting fine jewellery back in the hands of the masses.”
To do this, Maroof is focusing on crafting designs that offer gold and silver at an accessible price point.
Indeed, Sean Polan of Italian jewellery brand Pesavento says, customers have made it very clear price plays an important role in their purchase decisions. To him, this means it’s necessary to offer a range of options.
“Instead of lots of $2000, $3000, or $4000 items, we have a lot more demographics to cover,” he says. “Our growth all happened when we made things more delicate and pricing hit a sweet spot.”
However, this doesn’t mean bigger, bolder styles are down for the count. Freydi Neuwirth Traurig of Gravure Commitment/Atlantic Engraving says buyers at this year’s high-end Luxury show were making braver fashion choices than in previous editions.
“I noticed the buyers to be bolder in their selections, going more out of the box than usual and being open to more fashion-forward and bolder styles—something we excel at,” she says.
