56 Percent Of Jewelers Surveyed Report Sales Gains In December

Tom Kruskal is always No. 1! — Mary Jo Chanski, Hannoush Jewelers, Rutland, VT

• Hearts On Fire and anything that was larger diamond. Not as much the fine melee look. — Natasha Henderson, Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, Bend, OR
• Southern Gate by Cargo Hold, anything rose gold, morganite, oval diamond solitaire. — Tim Sherrer, Lou’s Jewelry, Mobile, AL
• A lot of custom pieces, especially lab-grown diamonds with “hidden halos.” A new look, but so pretty! — Beth Cevasco, Scott’s Custom Jewelers, Dublin, OH
• Artistry and Southern Gates by Cargo Hold because of the lower price points. Bassali, Zeghani and Luvente for those who wanted to spend a bit more. — Doreen Vashlishan, Werkheiser Jewelers, Bethlehem, PA
• Layering necklaces were by far the biggest trend. We also sold a lot of the basics this year — sapphire, ruby, emerald — which is actually unusual for us. But color sales in general were strong. This was not the year for tennis bracelets, rivieras and studs. Top brands: Simon G, Amali, Todd Reed and Omi Privé. (I had to seriously think twice about mentioning Amali … We are doing really well with it and I don’t want anyone else near us to get the line … ) — Melissa Quick, Steve Quick Jeweler, Chicago, IL
• Diamond hoops; estate rings, especially engagement rings from the 1920s-1950s; sapphire rings from Empire Corporation; Carla gold earrings. All jewelry that could be worn every day casually or to work. Nothing fancy, but also nothing very minimal. — Dorothy Vodicka, The Gem Collection, Tallahassee, FL
• Can anyone say enough about Stuller? With the pandemic, with a cyber-attack on them, with weather issues, they consistently came through with good service, products that moved and true help for their accounts. Amazing. — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA
• Diamond stud earrings. Because … masks and Zoom calls. — Andrea Riso, Talisman Collection, El Dorado Hills, CA
• Custom work and Hulchi Belluni. Custom work is always in demand, even when you can’t go shopping, and Hulchi is new and amazing. — Ralph Vandenberg, Vandenbergs Jewellers, Edmonton, AB
• Earrings are almost always on top, but this year it was all different blues. I haven’t sold so much Pantone color of the year since “Lime Green” peridot. — Sherrie Schilling-Devaney, Sherrie’s Jewelry Box, Tigard, OR
• Sold a lot of sterling silver. Reflections In Silver was a big help! — Tommy Thobe, The Village Gem, Perry Hall, MD
• Diamond studs. In times of economic crisis, people gravitate towards classic and understated pieces of jewelry. — Jennifer Hornik Johnson, Miller’s Jewelry, Bozeman, MT
• Citizen quartz watches (quartz, not Eco-Drive) and lab-grown diamond stud earrings were both top sellers. Otherwise, sales were good in almost all categories. — James Sickinger, Sickinger’s Jewelry, Lowell, IN
• Diamond tennis bracelets, diamond ear studs and classic pearl studs seemed to be a hot spot. Then brands like Serafino Consoli and Elizabeth Locke performed well for us. Breitling watches were a hot spot in our timepiece department. — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
• Rolex, never seen the demand so strong in all my years as a dealer. David Yurman had a strong December. And basic diamonds; earrings especially were very strong. — Tom Duma, Thom Duma Fine Jewelers, Warren, OH
• We did awesome with Gabriel & Co. diamond fashion pieces, especially stack style rings and $500-$1,500 necklaces. We sold quite a few diamonds-by-the-yard style necklaces and diamond studs this year as well. — Lucy Conklin, Toner Jewelers, Overland Park, KS
• Suzanne Kalan: color, boho chic and price point. Our custom engagement rings were our top seller. — Elizabeth Saba, Presley Co. Fine Jewelers, San Diego, CA
• We sold a lot of William Henry! Men are definitely getting into jewelry, and I think women appreciate having a nice gift option that isn’t tech! We also sold a lot of diamond fashion pieces — pendants and studs mostly! — Becky Bettencourt, Blue River Diamonds, Peabody, MA
• Marathon‘s convertible bracelet line was the number one seller in terms of volume. This is a great “add on” as well as revenue generator with customers always adding clasps to the initial purchase as everyday gifts. Plus, the price is right! — Joe Caron, Caron’s Jewelry, Bristol, RI