‘Can They Wait Any Longer?’ Late, Late Rush Turns Holiday Season into a Terrific One

It was touch and go for a while, but this year’s holiday season ended as one for the books, with many independent jewelers enjoying record sales for the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

According to INSTORE’s final Holiday Season Mini Survey, almost two-thirds of the participating jewelers rated the season positively, with 36 percent describing it as “excellent.” That was up from just 16 percent in the week heading into Christmas.

“It was a very slow and worrisome start, however the last three days were record-breaking,” said Krystal Shiklanian, owner of Radiant Fine Jewelry in Plymouth, MI.

Added Loann Stokes of Stokes Jewelry in Stillwater, MN: “It started very, very weak. We didn’t get the surge until two days before Christmas. Can they wait any longer!?!? I am not sure it’s worth the stress anymore.”

And at Lou’s Jewelry in Mobile, AL, it was a similar story: “We had a throwback Christmas tennis bracelet and three stones! The last day was the big day with people standing in line to be helped. It was like a dream come true,” said owner Tim Sherrer.

Fifty-five percent of the survey respondents said their sales were up over last year, compared to only 19 percent who said they were worse. A similar share of jewelers, 53%, reported their average ticket was up over the 2024 holiday season, with more than a third saying their average sale topped $1,000.

While custom-designed jewelry, lab-grown diamonds and perennial seasonal hot sellers like diamond earrings drove sales, the higher ticket values were supported by soaring metals prices.

“In general, customers were willing to spend despite higher prices, due to rising gold and silver prices and tariffs,” said James Sickinger, whose store, Sickinger’s Jewelry in Lowell, IN, posted all-time record sales on the day before Christmas Eve.

While sales were up, several jewelers noted that foot traffic was down, more affluent customers were taking up the slack for their more constrained peers, and for the first-time in many years, customers were balking at repair quotes because of record high gold and silver prices. Others worry the lab-grown bubble will burst.

All in all, it suggests 2026 will be another exciting and challenging year for independent jewelers.

“Foot traffic was way down, our total revenue was way up, the number of sales was way down. January, however, has lots of projects ready to get going on. It was a strange feeling season,” summed up Ellie Thompson, of Ellie Thompson + Co in Chicago, IL.