ASK JEWELERS where gold is headed in 2026 and you’ll get answers spanning $7,000 — literally. In INSTORE’s November Brain Squad survey, predictions ranged from a retreat to $3,000 an ounce to a surge past $10,000, with plenty of stops in between.
“Gold will stabilize in 2026 but only when it hits $6,000,” predicts Tim W. of Yorktown, VA. Eric S. of West Springfield, MA, goes further: “Gold hits $10,000 per ounce and all of us long-time jewelers scrap our entire inventory and retire as very wealthy individuals.” He labeled that one “outlandish” — but he wasn’t alone in floating the number.
Others are betting on a pullback. “Gold will fall below $3,200 by March,” says Marc M. of Midland, TX. Bill E. of Terre Haute, IN, sees it landing “below $3,000 by the end of the year.” And Steven W. of Chatham, MA, offered a more philosophical take: “In a tulip-bulb moment, someone will realize that gold is just a metal.”
The practical impact of high gold prices is already being felt. “Gold will continue to rise and cause designs to get lighter,” notes Betsy B. of San Francisco. Barry F. of Bardonia, NY, warns that “price of gold going very high will put some mom-and-pop jewelry stores out of business.”
On the diamond front, a clear consensus emerged: natural is poised for a comeback, and lab-grown has further to fall.
“Gold hits $10,000 per ounce and all of us long-time jewelers scrap our entire inventory and retire as very wealthy individuals.”
“Natural diamonds skyrocket in sales over lab,” predicts Tom N. of Spencer, IA. Angela C. of Atascadero, CA, sees “natural diamond engagement rings will continue their climb back up.” And James D. of Kingston, NH, puts it bluntly: “Lab-grown diamonds will disappear as they become the equivalent of good rhinestones.”
Cole R. of Bradenton, FL, agrees: “I think labs continue to plummet. We are seeing them in fashion jewelry a lot more and I think that is where they will stay.”
Several jewelers pointed to technology as a wild card. Gretchen S. of Sherman Oaks, CA, envisions a future where “people will be able to tell an app on their phone, ‘Make me Taylor Swift’s engagement ring, size 6, with a lab diamond in 10K gold.’ Two weeks later, they will receive their ring in the mail.” Her prediction came with a dark coda: “We’ll all be so tired from working at the lithium mines for our AI overlords we won’t notice.”
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Betsy B. offered another tech prediction: “Jewelry vending machines will appear in airports and luxury malls.”
The broader economic outlook drew mixed responses. Monica L. of Fond du Lac, WI, is optimistic: “I think people will be so happy it’s over, we’ll have an incredibly positive retail [environment] next year!” Joe T. of Lubbock, TX, sees “a revived and booming American business not seen for generations” once current uncertainties settle.
Others were less sunny. “The rich will get richer, but the have-nots will struggle,” says Jill H. of Coral Gables, FL. Eve A. of Evanston, IL, kept her conservative prediction simple — “As long as the stock market is happy, my client base is buying” — then offered her outlandish one in two words: “Gulag America.”
And some jewelers declined to play the prediction game at all. “I’m not good at predicting anything,” says Sherrie S. of Tigard, OR. “I just turn up the music and enjoy the journey.”
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