“Even with gold prices ticking up, the designs and styles of MIDAS did very well.” — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA
Top-selling jewelry brands in November
Ostbye (6), Gabriel & Co. (5), Stuller (5), Hearts on Fire (3), Allison Kaufman (2), MIDAS (2), Pandora (2), Quality Gold, (2), Rolex (2), Sylvie Collection (2)
*Brands mentioned by at least two of 146 Brain Squad respondents.
- Far and away custom large diamond jewelry in, wait for it, YELLOW GOLD! Having survived the nugget era, please, can the dominating popular yellow designs have something more challenging than paperclip links? — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
- Diamond studs! Also, engagement rings, wedding bands and our silver jewelry that features Montana Yogo sapphires or the state of Montana or snowflakes. — Jennifer Hornik Johnson, Miller’s Jewelry, Bozeman, MT
- Three-stone engagement rings with elongated centers like ovals and radiant cuts are hot sellers for us. Set in yellow gold in most cases. — Jen Hollywood, J Hollywood Designs, Chester Springs, PA
- We killed it with diamonds in November. 60/40 earth/lab and big stones 1.5 carat up to 4 carats. All departments, loose, studs, bridal and fashion! Lagos was hot also and even our Hearts on Fire was up by 38 percent! Great month! Best in company history, now in our 30th year! — Alan Perry, Perry’s Emporium, Wilmington, NC
- November was the month for custom orders, so thanks go to Stuller for supplying the necessary bits and pieces. — James Doggett, Doggett Jewelry, Kingston, NH
- Stud earrings of all kinds; diamonds, gold, Roberto Coin Princess Flower collection. They are so much easier to wear with a mask than hoops. — Steven Goldfarb, Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler, Bellevue, WA
- Engagement rings have doubled. And it seems that people’s budgets have doubled, too! — Gregory Fliegauf, Fliegauf Jewelers, Washington, NJ
- Engagement rings definitely! I think everyone had the same idea to get engaged for Thanksgiving. Maybe because everyone wasn’t able to experience the holiday with big family gatherings they felt it was important to create an important memory. We’ve definitely seen the size of engagement rings trend up to between 1.5 and 2 carat for the center and everything was either CAD CAM custom or Ever & Ever pieces through Stuller showcase, where customers could feel like that had more input over the final look. — Becky Bettencourt, Blue River Diamonds, Peabody, MA
- Artcarved Bridal, Rembrandt charms, Carla earrings. — Eileen Eichhorn, Eichhorn Jewelry, Decatur, IN
- Colored stone rings. We stock and display quite a few medium to high price point colored stone rings that are “one of a kind’. These seem to appeal to our female customers in the 35 to 50 year old age bracket. The manufacturers that we are having so much success with are Reko Settings of Boston, Rego Manufacturing of Ohio and Royal Jewelry of New York. The prices range from $1,500 to $5,000. — Joe Caron, Caron’s Jewelry, Bristol, RI
- Shula N.Y. has been our bread and butter. Innovative designs with a rich look. Great price points. — Rick Nichols, Nassau Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, FL
- Relationships are important now and we are having a booming bridal season. Our No. 1 sellers have been oval shape diamonds in the $3,000 to $10,000 price range, some as solitaires or as wedding sets. Diamond curved bands, ring guards, or bridal mountings from Allison Kaufman and Ostybe have been amazing! We make custom lake charms and pendants of our area lakes. Big sellers this time of year. — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
- One of a kind gemstone pendants sold well. I posted pictures of new stones on Instagram and Facebook, and had customers lining up to pick which one they wanted set. They love to be “first” to see something and acquire it. I love setting pendants because there is so much creativity possible. — Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL
What’s the Brain Squad?
If you’re the owner or top manager of a U.S. jewelry store, you’re invited to join the INSTORE Brain Squad. By taking one five-minute quiz a month, you can get a free t-shirt, be featured prominently in this magazine, and make your voice heard on key issues affecting the jewelry industry. Good deal, right? Sign up here.