Wedding bands! In New England, the fall is definitely wedding season. We use Stuller for most of our wedding bands. Customers want to have customization options, and Stuller’s showcase makes it really easy to do that and get pictures and pricing for your customers right away! — Becky Bettencourt, Blue River Diamonds, Peabody, MA
- I have been doing really well flipping estate jewelry. The teachings of Obi Wan [David] Geller helped me to realize that turning these items for a small profit and doing it fast is a good thing — especially since I do not pay for the items until after they are sold. — Cliff Yankovich, Chimera Design, Lowell, MI
Top-selling jewelry brands in October
Gabriel & Co. (9), Rolex (5), Stuller (4), Ostbye (3), ASHI (2), Carla Corp. (2), Doves by Doron Paloma (2), Fana (2), Frederic Duclos (2), Lafonn (2), Lashbrook (2), Rembrandt Charms (2), Sylvie Collection (2), TAG Heuer (2)
*Brands mentioned by at least two of 143 Brain Squad respondents.
- Sterling silver has always been a good seller. Marta Howell, aCleoni and Reflections in Silver rule. I just got boxes from each of them a month ago and have to order more. — Tommy Thobe, The Village Gem, Perry Hall, MD
- Diamond bands from Henri Daussi keep going strong! We do great with them all year — perfect for wedding bands, anniversary bands, a band for each of your children, mix-and-match stacking, endless options. — Jessica Rossomme, Mucklow’s Fine Jewelry, Peachtree City, GA
- Shy Creation was our top seller. The line basically sells itself — beautiful product with excellent price points. It makes a nice presentation for a gift, and we have been seeing a lot more self-purchases since we reopened. — Shari Altman, B&E Jewelers, Southampton, PA
- Gabriel & Co. bridal — it’s awesome! Millennials come in with the pictures on their phone — mostly from Etsy — but we sell them Gabriel & Co. — Alta Fernandes, Vail Creek Jewelry Designs, Turlock, CA
- Our best-selling products in October were rings, rings, rings! Colored stones and diamonds about equally. Our social media advertising helped to generate excitement in our colored stone ring inventory, and people still got engaged in spite of the pandemic! — Joe Caron, Caron’s Jewelry, Bristol, RI
- Engagement rings, David Yurman, TAG Heuer, and Roberto Coin all were way above average for the month. — Ronnie Ware, Ware Jewelers, Auburn, AL
- Opals. Of course, it’s the birthstone, but we are also seeing a strong surge of interest in all types of opals. — Dianna Rae High, Dianna Rae Jewelry, Lafayette, LA
- Breitling was a bright spot for us. I guess more people are sitting around at home surfing the web. They see a watch they like and get it in their head that they need it. Retail therapy is a real thing! — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
- Lab-grown diamond solitaires in yellow gold are all the rage for our millennial customers. Sustainable, conflict-free and within their student-loan-strapped budgets. — Beth Cevasco, Scott’s Custom Jewelers, Fairlawn, OH
- Lashbrook, due to selection and quick delivery; Hearts On Fire, because it is so nice to sell amazing diamonds; nice emeralds, why suddenly is a mystery; and lab-created diamonds, which feels disingenuous to sell when the price drops weekly and so much is coming on stream. — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewellers, Calgary, AB
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.