These Are The Jewelry Styles That Retailers Personally Despise

Question:

Yes, we all love jewelry, but … is there a trend or style of jewelry that you personally despise?

• We’ve grown weary of the paperclips, not that it’s even really been a trend in our area yet. Some clients have told us they don’t want to get on that train, as it’s too reminiscent of work-from-home and hold-it-together sentiments from 2020 and the pandemic. — Jill K., Danielson, CT
• I hate belly chains and intricate torso-lassos. They are hard to get on correctly, utterly ridiculous looking and impossible to lounge around in. I hate giant, obviously fake “gems,” and I hate the logomania I’m seeing. Looking at you, Chanel and Moschino. I really loathe the plastic-look chunky chains and ‘80s mall culture flashback jewelry crap. It looks cheap and panders to those of us who wanted virtually that same pair of earrings when we were 13 but our moms wouldn’t buy them and we were too afraid to shoplift them. Now that we can afford them, why would we want to have those tacky things as adults? We take our kids and nieces to Claire’s; we don’t shop there for ourselves. I better stop now or I’ll move on to my contempt for nap dresses. I have a lot of opinions … — Eri., Lancaster, PA
• Grills. — Gary W., Richmond, VA
• OMG if one more person requests a single-shared-prong band (engagement ring mounting or wedding band), I’m gonna scream. SO accident prone. Hard to warranty. — Lucy C., Overland Park, KS
• Salt-and-pepper diamonds. — Dave F., Bountiful, UT
• Silicone wedding bands. — Annette K., Stillwater, OK
• Chocolate diamonds! It’s nice that someone capitalized on this, but not for me. — Laurie C., Hyde Park, NY
• Alternative metal wedding bands, but especially the black PVD bands. Are you still going to like that when you’re 70? — Becky B., Peabody, MA
• Cluster rings! The horror! The loose diamonds! “I don’t know what happened, I just looked down and it was gone!” — Mary Jo C., Rutland, VT
• Hearts. Wire-wrapped jewelry. Designer logo jewelry. Fake anything. Pandora charms. Prongy rings. I could go on for three days … — Gretchen S., Sherman Oaks, CA
• All these tiny diamonds set with prongs so small they can’t hold a stone in place. — Sue P., Excanaba, MI
• Tired of the halos … we need something exciting to sell. — Donnie B., Gainesville, FL
• “Sugar coated” (pave style) engagement rings. — Lee K., Cincinnati, OH
• Pandora and all related glass bead bracelets! — Jane J., Salem, VA
• I’m over halo! (Except for anyone that wants to buy one…?) — Tom N., Spencer, IA
• Invisible set and cheap micro-set rings … to the back of the line, please! You cause me and my customers more grief, heartache, and headaches than tax season and that’s saying something. — Kyle B., Roswell, NM
• I don’t like knockoff designer pieces, and I can’t stand a large London blue topaz pave ring set in white gold. — Laura K., Oak Park, IL
• Micro … Tiny diamond pieces and invisible sets!!! — Sherrie S., Tigard, OR
• I like and admire almost anything that someone put a strong effort into making it. Whether it be design, strength or looks. As long as it isn’t an ultra-thin, inefficient mass-produced retread just to make a buck. — Rick N., Fernandina Beach, FL
• The pearl and diamond engagement ring! — Cathy M., Austin, TX
• Shepherd hook earrings of any metal. My customers constantly lose them when wearing winter coats and masks. They think we should replace them because they are defective. — Christine M., Boyertown, PA
• The common trendy pieces turn me off … circle of diamonds, sideways cross, bar pendant … jewelry should be special, and wearing a piece should make you special. — Steven W., Chatham, MA
• The giant, too-tall rings that are just meant to attract attention. — Laura P., St. Robert, MO
• The very organic looking stuff! Looks amateur! — Kas J., Jefferson City, MO
• Marcasite. Dark, dull, ugly. — Janne E., Cocoa, FL
• Nope. To each his own. It is called PERSONAL adornment because it is personal! That said, I hate claw prongs. Looks like lazy work to me. — Jo G., Oconomowoc, WI
• I loathe watches that have bands that need a virtual master goldsmith to add or take out a link. This makes jewelers HATE watches!! Many years ago, we actually considered dropping watches altogether because watch band issues cost us potential diamond customers. — J. Dennis P., Johnstown, PA
• Single-shared-prong eternity bands. They look great in pictures, very delicate and you get to see the roundness of each diamond, but they just don’t stay! Constant repairs! We no longer make them. — Jeremy A., Los Angeles, CA
• Anything that everyone wears … Let’s not be sheep … — Ellie T., Chicago, IL
• Paperclip jewelry, anything hollow. — Tim W., Yorktown, VA
• Men in pearls. — Krystal S., Plymouth, MI