Every year, every industry witnesses new trends… check out what you can expect from 2012 in the jewelry industry from JCK Magazine.

 

The 1920s: Remember the good ol’ days of the Jazz Age? Flapper dresses, geometric shapes, white and yellow metals… and of course, long and elegant pearl or diamond strands? Get ready because it’s coming back strong this year, with some modern additions as well (lots of color and choker necklaces too).

Stone Tracing: Since the Kimberley Process decided to allow the export of some of the diamonds of Zimbabwe’s Marange region, more and more customers may be asking where their stone is from. Industry leaders are working to establish methods of tracing stones to ensure clean supply chains and stop the support of civil wars through the gem industry.

Social Media Shopping: Shopping, as we know is a pretty social activity… more and more people turn to their friends for advice on where to get this or that, and sites like Facebook and Amazon plan to capitalize on those recommendations made by your friends and family to promote businesses and products. It’s time to embrace the social media aspect of business.

Media Channel Crossover: Make sure that your website, e-business, and brick-and-mortar store are all connected. Consumers move quickly and easily across all of these mediums with their phones, mobile apps, and more, so it’s important that you reach your customers on all fronts if you don’t want to lose the to a competitor who is reaching them there.

Color: Colored gemstones are going to be big this year, they provide the look of luxury and beauty without breaking the bank… and they’re even rumored to be showing up in engagement settings. Don’t miss out on this trend, showcase your colored stone jewelry to it’s best effect.

Weddings: The growing acceptance of same-sex couples across the country means a growing array of bridal jewelry designs and styles, some traditional, and some vastly different to showcase the difference between a same-sex union and an opposite-sex union.

A World Wide Consumer: Tourism for Chinese, Indian, and Hispanic cultures is booming, and it’s time to start thinking about how your business will cater to these foreign customers, be it through multilingual information pamphlets or a multilingual sales associate, you don’t want to miss this trend.

Celebrities:  Culturally, American’s are obsessed with celebrities… therefore jewelers will want to follow their high fashion and magazine counterparts to embrace the selling power of these famous stars.

Gold and other Metals: Keep an eye out for the new conflict-metal regulations and laws (Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) that will ask jewelers to demonstrate a clean supply chain for the metals they use, purchase, and sell.

Men: The demand for fine jewelry for men is growing (Men’s jewelry makes up 15% of total sales so far, but merchandise dedicated to them usually only makes up about 3% of a store’s inventory). Don’t leave this demographic out of your new business plan, men’s jewelry will be just as important as women’s jewelry in the near future.

 

For more details about any of these trends, check out this article from JCK.