5 Takeaways From Stuller at JCK Las Vegas 2024
On-trend engagement rings, bold gold jewelry, and a new platinum alloy were on display at the company’s busy booth.
The jewelry and other products on display also provide insight into what’s trending and where the market is heading in the coming months.
Here are five takeaways from this editor’s visit to the Stuller booth at this year’s show.
1. There’s a new alloy in town.
As announced prior to the shows, Platinum Guild USA has a new platinum alloy it is distributing in the United States exclusively through Stuller.
Mining company Anglo American and materials designer and developer Alloyed created Inoveo with the goal of eliminating some of the issues designers and bench jewelers encounter when working in platinum.
At the Stuller booth during the JCK Las Vegas show, Stuller Executive Director of Manufacturing Jim Bernard shared some of the benefits of Inoveo.
He said compared to standard platinum, it has a lower casting temperature, less porosity, a better fill rate, cuts faster (at about the same pace as white gold) and will come out of the casting process with fewer inclusions.
It also is 40 percent harder than standard platinum, will retain its luster longer, and is less damaging to tools, allowing them to last 4-8 times longer.
Inoveo is 95 percent platinum and 5 percent other metals, including ruthenium and a mix of proprietary materials.
Bernard said while the Inoveo grain is slightly more expensive than traditional platinum grain, there are labor savings on the back end, as well as cost savings on tools.
For now, Stuller is just selling Inoveo platinum grain, though Bernard said the company is working toward offering finished rings made with the alloy.
2. The holidays are expected to be big and bold.
Stuller had new pieces in its “302 Fine Jewelry” line on display, hinting at what will be hot this holiday season.
Big and bold gold jewelry (the “mob wife” aesthetic, if you will) is expected to be popular.
Continuing demand for gold fashion jewelry was evident all over the show floor in Las Vegas despite the metal’s high price, which hovered around $2,300/ounce at press time.
It is the opposite of what the industry witnessed during the 2007-2008 financial crisis, when consumers all but abandoned gold in favor of lower-priced sterling silver jewelry.
Heart jewelry, a staple in the trends rotation, is also back in a big way.
Consumers are also embracing big color, turning their attention to less well-known colored gemstones as prices for rubies, emeralds, and sapphires skyrocket.
Shape-wise, freeform, organic, and flowing silhouettes are in—think the soft, curving lines of the late Elsa Peretti’s famed “Bone” cuff—as are baroque pearls.
3. Fancy shapes are still in for engagement rings.
While round diamonds remain the most popular center stone for engagement rings, fancy shapes continue to make in-roads in a market that is becoming less bound to tradition.
For its “ever & ever” line, which is almost a decade old now, Stuller had plenty of elongated diamond shapes on display—ovals, emeralds, pears and even the marquise.
Consumers are choosing fancy shapes for eternity bands too, particularly marquise-shaped diamonds.
Three-stone rings are popular as well, especially those with fancy-shaped side stones.
4. Consumers are going big with lab-grown diamonds.
While lab-grown diamonds are a source of controversy within the industry, they remain in demand among consumers, and Stuller continues to supply them.
In April, the company released its first catalog dedicated exclusively to lab-grown diamond jewelry.
One of the draws—lab-grown diamonds give a bigger look for less. Consumers are choosing lab-grown diamonds so they can have a 2- 3- or 4- or even 5-carat engagement ring, or 2-4 carat diamond stud earrings.
Stuller also had lab-grown diamond line bracelets—a popular style that would be out of reach for some consumers if set with natural diamonds—on display, as well as a lab-grown diamond-set headband for a bride to wear on her wedding day.
5. Gemvision has released a software update for Matrix.
Just prior to the Las Vegas shows, Gemvision, the jewelry software company Stuller acquired in 2009, unveiled its latest software update, MatrixGold 3.8.
Gemvision Product Director Oriol Collelldemont called it a “significant leap forward in user experience and performance.”
MatrixGold 3.8 is compatible with Rhino 8, the newest iteration of that software.
Notable enhancements in Rhino 8 include:
— ShrinkWrap: simplifies the process of preparing designs for 3D printing, ensuring efficiency without compromising quality;
— Auto Cplane: auto-aligns to a selected curve, surface, mesh face, or sub-object, facilitating a seamless design workflow; and
— Monochrome View: offers a clean, minimal display mode, providing clarity and focus to the design process.
This latest update is provided at no additional cost to users who already own licenses for MatrixGold 3 and Rhino 8.
For more information, visit the Gemvision website.
The Latest
The “Moments” social media campaign emphasizes the emotional ties between natural diamonds and life’s special milestones.
The versatile “As We Are” collection features 14 pieces with interlocking designs allowing for 27 different looks worn around the body.
Letsile Tebogo will help to promote natural diamonds and the good they have done for his country.
The new year feels like a clean slate, inspiring reflection, hope, and the motivation to become better versions of ourselves.
“My Next Question” guests Sherry Smith and Edahn Golan share their 2025 forecasts, from sales and marketing to what retailers should stock.
LeVian is remembered for his leadership in the jewelry industry and for being a selfless and compassionate person.
Monishkumar Kirankumar Doshi Shah pleaded guilty to evading customs on more than $13.5 million of jewelry imported into the U.S.
A Diamond is Forever hosted a holiday celebration in honor of their new marketing campaign, ‘Forever Present.’
Jemora Gemhouse’s inaugural auction, slated for March, will take place in Dubai and feature polished sapphires.
Quinn partnered with Gemfields to create “Crazy Love,” which features Zambian emeralds and Mozambican rubies across 10 pieces.
The catalog is 48 pages and features more than 100 styles.
The one-of-a-kind necklace was designed in celebration of the Chinese New Year, as 2025 is the Year of the Snake.
The gemstone show is slated to take place at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
From raffles to auctions to donations, the industry is working to aid charities in Los Angeles amid the raging wildfires.
The suspects are accused of planning to kidnap a Miami jeweler and rob him of his cryptocurrency.
Francis “Gosh” Eiseb, 58, was a senior protection officer for Namib Desert Diamonds, also known as Namdia, in Windhoek, Namibia.
The online diamond and jewelry marketplace has expanded, introducing a new platform dedicated to colored gemstone trading.
The second annual learning forum for retailers is slated for March 13 at City Winery in Pier 57 in New York City.
Roy Safit took over the role on Jan. 1.
Sherry Smith shares data on the year gone by, including the breakdown between natural and lab-grown diamond sales.
The company also is matching donations made to Jewelers of America and the Diamond Council of America’s Jewelers Relief Fund.
Now in its fourth year, the program is expanding to include a list of “20 Under 40” for jewelry suppliers.
Core retail sales during the 2024 holiday season surpassed the National Retail Federation’s forecast.
The “Reach for Life” collection uses feather and arrow motifs to invite growth and inner curiosity.
Peter Smith pulls back the curtain on the often misinterpreted, and sometimes maligned, world of sales training.
Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year takes the form of jewelry through gemstones and enamel that look just as delicious as mocha mousse.
Julia Hackman Chafé and Monica Elias have joined the organization’s board of directors.