ColumnistsMay 20, 2025
Peter Smith: Leading Through ChangeColumnistsMay 21, 2025
Edahn’s Take: Analyzing the 2025 ‘$100 Million Supersellers’ List
In a special column for the State of the Majors, Edahn Golan breaks down what the top-performing fine jewelry sellers are doing right.
Edahn Golan is an industry analyst and researcher and managing partner of trend analytics company Tenoris.
Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the print edition of the 2025 State of the Majors. The author, Edahn Golan, compiles the sales figures that appear in the issue’s “$100 Million Supersellers” list; what follows is his analysis of the 2025 list. Read more of Golan’s industry research on EdahnGolan.com.
Conventional wisdom in many corners of the jewelry industry is that 2024 was an OK year for the U.S. retail market. Some will point out that sales figures were, at the very least, positive compared with 2023.
And it is true, to some extent.
Overall U.S. jewelry sales did increase, up on average by 2 percent, but the butter was not spread evenly.
Higher-end companies, such as Cartier-owner Richemont, and large mass retailers, such as Costco, successfully increased jewelry sales by double-digit percentages, as the 2025 State of the Majors “$100 Million Supersellers” list shows.
Pandora is another retailer with a notable increase in sales, also up double digits at the stores it owns and operates in North America.
While companies like Richemont, Costco, and Pandora pulled the average up, there were many retailers that recorded a decline in jewelry and watch sales.
Most notable among them are jewelry retailers with a lot of stores in malls.
As many of you are aware, malls are suffering from a decline in foot traffic and, as a result, sinking sales, making the once-popular shopping centers a less-than-ideal location for most retailers.
There were other factors that contributed to the industry’s so-so results for 2024, including lab-grown diamonds.
The Desire for ‘More’
American consumers, in a constant pursuit of a better price and “more,” are displaying an appetite for this diamond option that costs 85 percent less than natural diamonds and comes in sizes of 2 carats and larger, making them a fit for the more-for-less consumer.
For many retailers, this means their customers want a product they often would rather not sell.
The aversion is pure economics.
With the average lab-grown diamond unit price on a constant downward slope, declining faster than they can increase unit sales, retailers are in somewhat of a clash with their clientele.
Another driver is location.
As noted above, malls have lost their appeal.
Related stories will be right here …
Conventional wisdom in many corners of the jewelry industry is that 2024 was an OK year for the U.S. retail market. Some will point out that sales figures were, at the very least, positive compared with 2023.
And it is true, to some extent.
Overall U.S. jewelry sales did increase, up on average by 2 percent, but the butter was not spread evenly.
Higher-end companies, such as Cartier-owner Richemont, and large mass retailers, such as Costco, successfully increased jewelry sales by double-digit percentages, as the 2025 State of the Majors “$100 Million Supersellers” list shows.
Pandora is another retailer with a notable increase in sales, also up double digits at the stores it owns and operates in North America.
While companies like Richemont, Costco, and Pandora pulled the average up, there were many retailers that recorded a decline in jewelry and watch sales.
Most notable among them are jewelry retailers with a lot of stores in malls.
As many of you are aware, malls are suffering from a decline in foot traffic and, as a result, sinking sales, making the once-popular shopping centers a less-than-ideal location for most retailers.
There were other factors that contributed to the industry’s so-so results for 2024, including lab-grown diamonds.
The Desire for ‘More’
American consumers, in a constant pursuit of a better price and “more,” are displaying an appetite for this diamond option that costs 85 percent less than natural diamonds and comes in sizes of 2 carats and larger, making them a fit for the more-for-less consumer.
For many retailers, this means their customers want a product they often would rather not sell.
The aversion is pure economics.
With the average lab-grown diamond unit price on a constant downward slope, declining faster than they can increase unit sales, retailers are in somewhat of a clash with their clientele.
Another driver is location.
As noted above, malls have lost their appeal.
In a more figurative way, location is also part of what is hurting online specialty jewelers.
Their marketing costs, aimed at top online positioning, are 20-30 percent of net income. Cutting back on marketing, which most did, negatively impacted their sales.
Finally, there is a cultural shift that must be considered.
In the past, men would consult the women close to their significant other—mothers, sisters, friends, etc.—about what ring to buy.
Often, the advice concluded with a warning, “And remember, don’t be cheap!” That pressured grooms-to-be to spend more.
Today, couples often shop together, and the pressure to spend is therefore reduced. Getting a large diamond at a much lower price is now not only possible but also acceptable.
Just look at the drop in the average price of diamond engagement rings over the last five years. What was once a $3,200 to $3,600 purchase averaged just $2,700 in 2024.
At specialty jewelers, the trend was no different. The previous average diamond engagement ring spend of $5,800 declined to $4,800 in 2024, for all diamonds.
While engagement rings set with natural diamonds sold, on average, for $6,700, their lab-grown diamond counterparts averaged just $2,600, or 61 percent less. That is significant, as no other jewelry item took such a divergent track in average consumer spending.
Considering the importance of the diamond engagement ring as an anchor product, retailers’ desire to pull away from lab-grown diamonds is understandable.
Add to that the drop in natural diamond prices, the jump in gold and silver prices, plus consumers’ withdrawal from previously popular shopping places, and we have the makings of limited growth.
Finally, there is another issue at hand. The figures above are all nominal gains.
In 2024, U.S. inflation eased but still averaged nearly 3 percent, which erased much, if not all, of the increased sales many companies had.
“The question is not if there is a desire for jewelry but, rather, can we succeed in creating an experience that will compel consumers to choose jewelry over other luxury products.”
— Edahn Golan, Tenoris
The Bright Side
Don’t lose heart; it’s not all bad. In fact, opportunities abound, as those that had a double-digit increase in sales show.
Here are a few of their strategies.
— Developing and constantly refreshing their brand, as did Pandora, Tiffany & Co. (part of LVMH), and many others.
— Offering high-quality, well-designed jewelry that has a lasting appeal, as many retailers do.
— Having a very well-maintained value proposition, as Costco does with its low (and probably flat) markups.
— Marketing to maintain a client base and increase demand.
Also, while the market is consolidating, many of the retailers that grew were primarily specialty stores, jewelry- and watch-only retailers, which comprised 57 percent of the “$100 Million Supersellers” list this year, up from 51 percent.
That tells us that specializing in your field is appreciated by consumers, especially if they are willing to spend above average.
There are signs of challenging economic times ahead for the U.S. market.
Historically, that has had a short-term negative impact on jewelry demand, followed by an early and large bounceback because jewelry is truly a necessity.
The question is not if there is a desire for jewelry but, rather, can we succeed in creating an experience that will compel consumers to choose jewelry over other luxury products.
It is largely in the industry’s hands.
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