Post-Vegas Jewelry Trend Report: Big Beads, Western Flair, White Metals
Associate Editor Natalie Francisco lists the trends she spotted during Jewelry Market Week that will dominate the second half of 2026.

These trends, which will be seen throughout the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, are: Western wear, big colorful beads, alternative materials such as wood and leather, charms, white metals, and the gemstone of choice this year—turquoise.
See some of the pieces spotted at Couture and JCK Las Vegas that embody these trends in the slideshows below.
Western Wear
Horse jewelry has become more popular this year as 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse and the elegant equine fits perfectly into the larger trend of Western wear.
It’s not just horse motifs, but also horseshoes, cowboy hats, boots, belt buckles, spurs, cactuses, bolo ties, and materials like leather and turquoise that are trending in jewelry.
At Couture, award-winning designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey rode with this theme for her new “Gold Rush” collection, which reworks the brand’s signature geometry patterns with a Western flair.
She drew inspiration from the California Gold Rush for the collection, linking it to the gold rush we’re currently experiencing.
Turquoise
Turquoise fits into the Western trend as the gemstone is often—but not always—mined in the Southwest United States and used in pieces with a Western flair.
There are many varieties of turquoise, from smooth blue Sleeping Beauty to the bold matrix of Egyptian turquoise, allowing for vastly different designs.
Turquoise was the gemstone of choice this year at Las Vegas Jewelry Market Week and not just because of the Western trend.
Yael Designs used turquoise in the high jewelry necklace the brand exhibited at JCK Luxury. The piece draws inspiration from architect Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló building in Barcelona.
Big Colorful Beads
Big and colorful beads were another trending style on the show floors in Las Vegas this year.
They’re a perfect fit for summer, with a bright color palette of different gemstones or a single type adorning the strand.
“Our most popular gemstones this year are definitely multicolor opal, mystic moonstone, and of course turquoise, as always. People are looking for a pop of color,” said Joanna Stein, vice president of sales at Anzie, on what beaded pieces were most popular for the brand at Couture.
Each style feels unique with graduated sizes, gold bead accents, or special clasps that tell their own story like Renna’s “Lobster” clasp or Edina Kiss’ face motif closure.
Designers like Beck also debuted big colorful pieces but instead of using colored gemstones, choose hand-blown Murano glass beads.
Alternative Materials
The use of alternative materials was a trend seen across the jewelry shows, as designers experimented with different materials for their new collections in part because of the high price of gold.
The number of brands working with leather cords grew, while others utilized materials like wood, glass, plexiglass, and gold alternatives like bronze, carbon fiber, Modern Electrum, titanium, steel, and silver.
Eden Presley introduced matte steel for the first time in its “In The Black” collection, reimagining signature styles that were once crafted in 14-karat gold.
Lalaounis, a brand known for its substantial gold pieces, also went for a blackened metal, using oxidized sterling silver and pairing it with accents of 18-karat gold for its new capsule collection.
“We have been working with gold and silver since the ‘80s and felt this was a good time to expand the collection further and experiment with techniques and finishes the same way we do with gold,” said Demetra Lalaounis, CEO International at Lalaounis.
Designer Luis Morais chose bronze for a new chain he debuted at Couture.
“I made the necklace in bronze because I wanted people to fall in love with the design before asking what it was made of,” Morais said.
“It was also important to me to be price conscious, while still creating something worthy of being shown at Couture.”
White Metals
Yellow gold is a staple that isn’t going anywhere, but the popularity of white metals is growing and not just on the red carpet.
There were many pieces spotted at the jewelry shows that were crafted in silver, platinum, and of course, white gold.
Ten Thousand Things ventured into platinum for its collaboration with Platinum Born, and Gurhan, another stalwart gold brand, added a silver collection for those who appreciate white metals.
“It is not a departure from Gurhan,” founder and designer Gurhan Orhan said of the brand’s use of silver.
“It is a new metal expression of the same bold design language, the same hand-crafted integrity, and the same distinctive character.”
Charms
Charms, both big and small, have been trending for some time, and it’s all about styling many together to build a story.
Each charm embodies a characteristic, ethos, or mantra of the person wearing it, making the design deeply personal without being truly custom.
This makes the style great for gifting at the end of this year since clients will not have to go truly bespoke for a heartfelt gift.
Bijules launched its “Shoot It Hot” collection of sports-themed pearl jewelry at Couture, including a variety of charms where the pearl transforms into the ball from sports like volleyball, soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf.
The brand describes each piece as expressive, physical, glamorous, and unapologetically personal.
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