Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
Retracting my rant
In August 2007, after viewing runway footage and reading industry forecasts, I delivered a passionate rant against the return of style trends from the 80s, including fashion jewelry. Now it's April 2008, and a recent article in Women's Wear Daily...
In August 2007, after viewing runway footage and reading industry forecasts, I delivered a passionate rant against the return of style trends from the 80s, including fashion jewelry.
Now it's April 2008, and a recent article in Women's Wear Daily explains how the surge in gold and silver prices during the country's recent economic downturn has made fashion jewelry more popular. It's as if the brands and designers shook a Magic Eight Ball that predicted consumers would soon need to shop for pieces made of resin, plated gold, gun metal or crystal.
Some of the designers mentioned in the article theorize that the resurgence of the trend is not financial based but "another turn in the accessories cycle" or that "costume's moment has come."
On the other hand, Danielle de Marne, fashion director for Scoop NYC, credits celebrity-focused media such as US Weekly and In Touch for the fashion jewelry frenzy, noting that now it's easier for consumers to find the pieces their favorite celebrity was last seen in.
In regards to my former rant, I am still vehemently opposed to high-waisted pants, but I've been snatching up exquisite pieces of fashion jewelry like everyone else. These necklaces, bracelets and earrings are more sophisticated than those I bought in the late 80s with the $100 paychecks I earned from my after-school job at the mall.
How do you feel about fashion jewelry today? Whether you barely like it or simply love it, share your theory about its big comeback.
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