Trends

Analysis: The State of Jewelry Design

TrendsNov 07, 2016

Analysis: The State of Jewelry Design

With the rise of the independent fine jewelry designer comes market oversaturation and consignment woes. The industry speaks on these issues, plus on what it takes to succeed as a designer today.

11XX16_SOTM-Design-HEADER.jpg
Cathy Waterman's 22-karat yellow gold and platinum bracelet with diamonds ($9,850) available at TwistOnline.com
To be a jewelry designer today requires several integral elements: capital, social media prowess, industry connections, a website (possibly with an e-commerce element), a unique design vision, technical jewelry expertise and talent. The order in which these assets rank in importance is a topic of debate.

Click <a href="https://magazines-nationaljeweler-com.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/stateofthemajors/2016/index.html?page=1" target="_blank">here</a> to read the full story in the State of the Majors issue.
Click here to read the full story in the State of the Majors issue.

To put it another way, a successful designer is also a successful businessperson and a successful marketer, or works with someone who is.

“Jewelry designers, as twofold creators and entrepreneurs, deal with multifaceted challenges,” says Greek designer Nikos Koulis.

For independent designers, this has always been the case. Balancing art with business and marketing is not a new struggle, but designers and retailers overwhelmingly say that the pace at which one must promote a brand is faster than ever before, due to rapidly changing technology and social media platforms.

“A strong marketing plan is essential for success, with social media being a critical component to this plan,” says designer Ron Hami.

A Mixed Blessing
Brands agree that social media is indisputably a way for them to connect with consumers. Information about creating and growing a social media presence is readily available online, though that also means the bar is set high for designers to make an impact.

Designer Suzanne Kalan has learned the importance of cementing her brand’s identity on various social platforms. 

Irene Neuwirth's 18-karat rose and white gold single earring with rose tourmaline and orange fire opal ($3,980) available at Ylang23.com
Irene Neuwirth's 18-karat rose and white gold single earring with rose tourmaline and orange fire opal ($3,980) available at Ylang23.com

“Social media has opened the door to new opportunities for our brand,” she says. “We’re able to connect with a customer instantly from all around the world through platforms like Instagram and Facebook. However, as we reach new markets through social media, we have to be aware that some consumers are just being introduced to my signature designs. Brand awareness becomes a large focus for us, as we continue to expand into international markets.”

Rosanne Karmes, the founder and designer behind Sydney Evan, sees both positives and negatives to social media. 

“In today’s market, things move faster than ever; we’re constantly sharing inspiration and ideas online and in social media. To remain at the forefront, designers must always be evolving their collections, paying very close attention to the details that preserve the handcrafted aesthetic of fine jewelry. Unfortunately, it also means fresh designs are more readily available to those who might try to copy or reproduce.”

Up-and-coming designer Ilana Sarna, who splits her time between Israel and New York where she produces her line Ilana Ariel, also feels the struggle of online copying. 
“The blessing and curse of social media is that everyone’s designs are vastly exposed and attainable, making it that much easier to copy or mimic jewelry designs, and equally challenging to differentiate oneself from the vast array of talented jewelry designers.”

Sarna hints at the interconnectedness between two oft-cited issues for designers: social media overload and oversaturation in the market. The former is partially a product of the latter; the more saturated the market becomes, the more presence on social media is required. A brand with less design creativity but a bigger marketing budget ends up being competition for smaller, independent brands.

Designer Wing Yau of Wwake, who was at the forefront of the delicate jewelry trend with her fine line, has felt the effects of being caught in an overloaded design arena.

“There is a lot of great jewelry out there, but I think the industry has grown to the point where every perspective in design is already represented, and some represented multiple times,” says Yau.

SEE: The 2016 $100 Million Supersellers list

Paul Schneider, owner of jewelry retailer Twist in Portland, Ore., agrees that market saturation has reached fever pitch, in large part due to the general availability of information that has grown with the internet. The once-esoteric world of jewelry design is more open to the general public.

“Everything’s more transparent than it used to be, especially the jewelry world, something so old,” he says. “(In the past) it was all only available to insiders, and now it’s available to everybody… It used to be that you had to learn jewelry techniques and you had to learn to grade stones and you needed to learn how to do all this stuff.”

Schneider doesn’t believe that the wider availability of jewelry production knowledge is necessarily bad, however, as it’s allowed people to make their living being a creative person with a creative business.

“In some ways,” he concludes, “it’s opened it up to a lot more people.”

For Wwake designer Yau, though, market saturation has been bad for business.

“Even the most exciting designs don’t feel new and fresh to a customer like it used to before Instagram took off; they have a sense that it’s all been done before. Additionally, customers now seem more interested in designs that are wearable rather than designs that are artistic statements, since they can experience that infinitely on Instagram, without purchase.”

Lori Leven, owner of New York boutique Love Adorned, wonders at the deeper implications of having designers exposed to innumerable images via social media from competitors, and how focusing on instant feedback can affect their artistic integrity.

“I think the amount of visual information at a person’s fingertips makes it difficult for a designer to quietly listen to what their soul tells them to create,” she says. “Art springs from a deep place within a human, and worrying if you are going to be ‘liked’ muddies the waters.”

Mizuki Goltz of jewelry line Mizuki echoes this sentiment, noting the ever-growing areas of her business that have nothing to do with jewelry design.

Mizuki's 14-karat yellow gold earrings with black Tahitian pearls ($2,490) available at TwistOnline.com
Mizuki's 14-karat yellow gold earrings with black Tahitian pearls ($2,490) available at TwistOnline.com

“I think the challenge remains the same as when I first began: What is your vision and how do you define yourself in the market? But now it’s 10 times more accelerated and multifaceted because so much more is expected from a business and branding standpoint,” she explains.

“Years ago, I could focus purely on my artistic vision. You then attended trade shows and sold to your stores, and then the stores focused on retail. Now those roles are incredibly blurred. From consignment to website, to campaign images, to social media, stores expect a brand (to be) at a retail level. As an artist, you can feel pulled in so many directions creatively.”

The Elephant in the Room
Goltz brings up another hot topic in the industry and a consistent issue for designers—consignment.

“It’s the elephant in the room,” says Ylang 23’s owner, Joanne Teichman. “Many of the major department stores and even specialty boutiques are requiring this from designers, and for truly emerging designers, that business model without an outlay of cash for a buy is impossible.”

“I don’t know how a lot of these really independent people who are not connected to a big source of capital can make it,” agrees Schneider.

SEE: The Top 50 North American Retail Jewelry Chains

He says that having faced the pressure of supporting himself creatively has helped him and Twist co-owner Lauren Eulau to stay away, for the most part, from the evermore common practice. Less than 5 percent of Twist’s stock is consignment.

“That’s an impossible way for most designers to run their businesses and it’s going to become that only really significantly financed businesses will be able to make jewelry, because you have to come up with all the money in advance,” says Schneider. “With big stores, that represents a ton of output for these small designers.”

Schneider thinks it’s up to designers to do away with the consignment model. “I just don’t know how many businesses are going to say, ‘Oh no, we’d rather pay for it,’” he says.

He says designers should set suggested retail pricing while offering retailers two wholesale rates: one for goods that are purchased outright and a steeper price for goods obtained on consignment. 

“I think the amount of visual information at a person’s fingertips makes it difficult for a designer to quietly listen to what their soul tells them to create. Art springs from a deep place within a human, and worrying if you are going to be ‘liked’ muddies the waters.” --Lori Leven, Owner, Love Adorned

 New Jersey-based designer Elisa Solomon, whose business has grown organically over the past decade, has found success in ending her consignment relationships.

“Requests for consignment used to be the No. 1 struggle I faced with my business,” she says. “I really wanted to have my collection at some of these consignment stores, so I said yes to the ones where I really wanted to exhibit my jewelry. As my business grew, I took on less consignment because it required a lot of work to track the inventory and make sure monthly payment arrived. About four years ago, I cut pretty much all of my consignment and I’ve been extremely happy with the results.”

Design Leaders
Consignment issues aside, as the number of independent jewelry designers continues to grow, so does the pool of talent. Retailers are quick to mention bright spots in the industry, from their most successful and established accounts to the design novices they are excited to watch.

“I think that there are people in the field who are very important right now, like Eva Fehren,” says Schneider. “The kind of work she’s been doing really sort of captured the idea of expressing minimalism in a kind of geometry as something beautiful, wearable and precious. I think she’s had a big effect on the field; a lot of people have really related to it and as a result she gets knocked off every single day.”

He credits Twist’s long relationship with Cathy Waterman as being an essential part of his business, saying that the designer, “continues to mine her own soul for what’s beautiful. She’s never been really trendy, it kind of always seems contemporary but at the same time it has a feeling like something just taken from nature and transformed into a precious piece of jewelry.”

Schneider also mentions the importance of the work of Polly Wales, Anaconda, Dezso by Sara Beltran and Sophie Bille Brahe, as well as upstart Japanese brand Shihara.

Kathy and Rick Rose of Los Angeles boutique Roseark note that designers Karma El Khalil, Huckleberry Ltd, James Banks and Elisabeth Bell are innovative brands on their roster, while Dagmar Zaragoza, Yakira Rona and Stormie have loyal customer followings.

Nikos Koulis' 18-karat white gold pendant with diamonds, turquoise, rubellite and onyx available at NikosKoulis.gr (price upon request)
Nikos Koulis' 18-karat white gold pendant with diamonds, turquoise, rubellite and onyx available at NikosKoulis.gr (price upon request)

The Roses also mention Perez Bitan as being, “innovative and ahead of her time,” and, “one of our favorite designers right now.”

Teichman lists Waterman as well as Irene Neuwirth, Sharon Khazzam and Ten Thousand Things as being at the top of their craft. “After so many years in business, it is amazing how the new and innovative designs keep popping out,” she says. She mentions Jennifer Meyer, too, as being a draw across all demographics.

Teichman also champions the up-and-coming brands she’s stocking, like Jordan Askill, Raphaele Canot, Yannis Sergakis and Selim Mouzannar.

Leven, of Love Adorned in New York, says that Xiao Wang and Fraser Hamilton are two young brands to watch, while Selin Kent, Gigi Clozeau and Katherine Bowman all resonate with her store’s clientele.

She also notes the artistic dominance in the jewelry industry of designers James Taffin de Givenchy, Solange Azagury-Partridge, TAP by Todd Pownell, and Anthony Lent, whom Leven calls “a mad genius who is happy to sit from morning to night in his studio.”

Despite the diverse aesthetics of the brands that are at the top of the fine jewelry industry, designers are surprisingly unanimous in explaining what it takes to be successful in such a competitive arena.

“I think clarity of who you are as a brand, who your customer is and where you want to sit in the market are all absolutely key in building long-term success,” says Azlee’s Baylee Zwart.

“I think it’s more important than ever for a jewelry line to have its own vision that it adheres to,” echoes designer Michelle Fantaci. “To me, it’s important that a design has a reason to exist by distinguishing itself. Being specific, authentic and a ruthless editor of your own work are factors in that.”

While designers shouldn’t ignore social media or be unconcerned with market saturation, their greatest job is to develop their vision. “I think it’s really important to stay focused on your own journey,” says Jade Lustig, the creative force behind diamond-focused jewelry brand Jade Trau.

Paige Novick emphasizes the importance of adaptability, which is “right up there with resilience, in my opinion, in terms of the qualities that are essential in achieving success in today’s new world. We must be open, fluid and willing to fix what isn’t working.”

Todd Reed, for one, believes that the difficulty of navigating the industry will filter the pool of designers, bringing the strongest to the top.

“What I like about the current dynamic is that the unique and consistent will win. The current climate will force people to be honest and unique, and to stay the course to create new business and excite old business.”

Reed has this advice for his fellow creatives, “The necessity is to actually be authentic in business and design. The essential quality to success is to believe in what you do, and tell an honest story about it.” 

Ashley Davisis the senior editor, fashion at National Jeweler, covering all things related to design, style and trends.

The Latest

The Story of Everything Campaign, Toadstool Mushroom and Cosmic Egg
CollectionsJun 30, 2025
State Property’s New Jewelry Tells ‘The Story of Everything’

Co-founders Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin brought their son’s story of a cosmic egg, toadstool, and railroad to life in their new collection.

Smart Age Solutions CEO Emmanuel Raheb
ColumnistsJun 30, 2025
The Smart Lab: Why Q3 Is the Secret Weapon For Holiday Jewelry Sales

The best time to prepare for the holiday season is right now, according to columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

Morgan Keefe
Events & AwardsJun 30, 2025
AGA Names Recipient of 2025 Gemological Education Scholarship

This year’s winner is Morgan Keefe, who is currently studying at GIA to be a gemologist.

an instructor and a student in a bench jewelry classroom
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench Jewelers

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The Jewelry Book
IndependentsJun 30, 2025
Melanie Grant’s New Book Explores 200 Years of Jewelry

“The Jewelry Book” comes out this September.

Weekly QuizJun 26, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Gemist
TechnologyJun 27, 2025
Gemist Raises $6M in Funding to Scale Jewelry Tech Platform

The company is focused on modernizing the custom jewelry buying experience with e-commerce tools like product visualization and 3D styling.

Jeff Preolo, David Stout, Levi Higgs, David Benavides
IndependentsJun 27, 2025
David Webb Announces New Hires, Promotions

Following its recent acquisition, the storied brand has updated its leadership team and regional managers.

Jewelers of America logo with meetup, State of the Majors, giveaway and massages
Brought to you by
Jewelers of America is Headed to Las Vegas for JCK 2025

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Blake Graham and Jessica Kohoutek
Events & AwardsJun 27, 2025
AGS, GIA Announce Beatrice Shipley Scholarship Winner

AGS also named the recipient of its “Women in Leadership” scholarship.

Buddha Mama Monstera Ring
CollectionsJun 27, 2025
Piece of the Week: Buddha Mama’s ‘Monstera’ Wrap Ring

The 20-karat yellow gold and diamond wrap ring is modeled after the Monstera plants in the garden of the brand’s Miami villa.

Cashier handing Rocksbox bag to customer
MajorsJun 26, 2025
Why Rocksbox Is Opening Stores As Signet Jewelers Downsizes

Rocksbox President Allison Vigil shared the retailer’s expansion plans, and her thoughts on opening stores in malls.

Penny Ruston
IndependentsJun 26, 2025
Penny Ruston Dies at 80

The creator of the WJA Chicago chapter is remembered as a champion for women in the jewelry industry and a loving grandmother.

Stock image of woman shopping
SurveysJun 26, 2025
After Recovering in May, Consumer Confidence Dips in June

The decline was consistent across age groups and almost all income groups, with tariffs and inflation still top of mind.

Sorellina Playlist: Electric Dreams Campaign
CollectionsJun 26, 2025
Jam Out With Sorellina’s Jimi Hendrix-Inspired Jewels

The “Playlist: Electric Dreams” collection brings lyrics from the musician’s song, “Little Wing,” to life through fine jewelry.

The Jewelry Symposium event
Events & AwardsJun 26, 2025
The Jewelry Symposium Is Looking for Speakers for 2026 Event

The event is set for May 16-19 in Detroit, Michigan.

Exterior of Marissa Collections’ new store in Nantucket, Massachusetts
IndependentsJun 25, 2025
Marissa Collections Opens in Nantucket as Legal Fight Continues

The Vault’s Katherine Jetter is accusing the retailer of using info she shared for a potential partnership to move into Nantucket.

Counterfeit Cartier “Juste Un Clou” bracelet
CrimeJun 25, 2025
Customs Nabs Another Big Shipment of Fake Cartier, Van Cleef Jewelry

Agents seized 2,193 pieces, a mix of counterfeit Cartier “Love” and “Juste Un Clou” bracelets, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ “Alhambra” design.

Karine Choudhrie Big Splash Circus Starfish and Lantern Fish
CollectionsJun 25, 2025
Splash into Karina Choudhrie’s Collection of Underwater Circus Performers

The designer brought her children’s book, “The Big Splash Circus,” to life through a collection of playful fine jewelry characters.

Jewelers of America
Events & AwardsJun 25, 2025
JA Announces Impact Initiative Fund Recipients

The trade association has chosen the recipients of the funding initiative it formed to foster the growth and sustainability of the industry.

John Dyer Montana Sun Sapphire
SourcingJun 25, 2025
2025 AGTA Spectrum Awards Open for Entries

The organization has also announced this year’s slate of judges.

Khepri Jewels Luna collection fancy color fringe multi-shape drop diamond earrings
EditorsJun 24, 2025
The Best New Jewelry from Couture 2025, Part 2

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares 20 additional pieces that stood out to her at the Couture show.

Lori Tucker
IndependentsJun 24, 2025
Colorado Bench Jeweler Celebrates 50 Years With Local Retailer

Lori Tucker started at Williams Jewelers when she was 18 years old.

“Marvel | Citizen Zenshin” watch for the new The Fantastic Four movie
WatchesJun 24, 2025
Citizen’s New ‘Fantastic Four’ Watch Is Literally Super

The “Marvel | Citizen Zenshin” watch is crafted in Super Titanium and has subtle nods to all four “Fantastic Four” superheroes on the dial.

XO Tacori diamond ring
MajorsJun 24, 2025
Tacori, QVC to Launch Exclusive Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry Collection

The “XO Tacori” collection was designed to blend luxury and accessible pricing.

Pritesh Patel
GradingJun 23, 2025
GIA Names New President and CEO

Pritesh Patel, the lab’s chief operating officer, will take over as president and CEO of GIA.

Graphic for Las Vegas recap episode of “My Next Question”
Recorded WebinarsJun 23, 2025
Watch: Top Trends at Couture, JCK Las Vegas 2025

National Jeweler and Jewelers of America discuss the standout jewelry trends and biggest news to emerge from the shows this year.

Luanda Accord
SourcingJun 23, 2025
Diamond Producers, Organizations to Kick in Money to Promote Natural Diamonds

Signatories to the “Luanda Accord” committed to allocating 1 percent of annual diamond revenue to the Natural Diamond Council.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy