Supplier BulletinSep 18, 2025
Will Your Design Define 2026? Enter The Spectrum & Cutting Edge AwardsSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
EditorsDec 14, 2017
And the Survey Says …
What a recent study tells us about optimism in the industry, where people are buying jewelry and how much of it they are buying for themselves.
A recent study commissioned by Jewelers of America shows that retailers could unlock a lot of potential by marketing to consumers buying jewelry for themselves at random times throughout the year, not just during holidays. Pictured here is Marla Aaron’s 14-karat yellow gold chain and lock, which retails for $732.
Jewelers of America, which owns this fine publication, just announced the completion of a study it commissioned, the “Fine Jewelry Industry Consumer and Retail Market Study.”
Conducted by Provoke Insights, the study surveyed two distinct groups: those who own jewelry stores (retailers) and those who, hopefully, shop in them (consumers).
While the full results of the study are being published in a white paper made available to JA members only, I was able to get my hands on a copy and will share some of what I think are the most interesting points below.
Let’s start with the retail portion of the study, which surveyed 275 JA member retailers.
When asked about the overall state of the market, survey-takers were overwhelmingly positive, with 79 percent of respondents saying they expect sales to greatly (23 percent) or slightly (56 percent) increase over the next three years.
Only 10 percent of respondents said they expect sales to decline, with the remaining 11 percent forecasting flat sales.
Still, they recognize there are challenges, chief among them being how to evolve and compete in the rapidly changing retail landscape.
Part of being able to compete today is, of course, having an updated website that is both responsive and e-commerce enabled. But that is a challenge, particularly for the smallest jewelers.
The survey shows that only 24 percent of retailers with less than five employees have an e-commerce-enabled website. That number climbs to 36 percent for jewelers with five to 10 employees, and tops 50 percent of those with 11 or more employees.
“When it comes to purchasing high-priced items, customer service is key. Local stores have a real opportunity to offer uniquely luxurious experiences.” -- Jewelers of America, “Fine Jewelry Industry Consumer and Retail Market Study”Now, on to consumers, specifically the 2,019 who were surveyed.
What the study found was that regardless of their age, consumers at least like to see a piece of fine jewelry in a store before they buy, even if they do their initial research online.
What’s more, many consumers prefer to shop at local stores over websites, big-box stores and duty-free shops. This is particularly true of those looking to give fine jewelry as a gift.
In the survey, the top location for purchasing fine jewelry was a national chain store, cited by 56 percent of all respondents.
Local stores/small businesses and department stores were next, tied at 47 percent, followed by online retailers that have
some sort of physical presence (33 percent), online-only retailers (28 percent), big-box stores (17 percent), duty-free shops (7 percent) and “other,” like at auction or on vacation (1 percent).
“When it comes to purchasing high-priced items, customer service is key,” JA states in the survey results. “Local stores have a real opportunity to offer uniquely luxurious experiences to compete against department stores, chains and e-commerce websites, where customers have less access to qualified jewelers and gemologists.”
But the survey also showed that jewelers of all sizes are missing out an opportunity--selling to individuals, particularly women, looking to buy jewelry for themselves at any point during the year.
Forty-three percent of survey-takers said they had purchased or received jewelry as a gift in the last year, but only 22 percent bought jewelry for themselves.
Other luxury items don’t have this problem; the survey showed that respondents aren’t timid about buying themselves designer accessories/sunglasses, watches/other timepieces, and designer handbags or leather goods.
First, attitudes toward marriage are changing. People are waiting longer to wed, or, in many cases, never getting married, either because there’s no longer a social stigma attached to living together out of wedlock or because they’re not in a relationship at all. An article published earlier this fall by the Pew Research Center put the number of single U.S. adults at 42 percent.
So if retailers are waiting around until consumers are getting engaged or thinking about getting engaged to sell them jewelry, then they could be waiting a long time.
Secondly, there is a lot more “noise” around the major gift-giving holidays, like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, making it harder to get one’s message heard.
As the survey says: “Focusing marketing efforts outside of major gift-giving holidays is more economical because of off-peak media costs. It can be easier to get one’s promotion or message heard by consumers when they are not inundated with holiday promotions.”
“When it comes to purchasing high-priced items, customer service is key,” JA states in the survey results. “Local stores have a real opportunity to offer uniquely luxurious experiences to compete against department stores, chains and e-commerce websites, where customers have less access to qualified jewelers and gemologists.”
But the survey also showed that jewelers of all sizes are missing out an opportunity--selling to individuals, particularly women, looking to buy jewelry for themselves at any point during the year.
Forty-three percent of survey-takers said they had purchased or received jewelry as a gift in the last year, but only 22 percent bought jewelry for themselves.
Other luxury items don’t have this problem; the survey showed that respondents aren’t timid about buying themselves designer accessories/sunglasses, watches/other timepieces, and designer handbags or leather goods.
RELATED CONTENT: 10 Jewels for the Self-Purchasing Female ConsumerThis is problematic for a couple of reasons.
First, attitudes toward marriage are changing. People are waiting longer to wed, or, in many cases, never getting married, either because there’s no longer a social stigma attached to living together out of wedlock or because they’re not in a relationship at all. An article published earlier this fall by the Pew Research Center put the number of single U.S. adults at 42 percent.
So if retailers are waiting around until consumers are getting engaged or thinking about getting engaged to sell them jewelry, then they could be waiting a long time.
Secondly, there is a lot more “noise” around the major gift-giving holidays, like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, making it harder to get one’s message heard.
As the survey says: “Focusing marketing efforts outside of major gift-giving holidays is more economical because of off-peak media costs. It can be easier to get one’s promotion or message heard by consumers when they are not inundated with holiday promotions.”
More on Editors
The Latest
SurveysSep 18, 2025
Deloitte Thinks the Holidays Will Be Merry, PwC Isn’t So Sure In its holiday report, PwC said the season will be more like jazz—improvisational and less predictable—than an easy-to-follow melody.
MajorsSep 18, 2025
Pandora to Open New Distribution Center in MarylandThe jewelry giant will relocate its existing facility to a larger space in Anne Arundel.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
CollectionsSep 18, 2025
Ashley Zhang Launches Garçon New YorkThe designer, who is the creative force behind her namesake brand, has now started a new mini line focusing on chains for fathers and sons.
Weekly QuizSep 12, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingSep 18, 2025
SSEF Opens Applications for 2 Gemology Education Scholarships The awards include tuition for a course at the Swiss lab, economy flights, and hotel accommodation.
TechnologySep 18, 2025
Hill & Co. Launches AI Strategy ProgramThe 21-day program was designed to help jewelry retailers identify opportunities and eliminate inefficiencies with AI.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
AuctionsSep 17, 2025
Mythical Set of Patek Philippe Pocket Watches Expected to Sell for $10M+A set of four Patek Philippe “Star Caliber 2000” pocket watches is part of Sotheby’s upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi.
TrendsSep 17, 2025
Silvia Furmanovich’s Book Tells the ‘Journey of a Jeweler’The Brazilian jeweler’s latest book marks her namesake brand’s 25th anniversary and tells the tale of her worldwide collaborations.
WatchesSep 17, 2025
Bob’s Watches Acquires Vintage Rolex Won on ‘The Price is Right’ The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.
TechnologySep 17, 2025
Jewelers Mutual Launches Shipping Solution App for Shopify The new integration allows users to manage shipments directly from the Shopify dashboard.
CrimeSep 16, 2025
2 Robbery Suspects Killed in California Pawn Shop ShootoutSix people were shot last week at an Oakland cash-for-gold shop as employees exchanged gunfire with individuals trying to rob the store.
CollectionsSep 16, 2025
Chopard Adds New Designs to Its ‘Ice Cube’ Capsule CollectionThe jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.
SourcingSep 16, 2025
Natural Diamond Council Launches Retailer Accreditation ProgramBen Bridge Jeweler and Lux Bond & Green were a part of the pilot program.
SurveysSep 15, 2025
Resilient Shoppers to Boost Holiday Retail Sales, Says DeloitteIt’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
Gemfields Achieves $32M at High-Quality Emerald AuctionIt included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
AGTA Elects 8 Members to Board of Directors The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.
EditorsSep 12, 2025
Out & About: Mining Sapphires in Rock Creek, MontanaAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
TrendsSep 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Arunashi’s Fordite and Rhodolite EarringsFordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.
Events & AwardsSep 12, 2025
Al Gilbertson Wins 2025 Robert M. Shipley AwardGilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.
Policies & IssuesSep 11, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case in November A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.
MajorsSep 11, 2025
Tabayer Opens Nordstrom Shop-In-ShopLocated in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.
SourcingSep 11, 2025
Need to Sell More Natural Diamonds? De Beers Has an App for ThatThe new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
Stuller to Swap Gold Scrap for Full Credit to AccountAs the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.
SourcingSep 10, 2025
Tech Meets Style in the New Loewe x Jacob & Co. HeadphonesJacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.
TrendsSep 10, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Archival Jewels Bring Life to ‘Frankenstein’Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.
