AuctionsSep 18, 2026
7.52-Carat Unheated Paraíba Tourmaline Sells for $1.3M at Sotheby’s The top lot of the auction house’s Hong Kong jewelry sale was an Art Deco Mauboussin necklace with ruby beads, which sold for $2 million.
Events & AwardsJun 04, 2018
Live From Las Vegas: Industry’s Level of Optimism ‘Striking’
JCK Events shared highlights from its new State of the Industry Jewelry Report, which found that many in the industry are feeling positive right now.
Yancy Weinrich, who heads the JCK jewelry shows, presented the results of a recent jeweler survey at a breakfast held Friday morning, before the opening of the 2018 edition of JCK Las Vegas.
Las Vegas--If one recent survey is any indication, the industry is feeling pretty optimistic right now.
JCK Events conducted a survey in conjunction with GfK this spring and created a report based on the findings, the 2018 JCK State of the Industry Jewelry Report.
On Friday morning in Las Vegas, Reed Jewelry Group Senior Vice President Yancy Weinrich shared select highlights from the report at a breakfast held before the jewelry trade shows opened for the day.
Performed in February and March, the survey included feedback from 549 respondents. Most of them were retailers, but survey-takers also included manufacturers and wholesalers as well as some jewelry designers.
Weinrich added that 79 percent of the respondents have been in the industry for more than 11 years, meaning they’ve weathered changes before and bring a long-term perspective to the results.
When looking at the results, she said they discovered a “level of optimism about individual business prospects and the overall direction of the general economy that was striking.”
Though the male respondents were slightly more optimistic than the females, the overall sentiment was positive by a margin of two to one.
In fact, Weinrich said the confidence in the industry and future outlook for the general economy far outstrips that of the general public. Forty-six percent of those who took the jewelry survey said the economy was doing better in the last 12 months, which was nearly twice as many as who said the same in the population at large.
Those expecting continued improvement in the next year are slightly fewer than that, but still outnumber the American public by almost 50 percent.
She said the industry is “overwhelmingly positive” about the likely effects of the recent tax overhaul, with only 13 percent concerned it might hurt the economy.
In questions of trade policy, however, there was more caution and concern; more respondents were worried the changes in the policy toward the Asia-Pacific region, in particular, might hurt the economy.
Nevertheless, the industry sentiment, according to the survey, seems to be positive, especially when it comes to respondents’ own businesses.
Coinciding with the release of the survey, JCK Events introduced a number designed to reflect the state of the industry: the 2018 JCK Jewelry Industry Confidence Index, which will be based on the percentage of jewelers who express optimism regarding their stores.
For the first measure of the index, when
asked how optimistic they were about their own businesses over the next 12 months, 88 percent of retailers said they were either somewhat or very optimistic.
“This is a number that we’re eager to watch over the years, testing its resilience and learning about the attitudes of our professionals in the jewelry industry over time,” Weinrich said.
When it comes to the industry’s biggest challenges, the most commonly mentioned were: online competition, overall economic climate, a lack of general consumer demand and a lack of millennial demand.
According to the survey, the top strategy for dealing with these challenges is improving the in-store buying experience, which “shows that retailers particularly believe that buying jewelry is not something that can only migrate to the virtual world,” she said.
Even with the larger number of brick-and-mortar stores closing, many in the industry aren’t behind going all-in on e-commerce, as buying jewelry goes beyond product to also include seeing and feeling pieces in person, becoming educated and being guided by a trusted professional.
The industry also is turning toward non-traditional advertising and social media as ways to drive the consumers into the store.
Eighty-one percent of survey-takers ranked social media marketing as one of their most successful business practices, while 90 percent indicated they plan to increase their efforts in this area, with Facebook and Instagram dominating.
“Social media is obviously seen as a cost-effective front for taking on online competition,” Weinrich said.
The survey also delved into lab-grown diamonds.
Though only one in five respondents reporting selling the stones, those that are in the business reported that sales were good; 62 percent said sales were up in the last year, and 78 percent expect them to increase again in the coming year.
Also among the top trends for survey-takers was the sale of “responsibly sourced jewelry,” with 73 percent reporting that they sell it, and 49 percent reporting sales were up year-over-year in 2017.
“While this may bolster the growth of blockchain in the industry in the immediate future, it also provides a foothold for lab-grown diamonds to leverage going forward,” Weinrich said.
Meanwhile, sales of watches and charms were “visibly down” from 2016 to 2017, with the former being affected by the disruption of smartwatches and wearable tech, while sales of custom pieces were up 59 percent among respondents as the customization trend across all consumer categories picks up.
The full version of the 2018 JCK State of the Industry Jewelry Report can be purchased at JCKLasVegas.com/IndustrySurvey.
“This is a number that we’re eager to watch over the years, testing its resilience and learning about the attitudes of our professionals in the jewelry industry over time,” Weinrich said.
When it comes to the industry’s biggest challenges, the most commonly mentioned were: online competition, overall economic climate, a lack of general consumer demand and a lack of millennial demand.
According to the survey, the top strategy for dealing with these challenges is improving the in-store buying experience, which “shows that retailers particularly believe that buying jewelry is not something that can only migrate to the virtual world,” she said.
Even with the larger number of brick-and-mortar stores closing, many in the industry aren’t behind going all-in on e-commerce, as buying jewelry goes beyond product to also include seeing and feeling pieces in person, becoming educated and being guided by a trusted professional.
The industry also is turning toward non-traditional advertising and social media as ways to drive the consumers into the store.
Eighty-one percent of survey-takers ranked social media marketing as one of their most successful business practices, while 90 percent indicated they plan to increase their efforts in this area, with Facebook and Instagram dominating.
“Social media is obviously seen as a cost-effective front for taking on online competition,” Weinrich said.
The survey also delved into lab-grown diamonds.
Though only one in five respondents reporting selling the stones, those that are in the business reported that sales were good; 62 percent said sales were up in the last year, and 78 percent expect them to increase again in the coming year.
Also among the top trends for survey-takers was the sale of “responsibly sourced jewelry,” with 73 percent reporting that they sell it, and 49 percent reporting sales were up year-over-year in 2017.
“While this may bolster the growth of blockchain in the industry in the immediate future, it also provides a foothold for lab-grown diamonds to leverage going forward,” Weinrich said.
Meanwhile, sales of watches and charms were “visibly down” from 2016 to 2017, with the former being affected by the disruption of smartwatches and wearable tech, while sales of custom pieces were up 59 percent among respondents as the customization trend across all consumer categories picks up.
The full version of the 2018 JCK State of the Industry Jewelry Report can be purchased at JCKLasVegas.com/IndustrySurvey.
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
Policies & IssuesSep 18, 2026
Tariffs, Retail Crime Top of Mind at JA’s Annual Fly-In Retailers and manufacturers headed to the Capitol this week to discuss tariff exemptions for diamonds and gemstones, among other issues.
CollectionsSep 18, 2026
Nanis Transforms Its ‘Boule’ Into a Mirror Our Piece of the Week is a pair of drop earrings from the “Sway” collection featuring Nanis’ first use of mirror-polished gold.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
GradingSep 18, 2026
De Beers Introduces Faster Version of Diamond Screening Machine SynthDetect 2 can scan a full tray in less than five minutes, De Beers said, making it six times faster than its predecessors.
Weekly QuizSep 17, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsSep 18, 2026
Noonans To Auction Medieval Gold Seal Ring Recovered By 2 FriendsTwo metal detectorists discovered the ring, which may have belonged to English noblewoman Matilda of Lancaster, in Suffolk.
Policies & IssuesSep 17, 2026
Tariffs on India Could Increase as Russian Sanctions Bill Heads to Trump’s DeskThe bill has a provision that allows the president to raise tariffs on countries that import Russian oil and gas to as much as 100 percent.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
CollectionsSep 17, 2026
Cynthia Erivo, Zoë Chicco’s Jewelry Collab Is an Ode to TransformationThe “Chrysalis” capsule centers butterfly motifs representing growth, transformation, and the unfolding of who you are.
PodcastsSep 16, 2026
Episode 9: Remembering Cindy EdelsteinTwo special guests join the podcast to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the designer advocate, mentor, and author’s untimely passing.
CollectionsSep 16, 2026
Jessica McCormack, L’Objet Collab on Homewares CollectionMcCormack brings sea-inspired motifs from her “Beaches” collection to L’Objet’s tableware, vanity pieces, and first-ever cutlery set.
CrimeSep 16, 2026
JSA Issues Warning to NJ Jewelers After Rash of Smash and GrabsNine New Jersey jewelers have been victims of smash-and-grab robberies this year, prompting JSA to circulate a list of recommendations.
IndependentsSep 16, 2026
Bromberg & Co. Names New PresidentMarlin “Brian” Hood, who has been with the store for 20 years, will succeed Ricky Bromberg, who died earlier this month.
MajorsSep 16, 2026
Midas Chain Releases ‘House of Midas’ Bridal CatalogThe new bridal catalog features the latest jewelry collections and designs from timeless classics to modern silhouettes.
EditorsSep 15, 2026
2026 Emmys Jewelry: An Either/Or Proposition Stars wore either a necklace or earrings at 78th Primetime Emmy Awards but rarely both, Natalie Francisco notes.
ColumnistsSep 15, 2026
The Levels Your Website Must Clear Before AI Recommends YouJennifer Shaheen compares this new era of AI-powered SEO to a video game: your website must clear one level before advancing to the next.
IndependentsSep 15, 2026
Armadani Launches Retail Support Program for Holiday SeasonThe program highlights “Made in Italy” fine jewelry with digital merchandising, sales education, and local marketing support.
EditorsSep 15, 2026
Q&A: Signet Jewelers’ Joan Hilson on Diamond Demand, the HolidaysHilson, Signet’s chief operating and financial officer, discussed Q2, resurgent natural diamond demand, and why Blue Nile is a standout.
ColumnistsSep 14, 2026
Sherry Smith: Stop Waiting for December to Save Your ChristmasThe stores that have a great December are the ones that made good decisions in August, September, and October, Sherry Smith writes.
AuctionsSep 14, 2026
22 Carats of ‘Sunshine’ Are Up for AuctionThe 22.09-carat fancy yellow “Pragnell Kimberley Sunshine Diamond” is part of the fall jewelry sale at Heritage Auctions.
IndependentsSep 14, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers to Unveil Photography Exhibition“Adornos: Jewelry, Memory & What We Pass Down” honors the jewelry’s importance to New York City’s Latine communities.
SourcingSep 14, 2026
Gemfields Sells All Lots at First Emerald Auction in 9 MonthsThe company’s managing director of sales said the results demonstrate “continued strong demand for commercial-quality emeralds.”
SourcingSep 14, 2026
Diamonds Do Good Pledges Support for Eye Care ProgramThe nonprofit awarded a grant to the Gift of Sight initiative spearheaded by South African musician Black Coffee.
CollectionsSep 11, 2026
A Sapphire ‘Stardust’ Ring From Greenwich St. Jewelers The Latine-owned New York jeweler is marking two milestones this year: its 50th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
MajorsSep 11, 2026
The Wishing Place by JTV OpensThe jewelry retail broadcast network has sponsored a new space for Make-A-Wish East Tennessee on its campus in Knoxville.
Events & AwardsSep 11, 2026
The Edge Awards Scholarships to 2 Young Jewelry ProfessionalsThe recipients were recognized at the 24 Karat Club of the Southeastern United States’ annual banquet.
MajorsSep 10, 2026
Lagos Founder Steven Lagos Steps Down as CEO Keith Rolfe, CFO and COO of Lagos, is now at the jewelry brand’s helm while Steven takes on the role of executive chairman.
