This Holiday Season ‘Jewelry Year’ for Gift-Giving
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Regardless of what’s trendy in the fashion world or someone’s personal preferences when it comes to jewelry, one gift will always be in style and please most women.
“Diamond earrings,” Tom Duma declares. “Earrings are always a trend. For women, it’s like a black dress: you can never go wrong with it.”
But as with anything, observes the owner of Thom Duma Fine Jewelers in downtown Warren, the trends and popular designers are always in flux. Right now, he says, American designer David Yurman is one of the most popular.
“David Yurman is to jewelry what Titleist is to golf. He’s the No. 1 designer right now. His work has a good price point and it’s very wearable, which I think has made him so successful,” Duma says. “You can dress up the jewelry or you can dress it down.”
Brianna Komara-Pridon of Komara Jewelers in Canfield says that “constant jewelry” – jewelry given to a friend, in this instance, bracelets – are dominant of late.
“Bracelets are what’s popular this year and beyond that, the stacking of regular bracelets up the arm,” she says. “In those, Angelica, Swarovski, Pandora and Endless: Those are almost all just charm bracelets. We’ve also done a lot with Bourbon and Boweties, which is a larger crystal bracelet. Women just keep stacking all of these bracelets and it tends to look very cool.”
As the price of precious metals has climbed, charm bracelets have become increasingly popular with buyers who eschew traditional gold and silver for leather bands with interchangeable charms that range in price from $25 to $200.
“It depends on the budget. Some people have money to spend and want to do a whole bracelet,” says Vivian Young, owner of The Wrist Connection in Boardman. “Charm bracelets are individualized. That’s why people like them. They can make them according to their tastes.”
In jewelry, Komara-Pridon adds, what’s popular tends to be the products pushed most by national advertising campaigns. Right now, the big style advertised by De Beers – the South African conglomerate that produces most of the world’s diamonds – is the Center of My Universe collection. It features a halo style – a large center diamond encircled by several smaller ones – on all of its necklaces and rings.
“Halos are very popular. You can get diamonds in different shapes, whether it’s round or cushioned, but that style of jewelry is the most popular right now,” says Bob Komara, owner of Komara Jewelers. “Ninety percent of the engagement rings we’re selling are the halo or some small variant of the basic diamond ring. Every company is making 50 variations of the traditional rings and then a hundred of the halos because those are what’s popular.”
The holiday season, Duma points out, is the most popular time of year for couples to become engaged, which leads to an upswing in sales. And while the long-time rule of thumb – spending two months’ wages on an engagement ring – still holds, Duma notes that how much men spend continues to climb.
“We’ve seen the age of people getting engaged go from 20 to 29. People are more established in their job. So we get a higher price point for engagement rings than we did in years past. Two months’ salary at 29 is much different than two months’ salary at 20,” he says.
For diamonds as a whole, and not just engagement rings, colored diamonds are seeing a surge, led by the advertising campaign by LeVian for its “chocolate” diamonds, which boast a rich brown color. The campaign extends beyond precious stones: the trend of colored jewelry from the world’s fashion centers has reached the Mahoning Valley.
“Pink gold has been selling good in bigger markets for a while now and I’m just starting to get some calls on it, Komara says. “I think this Christmas we’ll sell more than we ever have.”
Jewelry with color, Duma relates, is almost essential in creating a fashionable outfit. Because of that, jewelry will always be a welcome a gift.
“A lot of women want to coordinate their jewelry with their wardrobe. If you buy your girlfriend a suite of blue jewelry, are you going to be done for the rest of your life?” he asks. “No, you accent it with white, or maybe black, next time you get something.”
In general, Komara says, when people shop for good jewelry, not just engagement rings, they tend to spend somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500.
“We have something for every budget. We can find something for $50 all the way up to an unlimited amount. We have high school students come in looking for something for their girlfriend. It’s a bit of everything,” Komara-Pridon adds.
At his stores, Komara notes, sales of men’s jewelry outside of rings, watches and bracelets – the latter two items consisting mostly of stainless steel – is minimal.
Duma relates that all categories of jewelry for men are selling well, something he attributes to the brands he carries.
“Our brands are more men-focused, not leaving us with just a watch or a wedding ring,” he explains. “There are lots of bracelets and necklaces. When you talk what’s trendy or fashion-forward, it’s not for every guy. But if it’s for someone who wants to be trendy, you’ll find a lot of selection. If you go to New York or Chicago or Los Angeles, you’ll see guys wearing jewelry. The same brands that are at the front of that are the same brands we happen to carry.”
For men who disdain jewelry, Duma recommends watches as a gift. In addition to established brands such as Rolex and Movado, he points to the new Shinola brand as one he sees becoming popular.
The watches are made in Detroit – the only such timepieces made in the United States – and carry a lifetime warranty, a rarity among watchmakers. Most watches carry a limited warranty. But one of the most attractive features, Duma adds, is that the Shinola watches start at $575.
This Christmas, he adds, is considered a “jewelry year” for gift giving, although he admits with a laugh that he isn’t sure who makes that determination.
“Some years are electronics and some are cars. I don’t know how that fleshes out and who decides what kind of year it is, but they say it’s a jewelry year. We’re excited about that,” he says.
A study by the Shullman Research Center reports that 21% of American adults expected to purchase jewelry this holiday season.
In 2012, the most recent year for which figures are available, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported that Americans spent $61.9 billion on jewelry, a continuation of the upward trend from 2008.
With those figures in mind, Duma offers a simple mantra when buying jewelry for someone special: “Jewelry is a great way to express love.”
Duma explains, “It’s a lasting gift and it builds part of your legacy as you go on your journey. It’s not like a TV where you get a new one and throw the old one away. Jewelry doesn’t go out of style because it fits you. There’s value and worth there.”
Pictured: Tom Duma, owner of Thom Duma Fine Jewelers in Warren, says all categories of jewelry are selling well this holiday season, including items designed for men.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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