Modern Jewelry Trends

Silver is the biggest overall trend at the JCK Las Vegas show, which opened yesterday.  A strong emphasis on affordable price points is persuading many manufacturers who’ve never designed in silver before to launch new collections.  But even companies who are already known for great-looking affordable silver are launching new lines with an even more inexpensive price point.  Case in point: Starhaven, the popular designer silver line, which has now launched Starlets, a collection of affordable charms that retails for just $110.

SES Creations has launched the Perfect Twogether collection of classic three stone styles with matching bands that fit snugly against the engagement ring. Designs include round, princess, emerald, Asscher, cushion, and oval three stone styles as well as settings with rounds flanked by pear shape, trillion, tapered baguette, half moon and trapezoid shapes. The collection is available in 14k, 18k, and platinum.  See the collection at JCK booth 15129.

These cute new designs from Charade say boo in 18k gold and diamonds.  The Phantom collection, while also Halloween inspired, is a welcome change of pace from skulls, don’t you think?

Breuning introduced a new collection of  30 styles of electroform earrings in 14k and 18k gold.  The electroforming process allows for large dramatic earring designs that are lightweight and comfortable. Suggested retail for  design shown here is around $1000.

Sal Praschnik Jewels has a pendant that’s also a 2GB flash drive.  The e-Charm pendant has an easy to use program to store medical records, emergency information and even videos and pictures of your kids. The e-Charms, which are less than an inch long, are available in 14k, 18k, and sterling silver, some accented with diamonds in a range of price points, from $490 to $1500 suggested retail. Many different symbols are available. “The USB Flash drive is retractable when it’s worn as a pendant,” says Virginia Praschnik. “And it looks super  chic when it’s plugged into my lap top!” Sal Praschnik is exhibiting at Luxury, booth 800, and JCK, booth 3120.

Gold giant Leslie’s is launching its first collection in silver and gold.  OroSilver earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are 14k gold bonded to silver.  “The merchandise is beautiful and the styling is the best available in gold and silver bonded products,” says Judy Ban.  “We have added this collection to our line to arrive at the price-points needed by our independent jeweler customers.”  The collection will launch at the JCK show and a new brochure featuring the collection will be available at the Leslie’s booth.  Below, a preview of some of the new bracelet styles, with suggested retails from $495 to $600.

Retailers looking for custom designed collections should check out JudeFrances Jewelry’s newest venture, JFI Private Label. In addition to diamond designs in gold and platinum, the private label has launched a multi-stone solitaire collection. The “Cipriani” collection of rings, earrings, and pendants feature five diamonds set together to appear as one. The G-VS quality diamonds are set in prongs or bezels that range in size from 1 carat and up. The Cipriani multi-stone designs are one-fifth the cost of a comparable sized diamond of the same quality. For instance, a 2 carat diamond wrapped pendant of G-VS quality would retail for around $25,500; the Cipriani wrapped pendant retails for only $5,500. Visit JudeFrances Jewelry at the Couture show, booth 258.     — Matthew Kramer

Designer Susan Sadler is launching a great new collection of bracelets that is really different from anything she’s done before.  The designs incorporate vintage bakelite, ebony, pre-ban ivory, and horn adorned with gemstones and pearls set in Sadler’s signature 19-karat gold.  The best part?  The collection retails from $1,500 to $4,500.  The new cuff collection will debut at the JCK show, booth 22129.

Ritani’s new Anadare engagement ring collection represents a new twist on design for the company.  The styles feature twist motifs, often in polished gold.  Of course, some styles also accent that twist with diamonds too.

“The twist is the human genome, the double helix of DNA,” says Tim Spanjer of Ritani. “It’s two hearts intertwining and becoming one.”

The scale of many of the settings in the new collection are delicate enough for the smaller center diamonds that many couples are choosing today.

At the JCK show, Stuller will launch a new clasp that is so easy to fasten you can do it with gloves on. The patented Demika self-locking clasp was designed for the millions of women who have difficulty fastening necklaces and bracelets. To close the Demika clasp, all you need to do is to bring the two ends of a necklace or bracelet close to each other. The magnets in the clasp attract and the safety catch will lock itself.

“Jewelers can invite their customers to bring in necklaces and bracelets that they have difficulty fastening and get a Demika clasp that will solve their problem,” says Elizabeth Brehmer, Stuller’s Vice President of Findings. Stuller will offer an interactive display featuring a chain and clasp that enables customers to try out the clasp with an assortment of 34 styles in gold and silver finish, sterling silver, and vermeil. The clasps can also be ordered in gold.

Designer Esther Fuhrman created the first Demika clasp after she put an ordinary magnetic clasp on a valuable necklace and lost it when the clasp came apart. She has three clasps patents with additional patents pending.