Buyers Cautious at JA New York

By Morgan Beard · Editor-in-Chief

A 22K yellow gold pin/pendant with a buff-top peridot from Maija Neimanis, photo by Ralph Gabriner.

The Jewelers of America (JA) New York show, held July 28-31 at the Jacob K. Javits Center, demonstrated the uncertainty of the current retail jewelry market.

Sales were spotty, with retail buyers gravitating toward certain looks and disregarding others. Exhibitors described the overall mood as "cautious."

"I think what's been happening, with the economy the way it is, is people want items that are more affordable," observed Abe Rosenberg of Zoe B. Ltd. He said his company had an "unbelievable" show, which he attributed to a strong mix of colorful jewelry designed for the impulse buyer.

Generally, retailers appeared to be looking for something that would catch a customer's attention without scaring them off with a high price tag. Once the jewelry's price points got into the middle and high end, it was very much a game of hit and miss: Either the company had what the retailer was looking for, or they didn't.

On one extreme, jewelry that was very unique did well among fine jewelers and galleries looking to expand their product mix. On the other, many retail jewelers were looking for "bread and butter" items that they could be sure would sell in uncertain times.

The clearest gemstone trend at the show was turquoise, which nearly every vendor interviewed for this article reported as their top seller. Though it initially looked like a flash in the pan, fashion watchers are now expecting it to be popular at least through the end of 2002, possibly for a year or two after that.

"We still are selling turquoise," said Lisa Medrano of fashion-forward jewelry firm Kalan. "I think it's going to go all the way through to next year [as a trend]. I could see it happening. People love it; it's such a flattering stone for every skin tone."

As with The JCK Show, gemstones with a similar light blue tone did well also. Gems like Peruvian blue opal and milky aquamarine were popular sellers, as were greens like peridot and andradite garnet. Aquamarine in particular did well, with several dealers suggesting that it was poised to come back into style.

Designers aiming for fall fashions were focusing on blacks, especially onyx, and a color range from dark brown to red. Several designers were incorporating turquoise with dark stones like smoky topaz, and others were focusing on coral and a mix of yellow, orange, and brown garnets.

Another clear trend was a desire for high-karat yellow gold, particularly in creative designs.

"I've had a lot of people say to me that people are coming [into their stores] and asking for 22K gold," said Maija Neimanis, a jewelry designer who works exclusively in high-karat gold. She added that over the past year her sales have been growing despite the economy, and she'd gotten re-orders even since The JCK Show in early June. "For me it's exciting, because I've been pushing 22K for 10 years."

Despite lukewarm sales, most exhibitors reported they were satisifed with the contacts they made at JA New York, and were planning to return again next year — hopefully to a more confident retail environment.

Posted: August 7, 2002