| Historically, marketers of fine jewelry have | | | | worn long or doubled for a layered look. |
| targeted their advertising campaigns primarily | | | | Thus the designs of fine jewelry offered in the |
| towards men, but times have changed. With | | | | market today are as varied as each designer's |
| powerhouses like Debeers leading the way with | | | | imagination. Even the traditional industries of |
| their famous right hand ring campaign, jewelers | | | | diamonds and pearls have had to use modern |
| have realized that the modern woman is now the | | | | technology and upgrade their designs to keep up |
| target consumer and the rest of the industry is | | | | with the demands of the female consumer. These |
| taking notice. Men still tend to purchase the higher | | | | consumers are no longer satisfied with the status |
| ticket items, but they buy for special occasions, | | | | quo; they don't want just the round white |
| namely engagements, anniversaries, birthdays and | | | | diamond or the round white pearls. Diamonds are |
| Christmas. The workingwomen today have strong | | | | being color treated to come in blue, green, pink, |
| purchasing power and equally strong opinions of | | | | yellow, brown and black. They are being cut with |
| what they like. And what the modern woman | | | | names like the asscher cut, cushion cut, radiant |
| wants, the modern woman buys. In fact, | | | | cut, criss-cut, lily cut. In fact, now that laser is |
| according to the JCK magazine, 80% of all | | | | cutting diamonds, many firms are out there |
| jewelry purchasers today are women. | | | | putting their own spin on traditional cuts and |
| What are they buying? What is it that women are | | | | renaming the cuts after themselves. |
| buying and not buying today? The first thing they | | | | Also, pearls are hotter then ever. Some of the |
| want is "Big" with a lot of bling. They are doing | | | | biggest name in jewelry designer made their mark |
| this by sometimes sacrificing the quality of stone | | | | specializing in pearl designs. Pearls are now being |
| for size, other times by choosing pieces with | | | | dyed every color under the rainbow and laser |
| multiple diamonds that give the illusion of a big | | | | treated to turn them chocolate brown. The cast |
| look. The days of women being satisfied with a | | | | offs that used to be thrown away are being |
| plain gold wedding band is gone. Anything paved, | | | | turned into designer masterpieces. Every part of |
| basically small round diamonds set everywhere, | | | | the oyster is used to make all different shapes |
| with minimal metal showing is in hot demand. | | | | and size pearls. Cultured, Tahitian, south sea, fresh |
| And the second thing they want is | | | | water, mother of pearl, mabe pearls come in all |
| color…lots and lots of it. In fact, | | | | shapes and sizes. In the past, the Japanese |
| They are opting for alternative semi-precious | | | | dominated the industry with their traditional akoya |
| stones set around diamonds, rather then going for | | | | pearl strands, but then the Chinese, Australia and |
| the traditional pricier precious stones. Sales of the | | | | many of the South Sea regions came up with |
| traditional sapphires, emeralds and ruby stone | | | | their own farming techniques to make their mark |
| jewelry have plummeted and have been replaced | | | | with their own pearl specialties. |
| by the colorful and "cheaper" alternative | | | | Women today want fashionable jewelry, they |
| semi-precious stone jewelry. All colors sell and the | | | | follow not only the fashion runway trends, but |
| popularity of a certain color will vary with the | | | | also their fashion icons. A diamond circle of life |
| season and fashion. Beryls, rubellite, rhodolite, | | | | necklace worn by an icon such as Oprah Winfrey |
| garnet, topaz, citrine, garnets, jade, tourmalines, | | | | can start a major frenzy that can last up to 3 |
| periodot, amber, carnelian, jade, the selection and | | | | years. Women want versatility in their jewelry. |
| colors are endless. Pink and blue-green are always | | | | They want jewelry they can wear to the office |
| hot colors. | | | | as well as go out to dinner and just plain live in. |
| Not only are stones big in rings but also gemstone | | | | They want anything that gives her a feeling of |
| bead strands have been the hot ticket item the | | | | change from day to night or that she can color |
| last few years. Tourmaline, peridot, topaz, iolite, | | | | coordinate with different outfits. |
| jade, lapis, onyx, beryl mixed with gold beads, | | | | So whether it is a ring, earring, bracelet or |
| pearls and accented with big centerpiece pendants | | | | necklace, it is all desired as long as it is accented |
| have been popular. After enduring a decade of | | | | with diamonds, stones or pearls. The price point |
| the white metal and diamonds minimalism look, | | | | that woman buy for themselves is still a lot less |
| women revolted and the "bigness" of size and | | | | then what men spend on average, but there is |
| color became the flavor du-jour for women's | | | | something to be said about volume sales. Also |
| necklaces. During the minimalist period where | | | | where men have usually purchased traditional |
| necklaces were all worn short, the necklaces of | | | | designs, women have forced the jewelry industry |
| today have evolved to the belly button length. | | | | to evolve and revolutionize in a short period of |
| These necklaces are usually 32" or longer and | | | | time. This is the power of what women want. |