Has anyone noticed many people and brands pumping more money into their fine jewelry? I recently saw a video from Balmain launching their new fine jewelry collection. LV is pushing more of their gold and diamonds. There are now more and more Cartier/Vancleef/Tiffany on the Instagram feed. Even people who used to be into handbags now feature jewelry on their pages. I have always loved jewelry and am curious about where this will lead. I am so over handbag and love to see more unique jewelry on Instagram. Is jewelry the next "IT bag"? What do you think?
Fine Jewelry is the next "IT Bag"?
- Thread starter chaerimk
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I haven't noticed that per se, but as my taste in bags has grown to be significantly expensive, I've often chosen to buy jewelry instead of leather.
I'm not a fan of most design houses we associate with bags and RTW trying their hand at fine jewelry. I do like a couple of Dior fine pieces but am put off by them being Dior jewelry at that high price point, so I'd rather buy from other brands.
I'm not a fan of most design houses we associate with bags and RTW trying their hand at fine jewelry. I do like a couple of Dior fine pieces but am put off by them being Dior jewelry at that high price point, so I'd rather buy from other brands.
Yes I think fine jewelry is definitely having a moment and eclipsing the “it bag.” It started during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and has continued pretty much unabated. (Even here on tPF there’s been more interest in the jewelry subforums than in the past, at least in my opinion.) I’ve seen numerous articles written about this trend; here are a few I found with a quick google:
www.jckonline.com
www.nytimes.com
wwd.com
How the COVID-19 Pandemic May Have Helped the Jewelry Industry - JCK
COVID-19 appears to have had a positive effect on jewelry sales, with 30% of consumers in a recent poll reporting they purchased more jewelry during the
www.jckonline.com
Even in a Pandemic, Fine Jewelry Is Selling (Published 2020)
Jewelers say many buyers are compensating for the loss of travel — or just treating themselves.
Diamonds Roar Back Above Pre-pandemic Levels
Retail sales of diamond jewelry rose 29 percent last year and 11 percent above 2019, according to a new report by Bain & Co. and AWDC.
wwd.com
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To me, brands realised that fine jewellery can be priced so much higher than bags and people don't complain about that as much as a simple bag costing several thousand.
I've never heard anyone saying that Cartier, Bvlgari etc. is so expensive, it seems like clients are ok with these price points.
Also, while I know nothing about crafting, I think it's less likely that a piece of fine metal will have quality issues than a leather item. Crooked flaps, popped stitches and so on.
I've never heard anyone saying that Cartier, Bvlgari etc. is so expensive, it seems like clients are ok with these price points.
Also, while I know nothing about crafting, I think it's less likely that a piece of fine metal will have quality issues than a leather item. Crooked flaps, popped stitches and so on.
I've generally always been more into fine jewelry than bags and I'm so glad I bought most of my pieces earlier on. Always fine jewelry > bags haha 
I can see it happening, especially with the pandemic when there wasn't much to do and places to go. A bag is for bringing out of the house because someone is going somewhere. But jewelry, is something that you can wear literally anywhere, day in, day out.
It's something you can always admire on yourself (especially if they are rings and bracelets).
Jewelry also is never really "in the way" unless you're moving a lot and wearing larger, more statement pieces. It becomes a part of you and, for the most part, is easy and comfortable to wear.
Fine jewelry price increases are generally not as steep as the bag price increases we've seen in the past few years (though I hope that's not going to change). Since fine jewelry is "somewhat" based on the gold and diamond markets, they can't really push their prices up that extravagantly, that quickly.
Though, as people get more knowledgeable about fine jewelry, they will soon see how much the luxury houses overcharge for their fine jewelry pieces and will understand/accept that they are really buying it for the brand (like all other luxury items).
I used to be more "obsessed" about only having luxury fine jewelry because I felt that their craftmanship was exquisite and guaranteed. And, I'm not saying that it isn't, but over time, as I've gotten more experienced with buying fine jewelry in general, I've realized that there are many pieces (especially more basic ones with simpler designs) that can be made just as well by a local jeweler at a significantly lower price point; such as diamond tennis bracelets.
I would be interested to see if people go the more "customizing" way. If they want something more unique and don't want something that everyone sees trending online; and prefer to go to a jewelry to customize their own pieces.
Currently however, the main thing deterring me from buying more jewelry is the increase in crime. I'm not too fond of wearing fine jewelry only to get noticed and then robbed.
I am relatively careful, wear long sleeves, don't wear big stacks, and if I'm showing more bare skin, my husband is out with me on that day. But you know, better to be safe than sorry. 
I can see it happening, especially with the pandemic when there wasn't much to do and places to go. A bag is for bringing out of the house because someone is going somewhere. But jewelry, is something that you can wear literally anywhere, day in, day out.
It's something you can always admire on yourself (especially if they are rings and bracelets).
Jewelry also is never really "in the way" unless you're moving a lot and wearing larger, more statement pieces. It becomes a part of you and, for the most part, is easy and comfortable to wear.
Fine jewelry price increases are generally not as steep as the bag price increases we've seen in the past few years (though I hope that's not going to change). Since fine jewelry is "somewhat" based on the gold and diamond markets, they can't really push their prices up that extravagantly, that quickly.
Though, as people get more knowledgeable about fine jewelry, they will soon see how much the luxury houses overcharge for their fine jewelry pieces and will understand/accept that they are really buying it for the brand (like all other luxury items).
I used to be more "obsessed" about only having luxury fine jewelry because I felt that their craftmanship was exquisite and guaranteed. And, I'm not saying that it isn't, but over time, as I've gotten more experienced with buying fine jewelry in general, I've realized that there are many pieces (especially more basic ones with simpler designs) that can be made just as well by a local jeweler at a significantly lower price point; such as diamond tennis bracelets.
I would be interested to see if people go the more "customizing" way. If they want something more unique and don't want something that everyone sees trending online; and prefer to go to a jewelry to customize their own pieces.
Currently however, the main thing deterring me from buying more jewelry is the increase in crime. I'm not too fond of wearing fine jewelry only to get noticed and then robbed.
I am relatively careful, wear long sleeves, don't wear big stacks, and if I'm showing more bare skin, my husband is out with me on that day. But you know, better to be safe than sorry. Yes, I've definitely seen this development in the Youtube space. I feel like to some extent it's just a natural progression; these influencers already have huge bag collections and their audience is growing tired of watching bag unboxing after bag unboxing.
So, jewelry becomes the new(er) field of luxury consumption they can expand into and for a while it will feel like fresh and new content...until, of course, everyone is doing that same thing and collecting the same Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels pieces, and it starts to feel stale and unimaginative again, just like the Chanel and Hermès unboxings kind of have already.
However, when it comes to the influencer trend, I feel like luxury jewelry is a bit more tricky than luxury bags - there's really not that many very recognizable jewelry brands and styles available? Because we all know that their goal is to maximize views - they're not going to source local unbranded diamonds and hunt down original gold pieces, they will go for the big status items from Cartier etc. It's going to get repetitive pretty fast.
So, jewelry becomes the new(er) field of luxury consumption they can expand into and for a while it will feel like fresh and new content...until, of course, everyone is doing that same thing and collecting the same Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels pieces, and it starts to feel stale and unimaginative again, just like the Chanel and Hermès unboxings kind of have already.
However, when it comes to the influencer trend, I feel like luxury jewelry is a bit more tricky than luxury bags - there's really not that many very recognizable jewelry brands and styles available? Because we all know that their goal is to maximize views - they're not going to source local unbranded diamonds and hunt down original gold pieces, they will go for the big status items from Cartier etc. It's going to get repetitive pretty fast.
I think for me, and probably an unpopular opinion, designer jewelry gets boring and stale more quickly because the market is smaller due to the entry price point, so there are only a few pieces that get popular. The endless
parade of VCA Alhambra and love bracelets on Instagram isn't helping these pieces becoming more desirable to me
Some designer jewelry uses the codes of the houses in an obvious way like the hermes turn lock or LV monograms, but I think the most interesting designer jewelry is the original pieces. In this category I think Dior has the best designer Victoire de Castellane.
Here's an adorable video worth watching of all her work for Dior
parade of VCA Alhambra and love bracelets on Instagram isn't helping these pieces becoming more desirable to me
Some designer jewelry uses the codes of the houses in an obvious way like the hermes turn lock or LV monograms, but I think the most interesting designer jewelry is the original pieces. In this category I think Dior has the best designer Victoire de Castellane.
Here's an adorable video worth watching of all her work for Dior
Hmm, I haven’t noticed, but I’ve always been more into jewelry than bags. So maybe that’s why, since I pretty much already look for jewelry on social media.
Jewelry requires much less maintenance, it can be passed down for hundreds of years, and you can wear it with literally anything at any time. Jewelry has great cost-per-wear as a result. Truly, a timeless purchase. Jewelry is also very space effective. It’s easy to store a lot of jewelry, so you don’t have to worry about running out of closet space.
Meanwhile, bags photograph better. Bags have a lot of variety, with different colors and leathers. And bags have a functional component to them — which jewelry obviously lacks. Bags can be justified on necessity much more readily than jewelry. There’s always a need for organized space, after all. Bags are more visible, hence also much more conspicuous when it comes to “signaling” social status. These factors make it more justifiable to purchase twenty different iterations of the Hermes Kelly, compared to buying twenty pairs of Tiffany diamond studs.
Put together, I think bags are having their heyday, because customers like the fashion aspect. Between real life, movies, and social media, bags are what’s visible from a distance. I think customers view fine jewelry as a more intimate purchase, so jewelry reserves its ceremonial status by only being purchased to mark special occasions. However, the fact that bags are now a luxury purchase isn’t really based on historical precedent. Jewelry is the hardest luxury. It’s a product that doesn’t increase quality of life and lacks any functional utility. Civilizations throughout millennia and cultures have shared a reverence for jewelry. The obsession with bags is a much more modern phenomenon. I don’t think anyone 70 years ago could comprehend how a bag made from common cattle would have value equal or greater to that of diamond jewelry. But even today, if you gave random people ten thousand dollars, and told them to decide between buying a bag or a piece of jewelry, I think most customers would still be inclined to pick jewelry.
In spite of all this, on social media, I don’t know if designer jewelry makes for the best content. Again, consumer spending habits for jewelry are highly time sensitive, so there’s naturally less available content for jewelry unboxing videos. The big three jewelers (Tiffany, Cartier, Van Cleef) also don’t have enough variety with their most iconic pieces. How many yellow gold Cartier love bangles can one person buy? Add to that, how many yellow gold Cartier love bangle unboxing videos can one person watch? At least with Chanel, it doesn’t feel as redundant when one unboxing is about a green lambskin classic flap, and the other is for a taupe caviar wallet on chain. The only thing that comes close might be how VCA Alhambra features different stones. But personally, I just don’t get very excited about how mother-of-pearl can come in yellow, pink, white, or gray hues.
I would gladly welcome it if jewelry became the dominant luxury social media content. I think jewelry encompasses more meaningful and intentional purchases, with more compelling backstories and motivations. But my prediction is that handbags will stay on top. In the age of short attention spans, handbags are easier to differentiate and observe compared to jewelry.
Jewelry requires much less maintenance, it can be passed down for hundreds of years, and you can wear it with literally anything at any time. Jewelry has great cost-per-wear as a result. Truly, a timeless purchase. Jewelry is also very space effective. It’s easy to store a lot of jewelry, so you don’t have to worry about running out of closet space.
Meanwhile, bags photograph better. Bags have a lot of variety, with different colors and leathers. And bags have a functional component to them — which jewelry obviously lacks. Bags can be justified on necessity much more readily than jewelry. There’s always a need for organized space, after all. Bags are more visible, hence also much more conspicuous when it comes to “signaling” social status. These factors make it more justifiable to purchase twenty different iterations of the Hermes Kelly, compared to buying twenty pairs of Tiffany diamond studs.
Put together, I think bags are having their heyday, because customers like the fashion aspect. Between real life, movies, and social media, bags are what’s visible from a distance. I think customers view fine jewelry as a more intimate purchase, so jewelry reserves its ceremonial status by only being purchased to mark special occasions. However, the fact that bags are now a luxury purchase isn’t really based on historical precedent. Jewelry is the hardest luxury. It’s a product that doesn’t increase quality of life and lacks any functional utility. Civilizations throughout millennia and cultures have shared a reverence for jewelry. The obsession with bags is a much more modern phenomenon. I don’t think anyone 70 years ago could comprehend how a bag made from common cattle would have value equal or greater to that of diamond jewelry. But even today, if you gave random people ten thousand dollars, and told them to decide between buying a bag or a piece of jewelry, I think most customers would still be inclined to pick jewelry.
In spite of all this, on social media, I don’t know if designer jewelry makes for the best content. Again, consumer spending habits for jewelry are highly time sensitive, so there’s naturally less available content for jewelry unboxing videos. The big three jewelers (Tiffany, Cartier, Van Cleef) also don’t have enough variety with their most iconic pieces. How many yellow gold Cartier love bangles can one person buy? Add to that, how many yellow gold Cartier love bangle unboxing videos can one person watch? At least with Chanel, it doesn’t feel as redundant when one unboxing is about a green lambskin classic flap, and the other is for a taupe caviar wallet on chain. The only thing that comes close might be how VCA Alhambra features different stones. But personally, I just don’t get very excited about how mother-of-pearl can come in yellow, pink, white, or gray hues.
I would gladly welcome it if jewelry became the dominant luxury social media content. I think jewelry encompasses more meaningful and intentional purchases, with more compelling backstories and motivations. But my prediction is that handbags will stay on top. In the age of short attention spans, handbags are easier to differentiate and observe compared to jewelry.
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Very good convo so far everyone. I enjoyed jewelry from popular brands to affordable fine jewelry. I told myself that I will only own 1 or 2 pieces from each designer house and that is it. Just like everyone is saying here, Cartier and VCA are really repetitive.
Coming from a family of jewelers I will absolutely be buying items like tennis necklace/bracelet/diamond ring from small business as they are just as good as the designer brands. However, there are designs that I think you can't just be replicated easily i.e John Hardy Naga, Cartier Clash, Tiffany Shlumberger etc.
I noticed one thing with VCA recently with their Alhambra. As far as last year, I was not being push to get other pieces when asking about the Alhambra. But recently, I was interested in the Guilloché, the SA told me they don't have any but then lead the convo to get other pieces before getting the Guilloché. I think they are doing the buying other items before I can offer you the popular item like Hermes.
I think the 1 of a kind jewelry is like the Birkin/Kelly that are very aspirational but not everyone can afford them. I can see fashion house will start pushing and loans their top tier jewelry to influencers to push their bread and butter. I.e Bvlgari has been putting their high jewelry on celebrities and doing all kind of events.
I think as each generation getting older their decision lean toward items that more meaningful and will last, and jewelry fit into that need. I think the fascination with handbags will wean with time.
Coming from a family of jewelers I will absolutely be buying items like tennis necklace/bracelet/diamond ring from small business as they are just as good as the designer brands. However, there are designs that I think you can't just be replicated easily i.e John Hardy Naga, Cartier Clash, Tiffany Shlumberger etc.
I noticed one thing with VCA recently with their Alhambra. As far as last year, I was not being push to get other pieces when asking about the Alhambra. But recently, I was interested in the Guilloché, the SA told me they don't have any but then lead the convo to get other pieces before getting the Guilloché. I think they are doing the buying other items before I can offer you the popular item like Hermes.
I think the 1 of a kind jewelry is like the Birkin/Kelly that are very aspirational but not everyone can afford them. I can see fashion house will start pushing and loans their top tier jewelry to influencers to push their bread and butter. I.e Bvlgari has been putting their high jewelry on celebrities and doing all kind of events.
I think as each generation getting older their decision lean toward items that more meaningful and will last, and jewelry fit into that need. I think the fascination with handbags will wean with time.
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Am I the only one who doesn't follow an influencer or watch YT videos? lol
I'm quickly feeling like the odd man out! I couldn't care less about what a stranger wears or unboxes, it's never appealed to me.
I see threads filled with links to videos and it surprises me, I'm a SAHM and still don't have time to watch other people show me edited dramatic videos of their stuff lol
I'm quickly feeling like the odd man out! I couldn't care less about what a stranger wears or unboxes, it's never appealed to me.
I see threads filled with links to videos and it surprises me, I'm a SAHM and still don't have time to watch other people show me edited dramatic videos of their stuff lol
I don't like watching influencer either but I do watch video to research items before buying IRL. We don't have many high-end designer stores in my state so I have to buy through phone or online. I hate how some YouTube hype the item up. I will make my decision whether the item is for me or not. In example, the JUC small was so overrated when I saw it IRL. It was not worth what Cartier is charging for them at all, even my SA steered me away from them for daily wear.
I'm opposite, I tried on the small JuC for fun and we bought it on the spot lol
I love the Ecrou on others and hated it on me, has to mark it off my wishlist!
I'm "lucky" to be near a very big city so I have access to try and window shop.
I love the Ecrou on others and hated it on me, has to mark it off my wishlist!
I'm "lucky" to be near a very big city so I have access to try and window shop.
I don't mean to be snarky but if this was entirely true, surely you wouldn't be hanging here at the Purse Forum, where basically everything revolves around what luxury items strangers are wearing and buying. You are watching other people show their stuff, just not in a video format
I don't mean to be snarky but if this was entirely true, surely you wouldn't be hanging here at the Purse Forum, where basically everything revolves around what luxury items strangers are wearing and buying. You are watching other people show their stuff, just not in a video format
What I posted is true, I don't have any interest in or have time to watch videos lol
I can pop in here when I have 60 seconds or at night in bed without disturbing my DH.
And it's true, I don't follow influencers or watch YT videos. I didn't post anything untrue
Because I'm personally not into watching strangers unbox their loot, I'm always fascinated that there's a big audience for that.
We don't all open the reveal/unboxing threads here either
+1 (I don’t go on Instagram or what you tube either, for the same reason). TPF has been my only form of social media.Though, for my benefit, DH opens up @Notorious Pink ‘s contentWhat I posted is true, I don't have time to watch videos lol
I can pop in here when I have 60 seconds or at night in bed without disturbing my DH.
And it's true, I don't follow influencers or watch YT videos. I didn't post anything untrue
Because I'm personally not into watching strangers unbox their loot, I'm always fascinated that there's a big audience for that.
We don't all open the reveal/unboxing threads here either
re dior, I think some of Victoire’s designs are beautiful but very girly. And, compared to chanel, VCA, and other brands, a bit overpriced