Jewelry design trends for 2018-19 are taking cues from the progressive culture around them, including a move toward gender neutrality, millennial demand for high ethical standards, a fusion of technology and emotion, and an increase in purchases by men.
So says expert Paola De Luca of Trendvision, the forecasting unit of the VicenzaOro gold-jewelry fair in Vicenza, Italy. She identified these themes at the January edition of the show, which is a barometer of trends in global jewelry design for the year ahead.
Closing the gender gap
The role of gender is more flexible today, especially among the millennial generation, according to jewelers and analysts. This comes as millennial women are demanding — and achieving — greater equality, which affects their purchasing choices: Statistics show more women are buying jewelry for themselves. Meanwhile, global society is shifting further toward individualism for both genders, with jewelry showing a penchant for asymmetrical items, as well as mixing and matching of materials.
“Consumers are becoming more empowered by what makes them different,” says De Luca. Examples include more fluid and soft forms in designs, along with clean lines and delicate, open silhouettes — non-classic styles that deviate from the beaten path. Earrings by Roberto Coin, Mattia Cielo and Noor Fares fall under this category.
Pearls are popular as well. Designers like Yoko London are revamping them into new configurations, often with diamonds, to depose the traditional image of grandma’s pearl necklace.
Ethical modernist
Another trend that emerged at VicenzaOro was a growing insistence on ethically sourced jewelry. The new luxury for millennials contributes to the sustained well-being of communities in underdeveloped regions; this generation doesn’t want to buy luxury products tainted with suffering, exploitation or toxic damage to the environment.
One designer trying to make a difference in that area is Jennifer Ewah. Cooperatives supporting vulnerable women in Rwanda make beads for her brand, Eden Diodati.
“Millennials take more of an active role in terms of citizenship, and believe that consumption has to be done responsibly,” says Ewah, who features in Trendvision’s latest
Trend Book 2019+ alongside designer Alexandra Mor. Mor’s exotic Tagua Seeds collection brings attention to the tagua seed as an effective alternative to elephant ivory in luxury materials.
‘Techno, but warm’
A third trend is what De Luca calls “emotional technology” — state-of-the-art designs with a sense of emotional engagement.
“Everything is techno, but in a warm way,” she explains. The trend speaks to a need to seek respite from our myriad devices and enjoy a more spiritual quiet in digital society. Colored metals, such as in pieces by high-jewelry designers Glenn Spiro and Wallace Chan, are part of this “retro-futurist” focus, as are clusters of diamonds. Infusions of Art Deco influences, combined with cutting-edge jewelry manufacturing techniques, are also popular.
“Many styles are geometric, partly due to Deco style being strong,” De Luca says.
A taste for monochrome is part of the movement as well, featuring clean, sharp and sleek black-and-white designs.
The new man
Meanwhile, a new generation of forward-looking men is emerging, and manufacturers are looking to create jewelry for the more sensitive “fashionista” male in an increasingly unisex world that is challenging traditional concepts of masculinity.
The Precious Frog, one of the exhibitors at the show, is a London-based brand that reflects both the gender-neutrality shift, and the rising demand for commitment rings in same-sex relationships.
“The commitment rings are a valuable way of overcoming fear of rejection and helping to solidify a relationship,” says Dimitris Karavasilis, head of the company’s marketing department.
If the Vicenza show is any indication, the gender-neutrality trend is emerging as the overriding theme in jewelry design for the coming years, tying in with the rest of the fashion world.
Image (left to right): Roberto Coin, Roman Barocco bangles robertocoin.com; Massimiliano Bonoli, Pavone ring massimilianobonoli.itArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - March 2018. To subscribe click here.