Innovative designs, attractive prices elevate silver

Silver pieces such as Daniel Gibbings’ “African Warrior Shield Ring” in pure silver with 18-karat yellow gold shank, hand-carved detail and brown zircon center stone, were go-to pieces in Las Vegas. Suggested retail price is $1,452. (877) 565-1284 or DanielGibbingsJewelry.com

As a perusal of the showcases at Las Vegas Market Week made evident, precious metals prices hold an unrelenting influence over design trends, with silver providing an affordable ying to gold’s pricier yang.

While gold is the go-to metal for small, stacking rings and delicate pendant necklaces, designers use silver to go bold, both in terms of size and metalworking techniques.

Even jewelers once skittish about silver are now striding into the category with confidence, as consumers demand friendlier price-point pieces that are high in both quality and value. Heeding the call, designers have been keen to create silver designs that their brand names can proudly stand behind-and, that can help offer margin-making opportunities to retail customers.

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Design trends

Silver’s entry-level price points are not just an attraction for consumers. At press time, the metal was trading at $18.25 per ounce as compared to gold at $1,162 per ounce, providing designers with the chance to experiment-an opportunity they are grabbing with aplomb. The silver designs of the moment are big and bold, and come in all shapes and forms, from smooth, sculptural designs to highly textured styles, hammered, etched and oxidized. For luxe, higher-end offerings, look for pieces studded with diamonds, especially versions featuring colorless stones set against oxidized silver, a major trend at the moment. For wallet-friendly options with character, look to designs accented with colored gemstones. The market is currently brimming with new, colorful looks.

Margin matters

The Silver Promotion Service (SPS) has been putting the emphasis on silver as the “metal with margin,” a tag line that is proving true, at least according to two National Jeweler surveys. More jewelry retailers (46 percent) said that their margins increased on sterling silver jewelry as compared to any other jewelry category, according to the results of National Jeweler’s exclusive Post-Holiday 2009 survey. Meanwhile, according to National Jeweler’s exclusive Profit Margins Survey, sterling silver jewelry topped more than 30 categories as the leading margin-maker for retail jewelers.

Marketing moves

The SPS, the marketing arm of the Silver Institute, has been busy over the last year bringing attention to silver jewelry. The service has expanded its Web site, SavorSilver.com, to include new designers, silver products and services, and has also amped up its presence at trade shows, including the recent Couture and JCK shows in Las Vegas. In addition, SPS has partnered with National Jeweler to launch a monthly e-newsletter, “Silver Jewelry News.” SPS also continues to remind jewelers that, just like gold and platinum, silver is one of the noble metals, SPS Director Michael Barlerin said during an informational seminar at JCK Las Vegas.

Source: National Jewelry Network