Jewellery Making Supplies Blog

Where best to start looking into 2013 trends than with colour and the best place to reference colour is Pantone. Every year they present their colour of the year which influences everything from interior design to fashion. Last year it was Tangerine Tango and this year it is Emerald.

“Lively. Radiant. Lush… A colour of elegance and beauty
that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.”

Handily enough the 2013 colour of the year, ‘Emerald’ just happens to lend itself beautifully to jewellery applications so expect to see lots of synthetic corundum and malachite for those on a budget and a plethora of real emeralds for those who aren’t!

Here are some other hues to look out for:

The ‘Lemon Zest’ colour is already proving popular in fashion circles with many ‘A’ listers choosing this zingy colour to wear for red carpet events. It is certainly a great colour for lifting the spirits through the drab and dreary winter months.

In terms of styling, many trends from 2012 look set to continue well into the New Year.  Tribal motifs look set to dominate again using geometric patterns in beading and crystals. But colours are bright not muted and the scale is large, large, large.  Not a look for those shy, retiring types!

Both Dolce and Gabbana and Matthew Williamson used Tassels and Pom Poms in their catwalk shows for 2013 Spring/Summer and Versace used a lot of Fringing within their accessories, so it would seem that we are not yet done with the 20s ‘Flapper’ style that has been so huge recently.

In line with this headpieces and hairpins will continue to enjoy their revival of 2012 as will the humble brooch which has been out of favour for such a long time. I think the versatility of brooches has helped to boost their appeal of late as customers continue to enjoy customising everything from shoes and bags to nails and eyes! Vivienne Westwood, Giorgio Armani, Oscar de la Renta and House of Holland all featured Brooches for 2013, many in the form of flower or butterfly motifs.

The spikes and studs that have adorned shoulders, shoes, bags, cuffs, in fact most things, are still very much a part of 2013. Look out for Halloween inspired pieces in plastic and metal which echo Christopher Kane’s’ homage to all things Frankenstein with his use of wing-nuts and bolts to fasten jackets and dresses.

 A final word about materials: Crystals, plastics, rope and leather all look set to play a major part in 2013 with a strong emphasis being placed on plastics. Not the 80’s style, but a more futuristic, Lady Ga Ga style incorporating mixed media. In fact crystal mixed with plastic is something we will be seeing much more of over the coming months as the catwalk trends filter down onto the high street.

So as ever, the mix of ideas and colours is as diverse as ever as we head into the New Year, but exciting I think you’ll agree! A fresh start and a clean page so let’s get started!

Joanna Varney gives her tips on the emerging trends this Spring. She holds a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing and is part of the Cooksongold team.

A few months back I wrote an article detailing trends to look out for in 2012. Now that spring has sprung and the first flowers of the year are blooming, its time to take a fresh look at the emerging trends and think about elements which could be incorporated into your designs.

First and foremost, let’s deal with colour. It gives an instant nod to current trends and lets be honest it’s the quickest way to freshen up a range. Hot oranges, corals and emerald greens have come through very strongly and are everywhere in fashion on the high street. (This is quite surprising as they are not easy colours to wear) Fortunately these particular colours translate perfectly into stones. Emerald, green agate, citrine, coral, cornelian and fire opal will all hit the mark with your trend conscious customers.  Pantone have actually chosen Tangerine Tango as the colour of 2012 so we will be seeing a lot more of it as the year progresses.

Monochrome as predicted is prevalent everywhere, but has become such a classic that I feel it is ever present. Thomas Sabos ‘Special Addition ‘ range is essentially monochrome and incorporates onyx, mother of pearl, freshwater pearls and obsidian which has been used facetted and matt. (Matt stones are slowly but surely increasing in popularity. They will never take the place of their polished counterparts, but none the less they are starting to become an edgy alternative) Obsidian is being used more and more in popular jewellery collections. I even noticed Tiffany using Snowflake Obsidian towards the end of 2011 and if Tiffany is using it you can be sure many others will follow!

Yet again wrist wear seems to be where much of the innovation is focused this year. The craze of the Shamballa bracelet is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact we seem to be reaching saturation point where most high street retailers will have a ‘version’ of this item now. As worn by the stars, the original versions consisted of a macramé bracelet, coupled with 18k balls pave set with diamonds and rubies.  Relatively simple in design, these bracelets are easily imitated and more affordable versions made of crystal and smooth hematite or steel beads are readily available in many stores.  Simple hematite or pave crystal studs and pendants will compliment these bracelets in an understated way again tapping into the trend in a subtle way.

In fact,subtle is a great description of earring styles this spring if the red carpet looks are anything to go by. Studs are back in a big way, but think of interesting and unusual motifs to jazz them up. Drop earrings are also small and classic. Gone are the oversized chandeliers of recent years. Ear charms are a relatively new and growing category as retailers try to emulate the customisation feel that charm bracelets can offer the customer.

The 20s theme is widely evident (influenced by film releases The Great Gatsby and The Artist) in the form of fringing, feathers and pearls. Pearls have been prominent for a few years now, but the ‘flapper’ style is bringing with it a resurgence of more classic designs. Head bands and hair jewellery in floral and Art Deco inspired motifs are again a direct result of this strong 20s revival.

These are by no means all of the Spring trends which are around at the moment, but I’ve covered the most obvious and the most transferable. I hope they prove useful as you decide what to use within your new ranges.

This article is written by Joanne Varney who holds a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing and is part of the Cooksongold team.

As with every large product group, there is usually a percentage which remains unchanged from year to year and forms the main stay of the range. This is known as the core range. Findings and stones are no exception to this and you will find many items remain unchanged from catalogue to catalogue. They become classics that you come to rely on as a jewellery maker, and know you will go back to time and again.

However, it is always fun to try something new and a good way to do this is to tap into some of the jewellery trends of the moment. If you know what to buy, your new purchases will become less of a gamble with customers, many of whom will already be aware of what is ‘on trend’.

 You don’t have to become a diehard fashionista to achieve this, instead simply arm yourself with a few relatively basic pieces of information based around themes, forms and colour. There are many complex factors that dictate global trends from economic to environmental issues and to understand them fully is not necessary for our purposes.

 Instead concentrate on the more tangible pieces of information for example: The Guild of Jewellery Designers has a review of Trends Autumn/Winter 2011 available to view on their website (http://bit.ly/oqu1PH) . In it they describe five themes they are tipping and within those themes are indications of larger scale pieces, layering/stacking and a move away from precious metals due to costs.

This could be interpreted in a number of ways, here is just one:

• Pendants can be hung on leather cord, coloured silks or rubber. Offer a choice with each sale or better still, sell each item with a selection of options e.g. Silver chain, neutral leather cord and vibrant coloured silk. This will allow your customer to layer, but also partake in a degree of customisation which has been a massive trend for many years now. Many of the major chain stores offer sets or groups of jewellery for sale now which has been extremely successful as they represent great value for money.  Even as designer/jewellers we all need to be aware that now more than ever people want value for money.
• Scale can be tricky to overcome without incurring significant cost. One way to achieve this is to use ‘found’ or recycled objects collected from charity shops or flea markets. Another is to use crystals or beads to create bold statement pieces. Swarovski produce a fabulous range of stunning pendants and beads in a myriad of colours, many of which are quite large. They too are a great reference point for trend information as they produce what they call ‘Gem Visions’ trend predictions each year (http://bit.ly/qUrtHF). This is a great resource for colour information.  Published in June of this year ‘Gem Visions 2012’ amongst other things is highlighting neutral tones, black and white and earth tones of orange and red to be big next year.  Get your ranges ‘on trend’ by incorporating some Fire Opal, Topaz or Light Siam Beads or why not try one of the Designer Edition ‘Devoted to You’ Astral Pink Heart pendants which ticks a multitude of trend boxes!

As you can see, being trend aware within jewellery and components doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply taking some time to do some internet research can have extremely beneficial results. Your customers will be impressed if you can reference your jewellery to a particular trend of the moment and it also means that your range will be regularly refreshed which keeps things interesting.