Interesting article

[caroleallen]

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/natu...m_medium=email

[Aurarius]

That's well worth a read.
High quality jewelry tends to last, and get passed down the generations. Where will all those i-Phones and i-Pads be in 50-100 years' time?

[Dennis]

Interesting yes, but not my problem.

I have always disliked traditional high street jewellery and those of you including Carole,who are beavering away at individually designed studio pieces will not be competing with technological gadgets. You will be offering your artistic talent- something quite other. Dennis

[medusa]

Curious that the author thinks that young people have little interest in jewellery. I'm not sure that's true. Maybe it's just that young people have little interest in the kind of vulgar and bling stuff which is called fine jewellery? It might be beautifully made, but the designs seem to be really, truly hideous. It's like the fine jewellery design houses are still stuck somewhere in the bad part of 1950s and 1960s jewellery design. I bet that Russian guy with the enamelling and carved pearls sells ok.

[Stacey]

I don't agree with the theory proposed in the article. Technology has not killed the retail jewellery business; online and TV shopping channels are to blame. Different channels for the same mass produced merchandise, albeit at the expense of the small business owner.

[medusa]

hmmm…. I'm not sure that the very affluent millenials cited would buy on shopping channels, though I bet those things have had an impact on places like H Samuels and the late and unlamented shops like Ratners. I'm sure the drop in gold sales is partly down to the rise in gold prices and I have little sympathy for DeBeers and their market rigging.

I just had an online browse of the 'fine' jewellers based in Hatton Garden and to be honest, if I were super rich, I would rather spend the money on a new laptop or gold-clad, diamond encrusted mobile phone than the boring and dull offerings they had. If interesting and exciting designs aren't out there to tempt those with money, how will they be inspired to make jewellery gift choices? If, as seems to be the case, the young and affluent people who are the traditional target for this market are as design obsessed as they are made out to be, maybe general jewellery design needs to follow?