For first-time buyers, the most common question they ask is, “Who is the best jewelry designer?” Most assume that they need to go with the biggest and most well-known names in the industry to get the best quality jewelry.
While this is not a misguided practice at all, there are some new names and faces in the industry that are making great waves. The key to this is in the design. Though some indie jewelry brands and designers may not yet have the luxury of having known names, they do have the opportunity to play with designs and come up with new ones that will tickle buyers’ fancy, adding more to the reasons to buy jewelry.
What Are Emerging Jewelry Brands?
Used to be, there are very distinct categories for jewelry. High and fine are two areas of the similar spectrum in terms of using precious stones and materials. However, high jewelry refers to only the rarest pieces, sometimes bespoke to be the only one of its kind. Then there is fine jewelry, which makes use of semi-precious and precious stones, but are still within the 18-k department. Finally, costume jewelry goes more along the lines of loud materials that capture the eye, yet their value cannot compare to the previous two.
Emerging jewelry brands are those that hit the sweet spot between semi-precious and the least costly costume, but with more things like ethical creation thrown in. Emerging jewelry is quite a big category because it encompasses the budget to the higher budget pieces. This is due to their use of both precious and semi-precious gems. One could treat it as a sort of luxury that can be worn every day, and thus, get worn out enough to the point that the owner can buy more as a highlight to their outfits.
Why Indie Brands Are Getting In The Game
The jewelry industry has long transformed since the days when all that one can say about diamonds is that they are “a girl’s best friend.” While there is still no one who will outright say no to a good diamond, more people are now becoming aware of what they want from their jewelry and the brands that they patronize.
For starters, when customers ask what is popular in jewelry right now, this does not always necessarily pertain to the brand that is most known. In fact, some buyers are now looking at popular brands from the indie line. With the evolution of minimalist jewelry comes the even more impactful appeal of ethical jewelry. These and more have made investing in jewelry an appealing proposition.
There are a lot of jewelry brands that aim to do more than just deliver the best kinds of diamonds and gems. A lot of indie brands incorporate their values into the products that they sell, and ensure that feeling good about a diamond is not confined merely to its shimmer. Ethical jewelry is starting to shape the landscape of the industry, and a lot of indie jewelry brands are spearheading this cause.
There are a variety of reasons for the emergence of new jewelry brands. More and more consumers have been shifting their preference from traditionally produced jewelry to pieces that are more ethical and environment-friendly, Read on to find out more about these developments.
Adhering to Ethical Sourcing And Creation
Diamonds are naturally-occurring minerals that need to be mined and processed before they can become the bling on your finger. Some brands are opting to recycle diamonds and other gemstones, so they can be redesigned into new jewelry without the need for more mining. Others are opting for more ethical mining, which ensures that the workers who have to do the labor work under reasonable conditions.
However, even with the growing practice of ethical sourcing, there are some instances where it will be hard to confirm if diamonds have been ethically mined or sourced. The best thing to do would be to inquire with the seller on their sourcing process.
Consider this as a gauge of how well the seller also understands the process that their brand goes through. When asking what is a good jewelry brand in terms of ethical compliance, a lot of the emerging brands are heralding this practice.
Increased Popularity of Lab-Grown Diamonds
For some people, nothing turns them off more quickly than the idea of synthetically made. From synthetic leather to artificial hues, there is something supposedly questionable about their origin if they did not come from the real thing.
Nowadays, more buyers are finding the worth of lab-grown diamonds. If before, the biggest fear was that they were not real diamonds–they are real, regardless of the way they became diamonds–now, the more important factor is that they also have value wing to the help they bring to lessening the degradation of the environment brought by mining.
Recycled Metals Are In
More than the stones and gems, it also pays to be more vigilant about where your jewelry seller gets their metals from. Some brands also aim to recycle as much of the materials as possible as this avoids the extra effort and energy used to mine virgin materials. By supporting these brands, one can also support a circular economy that makes sure that nothing goes to waste, not even with valuable items like jewelry.
Styles That Will Be On Point For 2020
Similar to the fashion industry, jewelry can change styles in keeping with the seasons. For 2020, there is a general prediction of the styles that will pave the path for who is the best jewelry designer and brand in today’s industry.
If you keep asking yourself “How can I find a new fashion designer?” a good approach would be to study the overall industry and see if the trend catching on can stand the test of fickle and fleeting tastes.
Colorful Jewelry
A diamond’s shimmer may be hard to resist, but for 2020, the colors of gemstones may be a harder pull for fashion. This goes for the metal setting and bands. According to fashion experts, spring 2020 is all about color and fun.
Compared to minimalist styles, which aim to highlight the rawness of the material and provide a dainty, elegant touch, this year is doing a 180-degree. You can let your inner free spirit and sun child loose as you incorporate colorful jewelry into your wardrobe to transform them in one go.
Oversized Chain Necklaces
In keeping with the playful and unique vibe of colorful jewelry, another trend that’s set to dominate spring are oversized chain necklaces. Technically this is not the first time that chains have made their way into wardrobes. In the early 90s, chains attached to wallets would hang down one’s trouesers in the punk rock genre.
Now, chains are bigger, and they can also be layered, depending on the design and the wearer. Chains are highlighted with different beads and stones, some of which are matched with earrings. Others are layered with different-sized chains to create a chunkier patterned look.
Custom Jewelry
What other ways can you make jewelry special than to make it unique to itself? Many independent and emerging jewelry brands are starting to go down the path of custom and bespoke. Some may make use of new ways of sourcing, while others may use the advancement of technology. 3D-printing as a way to create items, even valuables like jewelry has now become a trend.
If you want to go personal, such as recreating your signature or handwriting onto a necklace or merely going with a design that you collaborated on with your designer, bespoke jewelry has become synonymous to special.
Some Brands to Consider
If you are looking for these indie and trendy jewelry designs, a quick search of what are the most popular jewelry styles will yield a handful. In terms of the artisanal, the inspiring, and the evocative pieces, there are three that stand out among the pack.
If you are looking for the best affordable jewelry brands that are also a piece of art in itself, then you need not look further than Soko. In the brand’s attempt to empower the artisan community that they work with, Soko integrates operations by helping them with the business and production through technology.
From Soko’s perspective, how do you become a successful jewelry designer? Imagine creating elegant pieces that are minimalist in nature. Yet on the other side of the beautiful pieces lies the empowering fact that this jewelry brand started the use of technology to bring these pieces of art from their community to the world.
While not essentially a small start-up company, Kay Jewelers still continues to expand its operations. It is just one of the name brands under Signet Jewelers Limited, with the goal of delivering jewelry at the most competitive prices in the market.
What’s even more interesting about Kay Jewelers is that they engage their customers by educating them about diamonds. Instead of leaving an interested buyer to rely solely on the overall look of the diamond, Kay Jewelers ensures that they understand the langauge of the jewelry to truly decide what is right for them.
Want to know the one of the preferred indie jewelry brands that celebrities like Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie always go to for? Selin Kent is one of the household names for jewelry. Her take on jewelry is unique because she works with architecture-inspired pieces that give them a unique spin. Think of her works as geometric with enough details that make her one of the more coveted names in the industry.
Her collections are mostly whites, reds, and blacks, with the materials known to be ethically sourced. Additionally, what makes these pieces unique is that they are given personalized names, most of which refer to the strong independent women from the media and pop culture that has driven Kent’s passion.
If you were ever to explore what is a good jewelry brand in the modern sense, the name Kim Dunham should be a common household staple right now. In case one is ever able to get one of her pieces, then it’s sure to be one-of-a-kind, considering how she creates each of her pieces.
Dunham’s philosophy stems from the need to work with the client on the design she makes. Her process involves creating molds with wax and using 14K gold to etch the intricate details of her work. In a way, one could say that her work is like putting design on a different kind of canvas. And her inspiration is more than just her own imagination–it also involves the client’s own narrative.
Choosing the Best Bespoke Jewelry Brand For You
Unlike big jewelry brand names, emerging jewelry brands are focused on establishing their credibility through the designs they create. Thus, for first-time buyers of these emerging brands, it may be good to explore the styles that are available in the market first.
A number of designs, especially for these promising younger designers, prefer to follow the ethical values of proper sourcing and attainment of the materials they use. Between recycled gold and ethically mined diamonds, there is a lot to feel good about when buying an emerging jewelry brand, which also reinforces one’s reasons for wearing jewelry.
Yet even with the more avant-garde designs, it is also easy to spot a creator who is the best jewelry designer that makes it easy to wear pieces. Some buyers may not be as comfortable to have outrageous styles such as thick chains or assymetrical designs. But there are surely brands that adhere to the minimalist design, albeit crafted in a personalized and properly sourced manner.
If you decide to try out emerging jewelry brands, you may be pleased to know that you are not alone in the movement. There is a steady rise in the consumption of valuable materials such as gold. This suggests that, though millennials and the younger generations are less likely to afford it, they still take the necesssary steps to make emerging jewelry a priority. And if you want to take off the hassles of purchasing jewelry in-store, check out our article on how to buy jewelry online.
The next time you are on the hunt for a good ring or necklace, be sure to make emerging jewelry brands a go-to staple. Based on the creativity that its designers have alread woven, people can expect great things from these two designers in the future. Never has a piece of jewelry made someone feel responsible but also elegant in one fell swoop.