Blog Modules

IJL’s KickStart 2019 – Winners announced!

News

IJL’s KickStart 2019 – Winners announced!

IJL announces 6 winners of the 10th KickStart competition for up and coming designers. International Jewellery London (IJL), long-established and world-leading jewellery trade event, has announced the six winning designers named as the 2019 IJL KickStarters. The annual mentoring programme ... Read More
IJL’s KickStart 2019 – Winners announced!

News

IJL’s KickStart 2019 – Winners announced!

IJL announces 6 winners of the 10th KickStart competition for up and coming designers. International Jewellery London (IJL), long-established and world-leading jewellery trade event, has announced the six winning designers named as the 2019 IJL KickStarters. The annual mentoring programme ... Read More

IJL Inspired

IJL Inspired: Celebrating 30 Year’s of Clogau

by IJL •

What were your highlights for 2018 and what were the most successful collections?

The most successful collection had to be the Welsh Honey Bee.  At Christmas we gave away 15,000 as a GWP, this gift had a RRP of £119.

The highlight for me was opening 4 shops in 5 weeks in the lead up to Christmas!  These shops have contributed to an additional growth of 15% overall.

Clogau is celebrating its 30th year – congratulations! What does 2019 have in store for you and how do you plan to celebrate this momentous anniversary?

The 30th year anniversary celebrations are well under way, we have launched a collection with a brand new alloy called 1854.  It is only available in 18ct and this blend can be found in our bridal products and two beautiful anniversary rings.  The colour of the 1854 blend is designed to celebrate the colour of the raw gold in the rock that was found at the Clogau mine.  It is not rose or yellow but a colour in between.

What can we expect from Clogau in 2019? Tell us more about your new collections.

This season’s product launch sees nearly 80 new items coming in to the range.  A very strong offer in my view and the sales team are excited with it.  Sometimes we have to be careful not to let personal taste get in the way and follow themes that are strong and quintessentially Clogau.

You opened a number of new stores and had an extremely successful Christmas trading period in 2018, despite the current retail climate. What do you attribute this to? 

At the moment wholesale for us is static, but by opening new stores and creating our own footprint we have been able to increase incremental business.

The tradition for Welsh Gold within the Royal Family continued last year, did you see this have an effect on your brand?

We always try to make the most of any Royal event and the Megan and Harry wedding followed by the birth of Archie has had it’s usual effect.  We’re very lucky to have this backstory of generations of the Royal Family using Welsh gold in their wedding rings.  We tend to feature more heavily on TV shopping channels and our Windsor stockist, Gatwards, benefited from a now Clogau in-store Boutique.

Where would you say Clogau’s main inspirations are drawn from?

Inspiration always comes from Welsh stories, whether mythical, regional or something connected to the landscape.  Wales gives us enough to be inspired by.  To add to this, we have the Royal stories told through our relationship with Historical Royal Palaces.

What is it like to run such a successful jewellery business?

I personally don’t think of it as a successful jewellery business, for me it is a lot of fun and it’s a family business. 

The growth in the business has come from the people within it, they are Clogau through and through and for that reason we have a very low staff turnover.  As you know from company events, most of our team have been with us for a while and make the job worth doing. 

2018 saw the re-launch of the Compose Bridal collection – which allows the wearer to create a design personal to them. Have you seen the demand for personalisation increase in recent years?

Personalisation no, customisation yes.  We would like to have everything in every store but we have seen examples of how not to do this.  With Compose we are able to offer the customer customisation but with parameters.  So essentially we allow them to change the colour, diamond, size and metal type (including fairtrade).  This means we are offering 60,000 combinatons to the customer with a live price.

2018 also saw you welcoming your retail partners to a series of exclusive training events covering a wide range of topics including visual merchandising and how to sell specific products. Have you seen this reflect in your retailer’s success and will you continue with initiatives such as this?

Everything is booked for next year; the training days across the country are well worth attending if you work on the shop floor selling our jewellery.  We also have Celtic Manor booked for our main conference in January next year.  This year’s event was incredibly successful with 100% of the audience ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’. 

You have been attending IJL for a number of years, what is it about the show you like?

Actually IJL gives me the opportunity to meet everyone in London which isn’t particularly strong for us.  You do tend to see the same faces over and over but occasionally we see someone new and a new relationship begins with a customer that perhaps wasn’t even on your radar before.

What is the proudest moment in your jewellery career?

There have been a lot of proud moments but I think it’s probably managing to still grow and become more profitable despite the current climate.  Many people have been taken by surprise at our resilience.

Book your FREE ticket to International Jewellery London, 1 – 3 September 2019, to meet industry-leading exhibitors such as Clogau and many more.

Exhibitor Press Releases, News

Hockley Mint launches trend-led Initials collection for AW19

by IJL •

The British jewellery specialist has responded to the trend for personalised letter jewellery with a range of pendants in a bespoke font.

British casting specialist and fine jewellery manufacturer, Hockley Mint, has launched a new collection of plain and diamond-set letter pendants ahead of International Jewellery London 2019.

The new Initials collection will be available in 9k and 18k white, yellow and rose gold, as well as Fairtrade gold, platinum and palladium. Customers also have the option of a plain finish or a single 0.03 carat diamond accent.

Although created in response to current market trends, Hockley Mint was determined to add its own twist to the letter pendant concept inspired by its high standards of quality, craftsmanship and ‘British Made’ ethos. To achieve this, Hockley Mint commissioned its own bespoke font for an alphabet that is both easy-to-read and eye-catching in display units.  

Hockley Mint creative manager, Poppy Elder, says: “After researching the market, we found a wide range of silver and semi-precious collections of initials, but only a very small selection in the fine jewellery space. To fill this gap, we have developed our own bespoke font with flowing lines that form the letters in a more creative way. There is a hole at the top of each letter that allows them to slide on a chain with ease. Customers can create their own combinations or mix-and-match metals for their own customised look.”

The Initials collection now offers Hockley Mint customers even greater choice when it comes to creating their own fine jewellery capsule ranges. Retailers can choose from across Hockley Mint’s entire Wedfit® and fine jewellery offer to curate a selection of pieces that perfectly suit their customers, including a range of precious metals, diamonds, gemstones and price points. All pieces are made-to-order in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Visitors to the Company of Master Jewellers’ (CMJ) August Trade Event will get a first look at the new collection, as well as the opportunity to pre-order for the busy Christmas trading period.

All pieces can be ordered from Hockley Mint within 7-10 working days.

The Initials collection will be formally unveiled at International Jewellery London (IJL) 2019, from September 2-4 at Olympia London. It will be shown alongside new bridal jewellery ranges and Hockley Mint’s newly revamped Pure Wedding Rings package. Find them on Stand D90.

Industry, Trends

INTERVIEW-Wallace Chan discusses the strengths of jade in jewellery

by IJL •

Hong Kong-based Wallace Chan, one of the world’s top artist-jewellers, who has featured jade regularly in his pieces, talks to David Brough, IJL’s Precious Metals and Gems Editor, about why jade is revered in Chinese culture.

Why is jade important to Chinese collectors, and how important is jade to you as a material in your works? 

For 6,000 years, Chinese people have found special emotions and meanings in jade. In ancient times, jade was used for weapon-making. It was also a symbol of love, luck and nobility, and was often regarded as a religious object.

Today, it remains part of the Chinese culture and a token of a gentleman’s virtues: humanity, humility, justice, intelligence, bravery and purity.

In Chinese language, the words “prince” (王) and “jade” (玉) are different in only one stroke. My interpretation is, the three horizontal strokes in “prince” (王) denote heaven, earth, and human beings that are in between; while the vertical stroke in the centre symbolizes the connection of heaven, earth, and human beings, and those who can connect the three are as noble as a prince.

Jade, then, is that one dot that is an ornament and symbol for those who are noble and worthy.

What are the strengths of jade as a jewellery material and in combination with gemstones and other materials?

Jade is a rather broad term. If there are a thousand kinds of stones, there must be ten thousand kinds of jade. In my works you often see green jade, mutton fat white jade, lavender jade, black jade and red jade.

Green jade is translucent. It is a gentle and serene sight to the eyes. White jade, with the texture of mutton fat, draws in light to dance on it and invites one’s touches. Lavender jade has the colour of spiritual wisdom, and symbolises balance. It is the colour you get when mixing blue and red, and as such a perfect balance between calmness and passion. Black jade, despite what the name implies, is in fact dark green in colour. When I polish a piece of black jade, its subtle, mysterious green seduces me. Red jade, when set with rubies, carries out a dialogue of yin and yang, a contrast of smoothness and sparkles.

News, Press Releases, Trends

Jewellery fashion will be futuristic, multi-cultural and celebrate the power of nature in SS/20, says IJL trends editor

by IJL •

International Jewellery London reveals 6 jewellery trends for SS/20

IJL trends editors and jewellery expert, Paola De Luca, has outlined six key jewellery trend themes for Spring-Summer 2020 for International Jewellery London (IJL), the UK’s leading trade event for the international jewellery industry.

Her vision includes authentic designs that subvert deep-rooted stereotypes with gender, touches on societal pressure with minimalism and brings to life an organic amalgamation of nineteenth century deco with nature; all the while toying with abstract shapes, futuristic expression and dark jewels. These will be showcased on IJL’s SS20 Trends Catwalk where Paola will present her detailed forecasts (1-3 September 2019).

The trends, from IJL’s Trends Editor and international jewellery futurist, Paola de Luca are:

  • Calm Pop; captures the 60s &70s and current female struggles with a candid filter
  • Shaped Expressions; influenced by multi-cultural elements, varied abstract shapes and technologies
  • Remember Nature; art and nature with Decò edge, inspired by the nineteenth century
  • Digital Psychedelia; a futuristic look that taps into a minimalistic way of expression
  • Elemental; a completely new form of masculine dressing, minimal yet solid silhouettes
  • Nocturnal Wave; connecting with universe, cosmos and nocturnal elements

The IJL SS20 Trends Catwalk will showcase key looks, and collections. The catwalk will give visitors an in-depth and comprehensive review of Spring/Summer 2020 jewellery trends, with daily catwalk shows. IJL is an unrivalled opportunity for the international jewellery trade to network and find out about the latest industry trends and market developments which will help retailers and suppliers make the right commercial decisions.

Calm Pop

There is a sense of creative freedom reflected in the jewellery of the ‘Calm Pop’ trend. The trend draws on the fundamental means to face contemporary challenges and the spirit of the 60’s and 70’s, bringing to mind the current female struggles with a candid filter. Style rules are reversed and an anything-goes mantra is followed – where unique offerings routed in peak feminism decades flourish. In an era of information overdose consumers are hyper-creative – as their inner creativity unleashes, they feel an increased sense of calm.

Key Themes: Retro, Vintage Pastels, Childish Blocks, Feminine, Pinks, Soft, Iridescent

Shaped Expressions

Global changes and uncertainty are the influencers of this trend and it looks at how this has affected consumer’s behaviour – what they choose to expose themselves to; whether that be how and where they socialise, what they put into their bodies and how they dress. Abstract geometries influenced by multi-cultural elements, varied shapes combined with latest technologies become a way of expression allowing them to feel a sense of control over their lives. The jewellery becomes a way to stand out, stand up and be heard. Consumers push themselves out of their comfort zone: discomfort inspires action.

Key Themes: Deconstructed, Sleek, Art wire, Geometric, Plain, Smooth

Remember Nature

The power of nature, a dark and magical one, will affect every consumer area, from tech and beauty to manufacturing and experience. Emotional tech, where there’s a human aspect to technology, is a way for us to get the balance right when it comes to consuming within the digital sphere. The modern mix of consumer beautifully encompasses an East-meets-West aesthetic. With a decadent allure that moves through art, nature and occult, this consumer boasts a Decò edge inspired by the nineteenth century. Innovation will draw upon the wisdom of nature and the knowledge of ancient practices and fascinating cultures.

Key Themes: Naturalism, Animals, Decadent, Ethereal, Insects, Wings, Bees

Digital Psychedelia

This trend has a futuristic look that taps into a minimalistic way of expression. Hyper casual and functional styles are favoured with wearables being the norm and tech infused materials helping to ensure the consumer feels sharp and updated. The jewellery becomes a symbol of rebellion against society’s stereotypes as the push for a world where everyone’s minds are open, where there are no societal pressures and everyone can be who they want to be, grows. The digital nature and aesthetics ensure this trend is truly global.

Key Themes: Ultra digital, Retraction, Ultraviolet, Synthetic, Urban, Colourful Gems, Opals, Pearls, Faceted

Elemental

Pure, authentic and unique – people will be who they want to be, whether that falls within hyper-femininity or hyper-masculinity on the apparel and accessories spectrum. Fashion is no longer about gender blurring but a completely new form of dressing. The mobile-first consumer are living their lives through digital means, which results in information being so easily-attained. Minimal, clean yet solid silhouettes, sporty styles and more urban jewellery finish their look perfectly.

Key Themes: Minimal, Tech, Urban, Sporty, Graphic, Leather, Coloured Metals

Nocturnal Wave

The theme dives deep into the self-exploratory phase connecting with universe, cosmos and nocturnal elements, jewellery becomes an extension of the wearer’s personal development process. A new approach that blurs the lines between cultures and countries results in an aesthetic that feels personal with a heightened expression of individuality. Gemstones like opals, lapis, lazuli and larvikite translate their visions and thoughts into statement making jewels. Covetable items are worth the wait: value is not only communicated in price but also time. A meditative attitude is embraced, showing a new, more reflexive and conscious consumer.

Key Themes: Nightlight, Magic, Cosmos, Darkness, Larvikite, Opals, Lapislazuli, Marble

About Paola de Luca, IJL Trends Editor

As the founder of The Futurist Ltd, Paola specialises in providing luxury brands with creative intelligence that offers an authentic sense of direction and inspiration. Her incredible career includes prominent positions at Fendi Jewellery and Watches, consultancy work at Harry Winston and Swarovski, and the moniker of co-founder of TRENDVISION Jewellery + Forecasting – a preeminent name in the field. Here, Paola delves into the six key trends that will shape SS/20 for jewellery retailers, brands and designers, exclusively for IJL.

Book your FREE ticket to IJL 2019 to discover these trends and the IJL Trends Catwalk.

For exhibitors looking to submit jewellery for the IJL Trends Catwalk, please visit www.jewellerylondon.com/catwalksubmission

IJL Inspired

IJL Inspired: Celebrating 30 Year’s of Clogau

by IJL •

What were your highlights for 2018 and what were the most successful collections?

The most successful collection had to be the Welsh Honey Bee.  At Christmas we gave away 15,000 as a GWP, this gift had a RRP of £119.

The highlight for me was opening 4 shops in 5 weeks in the lead up to Christmas!  These shops have contributed to an additional growth of 15% overall.

Clogau is celebrating its 30th year – congratulations! What does 2019 have in store for you and how do you plan to celebrate this momentous anniversary?

The 30th year anniversary celebrations are well under way, we have launched a collection with a brand new alloy called 1854.  It is only available in 18ct and this blend can be found in our bridal products and two beautiful anniversary rings.  The colour of the 1854 blend is designed to celebrate the colour of the raw gold in the rock that was found at the Clogau mine.  It is not rose or yellow but a colour in between.

What can we expect from Clogau in 2019? Tell us more about your new collections.

This season’s product launch sees nearly 80 new items coming in to the range.  A very strong offer in my view and the sales team are excited with it.  Sometimes we have to be careful not to let personal taste get in the way and follow themes that are strong and quintessentially Clogau.

You opened a number of new stores and had an extremely successful Christmas trading period in 2018, despite the current retail climate. What do you attribute this to? 

At the moment wholesale for us is static, but by opening new stores and creating our own footprint we have been able to increase incremental business.

The tradition for Welsh Gold within the Royal Family continued last year, did you see this have an effect on your brand?

We always try to make the most of any Royal event and the Megan and Harry wedding followed by the birth of Archie has had it’s usual effect.  We’re very lucky to have this backstory of generations of the Royal Family using Welsh gold in their wedding rings.  We tend to feature more heavily on TV shopping channels and our Windsor stockist, Gatwards, benefited from a now Clogau in-store Boutique.

Where would you say Clogau’s main inspirations are drawn from?

Inspiration always comes from Welsh stories, whether mythical, regional or something connected to the landscape.  Wales gives us enough to be inspired by.  To add to this, we have the Royal stories told through our relationship with Historical Royal Palaces.

What is it like to run such a successful jewellery business?

I personally don’t think of it as a successful jewellery business, for me it is a lot of fun and it’s a family business. 

The growth in the business has come from the people within it, they are Clogau through and through and for that reason we have a very low staff turnover.  As you know from company events, most of our team have been with us for a while and make the job worth doing. 

2018 saw the re-launch of the Compose Bridal collection – which allows the wearer to create a design personal to them. Have you seen the demand for personalisation increase in recent years?

Personalisation no, customisation yes.  We would like to have everything in every store but we have seen examples of how not to do this.  With Compose we are able to offer the customer customisation but with parameters.  So essentially we allow them to change the colour, diamond, size and metal type (including fairtrade).  This means we are offering 60,000 combinatons to the customer with a live price.

2018 also saw you welcoming your retail partners to a series of exclusive training events covering a wide range of topics including visual merchandising and how to sell specific products. Have you seen this reflect in your retailer’s success and will you continue with initiatives such as this?

Everything is booked for next year; the training days across the country are well worth attending if you work on the shop floor selling our jewellery.  We also have Celtic Manor booked for our main conference in January next year.  This year’s event was incredibly successful with 100% of the audience ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’. 

You have been attending IJL for a number of years, what is it about the show you like?

Actually IJL gives me the opportunity to meet everyone in London which isn’t particularly strong for us.  You do tend to see the same faces over and over but occasionally we see someone new and a new relationship begins with a customer that perhaps wasn’t even on your radar before.

What is the proudest moment in your jewellery career?

There have been a lot of proud moments but I think it’s probably managing to still grow and become more profitable despite the current climate.  Many people have been taken by surprise at our resilience.

Book your FREE ticket to International Jewellery London, 1 – 3 September 2019, to meet industry-leading exhibitors such as Clogau and many more.

Exhibitor Press Releases, News

Hockley Mint launches trend-led Initials collection for AW19

by IJL •

The British jewellery specialist has responded to the trend for personalised letter jewellery with a range of pendants in a bespoke font.

British casting specialist and fine jewellery manufacturer, Hockley Mint, has launched a new collection of plain and diamond-set letter pendants ahead of International Jewellery London 2019.

The new Initials collection will be available in 9k and 18k white, yellow and rose gold, as well as Fairtrade gold, platinum and palladium. Customers also have the option of a plain finish or a single 0.03 carat diamond accent.

Although created in response to current market trends, Hockley Mint was determined to add its own twist to the letter pendant concept inspired by its high standards of quality, craftsmanship and ‘British Made’ ethos. To achieve this, Hockley Mint commissioned its own bespoke font for an alphabet that is both easy-to-read and eye-catching in display units.  

Hockley Mint creative manager, Poppy Elder, says: “After researching the market, we found a wide range of silver and semi-precious collections of initials, but only a very small selection in the fine jewellery space. To fill this gap, we have developed our own bespoke font with flowing lines that form the letters in a more creative way. There is a hole at the top of each letter that allows them to slide on a chain with ease. Customers can create their own combinations or mix-and-match metals for their own customised look.”

The Initials collection now offers Hockley Mint customers even greater choice when it comes to creating their own fine jewellery capsule ranges. Retailers can choose from across Hockley Mint’s entire Wedfit® and fine jewellery offer to curate a selection of pieces that perfectly suit their customers, including a range of precious metals, diamonds, gemstones and price points. All pieces are made-to-order in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Visitors to the Company of Master Jewellers’ (CMJ) August Trade Event will get a first look at the new collection, as well as the opportunity to pre-order for the busy Christmas trading period.

All pieces can be ordered from Hockley Mint within 7-10 working days.

The Initials collection will be formally unveiled at International Jewellery London (IJL) 2019, from September 2-4 at Olympia London. It will be shown alongside new bridal jewellery ranges and Hockley Mint’s newly revamped Pure Wedding Rings package. Find them on Stand D90.

Industry, Trends

INTERVIEW-Wallace Chan discusses the strengths of jade in jewellery

by IJL •

Hong Kong-based Wallace Chan, one of the world’s top artist-jewellers, who has featured jade regularly in his pieces, talks to David Brough, IJL’s Precious Metals and Gems Editor, about why jade is revered in Chinese culture.

Why is jade important to Chinese collectors, and how important is jade to you as a material in your works? 

For 6,000 years, Chinese people have found special emotions and meanings in jade. In ancient times, jade was used for weapon-making. It was also a symbol of love, luck and nobility, and was often regarded as a religious object.

Today, it remains part of the Chinese culture and a token of a gentleman’s virtues: humanity, humility, justice, intelligence, bravery and purity.

In Chinese language, the words “prince” (王) and “jade” (玉) are different in only one stroke. My interpretation is, the three horizontal strokes in “prince” (王) denote heaven, earth, and human beings that are in between; while the vertical stroke in the centre symbolizes the connection of heaven, earth, and human beings, and those who can connect the three are as noble as a prince.

Jade, then, is that one dot that is an ornament and symbol for those who are noble and worthy.

What are the strengths of jade as a jewellery material and in combination with gemstones and other materials?

Jade is a rather broad term. If there are a thousand kinds of stones, there must be ten thousand kinds of jade. In my works you often see green jade, mutton fat white jade, lavender jade, black jade and red jade.

Green jade is translucent. It is a gentle and serene sight to the eyes. White jade, with the texture of mutton fat, draws in light to dance on it and invites one’s touches. Lavender jade has the colour of spiritual wisdom, and symbolises balance. It is the colour you get when mixing blue and red, and as such a perfect balance between calmness and passion. Black jade, despite what the name implies, is in fact dark green in colour. When I polish a piece of black jade, its subtle, mysterious green seduces me. Red jade, when set with rubies, carries out a dialogue of yin and yang, a contrast of smoothness and sparkles.

News, Press Releases, Trends

Jewellery fashion will be futuristic, multi-cultural and celebrate the power of nature in SS/20, says IJL trends editor

by IJL •

International Jewellery London reveals 6 jewellery trends for SS/20

IJL trends editors and jewellery expert, Paola De Luca, has outlined six key jewellery trend themes for Spring-Summer 2020 for International Jewellery London (IJL), the UK’s leading trade event for the international jewellery industry.

Her vision includes authentic designs that subvert deep-rooted stereotypes with gender, touches on societal pressure with minimalism and brings to life an organic amalgamation of nineteenth century deco with nature; all the while toying with abstract shapes, futuristic expression and dark jewels. These will be showcased on IJL’s SS20 Trends Catwalk where Paola will present her detailed forecasts (1-3 September 2019).

The trends, from IJL’s Trends Editor and international jewellery futurist, Paola de Luca are:

  • Calm Pop; captures the 60s &70s and current female struggles with a candid filter
  • Shaped Expressions; influenced by multi-cultural elements, varied abstract shapes and technologies
  • Remember Nature; art and nature with Decò edge, inspired by the nineteenth century
  • Digital Psychedelia; a futuristic look that taps into a minimalistic way of expression
  • Elemental; a completely new form of masculine dressing, minimal yet solid silhouettes
  • Nocturnal Wave; connecting with universe, cosmos and nocturnal elements

The IJL SS20 Trends Catwalk will showcase key looks, and collections. The catwalk will give visitors an in-depth and comprehensive review of Spring/Summer 2020 jewellery trends, with daily catwalk shows. IJL is an unrivalled opportunity for the international jewellery trade to network and find out about the latest industry trends and market developments which will help retailers and suppliers make the right commercial decisions.

Calm Pop

There is a sense of creative freedom reflected in the jewellery of the ‘Calm Pop’ trend. The trend draws on the fundamental means to face contemporary challenges and the spirit of the 60’s and 70’s, bringing to mind the current female struggles with a candid filter. Style rules are reversed and an anything-goes mantra is followed – where unique offerings routed in peak feminism decades flourish. In an era of information overdose consumers are hyper-creative – as their inner creativity unleashes, they feel an increased sense of calm.

Key Themes: Retro, Vintage Pastels, Childish Blocks, Feminine, Pinks, Soft, Iridescent

Shaped Expressions

Global changes and uncertainty are the influencers of this trend and it looks at how this has affected consumer’s behaviour – what they choose to expose themselves to; whether that be how and where they socialise, what they put into their bodies and how they dress. Abstract geometries influenced by multi-cultural elements, varied shapes combined with latest technologies become a way of expression allowing them to feel a sense of control over their lives. The jewellery becomes a way to stand out, stand up and be heard. Consumers push themselves out of their comfort zone: discomfort inspires action.

Key Themes: Deconstructed, Sleek, Art wire, Geometric, Plain, Smooth

Remember Nature

The power of nature, a dark and magical one, will affect every consumer area, from tech and beauty to manufacturing and experience. Emotional tech, where there’s a human aspect to technology, is a way for us to get the balance right when it comes to consuming within the digital sphere. The modern mix of consumer beautifully encompasses an East-meets-West aesthetic. With a decadent allure that moves through art, nature and occult, this consumer boasts a Decò edge inspired by the nineteenth century. Innovation will draw upon the wisdom of nature and the knowledge of ancient practices and fascinating cultures.

Key Themes: Naturalism, Animals, Decadent, Ethereal, Insects, Wings, Bees

Digital Psychedelia

This trend has a futuristic look that taps into a minimalistic way of expression. Hyper casual and functional styles are favoured with wearables being the norm and tech infused materials helping to ensure the consumer feels sharp and updated. The jewellery becomes a symbol of rebellion against society’s stereotypes as the push for a world where everyone’s minds are open, where there are no societal pressures and everyone can be who they want to be, grows. The digital nature and aesthetics ensure this trend is truly global.

Key Themes: Ultra digital, Retraction, Ultraviolet, Synthetic, Urban, Colourful Gems, Opals, Pearls, Faceted

Elemental

Pure, authentic and unique – people will be who they want to be, whether that falls within hyper-femininity or hyper-masculinity on the apparel and accessories spectrum. Fashion is no longer about gender blurring but a completely new form of dressing. The mobile-first consumer are living their lives through digital means, which results in information being so easily-attained. Minimal, clean yet solid silhouettes, sporty styles and more urban jewellery finish their look perfectly.

Key Themes: Minimal, Tech, Urban, Sporty, Graphic, Leather, Coloured Metals

Nocturnal Wave

The theme dives deep into the self-exploratory phase connecting with universe, cosmos and nocturnal elements, jewellery becomes an extension of the wearer’s personal development process. A new approach that blurs the lines between cultures and countries results in an aesthetic that feels personal with a heightened expression of individuality. Gemstones like opals, lapis, lazuli and larvikite translate their visions and thoughts into statement making jewels. Covetable items are worth the wait: value is not only communicated in price but also time. A meditative attitude is embraced, showing a new, more reflexive and conscious consumer.

Key Themes: Nightlight, Magic, Cosmos, Darkness, Larvikite, Opals, Lapislazuli, Marble

About Paola de Luca, IJL Trends Editor

As the founder of The Futurist Ltd, Paola specialises in providing luxury brands with creative intelligence that offers an authentic sense of direction and inspiration. Her incredible career includes prominent positions at Fendi Jewellery and Watches, consultancy work at Harry Winston and Swarovski, and the moniker of co-founder of TRENDVISION Jewellery + Forecasting – a preeminent name in the field. Here, Paola delves into the six key trends that will shape SS/20 for jewellery retailers, brands and designers, exclusively for IJL.

Book your FREE ticket to IJL 2019 to discover these trends and the IJL Trends Catwalk.

For exhibitors looking to submit jewellery for the IJL Trends Catwalk, please visit www.jewellerylondon.com/catwalksubmission