Like all trends, metal trends come and go and often move in cycles when tracked over a significant period. There are many different factors which can affect what is popular at any one time. However, the bottom line remains – what products are selling best, and that always makes for interesting reading.
Take engagement rings for example. There was a noticeable shift during the mid-1990s towards white gold and more streamlined designs, as younger generations looked for rings which were different from their parents.
Yellow gold fell out of favor, being deemed ‘old fashioned,’ and white gold along with platinum reigned supreme, and has continued to do so up until recently.
We have grown accustomed to seeing row upon row of modern and straightforward white metal designs which have been filling the windows of jewelry stores, and now people are finally looking for something different.
The reason that customers formerly abandoned yellow gold has now, in turn, become the same reason why people are seeking it out again. We want vintage, we want the classic, and we want traditional over sleek.
However, this is not where the story ends as there is a new kid on the block who is causing quite a stir! Rose gold has come from behind to become the leading contender when it comes to engagement rings and is continuing to grow in popularity. In an industry where trends tend to move at a glacial pace, rose gold is new while also giving us that vintage feel, so it ticks a multitude of boxes.
It represents that halfway house between yellow and white metals which is more subtle than yellow, but less stark than white, so it is very complimentary to a range of skin tones.
Regarding the broader picture and actual figures, the only firm statistics come from the Hallmarking Office who publish their numbers annually. As we are still in 2018, the closest we can get is to look at the figures for 2017, which tell us that the total number of items sent for hallmarking has dropped by 4.3% to 9,335,729 across all four UK offices. Within this number, gold, platinum and palladium numbers have dipped while silver has increased.
According to these figures, silver still has the most significant market share (53%) if we are talking quantity alone, closely followed by gold (43%). Lagging quite some way behind is platinum with 3% and then palladium which has less than 1%. If you are planning a window display or building up your stock from scratch, this information would make a good foundation for your alloy split!
Within these broad categories comes more vital information as it is clear that 9ct gold is still the clear winner in the UK, accounting for 66% of all gold items hallmarked during 2017, while 18ct represents less than a third of that (20%) which is down on the previous year. Silver is booming with a massive 9.2% increase in 2016, which can be directly attributed to 925 sterling silver as this amazingly represents 99% of the entire silver category.
As we prepare for the busiest time of the year, there are some clear winners when it comes to precious metals at the moment, mainly if you are in the entry level to mid-market sectors. Some good advice would be to stock up on 9ct rose gold/red gold and sterling silver items, and hopefully, you should be reaping the rewards come January 2019.
P.S. Royi Sal Jewelry, as a decades-long leader in silver jewelry design and manufacturing, invites you to download our latest magazine here and profit from the exceptional jewelry designs in affordable prices you will find in the magazine. Click here to download it now.
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