The Year In Social Media, 2025

By Brittany Siminitz | December 29, 2025

It’s hard to believe I’m writing this again so soon, but we’re wrapping up another year in social media. For 2024, the buzzword was AI—and this year, that has never been more true.

AI is still the hot topic in social, with no signs of easing up. Platforms including Pinterest and Instagram unveiled more AI-driven features, and most platforms made use of AI to help advertisers with more compelling marketing outreach. Much discussion was made on how to take advantage of the super-useful aspects of AI, without getting completely duped by it. We talked with jewelers about how they were using AI this year, and they responded with everything from managing mundane tasks to writing copy. But tools such as ChatGPT don’t appear able to take over for all writers just yet (phew!); while it appeared pretty apt at listing jewelry trends when prompted, it’s not exactly up the task of being, well, human—an unmatched quality in our, and many other, industries.

While some had fun adapting to the evolution of social media, others grew weary of the grind, though lamented being unable to quit entirely due to the role it plays in business. Early in the year, when things were looking pretty bleak on platforms like Instagram and users were pretty vocal about hating it, a number of jewelers told us what’s making them stay social anyway.

TikTok was also in the news frequently this year, though not for its popularity or ability to make certain core aesthetics trend. Instead, we spent most of the year in a sort of will-it-or-won’t-it as deadline after deadline was extended by the current administration. As of press time, there is news that a deal to sell TikTok to a U.S.-owned company will finally close in January, with its extended deadline expiring on Jan. 22, 2026. Despite the constant uncertainty, several jewelers told JCK their businesses saw success through the app, and in 2025 TikTok reportedly saw its most successful Black Friday Weekend sales ever.

Finally, Pinterest: In 2025, it felt like the app released more fashion and trend reports than ever, with a number of trends relating to the jewelry industry (and ending up being wildly accurate). Its 2025 fall trend report predicted the popularity of preppy style (hello, Ralph Lauren Christmas) and vintage watches, and further confirmed the popularity of brown. Its annual summer report showed us the popularity of vintage finds, charm bracelets, and dill green, and its annual wedding trends report suggested a rise in demand for brown and champagne diamond engagement rings (accurate), stacking bands, and vintage jewelry. More niche reports—men’s trends and Coachella/festival season style trends—mentioned a growing interest in men’s rings and vintage accessories, respectively.

Pinterest’s 2025 color palette governed our hues this year, from the obsession with butter yellow, cherry red, and alpine oat, a creamy shade of almost-white that’s not unlike Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year. As the year neared its end, Pinterest released its annual Pinterest Predicts report for 2026, packed with promising styles the industry can really sink its prongs into. According to the report, we’re in for a new wave of brooches for men, rubberized jewels, bold and chunky gold, and opalescent jewels.

As for 2026, we’re surely in for more AI-related content and updates, and we can’t wait to see the trends that await the industry in the year to come.

(Top: Getty Images)