The Style 360 blog’s “Debuting in Las Vegas” series casts a spotlight on new jewelry you can expect to see at the annual jewelry trade shows taking place at the end of May and the first week of June in Las Vegas.
Millennials love putting their own thumbprints on purchases, and two bridal jewelry makers are capitalizing on that desire.
At this year’s JCK Las Vegas show, Stuller will unveil a beta test of phase II of its Solitaire Connections system, first shown in 2013. Its system took inspiration from “both the virtual and physical aspects of selling jewelry” and “is a perfect combination of the digital and tangible,” according to PR specialist Randi Bourg.
Stuller’s Solitaire Connections customizable bridal jewelry system
While phase I included 10 different styles of head, collars, and shanks that can be mixed and matched in store and clicked to together to assemble hundreds of different ring looks to aid purchase decisions, phase II will feature a streamlined, more “user friendly,” fumble-free setup according to product manager, findings Nate Button. “We’re beta-testing it at the show and gauging interest. We fell in love with the concept, and you can still buy phase I, but the feedback from customers was that it was easy to drop pieces.” Buy-in is about $6,000 in 14k gold and diamonds for a display system of 10 collars, shanks, and heads, while the more popular Continuum silver set is about $2,200 (both prices hinge on metal pricing). Once a complete look is chosen, components are ordered, Stuller solders them together, and center stones are set. See Solitaire Connections in B6265.
Stuller’s Solitaire Connections customizable bridal jewelry system
At JCK LUXURY, bridal jewelry designer Harout Aghjayan of Harout R and formerly of Ritani, is unveiling his Mireya by Harout fit system (the Harout R name is phasing out to make way for the Mireya brand). It’s similar to Stuller’s groundbreaking idea but features Aghjayan’s beloved Renaissance-inspired designer bridal aesthetic. Women can choose from 185 different SKUs (from seven different collections) and from 40 different heads featuring center stones of marquise, round, oval, princess, emerald, Asscher, and pear shapes. Retailers can choose goods with CZ in silver or diamonds in karat gold, and best of all, eliminate wait times for rings because final selections can be soldered together within hours at a store. “The usual wait is from six to eight weeks for customization, but this system doesn’t give another retailer a chance to capture the sale,” explains Aghjayan. “Within a few hours you have a ring; it’s instant gratification.” Suggested retail prices for semi-mounts start at $800, and all rings feature a sizing bar and lifetime guarantee for upgrades with the same piece. Buy-in starts at $15,000 for a system with 14k gold shanks and CZs set in silver. (Shanks are also available in 18k gold and platinum.) Find Mireya by Harout at LUX1329.
A Mireya by Harout ring style featuring a customizable head system
Video of how the Mireya by Harout customizable ring system works
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