Jewels From My Inbox: July 2026 Edition

By Brittany Siminitz | July 28, 2026

Chalk it up to the slow rhythm of summer—long days and lingering sunlight—but July always seems to stretch on. Independence Day feels like an entire season ago, not a mere three weeks in the rearview. We still have an entire month of unofficial summer ahead, and some of us still have vacations to take.

And yet, fall is already on the mind. You can see it in retail stores and marketing emails, where back-to-school and autumn festivities are the focus. Pumpkins and all manner of spooky regalia are knocking at the door. And before you know it, Thanksgiving and the holidays have come and gone.

July’s inbox has reflected that in-between feeling you may be having now—a final exhale before the pace picks up again. It’s not that nothing noteworthy was happening. Rather, after months spent debuting collections and exhibiting at the major trade shows, many designers and retailers seem to be taking a well-earned (yet brief) pause.

Ruby, naturally, took center stage, with this month’s birthstone delivering plenty of richly saturated drama. Summer staples also made their annual return: hand jewelry, anklets, arm cuffs, and body chains designed for long days in the sun before retreating to the jewelry box once cooler weather arrives. Then there were the ever-reliable sea-inspired jewels, some of which hit differently this year.

So here’s to these last few weeks of summer, however long they may seem. While the calendar tells us autumn doesn’t officially arrive until late September, everyone in retail knows the season starts much sooner.