Last Wednesday, Randi Molofsky (pictured), founder of the L.A.- and New York–based branding agency For Future Reference and JCK’s longtime jewelry director, flew to New York City to preside over her unsigned vintage jewelry brand’s new permanent display at Bergdorf Goodman.
On Friday, she jetted back to the West coast to attend Jewelers Mutual’s “Conversations in Half Moon Bay” event, where JCK poached her in between sessions to talk about all things spring. From how designers are coping with rising gold costs to why it pays to stock vintage, she outlined the key trends shaping the jewelry discourse this season.
Her remarks have been condensed and edited for clarity.
Lately, I’ve seen a lot of floral jewelry in colored titanium and it made me wonder if you’ve seen designers retreating from gold? Are people embracing alternative materials even in the fine space?
Funny enough, with the brands I work with and what I’m seeing out in the market—I do a lot of trunk shows—I have seen it actually go the other way: People are wanting gold more than ever. It’s become almost an education moment, this volatility. Because most of it is up, up, up, up, up, people really understand why jewelry is so expensive. And they’re also thinking, This is something that’s going to continue to go up in value and could potentially be worth more one day than what I bought it for.
The gold price really helps educate a jewelry-buying consumer and maybe even bring in some new ones because they’re like, “Oh, if I buy gold, that’s a commodity that is worth something.” Interestingly, for us, it’s almost like a COVID effect. During COVID, we sold so much jewelry because people were like, “Look, this is something I can invest in that’s not necessarily trend-driven. I can pass it down to my kids. I want to spend money, but I can’t go on vacation, I can’t buy a dress. There’s nowhere to go. So I’m going to spend my money on something that is an investment that I’ll have forever.” And I think people are feeling that way right now, too. Gold jewelry specifically makes sense for people as something to buy. The brands that I work with and a lot of the people I know kind of doubled down on it and are doing very gold-heavy collections for Las Vegas. They’re not making them lighter, they’re not hollowing them out. They’re sticking to 18k. And I haven’t seen a dip in the demand for that.
In the gold space, are you seeing any trends that feel new for this spring—any sort of finishes or pairings that feel on trend?
I have seen quite a bit of jewelry that’s just gold, where it’s very sculptural and kind of oversized. I’ve seen a lot of gold with no gemstones, no diamonds, which is an interesting move. Those bigger silhouettes people are liking and going for, but I also think it’s really about one of a kind. The first things to go in the collections are the one-offs, and that’s what we’re seeing a move toward right now.
Have you seen the “Desert diamonds” palette taking off?
I personally love stones that are off-color. I’m a yellow gold kind of gal. It doesn’t matter to me if my diamond is bright white because it’s going to be set in yellow anyway. And if it’s a lower color or slightly off, I love that. Again, it makes it more unique. A lot of people say that people are trending that way in terms of buying diamonds because they don’t make lab-grown diamonds in off colors. You know it’s natural, it’s weird, and it’s unique. People are drawn to that.
What about colored stones? Last year, we talked about red. It feels like that’s still around. Which other colors seem to be on the upswing?
Precious color is more in than ever. For a long time, people were using all kinds of crazy gemstones. That still exists. But I think there is a move toward people really wanting to invest in precious colors, meaning rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Again, these are investment pieces that are just very easy to understand.
That’s a really great insight. When everything else is complicated and volatile, you know that precious gems will at least retain their value. On the flip side, however, you recently talked about how popular wood is in fine jewelry. Can you shed some light on that?
People are very weirdly interested in wood—they’re really drawn to it. I was just doing a trunk show with Jade Ruzzo and she has this one incredible, very oversized wood bangle with a single gemstone. Every single person picked that piece up. That is one alternative material that I am seeing people use in different ways. There’s a warmth, a tactileness to it as well as an organic-ness that’s a nice foil for gold.
What’s a trending style or motif you’d like to highlight for this season?
People really want necklaces right now in bigger silhouettes. It could be chain links, just bigger, from 16 inches up to more of a collar. People are always asking me for collar necklaces. Also, Rachel Garrahan just wrote a nice piece in the FT about the bracelet stack and how people are moving away from the expected—the Love bangles and the Juste un Clou (everyone has it already)—and they’re trying to mix it up. People are very interested in things that convey their personality and feel unique. They’re building their own jewelry wardrobe that’s a reflection of who they are rather than a reflection of the zeitgeist. That’s a real thing happening right now, where people are less interested in the piece that everybody has and more interested in creating their own personal moment.
Vintage has been a very strong category for you. Talk to us a little bit about why vintage is hitting big right now.
It goes along with what I’m talking about with the one of a kind. Every piece of my vintage collection is a one-off. People are very interested in that right now. And vintage in general is a younger customer who’s aspirational and understands it. They’ve grown up with vintage. It’s not a dirty word. It’s actually cool. It’s more sustainable, which people love. There’s history and romance. So all the things you love about jewelry, but then kind of plus, you know what I mean?
That customer already understands it and thinks it’s cool. I do trunk shows and the people who do not understand or like it are the older ladies. They’ll say, “I had this jewelry,” or “My mom or my grandma had it. This is not interesting to me.” But a younger customer really loves it and gets it.
There’s a value proposition with vintage that I think is very helpful. We don’t have to worry about production costs or volatility in the market, gold prices. There’s more room to not have to mark it up as much. And so we’re able to offer the customer something unique and special that isn’t as expensive as a contemporary piece. It’s so expensive to make jewelry. With vintage, and unbranded vintage specifically, it all goes together: These are pieces that no one else has. You’re creating your own individual story. People get very excited by that. And that’s why I think it’s been a hit.
Top: Fill Your Heart pendant in 18k yellow gold with rubies, $7,995; Circa 1700
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