INDUSTRY Q&A: Sustainability and reinvention in the jewellery sector

Q: Just to put things into context for us, can you tell us why sustainability and reinvention is relevant to the jewellery sector specifically? Consumers are now increasingly aligning themselves with brands that represent values they care about and so sustainability is key, and it is important that jewellery brands are addressing this The jewellery industry has successfully evolved over the last few years to capture shifts in consumer desire and purchasing patterns, through new aesthetics in product design, new categories - as well as consumer engagement Also Euromonitor stats show the industry is set to grow to a $364bn dollar industry by 2022 and that the retail value of the UK fine jewellery industry rose for the fourth successive year in 2017 to a high of GBP£32billion pounds.

Q: Clearly the jewellery sector is fairly traditional, so would you say it needs to adapt in order to meet the needs of a new consumer? Ecommerce platform Net-A-Porter expanded into demi-fine jewellery in late 2016, has since grown the number of demi-fine brands on the site by 250% Q: Do you have any case studies of any jewellery brands or retailers who have adapted and are appealing to these new consumer groups and can you outline some of the things that they are doing? Design-led stores like Liberty, Harvey Nichols, and Dover Street Market have turned the traditional formula of selling jewellery on its head and introduced new jewellery aesthetics and environment. . Source