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Fine jewelry and fashion have a symbiotic, but not necessarily easy, relationship.
The positioning of fine jewelry as something that is "forever," "eternal" or an "heirloom" - is diametrically opposed to the marketing of fashion, which is all about what's new and novel this season, the ultimate example of planned obsolescence.
While most women don't tum their entire wardrobe over every year, they do augment their go-to staples by purchasing new pieces that bring them up to date.
It is important to understand exactly what is being sold: at the cosmetics counter, it's hope. In a jewelry store, it's emotion. And in fashion, it's fantasy.
Fashion advertising evokes images of a lifestyle, and even if the rational side of the brain knows that buying this pair of jeans or that blouse will not magically transform one's life, there is a willing suspension of disbelief that embraces the conviction that one would feel happier, or at least better dressed, wearing the garment shown in an ad.
It's up to the jeweler to create that same "I've just got to have this now" desire in a fashion customer.
But most jewelers have spent a lifetime selling jewelry as an expression of emotion, so how do they make a pitch to a fashion customer who just wants to look good someone who may simply want a pair of earrings to go with a particular dress?
The two goals - selling emotion and providing practical accessory ideas - don't have to be mutually exclusive. Most women mix high and low in their closets already, mingling pricey classic pieces that will last for years with apparel of a more disposable bent.
It's the same with fine jewelry - a diamond tennis bracelet and Tahitian pearls are forever pieces, but chunky rough-hewn amethyst beads or a silver diamond-sprinkled peace sign are, if not disposable, at least cyclical.
While fine jewelry design - especially on the high end - tends to evolve far more slowly than apparel trends, certain principles blending jewelry and fashion hold true regardless of season.
The wardrobing examples above and the 10 styling tips below will help you ensure your customers always look pulled together.
