Cosmic Connections In Vegas

Forget the fountains at Bellagio. The Plumb Club pavilion at JCK Las Vegas, May 31 to June 3, has the best spectator show in town, hosting its own planetarium.

Already a prime destination for retail jewelers maximizing their time on the sprawling JCK show floor, this year’s newly designed Plumb Club pavilion will feature a celestial exhibit projecting animated, 3D jewelry imagery of pieces created by its members to reflect the theme, The Radiant Universe. Here’s a space jewelers can have their heads in the clouds, with real-time solutions to dream and act on.

Independent consumer research, conducted by The Futurist for The Plumb Club, decoded emerging styles in the market based on bestselling silhouettes, colors and materials. The study revealed several leading iconic design motifs that represent the consumer’s most shared emotional values. The top two symbols identified — the sun and polar star — speak to consumers’ yearning for guidance, direction, balance, wholeness, positivity, spirituality, love, and fantasy.

From this research, The Plumb Club developed a retail strategy to arm all of its members with targeted information and collaborative support that can help them give their retail customers what they need to succeed.

Collectively called “The Radiant Universe” the Plumb Club is revealing a new themed line of jewelry, premiering in Vegas, in which each member has individually created and expressed this theme within their own collections. A selection of pieces will be featured in a look book, to be used as a retail and marketing tool, and jewelers who choose to carry items will have the ability to use The Radiant Universe trademark, under specific guidelines.

Collective Campaigning

Barbara Barry for Marathon Company, Attleboro, Massachusetts applauds The Plumb Club’s pro-active business approach as an organization to undertake the research and provide its members with direction revealing common themes that most resonate with consumers.

“Marathon created product for the collection, both bracelets and necklaces, centered around these themes,” Barry says, citing the brand’s convertible clasp bracelets with new polar star and radiant sun designs in interchangeable clasps. “I’m excited that our product will be highlighted and used in the Retail Innovation and Education Center, as well as the Planetarium.”

In addition to the Planetarium and it’s cosmic jewelry show, The Plumb Club’s Retail Innovation and Education Center will feature a custom display by Converge, showcasing jewelry in The Radiant Universe collection. Product information is revealed as viewers move a digital device over displayed jewelry. This exhibit highlights the innovative products and technology available to retailers at The Plumb Club pavilion.

“The Plumb Club took this research and studied it for us, giving us comprehensive information and a collective direction, which is great for us as manufacturers,” hails Theresa Namie, merchandise manager for Ostbye, Minneapolis, Minnesota, who says she enjoyed designing styles based on the study, inspired by past and present, with the self-purchaser in mind. “We wouldn’t have gone this direction without the input from The Plumb Club! Having focus is important to set a trend. I’m curious to see how this plays out. I believe this is going to do very well.”

Guiding Stars

Based on product research and common selling points, the guiding stars, both polar and solar, are the focus of The Plumb Club’s retail strategy, as it debuts The Radiant Universe at JCK Las Vegas.

The polar star is the most prominent visible star approximately aligned with the Earth’s axis of rotation. It is the only star that doesn’t appear to move in the sky and hence it’s constantly guiding us. Humanity looks up to the polar star seeking direction as a metaphor of guidance in life. It represents hope, inspiration and renewal. In our fast-paced world overwhelmed by data, events and political changes, it brings peace of mind and looks towards the future.

Solar symbols — including circles, with or without rays, crosses, spirals, halos or radiate crown — express self-realization, energy and spiritual power. For most cultures the sun represents the cosmic power for the universe, the determination to live.Much of society wants to be part of a greater whole, with individuals all doing their part to make a significant, permanent contribution to the world.

As simple as the theme of sun and stars may seem, the design interpretations by each of The Plumb Club members are as unique as they are!