What should you be banking on as the biggest sellers of the coming fall season?

Britain’s daily gospel, The Daily Telegraph noted the biggest ‘trend’ of the runway wasn’t the tailoring, the ridiculous high heels or even how skinny ‘skinny’ can be – it was rather the ubiquitous chandelier earrings and chunky necklaces that were seen on pretty face after pretty face.

The gossip after many of the shows (both in London and New York) was how those in the know could get hold of many of fashion week’s awe-inspiring jewels. So what does this all mean for your store? This Fall, the magazines, T.V fashion shows and gossip rags will all be featuring stories about must-have pieces inspired by Fashion Week – notably chunky rose colored necklaces, statement making chandelier earrings and elegant elongated linear gem encrusted earrings.

How do you translate runway looks into everyday sales?

What’s Hot? Chandeliers and oversized hoops earrings are already grabbing more than their share of celebrity endorsements. Nothing catches a fashionista’s attention better than a celebrity endorsement. With linear styles expected to join their counterparts as 2012 must-haves, you are going to want to make sure that the latest earring styles are reflected in your showcases.

Why Earrings? Earrings are probably the ultimate in ‘splurge’ or ‘self-gifting’ jewelry. They don’t need the right neckline, the right ‘finger’ or even the ‘right’ color. Today, style-wise, the longer and larger the danglers —the better. It’s all about making a bold statement. Just remember, you’re selling to a fashionista’s sense of style, which can be very different than the occasion based sales that many jewelers focus on.

What’s Working? According to the Pantone Color Trend report, versatile neutrals and bold spirited hues are going to be Fall faves. Expect to see diamonds set in worked gold. Silver and pearl combinations also remain perennial sure-fire bets. When paired with onyx, purple sapphires, amethyst and black diamonds, pink gold and titanium are also looking to be mega sellers this Fall.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind
Stocking the shelves with the ultimate selection of on-trend earrings is only half the battle. You also need to sell the story. Every article promoting these jewels (and there will be plenty of them) – from Vogue to U.S. Weekly needs to be in your store and on your counter. Your sales team needs to be up to date with where they’ve been featured and who is wearing them.

Price points will run the gauntlet. From dazzling diamonds encrusting gold drops to purple crystals on oversized titanium hoops. You need to make sure that there is a price point for everyone, especially if you are looking to increase sales to your “self-purchasing” fashionistas. You want to sell the dream, but you also need to make it accessible. Make sure these trends are reflected in everything from your statement jewels to the perfect add on sales.

What’s up next? Even though gold seems to be stabilizing, it’s still unaffordable to many jewelry buyers. Add that to steep platinum prices and rising silver costs and you can see why many designers are looking towards alternative metals. We’ll help you navigate this recent trend in metals in our next article.