Effect on Jewelry

Effect on Jewelry<br /><br />A recent Time magazine article alludes to the fact that, taking a clue from the looming recessionary trends in the USA, designers are sending more black garments down the runways. Actually this trend seemed to start earlier this year with the showing of very bright Crayola crayon hued accessories from shoes to belts to handbags to co ordinate with the darker Fall/Winter 2008 garments being shown.<br /><br />Whenever the economic picture seems a bit uncertain, most scale back on discretionary items and are reluctant to take on any additional financial obligations. Based upon ones viewpoint, jewelry does qualify as a discretionary item.<br /><br />What effect will all this have on the jewelry industry as a whole? Bridge jewelry and the lower priced fine jewelry will more than likely bear the brunt of decreased spending patterns. Not sure what bridge jewelry is? Well, its the stepping stone between fine and costume jewelry. Typically it is made from precious metals such as karated gold and sterling silver. Semi precious gemstones are used for bridge jewelry. Fine jewelry likewise is made with precious metals but using rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds; costume jewelry is fabricated from base metals such as stainless steel and paste or glass gemstones.<br /><br />As a general rule, the more wealth one has accumulated, the smaller the effect of the ebb and flow of economic conditions. There will always be a market for the extremely expensive designer jewelry one sees in the chi chi magazines. Along the same lines, costume jewelry in the under $40 range will probably see little trickledown effect.<br /><br />One has to wonder what is going on over at the diamond engagement ring industry. Their much ballyhooed line is to spend 2 months gross salary for an engagement ring. When economic times are iffy, even if the job that covers basic personal living expenses is stable, its probably a good guess that the 2 months salary rule is going to go out the window at least temporarily.<br /><br />Lets face it thats a goofy benchmark anyway. Who wants to enter a marriage toting behind them a note payable on a door knob of a diamond engagement ring? Just because an industry that stands to profit by ones purchase states a dollar amount is standard doesnt mean it is. This idiocy of this premise is the basis of Todd Reeds line of raw diamond jewelry.<br /><br />Actually, economists assert that it takes many more quarters of recessionary behavior before any economy can be declared to be in a true recession. The USA certainly has not reached this stage yet only time will show the true effect of the current trends on the jewelry industry.