The New Fine Jewelry Trend: Less Gold, More Gemstones
With the rise in metal prices, high-end jewelry designers are increasingly turning to larger, more expressive colored stones with intense hues for a strong visual impact
At the latest editions of the Melee Show in New York and Tucson, co-founder Lauren Wolf noticed a significant change: stones, in increasingly generous sizes, are stealing the show from gold, which, while still present, was no longer the absolute protagonist. «What is clearly emerging is the search for a new balance between metal and gemstones,» she says. Stones — large, expressive, often cut into unusual shapes, including the return of sugarloaf cuts — now dominate the visual space. Personality rather than perfection is now guiding the choice. Designers are not eliminating metal, but redefining its role. «Overall, more than minimalism, there is a noticeable change in atmosphere. Designers are playing freely and intentionally with proportions, textures and materials, while remaining anchored to high jewelry,» adds Wolf. While value was once associated with the weight of gold, nowadays visual impact is proving that it can come from elsewhere.
Lebanese jeweler Joanna Dahdah, for example, incorporates malachite, lapis lazuli and turquoise into her Merveilles collection at her Beirut atelier. Her pieces maintain aesthetic solidity without inflating prices, demonstrating that boldness does not depend solely on metal. New York designer Ray Griffiths, founder of Ray Griffiths Fine Jewelry, has been working on this balance for years: his Crownwork grid motif creates jewelry that is both striking and airy. By rethinking link designs to reduce their weight, he preserves the impression of abundance by integrating mixed metals, from oxidized silver to 18-karat yellow gold. The gemstone is what provides the visual mass in his creations. «I enjoy working with large stones to create large pieces using less gold: cabochons in earrings and pendants set in low bezels, large beaded necklaces with gold details, my scallop rings that spotlight color...,» Griffiths explains. Thus, turquoise, fire opal, amber, agate, jasper and malachite appear in striking pearl cuts. Color also contributes to this change of direction and is increasingly becoming the language through which designers modulate costs and identity. According to Rebecca Overmann, a San Francisco-based designer and co-founder of Melee, at the January and February trade shows, many creatives were looking for «stones that offered depth, atmosphere and individuality rather than saturation or classic hues.» Purple, green, gray and blue sapphires everywhere, chosen for their nuances rather than their uniformity. Prada Fine Jewelry, with its Couleur Vivante collection designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, focuses on «absolute and intense color», combining amethyst, aquamarine, Madeira citrine, pink morganite and peridot in studied contrasts, defining preciousness through the spectrum rather than through rarity. In Florida, Christina Puchi of CCWW Designs combines topaz, amethyst and citrine with wood, carved stone and shells for a sea-inspired aesthetic. This is not a direct reaction to the rise in gold prices, but a way to create bold designs without exorbitant costs. «It's exciting to see so many designers experimenting with materials they never considered before,» she says.
Technical choices also support this evolution. Cut, finish and setting determine how a gemstone conveys volume. Page Neal, co-founder of Bario Neal in Philadelphia, underlines the ethical aspect: «Larger, responsibly sourced colored gems allow us to create visual impact while expanding affordability.» Her work explores spinels, tourmalines and sapphires with unconventional cuts, such as a blue-green decagonal cut defined as «architectural» due to its structured presence. In New York, Gwen Myers of Eden Presley focuses on the visual power of gemstones: the Cab Candy collection features brightly colored tourmalines, while the In the Black capsule collection combines matte steel and gold to create presence without relying on the rising value of gold per ounce. The aim is a lasting aesthetic that can withstand the test of time. In Los Angeles, Jacquie Aiche is drawn to fire opals and carnelian: «Orange stones inspire personal power and enthusiasm,» she says, evoking the energy of the new lunar year of the Fire Horse. As gold prices reshape the economics of fine jewelry, designers are responding with new proportions and plays on scale. As in the Retro period, when restrictions on materials led to amplified volumes and sculptural forms, today's industry demonstrates that value lies not only in metal, but also in design, color and imagination.
