From the August 2021 issue of #thisispearl digital magazine
Business is showing signs of a return to familiarity, and pearls are an ever-important aspect of it. Trade shows are starting to happen again, and suppliers—including myself as vice president of business development for Imperial Pearl—are eagerly anticipating your arrival.
Just last month at the Retail Jewelers Organization show in Cincinnati, I met with lots of jewelers whose businesses were booming! Consumers are going into stores and asking for pearls! We were so pleased; we far exceeded our projections for that show. And if you think about our little niche—pearls represent just 3 percent of jewelers’ annual sales—we estimate that the business we did easily rivaled our neighbors’ diamond category sales.
Store owners were buying strands, necklaces of half pearls and half gold or sterling silver links, and minimalist and asymmetrical designs featuring akoya and Tahitian pearls. The jewelry we sold was a mix of tradition paired with new and now. For JCK Las Vegas, we’ll bring more of these new best-sellers because we know our clients are paying attention to all the different ways pearls are being set in new fine jewelry.
What this all means for you is that now is the time to get serious about pearls. The members of the Cultured Pearl Association of America can help you every step of the way through education (our Pearls As One course) and diverse jewelry and pearl offerings. Pearls are taking their rightful position in jewelers’ showcases as an important category to grow now. Be ready and don’t miss the opportunity because your own tipping point is on the horizon.
Need coaching or advice? Reach me, CPAA’s marketing director, at Kathyspearl@gmail.com or 508-951-6613 or CPAA’s executive director, Jennifer Heebner, at JHeebner@cpaa.org or 267-481-4120.