{"id":533070,"date":"2025-07-02T16:07:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T06:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/?p=533070"},"modified":"2025-07-02T16:10:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T06:10:27","slug":"jewellery-defies-luxury-slowdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/luxury-lifestyle\/jewellery-defies-luxury-slowdown","title":{"rendered":"Latest Luxury Market Data Reveals Diamonds Really Are Forever"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Luxury jewellery spending in the U.S. rose 10.1% in May 2025 year-on-year, outpacing other high-end categories like handbags. <\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Cartier and similar brands have kept price increases modest despite gold\u2019s 25% spike.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Even as some brands lost clients, average spend per customer increased 11.7%, making jewellery the only category with both customer and revenue growth.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-luxury-spending-slows-but-jewellery-keeps-climbing\">Luxury Spending Slows, But Jewellery Keeps Climbing<\/h3><p>While most luxury sectors are stuck in a holding pattern, jewellery sales are still climbing across the U.S., according to a new Citigroup report. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Panthere-1400x933.jpg\" alt=\"Cartier Panthere\" class=\"wp-image-533082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Panthere-1400x933.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Panthere-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Panthere-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Panthere-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Panthere-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gold prices have surged 25% in 2025, but luxury brands like Cartier have kept retail increases surprisingly low. Image: Cartier<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The group looked at credit card data from over 10 million U.S. shoppers, revealing that despite a broader slowdown in high-end consumer spending, and in particular luxury watches, fine jewellery is quietly bucking the trend. <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-jewellery-sales-surge-while-luxury-slows\">Jewellery Sales Surge While Luxury Slows<\/h3><p>In May 2025 alone, luxury jewellery sales rose by 10.1% year-on-year, outperforming handbags, ready-to-wear, and just about everything else with a logo and a price tag. <\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-2018632303\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1199082506 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1199082506 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-2018632303\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1199082506.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-2018632303\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1199082506);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>It\u2019s a sharp contrast to the rest of the market as the total luxury spend dipped 1.7% in May, following steeper slides in April and March. Yet jewellery has continued a quiet rally since September 2024, fuelled by what Citi analyst Thomas Chauvet calls \u201csuperior intrinsic and emotional value.\u201d In other words, gold, unlike leather or logos, still feels worth the money.<\/p>    <div class=\"content-subscribe\">\n        <div class=\"subscribe-box\">\n            <p class=\"subscribe-title\">Curated news for men, <br\/>delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n            <form class=\"subscribe-form\" method=\"POST\">\n                <div class=\"subscribe-input\">\n                    <label class=\"screen-reader-text\" for=\"subscribe-email\">Email:<\/label>\n                    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" id=\"subscribe-email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" required class=\"form-control\" autocomplete=\"on\" \/>\n                    <button type=\"submit\" class=\"button button-primary subscribe-button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"source\" value=\"article\" \/>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"_wpnonce\" name=\"_wpnonce\" value=\"e2df992756\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533070\" \/>                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"form-result\"><\/div>\n            <\/form>\n            <p class=\"subscribe-copy\">Join the DMARGE newsletter \u2014 Be the first to receive the latest news and exclusive stories on style, travel, luxury, cars, and watches. Straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-luxury-watch-sales-are-softening-and-jewellery-is-filling-the-gap\">Luxury Watch Sales Are Softening and Jewellery Is Filling the Gap<\/h3><p>That makes sense. While brands like Cartier have kept price hikes modest (under 5% for the year), the price of gold has soared more than 25%. It turns out that customers are more inclined to buy something beautiful that also holds its value.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-1155223006\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_540261328 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_540261328 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-1155223006\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_540261328.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-1155223006\");});};adsQueue.push(load_540261328);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>By contrast, handbag brands have pushed prices up 30\u201340% since the pandemic with little change in quality. The appetite for that kind of markup is fading.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Lifestyle-Santos-1400x1400.jpg\" alt=\"Cartier Santos\" class=\"wp-image-533081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Lifestyle-Santos-1400x1400.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Lifestyle-Santos-960x960.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Lifestyle-Santos-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Lifestyle-Santos-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cartier-Lifestyle-Santos-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While most luxury categories are dipping, fine jewellery is trending upward with double-digit growth. Image: Cartier<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Luxury watches tell a similar story. While prices continue to rise, demand has cooled. Inventory is building up, and the resale market is flattening. The hype that once drove the category is slowing down and legacy brands like\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/best-rolex-watches-men\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rolex<\/a>,\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/best-omega-watches\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Omega<\/a>,\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/best-iwc-watches\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IWC<\/a>, Patek Philippe, and\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/chopard-alpine-eagle-41-ref-298600-3001-blue-review\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chopard<\/a>\u00a0have <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/swiss-watch-prices-spike-as-sales-stall-trumponomics-bites\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">quietly nudged up their retail pricing<\/a> to retrieve some of the losses.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-992261290\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_650952522 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_650952522 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-992261290\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_650952522.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-992261290\");});};adsQueue.push(load_650952522);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>Even so, buyers aren\u2019t entirely walking away from watches, they\u2019re just shopping smarter. Boutique discounts are reappearing, and waitlists are no longer what they used to be. <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/2025-is-serving-rare-deals-on-rolex-and-beyond\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The pendulum has seemingly swung in favour of the buyer<\/a>. <\/p><p>Watch enthusiasts have been forced to look beyond the usual suspects, leading <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/luxury-watch-sales-are-down-but-these-ones-keep-selling-out\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">independent microbrands<\/a>, offering design-led alternatives with better value and less baggage, to sell out ahead of their luxury competitors. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" data-id=\"533080\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Brad-Pitt-Lewis-Hamilton-Damson-Idris-F1-The-Movie-1400x933.jpg\" alt=\"Brad Pitt Lewis Hamilton Damson Idris F1 The Movie\" class=\"wp-image-533080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Brad-Pitt-Lewis-Hamilton-Damson-Idris-F1-The-Movie-1400x933.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Brad-Pitt-Lewis-Hamilton-Damson-Idris-F1-The-Movie-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Brad-Pitt-Lewis-Hamilton-Damson-Idris-F1-The-Movie-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Brad-Pitt-Lewis-Hamilton-Damson-Idris-F1-The-Movie-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Brad-Pitt-Lewis-Hamilton-Damson-Idris-F1-The-Movie-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><p>The shift is also cultural. Big-ticket watches are no longer the automatic flex. <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/brad-pitt-cant-stop-wearing-obscure-watches-and-we-quietly-love-it\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brad Pitt is back wearing obscure timepieces<\/a>, and buyers are leaning into pieces with sentiment, story or material value. That\u2019s exactly where jewellery lives.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-economic-headwinds-hit-luxury-just-not-diamonds\"><strong>Economic Headwinds Hit Luxury; Just Not Diamonds<\/strong><\/h3><p>Jewellery, conversely, is proving more resilient. Even with a small decline in customer volume, down 2.7% in early 2025, average spend per buyer has increased 11.7%. It\u2019s now the only luxury category with growth in both customer numbers and individual spend.<\/p><p>Of course, this jewellery surge isn\u2019t happening in a vacuum. The weak U.S. dollar, looming tariffs, and the oil market\u2019s nervous twitch amid Middle Eastern conflict are all reshaping how consumers spend, and what they value. <\/p><p>In that light, a Cartier ring or a pair of diamond earrings becomes more than a gift. It becomes a hedge. Maybe diamonds really are forever.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite falling luxury spending in the U.S., fine jewellery sales are booming, with affluent consumers turning to gold and diamonds for both emotional and investment value.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101107,"featured_media":533087,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[146501],"tags":[],"coauthors":[146353],"class_list":{"0":"post-533070","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-luxury-lifestyle"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=533070"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":533085,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533070\/revisions\/533085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/533087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=533070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=533070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=533070"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=533070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}