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Merrick, NY—According to the Centurion 2010 Success Index, affluent consumers are shopping again. In our statistical spot-check of high-end jewelers for the two weeks ending December 4 (including Black Friday week), almost three-fourths of respondents indicated their holiday jewelry sales are up 6% or more over last year. More than half (59.3%) are seeing 10% increases or better. Responses were fairly well distributed across the United States.

Verbatim responses included: "Pleasantly surprised"; "Traffic is still very slow"; "Up big but off of a REALLY crummy week last year"; and "Amazing traffic!"

Bridal is the most popular product category for this period, followed by diamond jewelry (non-bridal) and sterling silver. The most popular price points for holiday jewelry sales, say respondents, are between $1,000 and $2,000. But we’re still seeing some extremes: an equal number of respondents indicated their best-selling price point over the past two weeks was either under $300 or above $10,000. Less common, so far, are sales in the $2,000 to $10,000 range, and in the $500 to $1,000 range.

Trunk show business, for most respondents, also showed positive growth. 45.4% of respondents showed increased trunks show business over the past two weeks vs. the previous year, while another 40.9% held steady.

The Centurion will be tracking sales each week from now to the end of the year.

Meanwhile, in other holiday jewelry sales news, Bloomberg Monday released a highly encouraging report that luxury jewelry sales are going strong so far, with such products as Tiffany keys and Blue Nile pearls being outstanding sellers.