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Merrick, NY—For the second week in a row, prestige jewelers report very strong gains in holiday sales. The Centurion Success Index 2011, an exclusive spot-check survey of high-end jewelers for the week of November 29 through December 5 (the first full week of the holiday season), shows 35% of respondents reporting a sales increase of 10% or more over the same period last year. One respondent even reported a gain of 42% over the same week last year.

15% of respondents say their sales climbed between 6% and 10% last week over the same week in 2010, and 10% saw modest gains between 1% and 5%. 20% held even with last year’s figures.

“People are out earlier than we have seen in years, and they know what they want, not just browsing,” wrote one, an observation that bears out earlier findings conducted by research firm ShopperTrak and reported exclusively by The Centurion. Another respondent observed that more high-end pieces are selling this year than last.

35% of respondents to the exclusive Centurion 2011 Holiday Success Index Spot Check Survey (red slice) saw sales gains of more than 10% over last year for the first full week of the holiday season, November 29 through December 5. 15% were up 6% to 10% over this week last year (purple slice), 10% had modest gains between 1% and 5% (blue slice), and 20% stayed even (orange slice). Another 20% saw a drop in sales for the week against the same period last year (gray slice).

20% of jewelers polled said the week was slower this year than last. 10% posted sales declines between 6% and 10%; while another 10% saw a more worrisome drop of 10% or more.

“There is no consistency this year. We had a terrific “Black Friday/Shop Local Saturday” but this first week of December has been way off,” worries one respondent, while another feels it’s still too early to see any trends yet.

But with 60% of luxury jewelers overall seeing an increase in sales, the news is encouraging that consumers seem to be feeling more confident now than earlier in the fall. For example, the Consumer Confidence Index leapt in November, the strongest showing in years, a nice rebound both from its own earlier figures and also against other research, such as the fall survey figures from the American Affluence Research Center that fell from its spring survey.

The AARC’s fall survey—conducted in September, shortly following the U.S. debt ceiling controversy and subsequent reactionary stock market volatility—showed affluent consumers planning to spend less for luxury purchases across all but three categories in the next 12 months. Only casual dining showed an increase in the purchase-intent index, while non-designer clothing and major appliances remained unchanged. Fine jewelry and watches declined nine points in the index of intent to purchase, though AARC president Ron Kurtz says the category still ranks third on the gift wish list among affluent women.

The most popular gift wish among AARC survey respondents is for some kind of “currency,” i.e. a gift card, check, or other certificate, with 47% of affluent women and 44% of affluent men indicating that’s what they’d like the most. Within that category, the gift card/certificate slightly edged out other forms of “currency.”

The second most popular choice is some kind of clothing, which 33% of women and, surprisingly, 42% of men said they want. Fine jewelry and watches came in third for women, with 25% of affluent respondents saying they want it, and books, CDs or DVDs came in third for men, with 23% wishing for it. But across the board—women and men—one in five respondents want an iPad or other tablet.

The AARC conducts its surveys of the affluent every six months.