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Merrick, NY—Want to know what’s sizzling or fizzling? One way is by monitoring consumer fashion magazines to see which trends are being featured editorially as a “buy-it-now.”

Today’s trends filter up as well as down: no longer is fashion jewelry just a cheap imitation of fine, but what’s hot in fashion jewelry today often inspires design for fine jewelry tomorrow. Every trend can be interpreted in every price point, from the most affordable starter pieces to diamond-crusted jewels that make a luxury jeweler’s cash register sing.

While there’s always the gee-whiz factor of dramatic pieces, for generating sales jewelers want to be aware of trends that are featured currently in fashion magazines and websites. In other words, when customers curl up on the couch with a pile of magazines, or take a fashion-surfing break in the office, what is influencing their decision to buy?

There’s no need to clutter your coffee table or add another chore to your “to do” list—The Centurion has already done it for you. Scanning some popular consumer titles, here—literally, ripped from the pages—are some recurring trends in magazines that shoppers are reading right now:

Bangle bracelets, in every material from resin to diamond, and every price point from under $10 to over the top, and every width from fine as a hair to thick as shackles.  Mix ‘n match is how to wear them.

Bangles are featured on pages from recent issues of InStyle (top row, bottom left), and Harper's Bazaar.

Spikes, once the domain of rockers, bikers, and bulldogs, point the way to mainstream. The newest interpretations tone down their aggressive edge with a feminine spin and a lot of movement, in gold, silver, and various gem materials.

Monogrammed jewelry was a staple in Mom’s or Grandma’s jewelry box. Then came modern message jewelry, often with the sentiment secreted inside so nobody but the wearer was privy to it. Now engraving makes its resurgence in both classic monograms and modern abstracts.

Pages from InStyle (top left), Harper's Bazaar (top right), and Lucky (center, both) show an assortment of spiked jewelry. Bottom left above, a bracelet in InStyle combines both the spike and monogram trends, while Lucky featured a modern take on an old-fashioned initial ring, bottom right above, and Harper's Bazaar showed an abstract engraved pendant, below.

Hammered, textured, and folded metal is one of those perpetual trends, like pearls, that never goes out of fashion, it only comes in more. This is one of those seasons—adding another dimension and surface texture adds interest to the metal without adding price.

Top: Hammered and textured jewelry is featured in Lucky. Center and below, Harper's Bazaar features a pair of satin-textured earrings (with a slightly spiky appeal!), and an abstract leaf necklace and twig earrings.

Last word: Fashion jewelry counters are awash in “rose gold” pieces right now. Once consumers adapt the look in lower-end plated pieces, the next step is to invest in fine rose gold. Consider adding some fashion basics like bangle bracelets, hoop earrings, or fashion watches with a rose-tone bezel to ease into the trend.