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Merrick, NY—What do your peers expect to be a holiday best seller this year? According to a recent spot-check survey of better fine jewelers, diamonds remain the perennial favorite, but silver is predicted to be almost as popular. 41.1% of respondents to The Centurion’s survey expect diamonds to be their top seller for the season. Among those, responses were fairly evenly divided between diamond basics, diamond earrings, diamond jewelry in general, and loose diamonds and mountings.

29.4% of respondents say silver will be their best-selling product category this season. This includes everything from designer silver to silver and gems. 17.6% identified colored stone jewelry as their potential top seller, including both fashion color and designer color. Fashion jewelry will be a leader for 11.7%, and the rest were divided in their responses, ranging from colored diamonds to oversized watches (this jeweler writes “I have heard about, but not seen, any trend toward smaller size watches yet”) to what’s probably every jeweler’s unspoken response, “I wish I knew!”

For new products being introduced this season at some prestige jewelry stores, fashion clearly is an important category. 69.2% of respondents’ primary new product introductions will be fashion of some kind, ranging from black pearls in silver to famous designer names.

In terms of new materials jewelers plan to introduce, colored stone jewelry took top billing. Almost 1/3 of respondents each say they are planning to launch at least one color collection and/or silver collection. These include everything from affordable colored gemstone pieces in sterling silver to designer pieces to black pearls in sterling and 18k gold to rare and unusual specimens.

Among specific brands and designers that jewelers named as new introductions for their stores this season, standouts were Todd Reed, Erica Courtney, True Knots (bridal), Kranz & Zeigler (story charms), Pandora, Tacori (both silver and bridal), and Links of London, Belle Etoile, and Tresor Paris (silver). But other jewelers are shying away from the big brands and focusing on less-known designers and brands.

Finally, how will jewelers promote themselves and their products this season? Not surprisingly, many respondents to the Centurion survey will rely on the tried-and-true: trunk shows, special men’s or women’s shopping nights, VIP customer parties, and product-focused events such as a natural colored diamond event or the SCVNGR Diamond Dash. One respondent from the United Kingdom is having a special diamond party in historic Brocket Hall. Several respondents are participating in village or downtown promotion days.

But one jeweler has done something truly unusual and trendy: he’s joined with other upscale merchants in town to create a pop-up shop called “December.” The store, which opened November 11, will close December 31. Participating shops include an independent rare bookseller, an upscale women’s clothing shop, our jeweler, and consigned pieces from about 40 local artists.

He writes, “It is exposing more people to our store through our gift offerings and they come over (about half a block away) to see the rest of what we have. Way ahead of plan after five days of being open!”