What retailers are buying at Special Delivery

New York--The JA New York Special Delivery show opened Sunday to a lot of buzz and buying activity on the show floor, as retailers look to stock up on on-trend pieces for the holiday season.

As the day went on and the aisles at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center became more crowded, many of the exhibitors had positive feedback about the start of the show and said they felt good about the outlook for the next two days. 

Many suppliers reported that retailers were buying small pieces of jewelry that can be used for layering, a trend this holiday season, including Sonia Duarte of Silver Italy, who told National Jeweler that they were selling many smaller, more delicate necklaces.

Colored stones also continue to be popular, as both Duarte and Vahram Gulluian from Ipekyolu Jewellery noted that buyers were picking up the pieces with color. Gulluian said that their “Rock” line, especially the thin bracelets with colored stones on them, were doing well, and that many buyers were looking for the pieces in sterling silver for a lower price point.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Urbaetis of World Trade Jewelers noted that the company was seeing a resurgence in popularity of its gold and diamond pieces.

“Now, since the gold styles are so thin and lightweight, people can afford to buy the gold pieces and they can get multiple,” she said. “And because the designs are also so diamond intensive, there isn’t much of a price difference between the silver and the diamond pieces, so people are moving up to gold.”

The company also was selling a lot of what Urbaetis referred to as their “negative space,” or openwork, styles, bar necklaces and the “X”- and “H”-shaped rings. Urbaetis also said “anything with butterflies” sells for them.

One exhibitor also noted that there was a strong demand for their estate jewelry at this show. “Our bracelets and earrings are doing well, especially long drop earrings,” said Vishal Dixit of Heritage Collection Inc. “Our pieces at the high end, especially those over $50,000, are doing very well.” 

From the retailer’s perspective, Linda Sorens, owner of Limited Collectibles Inc. in Narbeth, Pa., said that she expects her customers to buy “anything and everything” this holiday season. She comes to the show to see what trends are because she has very trendy customers, and at Special Delivery the trend that caught