Modern Jeweler Points to Craft Trends

Filed in archive Jewelry Trends on July 3, 2007

As with their hardcopy magazine, Modern Jeweler tends to be forever on the cutting edge of what's hip and new in the jewelry world, and that's also true with their blog, a fairly recent addition to their media options. Not all corporate blogs seem to "get it" when it comes to being part of the blogosphere, but I think this attempt at mixing corporate brand with jewelry world is working.

One topic they mentioned recently was that of the affect of crafts on jewelry trends. From "Trendy Crafts & Crafty Trends:"

Trendy crafts may seem like an oxymoron, but one of the strongest trends in the urban scene is DIY handmade items. Knitting is coming back as a pastime. Hand decoration of shoes, shirts, and walls, with its aura of personalization, is replacing logos and brands as a signifier of taste. This influence is spreading into mainstream design as well, of course. In jewelry, hand finishes and organic-looking shapes that show the mark of the craftsman's hand are a very strong trend. Those who don't want to actually do-it-themselves represent a growing market for crafty entrepreneurs with an urban edge.

I find this a refreshing point of view from a group that normally focuses on fine jewelry. So many times (and too many), the craft of jewelry is dismissed.