Are You A "Just Becauser?"....The New Jewelry Customer

Assorted Ippolita 18K bangles.  Starting at $695.

You've got a great job. You've worked hard, and over the years you've pushed other bitches out of the way...I mean you've snarled your way up the ladder of success. Along your star-studded path you've recognized important achievements with a nice piece of David Yurman jewelry, or maybe a Hermes handbag. When you scrutinize the Neiman Marcus website, picking out all the things you love, you see a beautiful pair of Christian Louboutins, and your feet start to itch, you have to have them so bad. Without a thought, you click, click, click those little red-soled gems into your authentic shopping cart, not the imaginary one that most people keep when they fake shop. You're used to treating yourself with nice things... because you can.

Heidi Mitchell, in her recent The Wall Street Journal article, "Jewelry Waits For No Man: Buy It For Yourself," notes how Mintel, a market research firm, identifies women who shop like this as a growing and important segment of high end buyers known as "Just Becausers." These are women, able to make exclusive purchases for themselves, just because. Because they want it, they think they need it, and most importantly, they can afford it. They are a professional women, age 45 and up, and last year, 59% of the purchases made by this group were for no particular reason.

It is exactly this logic that needs to be embraced by the jewelry industry. The industry has historically targeted a male market, and men generally only buy for some type of specific reason like an anniversary, birthday, or new baby, and, as men do, they apply way too much logic when making a purchase, especially a big one like jewelry. Most men buy jewelry like they buy a hammer at the Home Depot. Lots of dumb questions, like "what is the resale value of this ring?" or "where are diamonds made?" or "can my wife return it if she doesn't like it?" Do these analytical questions really have any bearing on the fact that  when you see a piece of jewelry that would look beautiful on your significant other and you can afford it, what's the big frigging deal?  Just buy it.

The jewelry industry is an old business and change took a long time. Back in the 90's, many of the smaller vendors we did business with were not even computerized. I remember visiting a vendor who pulled out samples that were wrapped in Kleenex tissues and stored in old shoe boxes.  Everything in his business was stored in his head. This would be tough for most of us if we were in our 80's (like this man) but he had a mind like a fox snare. Keeping with this attitude, much of the industry still designs for men who buy for women...not women who buy for themselves. If they were smart, they would start changing their direction toward this new trend.

H. Stern 18K YG Small Love Knot Earrings.  $2600

Some smart designers like Ippolita,  H. Stern and Ivanka Trump, have taken note.  They see that women think of jewelry as an extension of their wardrobe, not necessarily a reward for getting laid last night (well, maybe). These designers recognize that women want quality, but also want quantity...because they have the money.

Ivanka Trump - assorted rings.  Starting at $725.

But women are also being smart with their money in these tough times and many are turning to eBay, Gilt, and a growing number of designer consignment shops that resell gently used, authentic designer products for up to half, or less, than retail. Many women have purchased enough designer goods to spot a fake, and feel confident to shop on these sites, or if they feel insecure about this, many shops pride themselves on having the expertise to do this for you.  Align yourselves with a good one, like Bella Tutto, and you can save a ton of dough. 

The Jewelry Catherine Duchess of Cambridge Wore Through The North American Tour

Catherine and William are back in England now that their North American tour is over.  William wants to fly helicopters and Catherine wants to grow herbs and get pregnant.  However, she’s going to have to eat a little something because developing embryo's don't do all that well on watercress.  At 5' 10", some say Catherine is hovering around the 100-105 pound range.  Jewelry doesn't look good on a broomstick.

Kate’s royal tour fashion was nice but I feel a little meh about it because the royal corporation has a lot to say about how she must dress when on these official visits, i.e., British designers, no short skirts, pantyhose is usually a must, discreet hairstyles, and even closed toe shoes most of the time, so – kudos to Kate for going against the grain and wearing those Jimmy Choo, five inch heeled, silver, Housewives of London foot jewelry while in LA.   

Although tasteful and demure, the jewelry she wore (some her own – some on loan) was very pretty.  She didn’t establish any new trends (other than pantyhose, ugh) so don’t worry...I don't think we'll be wearing maple leaf pins on our shoulders this fall but if we're not careful, there might be a Ruth Buzzi sighting in my neighborhood.

I'm warning you...do not bring pantyhose back.  Do I need to say anymore?

Something new, the human fascinator.  
No, wait - that's William's hand, Ottawa, 7/01/11.

Really very beautiful - and you know how I feel about pins.

While in Yellowknife, Catherine and William received beautiful gifts of a diamond polar bear pin and diamond polar bear cuff links made with Canadian diamonds, by Northwest Territories Diamonds.  It was presented to them by Premier, Floyd Roland to commemorate their Royal tour of the country.  Both of the gifts were created with diamonds mined at the Diavik Diamond Mine and donated and designed by Harry Winston.  Diamond is the official gemstone of the Northwest Territories and the region produces about 15% of the world’s rough diamonds.  Who knew Canada was the world’s third largest diamond producer (in value) after Botswana and Russia.  I could almost drive there.  Yellowknife, 7/6/2011.

Fashion alert!  Let's see if any of the bear jewelry is ever worn.

Kate is a real fan of jewelry designer, Kiki McDonough.  A British designer who specializes in pieces made with semi-precious  stones with diamonds, Kiki McDonough has been in business for more than 25 years.  It only takes a celebrity with the status of Catherine to completely sell out many of the pieces she’s is offering on her website.  McDonough’s well priced jewelry features vibrant stones in contrasting color combinations set in 18K gold.   

Arriving at a private reception in Los Angeles, California.  Kate wears a Roksanda Ilincic Peridot dress. Her earrings are Kiki McDonough Grace Earrings, £695.00 ($1125, US).  Of course, they are currently out of stock.

California, 7/8/2011.

If you have a good local jeweler, these earrings are not hard to have made.  The white topaz is not an expensive stone and the diamonds are rather small.  The stones are approximately 9mm in size and, set if you set them in 14K gold (instead of 18K) you could have these made for much less than $1125.

Kiki McDonough white topaz and diamond earrings.  
Here's a closer look in case you want to have them made.

Kate is wearing Kiki McDonough citrine earrings featured in the photo below. 
Los Angeles, 7/09/2011.

One of Catherine’s favorite Kiki McDonough earrings.  
18K citrine drop earrings.  £495.00 (about $800 US).  Los Angeles, 7/9/2011.

Hard to see what earring she is wearing.  See below...

Cassandra Goad "Temple of Heaven" 9K gold earrings.   
£1,100, roughly $1750, US.  Seems very high for 9K gold.  
Check out Ippolita below for similar earrings but in 18K.

Ippolita 18K gold Open Oval Cascade Earring.  $2095 but 18K gold instead of 9K.  

I don't think I would invest that much money in 9K gold!

Catherine in Alexander McQueen and diamond earrings 
from the Queen's jewelry box.  Los Angeles, 7/10/2011.

A hard to find closeup of the diamond earring loaned by the Queen.  It's a posted earring with a bezel-set diamond at the top with three diamond stands, made with baguette and round diamonds attached.  Suspended from the center strand is what looks to be quite a large pear shaped diamond. Those LA beeyatches didn't have anything on her.

Almost jewelry.  That nice.