Mia Katrin - JEWEL COUTURE LLC
Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 05:00AM JEWEL COUTURE LLC President, Jewelry Designer, 2003-present. Featuring Collections of high-end necklaces of precious gems, high-karat gold and platinum as well as new Jewel Casual Collection. Cutting-edge award-winning design, featured at top echelon galleries and stores, worn by A-list Hollywood celebrities. Member American Gem Trade Association (AGTA).
It was all glamour and glitz at the recent Atlanta Jewelry Show at the Cobb Galleria. A new feature—“Jewelry on the Catwalk,” a fashion show with live models featuring some of the top designers at the show, hosted by Mia Katrin for Jewel Couture LLC—stole the day, receiving rave reviews. Models strutting the runway wearing ensembles of top selling pieces created an exciting atmosphere of fashion and fun, helping buyers visualize combinations and making the jewelry come alive.
Key trends to note, some of the hottest trends gleaned from some of the top designers at the show:
Big and Bold
Big and bold are in. “We’re noticing a lot more interest from designers and retailers alike in big, bold statement pieces,” Belle Etoile shares. “We’re anticipating large bangles, chokers, and rings in every retailer window display.”
Barbara Garwood echoes, “Big and bountiful are in. My large stone rings sold very well—stones up to 18 x 25 mm. My most popular pendants on multi-strands of pearls with gems give a large presence to the entire piece.”
Alwand Vahan’s bold beautiful bangles in silver and gold accented with diamonds, stacked or single, favored by celebrities, sparkled at the fashion show. 
Color, color, color!
“Color was big at this show,” reveals Belle Etoile. “We had great response to our vivid enamel pieces. Many of our retailers use color and vibrancy to attract a new fashion-conscious clientele. Our chocolate-brown Italian rubber with champagne and coffee gems resonates with warm, rich earthy tones that are surging.”
Cool blue is hot! Turquoise continues to spark excitement. Mia Katrin for Jewel Couture’s Golden Waves necklace of large blue topaz briolettes and 14 karat gold, featured throughout the Atlanta show magazine, remains a top best seller.
Barbara Garwood concurs. “My designs in London blue topaz stone were one of my best sellers.”
Look for warm earth tones—gold, chocolate, rust and champagne—to continue strong. Honora’s cherry colored pearls are among their top best sellers. 
Mixed metals
With gold over $1400 an ounce, customers are seeking options. Blackened textured sterling silver highlighted with flashes of high-karat gold is a strong option, projecting a high-end look without sticker shock. White gold is surging. Smart designers focus on large gems with minimal gold to create an opulent look at sellable price points.
Back to Nature
Anything organic is in. Nuggets or slices of gems, metals that look hand-worked, engraved messages that look hand-written all have strong appeal. Customers crave artisan-look pieces with a hand-made, one-of-a- kind look.
Happy Jewelry
Fashion-forward women seek fine jewelry that is fashion-conscious. Designer jewelry “gives retailers the confidence to explore new ways to pair fashion with fine jewelry and satisfy a consumer market trending towards self-purchases,” Belle Etoile notes. Look for more and more self-purchasing women, especially under the $1000 price point. They seek versatile pieces to complement their wardrobes and give themselves a boost. Barbara Garwood shares, “When difficult times abound women want to treat themselves to something and color is a key factor in cheering oneself up. Brilliant colors make for ‘happy jewelry’ and pieces sell themselves right out of the display.”