US consumers are buying gemstone jewelry, with 65% seeking out designs containing birthstones, a Plumb Club survey showed.
Some 39%, a 7% increase from the previous survey in 2023, were interested in bright-colored gemstones. Meanwhile the interest in neutral tones dropped 12% compared to the prior study to 34%, The Plumb Club said last week, releasing further results from its 2025 Industry and Market Insights report. The company conducted the survey, which analyzes consumer preferences, in collaboration with Paola De Luca and research firm Qualtrics.
Pearls continued to be a popular choice, with 81% favoring them, especially when selecting gifts, the research concluded. Some 52% chose white pearls for personal wear, while 25% opted for colored ones. Half of respondents preferred the classic pearl strand, compared to the 32% who wanted modern pearls styles in a variety of jewelry designs.
As to metal preferences, yellow gold was the favorite for 26%, white gold for 24% and platinum for 23%. Despite the recent spike in gold prices, 50% of consumers liked gold best, irrespective of its color.
In terms of jewelry categories, 28% of the participants favored rings, 24% ranked earrings highest, a drop of 9% from the previous study, and necklaces gained 3% to 23%. Styles and construction also played an important part when choosing jewelry. For rings, 46% would choose diamond and gemstone accents, 30% diamond- and gem-intensive styles and 24% plain bands without stones. Studs led as the favorite earring style, at 51%, with drops following at 37%, and chandelier styles receiving 32% of the vote.
Personalized jewelry was either important or extremely important to 69% of respondents. A majority – 64% — would like to personalize jewelry with a meaningful message or symbol such as initials, names or special dates.
Researchers polled 2,000 US consumers aged 25 to 60, representing a balanced demographic and psychographic mix, with household incomes over $75,000. The Plumb Club will present the full results on June 7 at JCK Las Vegas.
Image: A woman wearing diamond and gemstone jewelry. (Shutterstock)
