Jewellery Courses Tap Into Exploding Market

Jewellery has always been a lucrative business, and it’s not surprising that the popularity of jewellery courses is at an all time high. The appeal of becoming a jewellery designer isn’t just the opportunity to do something creative and practical, but the fact good designers can launch their own brand and business and become their own boss.

And according to leading jewellery designer Stephen Webster, men’s jewellery is the future. Webster said the market was ‘exploding’ at his lecture at the International Jewellery London exhibition in Earls Court. The talk was entitled, The Evolution of Men and Their Jewellery, and explored the idea that male grooming, and with it men’s jewellery, was increasingly an essential part of men’s daily lives. In the past, men’s jewellery was very limited to signet or wedding rings. But now men are now more image conscious than ever before, which is resulting in a boom in the male jewellery market.

Webster said that men aren’t as forward as women when it comes to choosing jewellery but “once a man is bejewelled there’s no looking back...they can go from zero to jewellery enthusiast in no time.” The bling effect has already been seen in male pop stars, rappers and footballers but now the average man on the street is becoming more open to the idea of jewellery. And the market may not be as diverse as the female jewellery market, but designers say there is still two kinds of demand – big, bold, macho statement pieces and subtler, finer, toned down pieces.

Industry experts say there are a growing percentage of men who care about how they look and are interested in buying jewellery. The men’s accessory market is showing steady growth, from £409m in 2005 to £485m in 2009. Accessories have boomed since the recession as more consumers look to affordable ways to treat themselves. Already leading stores on the high street are stocking male accessories alongside their clothing ranges. And men are more engaged in the world of retail thanks in part to the increased accessibility of shopping for men online.
For jewellery designers, the tips are to stick to masculine themes for male jewellery, sticking to ‘manly’ themes and images. But there’s no doubt that men’s jewellery is a burgeoning market, with some young jewellery designers such as Tomasz Donocik doing only men’s ranges.

By: Challenor

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Looking for jewellery courses? Speak to the Vannetta Seecharran School of Jewellery, visit: www.vannettaseecharran.com