luxury / Jewellery

Tapping into the viral bag charm craze is ‘sensibly opportunistic’ for luxury companies that might as well ‘make some money off the back of it,’ said Neil Saunders, managing director at analytics firm GlobalData.

The storied British retailer is planning its most ambitious renovation in years to create a brand new watches and jewellery boutique.

The jeweller bungled the release of a coveted Nautilus timepiece, alienating some customers and fracturing its relationship with Patek Philippe.

The Swiss owner of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and other brands has avoided the luxury slump. Sluggish watch sales and local competition in China threaten to spoil the party.

While European and American luxury brand sales have fallen in China, Laopu Gold Co.’s sales have doubled in each of the past two years, underscoring a shift towards homegrown brands.

Even as luxury fashion brands face declining demand, jewellery sales are booming. The Debrief explores how smaller designers and novel pieces are capturing consumer interest and finding new paths to growth.

Jewellery brands have raised prices less than fashion labels, and now benefit from a stronger sense of lasting value.

Even as demand for luxury goods stalls, Milanese jeweller Pomellato is gaining ground by appealing to self-purchasing women and expanding into high jewellery — a welcome win for Kering as it works to re-energise its portfolio.