Tim Malone, Ph.D. Photo by Melissa Jacobs/GIA

By Russell Shor

Colored gemstone jewelry can be tailored to fit the taste and lifestyles of free-spending consumers who want to enhance their feelings of well-being, according to Tim Malone, Ph.D. in Marketing and associate professor for GIA's School of Business. He calls them "the young and the restless" – divorced women and men 35-45 years old who are approaching their peak earning years.

Speaking at a Feb. 5 seminar at the American Gem Trade Association show in Tucson, he said divorced consumers are very favorably disposed to jewelry – much more so than their married or never-married counterparts – and are a promising market segment that has been overlooked by retail jewelers.

While men and women in this category have different shopping patterns and preferences, 90 percent who earn more than $75,000 per year rate jewelry and watches as top gift items – to give and receive. Malone said the right colored gemstone jewelry can appeal to the preferences and desires of both sexes in this demographic group.

Surveys show that blue is the most popular color, chosen by 40 percent of respondents. More men prefer this color than women; women associate it with leadership and being business-like, which corresponds to their impression of jewelry as a necessary fashion accessory.

The next favorite was purple, preferred by 14 percent, who say it evokes mystery and royalty; with green (12 percent – renewal, balance and nature); and red (11 percent – strength and love) rounding the top four. Orange and yellow were near the bottom of the preference scale with 6 percent and 5 percent respectively. Not surprisingly, pink was highly favored by women but deemed effeminate by men.

Beyond likes and dislikes, colors can provoke feelings. Red was the only color preferred by men and women and is seen as a power color by both sexes. A significant percentage of the women favored pink because they found it therapeutic and feminine.

Shapes can also evoke feelings, Malone said. Oval is preferred by women and men because it offers a sense of pleasure. Women find round shapes reassuring, but men deem them feminine and weak. Squares fell lower on the preference scale because they were associated with predictability among men and hardness among women.

Evoking such feelings, Malone said, is very important because people buy to advance their happiness more than for the practical benefits of owning a product.

"It's about the experience, how a product makes them feel. Many of today's 'young and restless' consumers have undergone dramatic lifestyle changes and are looking for jewelry to make them happy.

"Color is nonverbal communication, and retailers can sell jewelry based on the symbolism it evokes," Malone said. "Color also entices shoppers and helps them become engaged in displays of jewelry. Retailers can tap into these non-verbal meanings of color to appeal to their customers. And, beyond additional sales, margins for colored stone jewelry tend to be better."

This does not mean stocking retail showcases with huge amounts of jewelry, however. Jumbling too many colored pieces together in showcases can overstimulate customers, which leads to confusion and indecision, he said.

"People already have too many choices, so jewelers should make it easy for them to choose jewelry. Helping shoppers understand their preferences is just good business," Malone said. "And selling on preferences makes the customers' choice much easier; customers want retailers to make their choices easier. Jewelers can very effectively do this sort of selling."