Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6850 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2016 T o be a jewelry designer today requires several integral ele- ments: capital, social media prowess, industry connections, a website (possibly with an e-commerce element), a unique design vision, technical jewelry expertise and talent. The order in which these assets rank in importance is a topic of debate. To put it another way, a successful designer is also a successful busi- nessperson and a successful marketer, or works with someone who is. “Jewelry designers, as twofold creators and entrepreneurs, deal with multifaceted challenges,” says Greek designer Nikos Koulis. For independent designers, this has always been the case. Balanc- ing art with business and marketing is not a new struggle, but design- ers and retailers overwhelmingly say that the pace at which one must promote a brand is faster than ever before, due to rapidly changing technology and social media platforms. “A strong marketing plan is essential for success, with social media being a critical component to this plan,” says designer Ron Hami. BY ASHLEY DAVIS With the rise of the independent fine jewelry designer comes market oversaturation and consignment woes. The industry speaks on these issues, plus on what it takes to succeed as a designer today. JEWELRY The State of Cathy Waterman’s 22-karat yellow gold and platinum bracelet with diamonds ($9,580) available at TwistOnline.com Mizuki’s 14-karat yellow gold earrings with black Tahitian pearls ($2,490) available at TwistOnline.com