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 68NATIONAL JEWELER 51 A MIXED BLESSING Brands agree that social media is indisputably a way for them to connect with consumers. Information about creating and growing a social media presence is readily available online, though that also means the bar is set high for designers to make an impact. Designer Suzanne Kalan has learned the impor- tance of cementing her brand’s identity on various social platforms. “Social media has opened the door to new opportuni- ties for our brand,” she says. “We’re able to connect with a customer instantly from all around the world through platforms like Instagram and Facebook. However, as we reach new markets through social media, we have to be aware that some consumers are just being introduced to my signature designs. Brand awareness becomes a large focus for us, as we continue to expand into international markets. ” Rosanne Karmes, the founder and designer behind Sydney Evan, sees both positives and negatives to social media. “In today’s market, things move faster than ever; we’re constantly sharing inspiration and ideas online and in social media. To remain at the forefront, designers must always be evolving their collec- tions, paying very close attention to the details that preserve the handcrafted aesthetic of fine jewelry. Unfortunately, it also means fresh designs are more readily available to those who might try to copy or reproduce.” Up-and-coming designer Ilana Sarna, who splits her time between Israel and New York where she produces her line Ilana Ariel, also feels the struggle of online copying. “The blessing and curse of social media is that everyone’s designs are vastly exposed and attainable, making it that much easier to copy or mimic jewelry designs, and equally challenging to differentiate oneself from the vast array of talented jewelry designers.” Sarna hints at the interconnectedness between two oft-cited issues for designers: social media overload and oversaturation in the market. The former is partially a product of the latter; the more saturated the market becomes, the more presence on social media is required. A brand with less design creativity but a bigger marketing budget ends up being competition for smaller, independent brands. Designer Wing Yau of Wwake, who was at the forefront of the delicate jewelry trend with her fine line, has felt the effects of being caught in an overloaded design arena. “There is a lot of great jewelry out there, but I think the indus- try has grown to the point where every perspective in design is already represented, and some represented multiple times,” says Yau. Paul Schneider, owner of jewelry retailer Twist in Portland, Ore., agrees that market saturation has reached fever pitch, in large part due to the general availability of information that has grown with the internet. The once-esoteric world of jewelry design is more open to the general public. “Everything’s more transparent than it used to be, espe- cially the jewelry world, something so old,” he says. “(In the past) it was all only available to insiders, and now it’s available to everybody … It used to be that you had to learn jewelry techniques and you had to learn to grade stones and you needed to learn how to do all this stuff.” Schneider doesn’t believe that the wider availability of jewelry production knowledge is necessarily bad, however, as it’s allowed people to make their living being a creative person with a creative business. “In some ways,” he concludes, “it’s opened it up to a lot more people.” For Wwake designer Yau, though, mar- ket saturation has been bad for business. “Even the most exciting designs don’t feel new and fresh to a customer like it used to be- fore Instagram took off; they have a sense that it’s all been done before.Additionally, customers now seem more interested in designs that are wearable rather than designs that are artistic statements, since they can experience that infinitely on Instagram, without purchase.” Lori Leven, owner of New York boutique Love Adorned, won- ders at the deeper implications of having designers exposed to DESIGN Nikos Koulis’ 18-karat white gold pendant with diamonds, turquoise, rubellite and onyx available at NikosKoulis.gr (price upon request) Irene Neuwirth’s 18-karat rose gold necklace with tanzanite ($33,560) available at Ylang23.com