Gender and jewellery – how the traditional jewellery sales focus must shift in 2020

Gender-based marketing and sales is very common and rampant in the jewellery line of business.

But in recent years, gender-neutral trends have taken the world by storm, even among the big names in the fashion business.

These days famous designer labels like Givenchy, Gucci, and the rest are producing clothing that says no to the binary approach to gender identities. And they are also creating clothing items that can be worn by both males and females equally.

Many people believe that this bold step asserted its support of gender equality in an industry that believed that the two opposite genders should stick to their respective spheres.

Jewellery has started adapting to this trend and we can see that fashion brands are expanding to the jewellery market. Many JewelStreet designers have shown a strong desire for their jewellery designs to be attractive to both males and females.

Here are some benefits of establishing a gender neutral-based marketing and sales system:

It supports equality

Designers have decided to open the gender barriers to promote equality among sexes. Our culture is slowly adapting to gender identities and equality. By contributing to the abolition of polarizing gender categories, they are, in turn promoting a more accepting and inclusive society. Mostly, our clothing and jewellery signify our identity. While buying jewellery from a ‘gender-neutral’ or ‘unisex’ range, it might not seem like a big effort for promoting gender equality. But in reality, that simple move symbolizes a way of accepting people the way they are, irrespective of their gender.

It allows people to express themselves

Should a woman not be allowed to wear a signet ring because it has been seen as a male item? Or should a man not be able to wear a floral brooch because floral designs are recognized as females’ items? This should not be so, because individuals should have the freedom to express themselves through their clothing and jewellery. Jewellery was considered a symbol of status in previous eras. However, if the jewellery is recognized today as a tool used in expressing one’s self, why should gender categories constrain such expressions?

It is on-trend

Presently, cuts, styles, and shapes are changing in fashion. Traditional laws are gradually being erased by the millennial philosophy that does not believe in gender convention. Men’s jewellery is no longer conformed to only tie pins, cufflinks and watches; they can also put on rings, necklaces and bracelets. It is not an exception to the ladies too. A rapidly rising number of female shoppers are now going for rugged and typically masculine designs of jewellery. When looking to get a new piece of jewellery, most people now lean towards the unisex aesthetic.

Gender Neutral Jewellery

There is a noticeable change recognizable in the purchasing habits of jewellery customers. People are no longer bothered about whether or not a particular piece of jewellery is made for men or women, but what wearing that piece says about them.

This is why jewellers have to rethink and plan their sales approach because, in the future, most people will prefer jewellery that is more gender-neutral and can be worn by both genders.

Especially traditional jewellery stores will find this transition difficult as most of them are managed by predominantly male old-school jewellers, who will still treat customers on gender-based terms, e.g. assuming women don’t know much about jewellery and only spend their partner’s money or mainly focusing on the male customer as the one paying.

Hannah, owner of jewellery shop Ovadia in London’s Hatton Garden knows this too well through reports from her customers. She explains: “Many female shoppers come to our shop, telling us that the male jewellers they visited previously undermined them and didn’t take their questions or requests seriously. At Ovadia, both men and women are considered equal and we pay attention to their wishes and desires regardless of their gender.”

Ovadia Jewellery offers a wide range of engagement and wedding rings that are suitable for both genders. They custom design jewellery in their Hatton Garden shop to ensure any individual styles and wishes are considered. They also offer jewellery for the LGBT community as they strongly feel that jewellery should reflect every individual’s personality, which can’t be categorized.