b'THE STATE OF RETAIL JEWELRYTHE COLOREDTHE DESIGN STONE DIAMOND MARKET INDUSTRY Prounis Roz ring in 22-karat THE HUNT FOR yellow gold with rainbow SOMETHING DIFFERENT moonstone The RealReal is at the forefront of understandingconsumer tastes. The luxury consignment I AMretailer started online and today CONTINUALLYalso has brick-and-mortar stores across the United States. It is still AMAZED BY THEriding the fine jewelry purchasing WAYS YOUNGsurge, seeing an average 27 percent in-DESIGNERScrease in resale value for items within the INNOVATE. EVENcategory from 2020 to 2021. (The RealReal uses an algorithm based WHEN YOU THINKon external and internal market data to ITS ALL BEENdetermine pricing.)DONE, SOMEONEFine Jewelry and Watches EditorialAUCTION STARSCOMES ALONGManager Steffi Lee says The RealRealSothebys Jewelry Department Sales Director Frank Everett cites AND CREATESshopper has a strong knowledge ofHemmerle, headed by fourth-generation jewelers Christian Hem-how to curate a jewelry collection withmerle and his wife Yasmin Hemmerle, and JAR as contemporary SOMETHINGclassic pieces that will retain value fordesigners already important to collectors, although very few pieces REALLY NEW.years to come. from either house come to auction.FRANK EVERETT,Top sellers are recognizable motifsThats key when it comes to strategic investing in jewelry artists, from major jewelry housesa Cartieraccording to Everett. SOTHEBYS Love bangle, or a Van Cleef & ArpelsIn terms of collectability, look for jewelers who produce fewer, Alhambra necklace.one-of-a-kind pieces that will remain somewhat rare in the future, But Lee says shoppers are developing ahe says, though his first piece of advice is to buy out of passion for a taste for contemporary independent finework over the allure of future financial gain. jewelry designers who might not be household names to the averageWhen we are lucky enough to consign pieces from Hemmerle or consumer but are well known to jewelry lovers.JAR they sell extremely well, Everett says.Recently, there has been a new playfulness to styling jewelry, andContinued on page 52shoppers are gravitating toward new and emerging designers, she says. New York City-based brand Prounis saw a 167 percent demand increase in the last year on TheRealReal, and demand for Los AngelesThe favorite Anita Ko has increased 61 percent since July 2020. Anita Ko, in fact, is The RealReals highest volume fine jewelry seller and has increased its price per item 29 percent year-over-year. RealReals As of press time, the 10 independent contemporary fine jewelry brands with the highest resale value on The RealReal were, in order: Prounis, KatKim, Anita Ko, Polly Wales, Jen- Top 10 nifer Meyer, Catbird, Sophie Buhai, Retrouvai, Wwake, and Suzanne Kalan. Ranking the retailers top independent jewelry designers by resale valuePROUNISKATKIMANITA KOPOLLY WALESJENNIFER MEYERCATBIRDSOPHIE BUHAIRETROUVAIWWAKEKatKim Anerise ring in 18-karat yellow goldSUZANNE KALANwith 2 carats of princess-cut diamonds 50 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2021'