b'THE STATE OF RETAIL COLOREDDIAMONDSJEWELRY STONES DESIGNSwarovski opened its colorful new flagship store in New York City, pictured above and below, in December.The Imagine Group, also likeslab-grown diamond collection, to turn to color for easy changesSwarovski Created Diamonds.to a stores look, particularly for[Color is] the easiest place retailers leaning more toward ato start. And the barrier to entry refresh than a remodel. for smaller jewelers is really min-When I think aboutimal because if you dont want independent retailers, I wouldit, if you dont like what the mes-start with color. I would thinksage is, you can easily change it. about the color palette that isIts nothing permanent. Its not around them, says Monday.a lot of money, she says.And I would think about, doesAs for the lighting compo-it highlight the products thatnent of light and bright, the are in their cases? How are theycapabilities are more enhanced promoting the product? Howthan the stores of yesteryear.can they use color to make theirWere seeing great lighting products the hero? strategies being introduced into Not all retailers are going tomerchant spaces. Jewelry, in have the same answers to theseparticular, benefits from that, questions, nor should they all gosays Leinbach.with a white-gray-beige palette[Color is] the easiest place to start.When lighting up a show-for their stores. And the barrier to entry for smallercase, designer Sherrier has an Swarovski, for example, haseasy, cost-effective trick.taken a different approach tojewelers is really minimal.I always love dropping color, moving away from theTERRY MONDAY, THE IMAGINE GROUP pendant lights above them, neutrals trend to bright, bold,she says. Its an easy thing to monochromatic hues, but thedo and it drops the light. Stores end result has the same effect. that have big budgets can do They do that in a way that pulls product forward and allows prod- case lines that are lit from the inside. But for a lot of smaller retailers, uct to stand against the color. Thats what makes it so interesting; itthats a costly investment, and if you can drop a pendant light above kind of pulls you into it, says Monday. it, youll really light it up.Notably, Swarovskis new New York City flagship, dubbed Swarovs- It also does a second serviceit draws attention to that table ki on Fifth, went all-white for its second-floor space showcasing itsin particular.20 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2024'