b'2 RETAIL DIAMONDSJEWELRYCOLORED THE STATE OF DESIGN STONESTHE BIGGER THE BETTERAs the decade continued, the mania of minimalism gave way to a desire for bold styles, particularly after the way we interacted changed completely in March 2020. While statement pieces never really go out of style, during the last decade they hit their peak in the early 2020s, according to designer Malyia McNaughton, CEO of Made By Malyia.When COVID-19 made time stand still and changed everyones lives, people could only connect with the outside world virtually. Zoom calls replaced in-person meetings and larger, bolder pieces became the preference because they were easier to see on a computer or smartphone screen.Small studs and tiny pendants were virtually invisible, so it took a substantial piece to make an everyday statement. I see [bolder pieces] more now because people are favoring chunk-ier stones and chunkier settings, things that really have a nice weight to them, a certain, dare I say, voluptuousness to them, Neyman says. The chunky gold statement pieces of the 80s and 90s have returned with a modern spin. Think large earrings (door knockers, anyone?), oversized Made By Malyias 18-karat yellow gold Progression Hoops with cuffs, and chunky gold chains. Constellation Diamonds totaling 1.14 carats ($16,000) Bold styles are making a mark on the bridal market as well, with chunky bands expected to be on-trend for engagement rings in 2025. 3 PERSONALIZATION Personalization in jewelry is not newpeople have been using jewelry to tell stories about themselves for thousands of yearsbut it materialized in a multitude of different ways throughout the last decade. Using your jewelry to express who you areto call it a trend is really interest-ing because this is something that probably each decade can speak to a little bit, Neyman says.Initial necklaces, nameplate necklaces, and sentimental numeral pen-dants popped up with a new spin on their design.One of the biggest trends [are] initial necklaces, says Amanda Gizzi, director of public relations and events at Jewelers of America, who notes 2019 as the styles peak.Initial necklaces are a classic, derived from the nameplate necklaces of the 1980s and even farther back in time. They came to the forefront again in early 2015 with designers like the late Alex Woo, who made lowercase initial necklaces in silver and gold. As the decade wore on, the style blew up, literally, transforming into bold bubble fonts through brands such as Brent Neale and Alison Lou. Initial necklaces offer the customer a piece that feels their own without truly cus-tomizing it. They allow retailers to bring in clients for pieces that seem personal and unique. Personalization, in that way, is something I saw really emerge and become something that Alison Lous Cloudpeople were clamoring for, wanting to make a statement through a piece that no one else has and if necklace features athey do have it, it doesnt mean the same thing that it means for them, McNaughton says. silver letter on a red cord ($425) Bespoke jewelry is not new either, but it is gaining more traction as people look for jewelry that has a deeper meaning and personalization to it. One-of-a-kinds are gearing up to be the next big thing, says Randi Molofsky, founder of For Future Reference, a brand development agency. Instead of everyone wanting the same status piece, I think the new status will be all about bespoke.62 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2025 Continued on page 64'