Millennials and Jewelry

[Diamond_Hawk]

Hello fellow “xennial”!

““Xennial” has been wiped from existence. This is a micro-generation that encompassed those born between 1977 and 1983—they identified themselves as people who grew up in a pre-digital world and later adapted to today’s technology. If this includes you, you’re now either a late-term Gen X’er or a grizzled veteran of the Millennial clan.”

I have lots of jewelry compared to most people I know around the same age but then I’ve always loved sparkly stuff. My most vivid memory of the original Superman movies is when he crushed a piece of coal into a sparkly diamond for Lois Lane. I must have been just in elementary school then. Anyone else remember that scene?

HA! I'd completely forgotten about that scene - excellent!

 

[MeowMeow]

Thanks for sharing - you must feel pretty unique? It does seem you are in the minority compared to your peers.

I am curious if there are ever discussions about jewellery with those (esp. females) in your circle of friends? Do you find it just never comes up, or more of a "why would you pay so much for a thing?" or a wistful "someday" type of attitude?

I don't really feel I am unique though. I feel for many people it's a money issue. Like right now. Obviously if we had more money I would have finished the 3 ring projects I have in mind but since we do not I would never sit there and tell my husband or anybody else to get me jewellery. I would rather make sure our needs and the needs of our daughter are taken care of first. I was raised necessities first. Luxuries including shiney things second.

For others it could just be a lack of interest due to how they were raised. Not everyone wants jewellery. My mother was an example of this. I really dont remember her wearing much at all. I know she had some because she showed me. But pretty much after 1995ish never wore it. Other than my grandmother before she passed and now my husband people just dont really discuss it in my life. I only have one irl friend from high school and diamonds aren't something we talk about. I am unsure if it's due to lack of interest. Or due to her having to work alot at her job and not having a ton of money to waste on frivolities. She doesn't do random vacations and mostly neither do we. We only went on a 1 night honeymoon because my dad generously gave us a night on a lovely hotel. Again money. I really think it plays a bigger part than people think. But i dont feel my story is unique. I think alot of people struggle with having enough to get by but not enough for extras. We just see the ones here and IG and other luxury sites who have it for extras whether its vacations or shiney things. then it's a matter of priorities.

 

[Indylady]

I'm a millennial and I live in a major city, and my friends have a total mix--sapphires (both classic styles like a halo and quirkier multistone settings) moonstones, .02 pointers, 2 carat pear halos, .5-3 carat solitaire rounds, designers like Boucheron, plain gold band, etc. There isn't a lot of pressure to keep up in the jewelry arena. People go for what they like, and it seems like every style is met with the same validation and excitement from both the engaged couples and their friends. Overall, though, my peers do seem to spend on experiences, from restaurants to month long holidays. In my circles, the rings aren't a metric of wealth or security (the .02's and plain band wears are as wealthy as the 3 ct'ers--or perhaps, the 3 ct' ers are even less wealthy after buying the 3ct ).

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Very interesting Thread - as a millennial whose outlook is quite a bit different than the average millennial, I'm interested in the answers here.

Excellent (and mysterious) reply - In what way is your outlook quite a bit different?

 

[madelise]

Hm. Very interesting discussion.

I held onto my jewelry tightly while saving $ to pay off student loans and for a down payment.

Now that I own a home... I’ve stopped wearing my jewelry and don’t really care anymore. All the hours I used to spend lusting and gazing at JamesAllen’s website spinning diamonds around slowly or watching videos of Grace’s diamonds on a pair of tweezers in the trees... and on Zillow and mortgage calculators counting down the dollars for my dreams to come true.... is gone.

It’s now replaced with me spending those same hours on social justice issues, continuing my education, and participating in dog rescue efforts.

Maybe bc I hit 30?

 

[madelise]

Legit. Most of my jewelry is in my safe, where I lost the key. It’s been locked away for a year and I haven’t even given a care to organize a locksmith at the bank to let me in. That’s how little I care now.

 

[livannie]

I guess I am considered a millennial. I just turned 33.
Most people I know around my age have smaller diamond rings. Like a half carat diamond is considered big. My diamond engagement ring my husband gave me when we got married 12 years ago, has a .25 carat diamond.
I realized a few years ago I like gemstones so much more than diamonds. I like all the colors better than a plain white diamond.
I am happy with the few pieces of jewelry I own though and not really interested in buying more at the moment.
This summer I have become crazy about planting flowers. I have never been interested in gardening before but it’s so amazing to watch things grow and making the outside of our home pretty.

 

[metall]

Excellent (and mysterious) reply - In what way is your outlook quite a bit different?

@Diamond_Hawk Quite boring and very logical reasons actually.

As a kid, I had / still have very sensitive skin that break out in large welty pimply hives after a few hours if it doesn't like a particular metal. After a few bad reactions, my mother was too scared to let me play with the "kids" jewelry, and I wore 999 silver/gold/red string as an alternative. The upside to all this was that my grandfather was a well respected jeweler in Hong Kong back in the day, and I've been blessed to have the opportunity to borrow and play with a lot of jewelry over the years. Which in turn gave me healthy appreciation for all things too expensive for me....and a bit of an aversion/reluctance to wear costume.

In my teens, my skin "aged/hardened" I guess and I wasn't so adverse to as many metals, plus I hated saving up for new bling, so I would just go for the more expensive costume. It worked for a bit and I was excited to wear more "fun pieces" until the hives and the neck/chest acne started. It took MONTHS to clear out and since I'm more likely to wear the same 'sets' for months/years/whatever until I can afford to get something else to add to it.

I guess the word isn't outlook...maybe reaction?

 

[jordyonbass]

I'm a millennial and I think that attitudes towards diamonds in my generation may be a little different to previous; I find a lot of my friends like colored stones more than diamonds, myself included as I'm a hopeless Opalholic...

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Legit. Most of my jewelry is in my safe, where I lost the key. It’s been locked away for a year and I haven’t even given a care to organize a locksmith at the bank to let me in. That’s how little I care now.

But at least you're still on PS regularly

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

I also (thanks to Twitter) see a lot of younger Millennials in action and their priority is fighting with each other or shading each other on Twitter rather than any jewellery purchases real or costume!

It is hours and hours and hours of tweeting/typing/reacting, isn't it? I see the hours and hours people (and I have been guilty in the past) devote to arguments/observations/indignation on social media and think.. "Hmm, if all those people spent all that time collectively on volunteering, working, or providing service to help - some of those issues might be a lot closer to being solved"

In the meantime, I'm going to look at, learn about, pass on info about diamonds, gems and jewelry.

 

[msop04]

Hello fellow “xennial”!

““Xennial” has been wiped from existence. This is a micro-generation that encompassed those born between 1977 and 1983—they identified themselves as people who grew up in a pre-digital world and later adapted to today’s technology. If this includes you, you’re now either a late-term Gen X’er or a grizzled veteran of the Millennial clan.”

I have lots of jewelry compared to most people I know around the same age but then I’ve always loved sparkly stuff. My most vivid memory of the original Superman movies is when he crushed a piece of coal into a sparkly diamond for Lois Lane. I must have been just in elementary school then. Anyone else remember that scene?

Another "Xennial" here... I'm more into bling than anyone I know. I've always been into jewelery (rings, in particular). My earliest Christmas memory was when I was 4 or 5 years old... all my little friends and sisters wanted Barbies and baby dolls from Santa. I wanted an aquamarine ring with accent diamonds on the sides... and I asked for a ring every year until I was in HS -- then I asked for a pendant to match.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Another "Xennial" here... I'm more into bling than anyone I know. I've always been into jewelery (rings, in particular). My earliest Christmas memory was when I was 4 or 5 years old... all my little friends and sisters wanted Barbies and baby dolls from Santa. I wanted an aquamarine ring with accent diamonds on the sides... and I asked for a ring every year until I was in HS -- then I asked for a pendant to match.

Now THIS is someone born to be on PS

So, what do you ask for now?

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

This summer I have become crazy about planting flowers. I have never been interested in gardening before but it’s so amazing to watch things grow and making the outside of our home pretty.

Finding new passions is always a terrific part of your 30's and 40's (and beyond). Perhaps some people your age will find a passion for diamonds, gems and jewelry and will join the PS crowd! I did not develop a fascination with diamonds until much later than my 30s!

 

[msop04]

Legit. Most of my jewelry is in my safe, where I lost the key. It’s been locked away for a year and I haven’t even given a care to organize a locksmith at the bank to let me in. That’s how little I care now.

No need to worry with that locksmith, @madelise!! I'll send you a pre-paid postage box for delivery of that pesky safe to me. After all, I'm all about helping out.

 

[msop04]

Now THIS is someone born to be on PS

So, what do you ask for now?

@Diamond_Hawk, I don't ask anymore... I tend to buy things for myself. I might scheme a little. HA!

 

[justpeachy]

I fall into the middle of the millennials and am wayyyy more into jewelry than any of my girlfriends. Always have been. Most of them do not care about anything beyond wedding set, everything else is trendy and disposable costume accessories. Minimalism comes into play here- I believe in quality over quantity. I'd rather have one nice piece of jewelry than 15 statement collar necklaces. I buy pieces for longevity, not because they were sent to me in a subscription box with a matching outfit (that will survive 2 washes). My friends do not understand my love of/investment in jewelry-- just like I don't understand how they have entire bedrooms in their home dedicated to makeup vanities/lighting/collections. One friend has to spend $8,000 a year on one particular brand of makeup to maintain an elite status card they issue her for discounts & free shipping. To each their own, in regards to hobbies I suppose!

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

One friend has to spend $8,000 a year on one particular brand of makeup to maintain an elite status card they issue her for discounts & free shipping. !

$700 a month on make-up? That might even make ME look good - ha!

Is that excessive for 'most' people, or am I just naive about cost of make-up?

 

[Gussie]

Yep, that's excessive. I generally spend about $100-150 per month on makeup and skincare. If you include botox it's more like $200 per month, not that I get botox or anything like that. And I think that's too much, lol.

 

[justpeachy]

$700 a month on make-up? That might even make ME look good - ha!

Is that excessive for 'most' people, or am I just naive about cost of make-up?

I spend maybe $400 a year on makeup. Triple that on good skincare. But yes that's totally excessive, IMO! A lot of girls I know would much rather invest in their makeup collections than jewelry, though!

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

I'm a millennial and I think that attitudes towards diamonds in my generation may be a little different to previous; I find a lot of my friends like colored stones more than diamonds, myself included as I'm a hopeless Opalholic...

There is a move by DeBeers to standardize price of Man-Made (Synthetic) Diamonds at $800 per carat. This would mean, for example, (thanks @Garry H (Cut Nut) for the article by Martin Rapaport) a couple might consider this:

From Martin Rapaport:

Now consider a couple with a $5,000 engagement ring budget for a round, I, SI2 quality diamond. A jeweler with a 30% margin. And a mounting from the jeweler to the couple costing $500. That leaves $3,150 for the diamond at wholesale prices. Using RapNet best prices and De Beers’ $800-per-carat synthetic price, the choice to the consumer would then be a 1.10-carat, I, SI2 or a 3.93-carat synthetic. That’s a 257% difference in size.

Will millennials, for the most part, be more concerned with having a near 4 carat diamond, or be more concerned that it is a naturally formed diamond? Will it vary substantially by region, upbringing, or socio-economic status? Is there no clear or majority answer?

For those of you that are, or know well, millennials considering marriage - what is your sense?

 

[madelise]

We’re bleaching our hair, tattooing our eyebrows, inserting silicone bags into our t*ts, and getting injections all over our face.

I really don’t think we give a rat’s behind for “naturally formed”.

 

[twang07]

I'm a millennial in CA (28-30) and a lot of my social group has gotten engaged has some nice bling, about 1-1.5 ct solitaires, and a select few have gotten much bigger, and even less with much smaller. These are usually set into classic 4-6 prong solitaires with pave shanks or halos. I have only have a handful of friends that have larger sapphires as their center stone (white and blue). So I don't know if this is normal given what I've read. I've noticed that my peers in college are the former and the latter have been people I've met in grad school so that's been an interesting dichotomy. Most of my peers from college grew up in fantastic CA suburbs, whereas my grad school friends are not. However, most of my immediate friends are not yet engaged or married quite yet. I'm still among the earlier wave so who knows how true this will be when more of us get married.

I know personally for me, I didn't care too much about jewelry until I got engaged and had to learn about diamonds. I went from having 0 jewelry (even costume) to having a mini obsession. It's been something that has caught me off guard, but diamonds are very beautiful. I've come to love the sparkle that sits on my finger. I didn't particularly care too much about size after I hit 1ct, cause my hands are on the smaller side and I think it's the perfect size for my hand. Yet, I do wonder how much more awesome a slightly larger diamond would look. One can dream...

I haven't known many that has chosen MMD but wanted to (myself included). it just wasn't quite enough savings that it made sense to buy. So I'm personally very happy to see MMD get more affordable so I can have the ability to dabble a bit more in diamonds... Not necessarily for a ring but for a pendant or bracelets. I just never knew I could love the reflections of a tiny rock so much.

 

[AprilBaby]

There is a move by DeBeers to standardize price of Man-Made (Synthetic) Diamonds at $800 per carat. This would mean, for example, (thanks @Garry H (Cut Nut) for the article by Martin Rapaport) a couple might consider this:

From Martin Rapaport:


Will millennials, for the most part, be more concerned with having a near 4 carat diamond, or be more concerned that it is a naturally formed diamond? Will it vary substantially by region, upbringing, or socio-economic status? Is there no clear or majority answer?

For those of you that are, or know well, millennials considering marriage - what is your sense?

I think the combo of size and cost favors the MMD. Millennials in general don’t have that much to spend and no one will know it’s not a mined diamond so why not?

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

I think the combo of size and cost favors the MMD. Millennials in general don’t have that much to spend and no one will know it’s not a mined diamond so why not?

I have no reason to disagree with you, especially as the 'standard' price of MMDs begins to take hold.

As a corollary, then - do engagement rings start going the way of big-name purses and watches. People looking and thinking in the back of their minds... is that REALLY a {Rolex, Coach, etc...} or just a good forgery?

And if so, perhaps there will be the same pride people who have 'the real thing' experience today.

 

[AprilBaby]

I wonder every time I see a Louis Vuitton bag. Everyone has one.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

I wonder every time I see a Louis Vuitton bag. Everyone has one.

And that is why I believe real diamonds will always hold a special meaning that MMDs simply will not.

 

[partgypsy]

The millenials I know (family members, coworkers), well most of them are really busy with their jobs, friends, and if they can afford it, trips. Jewelry is mostly used for self-expression, and is not expensive traditional stuff (think etsy). Money is dedicated more to getting that house or affording that house. Also nice trips. I do know some millenials who have nice erings, but fully half were inherited in whole or in part (diamond). Otherwise don't see any other expensive "real" jewelry worn. There is a strong strain of being environmentally better and their values of personal attainment versus material acquisition. And so there is still a stigma with diamonds and conflict "blood diamonds". There is def a strong reaction against the perceived excesses of baby boomers, so that generation jewelry is not favored (think big earrings, tennis bracelets or necklaces, anything expensive and traditional) Rather they would rather go back even farther, to their grandparents or even earlier type jewelry.

I'm a gen exer not a millenial. I am unusual in that I always have been into jewelry while the vast vast majority of people I know are not. Both my mother, maternal grandmother, and also great grandmother on maternal grandfather's side were lovers of jewelry so I will blame them! I would be in Perry's category 3, where I just want a few nice pieces of jewelry.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

... I would be in Perry's category 3, where I just want a few nice pieces of jewelry.

I LOVE that we, in this thread, share a new way of categorizing ordinary folks. Ha, "You are Perry category 3, whereas your friend, it seems, is more of a Perry 1..."

 

[arkieb1]

I have a number of nieces and nephews that are millennials and I don't think you can lump them into one category. One of my nieces is an Eco warrior she I think will go for something like a created diamond, still a diamond, because she is traditional but something that is either man made and marketed as earth friendly or something that has a visible chain of being conflict free.

I have a heap of nephews and their partners don't care about expensive jewellery, one got engaged with a simulated diamond to put the funds into a house instead and another will choose a coloured stone.

One (an Aussie) currently living with a German girl in the UK that values experiences and posts his travels on social media and values money spent on experiences rather than something tangible like possessions or jewellery.

And there is yet another that wants a large stone because they aspire to a glossy Kardashian type lifestyle.

I don't think there is a single simple answer. To quote Kenny "people vary."