2005

Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council: Consumers Don’t Care About Brands - July.2005

According to a new survey conducted by the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC), consumers are “indifferent about diamond brands.“

But more than half of the almost 500 men surveyed own diamond jewelry, with over half of them willing to buy it for themselves (up 23 percent over a September 2004 JCOC study).
In addition, women are not waiting for the men in their lives to buy them diamonds. Of the nearly 90 percent of female respondents who say they own diamond jewelry, almost 70 percent have purchased it for themselves in the past (up five percent over the same September 2004 JCOC study), and more than 80 percent are willing to buy more for themselves in the future.

Of those self-purchases, nearly 20 percent would likely buy diamond stud earrings, right-hand rings and other diamond fashion rings for themselves.

Just over 50 percent say they have purchased diamond jewelry for an engagement or wedding, 31 percent for Christmas, and 40 percent for birthdays.

Rings are the most popular category of diamond jewelry — including engagement, wedding, fashion, and right-hand rings. Nearly 58 percent own a pair of diamond stud earrings, and 36 percent own diamond earrings of other styles.

Yellow and white gold are the leading metal choices for diamond jewelry.

Price, style, design, and quality are the most important attributes when shopping for diamond jewelry. Over half of respondents rate a laboratory-grading certificate as somewhat to extremely important. But the overwhelming majority, 84 percent, believe the name of the laboratory is unimportant. More than half see a diamond with a certificate as more valuable than one without.