As expected, artificial intelligence was a hot topic at the JCK show in Las Vegas, including at JCK Talks seminars on how jewelers are effectively using AI in design and day-to-day operations.
The benefits of AI are astounding, but there are plenty of concerns around it, too. A big one is the potential for AI to make certain jobs obsolete—including those like yours truly’s, in journalism.
Could AI really do what we do, covering an industry so built on human connection? My self-preservation says no, of course, but I decided to put it to a test. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, maybe curiosity killed the cat, or maybe—more likely—I needed proof that AI can’t do it all.
So, after I’d spent a few days at JCK meeting and talking with members of the jewelry trade and sorting through trends I’ll need to keep an eye on, I wanted to see how artificial intelligence stacked up. I asked ChatGPT to offer its take on budding jewelry trends for 2025, and to give me reasons for its answers.
In my postshow trend write-up last Wednesday, I skimmed over some of the obvious in favor of what might be referred to as microtrends—small patterns in appearances that just might blossom into full-on “It” status. I discovered them through all the walking around and observing, taking note of commonalities among booths, conversing with creators—which can’t be re-created by a computer at present. Technology continues to amaze, though, so never say never.
ChatGPT came through with three trends. None was revolutionary or surprising, yet they all were accurate and highly relevant for retailers to act on right now. I can’t say AI didn’t deliver, but its inability to be, well, human was certainly notable.
The trends cited by ChatGPT were gender-neutral jewelry; lab-grown diamonds with a designer twist; and maximalist color and gemstone stacking.
AI got it correct with gender-neutral jewelry. This category has been on the rise for a number of years already, but it’s still growing—many exhibitors I spoke to in Vegas touted additions of such pieces to their collections this year.
As for lab-grown diamonds “with a designer twist,” as AI put it, I couldn’t agree more. The bot’s reasoning however, feels murky. “Consumer demand for sustainability continues to rise,” ChatGPT said, “and lab-grown diamonds meet that without sacrificing luxury. This shift is redefining what ‘fine’ means in fine jewelry and opening the door for more innovation in design and sourcing.”
The “innovation in design” is spot-on—I’ve seen brands do things with lab-grown diamonds they’d never attempt with natural (like drilling through through them for a prongless setting)—but that focus on sustainability is problematic. Are customers going for lab-grown because they’re perceived as the more sustainable option? I really don’t think so, since there’s plenty of argument as to whether that’s even true. At the end of the day, it’s a numbers game: Customers want a significant look for less money, and lab-grown meets that demand with ease.
Regarding ChatGPT’s prediction of maximalist color and gemstone stacking, I say yes and no. Actually, no and yes. Yes, stacking was evident big-time in Vegas—so much so, the catchphrase for the 2025 shows could have been “The stack is back.”
But color? There’s a lot of nuance here that can’t be described in a few AI-generated lines. It also depends on your perspective. When I think color, I’m picturing richly saturated gemstones, either big on size or in a variety of colors in one piece. ChatGPT’s response referred to “enamel accents,” which is a valid but by no means up-and-coming trend. In terms of color, it was earth tones—brown, mossy green, rusty red—that defined my Vegas experience.
I don’t think ChatGPT can replace us all (she says, through anxiously gritted teeth)—at least not yet. This industry depends on a distinctly human experience, one involving too much nuance and, frankly, too many opinions to be replicated by any amount of code. Nevertheless, I’m pretty blown away but ChatGPT’s accuracy and ability to answer my questions as I asked them.
For now, though, you’ll have to endure the bloated thoughts of this wordy jewelry writer, because I’m not quite ready for the robots to have all the fun.
Top: Jacquie Aiche’s Galaxy signet ring, in 14k yellow gold with onyx and lab-created opal, is a beautiful example of both the gender-neutral and color trends.
