Middle Weight Jewelry

Move over dainty chains and barely-there stackable rings, the cutting-edge jewelry at the 2025 Las Vegas shows was noticeably more substantial than in years past. Some of the newest trends that designers are embracing include using more metal, crafting enlarged classic design motifs, playing with bigger gems, and utilizing bold, unconventional materials. Quite a few participants who specialize in this new, solid aesthetic founded their businesses in the last year.

Here is a breakdown of the current fashionable design elements showcased at the JCK, Couture, and Luxury shows.

Bold Chains

There is a subset of fine jewelry comprised of unadorned metal chains. These are amongst the most versatile designs available, and they can be paired with pretty much any outfit you can imagine. In recent years, designers aimed to produce items with the tiniest links possible. Because of their small size, such chains were easy to layer, but wearing just one or two at a time achieved a refined, ultra-feminine look. Those shopping for such minimalist pieces this year were out of luck. Rather, it was solid chains that project confidence without being clunky that many designers have been creating.

IsabelleFa knows all about chains - it is what their brand was founded on. This family-owned, multi-generational company, now headed by Alexandre Moessner, specializes in traditional hand-fabrication using silver, gold, and platinum. The brand was launched in 1987, reacting against what Moessner called "cheap machine-made chains." 

Speaking about the mission of the company, Moessner said, "We wanted to stay with the traditional tools and techniques to preserve and share the old art. We do not use any 3D printing. Rather, we make our chains, collars, and bangles by the traditional 'winding' technique. It is niche knowledge. Each piece is bold and timeless. We only craft a few hundred each year, and those are made to order. They are intended to be passed from generation to generation."

Rather than just reproducing old motifs, Moessner spoke about how new trends keep designs feeling fresh. "IsabelleFa's jewelers play with volume and straight lines. Right now, we are being asked for yellow and rose gold chains. Back in the 1990's people were more interested in platinum."

Another company that focuses on chains is Lucy Delius, and founder Lucy Delius spoke with us about her design aesthetic. "I make substantial jewelry. Nothing chunky. And I am not into delicate jewelry either. All my designs are based on Victorian men's watch chains. My jewelry has to have a really nice weight to it. It is paramount to me that it is a tactile experience to wear it."

Transformed Masculinity Becomes Powerful Femininity

Charriol began as a men's watch brand. Now run by the daughter of the founder, the focus of the business has pivoted, targeting primarily women. Representative Jillian Conochan explained that this is a departure from what is otherwise a masculine-directed industry - "80% of our watches are designed for women. That is the reverse for most other players in the industry, where it is very much a boy's club." 

While Charriol's designs have clearly skewed feminine, they have been careful not to lose sight of their masculine origins - "Being a watch brand gives us some 'gravitas' in the sector. Still, we are not so dainty."

Same Design - Just More of It

While enlarging motifs is one way to add weight to designs, another is to maintain the same size but add multiple levels. Responding to explicit requests made by their established customer base, Jayne Passehl, the Director of Planning for Lana, explained that designer Lana Bramlette has started experimenting by doing just that. 

Passehl explained the rationale behind this new design development - "We are a brand known for femininity and shine. Right now, Lana is experimenting both with movement and extending pieces by using multiple strands. It is more of a statement, a little louder. We try to follow the interests of the Lana customer and evolve with her, and they want this." 

On their own, these petite bar strands are quiet and demure. Lining multiple strands next to each other transforms the impact of the design completely.

Goldsmith Salima Thakker, the founder of Salima Thakker Jewellery, has created a fluid design that simultaneously minimizes the amount of gold used while taking up quite a bit of space. She uses 18kt gold to create a complex linking system that "takes the shape and volume of the wearer." Thakker's jewelry is undeniably meant to be seen - "I like visually monumental pieces. I also like jewelry that is wearable. I came upon this linking system twenty-five years ago and have kept developing and reinventing it ever since. I only produce small editions before moving on. It keeps the creativity flowing."

Reinvention Equals Modernity

New York-based OX took the classic tennis bracelet motif and made it more substantial by creating what designer Jessica Busiashvili calls a "four-dimensional design," for which she holds both a utility and design patent. "Our design, which uses natural diamonds set in either platinum or 18kt gold, is tactile and emotive. It is also versatile. You can also link two bracelets and wear them as a necklace."

Traditional Motifs Supersized

Delicate charm bracelets and necklaces have been a jewelry staple for women and girls for centuries. Charm jewelry has endured largely because it is, by nature, uniquely personal to the wearer, as people acquire charms to celebrate milestone events and mark important memories. Jenn Breznen of Mined and Found has updated the look by creating traditional motifs in a larger size. She says this is something her customers ask for - "Clearly, this is what the market wants. People want more from their jewelry. They want it to be more than just pretty."

Another traditional motif we saw modernized by making it bigger was the key symbol. The key has proven an enduring image because it can have various meanings, including commitment and the holding of a precious secret. Lord Jewelry offers fine key pendants, and brand director Sinork Agdere described their aesthetic as "art deco but with a modern touch. We do statement pieces, often one-of-a-kind."

Now That's a ROCK!

Some designers are creating middle-weight jewelry that features large gemstones set with minimal metal. Sales Director of Goshwara Jonna Raposas explained that their brand "is known for big, bold colors. We use a lot of cushion and emerald cut stones." While individual pieces are substantial on their own, Raposas says that their clean and understated settings allow wearers to layer multiple pieces to create a bold and confident look.

Bridal Jewelry That Packs a Punch!

Rosario Navia is a brand that was founded on bespoke and bridal designs, and we spoke with designer Rosario Navia at the Couture show last year. This year, showing off her most recent work, Navia pointed out her Helium collection - "This uses inflated 18kt gold and platinum. It is still very feminine, but with a boldness. Perhaps a little masculinity, but still flattering."

Addressing the bridal category specifically, Navia said that she sees designs becoming larger than they have been in recent years. Navia's sister Maria Navia confirmed this, saying, "modern engagement and bridal rings are much thicker than they have been."

_{Not your typical 3mm solitaire ring. The bold Infinite Diamond Ring features a 2ct stone set in a thick gold band. Navia explained that she was inspired by the curve of seashells and intends for the rounded shape to represent endless love. This design was a finalist for Bridal and Engagement Design. Photos used with permission.}

Natural Instinct

Thea Politidis is a young woman with no formal jewelry design training. Yet, she is the artist behind the Simon Charles line. Launching less than a year ago, Simon Charles has a very specific focus: to take large, loose colored gemstones that are not selling and create custom settings for them. Politidis said that she noticed such loose stones were not moving well with American buyers in particular. Rather, finished jewelry was selling much faster. So, she decided to jump in, take some of these unwanted stones, and create one-of-a-kind jewelry that appeals to her generation - "I trust my taste and am targeting a younger clientele."

What's That Made Of?

Traditional jewelry metals, including gold, platinum, and silver, can be crafted into the ultra-fine strands that have been popular in recent years. As people look for more substantial looks, jewelers are able to choose unconventional materials that can't be made to take on such a delicate size.

Last year, Gyan Jaipur launched a collection of jewelry made using African ebony wood pieces discarded by furniture makers. Gyan Jaipur doesn't fight the properties of wood, but rather embraces them. They simply carve the material down to a size that is still strong enough to be worn as jewelry, then they polish it and set with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, or spinels. The resulting rings are solid, yet earthy. 

Third-generation Italian jeweler Luigi Di Luca has also taken note of the trend and launched a new line called Benoi (IG benoijewels) in January of 2025. Here, Di Luca creates fresh looks by innovating with a ceramic medium. Ceramic on its own is a relatively affordable material; however, Di Luca explained that the costs involved to make it suitable for jewelry are high. When all is said and done, the material costs for ceramics are similar to the cost of precious metals. Yet, an advantage of ceramics is that it is light-weight, can take on a range of colors, and various finishes can be achieved. 

Di Luca said that he has a very particular goal in mind for Benoi: "Our ambition is to create a new voice for high fashion jewelers." He is accomplishing this by creating designs with prices ranging from $2,000 to $1.5 million using ceramics mixed with titanium and steel elements with gemstones. 

To create his jewelry, Di Luca sends his CAD designs to a factory that fabricates each ceramic component with great accuracy, with a razor-thin tolerance of just one-twentieth of a millimeter. When Di Luca receives the pieces, he can anchor 18kt gold to the ceramic and add high-quality natural diamonds before assembling them into finished jewelry.

Benoi is not the only line at Couture that is betting on ceramic. Alix Dumas of Maison Alix Dumas showcased some vibrantly-colored jewelry with ceramic elements. Representative Antoine Polack explained to us why the brand has decided to develop ceramic jewelry now. "Alix is always looking for different ways to show texture and colors, and ceramics have a range of hues and polishes. Ours are made via the same process as dental implants, and thus it is very strong. It is an expensive material, though, and you need the right machines to work with it. It is much harder to work with than gold. At the end of the day, the costs are equal to gold because of the work involved. We are proud that this is the first year that the brand has had the funds to use the material."

Marco Verdi of Verdi summarized this trend, saying, "Americans like substantial jewelry, but not overly chunky with big opaque stones such as coral and agate." 

So, if you are planning to purchase jewelry, be prepared to see powerful items that project solidity and confidence, yet cannot be called "oversized." Bigger jewelry may seem more masculine, and there certainly are brands that are advertising their wares as suitable for anyone to wear. But there are many others whose designs retain femininity and grace in spite of being larger overall. Also, the trend towards more substantial jewelry has allowed designers to experiment with unconventional materials like wood and ceramic, resulting in fresh designs that are undeniably modern. Would you wear middle-weight jewelry?