Considering the hype surrounding designer clothing events like New York Fashion Week, it can be easy to forget that the jewelry design industry is a bustling and important hallmark of the fashion industry as well!

So, what’s happening in the world of jewelry design this year?

Jewelry Designer Brings 3D Printing Into the Mix

“Andrew Savas, of Savas Designers & Jewelers in Spooner, WI, is using a cool, current technology to help create his jewelry designs. The technology is 3D printing, and Savas is incorporating it into his design process,” reported Wisconsin’s Washburn County Register in November of this year.

“I like the tools of jewelry and I like how jewelry makes people feel,” said Savas, who uses a computer aided design program to create digital versions of his designs before printing. This allows him to see changes to his design in 3D almost instantly, something that he calls “huge for a designer.”

Jewelry Industry Continues to Grow

In November, Marketwired reported on research from the global market research company Euromonitor International.

The research found that "Jewelry is the best performing personal accessories category with sales worth US $316 billion in 2016. It is also the fastest growing segment within the personal accessories industry with 3 percent growth between 2015 and 2016.”

Industry analysts suggest that technology is boosting the growth of these markets, as more fine jewelry retailers move online and others utilize the latest in retail technology.

Sarah Jessica Parker Enters Fine Jewelry Collaboration

In October, Forbes’ Declan Eytan reported actress and shoe designer Sarah Jessica Parker has designed a collection of jewelry in collaboration with London jewelry designer Kat Florence.

Florence said that Parker was originally expected to simply be the face of the brand, but the two instead decided to make a design partnership. The designs are inspired by the style of art deco architecture and made in a limited run of only 10-15 pieces per style.

“The Botswana-sourced D-grade flawless diamonds set against 18K gold, will be sold at a price point starting at $1,600,” Eytan wrote.