134 - Laryssa and Liz Spill the Tea on JCK & Couture 2025

Summary

Success With Jewelry Podcast – Episode 134 Summary

Title: Laryssa and Liz Spill the Tea on JCK & Couture 2025
Hosts: Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner
Release Date: June 16, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 134 of the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosts Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner delve into their experiences attending the prestigious JCK and Couture 2025 jewelry shows in Las Vegas. Combining their extensive expertise in jewelry marketing, they provide listeners with an insider's perspective on the latest trends, standout collections, and the overall atmosphere of these influential industry events.

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Attending JCK and Couture Shows

Laryssa’s Schedule and Initial Impressions

Laryssa attended JCK on Friday, followed by Couture on Saturday and Sunday morning. Reflecting on her experience, she noted a subtle shift in the dynamics of the shows:

Laryssa [01:37]: “It seems mostly like business as usual out... it did seem like a teeny, tiny bit smaller... and a tiny bit less people. But again, I only have one day to base that on.”

Despite a slight decrease in attendance, Laryssa observed that the buyers present were more serious and intent on purchasing, which she viewed positively.

Liz’s Perspective

Liz echoed Laryssa’s sentiments, highlighting the vibrant energy and active shopping environment:

Liz [03:13]: “From afar, it seemed like people were out and shopping, and it seemed, like really good energy.”

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Notable Designers and Standout Collections

Harwell Godfrey’s 1975-Inspired Collection

Liz was particularly impressed by Harwell Godfrey’s collection, which embraced a strong 1975 theme. She appreciated the designer’s commitment to a specific inspiration:

Liz [04:54]: “I loved that she leaned so hard into a theme and did this whole, like, 1975 inspired collection and just went all in with it.”

Unfortunately, Laryssa couldn’t capture Harwell’s story firsthand as no team members were present.

Vanessa Fernandez’s Unique Gemstones

Laryssa highlighted Vanessa Fernandez’s exceptional eye for gemstones, especially her use of vibrant and unique stones like neon yellow tourmaline:

Laryssa [06:12]: “She was telling me this crazy story about how she sourced a whole lot of this material from like some German company that's been like hoarding this yellow tourmaline in their vault and like, you can't find it anywhere.”

Susan from Circa 1700’s Sentiment-Infused Designs

Susan, representing Circa 1700, drew Laryssa’s attention with her Victorian-inspired pieces that carry sentimental value:

Laryssa [09:29]: “She grew up around her mom, collected like Native American indigenous jewelry... it's not just adornment. Like, it carries a message or it commemorates a person or a time or a place.”

Francesca Villa’s Whimsical and Movable Designs

Francesca Villa stood out for her whimsical approach and innovative movable components within her jewelry:

Laryssa [10:39]: “I was just so delighted by, like, her whimsical designs and also, like, the innovation that she brought especially into our newest collections that have, like, movement in them.”

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Identified Trends at JCK & Couture 2025

1. Whimsy and Playfulness

Both hosts observed a significant trend towards whimsical and playful designs, incorporating unexpected elements into fine jewelry:

Liz [11:34]: “Whimsy was a huge thing. There was a lot of really fun jewelry and things that you would never think of would be in fine materials.”

2. Nostalgia and Sentimental Designs

Reflecting a broader cultural trend, many designers embraced nostalgic elements, creating pieces reminiscent of simpler times or childhood memories:

Liz [12:00]: “Things that were reminiscent of childhood or, like, simpler times.”

3. Movement and Interactive Elements

Jewelry with moving parts or interactive features gained popularity, adding a dynamic aspect to traditional pieces:

Liz [12:49]: “There were a lot of pieces that had some sort of moving element to it... I was seeing, like, edging towards locket.”

4. Celestial Themes

A celestial motif was prominently featured, with designs inspired by moons, stars, planets, and zodiac elements:

Larissa [15:47]: “Probably the one that stood out to me the most out of everything was celestial. That is so big.”

5. Alternative Materials and Unique Gemstones

Designers experimented with alternative materials and showcased unique gemstones, enhancing the exclusivity and appeal of their collections:

Laryssa [14:13]: “One thing that kept coming up was this, like, lemony yellow or even, like, a diamond yellow kind of color for new, like, a... as a neutral.”

6. Sculptural and Statement Pieces

Sculptural elements and statement pieces continued to be a staple, allowing designers to push the boundaries of traditional jewelry forms:

Liz [15:24]: “I also saw sculptural jewelry... something else I saw.”

7. Innovative Chains and Connectors

Unique chain designs with meaningful motifs, such as love knots, were prevalent, adding depth and sentiment to the jewelry:

Laryssa [14:44]: “They had a love knot situation going on. So even within the chain, there's some meaning and sentimentality.”

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Community and Networking Insights

Strengthening Industry Relationships

Both hosts emphasized the importance of community within the jewelry industry. They reflected on long-standing relationships and the vast, diverse network that makes the industry so vibrant:

Liz [19:34]: “Couture is such an incredible show because there's just endless designers... you build these relationships that are just so lasting.”

Laryssa [19:42]: “It makes me feel like I need to get out there more and meet people and just, you know, hear their stories because it is such a vast, big, diverse industry.”

Future Attendance Plans

Laryssa expressed a desire to attend more shows in the future, aiming for a collective presence with the Success With Jewelry team:

Laryssa [20:16]: “I need to give a big shout out and thank you to Liz because she facilitated all of this for me, and it was my first couture...”

Liz [20:51]: “Maybe next year. 2026 success with jewelry team in Vegas.”

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Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Encouragement and Gratitude

Laryssa and Liz concluded the episode by expressing gratitude towards their network and the support they received, highlighting the collaborative spirit of the jewelry community.

Engagement with Listeners

They invited listeners who attended the shows or have insights to share, fostering an interactive and inclusive community:

Liz [21:02]: “Were you at the Vegas shows or following along? Let us know. Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you.”

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Notable Quotes

• Laryssa [01:37]: “It did seem a tiny bit smaller to me. Tiny bit less people... the buyers present were more serious and intent on purchasing.”

• Liz [04:54]: “I loved that she leaned so hard into a theme and did this whole, like, 1975 inspired collection and just went all in with it.”

• Laryssa [06:12]: “She was telling me this crazy story about how she sourced a whole lot of this material from like some German company that's been like hoarding this yellow tourmaline in their vault...”

• Liz [12:00]: “Things that were reminiscent of childhood or, like, simpler times.”

• Larissa [15:47]: “Probably the one that stood out to me the most out of everything was celestial. That is so big.”

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Conclusion

Episode 134 of Success With Jewelry offers a comprehensive and engaging look into the latest trends and noteworthy moments from JCK and Couture 2025. Laryssa and Liz provide valuable insights for jewelry designers and entrepreneurs, highlighting the importance of creativity, community, and staying attuned to evolving market preferences. Whether you attended the shows or are looking to stay informed on industry developments, this episode delivers a wealth of information and inspiration.

Transcript

[Liz]

Welcome to the Success with Jewelry podcast where we invite you inside our conversations about business success and marketing for jewelry designers and entrepreneurs.

[Larissa]

We're Larissa and Liz, jewelry marketing experts with a combined 18 years of experience in jewelry marketing and proven track records and helping jewelry brands meet their goals. When you listen to this podcast, you get an intimate and exclusive peek behind the curtain of all the things you wish you could know about earning success in this industry.

[Liz]

Welcome to episode 134. In this episode, we're talking about the jewelry shows that just took place in Vegas. Larissa walked both JCK and Couture while I followed the content on Instagram. We will share our thoughts and some of the trends we noticed. And for insiders, we'll continue the conversation. Unfiltered, of course. Hey, Larissa, let's get into it.

[Larissa]

I'm excited for the unfiltered part, to be honest with you.

[Liz]

Always. I love the unfiltered part. Um, I love just chatting with the insiders. It's just so fun.

[Larissa]

It feels.

[Liz]

I know.

[Larissa]

It feels special.

[Liz]

I completely agree. Okay, we haven't talked yet. Tell me everything.

[Larissa]

Where do I start? Where do I start? Give me, like, a prompt. Okay. My brain needs to focus.

[Milo]

What's your.

[Liz]

What did your schedule look like? I feel like you went to JCK first and then you.

[Susan]

I did, yes.

[Liz]

Or a day and a half of Couture.

[Susan]

Yes.

[Larissa]

I went to JCK on Friday and then I went to Couture all day Saturday and then Sunday morning. So that was my schedule.

[Liz]

Coming back from the show. What were your, like, biggest takeaways? Or, like, what were the things that kind of were just in your brain?

[Larissa]

Well, going. Well, first, going into the show, like a big question mark for me and maybe just curiosity for me to bring back to my clients and stuff was like, what was this show? What were the shows going to look like this year in light of all the things that are happening with gold, with whatever tariffs, economic uncertainty? And so I was looking very strongly through that lens because I wanted, like, answers or at least some kind of like, oh, is it different? How are people feeling? And I would say, and I did ask people a lot of questions, it seems mostly like business as usual out, Maybe not a hundred percent, mostly the show. I have no frame of reference for Couture because this was my first time, so I don't know what it's usually like there. But with the time I did spend at jck, it did seem like a teeny, tiny bit smaller. But again, I was only there for one day. And that show is so big and massive that it's kind of hard to tell regardless of what is going on. It did seem a tiny bit smaller to me. Tiny bit less people. But again, I only have one day to base that on. And then in my conversations with people, I heard it was like, a little bit. Tiny bit slower, but that the people that were inquiring, the people that were buying, they were, like, the serious ones. So in a way, that was a positive thing for them.

[Liz]

That's great. Yeah. From afar, it seemed like people were out and shopping, and it seemed, like really good energy.

[Larissa]

Yeah, it was good energy. And I did see, you know, use of some alternative materials, which I think we may have talked about in the last episode. Not dramatically so. Like, people aren't completely reinventing, like, their assortment, but I did see the introduction of that or some modifications that people were making to their designs to account for gold prices. But again, nothing drastic.

[Liz]

How many people did you talk to? It seems like you talked to a lot of designers.

[Larissa]

Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I could tour. I talked to a lot of people. I couldn't even tell you how many, but it didn't feel overwhelming. It was very manageable. That show is very chill.

[Liz]

Yeah, I love that show. It's a beautiful show. It's an incredible community. What was I going to say? Yeah, I was so proud of you. You actually took photos of jewelry and sent them to me, which is amazing. How did that feel?

[Larissa]

It was hard. It was so hard because I love. I really like hearing about the stories, and I want to, like, take all that in, and I want to hear about the materials and the inspiration and. And it's very difficult when someone's, like, showing you something and simultaneously talking about it. And, like, that's your chance to take a picture. But I also want to, like, hear you talking, you know?

[Liz]

Yeah. Did you have, like, a standout story?

[Larissa]

Hmm. That's a good question. I probably should have prepared that.

[Liz]

I. From afar, I loved Harwell Godfrey's collection. I thought. I loved that she leaned so hard into a theme and did this whole, like, 1975 inspired. Inspired collection and just went all in with it. And I just. I love when someone chooses their inspiration.

[Larissa]

And just leans in.

[Susan]

Yes.

[Larissa]

That was a really good story. I think maybe the unfortunate part for me was no one from her team happened to be there. I went, like, pretty early, so someone from For Future References sales team was kind of telling me as much as she could, but I feel like it would have been more impactful to like, hear it from the source. Yeah.

[Liz]

Karen telling the story probably would have been great. And I think Harwell Godfrey's collection was so good because she chose the 70s theme and leaned all the way into it. And I love when someone has a really tight focus and a clear understanding of their inspiration and just runs with it.

[Susan]

Yes.

[Larissa]

I am remembering now a couple others that I really liked. So Vanessa Fernandez, is that her name?

[Susan]

Yes.

[Larissa]

So she's a maker. And what I loved about. And I got to talk to her one on one and I loved her perspective on like choosing gemstones and just the eye that she has for like, really picking unique, vibrant stones. She was telling me this crazy story about, well, she was wearing a pair of mismatched drop earrings. And one of the earrings had this gem that was like this neon yellow color. And I was like, what is. That's amazing. What is that? And it was yellow tourmaline, which I have never seen before in that color. Like, it looked like. What is it called? Chrysoprase, maybe. I'm so bad at names of things, but it like glowed. And so I asked her about it and she told me this crazy story about how she sourced like a whole lot of this material from like, some German company that's been like, hoarding this yellow tourmaline in their vault and like, you can't find it anywhere. And I was like, wow, that makes it feel so much more valuable and special. Like, I wanted that tourmaline because it was so unique. And she had this pariba tourmaline trois et ma rine that I couldn't believe it was pariba because of the color. And she told me all about that and the mine. And it was just such a cool story to hear about the gemstones.

[Liz]

I know that that stone is such a deep green. It's kind of wild. I also saw her couture, well, from afar again, her Couture awards winning piece. And it was like these lime colored stones that were kind of wild. And, uh, she had posted on Instagram after she won, like, just kind of a little bit more about the stones. And you're. She's kind of telling the same story that you just recounted online. And I was really engaged with it as well.

[Susan]

Yes.

[Larissa]

I think those. Okay, I might be getting this totally wrong, so hopefully I'm not embarrassing myself, but I'm pretty sure those were chrysoprase. But she gets them. She gets stones that a lot of us are familiar with, but she finds them in like, very interesting shades and colors.

[Liz]

Milo's on the pod.

[Larissa]

Milo's here. Hey, Milo. Welcome to the pod. Unfortunately, we can't. You can't see him, but he made.

[Liz]

A guest appearance, and then he ran off anyway. Yes, I love that. Were there any other stories that stood out to you?

[Larissa]

Also, I guess this designer is newer to. For future reference, circa 1700, I spoke with. I cannot remember her name. Oh, my goodness. Hold on, I'm gonna look it up.

[Liz]

Is it Susan?

[Larissa]

Susan, Yes. I should have had notes coming into this podcast. I'm just winging it right now.

[Liz]

The notebook idea is so good. I think that's amazing.

[Larissa]

Yes.

[Liz]

But I've been following circa 1700 for so long, and I was really excited to see that they were showing a collection at Couture.

[Larissa]

Yes. I spoke very extensively with Susan, and she is such a good person to talk to you about her own work. She is so excited and enthusiastic, and you can tell she's just this true creative. She's, like, brimming with so many innovative ideas. And the thing that really stood out to me about what she said was she grew up around her mom, collected, like, Native American indigenous, I guess, token kind of jewelry. Also, she's very inspired by Victorian jewelry, which all of it has some kind of sentiment and almost like a function. It's not just adornment. Like, it carries a message or it commemorates a person or a time or a place. And all of that really inspires her, and it's infused into all of her work. And I love to see that thread. It made so much sense to me.

[Liz]

Yeah. I mean, you saw so much cool work. Couture is such an incredible show because there's just endless designers. Like, you could obviously spend the full four days there and keep discovering things.

[Larissa]

Definitely. I also loved this Francesca Villa. She was one of my favorites that I saw. I was just so delighted by, like, her whimsical designs and also, like, the innovation that she brought especially into our newest collections that have, like, movement in them. Like, has components that move. Very cool.

[Liz]

Yeah, I. I had a lot of fomo. I was fine until you started sending me pictures, and then I was like, oh, man, I want to see this stuff in person. But, you know, maybe I'll get back to Vegas one day.

[Larissa]

You will. I will. You'll have a comeback.

[Liz]

I'll have a comeback. But we. You mentioned some of the trends already, but, like, what I was seeing was, like, whimsy and was, like, a huge thing. There was a lot of really fun jewelry and things that you would never think of would be in fine materials.

[Larissa]

Yes. I made a note on my phone so I was prepared with trends. But what I did struggle with, Liz, since it was my first couture, I was like, I don't know if this is a trend or if this is just, like, the kind of work that is here. So. So that's what I had trouble with.

[Liz]

I would definitely say it's a trend. And then another trend, like. Like, kind alignment with that was like, nostalgic jewelry.

[Larissa]

100%, yes.

[Liz]

Things that were reminiscent of childhood or, like, simpler times.

[Susan]

Yeah.

[Larissa]

And, like, it seems like that may have been happening for, like, a couple years now, though.

[Liz]

Yeah. I think I saw it, like. I mean, it was just so obvious. It was such a huge thing. I feel like this year. And then the other one that I saw again and again, again online, but was movement. It felt like everything had some sort of moving element to it. Not everything, but there were a lot of pieces that had had movement going on. Or like, lockets is something that I had a buyer ask me about, like, any brands making lockets. And I was like, no, but I feel like this is a trend that's coming. And there were a lot of things that opened, and there were a lot of. I was seeing, like, edging towards locket. So I feel like that's something that's going to come. Come back this year.

[Larissa]

Yeah. I feel like I saw a few pieces that I even asked, like, is this a locket? And they're like, kind of. But actually inside. It's not like you would traditionally put a picture. It has some kind of hidden thing in it that already is there. You know that little chocolate box that opens. Yes. That's Mind Unfound is her. Yeah, Actually, she was the one. I was like, is this a locket? And they're like, no, not really. Because it has its own little thing inside.

[Liz]

And then the. The thing that comes out of those, like, coin machines, like, the prize, where it's like the plastic thing, thing that opens. It's a locket. But it's so different than, like, what you'd think of as a locket.

[Larissa]

At their booth, they had a whole machine like that. And Jen, she told me that her husband was there with her at the booth, that it arrived, like, broken, and he had to do something to fix it. And he was carrying this huge, like, plastic ball machine through the casinos to, like, figure it out.

[Liz]

And it was.

[Larissa]

It was just a spectacle. People go to great lengths to, like.

[Liz]

Get their setups going. Definitely. I. That's probably something you noticed At Couture, like the booth designs and the merchandising.

[Susan]

Yes.

[Larissa]

I do have some other trends I wrote down.

[Liz]

Let's hear them.

[Larissa]

Well, one thing that kept coming up was this, like, lemony yellow or even, like, you know, like an off clear, like a diamond yellow kind of color for new, like a. As a neutral. And also that goes really well with yellow gold, because that is very much a lux statement now, Definitely.

[Liz]

Did you see a lot of unique charms? I feel like that's. Or not charms. Definitely unique charms. But chains. I feel like there were a lot of interesting chains happening.

[Larissa]

A lot of chains. Lizzie Mandler had a lot of very cool chains that were new to the collection with unique, like, connector kind of motifs. They had a love knot situation going on. So even within the chain, there's some meaning and sentimentality, like, built into it. Also, Opal always. I mean, can we even call it a trend?

[Liz]

I'm trended out of Opal.

[Larissa]

I. We're trended out inlay wood elements also. I mean, blue. Can we call that a trend? There was so much blue.

[Liz]

Interesting. I also saw sculptural, and this is. I don't think this is a new trend, but, like, sculptural jewelry, like, Sanaz doused with her, like, big sculptural rings, but also, like, Vanessa Fernandez, too, like, has a sculptural element to it. So that's something else I saw.

[Susan]

Yes.

[Larissa]

And probably the one that stood out to me the most out of everything was celestial. That is so big. It was, like, slapping me across the face with. So many designers have some kind of celestial thing that they're introducing, whether it is actual, just, like, moon, stars, planets, or tying it more into zodiac or just, like, celestial colors or the whimsy of that. It was very present.

[Liz]

Yeah. Interesting. And, like, real things made into, like, gold jewelry, like Susie Landa's belt buckle bracelet and things like that. And, like, obviously, like, some of these whimsical things we. We were talking about. Yeah, Dice. Lots of dice. I feel like dice.

[Susan]

Yes.

[Liz]

I feel like people are. And this is something I'm seeing from the direct to consumer end, too. But people are wanting, like, a talisman or, like, something with meaning or something that's fun or. And I feel like that's. That obviously, was something you saw at Couture as well.

[Larissa]

And a lot of those talismanic kind of pieces, they have hidden messages, so they're, like, private to the person wearing them.

[Liz]

Yeah, there's a lot of good jewelry.

[Larissa]

Yeah.

[Liz]

I. I was. I was like, Obsessively scrolling all week, weekend. I. I need to calm down. But something else that, like, just always, you know, is the reason why as soon as I will get back to Vegas one day is because the community is just so amazing.

[Milo]

Like, yes, buddy, Diesel in commerce is pretty big. Yeah, Diesel. It got as big as a tower.

[Liz]

Oh, my goodness.

[Larissa]

Can we ask Milo what he thinks the jewelry trend is right now?

[Liz]

Yeah. What do you think is trending in jewelry? What kind of jewelry do you like?

[Milo]

Jewelry that is like ovals.

[Liz]

Ovals. Oval jewelry. Ovals.

[Larissa]

Okay, cool.

[Liz]

Yeah, you heard it first.

[Larissa]

Oval jewelry is trending with this generation. What is this generation called?

[Liz]

Oh, gosh. I should know that. But he's four. He does enjoy playing in my jewelry box. And I did, like, sometimes he'll see me watching videos or watching social media content, and one time I was watching this video from Kima Fine Jewelry, and there's this, like, she does this sweet little Sacred heart charm, and it's a video of that. And he was like, that is so beautiful. I forget exactly what he said, but it was something like that. He's like, mom, that is so beautiful. So he definitely appreciates jewelry. I've seen it several times.

[Larissa]

But you have a budding jewelry industry person coming up right now.

[Liz]

And, you know, ovals. Isn't that wrong, actually?

[Larissa]

Exactly, Exactly.

[Liz]

Tear. Teardrop shapes.

[Larissa]

I think, too, that I saw a lot of that.

[Liz]

But getting back to what I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted, but Twist posted this great reel of, like, Faces of Couture, and Jeff Fero won the city. Jeff Fero won the Cindy Edelstein award at the Couture Awards. And this is someone I remember meeting at my first Centurion well over a decade ago. And he's just so deserving of that award. He works with Alex Sepkus. And anyway, just. I love that aspect of couture is just the community, because people are in this industry, they stay in it for a really long time, and you build these relationships that are just so lasting, and I think that's really special.

[Larissa]

I love that. I also. I feel like I know, like, a good amount of people in the industry just of, like, everything I've done in my business. And then I'm like, wait, I only know, like, such a small fraction, and it makes me feel like I need to get out there more and meet people and just, you know, hear their stories because it is such a vast, big, diverse industry.

[Liz]

It is, it is. It's incredible. I don't think I would ever leave. Oh. Any final thoughts before we move on to chat to insiders?

[Larissa]

Well, my final thoughts is I need to give a big shout out and thank you to Liz because she facilitated all of this for me, and it was my first couture, and also she got me into the Villas.

[Liz]

It was not hard. I. We got a shout out. I mean, we got. If we're shouting out, we got to shout out Morgan Miller and Michelle Orman and the couture team because they're all really amazing. But, yeah, I just sent a text.

[Larissa]

I mean, Liz says it was not hard, but if I tried to do it myself, I don't think it would have been accomplished.

[Liz]

Well, you're in now, so maybe next year. 2026 success with jewelry team in Vegas.

[Larissa]

We'll see.

[Liz]

I love it. Let's shoot for that.

[Susan]

All right.

[Liz]

Were you at the Vegas shows or following along? Let us know. Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being a part of our community.