NEW YORK — Swarovski is turning 120 by entering a new product category: fine jewelry.
The brand is expanding beyond fashion jewelry with a nature-inspired collection, due out in June. The project is fueled by consumer demand, according to Susan Popper, the newly appointed head of fine jewelry for Swarovski North America. “We always have had customers asking if we offer fine jewelry or when we will start offering fine jewelry,” said Popper, formerly head of new consumer segments for the brand.
Before launching the full line, the company placed some fine jewelry in select Swarovski boutiques across North America from April through June of last year. The brand declined to provide specific sales figures of the trial sales period, though Popper indicated the experiment was successful. “We saw a customer buying both the fashion and fine jewelry at once, which affirms that we’re fitting their jewelry needs,” she said.
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The full collection features 60 pieces, done in sterling silver, 14-karat gold and 14-karat rose gold. The overall theme takes inspiration from the brand’s original home, the Alps, where Swarovski was founded in 1895. “Moving into a new segment, we wanted to craft an offering that makes sense to the fine jewelry purchaser and, at the same time, remained true to the DNA of our brand,” Popper said. “We drew upon water and nature, which are key pillars of our brand.”
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The collection is divided into three core design “families:” Petal, Eternal Wave and Gossamer, all of which are based on a 3-D design standard.
With the fine jewelry line, Swarovski will include diamonds, rather than its famed crystals, within the designs. The gemstones used are sourced from Swarovski’s own gemstone division, which provides stones to several outside brands, though the company declined to provide specific brand names. The division also supplied the stones for 2014’s Atelier Swarovski collaboration with Matthew Campbell Laurenza, a fine capsule collection which included 15 one-of-a-kind pieces, sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman.
The fine jewelry collection will enter select Swarovski boutiques beginning June 1, with independent jewelry stores following soon after. Prices range from $125 to $1,450. The brand declined to provide sales projections, but did note that the fine jewelry market is two to three times larger than that of fashion jewelry.
Popper did not have any formal plans for the follow-up collection, adding that the nature-inspired line may be a model the brand continues to follow. “We want the consumer to grow and know the [nature] designs and to, this may sound a bit bold, but build them into iconic designs for us,” she said. “If we feel that we have design stories that the consumer loves, we want to nurture those and let them grow. That said, it doesn’t mean we won’t do new and exciting things, but we want to remain true to the DNA of the brand and to build a cohesive collection.”