When Loveness Lee launched her eponymous jewellery brand in 2017, it was out of creative frustration with the existing jewellery scene. “The general public had access to high street jewellery, traditional fine pieces [or] vintage styles,” says the London-based designer. “But there wasn’t anything bold, creative and recognisable at an accessible price point.”
Drawing on her background in abstract painting, Lee began casting intricate forms from elements like cactus skeletons and barnacle shells, transforming them into sculptural, wearable art. That organic irregularity is now the brand’s signature — pieces that feel deeply personal and never identical due to the nature of the casting process. “No one else has it. They have a piece of nature to themselves,” Lee says of the brand’s appeal. Pieces retail from £75 to £650.
This year, Lee expanded the offering with a bespoke service, inviting customers to repurpose heirloom pieces — whether a mother’s engagement ring or a childhood trinket — into custom designs that preserve memory while aligning with the Loveness Lee aesthetic. The approach is paying off. Lee declined to share exact revenue figures, but without increasing her team or her marketing budget, the company has seen revenues double this year.
Loveness Lee is not alone in tapping into the growing appetite of younger consumers for jewellery that feels meaningful and expressive. Once tucked away in the accessories corner, jewellery has stepped into the spotlight in recent years — both in stores and on the cultural radar, as fresh brands reinvigorate the market, attracting younger consumers.
According to data analytics firm Euromonitor, the global jewellery market was valued at approximately $369 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $416 billion by 2029. While fine jewellery continues to lead that growth, the broader category is expanding rapidly, driven by shifting consumer values and new expressions of status and style, particularly among Gen Z and millennial shoppers.
At Selfridges’s Oxford Street flagship, its ‘Jewellery Destination’ is set to open in August 2025, integrating jewellery with womenswear at the third-floor atrium, alongside a similarly expanded jewellery and accessories space at the Manchester Exchange Square outpost. “Selfridges is responding to a demand and shift in behaviour, one that’s rooted in intentional purchase and styling,” says Sara Wong, director of buying, accessories and the retailer’s pre-loved initiative Reselfridges. “Ring sales are up 34 per cent, with many pieces being self-gifted — Gen Z aren’t waiting for someone else to buy jewellery for them.” Meanwhile, at Dover Street Market, jewellery is taking centre stage this summer with a four-week exhibition spotlighting 36 emerging designers, including Alice Biolo, Martina Kocianova and Carolina Andrade.
“Jewellery is surging in popularity among Gen Z, driven by a desire for affordable luxury, personal expression and a shift away from traditional status symbols,” says Jane Collins, head of footwear and accessories at trend forecaster WGSN. “This generation is seeking out ‘little luxuries’ and ‘glimmers’ as a form of selfcare, tapping into accessible indulgences and mood-boosting optimism during economic uncertainty.”
So what’s driving the shift? And which jewellery brands are winning as young consumers lean in?
The personal touch
Customisation has become a key driver of demand in the jewellery category as consumers increasingly seek out personal, expressive pieces. Trend forecasters link this shift to what WGSN calls “chaotic customisation” — a popular aesthetic that pushes personalisation to the extreme through bag charms, DIY embellishments and other playful ways to accessorise accessories.
Momentum has built on embellishments, which offer a gateway to luxury ownership and a means for cultivating personal style.
“Gen Z’s approach to jewellery is notably more experimental, value-driven and expressive than previous generations,” says Collins. “They seek out unique, customisable and sentimental pieces that reflect individuality, align with their values and allow for playful, personal style.”
“Customisation has been huge for us — we’ve built an entire category around it. Our engraving collection is now one of our best-performing ranges, especially for gifting,” says Olivia Jenkins, founder of UK brand D Louise, which hit £6.6 million in sales in 2024 — a 183.5 per cent increase over three years. Customised pieces now make up over 25 per cent of the brand’s total sales.
Personalisation is also evolving in terms of form and meaning. “Signet rings, for example, are being reimagined with engraved initials, zodiac symbols or meaningful motifs like suns and eyes, reflecting this generation’s desire for individuality and self-expression,” says Fflur Roberts, head of luxury goods at Euromonitor. “Often gender-neutral and worn as statement pieces, these rings encapsulate identity, values and even astrological beliefs, making them powerful vehicles for personal storytelling.”
One standout in the reimagined signet ring space is Cece Jewellery, the London‑based atelier founded by Cece Fein Hughes. Known for its richly symbolic, hand-enameled signets featuring everything from zodiac animals and angel wings to celestial motifs, the brand has seen remarkable growth since its launch three years ago — scaling from £14,000 in revenue to £3 million, and even crafting a custom ring for Taylor Swift in 2024.
“I often liken my jewellery to ‘luxury tattoos’ — a sentiment many of my bespoke clients share,” says Fein Hughes. “Commissioning a custom symbolic piece is a bit like choosing a tattoo: it’s deeply personal, a reflection of identity and rich with meaning.” Whether it’s star and Chinese zodiac signs or pup portraits, herbs and flowers with hidden symbolism, each design is a visual narrative for the consumer, she says. “Gen Z is all about self-expression, and choosing a Cece signet ring is a playful, colourful way to infuse your daily uniform with meaning.”
Playing with new materials
The jewellery sector is beginning to explore more responsible materials and manufacturing processes in response to Gen Z’s desire for value-driven brands, says Alice Crossley, senior foresight analyst at consultancy The Future Laboratory. “This transition includes a focus on atypical and raw materials like glass, wood, Tetra Pak, soda cans, 3D printing and even electronic waste.”
This ethos is also fuelling the popularity of upcycled and non-traditional materials, as designers rethink what constitutes a ‘precious’ object. UK-based designer Tega Akinola, for example, is known for using discarded cables and electronic components to create sculptural, one-off pieces that straddle the line between jewellery and wearable art. US-based KBH Jewels focuses on heirloom-style upcycled fine jewellery crafted entirely from reclaimed materials, tapping into both the circular economy and the emotional longevity Gen Z values.
“All of what I do comes under the branch of upcycling or repurposing. Then, I have two different sub-branches: one is conceptual and experimental work that explores the process of transforming something from waste to treasure, or using different and innovative materials and making them into a clothing piece or accessory piece,” says Akinola, “the other is selling products that are related to that [conceptual art].” She notes that the product resonates with younger consumers because it aesthetically stands out on saturated social media feeds and aligns with their desires to make more responsible and unique purchasing decisions.
Gen Z are also gravitating towards vintage jewellery resale. For instance, Accessories of Old, a vintage jewellery shop in West London specialising in deadstock pieces from the 1940s through the 1990s, has become a Gen Z sensation. Its TikTok‑fuelled charm bar, where customers assemble custom vintage charm necklaces, draws long queues and viral social media content every weekend.
TikTok content
“By using responsibly sourced and recycled materials, we’ve cultivated a community that values intentionality and timelessness over trends,” says Sophie Howard, founder of By Pariah, a London-based fine jewellery brand that uses 100 per cent recycled materials, and has been worn by the likes of Michelle Obama and Hailey Bieber. “Our customers see each piece as more than jewellery; it’s a conscious choice that aligns with their own values.”
Howard notes that growth didn’t happen overnight. “It wasn’t instant — it happened gradually, the more we leaned into storytelling. We started sharing not just the pieces themselves, but the process, the materials and the people behind them,” she says. The brand declined to share revenues but sales are now up 40 per cent year-on-year.
As the jewellery market continues to grow, so too will the opportunities for designers who prioritise meaning, material innovation and individuality. Jewellery is shedding its role as a mere finishing touch and emerging as a powerful medium of self-expression. For a generation navigating economic uncertainty and digital saturation, the brands succeeding are offering something tangible and deeply personal.
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