美国首饰市场疲软

RAPAPORT... The U.S. domestic wholesale fine jewelry market—which includes products made from precious and exotic metals, diamonds, gems and semi-precious stones —dropped to $4 billion from $5.5 billion during the past decade, according to a report released by Corporate Finance Associates. The data suggested an annual decline of about 4 percent.

Due to the recent U.S. recession, rising precious metals and gem prices and growing foreign competition, 900 manufacturers were either closed or sold between 2001 and 2010, showing a 5 percent annual decrease in the number of companies in the jewelry industry. However, between 2001 and 2010, the average revenue of manufacturing companies rose from $3.1 million to $3.6 million. Corporate Finance Associates projected the average would increase to $3.9 million by 2015.

Approximately 55 percent of the fine jewelry produced by domestic companies were sold to distributors who then re-sold to television channels, about 35 percent was sold directly to retailers and 10 percent was sold by catalog and the Internet. There were more than 5,000 companies that distribute jewelry, diamonds, gemstones and precious metals in the country, with 2,000 of them reporting revenues of more than $2 million this year.

Of the top selling jewelry manufacturers, CMJ Mfg was No.1, with sales at $897 million; diamond firm Stuller Inc. was No.2 with sales of $888 million, followed by Tiffany & Co., at $517 million.

Rounding out the top 10 revenue producing manufacturers: Bita Collection, $90 million; Finecraft Fine Jewelry, $69 million; The Richline Group, $55 million; Chateau D'Argent and P& B Manufacturing with sales at $52 million; Uncas Manufacturing, $47 million; and Tessler & Weiss/Promesco, $46 million.

Top selling jewelry wholesalers were Konstantino Treasures at No.1 with $200 million in sales; MGM Mfr with $150 in sales; Gemstone Development, with $114 in sales; and diamond firm Frederick Goldman with $100 million in sales.

Completing the top 10 list: Erica Lyons Jewelry Inc. was No.5 with $86 million in sales, New Gold Mfg. & Wholesale, Idea Nuova Inc., and Lazar Kaplan with $80 million in sales; Rosy Blue Inc. with $75 million in sales, and Pandora Jewerly with $70 million in sales.

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