Jewelry is growing four times faster than clothing, according to McKinsey’s November 2025 fashion industry analysis. While apparel brands scramble to hold market share, jewelry across every price point is quietly capturing wallets and hearts across every generation. The driving force isn’t a sudden love of sparkle. It’s something more personal: people are buying jewelry for themselves, not waiting for someone else to gift it. This self-gifting shift is rewriting fashion spending, and brands, price points, and personal style are all changing in response.
Jewelry Quietly Laps Clothing in Growth
For years, clothing dominated fashion budgets almost by default.
A new season meant new outfits. Jewelry was an afterthought, something received on birthdays or anniversaries. That hierarchy has flipped.
McKinsey positions jewelry as one of the fastest-growing segments in the entire fashion ecosystem, outpacing apparel by a factor of four. Adjacent market research backs this up: accessories and fashion jewelry are seeing an annual growth rate of 12.3% [Ywdreamwork], while the global online jewelry market alone is projected to reach $76.17 billion in 2025, with online sales accounting for 32.7% of total revenue [Globenewswire]. Europe’s jewellery market is on track to hit $79 billion by 2034, growing at a 4.40% CAGR [Globenewswire].
This isn’t a blip driven by one luxury house or a single viral moment. The growth spans:
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Fine jewelry in the mid-market $50 to $500 range
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Fashion jewelry and everyday accessories
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Online and direct-to-consumer channels growing fastest
Signet Jewelers, one of the world’s largest jewelry retailers, reported a 3% year-over-year increase in same-store sales in Q3 FY26 [Kavout], a signal that even legacy players are riding the wave. The shift is structural, broad-based, and accelerating.
Self-Gifting Culture Is the Real Engine
The growth story makes more sense once you look at who is buying and why.
The old model, jewelry as a gift tied to engagements, holidays, or romantic milestones, has been overtaken by a newer motivation: self-purchase.
More than half of jewelry purchases today are self-gifted, a dramatic reversal from the category’s traditional identity. Consumers are marking their own milestones, a promotion, a solo trip, a hard year survived, with a curated piece that carries personal meaning. Brands like Pandora and Mejuri have both identified personal milestones as one of their fastest-growing purchase occasions.
This connects to a broader consumer mindset. In 2023, 64% of consumers reported trading up for higher-quality, longer-lasting products [Moderncitizen]. That instinct toward intentional spending has found a natural home in jewelry, where a single well-chosen piece can outlast an entire season of fast fashion.
Social media has amplified the behavior, turning self-gifting into something visible and celebrated rather than indulgent. The “treat yourself” ethos, already strong post-pandemic, has matured into something more deliberate: a form of personal style investment that feels effortless and deeply individual.
Brands Pivoting Fast to Capture Demand
Photo by The industry response has been swift. Brands that once centered messaging around “gift for her” campaigns are reorienting entirely around the self-purchasing consumer.
Mejuri built its identity on fine jewelry for everyday wear, not special occasions. Missoma and Pandora have leaned into stackable, modular designs that invite personal curation over time. Even Tiffany and Co. has expanded its everyday-wear collections, acknowledging that the modern jewelry buyer isn’t waiting for a blue box from someone else.
The product design philosophy has shifted in tangible ways:
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Stackable rings and layered necklaces that encourage mixing textures and proportions
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Modular charm systems designed for ongoing self-expression
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Gold vermeil and recycled sterling silver options that deliver quality at accessible price points
Retail spaces are evolving too. Customization stations and try-on bars are replacing the traditional glass-counter consultation model, creating an experience built for the solo shopper exploring their own taste rather than a couple selecting an engagement ring.
What This Shift Means for Shoppers
For everyday shoppers at any budget, this trend translates into real benefits.
Increased competition in the self-gifting space is pushing brands to offer better quality at more accessible price points, particularly in the $75 to $300 range where direct-to-consumer brands are thriving.
The normalization of self-gifting also removes old gatekeeping around jewelry. No occasion needed, no permission required. A versatile gold vermeil chain or a sterling silver stacking ring is now as legitimate a wardrobe investment as a well-fitted blazer, and often more lasting.
For budget-conscious shoppers, the sweet spot lies in pieces that balance longevity with proportion and texture:
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Gold vermeil over solid gold for the same silhouette at a fraction of the cost
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Recycled sterling silver for everyday wear that holds up
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Stackable designs that let you build a curated collection over time, one piece at a time
The trend isn’t asking anyone to spend more. It’s inviting a different kind of spending: intentional, personal, and entirely on your own terms.
McKinsey’s data confirms what many shoppers already feel: jewelry has moved from the periphery of personal style to its center. Growing four times faster than clothing, fueled by a self-gifting movement that spans every price point and generation, the category is no longer defined by what someone gives you. It’s defined by what you choose for yourself.
