J.Crew Jewelry: Thoughts & Article :)

Jenna Bracelet
Click here for product page
Item 98337
Regular: $75.00

I was at a J.Crew store yesterday and noticed the Jenna Bracelet in the circular glass container by the cash register. I was shocked by how ginormous (gigantic + enormous) this bracelet is. I mean it was exceptionally huge (even for J.Crew's costume jewelry standards). Not only was it huge, it was heavy! I thought immediately that this bracelet could do some serious damage to all around it. (How many table tops and work surfaces have been damaged in the wake of this bracelet already?) ;)

I really do like J.Crew's jewelry, many pieces are absolutely gorgeous. However, maybe they would consider toning down the size (& weight) of some of their pieces or offering the pieces in two versions: regular and smaller-size. :)

There was an interesting article from WWD (click here) awhile back about J.Crew's jewelry, that I thought would be interesting to share:

Costume Institutes
by Jessica Iredale
August 18, 2008

With September tomes on the newsstands, fashion magazines are giving readers a firm reminder of what’s on trend for fall. And it’s hard to miss the larger-than-life costume jewelry by Louis Vuitton, Lanvin and the like piled on throughout the pages. But there’s good costume outside of the four-figure price range. Stores including J.Crew, Club Monaco, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Talbots and private labels, such as Victor Alfaro for Bon-Ton, have revved up collections that offer the impact of the designer trend without the price tag. ...

J.Crew also saw instant results from the designer trend in March. “It was great for us,” says Jenna Lyons, J.Crew’s creative director, noting that Crew was well-stocked with statement jewelry before the collections. “When people see things on the runways that we already have in stores, there’s an immediate opportunity for them to purchase. We’ve seen a huge surge of people buying really quite large pieces and pretty dramatic pieces. We’ve always had success with that stuff, but for sure the level of pickup on that was much quicker than we’d expected. More people than we ever thought are buying it.”

Indeed, J.Crew has been a leader on the costume jewelry front, consistently offering some of the strongest collections at vertical retail of late. A recent lunch-hour trip to the company’s flagship on New York City’s lower Fifth Avenue saw considerable interest over the jewelry displays. “They’ve really upped their game,” says Jasmine Avilez, a stylist and an apparent J.Crew jewelry enthusiast, decked in J.Crew’s starfish earrings and fall’s Art Nouveau cocktail ring, made a beeline for the jewelry cases in pursuit of a cabochon turtle bracelet. “You have to get it now, or it will be gone,” she said of her purchase ($135.47 with tax). “Right now, this is on eBay for over $200.” Two-hundred-sixty-five dollars, actually.

What are your thoughts on J.Crew's current jewelry collection? Are there any pieces that you love or would leave? Have you seen any jewelry at J.Crew's stores and thought, "wow!" (either in a positive or negative way)? :)