People love their pets, and pet jewelry or pieces featuring animal motifs have been popular for many years. Runways in 2024 feature quite a lot of styles inspired by everything from wolves to snakes to birds and beyond. However, these pet owners aren't just buying pieces for themselves. The rise of novelty jewelry for the pets themselves to wear is on the rise.
We're not talking about fancy collars or cute leashes with faux stones and bling. The finest pet jewelry features things like necklaces, jeweled bow ties, tiny tiaras, and even bracelets of cuffs for their paws. While jewelry for dogs and cats tops the list of the most popular options, some trendsetters extend the interest to other pets like guinea pigs, rabbits, and even reptiles.
Let’s dig into this trend and find out just what makes jewelry for pets so popular.
The purpose behind the trend
Dogs, cats, and iguanas obviously have no attraction to jewelry other than, perhaps, an interest in something shiny that catches the eye. Unlike picking out toys or a new food bowl, the animals themselves have nothing to do with the purchase. These store bought or custom pieces have no practical purpose.
Instead, it’s all about the idea that your beloved pet is an extension of yourself and personal style. And this idea isn’t a new one. Queens and kings of old had pampered pooches and carried cats through the halls of castles. Today, people often include their furry friends in everything they do, including social activities and social media lifestyles. Pets make great photo op companions.
Not only do wealthy shoppers want to pamper their pets, but they also want to use them as a type of living accessory that complements their own look. Matching pet jewelry to the types of styles the owner wears is quite commonplace, and a good sales tactic for trendy brands.
While appearance tops the list of reasons people buy actual jewelry for the pets, some styles have smart technology built in. Things like tracking chips or digital contact information turns a pretty piece into a safety product, too. Because most of these things aren't intended for regular use day-in, day-out, they rarely have standard safety elements like reflective parts for visibility at night.
Who buys the finest pet jewelry?
Every responsible pet owner needs a collar and ID tags if their pet goes outside, at least, but jewelry is another thing altogether. This trend focuses on people with a large amount of disposable income. They can focus more on current fashions, status-related purchases, and buying things based on emotional whims more than more practical customers.
In many cases, the items are unsuitable for regular daily wear. Instead, the fashion accessories only go on the dog or cat when the owner takes them out and about to show them off or arranges a photo shoot. Matching styles from person to pup is quite popular, thus making the pet a fashion accessory in its own right. Social media influencers may collect quite an extensive array of animal accessories so they can show off their precious pet on camera.
Unique styles for a luxurious pet jewelry collection
If you want to introduce pet jewelry to your brand, there are several important considerations to take into account first. Primarily, you need to find a quality source or designer who specializes in this type of animal-focused accessory.
It's also important to collect data and determine if your existing customer base would respond favorably to these new products. Consider sending out questionnaires about pet ownership or engaging in conversations as part of the in-store sales process. The more data you collect and analyze through Clientbook, the better equipped you'll be to make product line expansion decisions.
After you decide to try out pet jewelry in your shop, how do you pick the right products?
Match pet jewelry styles to other products
Trendy folks love to cuddle their cat or dog for social media photos or walk down the street and get attention for the adorable pair they make. Consider your trendiest and most popular jewelry styles, and then seek out pet jewelry that goes well with it. Offer special “pet parent” discounts or bundled gift box sets to get even more attention on them.
Consider pet comfort and safety
No matter what products you choose, make sure they are 100% safe for pets. This means no toxic materials or loose parts they can swallow or choke on. Make sure the clasps or ties present no problems either. The last thing you want is to field complaints from distressed pet owners.
Enhance the experience with virtual animal fashion shows
Think of unique sales techniques to get attention on your pet products. If you can't have animals directly in your shop, set up a large screen with examples of adorable cats and dogs wearing the styles and strutting their stuff on a runway or down the street.
Offer personalization options for different pets
If possible, offer the same style of pet jewelry in different sizes. A bejeweled bow can look wonderful on a tiny Pomeranian or a massive Wolfhound. Adjustable ties and clasps work best for many breeds. Since a limited number of pet accessory suppliers exist in high-end, luxury retail, offer multiple gem colors or designs in similar products to expand your line.
How can jewelers take advantage of this trend?
In the US, nearly 66% of all household include one or more pets. While they're not all in the market for pet jewelry, enough of them want to decorate the furrier members of their families with the same types of jewels and other high-quality material accessories that they love to wear themselves.
In many cases, jewelry brands will not extend their product lines to items specifically designed to be worn by dogs and cats. After careful data collection, it might not make sense for you to invest in something new and trendy. However, animal focused items continue to gain in popularity. With the ever-growing percentage of pet owners around the world and increased focus on their care and pampering, things may change for the better in the future.
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