(IDEX Online News) - The homestretch leading up to Christmas has brought a good amount of cheer to a number of the retailers interviewed this week by National Jeweler.

 

In the last weekend before Christmas, it seems that consumers were finally coming out of the woodwork to make headway on their holiday shopping. Among the pieces ringing up at the cash registers? Diamond classics, including diamond bracelets and earrings; sterling silver and gemstone jewelry; and bridal, a continuing holiday mainstay.

 

National Jeweler will publish a weekly holiday sales roundup every Monday through the end of the year. The roundup encompasses interviews with independent retailers from five regions: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, South Central and West.

 

For this sixth edition of the holiday sales roundup, editors asked jewelers about how their sales were in the last full weekend before Christmas.

 

Northeast

At Ralph Miller Jewelers & Gallery in Erie, Pa., owner Daniel Niebauer said the store was extremely busy over the weekend, to the point where a staff of seven wasn't enough to keep up with all of the customers.

 

"We were just slammed, and people were buying quality, not price-shopping," he said.

 

Roberto Chiappelloni of Manfredi Jewels in Greenwich, Conn., said he too experienced a weekend of strong sales. He said his customers seem more comfortable spending and are embracing the joy of giving in a way they haven't in the past couple of years.

 

"It was amazing," he said. "It was really a spectacular weekend."

 

Southeast

At both the Cumberland Diamond Exchange, located just outside of Atlanta, and Allen's Jewelers in Albany, Ga., store executives reported a good weekend of jewelry sales and said they are well ahead of last year's numbers at this point.

 

"Traffic has been really good," said Mark Jacobson of the Cumberland Diamond Exchange in Smyrna, Ga. "Sales are ahead of last year."

 

At Allen's Jewelers, owner Steve Allen said of his weekend sales, "It was good. We did really well."

 

Midwest

Considering the still-struggling economy in his area of the country, Gene Gragg, owner of Metal Works Fine Jewelry in Yorktown, Ind., said sales over the weekend were "not bad.” This week, he expects last-minute male shoppers to buoy business.

 

"The guys are coming in this week," he said. "They've waited as long as they can wait. I think all jewelers count on that come Christmas week. We're getting a lot of inventory out of the store that we couldn't move otherwise. As long as you can wrap it up, the guys want it."

 

Mark Billmeier of Billmeier Jewelers in Saginaw, Mich., said his store was busy on Saturday, particularly in the morning. Like most jewelers, the last couple of days before Christmas are busy ones in his store and he is hopeful that trend holds true this year.

 

"I'm optimistic," he said.

 

South Central

Weekend sales and traffic were strong at C. Aaron Penaloza Jewelers in San Antonio.

 

“Last week was fabulous,” said owner Aaron Penaloza. “Friday was great and then Saturday blew the doors off.”

 

Penaloza says that at this point, the store is up about 45 or 50 percent over last year.

 

“Last year was pretty terrible, but still, this is going to be a good Christmas,” he said.

 

Sales have been all over the board, with weekend highlights including the sale of a $9,000 engagement ring, along with two Alwand Vahan bangles priced at $2,500 and $3,000. Crafted in sterling silver with 14-karat gold accents and diamonds, the Alwand Vahan styles are just one example of the diamond bracelets that have been strong sellers at the Texas store over the last week. Another category performing that has been performing well is sterling silver and gemstone pieces in the $40 to $60 range, Penaloza said.

 

Over in Tulsa, Okla., sales and traffic at Cunningham Fine Jewelry have been “a little lighter than usual,” said co-owner Vicki Cunningham.

 

“We’ve had a lot of nice says,” she said. “It gets really busy, then it slows.”

 

Customers are still looking and trying to make a decision, Cunningham said, but even still, it’s clear that a handful of products are standing out as customer favorites, including inside-out diamond hoop earrings, diamond studs and pieces from Pandora.

 

West

Over in Jackson, Wyo., J.C. Jewelers' Jan Case said that the store saw a good amount of sales and traffic over the weekend and it is expecting even more this week, right up until Christmas.

 

"This is when our tourists and our second-home people come in," said Case, whose store is located in the Jackson Hole valley, a famed resort area popular among skiers and winter-sports enthusiasts.

 

Over the weekend, silver earrings and big colored stone rings, including sapphire and emerald rings, were strong sellers.

 

"We carry a lot of color and sell a lot of color," Case said.

 

Meanwhile, in Southern California, Harold Krasner of San Diego's Harold Steven's Jewelers, said he was disappointed by sales and traffic over this last weekend, with foot traffic in the store's downtown location down.

 

"The response, I think, is due to people buying more on the Internet," Krasner said.

 

Price points, too, seem to be lower for the store this year, Krasner said, adding that the $500 to $1,000 price point has recently been the store's sweet spot, which is quite lower than usual for the retailer.

 

As for what is selling, basics, such as classic diamond pieces, are holding strong and rose gold seems to be finding favor among shoppers looking for watches and jewelry, Krasner said.