"The jewellery and watch market is evolving, driven by self-purchasing, sustainability and using these items as self-expression. Personalisation and experiential retail are reshaping expectations."
Bridget McCusker - Research Analyst
The UK jewellery and watch market is projected to grow by 3.6% in 2025, reaching £6.41bn, showcasing its resilience despite ongoing economic challenges. Special occasions remain a cornerstone of the market, with over a third of consumers purchasing jewellery as gifts for birthdays or Valentine’s Day. At the same time, self-purchasing continues to thrive, as jewellery is increasingly seen as a means of personal expression, with 74% of consumers agreeing it’s a great way to showcase their style.
Gold remains the top choice for precious metal jewellery, especially among Millennials, while natural-mined diamonds continue to dominate as the preferred option for fine jewellery. However, lab-grown diamonds are set to rise in popularity due to their affordability and sustainability, challenging retailers to highlight the timeless value of natural-mined diamonds. Meanwhile, body jewellery and personalised jewellery are on the rise, driven by a desire for individuality and self-expression, particularly among Gen Z.
Experiential retail is reshaping the shopping journey, with customisation services and immersive spaces offering consumers memorable and meaningful experiences. These physical touchpoints are complemented by the growing influence of online channels, such as livestream shopping, which provide convenience and new ways to engage with customers.
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
This Report examines the UK jewellery and watches retailing market for men and women aged 16 and over. The Report covers:
Note that the market size does not include smartwatches, although references are made throughout the report; more information on this market is included in Mintel’s Smartwatches and Wearable Tech – UK – 2025 Report.
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
Offer available until 31st March
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
