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Pop superstar Taylor Swift was photographed in Melinda Maria's "Julian Loves Diamonds" necklace, which is set with AAAAA-grade cubic zirconia. Melinda Maria What trendsetting jewelry brand creates designs that look like fine diamond jewels and is a favorite of entertainment A-listers like Scarlet Johansson, Julia Roberts and pop music goddess Taylor Swift? Melinda Maria, which is headquartered in Los Angeles, and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The Chic Look of Luxury For Less Looking like fine diamond jewelry but sparkling with AAAAA-grade cubic zirconia and 18-karat gold-plated brass, Melinda Maria jewels also come in silver-plated brass. Blurring the boundaries between fashion and fine diamond jewelry, the brand, founded by designer Melinda Rainey Spigel, has benefited from the free advertising generated by celebrity devotées. Targeting consumers who are bypassing fine jewelry because of its ever-rising costs as well as cost of living hikes, Melinda Maria racked up $30 million in sales in 2024. While Melinda Maria is projected to sell $40 million worth of jewels this year, $55 million in sales is predicted for 2026. In other words, this brand is hot, and getting hotter with each passing month. Melinda Maria's She's an Icon hoops glitter like diamonds yet are set with 5A Grade cubic zirconia. Melinda Maria Melinda Maria bestsellers range from the $52 “Baby Heiress ring,” made of 18-karat gold-plated brass with cubic zirconia, to the “Frankie Pavé” $235 necklace, available in 18k gold-plated brass with cubic zirconia, or silver-plated brass with cubic zirconia. “Necklaces comprise 60 percent of the business, earrings form 25 percent, and other categories make up the remainder,” according to Spigel. The Zodiac Medallion necklace is one of the brand's designs that embodies highly personalized appeal. Melinda Maria MORE FOR YOU Superb Design, Material and Artisanal Value Melinda Maria jewels are designed in the brand’s Los Angeles headquarters and hand-fabricated abroad. “We are dedicated to highest possible quality,” Spigel asserted, “and each piece is handmade with cubic zirconia or other lab-made gemstones that are individually set. We fabricate in China and in Vietnam and are presently considering the possibility of producing in Thailand,” she continued. “We only work with factories that employ skilled artisans who can fulfill our commitment to highest possible production values and superior quality control.” The Norah Pavé earrings by Melinda Maria glitter with a frosty grandeur. Melinda Maria Setting New Standards In Affordable Luxury Jewels Melinda Maria’s surge in sales and popularity is happening within a global context of limping luxury sales. According to Bain & Company’s “Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study,” released in February 2025 in collaboration with Altagamma, sales in the global luxury goods market fell to €1.48 trillion, or US$1.54 trillion in 2024, a decrease of 1 to 3 percent year-over-year at current exchange rates. The luxury market’s customer base is shrinking and this is the first time ever in the 23-year history of Bain’s report that the luxury market’s customer base has diminished. Bain estimated that the market lost about 50 million customers globally between 2022 and 2024. Between those years, the customer count dropped from 400 million to about 350 million by the end of 2024. This decrease resulted from a decline in demand for personal luxury goods, such as jewelry and watches, particularly among younger consumers. Icy cubic zirconia sparkle with classic chic in the She's A Boss Tennis necklace by Melinda Maria. Melinda Maria The report noted that aspirational customers are facing mounting financial pressures, with more shoppers opting for value-for-money luxury and non-luxury brands. Shoppers, especially younger ones, value “hyper-personalized” customer service. “We serve people’s desire for caring customer service and meaningful luxury by offering jewelry that can be personalized with initials,” Spigel said. Acknowledging that this is an especially volatile time, Spigel related, “The price of gold is hovering over $4,000 an ounce and diamond sales are way down-- De Beers posted a $189 million first half loss,” Spigel observed. “Our jewelry designs fill an important demand for many people out there.” The Love Letters Heart necklace offers a classic, personalized and luxurious look. Melinda Maria Melinda Maria’s Celebrity Connections Top celebrity stylists appear to appreciate the value in Melinda Maria jewels. At the height of global pop goddess Taylor Swift’s 2023-2024 “The Eras” tour, (history’s highest grossing musical tour), Swift was photographed at a Kansas City Chiefs game sporting Melinda Maria’s “Julian Loves Diamonds Necklace”. Set with Grade AAAAA cubic zirconia that look remarkably like diamonds, the $128 gold-plated necklace with a padlock clasp topped Swift’s #87 Kansas City Chiefs jersey-- and thigh-high boots. Swift’s dazzling and leggy look went viral on Internet sites and social media, Spigel recalled, “and this triggered massive sales of our “Julian Loves Diamonds” necklace.” Another recent bestseller is the Love Letters Medallion necklace, which can be personalized with an initial. Available in either gold-plated or silver-plated options, “It is a lovely custom piece or keepsake for yourself and also makes a great gift for a loved one,” Spigel said. Celebrities choose to wear Melinda Maria jewels on the red carpet, pairing gowns that cost in the five figures with the brand’s glamorous earrings that cost under $100.00 because, as Spigel ventures, “our designs look like fine jewelry, yet cost less than natural diamond and gold jewelry and are less stressful to wear for major events as their cost is so much lower than that of fine jewelry.. Photographs of our celebrity clients,” she continued, “provide visual testimonials for Melinda Maria designs, which in turn inspire women around the world to choose our brand.” Reminiscent of ancient talismans, Melinda Maria's Zodiac Amulet necklaces are jewels that adorn with personalized power. Melinda Maria A Lifetime Jewelry Guarantee Equally inspiring is Melinda Maria’s white glove service that typically, only high luxury jewelry companies provide to their customers. “We treat every customer as if they are a best friend,” Spigel explained. “Along with free shipping for all orders over $75.00 plus easy returns, we also offer a lifetime guarantee.” This means that if for whatever reason a Melinda Maria piece is damaged or breaks during normal wear due to a defect in material or workmanship, the brand will repair it for free. Or, it will send the customer a product of equal value if that product is no longer carried. “People who need a replacement can go to the Melinda Maria website to submit their order number and a photo of the damaged item to resolve the situation,” Spigel said. “Our commitment to customers is for more than just today-- it is forever." Melinda Maria's Not Your Basic Tennis necklace embodies a classic design that will stay in style forever. 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