Karat World’s Felix ‘Trix’ Gorriceta talks about jewelry and millennials as a reflection of cultural and societal shifts.
This is how I picture the millennial single woman of today: She loves her single life but is open to have a family. She loves her independence but still enjoys her parents’ company when she visits. After she graduates with one of those high-paying degrees that didn’t exist a generation ago, she declines the 9-to-5 job and working weekends to do something more meaningful to her.
As millennials became adults and earned more money, they reshaped many aspects of consumer culture, and jewelry was no exception.
And, boy, does she travel! She wears a long scarf that flutters in the cold night on the rink at Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue at Christmas; she runs in high heels on the cobblestone streets of Paris’ Left Bank; in the summer she makes a graceful swan dive from a limestone cliff into the sparkling blue waters of El Nido.
In short, our single girl of today leads a fabulous, independent life. She rewards her hard work with travel, nice clothes—and jewelry. Today’s Filipino single girl may not have an alajera like her mother did, but then the jewelry stores are not like during her mother’s time either.
Trix Gorriceta brings Karat World into modern times
Enter Karat World president Felix “Trix” Gorriceta III, who has one mission in life as a jeweler. That’s “for every Filipino to have access to fine, quality jewelry that positively impacts their lives and is handed down from generation to generation.”
It parallels with his own story and Karat World’s 36-year history. A third-generation jeweler, Trix is leading one of the top jewelry brands in the Philippines into the modern times, to bring it closer to a market that both understands the value of fine jewelry but does things differently from their parents.
For one, the young people of today have a different sense of what “value” is. The most basic example is the engagement ring—that symbol of commitment and a public declaration of love. Most men at some point have to decide on how much “value” it carries before going into wedded bliss.
Trix says the age-old debate on how much one should spend for an engagement ring is irrelevant these days. “Do they break the bank or spend two to three months’ salary is immaterial today. It really depends on how much they earn, on their personality and plans. There’s no such thing as too much or too little.”
So how much did he spend on his wife’s engagement ring? “I was just a year into the jewelry business back then. I ‘borrowed’ it from my mom, something that I knew I could pay in three months.”
From September to December, he says, engagement rings are the most popular at Karat World. “A lot of couples get engaged in December to be married the following year, so in the same period we also sell a lot of wedding rings.”
But back to our single girl. While the generation of our lola would never have thought a mall to be a viable place to establish a jewelry store, today’s young people (and not so young) do everything in the mall including buying jewelry. Unless, of course, they go to a district where jewelry shops have historically existed—like that street in Iloilo where Karat World was first established.
As millennials became adults and earned more money, they reshaped many aspects of consumer culture, and jewelry was no exception. Unlike previous generations that may have viewed jewelry primarily as a symbol of wealth or tradition, millennials put greater value on personal expression.
Trix knew the times had changed when physical jewelry stores changed their geography and look due to the emerging demographics. Suddenly, jewelry stores didn’t have to look intimidating or super expensive or fortress-like. Suddenly, the dividing line “between people who went to Rockwell and people who went to SM” no longer existed.
The design of the physical stores had turned open, friendly, brightly lit and without the thick carpeting. Karat World’s flagship store at One Ayala in Makati is one such example. Close to the MRT station with a public transport hub below and surrounded by offices, the store invites people to walk in, have a look, buy a piece of earring, a necklace or a bracelet. No drama, no long planning.
“Offering fine jewelry at a great price and variety is only part of our story. We are fully committed to providing a superior shopping experience in our store, both offline and online,” Trix says. “We have an excellent merchandise assortment and over 36 years of experience, making us a jeweler you can truly trust. Our jewelry is for the working men and women of today.”
And you can see that in Karat World stores, which carries pieces worth from a few thousands to hundreds of thousands. “There was always this perception that a jewelry store is very exclusive, that you can’t go in if you don’t have the money. At Karat World, we made a conscious effort to have our stores open, no glass doors, because everyone is welcome whether you buy your jewelry now or on a future date.”
Starting one’s collection
Trix Gorriceta studied gemology at Regent’s University London, but it’s his personal experience from Karat World that informs his decisions as a businessman (he also heads the Philippine Entrepreneurs’ Organization).
In 2013 he put up Karat World online, becoming a pioneer among jewelry stores in the Philippines, so that customers could enjoy endless hours of browsing at home (we can spend an entire weekend browsing for stuff online!).
This was followed by official stores on online platforms such as Lazada and Shopee. During the pandemic, he also opened a space at S&R super stores—because why not? If local department stores here and discount stores in the US such as Ross Dress for Less and Marshalls have them, why not in membership stores here? With these, real diamonds and fine jewelry became even more accessible.
As a result of Karat World’s early online adoptions, the brand enjoyed brisk sales during the pandemic, when online shopping saw accelerated growth of retail therapy. People of all classes and ages were buying (gold pieces especially)—and Trix sparkled with happiness like a solitaire engagement ring.
“The vision, really, is for every Filipino to own a fine piece of jewelry,” he says.
In fact, the goal of Karat World is to reach even Filipinos abroad, starting in the US, in cities where there is a big Filipino community.
With that, below is a guide to starting your own collection:
It’s never too early or too late
Some women get to own jewelry as early as a few days old when their moms have their tiny ears pierced; some start later in life when they earn their own money, or even much later than that.
Trix says, “Jewelry pieces are no longer unreachable. Women may start with small studs as toddlers, then the stone gets bigger and bigger when they reach their teenage years, when they become adults, when they get engaged and so on. Then there’s the anniversary ring to celebrate a couple’s union.”
At whatever time a woman wants to start owning fine jewelry is the right time.
The promise ring for single girls
According to a study by Pew Research Center, 38 percent of millennials (aged 23-38) are unmarried, a significant increase compared to earlier generations at the same age. Just three or four generations ago, being single in your 30s was often viewed with a sense of stigma. Marriage and starting a family were the convention; today, you can be single in your 50s and people wouldn’t dare to ask why.
It might seem an oxymoron given that a “promise ring” became popular for couples as a sign of love—not an engagement ring but a commitment to a monogamous relationship and a future together.
Again, why not a promise ring for single girls? Also called a “commitment ring,” it can be intended to symbolize self-commitment or personal milestones like a promotion or a personal achievement like running a marathon or losing weight. The point is, women do reward themselves and what better way than jewelry?
How to wear a diamond ring when you’re single? Typically on the right hand, but Trix says single women can wear it “on any finger or hand they want.”
Choose a design that speaks to you
Trix realized there was a shift in the industry when he had to order one-piece earrings for Karat World. Not a pair of earrings but one piece—for people who wanted to adorn only one ear.
Sure, it was the rappers that first started sporting huge diamond studs on one ear, but the style became so popular that countless men followed suit. For decades, the women held on to their pair of earrings, then they said, “Well, eff this. One earring is cool.”
Trix showed us the single earrings; they’re no longer just studs—there are hoops, drop, dangle and ear cuffs among the styles. There are also some gold earrings embellished with colorful enamel that are so pretty.
This style became really popular in recent years because of celebrities, K-pop superstars in particular. “BTS members would wear one earring and their fans want to do the same. It’s no longer their moms that influence their style, it’s social media and pop culture.”
As for the design, Karat World keeps up with both the classics and trends. Trix attends jewelry fairs around the world and works with designers to come up with new collections. “As a jeweler, it’s challenging to be ahead of what the market wants. You cannot just say, okay, this is our collection so deal with it. You have to evolve to be in tune with market trends.”
Having said that, he adds that since Karat World caters to all tastes, he keeps the classics—diamond-studded hoops and popular engagement ring cuts, for example—available in all stores.
Don’t feel guilty about rewarding yourself
Self-recognition and self-care are important to maintaining emotional and mental wellbeing. When a professional or personal project that exhausted you to the bone is finished, go and buy yourself a piece of fine jewelry to reward yourself. It’s a powerful reminder that your efforts matter.
“You don’t need another person to reward you for your accomplishment,” Trix says. “You deserve something of value that will last you a lifetime.”
Trix knows how gratifying it is to reward yourself and the people that work for you (he took his staff to Bangkok this year to celebrate Karat World’s anniversary). And he knows that this comes at many stages in one’s life whether for your first or 10th project.
It’s like going back to the place you love most, which for him is Queenstown, New Zealand. “I always tell this story because the first time I was there was with my wife 26 years ago. For me, it was the most beautiful place on earth. We didn’t have much money. It was our honeymoon and we were happy to just buy a glass of red wine to share. We kept coming back over the years. The last time we were there was last year, and we could buy a bottle of wine and go to a Michelin star restaurant. I asked my wife, ‘Was it better the first time we were here?’”
The point is, we will have many accomplishments in life, occasions when we deserve recognition, so do it now and get yourself fine jewelry that’ll last you forever. The first time we do it for ourselves will always be memorable. Just like Trix and his wife’s glass of red wine.
Visit Karat World’s online store for its new holiday collection and more.
