A TheYouthTalks Intelligence Brief | India’s Top 100 Gen Z Brands 2026
For decades, jewellery and watch brands competed on timeless promises.
Craftsmanship.
Heritage.
Luxury.
Status.
The assumption was simple: people bought jewellery to celebrate milestones or display success.
Gen Z is quietly redefining what jewellery means.
Our survey of more than 5,000 Indian college students suggests that young consumers are no longer choosing jewellery and watch brands simply because they are prestigious. They are increasingly choosing brands that reflect who they are, complement their personal style and help express their individuality.
Jewellery is no longer reserved for special occasions.
It has become an everyday language of identity.
The Big Finding: Being Worn Isn’t the Same as Being Loved
H&M Accessories emerged as the most widely used jewellery and accessories brand in our research, reaching nearly one-third of respondents.
Yet when students were asked an unprompted question—“Which jewellery or watch brand do you genuinely love?”—the story changed dramatically.
Mia by Tanishq emerged as the category’s strongest emotional brand, with students naming it far more often than its usage alone would suggest.
Brands such as Fossil and Daniel Wellington also demonstrated a stronger ability to transform customers into loyal advocates rather than occasional buyers.
The distinction matters.
Availability creates purchases.
Emotional relevance creates loyalty.
Many brands succeed in becoming part of consumers’ wardrobes.
Only a few become part of their identity.
In jewellery, emotional equity compounds faster than retail presence.
Jewellery Has Entered the Identity Economy
At TheYouthTalks, we measure this shift through our Love Score—the relationship between brand usage and unprompted consumer preference.
Within jewellery and watches, the score reveals something traditional sales metrics cannot.
Consumers are not simply rewarding brands they wear.
They are rewarding brands that represent them.
Mia by Tanishq stands out for converting everyday usage into genuine emotional preference, while H&M Accessories illustrates the opposite challenge: broad accessibility without comparable emotional attachment.
The lesson is increasingly clear.
Visibility creates familiarity.
Identity creates advocacy.
Great Design Builds Purchases. Great Brands Build Self-Expression
Jewellery has often been viewed as an aspirational purchase driven by image alone.
Our findings suggest Gen Z shops differently.
Design and style emerged as the strongest purchase driver, followed by value for money and technology and features in the case of smart wearables.
Together, these factors account for the overwhelming majority of purchase decisions.
Young consumers are not buying jewellery simply because it carries a famous logo.
They are choosing products that fit seamlessly into how they dress, work, create and present themselves every day.
For this generation, aesthetics are not superficial.
They are deeply personal.
Style Is Shared Before It’s Sold
Jewellery has traditionally been marketed as an individual purchase.
Gen Z is turning it into a social experience.
More than nine in ten respondents said they influence what friends and family buy, while an overwhelming majority could immediately name a jewellery or watch brand they genuinely admire.
This creates one of the most powerful growth engines in the category.
Recommendations between friends carry more credibility than advertising campaigns.
Brands such as Mia by Tanishq, Fossil and Daniel Wellington increasingly benefit because customers do more than wear them.
They talk about them.
In the identity economy, every satisfied customer has the potential to become a brand ambassador.
Every Brand Plays a Different Role
Viewed through both usage and emotional preference, three distinct strategic positions emerge.
Champions such as Mia by Tanishq, Fossil and Daniel Wellington successfully convert everyday purchases into lasting emotional loyalty.
Workhorses, including H&M Accessories, Voylla and Zara Accessories, enjoy broad adoption but have significant room to strengthen emotional connection.
Meanwhile, Niche Darlings like Pandora, Melorra and Swarovski demonstrate that even brands with modest reach can build extraordinary affection and aspirational value.
The next generation of category leaders will be those that successfully move from being widely worn to deeply valued.
Three Strategic Lessons for Jewellery & Watch Leaders
1. Visibility Creates Awareness. Identity Creates Loyalty.
Consumers may notice widely available brands.
They remain loyal to brands that help express who they are.
2. Design Is Becoming the New Trust Signal.
Young consumers increasingly reward brands whose aesthetics feel authentic, contemporary and personally relevant—not simply prestigious.
3. Recommendations Matter More Than Advertisements.
The jewellery brands people proudly wear soon become the brands they proudly recommend.
Peer advocacy is becoming the category’s most valuable marketing asset.
Monday Morning Memo for Jewellery & Watch Leaders
Before launching your next collection or campaign, ask three questions.
Are consumers choosing us because we’re fashionable—or because we genuinely reflect their identity?
What emotional role does our brand play beyond the product itself?
If our logo disappeared tomorrow, what would customers still recognise us for?
The answers may prove more valuable than your next advertising campaign.
TheYouthTalks Verdict
India’s jewellery and watch market is entering the identity economy.
The next generation of winning brands will not be defined solely by heritage, craftsmanship or retail footprint.
They will be remembered for helping young consumers express confidence, individuality and personal style.
Gen Z increasingly chooses brands that become part of everyday life rather than occasional celebrations.
Because in the future of jewellery, consumers won’t simply wear what looks good.
They will wear what feels like them.
Download the Complete Gen Z Adored Brands Report
This article highlights just one chapter of a much larger story. The full TheYouthTalks Gen Z Adored Brands Report analyses how more than 5,000 young Indians perceive and emotionally connect with brands across multiple industries—from automobiles and smartphones to fashion, food, finance, entertainment and beyond. If you’re a marketer, founder, researcher or business leader looking to understand what truly drives the next generation of consumers, download the complete report and explore the insights shaping the future of brand building in India.
Access your complimentary copy at TheYouthTalks Gen Z Adored Brands: https://theyouthtalks.com/genz-adored-brands/
