Sterling results from Tiffany and J. Crew could signal high-end holiday boom

For the luxury retailers lucky enough to make it through the steep recession, business is looking good again. And investors should consider taking a look at their stocks ahead of what might turn out to be an unexpectedly strong holiday season for high-priced goods.

On Wednesday, jeweler Tiffany & Co. (TIF) breezed by third quarter earnings expectations and issued a bullish outlook for the year ahead. Shares of the company rallied about 5% in trading, and lifted other jewelry sellers like Zales (ZLC) and online merchant Blue Nile (NILE) along with them. Tiffany's results follow strong quarterly results from upscale retailer J. Crew (JCG) -- shares soared almost 8% -- where analysts at Credit Suisse note that "business is gaining momentum without the need for significant promotions" and that November also looks like a strong month.