From the Archives

By JCK Online Staff -- JCK Online, 2/1/2009 2:00:00 AM

In 1930, at the age of 62, The Jewelers' Circular became a monthly publication, but its purposes as a “business paper” remained the same. Today, as JCK celebrates 140 years of helping jewelers make a profit, our purposes haven't wavered. We would, however, add to the second purpose in the statement at left: “… to concentrate the attention of the busy man—and woman—so that it can fulfill its purpose of helping them make a profit …”

Some things haven't changed: Diamonds and diamond jewelry still account for about half of total fine-jewelry sales. Lasting value is still a selling point for diamonds, and emotion is still the key driver for diamond sales. But in 1930, with rare exception, the only place consumers could buy a diamond was from a jeweler. There was no Internet, no TV shopping, no price list. The customer trusted the jeweler, and diamonds were a high-margin product. Today, as diamonds grow more commoditized, other categories, such as pearls and color gemstones, are making better margins. And now that women are purchasing jewelry for themselves—practically unheard of in 1930—the lion's share of pearl, color, gold, and silver jewelry is bought by women, with an eye toward fashion.