JCK Online Blogs
CA Jeweler Salutes Military Personnel
Since Mulloys Fine Jewelry opened its doors over 20 years ago, store owner Phillip Mulloy has always given soldiers 10% off any purchase. For years the discount for service men and women was an unwritten policy that was never promoted. All that changed in October when the jeweler ran a month-long “Honor Our Military” event. Military personnel are a large part of the Carlsbad, CA-base ... More
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Ideas, strategies, and best practices for retail jewelers from the editors of JCKonline.com
Diamond Shavings: Your Friday Web Roundup
Jewelry sales increased 7.2 percent in October? The recession may be over. - Or not: Unemployment hits 10%. Signet sales down 2.5%, U.S. same-store sales down 2.4%. - Investors conference transcript. (PDF) Blue Nile sales rise 2.4 percent. - “Better than expected.” Shareholder investigation launched against Zale. Industry bankruptcy up ... More
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Discussing trends and news in the diamond industry.
The Right Display Techniques Will Increase Sales
Jewelry stores should be planning how their visual merchandising for the holidays will motivate shoppers. One of the most effective ways to do this is to make the store looks like it is presenting something new every day. How can this be done? Try rotating stock and changing out fixtures and props used in displays. Some stores use schematics to insure consistent positioning of merchandise within s ... More
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Addresses integrated solutions to merchandising, marketing and sales management issues most important to jewelry companies today.
Trend Watch: It’s Crystal Clear
One of my recent posts commented upon icy silvery wristwatches, noting that they were, in a manner, colorless, a brilliant extension of a white hue. Colorless is an important trend now and through spring 2010 in accessories, and particularly in jewelry. In the Italian designer collections for spring, clear Lucite made a strong showing, appearing in the collections of Fendi (Lucite clutches), and P ... More
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A look at trends influencing your customers and tips on helping them choose flattering jewelry, from an image consultant and co-author of Jewelry Savvy.
Portland Jewelry Symposium
Next Monday November 9th, retail and manufacturing jewelers in the Northwest will gather for a full day of education by some of the leading jewelry experts in their field. The second annual PJS will feature Jurgen Maerz, the technical director of the Platinum Guild on new developments for working with Platinum alloys along with Dr. Mark Danks from Johnson Matthey who will discuss the supply and de ... More
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Commentary on Jewelry Industry Technology Trends.
A Toast to Champagne Diamond Jewelry
Rio Tinto and the Natural Colored Diamond Association recently hosted a champagne diamond jewelry preview for editors. Natural-color diamond designs, from light champagne hues to dark cognac colors, were on display from numerous jewelry houses. And, most of the winners of the Champagne Diamond Design Competition sponsored by Rio Tinto were also on display (if you recall, only sketches of the winni ... More
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JCK staffers discuss jewelry within the context of fashion, entertainment, and their daily lives.
IJO Versus RJO
Truthfully, I don’t know much about either organization except for what I’ve read on each of their sites. Independent Jeweler’s Organization website says, “The Independent Jewelers Organization has become the largest buying group in the world. From its modest beginnings with 52 members, the company has grown to over 850 members worldwide.Retail Jeweler’s Organiza ... More
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Peer-driven jewelry retail tips and best practices from the editors of JCKonline.com
% Doesn't Pay Bills or Make Deposits
Margin doesn’t pay the bills, dollars do. This is why I have such a hard time understanding why jewelers continually sacrifice dollar profits for margin by selling down. My argument in this has been mistakenly construed as trying to sell something for more than it is worth, or selling something someone doesn’t really want or need. Neither could be further from the truth. ... More
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A career vendor's perspective of the fine jewelry industry on business development, sales and marketing, sales reps, training, customer relations, and entrepreneurial thought.
Las Vegas and Improving Your Odds of Success
Before speaking at the JCK show in Las Vegas I visited a casino or two. I picked up a booklet that provided information about the advantage the casino has in various games- called the house advantage. Mathematically, the house advantage is a measure of how much the house expects to win and it varies by region, casino and game. The chances of winning are maximized when playing games like Black ... More
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Diversify Like Bravo Through Launching Related Products, Merchandise
When you have a good idea, spin it off into more to spread the brand message and increase profit. Or, at least, consider doing so, like Bravo Television, which is developing clothes, kitchenware, and other merchandise based on some of it popular programs like Project Runway and Top Chef. This news is courtesy of an article on the Business Insider web site. For jewelers, diversificati ... More
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JCK staffers discuss news affecting the jewelry industry.
IP Questions & Answers
These questions and answers are not meant as legal advice to the readers but only as general information. Specific situations may require legal opinions. I am writing a regular column for JCK. How do patents, trademarks, trade dress and copyrights differ from each other? Copyright protects unique and original jewelry designs. Patents protects inventions, such as a new clasp,new setting techniques, ... More
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