jck’s editor-in-chief reveals five jewels she’s coveting.

It’s hard to stay cool in the presence of so much hotness. Whether you’re talking about respendent opal, mood-enhancing morganite, trendy tanzanite, quirky carved stones, or a rainbow mix of all of the above, count on us to get the temp just right.           BURN NOTICEThese incandescent opal jewels are almost…

We love a princess-cut diamond and a white gold halo setting as much as anyone. But when it comes to bridal jewelry, why not think outside the (ring) box?      Frame Game Chevron Frame ring in 18k gold with 6.18 ct. pink tourmaline and 2.33 cts. t.w. diamonds; $36,000; Erica Courtney, Los Angeles; 323-938-2373; ericacourtney.com …

RiRi pulled out all the stops at December’s first annual Diamond Ball, starting with a super-glamorous off-the-shoulder Zac Posen gown. She played up the rich russet hue with dark cherry lips, and carats upon carats of Chopard rubellite, rubies, and diamonds. Meanwhile, for the Billboard Women in Music luncheon, Beyonce? called on her go-to jeweler,…

after last year’s stud craze, our obsession with undersize earwear has grown…to itty-bitty hoops.

with a cross-section of designs—and an eclectic clientele—love & luxe offers everything from $20 bracelets crafted of recycled skateboards to $10,000 diamond necklaces.

jewelers of america’s 13th annual gem awards and the 113th annual banquet of the 24 karat club of new york warmed industry hearts during a frozen january weekend.

The late heiress/horticulturist Bunny Mellon cultivated not only breathtaking gardens—including the White House Rose Garden—but also a stunning collection of objets d’art that paid homage to the natural world. This palm-size ­Verdura-designed pomegranate, featuring gems as stand-ins for its seeds, sold for $221,000, more than 20 times its estimate, at a recent Sotheby’s sale of…

a new microscope from gemoro, a beautiful smart bracelet, and an app for store tunes.

The debut of Apple Pay puts mobile payments in the consumer spotlight The release of Apple’s slick iPhone 6 series late last year marked the tech juggernaut’s first real foray into the mobile payments market. Apple Pay, a mobile-payment system powered by near-field ­communication (NFC), came preinstalled on every iPhone 6, with a ­promise that…

The bounty of opals streaming out of Ethiopia has turned the tide for the gem. Once considered unlucky, it’s now a designer favorite for its availability, still-affordable pricing, and flickering play of color. In early 2008, farmers in Ethiopia’s Wollo province stumbled upon a cache of opals with an enchanting white-to-yellow-to-brown play of color. Unbeknownst…

Modern wedding ceremonies are casual, customized, connected—and wholly unconventional. Bridezillas are so yesterday. Gone is the over-the-top, ostentatious quest for the perfect wedding. Instead, brides are pursuing smaller, more intimate affairs with comparatively unassuming accoutrements. Even if the dress itself is embellished to high heaven, the overall feel of bridal fashion is more akin to…

Millennial brides are besotted with Stone Fox Bride creative director Molly Guy’s laid-back style, ultrapersonalized service, and storytelling savvy The shrillness of a ringing phone disrupts the serenity of a quiet November morning in the Stone Fox Bride showroom in New York City. Creative director Molly Guy glances in its direction. “This is the guy…

Let the Four C’s fall where they may: Today’s most compelling and progressive bridal retailers place a premium on personalized service Walking into the Catbird Wedding Annex in Brooklyn feels a little like stepping into the bedroom of a preternaturally sophisticated teenager, circa 1982. A hot-white neon sign reading Oh My Stars hangs over a…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Fired Up Kendra Bridelle’s Wings of Fire collection represents a fiery evolution from the sweetness of her LusciousS line. Made in 18k gold vermeil with crystals and gemstone accents, 32 SKUs of sword and flame motifs embody Bridelle’s current soul-­searching mood. “Sometimes we forget who we are or who we can be,” she…

CAN’T-MISS ­COLLECTION That’s L’Amour If you love Crisscut diamonds, but you’re seeking a budget-conscious look, Christopher Designs has a new shape for you: L’Amour. The ­trademarked emerald-like cut has 50 facets and appears bigger than its weight (up to 45 percent, says the firm). Entry prices for stones start at $1,500, and mountings are lighter-weight…

The cunning fox has many famous parts—quick eyes and a sharp nose, for example—but it was the fluffy tail that captivated Temple St. Clair Carr when she began drafting designs for this couture bauble. The Sleeping Fox ring is just one of the nine critter-themed jewels in her Mythical Creatures From the Golden Menagerie collection.…

an updated floor plan, new accommodations, and revamped conference program cement jck las vegas’ reputation as a must-attend event.

The second annual JCK Tucson runs Feb. 2–7 at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. 1. (Above): Pendant necklace in 14k gold with 0.15 ct. t.w. diamonds; $2,453; Sophia by Design, Philadelphia; 215-629-0260; sophiabydesign.com   2. Kiss Me Hug Me ring in silver with turquoise and quartz doublet and…

warm weather isn’t the only thing drawing jewelry buyers, sellers, and collectors to arizona this week.

A fallen woman accessorized in scarlet? So puritanical. And definitely not Lana Turner in the 1966 melodrama Madame X. She plays Holly Parker, a poor girl who married rich, and got an absentee husband and a malicious mother-in-law. Holly turns to playboy Phil (Ricardo Montalban, pictured with Turner). He dies accidentally. Blackmail, drinking, debauchery, and…

What’s trending and who’s advertising in the December issues Marie Claire Pushing: • Colored diamond and sapphire, amethyst, citrine, and garnet ring; rainbow sapphire drop earrings (“True Colors: For the playful personality”)• Geode and opal earrings; blue topaz and gold ring (“For the island hopper: brilliant blues…and jeweled accents that sparkle like the Mediterranean Sea”)…

Springer’s sells happiness, and no one’s happier than Rick Beaulieu working with his daughters Third-generation retailer Rick Beaulieu, owner of Springer’s Jewelers in Portland, Maine, was perfectly fine with his daughters, Lilly and Zoe, not going into the family business. Why? When he joined his father at Springer’s, “we’d gone through the whole thing of…

d.c.’s diener jewelers takes pride in buying and selling, be it a diamond ring or a silver spoon.

the charlotte, n.c., company’s saucy promotional style belies its serious focus on the craft of jewelry-making.

This year, colored stone jewelry sales are projected to grow globally by approximately 7 percent. In the United States and other key markets, colored gems have emerged as a significant profit center for jewelers. The resulting increase in demand has prices in a number of varieties climbing. Benefiting from this trend are the exotic gems,…

COMINGS AND GOINGS >>?Roger Dubuis, the Geneva-based watchmaker, has named Jorge ­Puentes brand president of Roger Dubuis North America and Mexico. Tristan Boyer de Bouillane >>?Tristan Boyer de Bouillane has been named general manager at Swiss watch brand Perrelet. He was the Asia Pacific sales director for Breitling. >>?Lugano Diamonds in Newport Beach, Calif., has…

The top stories, as of Jan. 1. Don’t miss a headline! Sign up for our daily newsletter here. 1. 12 Jewelry Trends for 2015Jennifer Heebner’s annual list of what to buy, sell, and stock—including ­yellow gold and stacking rings (left). 2. Scott Kay RememberedFamily, friends, and colleagues paid tribute to the late jewelry designer. 3.…

Solid demand for basics, bridal, brands, and beads added up to a happy holiday season for most—but not all—jewelers. Independents surveyed by JCK provided mixed but generally positive reports, with some of the happiest seeing gains of 10, 20, and even 30 percent. Among the trends this year: The consumer mood is getting (somewhat) better:…

As many of my friends in the industry know, 2014 was a huge year for me ­personally, as I married my husband, Eric, and became a father through gestational surrogacy. As someone who came of age in the 1980s, believe me when I say I never thought I’d type that last sentence! Although I’ve been…

Thirteen years ago, when I got engaged (a false start, as it turned out), the Stone Fox Bride showroom run by Molly Guy, the retailer featured on this issue’s cover, wouldn’t have been possible. That’s because back in 2002, two things—social media and smartphones—did not, for all intents and purposes, yet exist. Without smartphones to…

1. Shows Are you ready to get your color game on? The Tucson, Ariz., gem shows open this month, to the delight of gemstone lovers the world over. Find out about Greenland’s new ruby and pink sapphire source from True North Gems at the American Gem Trade ­Association ­GemFair (at the Tucson Convention Center Feb.…