I’m happy to once again close out the year with a list of my favorite articles on jewelry and related topics from the past 12 months that—believe it or not—did not appear on JCKonline.
This year’s selections range from humorous to harrowing, with plenty of heartwarming stories in between. You can learn the story behind a famous “lost” diamond and another notable rock that’s recently been found. You can learn about one of the industry’s greatest brands and discover why a number of once-fashionable labels are fading.
There are several features about jewelry crime, as usual—but also one about a celebrity taking a stand against perpetrators. And you’ll find opinions about how natural diamonds should confront lab-grown, how the pandemic affected retail, and why some people have strong opinions about “broken jewelry.”
Enjoy the reads!
BUSINESS
Millennials’ Favorite Companies Are Growing Up or Dying Out, Business Insider
As millennials grow older, the brands that once catered to them face a stark choice: Risk extinction or become a “boring old retailer.”
CELEBRITIES
No One Is Better at Being Looked at Than Kim Kardashian, The Atlantic (gift link)
By wearing diamonds to a Paris courtroom to testify against her attackers, Kardashian “sent a message,” says the author: She’s “reclaiming her freedom, and for Kim Kardashian, freedom is diamonds.”
CRIME
The Hermès Heist: How an Heir to the Luxury Dynasty Was Swindled Out of $15 Billion of Shares, The Economist (gift link)
A long look at why Hermès’ largest individual shareholder claims his stock holdings were stolen from him, and why he’s suing LVMH over it.
They Stole Yogi Berra’s World Series Rings. Then They Did Something Really Crazy, The Atlantic (gift link)
Why a chronic thief of sports memorabilia, art, and jewelry destroyed some of his best-known hauls.
‘Gold Grifters’: Inside the Growing Scam Using Couriers to Pick Up Gold Bars From Victims, ABC News
Con men posing as federal agents are advising retirees that their information is at risk, and that they should convert their savings into gold bars and hand them over to the government. The scheme bilked victims out of more than $100 million last year, authorities say.
Inside the Brink’s Heist Probe: How Alleged Burglars Behind $100 Million Theft Were Caught, Los Angeles Times
The “careful” gang charged with one of the world’s biggest jewelry heists was undone by their cell phones.
DIAMONDS
To Bash or Not To Bash? Well, No, Edahn Golan
The veteran industry analyst makes a strong case—which links to case studies—that bashing lab-grown diamonds will backfire for the natural industry.
All That Glitters, The Atavist
An absorbing deep dive about Jona Rechnitz, the diamond dealer turned government informant.
The Florentine Diamond Resurfaces After 100 Years in Hiding, The New York Times (gift link)
One of the year’s most intriguing jewelry stories reveals the whereabouts of a legendary lost gem.
How Harry [Winston] Sent the Hope Diamond, Lompoc Record
A history columnist recounts how the jewelry legend sent another famous diamond through the U.S. mail, then “considered the safest source for delivering valuables.”
The Mennonite Colony That Made a Deal With a Diamond Company, The New York Times (gift link)
A Christian sect moves to Angola to find diamonds, and not all the locals are happy about it.
With a Shovel and a Dream, a Woman Finds a 2.3 Carat Diamond in Arkansas, The New York Times (gift link)
Sweet story about a woman who went to the Crater of Diamonds State Park determined to find a stone for her engagement ring—and did.
GOLD
High Price of Gold Inspires New Rush in California, The Straits Times/Agence France-Presse
While our current gold rush doesn’t compare to the 1800s version, some West Coasters see gold-hunting as a potentially lucrative hobby.
‘Wanted to Escape, But I Couldn’t’: How Illegal Miners Are Lured Into South Africa’s Deadly Gold Rush, TRT Afrika
A far sadder gold rush is taking place in South Africa, where illegal miners are risking their lives to find the precious metal. (See also this Bloomberg documentary.)
Leave the Gold in the Ground, Bloomberg
Columnist Matt Levine writes about a Canadian company that is selling digital tokens based on gold that hasn’t been excavated.
RETAIL
What 5 Charts Say About the Pandemic’s Impact on Retail, 5 Years Later, Retail Dive
The COVID-19 pandemic has long passed, but experts say it’s still influencing how people shop.
Steven Singer Loves the Haters, Philadelphia
Amusing profile of the “shock jock” jeweler, known for outrageous gimmicks like “The World’s Largest Bubble Bath.”
They Got to Live a Life of Luxury. Then Came the Fine Print, The New York Times Magazine (gift link)
An unsettling examination of the “buy now, pay later” industry, which often promotes its payments as interest-free, only to trap users “in a vortex of debt.”
WATCHES
Rolex, Acquired podcast (link includes transcript)
This extensive (five-hour!) discussion of the watch giant delves into the psychology of luxury and how the industry survived the quartz crisis, drawing on research from JCK podcast guest Marc Bridge.
The Industry Must Resist the Temptation to Surround Itself With Sycophants, A Blog to Watch podcast
Veteran watch writer Ariel Adams argues that while watch brands often bristle when their products are criticized, they’re actually getting valuable feedback that other industries pay millions for.
Collectors Who Can’t Find the Right Watch Make Their Own, The New York Times (gift link)
The biggest watch addicts aren’t just buying watches, they’re producing them—and in some cases, even starting brands.
Notes to the Editor of a Watch Commercial, The New Yorker
Late-night writer Seth Reiss examines a watch ad and feels it should show the watch more—but maybe not.
MISCELLANEOUS
2 Reasons Behind the ‘Broken Jewelry Theory’ in Love—by a Psychologist, Forbes
Mark Travers explains the social media–fueled belief that broken jewelry signals something bad in your relationship. “Humans are wired to find patterns,” he says, even when none exist.
(Top: Getty Images)