This week: Canadian broadcaster takes aim at diamond appraisals, claims. Why Rolex dealers are excited about secondhand plan. And there was a lot of jewelry at the Super Bowl. All below.

 

Gemvara, Richline-owned custom jewelry site, closes

 

Temporary layoffs

– Neiman Marcus eliminates 100 corporate jobs

– TheRealReal cuts 7% of workforce

– eBay lays off 500 workers

 

Good times

– Recession “unlikely” this year, says retail economist

– Department stores sales surged in January, shocking analysts (subscription)

– Retail sales come soaring back

 

CBC says big-name diamond retailers made false claims

 

Four predictions for the diamond market in 2023

 

Engagement ring spending slips as more turn to lab-grown

 

Botswana president raises doubts about De Beers deal

– De Beers remains “confident”

– Negotiations hinge on question of “fairness”

 

Russian diamond exports increased after Ukraine invasion, stats show

– Russia wants to end KP embargo on Central African Republic

– Avi Krawitz on Alrosa’s importance

– How African gold pays for Russia’s war in Ukraine

 

Zimbabwe diamonds “sold for a song”

 

Indian lab-grown diamond industry set for bigger push following import duty removal

 

Mercedes Abramo moves up at Cartier

 

Movado promotes Margot Grinberg to brand president

 

GSI appoints Pinky Jalui executive vice president

 

Swarovski names new chief financial officer

 

Shaun Leane appoints new head of wholesale (subscription)

 

Signet CEO says 90% of high-value customers buy in-store (video)

– Signet clears “relative strength” benchmark

 

Pandora CEO says recession may be good for brand

 

Watches of Switzerland’s U.S. sales climb in third quarter

 

Irish jeweler Chupi secures €3.8M investment to fund growth

 

Jatin Mehta fails to halt bank’s case against him in London

 

Adamas One will be filing financial results late

 

Jewelers Vigilance Committee calls for “Green Guides” comments

 

Verragio hails outcome in copyright lawsuit versus Walmart

 

Peter Smith examines retailers’ “uneasy relationship” with brands

 

Authorized dealers “giddy with excitement” about secondhand Rolex deal

 

Behind the scenes of Swatch’s MoonSwatch factory

– The MoonSwatch is hitched to a weather balloon

 

Cartier’s Tank Française watch gets Meghan Markle–inspired makeover

– The Daily Mail says women are following Meghan’s lead, upgrading engagement rings

 

WatchTok, TikTok’s community of watch lovers

 

The New York Times profiles Linden Lazarus, 19-year-old watch dealer

 

Popdust: Tiffany-Nike pairing “falls short”

– Tiffany opens first online flagship store in China

 

Why you should revisit your Pinterest account

 

Why the Internet doesn’t actually create smart shoppers

 

Amazon takes half of each sale from merchants

 

The retail CEO pipeline “is running dry”

 

Jewelry industry couples who blend work and love

 

This charm company president is also a professional race car driver

 

Stanford’s alumni magazine profiles a “gem detective”

– Jeweler shares tips for detecting fake diamonds (video)

 

Quantum Brilliance snags $18 million funding for synthetic diamond research

– Diamond-based semiconductors may be available in 2030 (subscription)

 

Controversial Koh-i-Noor won’t be part of British crowning ceremony

 

Shawn Mendes featured in David Yurman campaign

– Discusses jewelry, his favorite piece

 

Anna Kendrick shares memory from Portland, Maine, jeweler

 

Rihanna wears $100,000 Jacob & Co watch for Super Bowl performance

– Singer also sports trio of vintage brooches

 

Bay Area jeweler played key role in Buccaneers’ Super Bowl ring design

 

Media Watch

– The Onion: “Ethical Diamond Company Only Uses White Children to Mine” (satire) (not that funny)

– New Jersey Institute of Technology publication profiles Aether

– Lab-grown diamond stories in The Wall Street Journal (subscription) and The Business of Fashion (subscription) and on CBS News (video)

 

From the Blog

This Charm Company President Is Also a Race Car Driver

Russian Diamond Exports Increased After Ukraine Invasion, Stats Show

 

From the Podcast   

The Jewelry District, Episode 89: Guest Malyia McNaughton

 

 

Have a great weekend!

 

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– Twitter: @robbatesjck

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