For many people, school is back in session. And even though Labor Day is still a couple weeks away, the spirit of the fall season has settled upon the jewelry industry. Educate yourself about negotiation tactics at the American Gem Society’s second-annual Confluence virtual event, learn how not to greenwash at the Plumb Club’s webinar, and stock up on holiday inventory at the Atlanta show and the GWS auction of Elvis’ jewelry. It’s now or never!
LISTEN
The Jewelry District Podcast, Episode 76 (ongoing)
In the latest episode of The Jewelry District, JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky and news director Rob Bates speak to Mark Smelzer, JCK’s former publisher who now serves as chief content executive at the Jewelers Mutual Group. They talk about Smelzer’s first impressions of the jewelry industry, the evolving role of print publications, the shift to content marketing, and what he thinks the industry can do better. With a lot of laughs in between!
ATTEND
AGS Confluence Virtual Educational Conference: Aug. 22, 12 p.m. ET (online)
Confluence, the American Gem Society’s (AGS) second-annual virtual educational conference, is back with nearly four hours of content focused on negotiation skills. The event, which runs from 12 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. ET, features sessions on what to say to influence people; positioning your value, not your price; and leveraging Nobel Prize–winning theory to enhance your negotiations. The conference is open to all AGS members.
Plumb Club Sustainability Marketing Webinar: Aug. 24, 1 p.m. ET (online)
In the Plumb Club’s newest webinar, “Talking Green! What Can You Really Say in Sustainability Marketing?” Sara Yood of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee discusses the legal dimensions of promoting sustainability, eco-friendly products, and environmentally focused concepts. Retailers keen to learn more about how to avoid greenwashing while clearly communicating their values to consumers won’t want to miss this one.
BID
Elvis Presley’s Jewelry Collection at GWS Auctions: Aug. 27, 10 a.m. PT (in person and online)
Long before Harry Styles and the Jonas Brothers made it okay for guys to wear jewelry, there was The King. A jewelry lover to his core, Elvis Presley amassed a collection of jewels long thought to be lost—and now found, thanks to California-based GWS Auctions, whose sale, “The Lost Jewelry Collection of Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker,” opens Aug. 27. The 193-piece collection includes rings, chains, watches, and other memorabilia (the lyrics to “Heartbreak Hotel,” for example) that no jewelry lover will be able to help falling in love with.
SHOP
Atlanta Jewelry Show: Aug. 27–28 (in person)
The Atlanta Jewelry Show (AJS) returns to the Cobb Galleria Centre next weekend. In addition to stocking up for the holiday season, retailers who attend are invited to take part in the Connected conference on Aug. 26, where sessions on topics such as maximizing holiday sales, retail technology, and the state of the diamond industry promise to arm you with insights and strategies for a super-successful selling season.
Top: 18k yellow gold one-of-a-kind Lenox ring with pink spinel and neon yellow enamel, $12,700; Melissa Kaye
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