JCK’s 150th: Jewelry Designer Todd Reed on JCK’s Impact on the Industry

JCK magazine is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year! To commemorate that milestone, we’re talking to 150 veteran jewelry professionals in 2019 for a feature series meant to distill the voices of some of the industry’s most enduring and successful professionals.

We can’t print every interview in its entirety in the magazine—so we’ve been posting full interviews here on JCKonline.com every Thursday.

This week we hear from Todd Reed, owner and designer of Todd Reed.

JCK: How long have you been in the jewelry industry, and how has it changed since you joined?

I’ve been in the jewelry industry since 1992. In that time, I’ve witnessed and been a part of enormous change. One of the most important changes I’ve witnessed has been the industry adopting business practices of ethical sourcing and recycled materials.

Outside of that, a lot of changes have been brought about by the internet, which not only brought the industry together but created divides around topics such as the genesis of “derivative design” as it became an actual business reality for the industry as a whole. The digital landscape leveled the playing field by allowing designers to reach more buyers, stores, and retail opportunities.

Social media gets designs in front of everyone immediately. The jewelry industry has worked its way into homes and garages and guest rooms with sites like Etsy, etc. Instead of our “industry” getting smaller, it got larger. Funny. There have been so many changes in the way we buy, sell, show, and discuss jewelry. Not good or bad, but certainly different.

What’s your experience with JCK magazine? 

JCK magazine has always been the top source for industry information and what’s happening. My experience has always been positive and when I was a JCK Rising Star (some time ago), it launched opportunities I did not previously realize.

What has JCK magazine meant to you? 

JCK magazine has meant many things to me. Primarily, inclusion, recognition, and pure love of everything jewelry!

What was your first impression of JCK magazine, and how has it changed over the years?

My first impression was, “Wow, what a cool magazine with all the things I need to learn about what I’m doing and where I’m going.”

Over the years the magazine has been smart enough to change with the times. Better paper, better design, more relevant topics. While JCK is, of course, influenced by the industry, in more recent years I have seen the publication shaping the industry.

Top: Todd Reed (photo courtesy of Todd Reed)

Catch up on all of JCK‘s 150th interviews:

Jonathan Goldman, CEO of Frederick Goldman
Brian Gavin, diamond cutter and diamond jewelry retailer
Cecilia Gardner, former president and CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee and general counsel and director of the United States Kimberley Process Authority
Sarin Bachmann, event vice president of the JCK, Luxury, and Swiss Watch shows for Reed Jewelry Group
Dave Bonaparte, president and CEO of Jewelers of America
Ettagale Blauer, former JCK New York editor
Lee Siegelson, rare and collectible jewelry dealer and expert
Tamara and Amir Goldfiner, cofounders of Rahaminov Diamonds
Dallas Prince, founder of Dallas Prince Designs
Esther Fortunoff, president of Fortunoff Fine Jewelry
Terry Burman, former Signet chairman
Brandee Dallow, president and founder of Fine Girl Luxury Brand Building & Communications
Tom Chatham, CEO of Chatham Created Gems & Diamonds
Tom Heyman
, partner, Oscar Heyman & Brothers
Duvall O’Steen, jewelry publicist, Luxury Brand Group
Pat Henneberry, founder and president of the Jewelry Coach
Marty Hurwitz, CEO of MVI Marketing
Hank B. Siegel, president of Hamilton Jewelers
Erica Courtney, jewelry designer
Robert Weldon, director of GIA’s Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center
Stuart Robertson, vice president of Gemworld
Bill Furman, longtime JCK magazine ad sales manager
Kathryn Kimmel, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of GIA
Katie Kinsella Murphy, owner of Kinney + Kinsella
Frank Dallahan, publisher, The Retailer Jeweler
Jen Cullen Williams, managing director of Luxury Brand Group
Sally Morrison, chief marketing officer of Lightbox
Susan M. Jacques, president and CEO of GIA
Marie Helene Morrow, president of Reinhold Jewelers
Jenny Luker, U.S. president of Platinum Guild International
Beth Gerstein, co-CEO of Brilliant Earth
Russell Shor, GIA senior industry analyst
Walter McTeigue, cofounder of McTeigue & McClelland
Caryl Capeci, president of Hearts On Fire
Eddie LeVian, CEO of Le Vian
Peggy Jo Donahue, freelance writer and former JCK editor-in-chief
Rebecca Moskal, jewelry marketing veteran

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