Marking its first year of operation, the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC)—created by MVI Marketing of Paso Robles, Calif.—has launched a weekly consumer column sharing stories of people and their jewelry.

Veteran trade writer Deborah Yonick is The Jewelry Lady. In this column, Yonick talks about jewelry in the context of relationships—with tips and trends peppered in along the way.

“The Jewelry Lady is a fresh and engaging column that uses jewelry as the common thread in human interest stories. It appeals to the emotions that connect people to jewelry,” says Marty Hurwitz of MVI.

JCOC is an internet based, market analysis system created to help gem mining companies, jewelry manufacturers, and jewelry retailers better understand the opinions, desires, and needs of jewelry consumers. JCOC 25,000-plus members can earn cash and win prizes, including free jewelry, for responding to survey questions over the Internet.

“It’s the perfect home for my column,” Yonick says. “It will generate ongoing column topics as people write in with their stories. What’s different about this column is that it’s written in a light, conversational manner that shares real stories from real people that are real fun.”

JCK