De Beers’ big news during Las Vegas Jewelry Week—besides its sale of 30% of Tracr to GIA—was the expansion of Desert Diamonds, Origin, and its other initiatives designed to boost natural diamonds.

If that got you interested in shoring about your knowledge (and business) in natural diamonds, be sure to join an upcoming Plumb Club webinar led by a De Beers exec: “Build Sales Growth by Telling the Story of Natural Diamonds,” on June 18.

Mahiar Borhanjoo, chief commercial officer of De Beers Group, will give a virtual presentation about the positive impact that diamond mining has on local communities and how sharing these stories can help retailers connect with consumers and build natural diamond sales. Sign up for the webinar here.

Now, this is what else made JCK’s collective mind click this week:

News Worth Reading

The BBC asks: How are miners faring with the diamond market’s shift to lab-grown stones? The answer: Not well.

Sally Morrison, a De Beers lead in promoting Desert Diamonds, is leaving the diamond giant this summer.

Retail Brew unwraps the controversy around Prada’s appropriation of a beloved Indian fashion icon.

Signet had a good first quarter, thanks to its Grow Brand Love campaign and cost-cutting measures.

Natural and lab-grown are their own categories, Avi Krawitz says in a GJEPC op-ed.

Timex continues to add jewelry to its mix, investing in Jane Win and another brand.

Fashion shows, new stores, and lots of advertising: Luxury brands are looking at the U.S. market for growth. (subscription needed)

Gentlemen prefer blondes (and other women) who wear watches that honor Marilyn Monroe.

Glossy says the J.Crew x Timex watch sold out within two hours of its debut. You gotta love a watch with a fish on it—and many people, apparently, do.

Nicholas Manousos has left his position at head of the Horological Society of New York, and Carolina Navarro, the group’s deputy director, will serve as its acting executive director.

Call us kids at heart, but we can’t resist jewelry that moves—the JCK and Couture shows had beautiful examples.

Also at JCK, entrepreneur Jesse Itzler gave a powerful talk with real takeaways for attendees on how to give their businesses soul.

Brits who are tired of fast fashion and throwaway culture stand behind clothing recycling. (subscription needed)

McKinsey finds a shrinking number of U.S. consumers feel optimistic about the economy.

Reuters reports that Americans are cutting back on retail spending because of high gas prices. (subscription needed)

So far in June, gas prices are dropping a little, per AAA. Just wait until the Fourth of July…

Will the World Cup cut into people’s work time? Definitely, surveys say. (subscription needed)

Obsessions

Princess Kate’s ruby jewelry carried a message about bravery, according to Marie Claire.

Talk about cheesy: Domino’s Pizza put its logo on a Rolex. We want it, Craft + Tailored, despite its $15,000 price tag.

Give us a good jewelry mystery and we’ll follow it until the ends of the earth. This one involves Russian czars and a Sotheby’s auction.

Noted jeweler Neil Lane says one of his life’s lessons is to pursue what fascinates you and the work will come.

Toy Story 5, out today, has a Taylor Swift song. Get ready to hear nothing else all summer.

Podcast Queue

Carol Woolton discovers the unbreakable link between jewelry and horticulture with designer Mish Tworkowski.

The Business of Watches hosts Studio Underd0g founder Richard Benc.

Comic genius Conan O’Brien did the Harvard University commencement address, and it’s worth a listen.

Video Yaya

Avi Krawitz riffs on Signet’s investment in natural diamonds.

A short film about how partnerships power the future of mining in Africa.

Olivia Landau tells the story of how she created the Clear Cut, which was recently acquired by Signet.

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

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