In This Episode
In this edition of “The Jewelry District,” you’ll hear JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky and news director Rob Bates discuss the latest news, including 2019 holiday sales, the upcoming JCK Tucson jewelry show, what the stars wore to the 2020 Golden Globes, and LVMH’s recent acquisition of Tiffany & Co. You’ll also hear a positively grotesque weird story of the week that’ll be sure to make your stomach churn.

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Show Notes
00:30 Rob Bates recaps the trends of 2019’s holiday sales compared to 2018’s.
02:30 Victoria Gomelsky is excited for JCK Tucson and predicts the colors that will be big this year.
06:27 Victoria gives the scoop on what jewelry was popular for stars at the 2020 Golden Globes.
08:25 Rob talks about what LVMH’s recent acquisition of Tiffany & Co. means for brand consolidation across the industry.
18:18 Weird Story of the Week

Episode Credits
Hosts: Rob Bates and Victoria Gomelsky
Editor: Levi Sharpe
Producer and engineer: Natalie Chomet
Plugs: jckonline.com, @jckmagazine

Show Recap

2019 Holiday Sales
It was a decent year for sales at the end of 2019. Rob comments on the main difference between the 2018 holiday and the 2019 holiday. While physical stores continue to face challenges, there were still plenty of discounts this year. Rob confesses his biggest shopping steal.

JCK Tucson and 2020 Color Predictions
JCK Tucson is just three weeks away, and Victoria has some leads on what colors might be big this year ahead. The Pantone Color of the Year, Classic Blue, is an obvious go-to, but does Victoria think it will it make a difference in the world of gems in 2020? She lets us know what other colors to keep on our radar going into the new year and beyond.

What Was Hot at the 2020 Golden Globes
There’s one jewelry style that stood out at the Golden Globes. Can you guess what it was? The statement necklace! Victoria lets us know who made a statement and who didn’t. And, she reveals the star known for her minimalist style who chose to go big with diamonds at this year’s show.

LVMH Takes Tiffany: What Is Industry Consolidation Doing to Us? 
LVMH took over Tiffany & Co. toward the end of 2019—and Rob has mixed feelings on this new ownership. Should we be putting all of our eggs in one basket? Victoria cites a 2014 article called “Jewelry Industry in 2020” that predicted more industry consolidation. Was this new ownership written in the stars? Will more companies consolidate sooner than later? And will Tiffany remain the traditional American company it always has been or will it lean into more French style?

Weird Story of the Week
Eek! It doesn’t get weirder than this. Rob lets us in on this newest weird story originally reported by two British newspapers. A Japanese man—and perhaps the more squeamish shouldn’t keep reading—took an entire year of this fingernail clippings and turned them into an engagement ring for his significant other. He made a YouTube video of the entire process—and Rob describes it in detail for those of us who would rather not see it for ourselves.

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