Could jewelry be the only thing that happens in Vegas but doesn’t stay in Vegas?
For Gordons Gold Jewellers buyer Rosanne Gardiner, her Las Vegas shopping list includes high-polish gold, David Kord Ethiopian opals, and a gypsy-set diamond dome ring she can’t get out of her mind.
Interviewed on the show floor at JCK, the London, Ontario–based Gardiner says Canadians are watching what will happen with U.S. tariff discussions, and she is thinking deeply about her travels and her purchases for the store. Yet she is still stocking up on gold and dreaming about a pair of teardrop earrings.
“I like anything Bassali Jewelry, and I always stop by David Kord for the opals,” Gardiner says.
Even with the tariff threat looming and gold prices rising like the Las Vegas temperature, Gardiner and other retailers attending the JCK show say they are glad they made the trip to Sin City for the energy it brings them and the trends they can share with their customers.
Steve Farr, head of creative design and sales at Payne Anthony Creative Jewelers in Salt Lake City, says tariffs were mentioned during his vendor visits—but in a positive way.
“A few of our vendors assured us that we would not see any increase in pricing, and that was the case,” says Farr. “We anticipated some gold-heavy designs to be significantly higher in price, and we have not had any moment of shock as we received quotes at current market prices.”
Retailers also tell JCK they are looking for unique designers who have a point of view and whose stories resonate with their clients. That’s because people across the board are still buying, but they want a reason to add to their established collections with a new piece or to discover a new designer who might be the Next Big Thing.
Jeweler and stylist Allie DeSeelhorst and her partner in JCK crime—her mom, Amy Coles—say they are making their way around the show floor mining for gold. “We like color, too, like all of the gemstones we’re seeing,” adds Coles, who helps her daughter run the Copper Canary jewelry store in Meridian, Idaho.
After moving the Copper Canary business from California, DeSeelhorst converted a former restaurant into her award-winning jewelry boutique, where clients come for natural diamonds, gold jewelry, and new trends.
At JCK, she and Coles are stopping by their favorites for classics such as stacking bracelets, as well as designs like they find at Vivaan, which DeSeelhorst describes as artistic, forward-thinking, and something her risk-taking clients love to try.
Robert Anthony, manager of Schapell Jewelers in Boulder, Colo., says he attends JCK to look for designers who are creating must-have jewelry. One of his first stops is Frederic Sage for its family legacy, quality, and, most important, innovation.
“He always puts a different spin on the pieces he introduces at JCK Vegas, and our customers love it,” Anthony says. “They want to collect it because of the craftsmanship but also because of the story behind each piece.”
For Abbie Ellison, vice president of Di’Amore Fine Jewelers in Waco, Texas, JCK is all about diamonds, diamonds, diamonds. “It’s exciting to feel like we’re back in the diamond business,” Ellison says. “We’re offering a concierge service for the show, and we’re experiencing customers who are educated in jewelry and who want natural diamonds.” Ellison says she also comes to Vegas to seek out other retailers and support one another in uncertain times.
“We’re all showing up with intentionality for retailers and for vendors alike. You cannot sleep on that,” Ellison says. “It’s the partnerships. It’s the help they’re willing to provide you. That sense of connection is crucial.”
Her friend and business associate Ray Halani agrees.
“It’s all about one word—community,” says Halani, owner and CEO of Le Danni Fine Jewelers in Waco. “Once you come to JCK and build these relationships, you see the benefit.”
Top: Earrings with pear-shape opals, colorless diamonds, and turquoise frame in 18k yellow gold; $7,900; David Kord
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