West
ELLE Jewelry has opened its first boutique, in Nasr Bros. Jewelers, Denton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The boutique is a stand-alone jewelry center at the front of the store, staged with a red ELLE wall.
Traditional Jewelers, Newport Beach, Calif., celebrated its 30th anniversary in September, with store owner Lula Halfacre making a surprise announcement that her son Erik would be taking over operations as president of the family business. Lula Halfacre will stay on as chief executive officer and chief financial officer, and Erik’s wife, Bonnie, will continue to be an integral part of the business.
The Kings Jewelers, Walnut Creek, Calif., opened a new store last month, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony presided over by Walnut Creek Mayor Gary Skrel. The Kings Jewelers was founded in Oakland, Calif., in 1915 by the great-grandfather of president Dave McConnell, according to a company release. The store has been in Walnut Creek for 34 years.
East
Philadelphia’s Joe The Jeweler was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property and making false statements to police, according to various news reports. He was arrested and charged with similar offenses in 2002, but those charges were later dropped.
Frucci’s Jewelers, West Hempstead, N.Y., pled guilty to sales tax evasion and paid $207,926 in back state and local sales tax, interest, and penalties. Frucci’s failed to collect $102,729 in state and local sales taxes from customer transactions between March 1, 2004, and Nov. 30, 2007, a complaint said.
Vera’s Fine Jewelers, Midlothian, Va., recently won the Best Place to Buy Unique Engagement Rings award from Richmond Magazine. In 2005 it won the Best Place to Buy Handcrafted Gifts, and in 2008 it won for Best Fine Jewelry Selection.
Online
An online jeweler has paid a cash settlement to several jewelry firms for selling items advertised as "inspired by" their pieces, Women’s Wear Daily reports. The paper said OverstockJeweler.com also promised to avoid using the trademarked designs of David Yurman, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, and Gucci. It also issued an apology to the companies.