stuller’s bridge conference draws retailers from all over the country to the company’s lafayette, la., headquarters. last month, jck crashed the party.

’tis the season to break out your biggest, best, and most completely dazzling jewels.

we’ve rounded up 2014’s surefire year-end sellers: delicate diamond designs, striking ear climbers, sleek metal collars, chunky gold cuffs, and cutting-edge pearl pieces.

Irene Neuwirth’s colorful gems and aw-shucks demeanor charm celebs and real folks alike. Read the full story.      18k rose gold pendant necklace with 18.06 cts. t.w. boulder opals, 4.88 cts. t.w. Lightning Ridge opals, and 0.2 ct. t.w. diamond pavé; $22,500; Irene Neuwirth, Venice, Calif.; 310-450-6063; ireneneuwirth.com 18k rose gold ring with 5.79…

Double your pleasure, double your fun with double-sided earrings: Along with climbers and cuffs, these stylish jewels are ear candy everyone’s craving. With a precious motif capping each end, the front-to-back earring puts a modern, slightly tribal spin on the stud that speaks to a new generation of accessory lovers.  Estrella backward hoops in 14k gold…

Looking for something unique in Houston? Pop into Joseph Keith’s jewelry boutique, in Rice Village. Read the full story. Photographs by Felix Sanchez          By age 15, Joseph Keith Ronquillo had learned to silversmith at his father’s downtown Houston store. By 17, he’d decided to design his own line and open his own…

model marissa irwin was the ultimate lady of luxury at our october holiday jewelry–themed cover shoot.

emmy jewels from sofia vergara, laverne cox, and julianne hough.

During the Belle Époque, women decorated the bodices of their dresses with devant-de-corsage brooches, and this version by Cartier is a masterpiece of the form. Diamond ­magnate Solomon Barnato Joel commissioned the piece with three stones—a 34.08 ct. pear shape, a 23.55 ct. oval shape, and a 6.51 marquise shape—from his own South African mines,…

Ivory Hour On a 2002 trip to Ecuador, David Alvarado, the designer behind Irthly Jewelled Adornments, saw vegetable ivory—a solid, creamy-white substance found inside tagua nuts throughout the ­Amazon—for the first time. Alvarado, the son of a bench ­jeweler, was earning his master’s degree in Chinese and European comparative philosophy at San Diego State University,…

Pawn Star Michelle Fantaci’s new Chess Queen collection shines the light on girl power in a brainy and understated way. The 20-SKU collection made in 14k gold is, not surprisingly, inspired by the game—and by the queen, in particular. “The queen piece has the most power and flexibility, and is the king’s protector,” explains the…

a bridal ring from a bar pin and the return of yellow gold.

the designer created the sweet jewels for gemfields’ project blossoming.

Just in time for last-minute holiday purchases, the JA Special Delivery show takes place Oct. 26–28 at New York City’s Javits Center. (Above)1. Earrings in 18k gold and silver with chrome diopside and diamonds; $6,938; ZDNY & Co., Huntington, N.Y.; 631-673-9844; zdnyco.com   2. Corset ring in 14k yellow gold with 0.22 ct. t.w. diamonds;…

Jewelers International Showcase hits Miami Beach It’s no secret that vendors heading to the JIS Miami Beach Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center Oct. 11–14 go largely to meet with their Caribbean and Latin American retail customers. But color-savvy buyers from all regions would do well to check out the longstanding show’s exhibitors, many…

our simple tips for connecting with millennials.

How ­(the ­often ­misunderstood) ­millennials ­relate to ­luxury, ­­consumption, spending, and the retail ­experience Millennials have been described as narcissistic and entitled; wimps raised by helicopter parents; trophy kids who receive rewards not just for winning but simply for participating in an event; and a group that lives in a digital world instead of a…

Five messages about the value of shopping small that retailers can share: 1. Boost local economies. Compared with chain stores, local merchants pump a higher percentage of their revenue back into the local economy; some estimates show a nearly 4-to-1 difference. 2. Create jobs. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses create nearly two-thirds…

Small Business Saturday is the independent jewelry store owner’s best bet for capturing sales during the peak shopping days of the holiday season In 2011, Cory Schifter, owner of Casale Jewelers in Staten Island, N.Y., gave Small Business Saturday a test run. Then an upstart event clamoring for the nation’s attention in the looming shadows…

our tips for retailers to fine-tune their merchandising plans and order smarter so they can reap more sales.

When it comes to holiday themes, think festive, classy, and simple With retailing’s most hectic season upon us, who could blame you for pushing “decorate the store” to the bottom of the to-do list? But your shop’s image and ambience are particularly crucial during the holidays: Foot traffic is at its peak, and your floor…

Not much about Joan Crawford’s life can be described as “amicable.” But the legendary diva and her second husband, actor Franchot Tone, stayed friendly after their 1939 divorce. The proof is on her finger. To commemorate the split, Tone gave Crawford this gold ring topped with a 104.52 ct. rectilinear amethyst from one of her…

the designer dishes on rose cuts, roses, and thorns.

How Irene Neuwirth’s colorful gems and aw-shucks demeanor charm celebs and real folks alike Approximately one out of every five photos on jewelry designer Irene Neuwirth’s Instagram is of her dog, Teddy. Sometimes the shaggy white Labradoodle with a soggy snout is frolicking on the beach or enjoying some other typically canine pursuit. But just…

What’s trending and who’s advertising in the September issues InStyle Pushing:• Emerald-cut emerald and diamond open ring; 22k emerald cabochon cuff (“Green With Envy”)• Tsavorite snake ear cuffs; wing diamond ear climbers (“Heads up…Lobes are the new fingers”) Advertisers:Tiffany & Co., Movado, Swarovski, Tacori, Vahan, Marco Bicego, Gabriel & Co., Endless Jewelry, ­Stephanie Kantis, Footnotes…

Jim Brusilovsky puts the diamonds right where you can see ’em: online Unlike many of his contemporaries, fine ­jewelry retailer Jim Brusilovsky isn’t intimidated by the tide-shifting prowess of the Blue Niles of the world. “Having a human being is important” when selling diamonds, asserts the owner of Pennsylvania’s Marks Jewelers, with locations in Levittown …

joseph keith ronquillo on the aesthetic in his houston boutique.

For Patek Philippe USA president Larry Pettinelli, “the brand is first and foremost” This month, high-end Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe is staging a big to-do in Geneva, where it will introduce a much-anticipated commemorative collection in honor of its 175th anniversary. Larry Pettinelli has been with the company for 26 of those years, including serving…

It’s creating—not necessarily selling—that drives the men behind Charles Koll Jewellers Malcolm Koll, co-owner of Charles Koll Jewellers in San Diego, never guessed his youngest son, Richard, would join the family business, which was founded in South Africa in 1946. Actually, “he swore up and down he would never do it,” recalls the retailer, who…

a host of new apps gives online jewelry shoppers a virtual try-on.

The Colorado jeweler is making his mark with custom design and self-deprecating charm 1. What has been your most memorable sale? Very recently, a woman wanted to upgrade her diamond earrings. But when we were getting close to closing the deal, she hesitated…because she was considering trading in her wedding ring. Her husband had died…

the latest retail books focus on refining your online presence and practices.

experts agree the most effective way to up your store’s game is by fine-tuning your customer service procedures and practices.

Most—but not all—of the industry’s ­biggest players reported healthy sales figures for the past quarter. 1. Blue Nile’s revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 fell 1.3 percent to $106.6 million. 2. Pandora’s revenue for the second quarter was $455 million, up 31 percent from the previous year. 3. Birks Group’s same-store sales for…

Let me entertain you, let me make you smile… That lyric from the classic ­musical Gypsy makes for a pretty apt battle cry for the spring 2015 collections in New York. It was one spectacle after another—and we don’t mean the clothes. Ralph Lauren had models “walking” on water in his 4D Polo Ralph Lauren…

Greetings from my flight home to New York City from Louisiana! I’ve just ­completed my annual visit to Stuller’s headquarters in Lafayette, to meet with the company’s marketing team and attend a session of their annual Bridge Conference. As always, the conference focused on the massive changes in experiential retailing, social media, custom design, and…

At the end of August, my friend Jen Thomas convinced me to join her at a custom scent–making shop in Thousand Oaks, Calif., to spend what I then considered an obscene amount of money ($200) on a relatively small amount of perfume. I’ve been on the hunt for a signature scent for as long as…

1. Organizations It was with a heavy heart that Tanzanite Foundation executive director Hayley Henning announced the closure of the promotional agency (including its New York City office) in August. The 11-year-old nonprofit was formed by miner TanzaniteOne to serve ethically and socially responsible operators and partners in the tanzanite industry, helping implement standardized methods…