July 2019

Best of JCK Las Vegas 2019: Pick of the Glitter

Best of JCK Las Vegas 2019: Pick of the Glitter

Crystal-clear aquamarines, exquisite emeralds, and a magnificent melo pearl are just a few of the year’s best-in-show jewels Photography by Joel Stans Prop Stylists Emily + Tony Mullin Stylist Daniel Edley Jewelry Editor Rima Suqi  Necklace with 188.21 cts. t.w. emeralds, 13.05 cts. t.w. diamonds, and 8.62 cts. t.w. onyx in 18k white gold, $38,000,…

Get Your Rocks On: Today’s Hottest Diamond Jewelry

From airy wraparound rings to breezy open bangles to sleek signet-style rings, these superchic diamond designs are perfect for summer…and fall and winter and spring Wrap Rings (Clockwise from bottom left) Spiral diamond ring in 14k yellow gold, $1,225, Zoë Chicco, 213-489-1226, zoechicco.com; Toi & Moi diamond and cacholong ring in 18k rose gold, $7,400,…

The New Diamond Basics: So Long, Solitaire! Hello, Cluster!

Demand for diamond jewelry is constant—but it’s time to update your shopping list. In fact, you might even consider tossing those tennis bracelets into the vault. Here are the staples you should be stocking up on instead. Plenty of retailers rely on the timeless appeal of round studs, tennis bracelets, and other diamond jewelry basics.…

Best of the West: Highlights from JCK and Luxury 2019

The biggest news, hottest trends, and most eye-catching exhibits at JCK & Luxury 2019 Coolest Collective: Greek Jewels The show featured lots of untapped ­talent under the Greek Jewels banner. The diverse collective, encompassing the work of 14 Greek designers showing for the first time at the JCK and Luxury shows, was supported by Enterprise…

150 Years, 150 Voices: Reflections on JCK, Part 5

JCK would be nowhere without the industry insiders who have helped the magazine along the way—by making the news, reading it in our pages, or both. So we asked 150 of them to join the dialogue about how the jewelry business has changed over the decades and the role we have played in that evolution.…

How to Conquer Amazon

What you need to know about selling your products via the e-tail giant Amazon is a destination for millions of shoppers ­searching for everything from books to batteries to bottled water. The loyalty of subscribers to the e-commerce seller’s Amazon Prime, which offers free two-day delivery and other benefits, is the envy of retailers the…

How to Use Apps to Lighten Your Retail Load

Check out these five essential mobile downloads. Plus: Is it worth developing your own app? We weigh the pros and cons. Mobile apps get us places, and fast. They’re the front doors to some of the world’s most useful digital tools—and most are accessed with a single tap. Apps also have the ability to aid…

How to Present Products on Your Website

If you think photographing that amazing ring from a single angle will suffice, think again A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it can’t show you every sparkling detail of a faceted diamond ring—not by a long shot. And in online fine jewelry retailing, visual ambiguity is a conversion killer. Essentially, if consumers…

Behind Our Paws-itively Beautiful July–August 2019 Cover

Cover photography by Joel Stans Prop Stylists: Emily & Tony Mullin/Hello Artists Stylist: Daniel Edley/Brydges Mackinney Hair and makeup: Midori Sligh for R+Co Manicurist: Roseann Singleton for Chanel/Art Department Model: Wilson/All Creatures Great & Small Best in Show Aquamarine dreams, elegant emeralds, and one-of-a-kind stunners at Luxury and JCK Ring with 20.11 ct. aquamarine and…

5 Things Rocking the Industry: July–August 2019

EXHIBITIONS Florals? For spring? Not quite groundbreaking. But even Miranda Priestly would have been impressed with the rhapsodic In Bloom, spring’s three-week selling exhibition at Sotheby’s New York. Curated by British Vogue’s Carol Woolton and Frank Everett, sales director of Sotheby’s luxury division, the petal-heavy show composed of 75 pieces covering nearly 250 years—from a…

From the Editor, July–August 2019: It’s a Ruff Life

I couldn’t resist! For the second year in a row, we’ve invited a pup-star to grace the cover of our annual Best in Show issue and the companion feature that runs inside, highlighting the best statement jewels we saw at last month’s JCK and Luxury shows in Las Vegas. Look to “Pick of the Glitter” to…

Staff Picks, July–August 2019: Love Triangle

What JCK magazine’s Victoria Gomelsky is loving this month “A sucker for geometric designs, I’m especially drawn to triangles right now, both as stone cuts and as recurring jewelry motifs.” —Victoria Gomelsky, JCK editor-in-chief   (Top) Rubellite Puzzle earrings in 18k yellow gold with 38 cts. t.w. rubellite; $21,000; Karma El Khalil; lainne@karmaelkhalil.com; karmaelkhalil.com Sonya…

From the Publisher, July–August 2019: A Smash Hit!

Greetings from my flight back home from the 2019 editions of the JCK, Luxury, and JIS Exchange shows in Las Vegas. ­Congrats to Yancy Weinrich, Sarin Bachmann, and Jordan Tuchband of Reed Jewelry Group on the success of all three events. By all accounts, JCK’s return to the Sands Expo was a resounding success. The…

Why Sketchnyc Is This Month’s Favorite Instagram

Illustrator Lisa Bayer (@sketchnyc) draws models, magazine covers, and celebrities from Nicki Minaj to Queen Elizabeth. But we’re a sucker for her jewelry art, from which we can instantly identify the brand. She has quite the knack for capturing a designer’s signature style. Fernando Jorge’s Surround earrings, in honor of his 2019 Gem Award win…

Social Diary, JCK and Luxury 2019: Sands, Man!

Whether the venue was a homecoming or a new adventure, the shows were their usual six-day whirlwind of meetings, shopping, and (social) networking Photographs by Camilla Sjodin Blogger Kristine Agabaian (@krischerie) peruses the Greek Jewels section. New York retailer June Nam (l.) meets Pepper the IBM robot in the Plumb Club. Sorting stones in the…

Signet’s Path to Brilliance Keeps Hitting Bumps

Since she took over Signet Jewelers two years ago, CEO Gina Drosos has tirelessly promoted her “path to brilliance” transformation plan and its three prongs: customers first, a culture of agility and efficiency, and omnichannel. Yet two years into the planned three-year transformation, it is clear that the path to brilliance—or even just to greater…

3 Questions for…WD Lab Grown Diamonds President Clive Hill

In April, Clive Hill, the ­president of WD Lab Grown Diamonds, spoke to JCK at the company’s headquarters in Maryland. Here, the former CEO of U.K. retailer Fraser Hart discusses patent issues, why he’s not concerned if lab-grown prices go down, and what he would say to those worried about the product.  You have alleged…

Industry and People: July–August 2019

COMINGS AND GOINGS Roventa-Henex, a Swiss manufacturer of private-­label watches, has appointed Jérôme Biard its new CEO. Christopher G. Croteau has joined Vibhor Gems as the New York City–based brand’s executive vice president. He is the former vice president of Madison L and director of sales for Hearts On Fire. Robert Hanson, CEO of John…

Innovative Retailer Liz Kantner Wants You to Stay Gold

Art for the body—of all kinds—takes center stage at Divination Tattoo & Gallery For many brands and retailers on the fine jewelry trade-show circuit, Liz Kantner is a familiar face. Since 2016, the digital marketing whiz has consulted with dozens of emerging jewelry designers and has curated entire sections of trade shows—including the New Designer…

Sweet Investments: Jewelry Trends on Tap for the Holidays

What styles or trends are you planning to invest in or eyeing for the 2019 holiday season? We plan to invest in large colored stone rings in various colors—they’re a hot seller right now—and vintage estate pieces. We are moving more vintage rings than other vintage pieces. The retro styles are coming back: Art Nouveau,…

Store We Adore: Michele Varian in New York City

27 Howard St., New York City Michele Varian’s home decor store is filled with treasures, including jewelry from 70 designers who share her passion for handmade objects of all kinds At first glance, it might seem strange to sell fine jewelry alongside brass and copper chandeliers, silk throw pillows, and porcelain tableware. But the minute…

Power Cuff Girls: Gold and Gemstone Cuffs for the Win

Watch out, Wonder Woman! These superhero-size gold and gemstone stunners are ready for their close-up. (Above) Constellation cuff with aquamarine, black moonstones, and diamonds in 18k yellow and white gold; $165,530; Adam Foster; 314-771-3390; fosterjewelry.com Cuff with aquamarines and diamonds in 18k and 24k yellow gold; $59,400; Victor Velyan; 213-955-5950; victorvelyan.com Aquamarine cuff with white enamel…

Cannes-Do Attitude: Colorful Jewels From the 2019 Film Fest

Elle Fanning and Winnie Harlow rocked colored stone styles at the French film fest Elle Fanning How amazing was Fanning’s Cannes fashion? Online commentators Tom + Lorenzo ran an Elle Fanning (in Dior Couture) vs. Elle Fanning (in Vivienne Westwood Couture) Red Carpet Showdown of the Week. (Dior won by a landslide.) Yet we think…

JCK Asks…Jewelry Designer Dana Bronfman

The New York City–based designer is passionate about world travel and giving back to the community Anyone who cares about sustainable jewelry should know Dana Bronfman. Beyond using reclaimed and fair-mined gold and ethically sourced gems in her substantial designs—her Oculus open space and hammered finish are her signatures—she works behind the scenes for a…

Sylvie Corbelin Pays Homage to Klimt With Her Nocturne Ring

“I make jewelry with a spirit of resistance to ­fashion,” says Parisian designer Sylvie Corbelin, who created this Paris Nocturne Klimt ring as an ode to Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, another artist who intentionally wanted his work to please a few (as opposed to the many). The ­decorative design pays tribute to Klimt’s Art Nouveau…

Gold, July–August 2019: Margery Hirschey’s Orpheus Line and More

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Awe & Order Margery Hirschey’s new Orpheus collection takes inspiration from the playful geometries of the Bauhaus school—which viewed mythical poet Orpheus as the embodiment of the ability to create order from chaos. The handmade, recycled 18k yellow gold earrings have several movable sections, though longer drop styles (sold individually) feature a hidden…

Colored Stones, July–August 2019: Grainne Morton’s Mobile-Like Jewels

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Finders Keepers Jewelry designer Grainne Morton has mastered the art of mixing and matching seemingly disparate stones and objects in cohesive-feeling jewelry pieces that have earned her a robust following. But the Irish jeweler, who lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland, and calls herself a “collager of materials,” does more than corral tiny…

Hot in the City: Summer 2019 Jewelry Trade Shows Take Manhattan

In mid-August, a slew of jewelry trade shows hit Manhattan Jewelers have been flocking to New York City in late July and August for decades, for summer market week, when they stock up on styles destined to strike a chord with consumers over the coming holiday season. The summer of 2019 brims with more events than…

Why Your Online Bio Is More Important Than You Think

One of the most important things you can do for your online presence is craft a snappy and straightforward bio The most important story any brand can tell is its own. Origin stories provide great fodder for ongoing marketing initiatives. By leveraging elements of where your brand came from, you can help nurture a distinctive…

Tool Time, The Goods, July–August 2019: Nowa Superbe and More

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE Nowa Superbe If the Apple Watch is the Swiss Army knife of ­smartwatches—stuffed to the gills with tools, both pragmatic and ­super­fluous—the sleek new Nowa ­Superbe hybrid watch is a hand-carved vintage switchblade: Its ­applications are few, but it’s swimming in style. And really, how many jobs do we need to assign…

Cover Stories From 150 Years of JCK: November 1951

This 1951 cover of Jewelers’ Circular-Keystone is giving us major modern bridal vibes The beauty of this 1951 black-and-white cover is that it screams 1950s, yet feels utterly contemporary. (Can’t you just see Billy Porter wearing that brooch?) The model is 22-year-old Ann Crowley, star of the 1951 Milton Berle–produced Broadway musical Seventeen. She was…

Log Out

Are you sure you want to log out?

CancelLog out