June 2018

Our A-to-Z Guide to JCK Las Vegas 2018

Our A-to-Z Guide to JCK Las Vegas 2018

Our almost-exhaustive guide to JCK and LUXURY, organized in a handy alphabetical list of pavilions, events, trends, and more   We know how intimidating JCK Las Vegas can be. No matter how much time you allow yourself, there’s never quite enough, is there? Even if we’re there from Wednesday, May 30—the very first day of…

Ice Queen: This Season’s Most Sizzling New Diamond Designs

Photography by Yulia Gorbachenko Stylist Sandy Armeni     Jewelry Editor Rima Suqi   18k white gold earrings with 3.95 cts. t.w. Crisscut round and 1.05 cts. t.w. round diamonds, $22,046, Christopher Designs, 212-382-1013, christopherdesigns.com; platinum necklace with 9.31 cts. t.w. round and 9.57 cts. t.w. baguette diamonds, $176,000, Jye’s International, 415-621-8880, jyescorp.com; Deco Love…

Blockchain: Decoding the New Diamond-Tracing Technology

What is blockchain—and why do so many people consider it the future of the diamond and jewelry industry? De Beers hails its blockchain technology as a “game changer.” Another company boasts its blockchain project will “revolutionize” the diamond biz. A third aims to simply “transform” it. A lot of people in the trade are talking…

Estate Jewelry Secrets

Stop thinking about adding vintage to your store’s collection and start shopping for a stellar assortment now. Where to begin? This article is a great place to start.  Photography by Kenji Toma Prop styling by Eriko Nagata Circa 1900 French Art Nouveau 18k gold and enamel brooch with 36 ct. hexagonal-cut topaz and 1.3 cts.…

Cybercrime: Is Your Store at Risk?

From phishing to social scams, online crime is running rampant From smash-and-grabs to diamond switches, jewelers are well aware of the traditional techniques criminals use to target the industry, but a growing number of thieves aren’t coming through the front door or window. Cybercrime increased dramatically in 2017, with an average dollar loss of $1.2…

New in Town: Why Now May Be a Great Time to Open a Jewelry Store

Prosperous mom-and-pop jewelers are adding locations as opportunity knocks For the first time in a generation, conditions may be more favorable for independent jewelers to open new doors than to close existing ones. The booming economy has whetted shoppers’ appetites for jewelry. Meanwhile, more permanent factors driving business opportunities include the new tax overhaul—which is…

Final Sale: How to Close Your Store the Right Way

Closing your business requires months of careful planning. Follow the steps outlined here to ensure a smooth shutdown. Jim Jessop has been selling fine jewelry for 45 years, but in the not-too-distant future, he plans to spend time on his boat, buy a home in the mountains, and enjoy a monthlong vacation in France. Jessop…

The Amazing Face: This Season’s Hottest Timepiece Trends

Some years, watchmakers like to experiment with avant-garde designs and crazy complications. This isn’t one of them. Instead, the industry has doubled down on reasonably priced watches perfect for everyday wear (Jacob & Co.’s wild Astronomia timepiece notwithstanding!). Behold the season’s most fetching—and practical—timekeepers.   Chocolate + Espresso (From top) Manero Flyback chronograph in steel case;…

Malls of America, Part 2: King of Prussia

JCK’s ongoing series on the shopping centers finding success amid an ever-changing retail landscape King of Prussia 160 N. Gulph Road King of Prussia, Pa. Poor George Washington. It’s sad enough that he had to watch 2,000 of his troops freeze and starve to death during the winter of 1777 in what is now Valley…

Women in Love With Diamonds

In this cultural moment dominated by movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp, diamond jewelry advertising can be a complicated endeavor. The most effective strategy? Place real women front and center. A Diamond is Forever. The iconic slogan written for De Beers by female copywriter Frances Gerety in 1947 married the concept of eternal love with…

There’s No Cure Like Travel

The jewelry industry’s most peripatetic souls dish on their favorite destinations, watering holes, must-have items, and things they’d never ever do again Globalization has been a buzzword for at least two ­decades, but jewelers have lived it for centuries. Following a gem from mine to market has always been an international affair—which explains why JCK’s…

Behind Our June 2018 Diamond and Vintage Double Covers

Cover photography by Yulia Gorbachenko Hair: Rubi Jones at Julian Watson Agency Makeup: Justine Purdue at Streeters using Nars Cosmetics Stylist: Sandy Armeni Manicurist: Roseann Singleton using Dior Les Vernis for Art Department Model: Jenna Earle at Muse Top: Jonathan Simkhai Let It Show! Get ready for Vegas with a bling-tastic A-to-Z guide to JCK.…

5 Things Rocking the Industry: June 2018

SHOWS Debuting at this month’s JCK show is the Las Vegas Estate Jewelry & Watch pavilion, designed to help retailers capitalize on the fast-growing market for pre-owned and antique jewels. “One of the difficulties in the jewelry business today is that if you try to sell the same manufactured goods as other jewelry stores, you…

From the Editor, June 2018: Show Me Up!

While the rest of the world knows June as a month of graduation ceremonies and weddings, members of the jewelry trade know better. If it’s the sixth month of the year, we must be in Las Vegas. To help you navigate the madness of Mandalay Bay, don’t miss “Our A-to-Z Guide to JCK Las Vegas…

Staff Picks, June 2018: Diamonds for Days

What JCK magazine’s Amy Elliott is loving this month “I’m a huge fan of fine jewelry that looks way more expensive than it actually is. Especially when diamonds are involved!” —Amy Elliott, JCK contributor   (Above) Omega Spiral bracelet with 0.14 ct. t.w. diamonds in 14k gold; $2,100; Royal Chain Group; 212-382-3340; royalchain.com   Jen…

From the Publisher, June 2018: Welcome to Las Vegas!

Hard to believe, but it’s time for JCK Las Vegas and the magazine’s big June issue. It’s going to be an exciting show! This week always brings together an ­amazing combination of commerce and ­community. For many businesses, annual ­revenues hinge on how they perform this week. For many organizations, the events that occur here…

Why @jckevents Is Our Favorite Instagram Feed of the Month

We admit we’re tooting our own horn, but if you’re #JCKBound, follow JCK Events (@jckevents) for from-the-floor shots and gem-filled product pics from your favorite exhibitors. And while you’re at Mandalay Bay, don’t forget to tag your own pics #JCKLasVegas. See you at the show! Shoot me down, I won’t fall! This Andreoli brooch is titanium.…

Social Diary: Scenes From AGS Conclave 2018

Nashville hosted the American Gem Society April 23–25 for a Conclave marked by good food, great tunes, and next-level networking Robert M. Shipley Award winner Doug Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, with wife Marcia and their son, Douglas   Outgoing AGS board president Scott Berg with new president John Carter of Jack…

AGS Goes a Little Bit Country: Inside Conclave 2018

The mood was upbeat as the country music twanged at the American Gem Society’s 2018 Conclave, held at the Omni Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., from April 23 to 25. After a generally positive holiday season and solid start to the year, just about all the retailers in attendance seemed in a good mood as they…

3 Questions for…Kristin Cherry Jackson

Kristin Cherry ­Jackson, the former Amazon.com senior ­category merchant manager for jewelry, recently joined industry ­consultancy 21C ­Jewelry Solutions. Here, she talks about the e-giant’s plans for jewelry and what third-party sellers need to look out for if they sell on the platform.  Does Amazon consider jewelry a growth area? In Amazon’s opinion, everything is…

Industry & People: June 2018

COMINGS AND GOINGS Jewelry brand Freida Rothman has appointed Sudeep Arya director of e-commerce and Susan Rutenberg marketing manager. Arya was previously director of e-commerce development and digital marketing and creative for David Yurman. Rutenberg was the marketing and communications director at Furla USA. Pandora has hired Karl Walsh as its senior vice president of…

Meet Silicon Valley Innovative Retailer Jared Silver

Jared Silver and his father, Stephen, help Silicon Valley’s movers and shakers invest in the world’s finest gems One of Silicon Valley’s most esteemed private jewelers, S.H. Silver, owns and operates Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, a boutique inside the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel in Menlo Park, Calif. But brick-and-mortar retailing is just one of several…

What’s Hot in Diamond Jewelry

What diamond jewelry styles—aside from bridal—are currently selling well in your store? We do a lot of custom work and repurpose our clients’ jewelry that they inherited from their grandmother or someone else. Customers are taking the diamonds from those [vintage] pieces and setting them into diamond necklaces and stud earrings. Typically, these pieces are…

Causes to Celebrate: Nasruddin Rupani’s Informed Parents Initiative

Nasruddin Rupani’s Informed Parents initiative brings critical education to mothers in remote areas of South and Central Asia In 2006, diamond supplier and philanthropist Nasruddin Rupani, president of Houston-based World’s Gold & Diamonds Inc., established the Rupani Foundation to educate and support economically vulnerable workers in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and his native Pakistan on how to…

Store We Adore: Katie Diamond Jewelry in Ridgewood, N.J.

570 N. Maple Ave. Ridgewood, N.J. Katie Diamond—yes, that’s her real name—was in the fine jewelry business for eight years, wholesaling to stores such as Fred Segal and Barneys New York, before opening her shop in one of the oldest buildings in Ridgewood, N.J. She lived up the street and was obsessed with the space…

Mosaic Jewelry for the Win

Using faceted stones, inlay, or even ceramic, mosaic-inspired designs pack a patterned punch (Above) Falling Fern Brocade earrings with Peruvian and pink opals, dusty pink diamond baguettes, emeralds, brown zircon, andalusite, and blue, green, and peach tourmaline in recycled 20k rose gold; $33,750; Nak Armstrong; walter@nakarmstrong.com; nakarmstrong.com The Linda Lock all-inlay lock with 64 stones…

Gold Is the New Black

The skin-flattering metallic shade is fast becoming Hollywood’s favorite wardrobe staple Naomie Harris When you’re promoting a movie like Rampage—the big-budget action flick that Naomie Harris headlines with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson—you know the premieres are going to be lit. Fortunately, Harris dressed for the occasion, in a disco-tastic Miu Miu gown awash in gold…

Inside the Colorful World of M. Spalten Jewelry

Melissa Spalten draws inspiration from her San Antonio childhood for her colorful, gemstone-filled M. Spalten Jewelry line Most teenagers see getting grounded as a bummer. Melissa Spalten saw it as an opportunity: “I made cuff bracelets the whole time I was stuck at home,” laughs the 32-year-old designer behind the West Hollywood–based M. Spalten Jewelry.…

JCK Asks…John Atencio

The Colorado designer’s jewelry (and art) will leave you on a Rocky Mountain high If you live in Denver and you see a salt-and-pepper–haired gent breeze by on a chrysoprase-green bicycle, wave hello to John Atencio. You’ll often find the designer riding around the Mile High City; he has five retail stores in the area,…

Mamba King: Christophe Claret’s Chic Green Snake Timepiece

Snakes on a gear train! For his newest creation, the Maestro Mamba, Swiss watchmaker Christophe Claret says he “thought it would be interesting to give the illusion that a mamba, one of the most dangerous snakes in the world, is moving inside the watch.” The 3D serpent slithers around the movement, which contains another surprising…

Gold, June 2018: Julie Genet, ARK Fine Jewelry & More

HOT STOCK TIP Team Spiritual ARK designer Ann Korman, a former editor for Vogue and Glamour, started making jewelry while living in India, and her love of Eastern design and metaphysical concepts is evident throughout her mystical-feeling collection. The 18k gold squares that form the Lunar Goddess bracelet are engraved with ancient symbols related to…

Bridal, June 2018: Jennifer Dawes’ Dainty Diamonds & More

HOT STOCK TIP La Vie En Rose Fans of vintage engagement rings tend to go gaga over rose-cut diamonds. Tempt your antique-inclined brides with this timeless ring from Parade, which boasts a 0.5 ct. oval rose-cut diamond perched on a gently flared setting (available in platinum and 18k yellow, rose, and white gold). Part of…

Silver, June 2018: Meet Thailand’s Goldlip Jewelry

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Thai Spirit The biannual Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair is renowned for both its colored-stone selection and its silver jewelry design, so we were doubly excited to find Goldlip, a brand that embodies both of these desirable qualities. “I love all gems,” says owner-director Tal Levran, whose jewelry boasts a magnificent mix of…

Affairs of Estate Jewelry

From June 1 to 4, the Las Vegas Estate Jewelry & Watch pavilion will give JCK showgoers access to a promising retail category JCK Las Vegas is, first and foremost, a place to buy new merchandise. This year, however, the debut of the Las Vegas Estate Jewelry & Watch pavilion, on the Bayside level of…

Hello Bombay: Our Winter IIJS Report

The winter 2018 edition of the India International ­Jewellery Show (IIJS)—held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, a suburb of Mumbai, in early February—was highly successful. Traditionally a smaller show than its ­counterpart in July, the Signature show not only grew its space by 200 booths this year, but also saw a spike in…

5 Mobile Tech Hacks Jewelry Show Attendees Will Love

Tackling a major jewelry trade show with efficiency requires a solid game plan, excellent time management, and—let’s be honest—a pair of hardworking shoes. Technology can also go a long way in streamlining the trade show experience by providing shortcuts for daily tasks, transactions, and on-the-go organization. Simplify your next trade show trip with these five…

Tool Time, The Goods: Misfit Vapor, TripIt & More

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE Misfit Vapor Seminal wearable brand ­Misfit ­debuted its first full-featured ­smartwatch, the Misfit Vapor, late last year. The $199 device runs Google’s innovative Android Wear 2.0 software right out of the box, ­allowing wearers to ­access the ­Google Play store and use native apps ­(including a stand-alone music player) without having their…

Shirley Temple Stuns in Harry Winston Diamonds

Shirley Temple Black sparkles in white pear-shape diamonds that boast a very dark history In 1951, Mrs. Charles A. Black, better known as Shirley Temple, was photographed wearing two identical pear-shape diamonds in a Harry Winston necklace as part of an exhibition to benefit the Washington Home for Incurables. Temple may have been all smiles,…

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