March–April 2018

Origin Stories: How Jewelry Brands Are Using Tales to Spur Sales

Origin Stories: How Jewelry Brands Are Using Tales to Spur Sales

If you think you’re hawking products, think again. Stories are what sell. Take a page from three of jewelry’s best tale-tellers for tips on crafting your own.   Some of the best-known fine jewelry brands and retail entities—both established and emerging—blossomed into existence through a series of circumstances, events, and decisions that, woven together, form…

Silver Jewelry in All Its Polished, Matte, Oxidized, Gleaming Glory

Photography by Jean-Philippe Malaval Stylist Maggie Mann Jewelry Editor Rima Suqi Stacked, layered, loaded, piled on—silver lends itself to a sizzling-hot more-is-more jewelry look guaranteed to turn heads and win hearts.   Oxidized silver, pearl, and diamond stick earrings, $2,200, Nancy Newberg, 310-508-8917, nancynewberg.com; double pearl pendant with adjustable heavy silver chain, $3,600, Ayesha Mayadas,…

Silver: An Unvarnished History of Jewelry’s Most Storied Metal

Our chronicle of silver jewelry spans several centuries and includes intriguing historical facts, exemplary works from iconic makers, and insights from the modern-day designers who are elevating the white metal to an art form “You just can’t beat the elegant gleam of silver against gray cashmere or buttery soft suede,” declared fashion editor Patricia Peterson in…

Top of the Rocks: Dazzling New Engagement Rings

Sparkling new engagement rings, from double-band designs and almost-invisible illusion settings to whimsical bands and the again-ubiquitous three-stone style (thanks, Meghan Markle!)   (Clockwise from top right) Double-band ring with sapphire navette in 14k yellow gold, $1,375, Sarah Appleton, 33-674-90-7068, sarahappleton.com; Nico ring with white diamonds in 14k rose gold, $1,425, Selin Kent, info@selinkent.com, selinkent.com; baguette…

Rules of Social Engagement: A Wedding Jewelers’ Guide

How and why wedding jewelry retailers are creating a social media strategy around their clients’ marriage proposals It’s no surprise that many of our best-known stories and literary classics—from Sleeping Beauty to Shakespeare—feature a wedding as a central plot point: The celebration of marriage is one of humankind’s most compelling and enduring stories. Today, savvy…

Moments of Charity: Selling Jewelry With a Social Mission

At Peridot Fine Jewelry in Larchmont, N.Y., ­bracelets and necklaces from The Brave Collection sit prominently near the cash wrap, rising up a walnut totem pole and inviting curiosity. Such prime positioning is not accidental, Peridot owner Dawn Hendricks confirms. After all, The Brave Collection has a compelling story to share. The jewelry line from…

Insider Las Vegas: A Guide to Sin City’s Off-the-Beaten Path Spots

You’ve watched the fountains, you’ve hit the slots, you’ve Cirque du Soleil-ed. Want to shake things up at this year’s JCK show? Check out these off-the-beaten-path spots.   Check out the whole map!   1. Level Up Consider Level Up an arcade for grown-ups. Located right near the entrance to Hakkasan at the MGM Grand, this bar on…

Behind JCK’s Foxy Silver Cover Shoot With Model Allie Lewis

Spring Forward Our annual ode to storytelling covers the whats, whys, and hows of using tales to spur sales. Cherish chain necklace; $995; Ippolita; sales@ippolita.com; ippolita.com Butterfly Ginkgo bead ring in sterling silver and 18k yellow gold with moonstone and diamonds; $775; Michael Aram; sales@michaelaram.com; michaelaram.com Sterling silver 2.25-inch round hoop earrings; $90; Melissa Joy…

5 Things Rocking the Industry: March–April 2018

SHOWS To understand the news that emerged from the 2018 Tucson gem shows in early February, consider three words: blockchain, Ethiopia, and Ultra Violet. The first refers to the suddenly ubiquitous tracking technology; some think it can be used to establish supply chain transparency in the gem trade. The second is the source that keeps…

From the Editor, March–April 2018: Everyone’s Got a Story

Here’s mine: My twin sister, Julia, and I were born on a summer night in 1973 but we don’t share a birthday, or a birth month. Confused? The explanation is more straightforward than you might think: I was born 10 minutes before midnight, on June 30; Jul was born 10 minutes after midnight, on July…

Staff Picks: The Toast of JCK Tucson 2018

What JCK magazine’s Victoria Gomelsky is loving this month “I love discovering—and rediscovering—designers at gem week’s best jewelry show!” —Victoria Gomelsky, JCK editor-in-chief   (Above) Circle pendant in pink silver with blue lace agate; $225; W. Britt; 201-460-1307; wbritt.com Cuff in 18k and 22k gold and platinum with 28.63 ct. Munsteiner-cut aquamarine and white and blue diamonds;…

From the Publisher, March–April 2018: What a Start to the Year!

First, we had a jam-packed 24 Karat Club weekend in New York City, followed quickly by a strong edition of the Centurion Jewelry Show, a very successful JCK Tucson, and a solid American Gem Trade Association GemFair, along with assorted other shows that make up the annual Arizona gem week. My four-day New York whirl,…

Why @cjdgjewelers Is Our Favorite Instagram Feed of the Month

The Contemporary Jewelry Design Group boasts nearly 100 members, which means its Instagram feed (@cjdgjewelers) is a veritable gold mine of product pics from myriad multitalented artists. Tags to all the designers’ individual accounts will have you scrolling through gems for hours upon hours! Russian-born, New York City–based Alex Soldier stuns with his Sun cuff…

Snapshots From New York City’s 2018 24 Karat Weekend

The 24 Karat Club of the City of New York celebrated its 116th annual gala on Jan. 20 at one of Manhattan’s midcentury gems 1 / (Above) After more than a century at the Waldorf Astoria, the event settled into its new location at the New York Hilton Midtown. 2 / Singer Katharine McPhee gave a stellar…

A Surprisingly Festive 2017 Holiday Jewelry Sales Season

For an industry that has often seemed to be wallowing in nonstop gloom, the 2017 holiday provided an unexpectedly merry respite. Jewelry spending grew 5.9 percent this season compared with the prior year, according to Mastercard’s consumer analytics tool SpendingPulse, with many sales coming in at the very last minute. Overall, SpendingPulse found that U.S.…

3 Questions for…Signet Jewelers’ CEO Gina Drosos

Virginia “Gina” Drosos (pictured), CEO of Signet Jewelers, spoke to JCK in January about where she sees opportunities, possible store closings, and the company’s credit issues. What do you see as areas for growth in the industry? Bridal continues to be an area for growth. We have been through a several-year period where the number…

Industry & People, March–April 2018

COMINGS AND GOINGS The NPD Group has appointed Reginald Brack (pictured) watch and luxury industry analyst. Previously, he was ­general manager of watches for ­Detroit-based startup StockX. Mike Spezialetti has been appointed president of Bovet USA. Prior to joining Bovet, he was North American assistant vice president for Cartier. Heather Lynn has been appointed Bovet USA’s…

Meet Secondhand Luxury Watch Retailer/Enthusiast Danny Govberg

Years before there was a viable market for previously owned luxury watches, Danny Govberg was enthralled with them. The CEO of Govberg Jewelers and cofounder of the e-commerce platform ­WatchBox took an interest in secondhand timepieces in the early ’80s, mainly as a way to stand out in his family’s crowded Philadelphia-based jewelry business. “If…

How Do You Incorporate Storytelling Into Your Retail Sales?

I’m third generation in my business, so we have a lot of history and knowledge and stories we can tell. We’re always weaving in stories from the past when we’re talking to clients—things we’ve experienced and know about. That’s how you build relationships, by getting a little more personal with the customer. We also might…

Store We Adore: Vincent’s Fine Jewelry in Pelham, N.Y.

227 Fifth Ave., Pelham, N.Y. Vincents is an extremely approachable retail concept on Pelham’s main thoroughfare, Fifth Avenue. Unlike other tony New York City enclaves such as Greenwich, Conn., the town doesn’t drip with designer outposts or fancy restaurants. But don’t let first impressions fool you: Pelham is packed with potential fine jewelry buyers.  …

Purple Art: Jewels in the Key of Ultra Violet

This rich, royal color—particularly striking when paired with similar shades—is back in the spotlight thanks to Pantone. 1 / Rose-cut oval ruby necklace with crystal in 18k white gold; $40,000; Butani; info@butani.com; butani.com 2 / Tulip ring with amethyst, green tourmaline, and rose-cut diamonds in 18k yellow and white gold; $41,000; Gilan; 917-213-0349; gilan.com 3 / Ring with…

Golden Glow: Our Favorite Jewels From the 2018 Golden Globes

Elegant jewels and a parade of classic black formalwear (#timesup) marked the 75th annual Golden Globes Greta Gerwig Look closely: Are those golden feathers on Greta Gerwig’s neck? How appropriate for the director of Lady Bird, which was named Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. (Its star, Saoirse Ronan, also won best actress for her…

Sense and Sustainability: The Melissa Joy Manning Story

After two decades in the business, Melissa Joy Manning unveils a fine jewelry collection imbued with her signature rough-meets-refined style When designer Melissa Joy Manning decided to expand her namesake line into fine jewelry, she did it with little fanfare, announcing the move last August via posts to her 28,000-plus Instagram followers. Since founding her…

JCK Asks…Nikos Koulis

From his home base in Athens, the celebrated designer pours his soul into reinterpreting 1920s jewelry style for the modern woman   If you’re a fan of Art Deco jewelry, you’ve had your eye on Nikos Koulis and his classic-meets-contemporary designs for years. Never mind that now everyone and their uncle are making triangle rings;…

Rock Like an Egyptian: Buddha Mama’s Pharaoh Pendant

Fine jewelry brand Buddha Mama is known for making colorful, trendsetting designs that often incorporate time-honored iconography. This one-of-a-kind necklace, which renders a pharaoh’s skull in ultrafine detail, was the first piece created for a collection inspired by the rich symbolism of ancient Egypt. Dakota Badia, designer for the Miami-based brand, says the piece is…

Gold, March–April 2018: Tiny Om, Ariel Gordon, and More

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Om Depot Japanese fine art was the inspiration behind the petite, arcing pattern that Manama, Bahrain–based TinyOm used for its new 18k gold Wave collection—which puts a decorative spin on the “daily gold” jewelry concept. TinyOm was founded by designer Virginie Dreyer, a former lawyer and lifelong yoga aficionada who, after moving from…

Diamonds, March–April 2018: Eriness, Poe Jewelry, and More

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Ring and a Prayer When Venice, Calif.–based designer Danielle Birrittella began studying ancient mandala illustrations depicting the body’s chakras, she noticed that representations of each of the seven sacred energy points corresponded to a different fancy-shape diamond. Using the stones as a foundation, Birrittella, who also happens to be a classically trained singer,…

Watches, March–April 2018: Tockr, Berd Vaye & More

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Parts & Crafts While jewelry is broken apart and melted down when it’s no longer wanted, watches are less obvious candidates for recycling. The founders of Berd Vaye, however, beg to differ. The New York City–based company creates fetching sculptures made of Lucite filled with vintage watch parts. “We have to give them…

American Gem Society Conclave 2018: Next Stop, Nashville

Music and mingling dominate the agenda at the 2018 American Gem Society Conclave in Nashville April 23–25   The American Gem Society is heading straight to the heart of “Music City” for its annual Conclave, which takes place April 23–25 at the Omni Nashville Hotel, located in the bustling downtown of Tennessee’s beloved capital city.  “Nashville…

5 Online Hacks to Improve a Brick-and-Mortar Retailer’s Life

There’s nothing easy about running an independent retail store. But if you’re ready to embrace new tech tools designed to provide shortcuts for time-intensive tasks, a future filled with slightly less busywork and physical labor awaits. Read on for five of our favorite digital hacks. Social Media Management Social strategy and management are major commitments…

Tool Time, The Goods, March–April 2018: GemCam & More

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE NYSW Manhattan New York Standard Watch (NYSW) was founded in 1885 as an upscale pocket-watch manufacturer but shuttered during the Great Depression. Horologists revived the house in 2006 as a maker of hybrid smartwatches for men who prefer the look and feel of ­analog timepieces to rubbery step counters. NYSW’s Manhattan smartwatch—one…

Watch Out! It’s Twiggy in a Swinging ’60s Timepiece-Covered Dress

Emblematic of London’s Swinging ’60s style scene, British model Twiggy (real name Lesley Hornby) became an overnight sensation in the United States in 1967, thanks to three covers and fashion spreads for Vogue, including this iconic image by Bert Stern. Here, she shows off the oversize timepieces of the era, donning a gray suede Giorgio…

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