Scott Kay spoke often about his design—and life—philosophy. Among his choice quotes over the years: 1. “Do not follow trends; create your own.” (To Worldone) 2. “Jewelry is an art, not a commodity.” (To Bergen.com) 3. “I design to allow others to express themselves when they wear it, not to express myself.” (To Florida’s Sun…

Over the course of an interview in his SoHo boutique, Atelier Minyon designer Alp Sagnak—who’s from Turkey and is known for his decidedly edgy take on handcrafted gold and silver finery—talks about his career, his ego issues (“You would like to think everyone is paying attention to you,” he laughs), and the importance of trunk…

The gold price has dropped nearly 33 percent in two years. No wonder we’re seeing a rush on the precious metal. Read the full story.         Hera bracelet in 22k gold; $6,000; House of Rishavy, Orlando, Fla.; 407-722-2949; houseofrishavy.com Square pillow ring in 14k gold with 1.75 cts. t.w. colorless and champagne diamonds;…

Is there anything sweeter than a fresh-from-the-bench batch of warm yellow gold jewels? These drool-worthy designs—a tantalizing array of baubles and bangles—are almost good enough to eat.  Photographs by Ted Morrison. Styling by Brooke Magnaghi.         MIXED SAMPLERWrist, finger, and neck confections…bet you can’t pick just one! Lace choker in 18k gold…

five designs that take a nod from graffiti-inspired aesthetics.

two acresses get a head start on spring’s soft-hued style trend.

The Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California’s annual dinner dance, held on Oct. 11 at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, put the Left Coast in the spotlight. The event honored two industry veterans, Jewelers Mutual’s Karen Signorino and designer–master craftsman Ricardo Basta    AGTA CEO Doug Hucker and 24 Karat Club president Rossana…

Model Danielle Williams was a sleek and chic poster child for future fashion at the cover shoot for our December–January issue, where she donned an ethereal mix of all-white apparel, the perfect canvas for her stylish gold jewelry. Considering that this is our 2015-in-preview issue, we had no qualms about outfitting Williams in looks that…

Designer Cindy Chao and actress Sarah Jessica Parker collaborated on this Ballerina Butterfly brooch for two years—producing a piece that celebrates not only Parker’s love of dance but also their friendship. “I wanted to create something that was as meaningful to her as to me,” says Chao of Parker, who studied ballet as a child…

What’s in a Name? In a fall 2014 webinar, Bernadette Smith urged jewelers to exchange the term bridal jewelry for something more gay-friendly. “If a man walks into your store, he could be looking for an engagement ring for his girlfriend, but it could be for his boyfriend,” explained the author of The Business of…

Shades of AGTA Opals were the biggest trend to come out of the 2015 ­American Gem Trade ­Association’s Spectrum and Cutting Edge awards. ­According to CEO Doug Hucker, there were more opals than anything else in the contest’s 31st year. “And not just Ethiopian opal. There was a lot of black opal,” he says. “I…

Scio Later The problems keep piling up for Scio. The Greenville, S.C., lab-grown diamond producer, which over the summer installed a new CEO and board after a series of lawsuits and proxy battles, admitted in its latest Form 10-Q that it’s technically in default for a $1 million loan that matured on June 20. “We…

Who knew? Some Buddhas lend themselves more readily to spectacular jewelry than others. For Nancy Badia, founder of the ­Buddha Mama line, Amitabha Buddha—who is always portrayed in religious imagery in Technicolor-bright hues—proved particularly alluring. “This piece was especially fun to do,” she says, “because we could incorporate enamel and vibrant colored stones.” Amitabha “is…

VicenzaOro gets a new, fashion-forward focus When Matteo Marzotto, the new president of Italy’s VicenzaOro fair, took over in early 2014, he ushered in a slew of changes: The January fair—set for Jan. 23–28 at the convention center—and the September edition are now called Boutique Shows and boast a new, more buyer-friendly format. Meanwhile, the…

The art of time is for sale at the 25th annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, taking place Jan. 19–23 in Geneva. (Above)1. Automotive chronograph in 45 mm steel case with wood dial; price TBD; Ralph Lauren Watches, NYC; 877-639-7934; ralphlaurenwatches.com   2. Art Piece in white gold with double tourbillon 30 degrees technique…

The JCK show returns to the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa Feb. 2–7 The international jewelry industry is set to heat up the Arizona desert this winter. Now in its second year, JCK Tucson will welcome a new one-day signature preshow event on Feb. 1, LUXURY one2one, which matches elite retailers with industry…

the momentum has paved the way for designers to move forward with gold, and even silver stalwarts are embracing the yellow look.

For retailers, 2015 will be all about reinvention: ­transforming themselves into media outlets, manufacturers, and even diamond buyers. herewith, 10 hot ­topics that jewelers will be buzzing about all through the new year. Wearables Apple chose an intriguing venue (and time) for one of the first public viewings of its new smartwatch: the high-end Paris…

Siblings share clothes. Monarchs share tiaras. The headpiece on Britain’s Princess Margaret at this 1951 Parisian charity ball actually belonged to her older sister, Elizabeth II. Their father, George VI, had purchased the Cartier London jewel for his wife, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, three weeks before they became king and queen in 1936. “Not too many people…

Gem fanatic, frequent flier, woman of the world When we caught up with Tamara Comolli, she was in Hong Kong (presumably foraging for unique ­gemstones). The designer—who resides in Lake Tegernsee, ­Germany, and has a second home in Naples, Fla.—was born in Munich and spent her childhood in Spain, France, and Gibraltar. Her jewelry is…

How Turkish-born Atelier Minyon designer Alp Sagnak built an empire on gold, grit, and Gothic aesthetics A lot can happen in six years. It’s the difference between a newborn and a first grader. Or L.A. Dodger Zack Greinke becoming $147 million richer. But a lot can not happen in six years as well, especially for…

What’s trending and who’s advertising in the November issues InStyle Pushing:• Gold starfish cuff; opal pendant (“Under the Sea”)• Watch with gold bracelet, crystal, and blue face; gold-plate watch with lapis dial (“Into the Blue”)Advertisers:Chanel, Cartier, Bulova, Movado, Armitron, Forevermark, Monica Rich Kosann, Swarovski, ARIVA, Stephanie Kantis, Tacori, Pandora, Endless Jewelry, Nixon, Vahan, Honora, Alex…

cut fine jewelers is not your parents’ prim and proper jewelry spot.

420 South Palafox St., Pensacola, Fla. In the 455 years since Spanish conquistador Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano set anchor in its bay, Pensacola, aka the City of Five Flags, has fallen under various rules: Spanish, British, French, Confederate, and U.S. That cultural heritage is alive and well in downtown Pensacola’s vibrant urban core,…

how onetime wholesaler peter pritsker parlayed his love of diamonds into a family business.

more than a mere facebook wannabe, google+ shows real potential for small businesses.

the owner of the larchmont, n.y. store takes pride in peridot’s designer-based, artisan-style point of view.

Get inspired by these words of ­wisdom from captains of industry, past and present. 1. “To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart.” —Thomas J. Watson, legendary early-20th-century business tycoon 2. “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful…

As a retail manager, would you ever hire someone you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with socially? If your answer is “no,” your sales team may be lacking in killer instincts. Cultivating a high-performing sales team starts with hiring—and many retail experts say likability ranks too high on the hierarchy of qualities that…

Scott Kay, one of the most prominent and celebrated designers in the ­jewelry business, died of a heart attack on Dec. 4. He was 57. He is survived by his three children and his wife of nearly 30 years, Regina. His unexpected death comes at a time when his three-decade-old company was reinvigorating itself. It…

It’s been an amazing 2014 for me, both professionally and personally. The year has been packed with travel, business successes, new initiatives, and some pretty major personal milestones. Like all past years in this job, 2014 was filled with exciting travel. Vicenza, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Basel, Freiburg, Chicago, San Diego, Las Vegas, ­Tucson, and more…

In November, I tried out my first smartwatch. It was the M1 model from Meta Watch, and I was test-driving it for the “Wrist Management” write-up, a review of four smartwatches currently on the market. It took me a couple days to figure out I had downloaded the wrong version of the Meta app, which…

1. Auctions November was a ­blockbuster month for auctions, with four significant sales benchmarks set in 10 days. On Nov. 11, the Blue Belle of Asia sold for $17.3 million at Christie’s Geneva. That day at Sotheby’s Geneva, the Henry Graves Super­complication, created in the 1930s by 175-year-old Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe, sold for $24…