Legendary jewelry firm J.E. Caldwell & Co., founded in Philadelphia in 1839 by metalsmith James Emmott Caldwell, built its name on designs created in the fluid Art Nouveau style. But its Art Deco offerings—of which this platinum and ruby ring is a spectacular example—were equally stunning. The ring, which sold at Sotheby’s Feb. 7 Important…

Blackened Beauties The popularity of oxidized fine fashion jewelry is starting to spill over into bridal cases, now that a few manufacturers have debuted styles with blackened accents. Take Frederic Sage, the Great Neck, N.Y.–based firm, which began testing three blackened styles last year. “We haven’t pushed oxidized styles, but some customers fall in love…

Natural Selection Natural pearls proved particularly strong sellers at last year’s Baselworld show, and a year later they’re still trending. This is according to New York City–based Tara & Sons, whose display window at February’s Centurion show in Scottsdale, Ariz., was ­practically overflowing with the rare gems. The demand for natural pearls has been increasing…

The Prize Winner Gregoré Morin of Gregoré Joailliers has won so many Spectrum Awards from the American Gem Trade Association that it’s hard to keep track of them all. There were two Best of Show wins, four first-place accolades, and a smattering of second- and third-place nods—all before the most recent 2013 competition, where he…

De Beers on Ice De Beers saw profits and sales fall in 2012, the result of what it called “challenging” trading conditions and gyrating diamond prices. Total sales dropped 16 percent to $6.1 billion. Operating profit dropped 45 percent, to $815 million. Overall, the company’s rough prices slipped 12 percent last year, with particularly strong…

Mandalay Bay’s revamped dining and nightlife scene is so good that while you can check out anytime you like, you may never want to leave Just when you thought you knew the lay of the land at Mandalay Bay, think again. A long list of changes will be implemented at the luxury resort before the…

After serving West Los Angeles watch customers for more than five decades, Feldmar Watch Co. finally gets a much-needed­ face-lift. Here’s how the ­family-owned retailer pulled off a two-year-long extreme store makeover while keeping the business running by Chris Willman Mark Harmon, the star of TV’s No. 1 show, NCIS, has been shopping for timepieces…

Inspired by The Temple of Flora, a 1799 British book of lush botanical illustrations, the China Limodoron timepiece from Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin couples pinprick-precise watch mechanics with ancient jewelry craft. One of three limited-edition floral-themed watches in the Métiers d’Art Florilège collection, the piece “was built on the concept of revisiting a classic, almost…

The sixth edition of Signature Mumbai reveled in impressive displays of diamonds Oversize, elaborate, and ­diamond-intensive were the trends du jour at the sixth edition of Signature Mumbai Feb. 22–25 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre in India. The looks played out in voluminous diamond cluster rings, some using special patented cuts that combine…

Five standout jewels at the 2013 globalDESIGN show Feb. 16–18 in Philadelphia: (Above)1. Earrings in 18k yellow gold with rock crystal and 0.32 ct. t.w. diamonds; $6,120; Zaiken Jewelry, Edgewater, N.J.; 888-992-4536; zaikenjewelry.com   2. Space heart necklace in oxidized silver with 1.52 cts. t.w. diamonds; $5,600; G & G Creations, Boston; 617-263-0096; gngcreations.com  …

The Swiss jewelry and watch fair unveils a mega-millions makeover A $460 million makeover that includes a brand-new floor plan greets showgoers at Baselworld 2013, when the redesigned Basel convention center is unveiled April 25–May 2. Organizers began promoting the redesign two years ago and are debuting a new motto—“Brilliance Meets”—just in time to celebrate…

On Oct. 2, 1960, just after dawn in Manhattan, Audrey Hepburn stood outside Tiffany & Co.’s Fifth Avenue flagship, Danish and coffee in hand, to film the opening of Breakfast at ­Tiffany’s. It was the first time the jeweler had opened its doors to a Hollywood movie crew—40 security guards and anxious employees were on…

Taking stack of the designer’s inspirations When it comes to Dawes Design rings, the more the merrier. With hand-hammered 18k gold and gemstone creations from more than a dozen collections—­including the wavy California Canyon, delicate ­Dewdrop, and sleekly modern Blockette—the stacking and mixing-and-matching options are practically endless…especially for brides looking to liven up their left…

What’s trending and who’s advertising in the March issues Harper’s Bazaar Pushing• Slick gray and gold collar; maize, black, and white cuff (“splashes of yellow brighten…spring’s looks”)• 18k gold stacked bangles, triple chain link bracelet, double-wrap knotted rope bracelet (“Heavy metal”)Advertisers David Yurman, Cartier, Bulgari, Ippolita, JB Star, de Grisogono, Simon G., Van Cleef &…

A small budget yields big commercial appeal Melissa Tan wasn’t sure what the response would be to Little John’s Derby Jewelry’s first-ever TV commercial in 2011: an intentionally campy spot featuring a woman stuffing gold ­jewelry into an envelope. (The message: Don’t mail your gold—bring it in for cash.) She wrote and produced the ad,…

8569 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, Calif. The Sunset Strip is home to celebrity haunts like Chateau Marmont, legendary rock clubs like Whisky a Go Go, and, as of late last year, the new flagship outlet of the high-end watch retailer Westime. “The exterior is inspired by Mel’s Diner next door,” Greg Simonian, fourth-generation president of Westime, says…

Every day is mother’s day at the 72-year-old McCary’s Jewelers When Miles Thomas graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in business last year, he knew exactly where he wanted to take his newfound education: McCary’s Jewelers, his family’s fine ­jewelry store in Shreveport, La., which was founded by his great-grandfather, James McCary, in…

The marketing doesn’t end when the customer takes the bait Marketing might best be described as the process of getting customers to show an interest in your offer. As we’ve often said, it can get customers to your business but it doesn’t necessarily make them buy—that comes down to the staff. The success of a…

A hands-off approach does more than just keep the crystal fingerprint-free 1. What has been your most memorable sale? We had a man call one day who had seen a 6.5 ct. marquise-cut diamond in a platinum ring mounting featured in one of our newspaper ads. He called the next day and asked how much…

The rapidly evolving retail landscape has resulted in a spate of thought-provoking books on the subject. A few recent releases to consider: 1. The Retail Revival: Reimagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism (by Doug Stephens) explains how demographic, economic, and technological shifts are inexorably altering consumer behavior. 2. People Love You: The Real…

David Harvey Jewelers is the type of store where salespeople make their careers. One employee started out in the stockroom, ascended through management ranks, and now manages one of the retailer’s two Connecticut locations. A recently retired manager, who left with full pension benefits, had been with the company since 1980. Owner Jeff Roseman credits…

Greetings from Hong Kong! With the economy improving and the perception that it’s time to reinvest in America’s growth, I stepped up my travel in the first quarter to take full advantage of the opportunities. In addition to my trips to India and Tucson in January and February, I visited Inhorgenta in Munich in late…

When I met Michelle Orman a dozen years ago, I don’t think either of us could have predicted that one day, I’d be editing the 2013 Power Issue of JCK and she’d be featured in it. We were in our late 20s (just barely) and were equally new to the ­jewelry and watch trade, which…

1. Media The Super Bowl has always been considered the, um, Super Bowl of ad placements. And yet viewers were surely taken aback when, amid the beer and corn chip commercials, local stations aired a high-toned ad for jewelry chain Alex and Ani during the Feb. 3 game. The commercial ran only in select markets,…