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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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;…

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,…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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.  …

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…

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…

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;…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…