Can you believe Halloween is Thursday? Make sure you have candy handy for any trick-or-treaters who pop into your store—of all ages, of course! Other highlights of the week include the JA New York show, a gemology conference across the pond in London, and a webinar you can watch from the comfort of your office (or couch). Plus: a new book to read right away or save for a chilly night by the fire.
ATTEND
JA New York: Oct. 27–29 (in person)
The fall edition of this NYC stalwart returns to the Javits Center, where buyers and retailers will be on the hunt for ready-to-stock holiday inventory. The educational programming is worth checking out as well, with events on several topics of interest to retailers, such as retail branding, legal compliance, and lab-grown versus natural diamonds. Register on site or right here.
Gem-A Conference 2024 in London: Nov. 2–3 (in person)
If you’re in London, carve out some time to attend this annual event hosted by the venerable Gemmological Association of Great Britain. Join fellow gemologists at etc.venues County Hall in the city’s South Bank neighborhood to take in an agenda packed with speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities. Register and buy tickets here.
WATCH
“Discover Platinum at Its Very Best” webinar: Oct. 29, 1 p.m. ET
In this informative Plumb Club–hosted webinar, Benny Oeyen, Anglo American’s executive head of market development for PGMs (platinum group metals), will enlighten attendees about the many uses of platinum beyond jewelry, its benefits, and some of the newest innovations with the metal. He’ll also discuss the particulars of responsibly mined platinum and—best of all—introduce the audience to a game-changing new alloy: Inoveo Platinum. Register here.
READ
If Jewels Could Talk: Seven Secret Histories by Carol Woolton
It’s a buzzy new book on many jewelry lovers’ holiday wish lists—give it a read yourself before you package it up for others. One really good reason to do so comes straight from author Carol Woolton in this Q&A with JCK contributor Annie Davidson Watson: “I feel that jewelry lies at the intersection of everything—war, revolution, design, fashion, the slave trade, art, sculpture, personalities, geology, royalty, architecture, culture, religion, politics—so through telling these stories about jeweled objects, human history is revealed in the narrative. [The book is] a way to get people to engage with the subject who aren’t convinced of its importance in our lives. Sure, jewelry adds glitter and shine to an outfit, but it has a depth like nothing else we wear—stretching back to the beginning when the first shell bead was drilled to wear.” We couldn’t agree more.
Top: Ring with 4.48 ct. pear-shape paraiba tourmaline, 1.27 cts. t.w. pear-shape diamonds, and 0.81 ct. t.w. round diamonds in platinum and 18k gold, $31,840; Yael Designs
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