JCK magazine is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year! To commemorate that milestone, we’re talking to 150 veteran jewelry professionals in 2019 for a feature series meant to distill the voices of some of the industry’s most enduring and successful professionals.
We can’t print every interview in its entirety in the magazine—so we’ve been posting full interviews here on JCKonline.com every Thursday.
This week we hear from Tamara and Amir Goldfiner, cofounders of Rahaminov Diamonds in Los Angeles, who worked on our interview questions together.
JCK: How long have you been in the industry, and what’s changed during you’ve been time in it?
Tamara and Amir Goldfiner: We have been in the jewelry industry for over 30 years, and it has completely changed over that time. Firstly, we didn’t have any technology. We managed our inventory on paper, dealt with handwritten memos/invoices, and we did not have so many clients.
With technology, we are now able to reach so many new markets, but it also means that competition is greater. To compete today, it’s not enough to have good prices. You need to have an exceptional inventory and even better customer service. The loyalty among customers is not what it used to be…they call everyone when they need something and first look to online resources.
We also did not have to deal with synthetic diamonds when we started. This has instilled a sense of uncertainty in the market. It adds another layer of caution that wasn’t a factor before.
With the presence of social media, we also have to be careful with what we decide to share online. There are so many designers being constantly copied that sometimes we need to take a step back before we decide to share new designs online.
What’s your experience with JCK magazine? What has JCK magazine meant to you?
The JCK team has always been very professional and truly helped us build our brand and develop our relationship with clients. We have enjoyed working with them for the past 30 years. Being part of JCK magazine meant we had great exposure to the industry.
What was your first impression of JCK magazine, and how has it changed over the years?
The magazine has always been incredible and we have been honored to be a part of it for many years. Over time, we have seen the magazine continue to grow. The articles are more and more interesting, the quality of the photography has drastically improved, and the outreach has expanded. The expansion to online has also been extremely beneficial to both our brand and our salespeople. We are able to target a different set of readers through online and are also able to get daily industry updates.
Top: Rahaminov gemstone ring (photo courtesy of Rahaminov Diamonds)
Catch up on all of JCK’s 150th interviews:
Dallas Prince, founder of Dallas Prince Designs
Esther Fortunoff, president of Fortunoff Fine Jewelry
Terry Burman, former Signet chairman
Brandee Dallow, president and founder of Fine Girl Luxury Brand Building & Communications
Tom Chatham, CEO of Chatham Created Gems & Diamonds
Tom Heyman, partner, Oscar Heyman & Brothers
Duvall O’Steen, jewelry publicist, Luxury Brand Group
Pat Henneberry, founder and president of the Jewelry Coach
Marty Hurwitz, CEO of MVI Marketing
Hank B. Siegel, president of Hamilton Jewelers
Erica Courtney, jewelry designer
Robert Weldon, director of GIA’s Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center
Stuart Robertson, vice president of Gemworld
Bill Furman, longtime JCK magazine ad sales manager
Kathryn Kimmel, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of GIA
Katie Kinsella Murphy, owner of Kinney + Kinsella
Frank Dallahan, publisher, The Retailer Jeweler
Jen Cullen Williams, managing director of Luxury Brand Group
Sally Morrison, chief marketing officer of Lightbox
Susan M. Jacques, president and CEO of GIA
Marie Helene Morrow, president of Reinhold Jewelers
Jenny Luker, U.S. president of Platinum Guild International
Beth Gerstein, co-CEO of Brilliant Earth
Russell Shor, GIA senior industry analyst
Walter McTeigue, cofounder of McTeigue & McClelland
Caryl Capeci, president of Hearts On Fire
Eddie LeVian, CEO of Le Vian
Peggy Jo Donahue, freelance writer and former JCK editor-in-chief
Rebecca Moskal, jewelry marketing veteran
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