The second annual New York City Jewelry Week (NYCJW) officially kicked off Tuesday night in NYC at an invitation-only party hosted by online luxury design marketplace 1stdibs, a NYCJW sponsor.
The soiree, dubbed Bedazzled, was held in a 57th-floor condo in the Flatiron district that boasts floor-to-ceiling windows highlighting glittering city views (on sale for $14.9 million from NYCJW sponsor the Holly Parker Team at Douglas Ellman). Its roomy bedrooms and bathroom served as staging areas for beautifully curated displays of pre-owned fine jewelry from the online retailer.
The lights at the party were low, but spirits ran high. Guests sipping on special honeycomb cocktails remarked on how fun and easygoing—while still glamorous—the atmosphere was, and how lovely it was that NYCJW, a true startup endeavor that still very much relies on the hard work of passionate interns, among others, was gaining traction, both in its reputation as a real and worthy event and in its netting of sponsorships.
“It’s bigger, so it’s more work,” noted NYCJW cofounder JB Jones with a big smile, “but that makes it more exciting, too.”
Indeed. NYCJW has more than 500 events running this week, ranging from design displays and retrospectives at retail stores to factory and brand headquarter tours, panel and speaker sessions with illustrious industry players, marketing and how-to workshops, traditional museum and gallery shows, and special installations (see the full list of events here).
Jones and Bella Neyman founded NYCJW in 2018, successfully pulling off what many in the jewelry community had long been pining for: a well-organized, weeklong celebration of local design artistry and jewelry craft. In the process, the cofounders gave the city a new and intriguing cultural happening to attend and look forward to. That enthusiasm for NYCJW was palpable at last night’s kickoff event, which lured NYC-based jewelry designers, gem dealers, and retailers, along with fashion industry players (including Fern Mallis, former head of New York Fashion Week).
Laughter ricocheted around the rooms, and guests lingered to the end. One attendee, a fashion events designer, turned to this reporter on the elevator at the end of the night and said, “I can’t believe how fun that was.” Ditto.
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Top: A scene from Bedazzled, the NYCJW 2019 kickoff party sponsored by 1stdibs
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