Here’s a prediction.
By the time you read this, I will have just started my maternity leave. That’s right—I’m writing this letter in mid-October, as we prepare to go to press, and I’m due to have my first child (a boy!) on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. (Here’s hoping my little turkey comes out fully baked.)
In light of that news, I know 2019 will be quite a year for me. Though I think it’s safe to say it will be quite a year for all of us. The pace of technological and social change is only quickening. Every time I envision the future, I imagine the scene from Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film Minority Report, in which Tom Cruise is bombarded by a series of personalized augmented-reality ads that materialize from the ether.
While we’re not quite there yet, a host of changes are coming down the pike in the new year. To get a head start on them, read “9 Hot Topics for 2019,” a collection of projections by JCK’s editors on everything from jewelry’s blockchain-enabled future to the return of that ’80s staple, the hoop earring, now featuring a slew of modern twists.
You’ll see a few variations on the hoop in “Mellow Yellow,” starring our lovely cover model outfitted in the season’s newest gold baubles. We continue to explore the prospects for gold jewelry in “Golden Cycle,” contributor Kristin Young’s analysis of the gold price and how its ups and current down are affecting the trade.
In “Video Players” (page 72), senior editor Emili Vesilind tackles the ins and outs of grabbing eyeballs on YouTube. The secret to success on the mega-social channel isn’t pristine cinematography, she says. It all boils down to “useful, shareable, and/or hyperlocal content.”
Speaking of useful, don’t miss “Big Mistake. Big. Huge!” by contributor Danny Smith, an overview of the hiring missteps you may inadvertently be making, and “Secondhand News,” contributor Martha C. White’s expert guide to adding a pre-owned jewelry and watch category to your store.
We round out the final issue of 2018 with our first annual colored stone section on page 85. Anyone bound for the Tucson gem shows in February (including the sixth annual edition of JCK Tucson) would be wise to check out its tips and tricks for shopping the shows, not to mention our color-related prophecies for 2019. Hint: I expect to see plenty of shades of blue, not only in my future, but also in all of yours!
Top: Venus cuff in 18k yellow gold; $10,000; Saint Ann; sales@saintannjewelry.com; saintannjewelry.com
(Photograph by Nicholas A. Prakas; hair and makeup: Claudia Andreatta/Halley Resources)
