Homeward bound!

Welcome to the annual pre-show issue of JCK! As always, this spectacular May issue is packed with fantastic editorials, beautiful photography, timely trends and fashions, and plenty of information about next month’s JCK Las Vegas show.

Speaking of JCK, as you undoubtedly know, the show is returning to its original venue, the Sands Expo and Convention Center. While Mandalay Bay once offered a better convention facility (one that has since been matched by the Sands), it’s no secret that the north end of The Strip was less than ideal. We are all excited to once again be located in the heart of The Strip, with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment options that are unmatched anywhere in Vegas (and few places in the world, for that matter).

The move back to the Sands coincides with another epic moment in JCK history: our 150th anniversary! The magazine began in New York City in 1869 as the American Horological Journal, based on Maiden Lane in Manhattan (then the center of both the jewelry and publishing industries). Over time, the book was rechristened The ­Jewelers’ Circular, and in 1935 it merged with The Keystone magazine to become Jewelers’ ­Circular-Keystone (and later, simply JCK).

In 1992, the magazine seized the momentum of bringing conventions traditionally based in New York City and Chicago to Las Vegas, and founded Jewelry ’92 (thankfully renamed JCK Las Vegas the following year). Since that time, the brand has represented the best-in-class for trade shows and trade publications in the U.S. jewelry industry.

I’ve just seen the graphics we’ve created to celebrate the 150th at the show—look for a giant wall display above our newsstand opposite the main entrance of the Sands Expo—and it’s quite thrilling. We’re excited to celebrate all week there.

Throughout this anniversary year, we’ve been featuring print and online interviews with 150 industry leaders on what JCK means to them. If you’ve not caught them, do yourself a favor and check them out (see the third installment of the series on page 142). They are truly fascinating perspectives on our brand and our industry.

I hope you enjoy absorbing the pages of this beautiful issue, and I hope you’re inspired to visit the booths of the wonderful advertisers within. I look forward to seeing you in Vegas!

Top: A peek into the archives of the past 150 years of JCK

(Smelzer photograph by Nicholas A. Prakas; grooming: Claudia Andreatta/Halley Resources)