Beryl Raff, former chairman of Zale Corp., is the new senior vice president and general merchandise manager of fine jewelry for J.C. Penney, one of the largest U.S. retailers. The appointment, effective May 21, was announced May 8 at the company’s headquarters in Plano, Texas. Raff, who resigned suddenly from Zale in February, noted that Penney has “historically [been] … an industry leader in fine jewelry. Restoring and building on this history is a tremendous opportunity.”