STERLING MOMENTS RECEIVES CRAFT AWARD

Sterling Moments, a jeweler based in Louisville, Ky., was recently named one of “America’s Top 100 Retailers of American Crafts” by Niche magazine.

The jeweler, which isn’t connected with Sterling Inc. of Akron, Ohio, was cited for superior performance in buying, marketing, store presentation and community outreach.

“It is important the craft industry recognizes that excellence in craft marketing is what makes our industry stronger,” says Wendy Rosen, publisher of Niche.

Bryon and Karen Brantly of Louisville founded Sterling Moments in 1990. The company, which has one store in Louisville and one in Cincinnati, Ohio, specializes in distinctive sterling silver jewelry and features the handmade works of more than 50 artists. The company plans to expand through franchising starting in 1996.

QVC GOLD SHOW SETS SALES RECORD

The QVC home shopping network sold $18.3 million of 14k gold jewelry during its “Klondike Gold Rush” Aug. 17. That’s a one-day sales record for the company, topping the previous record of $17.9 million set in January 1993.

The 24-hour programming event marked the 99th anniversary of the gold strike in Canada’s Klondike Territory. Throughout the programming, QVC broadcast historical vignettes and scenic footage from the Klondike gold fields and original mines.

During the event, the company took in almost 250,000 orders for traditional and contemporary jewelry for men and women. The average per-piece price was $75.

The best-selling item: a QVC-exclusive diamond-cut 22-inch necklace. More than 30,000 sold for a total of nearly $3.5 million.