As some of you know, prior to joining JCK, I was with Reed Business’s entertainment-industry trade magazine, Variety. A perk of the job was visiting family and friends through the year and regaling them with stories of chatting with Renée, shaking Tom’s hand, standing right next to Nicole, and bumping into Elton. While never the main attraction of the job, my star sightings (and the stories I got to tell) were something I thought I’d miss.

As I’ve roamed from annual reunion to annual reunion this summer (waterskiing near Dadeville, Ala.; beaching on the Cape; hosting family in town), I’ve discovered something amazing: Brad and Angelina have nothing on a 5 ct. fancy intense canary diamond!

Everywhere I go, when I mention my role with the nation’s leading jewelry trade publication, the response is universal—”Jewelry?!”—and is usually followed by someone poring over the magazine.

It’s so exciting to see the magic effect jewelry has on women (and more and more, on men). It captivates them, entrances them, and sets off wonderful musings of “someday” and “that’s exactly what I dream of.”

On a serious note, this appeal is clearly what keeps this age-old business so eternally young and vital. It’s great to know we’re in an industry that produces the stuff of fantasy. We at JCK are here to help harness those fantasies and turn them into realities, by giving retailers the information they need to meet consumers’ desires and by providing manufacturers with an outstanding advertising vehicle for promoting their goods to retailers and wholesalers alike.

As September begins, I look forward to seeing our many friends at the West Coast Jewelry Show in Los Angeles, VicenzaOro in Italy, and right here in New York City!