Philanthropist Noreen Stonor Drexel, who passed away in 2012 at age 90, may be best remembered for her tireless work for the American Red Cross and other health organizations. But the Newport, R.I., social fixture also left behind some incredible jewelry—like these gorgeous David Webb pearl and diamond drops, which fetched $1.2 million (nearly 10…

New Girl With a Pearl The “Girl With a Pearl Earring” painting by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer has inspired many, ­including Lee Wiser McIntosh. The Atlanta-based ­jewelry maker and founder of Katura Design is such a fan that she recently commissioned a ­photographer to shoot a series of portraits that take a page from the…

Design on the Run The American Gem Trade Association added something brilliant to this year’s Tucson GemFair: an on-site CAD/CAM studio on the show floor to enable shoppers to design jewelry with their loose stones before they headed home. Six designers were on hand to make models—some even printing waxes—for merchants, all in an effort…

Strike a Poesy About two years ago, Rod and Monica Rich Kosann were shopping a vintage jewelry show in London when they stumbled on a selection of poesy rings—bands that were commonly exchanged among lovers in England and France during the 15th to 17th centuries, their interior shanks often inscribed with sweet sentiments or poetic…

Insects suffer from a general lack of respect. But in haute jewelry design, buzzing bees, spindly spiders, and their brethren often transcend their lowly reputations to become fodder for fantastical creations. Such is certainly the case in Parisian brand Chaumet’s new line of watches, Attrape-moi…si tu m’aimes (Catch me…if you love me), which mines Mother…

The 2014 American Gem Society Conclave, which marks the group’s 80th year, takes San Diego by storm The 600 retailers expected to attend this year’s American Gem Society Conclave, set for April 22–26 at the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, have a lot to be excited about. AGS celebrates its 80th anniversary this…

Retailers are discovering that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his accessories In 2009, while Marie Helene Morrow was on safari with her family in Kenya, she was intrigued by the Swahili word kiyume. The owner of Reinhold Jewelers, a chain of high-end jewelry stores in Puerto Rico, inquired about its meaning…

from a bustling culinary scene to expansions on the entertainment front, a host of new offerings at the south end of the strip promises to impress even those who attended jck last year.

15 organizations and industry associations that keep the jewelry business spinning While the jewelry industry has many—some say too many—associations, the 15 we’re spotlighting here are the most ­prominent and powerful, helping trade members connect with each other, protect themselves and their businesses, raise the bar on ethics, and bring their messages to the outside…

M.C.L takes Manhattan with a new collection Matthew Campbell Laurenza is barely into his late 30s (barely!) and he’s already racked up 16 years in the business. After college he began making bespoke gold jewelry for private clients; in 2005, he started crafting costume capsule collections for high-end retailers such as Henri Bendel. He debuted…

If you’re not part of her tribe of hard-core jewelry worshippers, you will be soon When Rihanna was photographed in Barbados a few summers ago, the buzz on celebrity blogs wasn’t about whom she was with (her brother Rajad) or what she was doing (jet-skiing). Rather, it was all about what she was wearing: a…

InStyle Pushing:• Rose gold and diamond bar stud; black spinel ear cuff (“Multiple piercings not your thing? You can still push the boundaries with linear studs”)• Rose-shape turquoise, opal, and diamond earrings; carved multicolor jade chandeliers (“These ­to-die-for danglers add an artful touch”)Advertisers:Tiffany, Harry Winston, Gemfields, Marco Bicego, Colore/SG, Tacori, Simon G., Stephanie Kantis, Chanel…

Welcome to Andrea Riso’s “crazy store” Opening a fine jewelry store that didn’t feel like a fine jewelry store was Andrea Riso’s lifelong dream. The retailer/gemologist, who opened Talisman Collection in El Dorado Hills, Calif., late last year, has been enamored of gems since childhood, but didn’t want to spend her days in a formal-feeling…

574 Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, Mich. The neighborhood where Diane Harris opened My House of Style in 2005 once housed Birmingham’s upscale art-gallery district. The large picture window filling the space with sunlight attracted Harris to her future storefront. “I wanted it to feel like you were coming into somebody’s home,” Harris says. “Customers come…

Tyler Rogoway grew up around the jewelry business—his father, Dave, and uncle, Rick, co-own LaRog Brothers, a fine jewelry store with two locations in the Portland, Ore., suburbs. But it wasn’t until just over a year ago that he decided to give working for the family business a serious go. Now he handles the bulk…

The virtual currency has its share of critics, but retailers are beginning to embrace its freewheeling philosophy With so much of our life (communications, music, media, and more) residing in cyberspace, it seems fitting that money would eventually go digital. Bitcoin, rolled out in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto (his actual identity is unknown), is a…

In the past 10 years, marketing has gone through a lot of changes. The tools required to bring in new clients keep changing, with a new lexicon and new social media popping up daily. But don’t despair! These tips can help you deal with marketing without getting overwhelmed.  1. One step at a time. Even…

The Fort Lauderdale store shines with specialized service and at-home atmosphere 1. How do you differentiate your store from the competition? By providing great service and customization. We’re on a street with 20 to 30 clothing shops; every one of them carries jewelry. People think jewelers only compete with other jewelers. My other competition is…

Kathleen Carmical, an account executive in jewelry powerhouse Stuller’s interiors department, talks about how to spruce up your store without spending a dime. 1. Clean: You may not notice the dust bunnies on the baseboards, but your new customers will. 2. Rearrange: Have your in-case displays been in the same spot for the past five…

why retailers need to know about social networks like snapchat.

Reports from the retail trenches on Valentine’s Day: 1. “Diamond fashion pieces: three-stone rings, bracelets, and pendants. Pandora always ranks high too.” —Allan Torrington, co-owner, Knowles Jewelry, Minot, N.D. 2. “Those dancing diamonds that Simply Diamonds makes—those were very popular.” —Andrew Castiglione, owner, Castiglione Jewelers, Gloversville, N.Y. 3. “We have a line called Southern Gates,…

Consumers showed jewelers a little love this Valentine’s Day, with most retailers surveyed by JCK saying that Feb. 14 sales came in strong and sweet.   “It was the best Valentine’s Day we ever had,” said Allan Torrington, co-owner of Knowles Jewelry, Minot, N.D. “Sales were up 57 percent over last year. Guys in North Dakota…

I’m just back from an exciting week in China. For the second year in a row, I attended the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, one of the largest in the world. As always, it was terrific seeing our Hong Kong manufacturer friends, as well as colleagues and exhibitors from around…

If you had to rank the world’s most powerful cities, Hong Kong would be a serious contender for No. 1. Like New York, it is a hub of money, the financial engine that makes Asia go round. Like Mumbai or Mexico City, it teems with humanity. Like London, it is home to architecture that reflects…

1. Shows That Hong Kong is a—if not the—nexus of the global jewelry business was crystal clear at the 31st edition of the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, held March 5–9 at the city’s soaring harborside convention center. Home to 3,850 exhibitors (up from 3,341 in 2013) from 53 countries and regions, the show has…