When a jewel makes the cover of an auction catalog, you know the house has high hopes for its sale. It’s easy to see why this century-old ring earned such prime placement—and a $458,500 price—at Bonhams’ Oct. 15 Fine Jewelry ­auction. The 6.98 ct. D-color diamond, explains Virginia Salem, director of Bonhams fine ­jewelry department…

A sleek newcomer joins two oldies but goodies that have recently returned to the United States in new guises: DeLaneauAfter nearly a decade of absence from the Baselworld fair, DeLaneau, the Geneva watch brand beloved by fans of enameled and gem-set timepieces, returned to the show in 2012 as part of a reboot that carried…

It Had to Be Blue On Nov. 14 at Sotheby’s Geneva, a 10.48 ct. fancy deep-blue briolette diamond fetched $1.036 million a carat, setting a world record per-carat price for a deep-blue stone. The buyer: London dealer and auction perennial Laurence Graff, who paid $10.8 million—a record for a briolette diamond. Source of Controversy A…

From the moment Victor Velyan saw the giant Mexican fire opal embedded in this jewel, he imagined it as the red-hot end of a gold-stemmed habanero pepper. “It was sitting on my desk for three years,” says the designer. “And one day I walked in and said, ‘That’s a little girl dragon.’?” Plans were quickly…

The first-ever LUXURY Privé Panama targeted retailers south—way south—of the border LUXURY Privé Panama concluded its three-day ­inaugural run Oct. 24 at the Westin Playa Bonita in ­Panama City, establishing a regional first: a buying show dedicated to the Latin American jewelry market. The event brought together 50 high-end exhibitors from the United States and…

The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) returns to the Geneva Palexpo fairground Jan. 21–25. Invited retailers, keep your eyes peeled for these novelties: (Left)1. Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication in 44 mm titanium and ceramic on rubber strap; $710,700; Audemars Piguet, NYC; 888-214-6858; audemarspiguet.com 2. Geneva’s Roger Dubuis unveils its updated Excalibur line,…

New year, new VicenzaOro Winter show If it’s January, you may be gearing up for the first show of the year in Vicenza, Italy. Organized by Fiera di Vicenza, VicenzaOro Winter, set for Jan. 19–24, draws nearly 1,500 exhibitors from some 30 countries and about 32,000 attendees from all over Europe (not to mention from…

As the price per ounce approaches $2,000, what type of gold jewelry should retailers invest in? JCK asks those who’ve weathered past sales seasons for tips on breaking free from the constraints of cost. In the early 1970s, when Matt Stuller was just starting to build his company, store owners told him if gold hit…

Overseas-based manufacturers are betting on the maturity of U.S. consumers to give their brands a boost For a while there, America looked like it was going to be a long-term pariah on the international stage. It was 2008 and the floor had just fallen out of the U.S. economy. Overseas brands that had once staked…

International retailers are feeling the pinch of high gold prices and seeing their markets split into high and low ends. But the forecast for 2013 and beyond remains bullish. Despite economic turbulence in Europe and a slowdown in China, the worldwide jewelry business continues to shine—or so a handful of jewelry trade editors and analysts…

Predictions, expectations, and concerns for the new year A new year typically brings a mixed bag of emotions for retail jewelers. There is hope and excitement at the prospect of testing new initiatives, meeting new customers, and stocking new products. There’s also a fair amount of trepidation surrounding the fundamental questions that preoccupy most business…

These five topics may not be brand-new to consumers and merchants, but don’t let a lack of overpowering buzz ­distract you from their staying power. Mobile Money Remember when it seemed far-fetched that your entire music ­collection would live inside a plastic box the size of your palm? Now that we know how quickly new…

Looking back on 2012 means looking ahead to 2013—and the progress and ­prosperity we know it will bring for our retail readers. With your bottom line (and your customers) in mind, the JCK editors gathered 10 trends, technologies, products, issues, and ideas that will soon change the way ­jewelers do business. We can’t wait to…

Jewelry is a family affair for the California-based, Armenia-bred designer Arman Sarkisyan majored in architecture in his native Armenia. “Knowledge of structure and functionality has helped with my engineered pieces like the more complex lockets and such,” he says. But the Los Angeles–based designer began his jewelry training long before university—in his father’s studio, in…

How Amedeo Scognamiglio carved out a niche in a centuries-old trade Amedeo Scognamiglio’s story doesn’t follow a tidy narrative of beginning, middle, and end. He’s Italian, yes, and a jewelry designer, and he’s based in New York City. But scratch beneath that introductory surface and his tale splits into myriad directions. ­Scognamiglio is cofounder of…

You’ll get drunk on dazzle with the designs they serve up The journey into jewelry retail typically begins with signing a lease and ends with launching an e-commerce site. But BaubleBar turned that trajectory on its ear by opening its first brick-and-mortar ­location nearly two years after debuting as an online-only boutique. Founded in 2010…

741 N. Wells St., Chicago Strolling the gallery district in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, customers stepping into Elements find a bright, stylish sanctuary from the city noise. The sleek, 4,000-square-foot emporium doesn’t cram merchandise in every nook, but offers an open, smooth flow for browsing sophisticated jewelry, hip fashion accessories, and chic home decor at…

Jorge Adeler, co-owner of Adeler Jewelers in Great Falls, Va., had always hoped his two daughters, Wendy and Valentina, would join the business he started with his wife, Graciela, in 1975. The sisters grew up in the store; as little girls, they sorted gemstones under display cases and trailed their parents around trade shows. So…

It’s time to evaluate your digital media marketing efforts As we say goodbye to 2012, it’s essential to take a step back in order to examine the effectiveness of your digital marketing. The past year was the first that many in the jewelry industry were truly on board and focused on making social media matter.…

Q: What’s your New Year’s resolution—for you and your store? A: “2013 is the year of new opportunities. It’s been four remarkably quick years since the recession hit and we all went into survival mode. Although it’s still tough out there, it’s time to turn the page once and for all in 2013 and take…

For Cedar Rapids’ cozy Ginsberg Jewelers, home is where the sparkle is 1. What one advertisement elicited the biggest response and why did it work? During the 1995–96 holiday season, we held a snow sale. If it snowed three inches or more on New Year’s Day, anyone that purchased jewelry between Black Friday and Christmas…

Retail trainer Harry Friedman, founder of the Friedman Group, knows how to recharge a sales team after the exhausting holiday season: 1. Make sure your sales goals are accurate for January and expectations aren’t too high. 2. Take your employees for a bite to eat one-on-one to talk about their year. Ask them “What do…

For independent jewelry retailers, no season mocks the notion of spare time quite like the holidays. Extended hours, temporary staffers, huge inventory turnover—not to mention the challenge of maintaining stellar customer service for a clientele on steroids—leave most jewelers with just enough energy to crawl into bed at the end of each day. That’s why…

This December–January issue of JCK should grace readers’ desks with about a week to go in 2012, so it’s a great time to celebrate the year gone by and to anticipate the year ahead! The year came to a close at JCK with another round of gold, silver, and bronze awards from two of the…

For 15 years, I’ve been besotted with Bangkok. I first visited the city in 1997 when I backpacked around Southeast Asia and relied on it as a transport and supply hub. Despite the gridlocked traffic, severe language barrier, and preponderance of shady tuk-tuk drivers, I knew instantly: This was my kind of town. I loved…

1. Pearls The Cultured Pearl Association of America is chipping away at the dull and dated pearl aesthetic epitomized by Barbara Bush one exceptional design at a time. The organization recently held its 2012–13 International Pearl Design contest in New York City. Judges from jewelry’s A-list ­organizations—including Cartier, Robb Report, and the XO Group (not…