retailers praised the jck show’s new digs at mandalay bay.

From remarkable rocks to the topics that inspired their fair share of talks, we reflect on the memorable sights and sounds of JCK Las Vegas 2011 You may wonder how we could possibly cover every bit of a show that comprises more than 500,000 square feet, 2,550 exhibitors, and 20,000 attendees (representing 23 ­countries!) in…

Beverly Hills jeweler Martin Katz was among the first to appreciate the power of celebrity marketing. Today, he’s still reaping the rewards of that epiphany. In the spring of 1992, jeweler Martin Katz was working at his kitchen table in the one-bedroom Beverly Hills apartment that doubled as his office when a call came in…

What better time than summertime to promote the eco-conscious looks of uncommon and organic materials such as wood, fossilized coral, mother-of-pearl, horn, and bone? Less precious than conventional jewelry, these repurposed beauties make a cost-effective statement ideal for the warm-weather months. Despite the challenge of working with sometimes-fussy materials (wood can break if overpolished), jewelers…

108 N. Marion St., Oak Park, Ill. After relocating her jewelry boutique last year from Chicago’s hip Bucktown to the Frank Lloyd Wright architectural haven Oak Park, designer Laura Kitsos feels right at home. Ensconced in the award-winning Marion Street district—a vibrant retail stretch paved with heated bluestone sidewalks—the 7-year-old Gem sells a decidedly eclectic…

Unlike Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and other prestige brands that pride themselves on producing a highly limited ­selection of complicated timepieces for an elite ­clientele, Rolex has built a near-mythical reputation on a polar-opposite ­philosophy: The brand makes watches that are reliable, practical, and available—to the tune of nearly 1 million pieces per year. “Consequently,…

Top Hats & Pearls They say persistence pays off, and Harvey Rovinsky would agree. For four years, the president of Bernie Robbins Fine Jewelers, with stores in Radnor and Newtown, Pa., and Marlton, Somers Point, and Atlantic City, N.J., has vied for the jewelry sponsorship of the 52nd Annual Century Club Gala hosted by the…

Can You Dig It? In 2009, Colonial Jewelers sweetened its annual Wedding Week by adding a Cake Dig. The event—a tad messy, a lot of fun, and definitely “a spectacle,” says store manager Sarah Hurwitz—invited locals to rip apart cakes for the chance to win a wedding package worth $5,000. It has since become an…

Plan Beetle Last summer, William Travis Kukovich, owner of William Travis Jewelry in Chapel Hill, N.C., found himself skimming tiny beetle carcasses out of his backyard swimming pool. Rather than being repulsed, he marveled at their beauty and encouraged his 5-year-old son to do the same. “I said, ‘Look at how pretty and colorful their…

Charm School When clients began asking Debbie Yeager to carry Heather B. Moore jewelry, the co-owner of 64-year-old Yeager Jewelers in Westlake, Ohio, knew it was time to get the line into her store. “There is a whole audience—some who are my customers and some I’d like to make my customers—who love Heather Moore designs,”…

Time for Higher Education For all the talk of the Swiss watch industry’s obsession with China, a few recent initiatives have underscored the trade’s commitment to the American market. Case in point: At a breakfast presentation in Las Vegas in June at the Swiss Watch at JCK show, representatives from the Foundation de la Haute…

He’s With the Band Craig Rottenberg, president of Long’s Jewelers, with five stores in Massachusetts, has a tried-and-true technique to help close more sales of platinum jewelry. It came in especially handy at Long’s annual Wedding Band Weekend event, held in late March at the 10,000-square-foot flagship in Burlington, Mass. Rottenberg calls his technique the…

Now and Forevermark The long-awaited Forevermark—the new laser-inscribed diamond brand from the De Beers Group—has finally arrived stateside. Representing less than 1 percent of all graded diamonds, a Forevermark promotes stones—available only in a range of preapproved cuts, colors, and qualities—that have been brought from mine to market through a secure supply chain. But beyond…

The telltale sign of a Wendy Yue cocktail ring? The fabulously rendered, almost-overwhelming presence of flora or fauna. Yue’s pieces always seem on the verge of coming to life: Green garnet stems curl down from a cherry blossom; a pink sapphire scorpion crawls across a coral rose; blooms, branches, and vines tangle together in a…

Every August, Canada’s finest ­jewelers converge on Toronto to attend a buying show that may not rival the size of its sister event in Las Vegas, but makes up for that discrepancy with an intimate vibe and plenty of national pride. “It’s truly a Canadian show,” says John Tierney, event director for JCK Toronto. Formerly…

New York City’s market week offers plenty of chances to schmooze For those who don’t head west in June for the annual showdown in the Nevada desert, New York City’s unofficial “East Coast Market Week,” held at the end of July, may be worth a visit for the convenience and networking opportunities alone. Comprising the…

Expect a haute time in the city when these LUXURY Privé exhibitors come to town. Above:1. Earrings in 18k white gold with 2.43 cts. t.w. diamonds and 68 cts. t.w. rubies; $18,200; Katerina Maxine, New York City; 212-819-9408; katerinamaxine.com   2. From the G-One collection, a one-of-a-kind necklace with 450 cts. t.w. citrine beads and 475…

From jewelry cleaners to videoconferencing products, these devices are making a difference where it counts: at the sales counter. Dan Dement is known as “Mr. Gadget” among his retail peers. Explaining his insatiable need to stock the latest and greatest gadgets in his store, Stone Oak Jewelers in San Antonio, Texas, he takes the “boys…

Our new video series challenges five jewelers to conceive and execute an original design in seven weeks using genuine Swarovski Passion Topaz gems, $750, and heaps of creative genius. On June 3, Project Runway, the groundbreaking 7-year-old ­reality series that challenges up-and-coming designers to create the best clothes as they vie for a career in…

A cheat sheet of retail tips from the JCK show’s educational program JCK Las Vegas is a buying event first and foremost. But the savviest attendees know that the seminars in the show’s educational program are the equivalent of a college course in jewelry retailing, thanks to a stellar cast of presenters offering the latest…

The King wanted himself a signature ring. So in 1975, Elvis Presley’s personal jeweler, Lowell Hays, delivered one: It was set with onyx and an 11.5 ct. diamond in the center, plus another 3 cts. of diamonds forming lightning bolts and Presley’s TCB (Taking Care of Business) logo. “When he saw it, he flipped out,”…

The colored-stone queen makes us wish we all could be California girls Anyone who takes a close look at Irene Neuwirth’s kaleidoscopic colored stone creations won’t be a bit ­surprised to learn she’s a California girl. “The ocean and the colors here are my top sources of inspiration,” says the Venice, Calif.–based Neuwirth. And suddenly…

“Crafty” is this Michigander’s middle name Give Wayne Guntzviller a code and he’ll crack it—a QR code, that is. Together with his wife and business partner, Beth, ­Guntzviller has turned his store, Miner’s North Jewelers—located in Traverse City, Mich., where the population balloons from 15,000 to nearly 2 million every summer when out-of-towners descend for…

Life hasn’t been a bowl of cherries for Nagi Osta, but with his son’s help, it’s pretty darn good As a young adult, Nagi Osta worked with his brother at a seafood restaurant in Florida. His father dealt in antiques, including some age-old jewels, but the jewelry business was hardly top of mind. Until, that…

Q: What’s the most creative way to capitalize on slow summer months?—Vic Hellberg, owner, Hellberg’s Jewelers, Marshalltown, Iowa A: “Charity events…are a great way to get exposure so people don’t forget about you in a slow sales time. Even if customers aren’t coming in to buy something, a charity event can serve as a means…

Grab a cup of coffee and cozy up to the cases at Pugh’s Diamond Jewelers 1. What is your single best money-­saving initiative?For fiscal year 2010–2011, I decided to cut my advertising budget from 8 percent of sales down to 5.5 percent, or $60,000. We’re still using TV, radio, and print, just not as much.…

1. Accentuate the Positive. (Eliminate the Negative!) Convey your business’ strengths to potential buyers. Examples: your presence in the community; the foundation you have spent years building; your highly skilled sales staff. 2. Price Your Business to Sell. Be honest—buyers will likely know a fair price. A third-party business valuation with preapproval from a bank…

Almost every retailer in the country would agree: Business has changed profoundly since the onset of the Great Recession in 2008. Silver as a category has grown dramatically, the middle market has all but vanished, bridal customers are spending less but want more customization, and a majority of jewelers are buying precious metals and even…

While some of Hawaii’s volcanoes have produced large cuts of August’s birthstone, peridot, most of the lime green gemstone is mined by hand by Native Americans on Arizona’s San Carlos Reservation or in the mountainous regions of Pakistan. In ancient times, mariners and pirates believed peridot would glow in the dark if it was located…

Ruby’s vibrant red hue has given the gem its historical association with passion and the heart’s desire. During the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, rubies were considered the wedding stone, as they were thought to keep passion alive and promote lasting love and contentment in marriage. Roman nobles knew the value of the gem; they…

COMINGS AND GOINGS >> ?Gian Riccardo Marini, 64, current director of Rolex Italia, has been named director general of Rolex SA, its chief executive position. Marini replaces Bruno Meier. >> ??Victoria Tynedale has joined ­Martin Flyer as the regional manager for the West Coast and Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana territory. >>?? Zale Corp. appointed its…

U.S. Virgin Islands jewelry maker Gem Manufacturing reached a plea agreement on May 26 on charges of importing prohibited black coral. The company will pay a $2.5 million fine, part of which goes to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of ­Natural History, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the University of the Virgin Islands…

ComCo, the Swiss ­Competition Commission, has launched an investigation into Swatch Group. The world’s largest watch­­maker initiated the investigation to come to a mutually agreed-upon solution that will allow Swatch to gradually reduce third-party deliveries of mechanical watch movements and assortments to third parties. Swatch CEO Nick Hayek recently complained to Dow Jones Newswire: “There…

Industry groups are hoping to postpone bans on mercury-added button-cell batteries, which have been used in watches. Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have all enacted legislation that would bar mercury-added batteries effective July 1, 2011. Maine, however, recently pushed the deadline to Jan. 1, 2012, and the American Watch Association and Jewelers of America are…

Within a month, law enforcement officials announced two major busts of robbery gangs suspected of targeting jewelry stores. In May, 19 Michigan residents suspected of operating a nationwide grab-and-run ring that stole $1.2 million in jewelry were arrested and charged with conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. An FBI complaint says the metro Detroit–based…

Thanks to new legislation, debit card swipe fees may soon go down. On June 8, the U.S. Senate rejected an amendment that would have delayed the capping of swipe fees for two years. The vote was 54-45. To pass, 60 votes were needed. Swipe fees are charges that banks levy upon merchants to process debit…

The Gemological Institute of America celebrated its 80th anniversary in style with its Fifth International Gemological Symposium May 29–30 at the GIA campus in Carlsbad, Calif. The event, which had never been held at GIA’s home base, seemed significantly scaled down from past symposiums; still, it was well received, drawing some 700 attendees from 35-plus…

1. @DanGordon: Just saw a jewelry piece [at] JCK I knew a client would love, sent MMS pic, responded “I’ll take it” #text #selling 2. @GabrielSkelly: It’s almost the same temp at the JCK in VEGAS as it is in Minneapolis right now, but boy does the new jewelry heat up the night 3. @TheJewelryCoach:…

I returned from this year’s JCK show in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and the feedback on how terrific it was has only intensified. As you likely know, this was the first year in the show’s new home at Mandalay Bay. As with any change, there was a lot of trepidation and uncertainty about…

There was a moment in Las Vegas when I knew the JCK show’s much-hyped move to Mandalay Bay had succeeded. It didn’t occur during a show appointment, nor at one of the many dinners I attended over the course of my weeklong stay. True to the trade’s hard-partying reputation, it happened on the dance floor.…

1. Las Vegas For an industry that has ­historically resisted change, the JCK show’s move to Mandalay Bay went over rather well with attendees, 20,000 of whom descended on the new venue—a 16 percent increase over 2010. “Demand for diamonds and finished jewelry was undoubtedly the highest in years,” noted GIA senior industry analyst Russell…