WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE Bellabeat Leaf One of the most feminine (and fetching) wearables on the market, the Bellabeat Leaf is an activity and health tracker hiding inside a pretty leaf-shaped wood-and-silver clip. The device, which can be worn on a skinny double-tour leather bracelet, strung from a thin silver chain, or clipped to a shirt…

Julie Schroeder  Voiage Los Angeles voiagejewelry.com Twitter/Instagram: @voiagejewelry Late last year, when Julie Schroeder opened Voiage, a boutique that carries under-the-radar fine jewelry lines alongside a tightly curated selection of artwork, she felt more than pride of ownership. “I felt like this is what I always wanted my store to be,” says Schroeder, who worked…

SHOWS If you attended the third annual JCK Tucson, held Feb. 3–7 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a brand-new show. In many ways, it was. The completely redesigned event featured stylish new booths, lounges, and a signature coffee shop. But that’s not all. The…

“Watches in shades of blue and silvery-gray are sure things this season.” —Editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky   (Above) GP’s new Laureato: the perfect boyfriend watch or a watch perfect for boyfriends? Yes, please. (Girard-Perregaux, $14,300, girard-perregaux.com)   I’m lusting after this sleek sporty-glam model in Vacheron’s redesigned Overseas collection. (Vacheron Constantin, $24,900, vacheron-constantin.com)   The case of the…

In early February, I sat down with designers Sarah Graham and Todd Reed for a “fireside chat” on the floor of the JCK Tucson show to talk about their careers in jewelry, what’s left on their professional bucket lists, and why they’re excited about 2016. It was a great start to the show, which was…

It’s been a whirlwind of a winter, highlighted by a week in Italy for the VicenzaOro show and a week in Arizona for the Centurion, AGTA, and JCK Tucson shows. This year’s Vicenza trip was made all the more special by my good friends at VicenzaOro: Corrado Facco, Patrizia Rovaris, and Stefania Fin. They included…

Richard S. Garard, CEO of Morrisville, N.C.–based equipment manufacturer Microwave Enterprises, was recently appointed secretary general of the International Grown Diamond Association, the just-formed umbrella organization for the lab-grown diamond industry. Here, Garard talks with JCK about how he feels that lab-grown diamonds fit into the larger industry picture. What are the goals of the new…

COMINGS AND GOINGS >>?The Public Relations Society of America New York chapter has appointed jewelry industry PR rep Olga Gonzalez (pictured) as its president-elect. Gonzalez will hold the office in 2016 and serve as chair of the organization’s 2016 Big Apple Awards. She will become chapter president in 2017.  >>?Jewelers unBLOCKed, the insurance underwriting company, has named Don Saltmarsh…

Greg Glemser Doylestown Gold Exchange Doylestown, Pa.   Co-owner doylestowngoldexchange.com What has been your most memorable sale? We’re an hour north of Philadelphia, and we had a young kid drive up here—he was 24 and just graduating from the firefighter academy. He had a $2,500 budget, and we were able to set him up with…

Britten and Michelle Wolf, the husband and wife owners of BVW Jewelers in Reno, Nev., are two sides of a yin-and-yang sign, according to their daughter, 20-year-old Jasmine Wolf—opposite but ultimately complementary. Britten, says Jasmine, is the “crazy-fun” one, while Michelle is “the practical one in the store.… If Britten wants to go out in the…

19 N. Belmont Ave., Richmond, Va. Dating back to the early 17th century, Richmond, Va., is steeped in history. But retail and real-life partners Nick DeRosa and Eliza Spell are determined to push the capital city’s fine jewelry offerings into the future. The duo opened Nine Roses, in the picturesque Museum District, in a former…

A newer, inkier shade of black rhodium is enabling jewelry designers the world over to explore their dark sides. The heady metal adds drama to of-the-moment styles, gives classic designs a contemporary twist, and creates cool effects when used underneath gems—making light stones pop and enhancing the edginess of dark gems. Talk about black magic!…

Both Brie Larson (pictured, top left) and her dress were fresh off a transcontinental flight when they attended the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles: The Room star had just come in from Australia and chose the hot-off-the-Paris-runway periwinkle Atelier Versace gown only hours before collecting her trophy. We especially like the Swarovski crystal–encrusted rope…

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but designer Jack Kelége might beg to differ. His favorite gemstone? Naturally, diamonds. His favorite cut? Round brilliant. Of course, what would you expect from a man who makes his living creating jewelry—engagement rings, especially—with some of the most spectacular specimens of that stone you’ve ever seen? “The…

Before aluminum was just the stuff we used to wrap sandwiches, the silvery-white metal—the most abundant alloy in the earth’s core—was actually a valuable commodity. Napoleon III prized his collection of aluminum cutlery over his gold and silver sets, breaking it out for only the most special occasions. When entrepreneurs discovered how to separate the…

TREND GAME Pyramid Theme Triangular motifs are spilling over from fashion silhouettes into diamond shapes. Trillion-cut diamonds are showing up in traditional styles (think three-stone rings) and fashion-forward- looks alike, in both big and small proportions. The tri-pointed diamonds are understated and unexpected—and are growing in popularity. They’re the perfect choice for the collector looking…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION To Ceramic, With Love Garavelli’s Drago reticulated dragon-scale–inspired collection—which originally debuted in rose gold—now features yellow metal pieces. They also incorporate a new dark twist: black micro ceramic. “The micro ceramic is even easier to reapply than black rhodium,” says principal Elisabetta Molina. Seems no one can resist the power of the dark…

You’ve got to hand it to JCK’s readers: They know a good ring when they see it.  For the third straight year, that style has nabbed top honors in our retailer-voted Jewelers’ Choice Awards. In 2014, it was a sweet morganite cocktail ring by Yael Designs. In 2015, a luminous Lightning Ridge opal ring from…

Simon Alcantara remembers attending a dinner at Norwood, a private club nestled in a brownstone on 14th Street in New York City, at the behest of Chris Del Gatto, then-chairman and CEO of jewelry resale company Circa. It was 2012, and Del Gatto had gathered a number of jewelry designers from the Council of Fashion…

You may be eligible for tax savings under the PATH Act of 2015. But you’ll have to make sense of the bill’s complexities. We help you navigate the fine print. Late last year, federal lawmakers passed another “extenders” bill—and it contains good news for jewelers. The new “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of…

In January, Mandalay Bay Convention Center unveiled a $70 million, 350,000-square-foot expansion that makes it the fifth-largest exhibition venue in the United States in both total square feet and exhibition space. For JCK Las Vegas showgoers, that means one thing: Prepare to navigate a sea of change. Brand-New Bayside The show, now in its sixth…

Some 23,000 retailers and 2,300 exhibitors will gather at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino May 31–June 6 to discover new jewelry designers, scout hot trends, and buy and sell to their hearts’ content at LUXURY and JCK Las Vegas. But that’s just during business hours! We say to the adventurous jewelry entrepreneur: Put down…

Southwestern style is surging in popularity among jewelry designers. What’s behind the enduring appeal of Native American iconography? A treasured collection of big silver belt buckles, turquoise cuffs, and vintage squash blossom necklaces from a youth spent in Texas inspired jeweler Jacquie Aiche to start buying arrowheads at roadside tents during the gem shows in…

From sinewy chains to diamond-dusted rings, these silver pieces are your building blocks for a year-round jewelry wardrobe Photographs by Ted Morrison   Get a grip…on these diamond-studded styles. (Above) Linda necklace in blackened sterling silver with diamonds, $5,200, Emanuela Duca, NYC, 646-580-9328, emanueladuca.com; Ivy Lane stacked marquise ring in silver with diamonds, $1,290, Tacori,…

The 2016 American Gem Society Conclave is coming to the nation’s capital April 13–16, and if you’re looking to get educated on the jewelry industry’s most salient issues, you won’t want to miss it. The four-day event—at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel—features keynote speakers former secretary of state Colin Powell, Shawn Achor (aka the “Happiness…

Jewelers International Showcase brings the heat to the Miami Beach Convention Center April 9–11.   (Top) Wisdom necklace in 18k gold vermeil with turquoise; $1,495; Nina Nguyen Designs, Lafayette, Colo.; 720-459-7664; nina-nguyen.com   (Inset) Ring in silver with 18k gold beads; $169; Samuel B. Collection, Great Neck, N.Y.; 516-466-1826; samuelb.com   Earrings in 14k gold with black rhodium and 7.74 cts. t.w.…

There is a greenhouse smack in the middle of Bijorhca. But the clear-walled conservatory contains no out-of-season plants; rather, it’s a showcase for spring-summer 2016 trends—and a chance for the French fashion jewelry trade fair, held Jan. 22–25 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, to flaunt not only its style savvy but also its most…

Don’t miss the boat on the hottest social network of the year Ask a room full of social media marketing experts what the next big social network will be, and they’re likely to say the same thing—Snapchat.  The 5-year-old photo-and-video messaging app, which boasts a valuation of around $16 billion, was the fastest-growing social network…

Aside from its fabric-like pliability—a rarity for necklaces of this size—the most remarkable aspect of this Van Cleef & Arpels jewel may be its mere existence. The circa-1939 piece is “literally made up of a year’s worth of inventory—hundreds of engagement rings,” says Frank Everett, VP and sales director of Sotheby’s New York jewelry department.…