Art Nouveau’s emphasis on flowing lines, femininity, and natural forms is perfectly ­embodied in this late-19th-century brooch from Parisian ­jeweler Georges Fouquet. It sold for $154,384—more than six times its high estimate—at Sotheby’s Dec. 11 London auction, the Jewellery Collection of the Late Michael Wellby: An Eclectic Eye. Featuring a woman’s face, headdress, and flowing…

Oh, Vow! When asked about their fledgling engagement ring finder app, The Vow, which they debuted in October 2012, Simon and Nelly Cohen joke that the cost of creating it amounted to their life savings. Happily for the longtime married couple—co-owners of Cherie Dori and the Diadori bridal lines—their nest egg seems to have been…

‘Power’ Up When Taylor Higgins signed on to produce The Journey of the Pearl, a documentary about global pearl farming (including Chinese freshwaters), for the Cultured Pearl Association of America in 2010, he didn’t expect his link to the pearling world to last beyond the film. But just as collectors fall in love with the…

Sunny-Side Up Fancy colored sapphires are popular across the board, but if you had to cast a vote for the season’s most popular hue, it would be lemony yellow, with purple and green not far behind—though even white sapphires are enjoying steady demand as a substitute for diamonds. “Consumers want colorful standout jewelry that could…

Out of South Africa Who better to introduce a gold ­jewelry line with a transparent chain of custody than a refiner and manufacturer from the same country? That’s what Cape Town, South Africa–based manufacturer ­OroAfrica had in mind when it debuted its Certified Responsible Gold line of Absolute wedding bands with gold sourced from Germiston,…

JVC Committed to WDC The Jewelers Vigilance Committee, a group that provides education on legal and regulatory issues, considered but ultimately decided against leaving the World Diamond Council, the international body that represents the trade to the Kimberley Process. “At this moment, the WDC is the best vehicle for the industry to engage with governments…

The rainbow of rich jewel tones found in the traditional costumes of Russian gypsy singers inspired the gemstone selection of ­Fabergé’s Gypsy Exuberance Bangle, a sculptural piece created by the fabled jewelry house. The performers’ “primitive beauty and soulful performances became a compelling, intoxicating element of Moscow social and cultural life,” says Pia Tonna, director…

On the heels of Baselworld comes Swiss Watch in Las Vegas Timing, as they say, is everything—especially when you’re talking about trade fairs for the timepiece industry. And this year’s show schedule is more complicated—no pun intended—than ever. That’s because Baselworld, the granddaddy of all watch shows, concludes its weeklong run in Switzerland on May…

Don’t miss the Rising Stars in the Design Center at JCK. (Above)1. Frog ring in 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth tusk with tsavorite eyes, akoya pearl, and 18k gold; $3,325; Bibi van der Velden, Amsterdam; 31-20-626-9095; bibivandervelden.com   2. Bird brooch in 18k gold with aquamarine and diamonds; $4,490; Cornelia Goldsmith, Sausalito, Calif.; 415-332-0802; corneliagoldsmith.com 3. Flower…

Expect a smaller, more intimate LUXURY experience in Las Vegas Like an actor slimming down for a role, LUXURY 2013 is shedding 10 percent of its exhibition space to create a more intimate experience for buyers. “We’re fine-tuning footprints at the show,” explains John Tierney, JCK Events industry vice president. Among those enjoying the roomier…

Whether you know it as Fairtrade Gold or fair trade gold, ethically sourced gold is available—though jewelers in the United States may have a hard time buying or selling it “Even within the fair trade movement,” sighs Marc Choyt, president of Reflective Images, a Santa Fe, N.M., retailer, “there are a lot of politics.” When…

Starting succession planning early ensures an easy transition for a business and its customers Stephenie Bjorkman wore cowboy boots, jeans, and a cowboy hat to her first day at work at Sami Fine Jewelry. She was 17 years old and had no intention of staying in the business, but her mother, Sami Jack, had some…

When promoting your business to the press, hiring the right publicist is half the battle. The other half is communicating your expectations—and aligning them with reality. It’s a timeworn story. As an independent retailer, you hire a public relations firm to heighten awareness of your store. Meetings are scheduled, media pitches are formulated, and status…

The art and craft of jewelry making can be taught—for a fee Learning the art of jewelry-making used to be a family affair. Children would grow up in the business and acquire the skills—metalsmithing, stone-setting, and casting—needed to be a craftsperson. But times are changing, and educational programs that equip novice bench jewelers or designers…

Trend-spotting doesn’t begin and end on the red carpet. Stay tuned in to the celeb fashion on television’s most stylish shows. Olivia Pope never wears earrings that dangle—that would seem too frivolous for the high-powered political consultant. Still, she’s petite, topping out at 5 feet, 4 inches, so she tends to wear long, beaded necklaces…

Black is back! So is white, army green, and…plaid? Here’s our guide to the decade-hopping ­seasonal styles and the various ­baubles they’ll require. Every Federico Fellini film seems to come with its own clutch of female archetypes. The astringent wives with their high collars and glasses. The buxom and baring women. The couture-clad society ladies.…

The bridal designer found his burn Ask Scott Kay what he’ll be showing at the LUXURY show, and the reply is, regrettably, vague. But at least it’s colorful: “This is my first year at the LUXURY JCK show. So we are going to turn up the volume, let it rip, and blow your minds!” You…

Octium brings its regal Kuwaiti style to American shores It’s late on a Saturday night in mid-January and Fahad Al Hajiri and Alanood Al Sabah are relaxing at their home in the fashionable Adiliya suburb of Kuwait City. You wouldn’t know it, but just a few hours ago, a crowd of 50 savvy and stylish…

What’s trending and who’s advertising in the April issues ELLE Pushing• Floral Lucite glasses, pavé gemstone rose chain (“Add an extra dose of sugar to delicate looks”)• Rock crystal Deco-style rings, rose gold–plated earrings with iridescent acrylic (“Edgy accessories…make muted tones more chic”)AdvertisersCartier, Rolex, Fendi, Robert Lee Morris, Tacori, H.Stern, Hearts On Fire, Parade  …

Shopping comes down to science at dimend SCAASI Isaac Gottesman wants his customers to look at diamonds in a whole new light—preferably one that isn’t illuminating a jewelry case. Through dimend SCAASI, the bridal jewelry retail store he founded in downtown Chicago in 1997, Gottesman gives soon-to-be brides and grooms an unusually in-depth look at…

2959 Crockett St., Fort Worth, Texas In a town more likely to find its fashion footing in denim than designer duds, Lane-Knight is helping to improve the sartorial reputation of the denizens of Fort Worth, aka Cowtown. Dawn Keifer, the astute and chic owner, works in-store most days in order to develop tight relationships with…

Seattle mainstay Menashe & Sons relies on a son and daughter to uphold its sparkling reputation Jack Menashe, owner of Menashe & Sons Jewelers in Seattle, got his start in the jewelry business in the 1960s as a stock boy for a breed of retail store that’s long been extinct. “It carried jewelry and china,…

Heather Maertens can’t live without these five things in her Lusby, Md., store COMING CLEANWe order small polishing cloths and jewelry cleaners with our store logo. We put them in the bag for special clients and give them out at special events. People love them. EYES ON THE SIZEWe keep inexpensive plastic ring sizers on…

The new video-sharing app allows you to showcase moving images—in six seconds or less Twitter’s recent acquisition of Vine, a video-sharing app for iPhones, underscores one inarguable fact: In social media, imagery is king. Camera phones—whose capabilities and pixel count are expanding rapidly—are ubiquitous, making the creation of artsy imagery easier than ordering a cheeseburger…

Q: How do you keep your customers up to date on the latest fashion trends? A: “We keep our customers up to date by promoting articles found in your magazine as well as by using social media for inspiration. Our customers are visual shoppers, so when famous actors/actresses are spotted wearing a line we carry,…

Shelia Bayes knows firsthand: Never underestimate a customer or a businesswoman 1. Which advertisement or promotion elicited the biggest response and why do you think it worked? We spend a lot of time—usually over drinks—coming up with creative ideas for advertising. We try to be fun and creative and not always so serious. We did…

Erin Weinger, style editor of THR.com, suggests ways to use social media to promote your next event. 1. Don’t send a Facebook invite to all your “friends.” Make sure you’re targeting the right fans. And consider buying a few Facebook ads, which can be effective. 2. Come up with a cool promotion that helps you…

No matter how divine the diamonds or how radiant the rubies, “people don’t necessarily come to store events because they are interested in jewelry,” says Dan Schuyler, owner of Lily & Co. in Sanibel, Fla. “They come for what’s going on, for the experience.” Of course, creating experiences that lure customers to in-store events is,…

Welcome to our spectacular annual blockbuster, the May preshow issue of JCK! Like the September Vogue, the issue can always be counted on to weigh down the bags of postal service workers around the country—and this year is no exception. We hope you enjoy the tremendous amount of editorial in the issue, and we hope…

You may be surprised to learn that Kuwait boasts a thriving fashion scene. Less glitzy and more conservative than Dubai and Qatar, its buzzed-about neighbors in the Persian Gulf, the tiny emirate—smaller, in fact, than New Jersey—is a devout yet tolerant nation where the sight of women cloaked in traditional Muslim dress is more common…

1. Diamonds Get out those record books. A 101.73 ct. pear-shape D-flawless will be hitting the block at Christie’s Geneva on May 15, and while its official estimate is $20 million to $30 million, many think it could go even higher—into auction history. (The gem already has set one record, being the largest D-flawless ever…