AUCTIONS The Magnificent Jewels sale on Nov. 29 at Christie’s Hong Kong will lead with a stunning 10.05 ct. Burmese pigeon’s-blood ruby ring. The ring, designed by Faidee, is called the Ratnaraj Ruby (above); Ratnaraj means “king of precious stones” in ancient Sanskrit. “Only those rubies of exceptional saturation and natural red fluorescence can be…

In late October, I visited Tokyo for the first time to attend a retrospective of Marie Antoinette’s life sponsored by the Swiss watch brand Breguet. Amid the city’s Blade Runner–esque expanse of skyscrapers and ancient Shinto shrines, the dichotomy between past and future was impossible to ignore—especially on my last day, when I stumbled upon…

“These pretty and pink holiday buys won’t break the bank.” —Managing editor Melissa Rose Bernardo     (Above) Choose just the gold and diamond charm necklace or pile on the pink sapphire–accented strands for a boho-chic layered look. (Page Sargisson, $295–$685, pagesargisson.com)     This sweet ruby and sapphire cuff has it all: lush colors, delicate metalwork, and…

It’s amazing: 2016 is drawing to a close. By the time you read this letter, the election will be over (thank goodness), and the holiday sales season will have begun. The past couple of months have been busy in my world. October took me both to sunny Southern California for the GIA Career Fair, and…

On Oct. 8, the Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California boogied down at the Beverly Hills Hotel for its 72nd Annual Dinner Dance. (Above) Rising Star Award winner Jen Cullen Williams with husband Brad (c.); her parents, Mark and Mary Ann Cullen; and his parents, Paul and Linda Williams   Excellence in Service Award…

The spring 2017 New York shows continued to be another fashion week in flux. There was no consensus on see-now, buy-now, with some designers (Thakoon Panichgul, Tom Ford, and Ralph Lauren among them) going all out, but plenty still sticking to the status quo. Runway spectacles were both brazen—hello, Tommy Hilfiger and his Gigi Hadid–fronted…

In September, Brett Halliday, longtime head of Michael Hill’s Canadian division, was appointed overall head of North America. He spoke to JCK shortly after his appointment. Would you say Michael Hill’s results in the United States have been disappointing? Certainly, we would have expected to have had more than 10 stores after this length of…

On Oct. 7, an executive order officially lifted the 8-year-old ban on Burmese rubies and jade entering the United States. President Obama first announced his intention to end the blockade against gems from Myanmar (the former Burma) during a Sept. 14 meeting with the country’s leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.  While it’s not clear…

COMINGS AND GOINGS >>?Trollbeads has appointed Robin Aagaard (pictured, inset) as president and CEO of its North American office. He is the eldest son of the brand’s founders, Lisa and Peter Aagaard. >>?Jewelers Vigilance Committee has named Miya Owens assistant counsel. Owens replaces Sara Yood, now senior counsel for the organization. >>?Weston Jewelers in Weston, Fla.,…

HAMILTON POWELL Crown & Caliber Atlanta crownandcaliber.com  facebook.com/crownandcaliber Instagram: @crownandcaliber “The one thing needed to change an industry is usually someone from outside the industry,” says Hamilton Powell, CEO of Crown & Caliber, an online retailer that specializes in certified pre-owned luxury watches. He’s speaking from experience. Powell came to the watch industry by way…

ANNE FOX Legendary Beast Washington, D.C. Owner legendarybeast.com   What makes your store special? It specializes and it’s very specific. I sell vintage jewelry. It’s gorgeous and it’s made better than new jewelry—and you have the opportunity to buy something not everyone has. The area on U Street in D.C. where I am is very…

JERRY AMEROSI Gerald Peters Staten Island, N.Y. 59, first generation GERALD AMEROSI Gerald Peters Staten Island, N.Y. 26, second generation PETER AMEROSI Gerald Peters Staten Island, N.Y. 25, second generation “Times have changed so much,” says Jerry Amerosi, co-owner of fine jewelry store Gerald Peters in Staten Island, N.Y. “I remember hanging chains on customers’…

23A E. Market St., Rhinebeck, N.Y. Rhinebeck, N.Y., has come a long way in the past 40 years. Hay wagons no longer crowd the streets, and visitors from New York City (100 miles to the south) practically outnumber the locals. The small, close-knit Hudson Valley community with a thriving population of artists is where Bruce…

Jewelers can thank athleisure wear for the growing interest in the humble hoop earring. Yet the styles they’re turning out are anything but simple: gem-studded circles, geometric and fancy-shape designs, and airy, ornate metalwork options. But trying to decide which one to wear? That could throw anyone for a loop.   (Above) Floating Tahitian pearl hoop…

Sarah Paulson After de-glamming (and donning a famously unflattering wig) to play put-upon prosecutor Marcia Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson, Sarah Paulson majorly amped up the glam factor for her winning moment. The entirely embellished cut-down-to-there Prada gown was just the start: Her geometric Wilfredo Rosado earrings were custom-made—and delivered before she hit…

Claudette Colbert’s character in 1935’s The Gilded Lily looked like she was dripping in jewels. Yet Colbert wore only one necklace: Composed of interchangeable parts, it could be disassembled and worn in other scenes as a bracelet, a brooch, even a tiara. The jewel’s centerpiece—an 83 ct. ruby known as the Star of Burma—could double…

Giorgio Bulgari, creative director for Italian fine jewelry atelier Marina B, has always felt a deep affinity for the sea. “I’ve been fishing since I was 5 years old, and now I fish in Sardinia with my own kids,” says Giorgio, the nephew of house founder Marina Bulgari (the granddaughter of Bulgari founder Sotirio Bulgari).…

TREND GAME Twice as Nice Two-tone jewels are riding a new wave of popularity. Their appeal is apparent for value seekers who want more oomph than silver alone provides, while gold-kissed styles can also help lure back reluctant karat gold buyers. Meanwhile, there’s more to love in the look itself—a little warm and a little…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Love Birds With its striking mix of Deco silhouettes and asymmetrical modern designs loaded with colored stones, Doves’ new Little Bird Bridal collection is made for millennials. “This generation is known for creativity. They are open to new concepts in bridal jewelry,” says president Doron Hakimian. Composed of some 60 SKUs in 14k…

Feminine Wearables Fitbit may be the world’s best-selling wearable brand, but women wanting to break out of the sporty-rubber-strap rut now have more feminine-feeling devices to choose from. Ringly recently debuted a smart notifier bracelet that echoes the design of its original ring (the gemstone-covered device sits on a thin bangle), while Huami’s pretty new…

 Surrounded by some of the globe’s most forward-thinking tech enterprises in Silicon Valley, Fanya Hull can’t help but think about tomorrow.  At Vardy’s Jewelers, Hull’s 35-year-old jewelry store located in Cupertino, Calif., less than one mile from Apple’s global headquarters, she monitors the future to better understand how consumer trends and sentiments, industry momentum, and…

Within a few seconds of meeting new people, you make dozens of assumptions, about everything from their financial health to their likability.  But when shoppers size up the trustworthiness of salespeople, that time is considerably shorter. According to 2015 findings from researchers at Princeton University, it takes most people only a tenth of a second…

When Dana Friedman decided to host a Jude Frances trunk show in the last week of August, she was convinced she’d sell more silver than gold. She was wrong. “We sold two and a half times more gold jewelry than we did the year before,” says the former buyer for G. Thrapp Jewelers in Indianapolis…

We’re shining the spotlight on the warm yellow metal in all its trendiest forms: ­skinny chokers, delicate ­pendants, geometric earrings, and more. If you haven’t rekindled your romance with gold yet, what are you waiting for? Photographs by Ted Morrison MAKE A POINT WITH ANGULAR METAL ACCENTS AND DANGLERS. (Top) Earrings in 18k yellow gold, $4,200,…

The Jan. 20–23 Bijorhca show at Paris’ Porte de Versailles is a haven for fashion-forward bijoux.  (Above) Necklace in silver and 24k gold–plated silver; $1,037; Marcin Zaremski, Warsaw, Poland; 48-22-663-9910; zaremski.pl (Inset) Stepping Stone necklace in silver; $383; Kelim Jewelry Design, Rockville, Md.; 301-448-7367; kelimjewelry.com   Silver Flakes necklace with Japanese glass beads; $590; Claudia Fajardo, The Woodlands,…

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE TAG Heuer Connected A direct (and formidable) competitor to the Apple Watch, the titanium-bezeled Connected, made in collaboration with Intel and Google, boasts 4G of memory—so users can download dozens of apps to tailor their watch-wearing experience. What we liked: Once you learn to toggle between apps (which takes some patience and…

“Pinterest is not a social media network,” insists Anna Bennett, a well-known Pinterest expert. Of course, the online platform, whose users “pin” links and images to virtual bulletin boards, has social elements—users can share and comment on pins, and follow and be followed by others.  But Bennett means that almost no one goes to Pinterest…

Sold for: $322,000 In Greek mythology, Medusa was a monster—a winged woman with a horrid face and venomous snakes in lieu of hair. But Art Nouveau jeweler René Lalique, who designed this circa-1900 Medusa ring, is among the many artists who’ve rendered her more human than horror story. Lalique was inspired to create the gold-and-glass…