Model Nadine Naue was a gorgeous human Rorschach test during our September cover shoot. Was she a contemporary version of Frida Kahlo, a glam geisha girl, or an icon of 1950s-esque femininity? Whatever your take on her sleek fall style, she played all her roles with perfect ease—especially in her turn as a bohemian bride…

When it comes to diamonds, a little goes a long way. Set with eye-catching cuts like baguette and marquise, these delicate designs don’t skimp on sparkle.            Baguettes IN THE OPEN Open ring in 18k gold with 1 ct. t.w. baguette-cut diamonds; $3,600; Mary Esses, NYC; 917-941-0826; maryesses.com FEATHER FORECAST 10k yellow…

High glam (long may Lupita reign!) at the 68th annual French film fest When it’s your first trip to Cannes, why go subtle? Case in point: Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, in a jade-green Gucci gown with crystals, silk flowers, and an enormous skirt that swirled into paparazzi-perfect waves. Longtime festival sponsor Chopard provided her multihued…

Those sexy ’70s clothes slinking across the fall runways begged for long, lean jewels, so it’s no surprise the Y necklace was all over Vegas this summer. Dubbed the bikini necklace by some (because it lands atop the breastbone), this slender chain-plus-drop style first came to the forefront in the early 1990s. But it’s back,…

482A 49th St., Oakland, Calif. The natural world is alive and well inside Lauren Wolf’s Esqueleto. The 4-year-old store, tucked in an alley in Oakland’s hip Temescal district, sells jewelry, ceramics, and art pieces that incorporate shells, bones, minerals, and other facets of nature’s wonder. Fitting, then, that Wolf named the shop with the Spanish word…

“Pavé is a way to wear diamonds every day.” —Photo editor Leah Rudolfo             1. I love the African motif of the cowrie shell in a modern and fine jewelry context. (Almasika, $2,880, almasika.com)   2. The Tori black diamond ear cuff is an understated way to rock the earring of the moment. (Melissa Kaye Jewelry, $4,730, melissakayejewelry.com)…

The industry converged on New York City in late July to fete the WJA Awards for Excellence winners and American Gem Society’s Circle of Distinction honorees. Meanwhile, LUXURY Privé’s opening party celebrated the decade that brought us Madonna, Miami Vice, and moonwalking.         AGS Honora’s Joel Schecter with Triple Zero Award winner…

Joel Arthur Rosenthal, aka JAR, makes around 100 jewels per year; clients often wait years to own one. So it came as no surprise when bidding wars ensued over four JAR originals at the May 13 Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva. This seductive sapphire, amethyst, and diamond ring made in 1988 shows off the…

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE Ear-O-Smart The first wave of activity trackers has largely been focused on the wrist. But Ear-O-Smart, a new device from tech start-up BioSensive Technologies, monitors the heart rate in a more accurate spot on the body—the earlobe. The smart earrings were designed to snap into jazzy, bejeweled interchangeable covers. What we liked:…

Take advantage of unpublished—aka “dark”—posts on Facebook to reach a highly receptive audience of consumers Facebook knows us more intimately than many of our friends. The social media site that made posting cat photos to the Internet feel normal has been gathering reams of data (we’re talking big data) on us from day one. Lately,…

Find these five jewelers at Coterie, Sept. 19–21, at New York City’s Javits Center. (Above)1. Desert Jasmine large flower pin in 10k gold–plated brass with Lucite, crystals, and chrysocolla; $595; Alexis Bittar, NYC; 718-422-7580; alexisbittar.com   2. Faceted cone studs in 12k gold–plated brass with mother-of-pearl; $148; Sarah Magid, Brooklyn, N.Y.; 917-405-3022; sarahmagid.com 3. Stingray…

Look for important gems and one-of-a-kind jewels at the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair Buyers headed to the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair can expect a plethora of one-of-a-kind jewels and an impressive display of loose stones at the show, coming Sept. 16–22 to the AsiaWorld-Expo and the Hong Kong Convention &…

Your cheat sheet to the season’s most important diamond jewelry trends Sure, diamonds come with built-in demand, thanks to the gem’s long-standing reign over the bridal ­market, but savvy merchants are always looking for ways to keep diamond jewelry collectors blissfully addicted. The best retailers know that the better the story behind the jewel, the…

5 motivating mobile apps (Above)1. TED: Thought leaders and innovators share inspiring short presentations covering diverse topics, including business and entrepreneurship. (iOS, Amazon, Android; free)   2. GoalTracker: With this self-motivation tool, users set future goals for professional growth, family, or finances and monitor and modify those goals to seize an improved life. (Android; free)…

10 tools that keep your business running like a well-oiled machine Hope Wixon’s head is accustomed to spinning. At Wixon Jewelers in Minneapolis, the 25-year-old business Wixon and her husband, Dan, run, it’s no surprise to see projects pile up. The lively, 35-employee operation includes watchmakers, goldsmiths, a gem lab, a shipping department, and an…

As consumer behaviors change, retail design evolves to keep pace with shopper expectations. Here, five new or upcoming books on modernizing store design and decor. (Above)1. Retail (r)Evolution by David Kepron Explore how the human brain responds to retail environments, and how new tech innovations (namely mobile devices) are leading to seismic shifts in customer…

When contemplating retail’s near future, it’s easy to get wrapped up in visions of drones dropping parcels on doorsteps and staff-free storefronts resembling giant vending machines. But preparing your shop for tomorrow’s retail landscape doesn’t require an advanced degree in robotics—simply a good grasp of how consumer demands and behaviors are changing and evolving. A…

HOT STOCK TIP Baguette Lady When Timeless Designs’ Jackie Cohen adopted a baby, she also brought a new jewelry line, My Story, to life. Most pieces in the mom-friendly collection, centered on stacking bands and layering necklaces, feature a baguette-cut center in the birthstone of choice. Styles are rendered in 14k gold; retail prices for…

TREND GAME Make Me a Mismatch Perfect matches in jewelry are so overrated. With today’s must-be-unique mindset—especially among millennials—collectors are encouraged to celebrate individual style, and mismatched earring sets are one way to do so. Stores can offer single earring studs or purposely pair oddball mates; just be prepared to do a little explaining to…

HOT STOCK TIP Stud Finder Melissa Joy Manning’s Rock Candy line of stud earrings celebrates one-off rough cuts of gemstones. Choose from 44 SKUs—in 14k recycled gold, featuring her signature wraparound hug prongs, bezel settings, and stick silhouettes—with sapphire, tourmaline, topaz, garnet, aquamarine, and sunstone, among other gems.     CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Rainbow Connection­ Bella…

The intense oceanic hues of the blue Australian opals used in this statement-making Lydia Courteille necklace informed its maritime design. The gems even started out in the sea—as knots of plankton that over time filled in with the opal mineral. The opals “are a beautiful blue,” says the Parisian designer. “When you look at them,…

Traditional. Conservative. Demure. These words aren’t usually used to describe Madonna—or the slinky Bob Mackie gown she wore to the 1991 Oscars, where she performed the nominated song “Sooner or Later” from Dick Tracy. But her Harry Winston accessories were another story. The singer borrowed several million dollars’ worth of jewels, including the firm’s now-iconic…

Michael John Jewelry’s towering force If you’ve been searching for the perfect diamond-­covered souvenir for the Francophile in your life, look no further: You won’t find anything more magnificent than Michael John Jewelry’s Eiffel Tower drop earrings, magnificent structures rendered in 18k black gold with 2.42 cts. t.w. of round brilliant-cut diamonds and 2.51 cts.…

What’s trending and who’s advertising in the July–August issues Elle Pushing:• Layered metal chain-link choker with padlocks; mixed metal shoulder-dusters; mesh palladium and lacquer bib necklace (“Viva Glam: The far-out threads of the original club kids are way, way back”)• Geometric gold openwork chandelier earrings; gold septum rings; crystal ball pendant on leather cord (“Let…

Josh Kiemele took a detour on his way to accounting school and hasn’t looked back since Josh Kiemele, second-generation jeweler at Westley’s Jewelry in Bismarck, N.D., inherited his dad’s mechanical mind—and love of working with his hands. While still in high school, Josh started repairing clocks at the now 77-year-old store his parents, Rick and…

For a Goodman Time…visit this community-focused, employee-free store in central Indiana 1. What has been your most memorable sale? Last year, we started with a new designer, Sarah Graham, who came in and did a trunk show. A customer set it up to work with her to create an engagement ring for his girlfriend that…

How one jeweler struck a viral chord with sci-fi designs “Jewelry 2.0”: It’s how Paul Michael Bierker describes Paul Michael Design, his tech-ified workshop and retail space in Lawrenceville, Pa. “Most of our production is done right in the middle of the showroom. We even have an active 3-D printer,” says Bierker, “printing out parts…

Harvey Kanter is president, chairman, and CEO of Blue Nile; he has headed the Seattle-based e-tailer since 2012. He spoke to JCK in July, shortly after the company opened its first store—or “webroom”—at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, N.Y., in June. JCK: Can you explain the reasoning behind the webroom? Kanter: In 2014,…

July top stories. Don’t miss a headline! Sign up for our daily newsletter at jckonline.com/newsletters/subscribe. 1. Jimmy Fallon’s Ring Avulsion Is Horrifying The Tonight Show host tripped on a rug and his wedding ring got caught on a countertop, leading to a serious injury that required a six-hour surgery and 10 days in the intensive…

The diamond industry teetered on the edge of a serious crisis this summer, as defaults multiplied in India and miners faced a mutiny from their customers. Many are comparing the current situation to 2008, when the industry was paralyzed in the wake of the financial crisis. But there is a key difference, according to one…

As I write this letter, August is winding down and the realization that summer will soon be over is kicking in. By the time you read this, September will be here and fall will have begun. I don’t know about your business, but here at JCK we barely felt a summer slowdown. Here’s hoping that…

In mid-July, I sat down with Officine Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati at the brand’s new two-story flagship boutique in the Miami Design District for an enlightening conversation about the future of luxury retail. During our talk, I had the distinct sense we were in the midst of it. The 2,200-square-foot space, created by Spanish-Italian architect…

1. Shows For three days in late July, the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria hotel hosted the fifth annual LUXURY Privé show, an anchor of New York City’s jewelry week. The intimate event, known for its small community of exhibitors and high-caliber retailers, was something of an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of jewelry…