At a meeting on undisclosed synthetics in 2016, GIA chief ­laboratory and research officer Tom Moses lamented that people knew exactly what they wanted in a lab-grown diamond detector. “A black box,” he moaned. “For about 100 bucks. Sits on your counter.” Since then, the number of man-made diamonds being produced has only increased, as…

Our favorite stones, styles, events, and exhibits from the 27th annual JCK Las Vegas   Best Royal Trend: Aquamarine Rings When we saw Meghan Markle riding off to her wedding reception wearing the late Princess Diana’s aquamarine cocktail ring, we knew we’d soon be seeing aqua rings everywhere. But it turns out jewelry designers were even…

CELEBRITIES We knew this year’s Met Gala theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” would inspire some over-the-top outfits (Zendaya as Joan of Arc!), but we had no idea how insanely good the jewelry would be. Apart from all the crowns and halos—worn by Cardi B, Mindy Kaling, and Blake Lively, among others—we loved…

It’s true, the sultry summer months are upon us. But take a good look at the playful cover of this issue—starring doe-eyed Magnolia, an Ibizan hound who earned our undying ­adoration at the shoot for the “Year of the Dog” feature—and you’ll understand I mean that phrase rather literally. After all, you’re reading our annual…

What JCK magazine’s Rima Suqi is loving this month “I love designs that don’t scream out for attention, that require a double take to get them. But once you do, it’s like, Oh hellooooo!” —Rima Suqi, JCK jewelry editor (Above) 18k yellow gold necklace with titanium inlay, 0.01 ct. diamond, and 13.1 mm Tahitian pearl;…

I’m still recovering from the six-day marathon that is JCK Las Vegas, but I’m feeling great about the week and the industry! Despite this being a challenging year for trade shows around the world, JCK was a solid success. Of course, some exhibitors did better than others (typically those with new product lines, preset appointments,…

Before moving back to the Sands in 2019, JCK Las Vegas and LUXURY celebrate one last year at Mandalay Bay (Above) JCK publisher Mark Smelzer presents the Jewelers’ Choice Award winners at the Industry Trends breakfast.   Instagram influencer Katerina Perez (@katerina_perez) snaps a sparkly ring pic.   Artist Angie Crabtree shows off her signature…

In a move that jolted the diamond market, De Beers—the company that invented the modern diamond industry—has released a line of lab-grown diamonds, called Lightbox Jewelry. Lightbox features white, pink, and blue stones grown by Element Six, the De Beers–owned synthetic diamond manufacturer, which up to now has grown them solely for industrial purposes. De…

Mary Leipertz of Virginia’s Carreras Jewelers is a party-thrower extraordinaire Richmond, Va., is a small city full of residents who appreciate fine art and design—plenty have even studied the subjects extensively. Top-rated Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is ­located in town, as is the esteemed Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Fifty-year-old jewelry boutique…

As the world’s leading diamond corporations have adopted more ethical and humanitarian standards and practices in recent years, many have also added philanthropy and social activism to their core corporate values. The Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), established in 2007 by diamond industry leaders, was created to financially support trade initiatives that aid residents in mining…

Spiking summer temps call for nearly neon jewels with vivid rhodium plating, enamel accents, and gemstone pops of color (Above) Earrings with paraiba tourmalines, opals, and pink sapphires enclosed in double white sapphires in 18k rose gold; $5,640; Moritz Glik; 212-679-0948; moritzglik.com   You’re So Vine ear crawler with topaz and diamonds in 9k rose…

Jury president Cate Blanchett ruled the French film fest in a never-ending series of sensational Chopard sparklers How do we love Cate Blanchett? Let us count the ways. We could hardly keep track of all the fabulous couture she wore at Cannes, from the black lace Armani Privé at the opening ceremony (recycled from the…

The Hudson, N.Y.–based designer works wonders in tourmaline, green gold, and beyond Did you know that Judi Powers is the Tourmaline Queen? It may not be an official title, but that’s what we call her. She’s also “crazy about” dendritic agates. And she thinks the most “misunderstood and underappreciated” gemstone out there is zircon. Another…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Pura Genius Roberto Demeglio is known for crafting elegant ceramic stretch bracelets. But for its latest collection, Pura Gold, the Italian brand has traded shiny ceramic for solid gold. The new easy-to-wear rings and bracelets feature 18k yellow, white, and rose gold components set with vertical and horizontal lines glittering with black, white,…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Hue Again The layering of rich hues that often appears in the sky at dawn and dusk inspired the Twilight collection, a 25-piece line from Sandy Leong in tandem with Swarovski. Made in New York City using recycled 18k gold and genuine sapphires and rubies cut by Swarovski, the wearable, delicate-feeling designs, which…

The September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair jump-starts a period of bejeweled celebrations When the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair is held Sept. 12–16 at AsiaWorld-Expo and Sept. 14–18 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition ­Centre, Manoj Butani, director of Hong Kong–based Butani Jewellery Ltd., is ­planning to “go big.” “It’s…

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE Casio WSD-F20A Looking to stock a rugged smartwatch for your adventure-loving clients? The new Casio WSD-F20A, which runs on the newly coined Wear OS by Google (formerly Android Wear), is worth considering. The latest ­addition to Casio’s PRO TREK series of outdoor watches features Casio’s rock-solid GPS software, which includes the ability…

These days, we hear about large-scale data breaches—and incidents of corporations falling short on their efforts to safeguard consumer data—all the time. Case in point: the recent revelation that Facebook allowed data firm Cambridge Analytica to scrape personal info from roughly 50 million user feeds. But are those breaches—and in the case of Facebook, gross…

Elvis couldn’t help falling in love with Hamilton, the watch brand that appeared in more than 450 movies When Elvis Presley burst onto the music scene with his No. 1 hit “Heartbreak Hotel” in 1956, no one would quite grasp the everlasting influence of the King on our culture. Of course, he spent as much…