We’re ringing in the 12th annual JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards with a pink and white diamond grand prize winner, plus 45 more of your fellow retailers’ favorite pieces Photograph by Hannah Khymych • Stylist Nina Sterghiou • Jewelry Editor Rima Suqi (Above) Grand prize winner: Cuff ring with 1.1 cts. t.w. white diamonds and 3.54 cts. t.w. fancy pink…

JCK’s ongoing series on the shopping centers finding success amid an ever-changing retail landscape   Beverly Hills has nothing on Bal Harbour, South Florida’s internationally renowned open-air luxury retail paradise “Put this on,” says Bobby Shafer, a ­dapper-suited sales associate at the Gucci boutique at Miami’s Bal Harbour Shops, as he spritzes a silk ribbon…

A lot has changed on the north end of The Strip in the eight years JCK Las Vegas has been away. Here’s the scoop. Luck may come and go in Las Vegas, but one ­constant is change. With new casinos, new restaurants, new nightclubs, and new diversions around town, whole chunks of Sin City will…

TUCSON The 2019 Tucson gem shows were defined by larger conversations about ethical mining. Gem Legacy, a nonprofit that seeks to support East African mining communities, debuted officially at JCK Tucson and urged the industry to get involved. Designers were likewise eager to discuss gemstone provenance, from Petra Class’ collection of minty aqua­marines custom-cut in…

Understudy. Fill-in. Cover. Whatever you call it, that’s me at the moment—pinch-hitting for editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky, who’s enjoying the last moments of her maternity leave. She’ll be back on this page next issue, just in time for our fall fashion spectacular and Las Vegas run-up. That’s right: Las Vegas run-up. As I write this, Vegas…

What JCK magazine’s Randi Molofsky is loving this month “Forget hanging loose. Right now I’m fit to be tied for all things twisted, looped, and hitched.” —Randi Molofsky, JCK jewelry director (Above) Knot Diamond Trim pendant in 18k yellow gold; $1,725; Carelle; 800-225-7782; carelle.com Fat Knot ring with black diamonds in 18k white gold; $9,885; Engelbert…

Talk about a travel whirl. I’ve just finished a week in New York City; a week in Vicenza, Italy; and two trips to Arizona. Whew. First up in January was the 24 Karat weekend in New York. That event and those that surround it are always the ideal kickoff to the year ahead after the…

Jewelry’s best and brightest packed NYC’s Cipriani 42nd Street on a frosty January night for the always cozy and convivial annual Gem Awards (Above) The Jewelry Design winner, Fernando Jorge, makes his way to the stage. Designing men Stephen Webster and David Yurman clown around with Webster’s wife, Assia. Just-retired Rolex president and CEO Stewart…

You can’t judge a business entirely by the numbers In 2018, the jewelry industry once again shrank—at least the part measured by the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT). According to JBT, 1,064 North American jewelry companies discontinued operations last year, which breaks down to 893 retail jewelers, 106 wholesalers, and 65 ­manufacturers. That’s almost exactly…

In 2018, Sid Keswani, a ­former executive at Target Corp. and CEO of grocery chain Fiesta Mart, became head of the Americas for ­Pandora. Here, he talks with JCK about ­Pandora’s new way of viewing ­franchisees, whether it will ever again sell to multibrand ­retailers, and just what the company has in the pipeline. What…

REMEMBERED On Feb. 26, Philippe Charriol, founder of watch and jewelry brand Charriol, died in a car racing accident in Le Castellet, France. He was 77.   COMINGS AND GOINGS Auction house Doyle has appointed Laura K. Doyle as its CEO and Joanne Porrino Mournet as its president. Doyle is the youngest daughter of ­former…

How app star Elizabeth Potts parlayed her love of jewelry and passion for storytelling into Instagram’s coolest vintage bauble biz “Good morning, and welcome to the best day ­everrrrrr!” purred Elizabeth Potts, founder of The Moonstoned, in a video posted to the e-comm company’s Instagram feed (@themoonstoned) the week before Christmas. While chatting into the camera,…

Fashion and charity come together at the philanthropy-driven boutique Olivela Social entrepreneur ­Stacey Boyd experienced the ultimate “aha” moment while visiting a refugee camp in Kenya with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Glancing down at her own designer handbag, Boyd began envisioning a business in which fashion and jewelry shoppers could donate a portion…

1258 Fifth St. NE, Washington, D.C. Shelter, a fine jewelry, gift, and accessories shop that debuted in D.C.’s trendy Union Market district last year, has the feel of a serene and stylish fashion boutique. But just beyond its tastefully glassed-off back wall is a full-fledged jewelry workshop where owner Mallory Shelter is often perched, at…

Hip hoop hooray! A new crop of side-facing stunners are coming full circle. (Above) Monroe Crescent earrings with pink sapphires, black onyx, and diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $5,750; Sorellina; 646-745-6831; sorellinanewyork.com Paper Flower Bypass hoops with akoya pearls, peach moonstone, and brown zircon in recycled 18k yellow gold; $3,350; Nak Armstrong; 787-604-8839; nakarmstrong.com Vertigo large Cameo hoops…

The Scottsdale, Ariz.–based artist behind Just Jules loves vintage detail and modern silhouettes Whenever we’re in a blue mood—or, rather, in the mood for something blue—we visit Just Jules’ Instagram (@justjulesllc) and ogle the opals. “I am absolutely in love with opals,” says designer Julie Romanenko. Of course, opals go way beyond blue, and Just…

The pin is in! Let Billy Porter and Chadwick Boseman show you how it’s done. Billy Porter A thousand apologies for not running a photo showing the fabulous full-length fuchsia-lined cape that Porter—nominated for the FX series Pose—wore with this custom Randi Rahm ensemble at the Golden Globes. (Google it; you won’t be sorry.) It’s…

The labyrinthine hallways of India’s City Palace of Jaipur, which are ever in bloom with colorful floral frescoes dating back to the 1700s, were the inspiration for these dazzling 18k gold and gemstone danglers—dubbed the Maharajah Frescoes earrings—by Alessio Boschi. During a recent visit to the palace, the Bangkok-based designer became “incredibly inspired by that…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Plique-à-Jour Thing In the crowded landscape of contemporary jewelry design, it’s rare to discover a collection that feels genuinely fresh. But that’s the case with Andy Lif, the Los Angeles–based brand founded by designer Andy “Lif” Lifschutz. The atelier’s Speed of Color series marries buttery 18k yellow gold with vibrant colored gemstones (sapphires,…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Black and White All Over Third-generation Turkish jewelry brand Own Your Story only recently began distributing in the United States and Canada. Among its most sophisticated collections (now available stateside!) is the Linear series—accessibly priced 14k gold and diamond pieces that explore the endless possibilities of a simple line form. Its necklaces, rings,…

The jewelry biz will descend on tech-centric, Starbucks-drinking Seattle April 8–10 for the annual AGS Conclave The American Gem Society (AGS) will host its annual Conclave event in Seattle April 8–10, featuring a lineup of top-notch speakers scheduled to lead sessions that respond to a raft of modern challenges jewelers, gemologists, and retailers are facing…

Instagram’s photo grid is instantly recognizable, and its look has influenced website design all over the world. But the iconic grid may no longer be Instagram’s most opportunity-rich avenue for marketers. The social network, which reported 1 billion active monthly users in 2018, debuted its Stories feature in 2016, featuring videos and photos that stay…

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon: 2019 Edition Venerable French fashion brand Louis Vuitton recently debuted the second full collection of its Tambour Horizon smartwatch, which first hit shelves in 2017. And while the connected timepieces cleave tightly to their predecessors in the looks department, the new unisex Tambour Horizon boasts all-new insides, in…