Break out the chains and pump up the gems: Bigger is better when it comes to next season’s jewelry trends “What becomes a legend most?” If you’re north of a certain age, you’ll recognize the slogan, from furrier Blackglama, oft accompanied in ads by famous faces Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Diana Ross… In a season…

How to incorporate the gem-based wellness trend into your retail jewelry business Gemstones, crystals, and other minerals are—no pun intended—a bedrock of the jewelry business. And now that crystals are firmly in the zeitgeist, they have the potential to become a powerful sales tool for independent jewelers. Surging interest in crystals and complementary therapies such…

How a Tennessee jewelry store found inspiration and ideas for improvement from a surprising source More than a few times, Chris Jordan sat in awe as he waited in the drive-through lane of his ­favorite restaurant. Regardless of day or time, a line of cars curled onto the road. The windows and landscaping looked immaculate.…

RETAIL Hudson Yards, New York City’s highly anticipated $25 billion residential and commercial development, opened on Manhattan’s West Side in mid-March. The mega-project, spearheaded by real estate firm Related Companies, boasts 4,000 luxury residential units, several ­superstar-chef restaurants, a performing arts venue, a planned green space, and 720,000 square feet of retail that features boutiques…

I’m baaack! After taking the first couple months of 2019 off to care for my newborn son, Niko (who arrived the day before Thanksgiving), I’m thrilled to be back at JCK for this all-important pre-show issue. There is no end to my appreciation for managing editor Melissa Bernardo, who covered for me while I was…

What JCK magazine’s AMY ELLIOTT is loving this month “The designs that stood out to me in Tucson highlighted gems with a lush, organic quality or embraced a vibe of glamorous maximalism.” —Amy Elliott, JCK contributor Earrings with 19 cts. t.w. rose-cut diamonds in 18k gold; $13,100; JS Noor; 562-676-4367; jsnoor.com Oceana necklace with boulder…

Homeward bound! Welcome to the annual pre-show issue of JCK! As always, this spectacular May issue is packed with fantastic editorials, beautiful photography, timely trends and fashions, and plenty of information about next month’s JCK Las Vegas show. Speaking of JCK, as you undoubtedly know, the show is returning to its original venue, the Sands…

In January, Rebecca ­Foerster, an industry veteran who has worked for Leo Schachter Diamonds and Rio Tinto, became president of Alrosa USA, the New York City–based arm of the Russian diamond miner. Here, she talks with JCK about her plans. What do you see as your goals for the office? We believe there is still…

On Feb. 25, Samuels Jewelers, an Austin, Texas–based chain that dates back to 1891, closed all 112 of its stores, six months after filing for Chapter 11 protection. Management had hoped to keep the company alive in a scaled-down form comprising 60 or so stores. But in mid-February, leading lender Wells Fargo made a credit…

Veeral Rathod explains why his jewelry stores have embraced lab-created diamonds and the Spence sensibility While many jewelry retailers wrestle with how to respond to the growing popularity of lab-grown diamonds, Spence Diamonds has embraced the trend with gusto. The Vancouver, British Columbia–based fine jewelry chain, which has stores in Canada plus California, Arizona, and…

Gem Legacy, a new nonprofit working in East Africa, is committed to helping mining communities in need Roger Dery’s long career as a gemstone dealer, and then a gemstone cutter, has taken him on 37 separate trips to mines in East Africa, the ­majority of them with his wife, Ginger. The couple have witnessed firsthand…

1108 Woodland St., Unit H, Nashville Rebekah LeFay’s intimate store personifies present-day Nashville: a little bit unconventional and a whole lotta rock ’n’ roll With less than 200 square feet, Rebekah LeFay has masterfully designed a layout with floor-to-­ceiling ­cabinets that maximizes space and highlights Riveter’s ­expansive collection of stones, stacks, studs, and custom pieces.…

We’re dazed and bejeweled over the newest crop of marijuana-inspired designs: They’re bigger, bolder, and definitely stoned. (Above) Signature locket with Vertly CBD balm insert on malachite Foundation necklace with diamonds and green enamel; $8,500; Harwell Godfrey; 646-745-6831; harwellgodfrey.com Green Stag Beetle Vape Holder with tourmaline, smoky topaz, prehnite, tsavorite, and diamonds in 18k yellow…

Hollywood was in the pink (and red) this season. Herewith, our favorite awards-show fashion. Helen Mirren The eternally stylish (and seemingly ageless) Helen Mirren stole the spotlight at the 2019 Academy Awards in a totally twirlable gown by Schiaparelli Haute Couture. As she walked the red carpet, a flip of the voluminous skirt revealed layers…

African glass, vintage South American poker chips, Indian textiles: You never know what will spark Lizzie and Kathryn Fortunato’s creativity Lizzie Fortunato took her first sewing class in elementary school, made her own high school prom dress, and began designing jewelry while studying art history and English at Duke University. “I love creating things from…

The German-born, Bay Area–dwelling designer has enviable taste in books, films, and, not surprisingly, colored stones Jewelry designer Petra Class trained as a silversmith in her native Germany, but you’d swear in a previous life she was a painter. Her gallery of gemstones looks like an artist’s palette: cerulean-colored opals, ultramarine-hued lapis, viridian-green tourmalines, and…

In the traditional Chinese zodiac calendar, the pig is a generous, fun-loving creature that symbolizes prosperity. But the spectacular swine decorating the new Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Pig timepiece could just as easily represent the pinnacle of horological craftsmanship. The picturesque watch, created in a limited series of 88, was fabricated using…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Animal Magnetism When Leeorah Betan-Hartman, founder and designer of New York City–based jewelry brand Lulu & Shay, recently discovered that astrological signs have ­corresponding spirit animals, she was inspired to ­create talisman-like pendants ­depicting the protective critters, which include the bear, owl, raven, fox, and wolf. The ­resulting designs feel rustic, but—cast in…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION Word Up Some of the most compelling contemporary jewelry designers are infusing their collections with political, personal, or cultural commentary. Designer Coomi Bhasin, for one, channeled frustrations with the feminine status quo for her latest collection, Uncensored—which features words and phrases including Warrior, Sorry Not Sorry, Uncontrollable, and Censored in bold designs rendered…

CAN’T-MISS COLLECTION For the People Debra Navarro had worked in a jewelry store for 15 years when she saw Sharing the Rough, a documentary about mining in East Africa. The film motivated her to make a life-changing decision: In 2015, she visited Kenya and Tanzania with the filmmakers and, later that year, left retail in…

First looks and early access. In fine ­jewelry retailing, both can offer big advantages for small businesses. Which is why retailers in the know have flocked to Luxury by JCK since the trade show debuted in 2000 in a series of hotel suites at The Venetian in Las Vegas. “Luxury is the opportunity to see…

From Feb. 26 to March 4, the Hong Kong jewelry shows saw record attendance from a coterie of global buyers The Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem, and Pearl Show, underwritten by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), wrapped in early March, attracting a total of 4,600 exhibitors…

It’s easier than ever to communicate with your customers, on any platform you like Social media ­consultants constantly advise corporate clients to pay more attention to the “social” than the “media” in their online strategies. After all, it’s not the size of a brand’s following on a channel that matters—it’s the quality. And to achieve…

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE Citizen Eco-Drive Bluetooth Watch Japanese watchmaker Citizen has debuted a new version of its flagship high-end connected watch—the ­Eco-Drive Bluetooth—inspired by tennis superstar and Citizen ­ambassador Naomi Osaka, who won the women’s singles title at last year’s U.S. Open with an Eco-Drive strapped to her wrist. The sporty new model, released in…

How did The Jewelers’ Circular celebrate its 45th anniversary? With 360 pages—then our largest issue to date. Behind a handsomely illustrated cover paying tribute to Italian goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini sits one of the largest issues in our 150-year history. The first big article in this whopper? A 10-page tribute to “Characteristic Folk Jewelry of Various…