JA Welcomes New Board Chair, Elects 5 New Directors
Bob Moeller of R.F. Moeller Jeweler takes over as chair of the trade association’s board.
Moeller, the president and director of sales for R.F. Moeller Jeweler in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was elected at the trade association’s July 22 board meeting.
Moller grew up in the jewelry industry.
His father, Robert F. Moeller, founded R.F. Moeller in 1951.
Moeller II took over as president in 2006 and now oversees the company his father started. R.F. Moeller has two stores in the Twin Cities area.
He is a GIA Graduate Gemologist and an AGS Certified Gemologist Appraiser.
In a press release announcing his election, Moeller said: “It is a privilege to serve as chair of the Jewelers of America board of directors.
“Jewelers of America has always fought for the jewelry industry and now more than ever, they are committed to helping their members succeed. I look forward to serving with the board.”
Moeller will lead an executive committee consisting of the following elected officers: Chair Elect Coleman Clark, BC Clark Jewelers; Vice Chair Matthew Rosenheim, Tiny Jewel Box; Vice Chair Craig Rottenberg, Long’s Jewelers; Treasurer Elise Greenberg, Greenberg’s Jewelers; Secretary Karen Goracke, Borsheims, and Past Chair Holly Wesche, Wesche Jewelers.
Elected alongside Moeller were five new directors, each of whom will serve a three-year term.
They are as follows.
Jeffery Bolling, president and owner, Jeffery B Jewelers, Denver. Bolling has more than 30 years of industry experience, and is the only Black full-service jeweler in Colorado. He’s proud to serve the community with his son by his side.
Kim Crawford, vice president divisional business manager, fine jewelry at Macy’s Inc., New York. A merchant executive with experience in buying, planning, assortment building and stores, Crawford has been with Macy’s for more than 20 years. She is responsible for omni-buying, execution and vendor partnerships.
Edward Dikes, founder and CEO, Weston Jewelers, Weston, Florida. Dikes grew up working in his father’s store. He and his wife opened Weston Jewelers in 2001, recently adding a second location in the Guitar Hotel. He is proud to welcome his children into the business.
Valerie Madison, owner, Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry, Seattle. Madison is a Black-Latina fine jewelry designer, owner, and creative director. She creates modern heirlooms using recycled metals, sustainably sourced diamonds and unique gemstones, celebrating her clients’ milestones and love stories in gold and precious gems.
Tonia Leitzel Ulsh, president, COO and co-owner, Mountz Jewelers, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Ulsh worked at her father’s store before opening Mountz Jewelers with her brother in 1989. She is active with a number of organizations, including the United Way and The Salvation Army, and serves on the Forevermark Leadership Council.
For the complete list of JA’s 2021-2022 board of directors, visit Jewelers.org.
The Latest

The fancy light blue diamond is estimated to fetch up to $2.6 million at Elmwood’s next week.

“Secret Language of Victorian Jewelry” unveils the meaning behind the symbols, motifs, and gemstones used in Victorian-era jewelry.

This holiday season, look to pieces that will help to fill out customers’ everyday diamond jewelry wardrobe, experts say.

Experience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.

The Natural Diamond Council is now The Diamond Collective and has announced a new strategy under CEO Amber Pepper.


Part of its brand relaunch, the marketing around the campaign includes a contest involving a jacket set with 550 diamonds.

The curation, opening soon at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, honors the jeweler’s heritage through a distinctly American lens.

Submit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.

The jewelry giant has partnered with the famed makeup artist to create a colorful new collection of charms and rings.

The jeweler donated school supplies to Memphis, Tennessee, students during the event combining basketball and mentorship.

A federal judge denied Pandora’s motion to dismiss Foundrae’s claim for copyright infringement of its medallions.

People aren’t thinking rationally when they are buying luxury products, and we shouldn’t be selling them that way, Peter Smith writes.

The Baltimore Business Journal recognized the entrepreneur for her leadership in business and the jewelry industry.

The facility is located within SEEPZ and is GCAL by Sarine’s second location in India, joining its existing grading lab in Surat.

The four-day show is slated for Nov. 19-22 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood.

Offered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, the one-of-a-kind white gold watch now holds the title of most valuable Cartier wristwatch sold at auction.

Bernstein-Gulla has been working in the jewelry industry for 40 years, most recently as chief engagement officer for Hill & Co.

The relocated Glendale store, now at The Americana at Brand, was designed to be a contemporary “timepiece haven” inspired by luxury resorts.

The top lot of the auction house’s Hong Kong jewelry sale was an Art Deco Mauboussin necklace with ruby beads, which sold for $2 million.

Retailers and manufacturers headed to the Capitol this week to discuss tariff exemptions for diamonds and gemstones, among other issues.

Our Piece of the Week is a pair of drop earrings from the “Sway” collection featuring Nanis’ first use of mirror-polished gold.

SynthDetect 2 can scan a full tray in less than five minutes, De Beers said, making it six times faster than its predecessors.

Two metal detectorists discovered the ring, which may have belonged to English noblewoman Matilda of Lancaster, in Suffolk.

The bill has a provision that allows the president to raise tariffs on countries that import Russian oil and gas to as much as 100 percent.

The American Gem Society presented the annual award to a former president of its board.

The “Chrysalis” capsule centers butterfly motifs representing growth, transformation, and the unfolding of who you are.

Jewelers of Louisiana presented Patton, the third-generation president of Pattons Fine Jewelry, with the award at its annual convention.





























