Meet the Winner of the 2021 Wag Award
The Edge Retail Academy gives the annual honor to a store that demonstrates business excellence.

Petite G Jewelers has been awarded the 2021 William (Wag) Wagner Business Excellence Award.
Owned by Dana Friedman, Petite G Jewelers has served Indianapolis for more than 20 years, becoming the area’s premiere boutique jewelry store.
It specializes in curated estate jewels, one-of-a-kind fashion pieces, and bridal jewelry.
ERA President David Brown said, “Dana diligently embraced strategies and recommendations from her Edge Retail Academy Business Advisor that allowed her to increase sales by 31 percent, raise gross profit by 40 percent and even increase her gross margin by 3.3 percent.”
ERA Business Advisor Charleen Pfaff explained, “Petite G focused on inventory management; the store achieved its optimum inventory level, including reducing aged inventory by $120,000.”
Friedman said ERA helped Petite G Jewelers achieve its goals through “sharpening our inventory mix” and “creative store events.”
She said, “Charleen provided us with sales team development and training, which led to an engaged team, and helped grow our revenue significantly.”
Now in its fourth year, ERA gives the Wag Award to a business that has achieved exceptional growth in the past year.
It is named in honor of a former ERA Business Advisor, William (Wag) Wagner, who died in 2018.
Brown said, “The Award has two goals: (1) to acknowledge business excellence from independent retailers and (2) to honor the memory of long serving ERA Business Advisor William (Wag) Wagner, whose service, loyalty and advice went well beyond the expectations of our clients, his work colleagues and our company.”
Petite G Jewelers received a check for $1,000.
Last year’s Wag Award recipient was Falls Jewelers in Concord, North Carolina.
The Latest

Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.


The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

The “Strong Like Mom” campaign features moms who work at Tiffany & Co. and their children.

Interior designer Athena Calderone looked to decor from the 1920s and 1930s when crafting her first fine jewelry collection.

During a call about its full-year results, CEO Efraim Grinberg discussed how the company is approaching the uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

The free program provides educational content for jewelry salespeople and enthusiasts to learn or refresh their diamond knowledge.

The feedback will be used to prepare other jewelers for the challenges ahead, the organization said.

The online sessions are designed to teach jewelers to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to grow their business.

The opening marks the jewelry retailer’s first location in the Midwest.

The “United in Love” collection offers tangible mementos of hearts entwined with traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Robert Goodman Jewelers will hold a “Black Jewelry Designers and Makers” event on April 27.

The announcements follow a tumultuous start to 2025 for WJA, which saw a wave of resignations following controversial statements about DEI.

Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff answers questions about how the new taxes levied on countries like India and China will impact the industry.