IndependentsMar 08, 2022
Day’s Jewelers Announces New VP FinanceSourcingMar 09, 2022
Joe Menzie to Retire After Nearly 5 Decades in the Industry
But his eponymous gemstone business will carry on under new owner Nash James Enterprises.
Industry veteran Joe Menzie will retire at the end of the month. Starting April 1, Nash James Enterprises will become the owner of Joseph M. Menzie Inc. (Image courtesy Menzie.com)
New York—Longtime industry veteran and fine gemstone specialist Joe Menzie will retire at the end of the month, but he won’t be leaving the trade altogether.
Menzie started in the industry in 1973, leaving a job as a social worker in Yonkers to begin his jewelry career at his grandfather’s fine gemstone business.
“Back then, there were only about 10 guys my age in the business. Everybody else was much older,” he told National Jeweler in a recent interview.
He left his grandfather’s company to run the gemstone division for a Swiss company called Golay Buchel in the early 1980s prior to opening his own company.
In addition to providing fine gemstones to the industry, Joseph Menzie Inc. also performs appraisals, sells estate jewelry, offers stone cutting and lapidary services, and creates custom jewelry.
During his career, Menzie was vital in opening gemstone markets in Korea, Dubai, and China.
He served as president of the International Colored Gemstone Association from 2003-2007 and was also on the ICA board for more than a decade. In 2013, the organization honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
He was also a founder of think tank New York Jewelers Group, which has been around for more than two decades and continues today.
One of the biggest changes to the industry since he started, Menzie noted, is the digital aspect. Among other things, it has decreased the time and money spent shipping items to clients now that trade members can show them digital images of a product.
“Before, we would use language and descriptive vocabulary to talk about stones, and we still do that, don’t get me wrong. But now everybody wants to see a picture of something first before we ship it. I think, as we do better with digitalization and these types of communication tools (like Zoom), it’s going to really change it up. For the better.”
Menzie said he’s had the timing of his retirement planned for at least the past eight years, picking it to coincide with several factors: his birthday, the lease ending on his office, and a favorable real estate market for sellers so he can sell his apartment at a profit.
But even as he retires, his business isn’t coming to an end.
Starting April 1, Nash James Enterprises will become the owner of Joseph M. Menzie Inc.
Menzie said Nash James owner Bryan Aderhold, who already operates out of the same office space, had always been the person to whom he wanted to leave his company.
“He’s super at what he does. I have complete faith in him, and all my salesmen like him. He’s very service-oriented, like I was. He’s very knowledgeable. He’s got good inventory.”
He also noted Aderhold’s strength in making his business present in the digital space and across social media channels.
Menzie will stay on through the end of the year to help with the transition and introduce Nash James to his accounts.
“When I formed Nash James Enterprises in 2016, I was starting from scratch with not much more than a vision and a passion for colored gemstones. Joe offered me a place to operate from and has taught me a lot about the business over these past few years,” Aderhold said.
“With a similar business model and approach, we are excited to incorporate Joseph M. Menzie Inc. into our operations, and we look forward to continuing Joe’s legacy as a provider of colored gemstone solutions for our clients and partners. It’s an honor and a privilege, and I’m excited to carry the torch for this industry legend, mentor, and friend.”
Menzie said he’ll still be around the industry with a few projects, like marketing and promoting colored stones to consumers to make them a “demand item” and working with overseas manufacturers to establish Permanent International Jewelry Exhibitions in the U.S., set up in response to the challenges COVID-19 brought and offering permanent spaces for them to have goods stored and displayed to allow purchasing to happen without the necessity of travel.
He also will continue the trips to gemstone source regions he started a few years ago through a separate company, Gemstone Expeditions. This year, it will include a trip to Montana sapphire mines and California’s Pala mine, with international trips eventually coming back online.
“I had a good run. I made a lot of friends in the industry,” Menzie said. “I always tried to tell the truth and be ethical, so I can walk around with my head held high. And I have a lot of respect from my peers, which is something you can’t buy. You have to just earn it.”
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
The Latest
IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth LocationThe family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace ColorThe reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales FallIn the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.
AuctionsAug 13, 2026
This Gold Cadbury ‘Conundrum’ Egg Set a World Auction RecordThe 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with ColorThe expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third StoreThe lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Elderly NYC Woman Targeted in Jewelry Swap SchemeTwo suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Another Diamond Mine Poised to CloseFinsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Jewelry Store Employee Gets 20 Years to Life in Choking Death of BossMichel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.
MajorsAug 12, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names New SVP of SalesLongtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.
AuctionsAug 11, 2026
Verdura Unicorn Brooch With Royal Connection Up for Auction The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.
MajorsAug 11, 2026
Signet Jewelers Selects Mattel Exec to Lead Zales, BanterJamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.
IndependentsAug 11, 2026
Polly’s Fine Jewelry Co-Owner Richard Moore Dies at 69Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.
ColumnistsAug 11, 2026
Creative Connecting: How to Sell Colored Gemstones to Gen ZDuvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.
Events & AwardsAug 11, 2026
NAJA Announces Lineup For 2026 Fall Virtual ConferenceThe mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers will take place Sept. 5-6 on Zoom.
TechnologyAug 10, 2026
Colorado Jeweler Launches Customization Tool He Built HimselfHonest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
QVC Exits Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Names New Interim CEOQVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.
CollectionsAug 10, 2026
State Property Puts a Ripple in the ‘The Voyager’ CollectionThe brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
And IJO’s 2026 Vendor of the Year Is … Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.
Supplier BulletinAug 07, 2026
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsSponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Retail Veteran Pam Cloud Appointed President of Blue NileCloud, who will officially join Blue Nile on Monday, spent 26 years at Tiffany & Co. and founded jewelry brand Roseate.
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Pandora Appoints Paulo Garcia as New CFO Garcia will take over from the company’s current CFO, Anders Boyer, who is retiring at the end of November.
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Etsy to Lay Off 12% of WorkforceEtsy CEO Kruti Patel Goyal explained why the company is letting go more than 200 employees as its performance improves.
