Independents

State of Jewelry Design: New Retailers’ Biggest Successes and Mistakes

IndependentsJun 01, 2022

State of Jewelry Design: New Retailers’ Biggest Successes and Mistakes

Jewelry store owners reflect on what they’ve gotten right and wrong in their first years of business.

20220601_SOTM-Retailers-thevault.jpg
Katherine Jetter, owner of The Vault Nantucket, is pictured at the company’s Boston store.
Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the print edition of the 2022 State of the Majors. Click here to see the full issue.
 
Operating a new jewelry store in the pandemic era has presented emerging retailers with unprecedented challenges and successes. 
 
National Jeweler asked the six fine jewelry retailers profiled in the State of the Majors magazine article “State of Jewelry Design: Meet the New American Jeweler” to share what they’ve gotten right, and wrong, since opening in recent years (or mere months ago).  
 
Here’s what they had to say. 

20220601_SOTM-Retailers-pendleton.jpg
Pendleton Jewelry owner Michelle Pendleton, pictured with her husband

Michelle Pendleton, Pendleton Jewelry
Kansas City, Kansas
 
Success: Since the store’s entire existence has been during the pandemic, I feel like we have pivoted in ways we never thought were possible. Private in-store appointments along with video chats, on-demand text messaging, home try-on services and other concierge-like offerings grew exponentially the past year and now have become standard practices, which we are more than happy to accommodate and continue.
 
Mistake: See our answer about successes! It is hard to scale the business without losing a touch of the on-demand offerings, but we will continue to make the quality experience our first priority, even if that means pacing our growth.

Rachael Nov, Gin & The Banker
Bellevue, Washington
 
Success: We have curated our designer selection well, allowing each designer to stand out and not compete with the designers they sit next to. Not oversaturating our store and keeping our selection tight allows each designer to get the recognition and attention they deserve.
 
Mistake: Mistaking that I can’t be both kind and assertive.

20220601_SOTM-Retailers-donpurcell.jpg
Don Purcell spent years at boutique Jeffrey in both New York and Atlanta before opening his own fine jewelry store in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood in 2021.
 
Don Purcell, Don Purcell
Atlanta, Georgia
 
Success: We have consistently engaged the community with our trunk shows and events. We create an experience at our events, which are usually catered with a bar and DJ. 
 
Mistake: The only mistake was not opening my own store sooner.

 Related stories will be right here … 

Katherine Jetter, The Vault Nantucket
Boston and Nantucket, Massachusetts 
 
Success: I feel really proud of the community we have built with our vendors. There is no competition, no cattiness, just a wonderful group of designers who all love and support one another in the most beautiful way.
 
Mistake: I’ve made plenty of them and I probably still am. I wouldn’t call it a mistake, but I was very lucky to not sign a lease two weeks before the pandemic hit—that would have been a major mistake. As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that hiring people from a company culture perspective is more important than a conceptual hire. 
 
20220601_SOTM-Retailers-tinygods.jpg
Mary Margaret Beaver is pictured in her jewelry store Tiny Gods in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Mary Margaret Beaver, Tiny Gods
Charlotte, North Carolina
 
Success: I have trusted my instincts and have made it a point to take chances. 
 
Mistake: I opened in such a whirlwind that, at times, I was so living and breathing and working in the moment that I didn’t allow for thoughtful far-future planning. This I know I can do better! 

Ryan Ryan, The Fine Jewelry Bar
Palm Desert, California
 
Success: Carrying out the high standards I set for myself from the beginning to make shopping at The Fine Jewelry Bar an experience the customer will not easily forget.
 
Mistake: Underestimating the complications and breadth of retail coming from being a designer/wholesaler.  

 Related stories will be right here … 

The Latest

Movado Connect 2.0 watches
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Zoë Chicco Bracelets
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable Environment

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Renato Cipullo Hematite Blaze Necklace
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ Necklace

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

Article Image 1.png
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Stock image of shipping containers
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs Invalid

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

Weekly QuizMay 30, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Britney Spears
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry Line

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Inoveo Platinum Grain image.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by Stuller

Sponsored by Stuller

antique_Vegas_2024_by_headshot_stories_9454.jpg
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the Globe

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

Grizzly Mining Pilala emerald
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat Emerald

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.

GemFind Logo
TechnologyMay 29, 2025
GemFind Launches AI Product Description Software

GemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.

Graff Fontainebleau Las Vegas
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Graff Unveils New Las Vegas Flagship

The 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.

Kim Kardashian
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist Trial

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

New York Liberty 2024 WNBA Championship Ring
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic Win

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

Jewelers Board of Trade logo
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Andrew Rickard Named JBT President

A longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.

Logos for Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America and Jewelers of America
MajorsMay 27, 2025
MJSA to Become Part of Jewelers of America

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Al Capone Pocket Watch
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
Al Capone’s Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Back Up for Auction

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

Kat Florence Lumina
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
182-Carat Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Sells for $487K

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Mark Henry Gumdrop Bypass Ring
TrendsMay 27, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Candy-Colored Gemstones

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

Stock image of police cars with their lights on
CrimeMay 23, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in Burglaries

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

Bliss Lau Bright Ring
CollectionsMay 23, 2025
Piece of the Week: Bliss Lau’s ‘Bright’ Ring

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

GIA pearl report
GradingMay 23, 2025
GIA Updates Pearl Classification System

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

GCALbySarine Diamond Journey Certificate_1872x1052.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 22, 2025
How to Put Natural Diamonds Back in the Spotlight

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

The late West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger
CrimeMay 22, 2025
NY Jeweler Sentenced in Shoving Death of Colleague at IJO Show

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

Watches of Switzerland store in Mall of America
FinancialsMay 22, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s Full-Year U.S. Sales Climb 14%

The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.

Jose Hess Design Awards 2025 Trophy
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2025
Jose Hess Design Awards Announce Judges

The nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.

MJSA 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide
MajorsMay 22, 2025
MJSA Releases 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide

This year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.

Bulgari Invisible Violet Necklace and Rainbow Flow Necklace
CollectionsMay 21, 2025
Bulgari Highlights Its Colorful Past in Phenomenal ‘Polychroma’ Collection

The jeweler’s high jewelry collection features extraordinary gemstones, like a 241.06-carat emerald and the world’s fourth-largest spinel.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy