Watch: Looking Back on 2022
In the final “My Next Question” of 2022, National Jeweler’s editors discuss the year’s top stories and reveal their predictions for 2023.
On Monday, the publication’s four editors—Michelle Graff, Brecken Branstrator, Ashely Davis, and Lenore Fedow—sat down to talk about the year that was in the jewelry world, including the trends and top stories, and give their predictions for 2023.
Watch their conversation above and see below for a list of links to the stories they discussed.
BIGGEST AND MOST SURPRISING STORIES
Alrosa Lands on US Sanctions List After Russia Invades Ukraine
(For more on this story as it developed throughout the year, please visit this page.)
Signet to Buy Blue Nile in $360M Deal
The Jewelry Industry Remembers Castro: A Complicated, Magical Designer
State of the Colored Stone Market: The Biggest Research Developments of the Past 5 Years
EDITORS’ PICKS
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff
What Do We Mean When We Say ‘Responsible’?
A New Source in Tanzania Is Producing Cobalt-Blue Spinel
Tiffany’s ‘Lock’ Bangle May Be Its Answer to Cartier’s ‘Love’ Bracelet
What Signet’s Blue Nile Acquisition Could Mean for the Jewelry Industry
Senior Editor, Gemstones, Brecken Branstrator
A Tapestry Set with 26K Gemstones Is Making Its US Debut
These Jewels Give Me the Creeps
Senior Editor, Fashion, Ashley Davis
‘Ice Cold’ Is a Visual Love Letter to Jewelry’s Role in Hip-Hop
In ‘The Radiance,’ 13 Talented Designers Offer Distinctive Points of View
Associate Editor, News, Lenore Fedow
Remembering My Mom Through Her Jewelry
What I Learned Following the Veins of East Africa’s Mines
The Latest

From tech platforms to candy companies, here’s how some of the highest-ranking brands earned their spot on the list.

The “Khol” ring, our Piece of the Week, transforms the traditional Indian Khol drum into playful jewelry through hand-carved lapis.

The catalog includes more than 100 styles of stock, pre-printed, and custom tags and labels, as well as bar code technology products.

Launched in 2023, the program will help the passing of knowledge between generations and alleviate the shortage of bench jewelers.

The chocolatier is bringing back its chocolate-inspired locket, offering sets of two to celebrate “perfect pairs.”


The top lot of the year was a 1930s Cartier tiara owned by Nancy, Viscountess Astor, which sold for $1.2 million in London last summer.

Any gemstones on Stuller.com that were sourced by an AGTA vendor member will now bear the association’s logo.

Criminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.

The Swiss watchmaker has brought its latest immersive boutique to Atlanta, a city it described as “an epicenter of music and storytelling.”

The new addition will feature finished jewelry created using “consciously sourced” gemstones.

In his new column, Smith advises playing to your successor's strengths and resisting the urge to become a backseat driver.

The index fell to its lowest level since May 2014 amid concerns about the present and the future.

The new store in Aspen, Colorado, takes inspiration from a stately library for its intimate yet elevated interior design.

The brands’ high jewelry collections performed especially well last year despite a challenging environment.

The collection marks the first time GemFair’s artisanal diamonds will be brought directly to consumers.

The initial charts are for blue, teal, and green material, each grouped into three charts categorized as good, fine, and extra fine.

The new tool can assign the appropriate associate based on the client or appointment type and automate personalized text message follow-ups.

Buyers are expected to gravitate toward gemstones that have a little something special, just like last year.

Endiama and Sodiam will contribute money to the marketing of natural diamonds as new members of the Natural Diamond Council.

The retailer operates more than 450 boutiques across 45 states, according to its website.

The new members’ skills span communications, business development, advocacy, and industry leadership.

The jeweler’s 2026 Valentine’s Day campaign, “Celebrating Love Stories Since 1837,” includes a short firm starring actress Adria Arjona.

The new features include interactive flashcards and scenario-based roleplay with AI tools.

Family-owned jewelry and watch retailer Deutsch & Deutsch has stores in El Paso, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.

The Italian luxury company purchased the nearly 200-year-old Swiss watch brand from Richemont.

Micro-set with hundreds of diamonds, these snowflake earrings recreate “winter’s most elegant silhouette,” and are our Piece of the Week.

Ella Blum was appointed to the newly created role.





















