Squirrel Spotting: How About a Word for the New Year?
It begins with a “t” and ends with a “c” and is imbued with warmth and positivity, Peter Smith writes.

If you’re in retail and you don’t know Mark, you would do well to check out his books, “Conversion: The Last Great Retail Metric” and “When Retail Customers Count,” probably the best two books on customer conversion I’ve ever read.
Mark had sent me some possible meeting times and when I selected one, he responded using a word that brought a huge smile to my face and transported me to a different time and place.
We all understand the power of words, but we tend to think about that in the context of how we might offend someone by using the wrong ones. It is rare, for me at least, to have a single word become almost transcendent.
That is, however, what happened to me when I received Mark’s reply.
When I read the word, I was transported back to my Colibri days in the 1990s and a recently departed friend, Larry Feeney, a longtime jewelry guy who died in May 2021.
During the four years Larry and I worked together at Colibri, he would bound all over the building in Cranston, Rhode Island, always wearing a smile, and ready with a humorous quip for everyone he met.
Whether Larry knew it or not, one of the words that he used with reckless abandon, and which I always loved, was “terrific.”
Everything seemed to be “terrific” to Larry, and as much as I always enjoyed hearing him use that word, I never managed to embed it into my own vocabulary.
For whatever reason, it never seemed to fit me the way it fit Larry, and before too long, I’d forgotten about it altogether.
Despite not working with Larry since 1996, we would occasionally meet up at various industry events, or during market week in Las Vegas.
Sometimes we’d just have a quick catch-up, crack a joke or two, and be on our way until the next unscheduled visit.
If the conversation was of any duration, however, I was almost certain to hear Larry use “terrific” in his speech, and it struck me the same way every time, “Jeez, that’s a word I need to use more!”
When Mark’s email came in and I read the word “terrific,” I thought of Larry and, once again, vowed to use the word more in my own speech. I mean, really, what’s the downside of saying “terrific” more?
Going forward, I’ve decided I will replace my New Year’s resolutions (I don’t much care for them anyway) with a word for the year.
And for 2023, that will be “terrific,” a strong word imbued with warmth and positivity. A word that means something special to me.
A word that invokes memories of friends past and possibilities yet to come.
Seems like a terrific idea.
The Latest

The heist happened in Lebec, California, in 2022 when a Brinks truck was transporting goods from one show in California to another.

The 10-carat fancy purple-pink diamond with potential links to Marie Antoinette headlined the white-glove jewelry auction this week.

The Starboard Cruises SVP discusses who is shopping for jewelry on ships, how much they’re spending, and why brands should get on board.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The historic signet ring exceeded its estimate at Noonans Mayfair’s jewelry auction this week.


To mark the milestone, the brand is introducing new non-bridal fine jewelry designs for the first time in two decades.

The gemstone is the third most valuable ruby to come out of the Montepuez mine, Gemfields said.

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Founder and longtime CEO Ben Smithee will stay with the agency, transitioning into the role of founding partner and strategic advisor.

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares 20 of her favorite pieces from the jewelry collections that debuted at Couture.

The top lot was a colorless Graff diamond, followed by a Burmese ruby necklace by Marcus & Co.

Gizzi, who has been in the industry since 2001, is now Jewelers of America’s senior vice president of corporate affairs.

Luca de Meo, a 30-year veteran of the auto industry, will succeed longtime CEO François-Henri Pinault.

Following visits to Vegas and New York, Botswana’s minerals minister sat down with Michelle Graff to discuss the state of the diamond market.

The “Your Love Has the Perfect Ring” campaign showcases the strength of love and need for inclusivity and representation, the jeweler said.

The former De Beers executive is the jewelry house’s new director of high jewelry for the Americas.

The New York Liberty forward is the first athlete to represent the Brooklyn-based jewelry brand.

Take a bite out of the 14-karat yellow gold “Fruits of Love Pear” earrings featuring peridots, diamond stems, and tsavorite leaves.

The one-day virtual event will feature speakers from De Beers, GIA, and Gemworld International.

The California-based creative talks jewelry photography in the modern era and tackles FAQs about working with a pro for the first time.

Al Capone’s pocket watch also found a buyer, though it went for less than half of what it did at auction four years ago.

The foundation has also expanded its “Stronger Together” initiative with Jewelers for Children.

Assimon is the auction house’s new chief commercial officer.

The De Beers Group CEO discusses the company’s new “beacon” program, the likelihood diamonds will be exempt from tariffs, and “Origin.”

The Danish jewelry giant hosted its grand opening last weekend, complete with a Pandora pink roulette wheel.

Industry veteran Anoop Mehta is the new chairman and independent director of the IGI board.

The winners of the inaugural “Kering Generation Award x Jewelry” are student Lee Min Seo and China-based startup Ianyan.