And the Winner of Borsheims’ ‘Ike-It Award’ Is …
Wendy Johnson, a senior buyer’s assistant, has been with the retailer since 2007.

This year’s winner is Senior Buyer’s Assistant Wendy Johnson.
Johnson has been with Borsheims since 2007, starting as a buyer’s assistant on the fine gift side of the business. She helped the retailer’s gift buyer with reporting, tracking orders, and hosting designers in the store.
In 2019, Borsheims promoted Johnson to senior buyer’s assistant, where she took on additional work assisting the store’s jewelry and diamond buyers.
Johnson’s colleagues nominated and selected her for the Ike-It Award. She received it on Feb. 21, with Borsheims President and CEO Karen Goracke calling Johnson an “integral” member of the team.
“I couldn’t be prouder of her for being selected by her fellow employees as our Ike-It Award recipient,” Goracke said. “Our staff is grateful for her positive attitude and tremendous work ethic. Congratulations, Wendy!”
The Ike-It Award is named in honor of Ike Friedman, who owned Borsheims from 1947 to 1989, when Warren Buffett bought a majority stake in the company and made it part of his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway.
The retailer first gave out the award in 1992, the year after Friedman died. This year marks its 31st presentation.
The Latest

Smith offers retailers guidance on creating an environment where natural and lab-grown diamonds can both thrive.

Former Emerald President and CEO Hervé Sedky has transitioned to the role of senior advisor.

The 12-piece capsule collection transforms from brooches to pendants.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

A Botswana government official told lawmakers Anglo has selected The Global Diamond Consortium, an entity chaired by Penny, to buy De Beers.


The new tariff, imposed after a Trump administration study, is 25 percent and will stack on top of existing tariffs.

The collection from 2014 has been reinterpreted into high jewelry with its signature triangular-shaped elements.

DCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.

She will also take on the role of vice president of jewelry for SmartWork Media, a newly created position.

Organizers are looking for presentations on topics like manufacturing, technology and research, bench work, gemstones, and sustainability.

Woodley is seen in the campaign wearing our Piece of the Week, the “Frida” collar featuring 13 pieces of hand-carved Venetian glass.

A WeBuyVintage jewelry expert uncovered how much the flea market find was actually worth.

The founder of natural colored diamond wholesaler Pancis Gems shares stories from his five decades in the industry.

Submissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.

Valeriya Guzema and Mariana Lenha look back on the last decade and discuss the Ukrainian brand’s first U.S. store.

The diamond mine, which opened nearly 30 years ago in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is expected to shut down by mid-August.

Jewelry sales for the company, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vhernier, and Buccellati, rose 21 percent in the first quarter.

The graduate, Grace Barden, credited the program with helping her secure a job as a bench jeweler.

The event, scheduled for next month in New Orleans, will include dinner, a custom jewelry design contest, and education sessions.

The yet-to-be named stone is the 10th diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats to come out of Lucara’s Karowe mine.

The watch and jewelry retailer had a strong fiscal year despite what its CEO described as a “complex operating backdrop.”

The open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.

Bold color, expressive gem-setting, and sculptural form define the three chapters that make up “Stile Libero.”

Rising revenue does not automatically mean a healthy business, particularly in the current economic landscape, Smith writes.

These long, fluid drop earrings are sure to catch the eye.

Alberto Perez-Elias is one of four men charged with robbing a Cape Coral, Florida, jewelry store and is the only one still at large.

Initiatives in Art and Culture is hosting its 16th annual Gold and Diamond Conference, with the theme of “Resilience.”
























