Piece of the Week: An Opal Pendant Honoring the ‘Grandmother’ of Juneteenth
Zales and Kay Jewelers created a pendant inspired by Opal Lee, an activist who advocated for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday.

Parent company Signet Jewelers teamed up with the Black Employee Network BRG to honor Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother” of Juneteenth.
The day commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, celebrating the day in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger freed the slaves in Texas.
Lee, a retired teacher, was a vocal activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday, which came to fruition in 2021.
Lee, now 96, and her supporters still take an annual 2.5-mile walk, called Opal’s Walk for Freedom, in honor of the two-and-a-half years it took for news of freedom to reach enslaved people in Texas.

The sterling silver sunburst pendant is set with a lab-grown black opal cabochon, surrounded by a 10-karat yellow gold band and a halo of lab-grown white sapphires.
The opal is said to represent “vibrant light and color emerging from darkness.” A star-shaped backplate, a nod to Texas, reads “1865” with a “Juneteenth” tag by the clasp.

The pendant retails for $149 and is available online on Zales and Kay Jewelers’ websites.
From June 1 through July 31, a percentage of sales from the pendant, $30 per necklace, will be donated to the Black in Jewelry Coalition, an organization that promotes the advancement of Black professionals in the gem, jewelry, and watch industries.
The Latest

Sponsored by the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show

A private American collector purchased the 10-carat fancy vivid blue diamond.

The country’s gem and jewelry exports fell 5 percent year-over-year last month, while imports declined 18 percent.

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

Around 54 million Americans and counting live with a disability. Here’s how to make your jewelry store and website more accessible.


The event is also accepting poster submissions now through June 16.

Before Pope Leo XIV was elected, a centuries-old procedure regarding the late pontiff’s ring was followed.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

The one-of-a-kind platinum Rolex Cosmograph Daytona was estimated to fetch up to $1.7 million.

While the product has entrenched itself in the market, retailers and consultants are assessing the next phase of the category’s development.

The police are trying to identify the man suspected of robbing two Tiffany & Co. locations in the area.

The well-known Maine jeweler takes over for Brian Fleming and will serve a one-year term.

The donation was the result of the brand’s annual Earth Day Ingot event.

Located in NorthPark Center, the revamped store is nearly 2,000 square feet larger and includes the first Tudor boutique in Dallas.

The nonprofit has made updates to the content in its beginner and advanced jewelry sales courses.

BIJC President Malyia McNaughton will shift roles to lead the new foundation, and Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez will succeed her as president.

As a nod to the theme of JCK Las Vegas 2025, “Decades,” National Jeweler took a look back at the top 10 jewelry trends of the past 10 years.

The company plans to halt all consumer-facing activity this summer, while Lightbox factory operations will cease by the end of the year.

Following weekend negotiations, the tax on Chinese goods imported into the United States will drop by 115 percent for the next 90 days.

“Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection” is on view at the Norton Museum of Art through October.

The deadline to submit is June 16.

Moti Ferder stepped down Wednesday and will not receive any severance pay, parent company Compass Diversified said.

The miner announced plans to recommence open-pit mining at Kagem.

Michel Desalles allegedly murdered Omid Gholian inside World of Gold N Diamond using zip ties and then fled the country.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore shares her favorite looks from a night of style inspired by Black dandyism.

Sponsored by Instappraise

CEO Beth Gerstein discussed the company’s bridal bestsellers, the potential impact of tariffs, and the rising price of gold.