The Most-Read Stories of 2025, So Far

Last week (last Wednesday, to be precise), we reached the halfway point of 2025. 

Normally, this is where I would write something like, “I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the year!” but, honestly, 2025 has felt like the longest year on record.

As is customary, this is the point of year at which the National Jeweler editors take a breath, maybe take a vacation, and assess what has resonated with readers. 

If you had asked me to guess what our most-read story of 2025 has been so far, sans data, I would have said anything to do with tariffs, including (but not limited to) my initial story explaining how the tariffs could impact jewelry imports; the story about the tariffs being put “on pause” 13 hours after going into effect; or the short-lived trade court ruling on the tariffs. 

(Natalie Francisco and Lauren McLemore also did some excellent reporting on the potential impact of higher tariffs on jewelry designers and colored gemstone dealers.) 

Or, I might have pointed to one of the excellent submissions from our roster of regular columnists.

There was Sherry Smith’s January lookback at 2024, Emmanuel Raheb’s how-to on Pinterest (which sparked some new ideas internally), and Peter Smith’s recent article on pricing.

But, what does the data say our readers actually liked?

According to Google Analytics, diamond stories and then crime, crime, and more crime.

See below for the rundown of National Jeweler’s top five stories of 2025, so far. 

1) De Beers Turns to Brown, Yellow Diamonds for New ‘Beacon’
De Beers’ “beacon” programs for marketing and selling as much diamond jewelry as possible were popular back in the day, so it’s no surprise that the announcement of a new “beacon” program attracted so much attention. 

Reactions to the idea of emphasizing “off-color” diamonds have been mixed, but I personally like it. Feel free to send us some samples. 

2) 5 Engagement Ring Trends Expected to Rule 2025
From chunky bands to vintage diamond cuts and bezel settings, Associate Editor Natalie Francisco’s engagement ring rundown, published in February, proved prescient. 

We saw these trends all over the show floors in Las Vegas, including at the booth of one of the U.S.’s biggest jewelry suppliers, Stuller. 

3) ‘The Timepiece Gentleman’ Sentenced to 5-Plus Years Behind Bars
I am not a luxury watch consumer, and I don’t spend a lot of time on social media, so I didn’t know much about “The Timepiece Gentleman.”

Apparently, a lot of other people did, as this story about the ungentlemanly behavior of “The Timepiece Gentleman” (real name: Anthony Farrer) proved popular. 

4) NYC Diamond Dealer Pleads Guilty to Lab-Grown Diamond Swaps
It’s no surprise that a story about crime and diamonds did so well.

In February, Manashe Sezanayev, a dealer based in New York City’s Diamond District, pleaded guilty to grand larceny after he defrauded two other merchants by swapping their natural diamonds for lab-grown stones, which (as everyone is well aware) are considerably less valuable.   

5) Customs Seizes Nearly 2,000 Pieces of Counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry 
For some reason, stories about seizures of fake jewelry from brands like Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels always attract an unusually high amount of readership. 

This story, written by Senior Editor Lenore Fedow in April, was no exception.