Events & AwardsMay 22, 2026
Instore Buys JA New York ShowThe deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.
EditorsApr 12, 2010
A few notes from the diamond conference
Due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, I was only able to sit in on two full sessions at last week's diamond conference, put together by New York-based Initiatives in Art and Culture. But it was worth it. The sessions were...
Due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, I was only able to sit in on two full sessions at last week's diamond conference, put together by New York-based Initiatives in Art and Culture.
But it was worth it.
The sessions were interesting and were a nice departure from the countless sessions on sales, inventory and social networking I've attended in the past, where I tend to hear the same things over and over again.
Both of the sessions, coincidentally, included extensive discussion on the Hope Diamond. Here are a few gems (ha, ha) I gleaned from Friday:
- Harry Winston was the first jeweler to loan pieces to celebrities for the Oscars. Who wore it and when? Actress Jennifer Jones (1919-2009) donned Harry Winston for the 1943 Academy Awards, the year she took home the best actress Oscar for her performance in "The Song of Bernadette."
- Many historic gems passed through Harry Winston's hands, including the Lesotho diamond in 1967. One of the diamonds cleaved from this monster piece of rough, the 40.42-carat Lesotho III, later came to belong to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was her engagement ring when she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
- For a while the famous 45.52-carat blue Hope Diamond wandered the country as part of a traveling exhibition of outstanding gemstones known as the "Court of Jewels," which toured the nation's major cities between 1949 and 1953. People paid admission to view the Court's jewels, with proceeds going to benefit children stricken with polio.
- Harry Winston gifted the Hope to the Washington, D.C.-based Smithsonian Institute in 1958. It's still there today, on display in the National Museum of Natural History.
- It's estimated that more than 150 million people have seen the Hope since it went on display at the museum in the late 1950s.
- Though it's known that the Hope originated in India, the "where" and "when" are two questions scientists have never been able to answer.
- Through the use of high-tech computer modeling, the Smithsonian put together a cutting history of the Hope. It is believed that the diamond we know as the Hope was originally a different shape and was part of the French crown jewels.
- Known as the "French Blue" and cut from a piece of rough called the "Tavernier Blue," the diamond disappeared during the French Revolution (1789-1799) when someone snatched the crown jewels. It resurfaced in England 20
years and two days later, slightly smaller and with an altered shape. (Twenty years is the statute of limitations for war crimes in France, meaning someone waited exactly as long as they had to before getting the stone re-cut and putting it up for sale).
- Owners of the Hope have included Henry Philip Hope, a banker, collector of gems and the stone's namesake, and U.S. socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean. Harry Winston acquired McLean's jewels in 1947.
More on Editors
The Latest
FinancialsMay 22, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Lead the Charge in Q4The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.
CollectionsMay 22, 2026
Leigh Maxwell Celebrates 5 Years at Couture With ‘Bauble’ CollectionThe “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.
Brought to you by
All Eyes on Gold Prices. Alternatives to Look For. And What to BEWARE of in VegasAs gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.
MajorsMay 22, 2026
Stuller’s New Packaging, Display Catalog Is Out The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.
Weekly QuizMay 21, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
PodcastsMay 21, 2026
Episode 5: Sotheby’s Frank Everett Puts the Auction Market in PerspectiveEverett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.
IndependentsMay 21, 2026
Springer’s Jewelers’ New Flagship Will Serve Next-Gen Luxury ShoppersFourth-generation CEO Lilly Mullen wants to emphasize experience, connection, and personalized service.
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry RetailersWith the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.
Events & AwardsMay 21, 2026
JA Announces Nina Pugliese Memorial ScholarshipThe new award, created in partnership with Henne Jewelers, honors the late designer’s legacy through supporting jewelry education.
SourcingMay 21, 2026
Botswana, Angola Join WFDBThe addition of the diamond-producing countries as nation affiliated members broadens the federation’s global representation, WFDB said.
CrimeMay 20, 2026
NYPD Warns of Jewelry Swap Scams Targeting SeniorsThe NYPD is warning elderly New Yorkers to keep their jewelry hidden when walking outside to avoid being a target.
IndependentsMay 20, 2026
Adornment & Theory’s New Store Feels Like Home Designer Viviana Langhoff has realized her dream of owning a space for her Chicago jewelry store that looks and feels like her brand.
Events & AwardsMay 20, 2026
Here Is Couture’s 2026 Education Lineup The sessions will run from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, with one being a live taping of an episode of Couture’s podcast.
Lab-GrownMay 20, 2026
Savannah Friedkin Jewelry Names New CEOFormer Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry executive Morgan P. Richardson is joining the lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.
WatchesMay 19, 2026
Here’s the AP x Swatch Pocket Watch That Caused PandemoniumThe $400 pocket watch is a blend of Audemars Piguet’s iconic eight-sided Royal Oak and Swatch’s unserious Pop watches from the ‘80s.
CollectionsMay 19, 2026
Chris Ploof’s New Collection Makes an Ancient Metal ModernWith gold prices on the rise, the “Modern Electrum” collection uses an alternative, non-tarnishing metal alloy composed of gold and silver.
IndependentsMay 19, 2026
Ellen and Michael Fruchtman Retire, Sell Marketing Agency Fruchtman Marketing has new owners, Erin Moyer-Carballea and Manuel Carballea, and will relocate to Miami.
ColumnistsMay 19, 2026
Peter Smith: The (Mostly) Immutable Sales TruthsIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Smith lists 10 time-tested principles about sales that still ring true.
ColumnistsMay 18, 2026
Edahn Golan: What a K-Shaped Economy Means for Fine JewelryIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Golan spells out how the growing economic divide in the U.S. is reshaping the market.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Foundrae’s New Collection Taps Into JoyThe “Limitless Expansion of Joy and Hope” collection evokes summer through colored gemstones and motifs of butterflies and florals.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Hancocks London Acquires Historic ‘Inchiquin’ EmeraldThe jewel, circa 1890, is from the late Victorian era and was owned by descendants of the last high king of Ireland.
Events & AwardsMay 18, 2026
Here Are the 2026 JCK Industry Fund Grant Recipients This is what the nine recipients plan to do with the funds.
AuctionsMay 15, 2026
American Collector Ponies Up Almost $17K for John Wayne’s RingThe Western star’s 14-karat gold signet ring sold for six times its low estimate following a bidding war at U.K. auction house Elmwood’s.
Events & AwardsMay 15, 2026
JA, MJSA To Sponsor Roundtable at TJSThe discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.
SourcingMay 15, 2026
State of Diamonds: The Way Forward for Natural DiamondsThe jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.
AuctionsMay 14, 2026
White Diamonds Lead Sotheby’s Auction, Blue Diamond Does Not SellA matching pair of 18.38-carat, D-color diamonds from Botswana’s Jwaneng mine sold for $3.3 million, the top lot of the jewelry auction.
Supplier BulletinMay 14, 2026
A Diamond Is Forever Continues Desert Diamonds – Bridal ReinvigoratedSponsored by A Diamond Is Forever
