JBT Re-Elects Jeff Corey as Board Chair
The trade organization, which held its annual elections earlier this year, also added five new board members.

The following officers and directors were re-elected to a one-year term on the board:
Chairman: Jeffery Corey, H. E. Murdock Company Inc., Waterville, Maine;
First Vice-Chairman: Matthijs Braakman, Retail Management Publishing Inc., Montclair, New Jersey;
Second Vice-Chairman: Annie Doresca, Jewelers of America, New York;
President and Treasurer: Andrew Rickard; and
Secretary: Brenda M. Pimentel.
There are five newly elected board members who will serve a two-year term. They are as follows.
Joshua Carmichael, director of commercial lines at Jewelers Mutual, has more than 12 years of experience in underwriting, data and analytics, and product and risk management.
Joshua Kaufman, CEO of Martin Flyer Jewelry, is a member of the third generation running the 81-year-old American jewelry brand and has worked there for 27 years. He is also a member of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York.
Pinny Rubin, the Leslie’s brand manager at Quality Gold, has more than 40 years of industry experience.
Ronnie VanderLinden serves as president of diamond manufacturer and wholesaler Diamex Inc.
He is also president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, member and past president of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York, and a member and past board member of the American Gem Society and the Jewelers Vigilance Committee.
Jeffrey Weinman, executive vice president of sales at Tache USA Inc., is a fifth-generation member of the Weinman family business.
During his time at Original Designs, which is under the Tache umbrella, he has gained a comprehensive understanding of the operational, commercial, and relationship-driven sides of the jewelry business, said JBT.
The following board members have been re-elected for a two-year term:
Lika Behmoaras, ISC Industries Inc. d/b/a Lika Behar Collection, Carlstadt, New Jersey;
Roger H. Gesswein III, Paul H. Gesswein & Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut; and
Keven Peck, Color Merchants Inc., New York.
The following individuals have been re-elected to the advisory board for a two-year period:
Ann S. Arnold, Buyers International Group LLC, Napa, California; and
Michael L. Kaplan, Rocket Jewelry Box Inc., Elmsford, New York
The following board members will continue to serve their existing terms:
Matthijs Braakman, Retail Management Publishing Inc., Montclair, New Jersey;
Jeffery Corey, H. E. Murdock Company Inc., Waterville, Maine;
Thomas Davis, Select Jewelry Inc., Long Island City, New York;
Annie Doresca, Jewelers of America, New York;
Brian D. Fleming, Carla Corporation, East Providence, Rhode Island;
Arien Gessner, Rio Grande Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico;
Richard Katz, Richline Group Inc., New York; and
Maggie Pere Bernard, Stuller Inc., Lafayette, Louisiana.
In addition, the JBT board acknowledged the service of the three board members whose terms expired: Ed DeCristofaro of LDC Inc., Ira Bergman of The Gordon Company Inc.; and Teresa Frye of Techform Advanced Casting Tech LLC.
The Latest

A ring set with “hogback” diamonds, an early stone cut dating to around the 16th century, sold for more than $20,000 at a U.K. auction.

The rainbow version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, features angel-cut, octahedral lab-grown sapphires designed to be worn as armor.

The Brooklyn-based jeweler created a limited-edition version of its “Aura” eternity band, set with gemstones in the team’s colors.

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

Dallow will lead the International Colored Gemstone Association, effective July 6.


Senior Editor Lenore Fedow headed to Savannah to learn more about the 10-year, $10 million partnership between JM and the art school.

Its new capsule jewelry collection features gold-finished stainless steel pieces designed for a maximalist look without a luxury price tag.

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

The week-long event in Geneva is slated for April 2027.

The three industry leaders bring financial, communications, and legal expertise to the nonprofit’s board of directors.

Jewelers are missing out by not offering this one key add-on at the online point of sale, Emmanuel Raheb writes.

The fourth collaborative collection from the retailer and jewelry content creator focuses on gemstone charms and strands of colorful beads.

This year’s AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards will feature two new categories.

The collection features traceable alexandrite from Brazil in calibrated sizes that is sorted by grade.

The capsule collection looks to vintage trunk pins that echo the spirit of speed, freedom, and the mythology of the American road trip.

SSEF issued a notice about the potential new source of the sought-after gemstone, citing “credible reports” from trade sources.

As Amazon Prime Day kicks off, Etsy is encouraging shoppers to support small businesses.

Cole Winward is the recipient of 2026 AGA Gemological Scholarship.

Whether they evoked nostalgia, wonder, or laughter, these jewels put a smile on our faces.

Scheduled for April 2027, Basilia will be the first watch and jewelry trade show held in Basel since the collapse of Baselworld in 2020.

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

The beloved beagle dons his aviator outfit for the new Engineer Master II Snoopy Flying Ace timepiece.

The recent high jewelry auction, which also featured the sale of a 10-carat blue diamond, was “a celebration of color.”

She wore the “Le Cauri Endiamanté” earrings, our Piece of the Week, in the Obamas’ first dual portrait for the Obama Presidential Center.

Couture’s Michelle Orman joins Amanda Gizzi and Michelle Graff for this special post-Market Week episode of My Next Question.

The lab is seeing emeralds with filler added post-testing enter the market, accompanied by reports that indicate little to no treatment.

The third generation of the Stern family to head Patek Philippe, he navigated the “quartz crisis” and preserved the brand’s independence.























