The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
A crazy week in crime
The news this week took me back to my days at the Marietta Daily Journal in suburban Atlanta, where I spent nearly a year on the police/courts beat. I loved it but, after a while, I had had enough. There...
The news this week took me back to my days at the Marietta Daily Journal in suburban Atlanta, where I spent nearly a year on the police/courts beat.
I loved it but, after a while, I had had enough. There are only so many murder trials, so many heart-wrenching sentencing hearings you can sit through before it starts to get to you.
While I miss it sometimes, weeks like this one always pop up now and then, and I remember what it was like to be a 23-year-old reporter in a busy daily newsroom.
I didn’t realize it then, but those days represented the tail end of an era in which “breaking news” could actually be broken in the a.m. paper — our newspaper, and probably quite a few others, didn’t have a Web site that was constantly updated.
Reporters still wrote stories that happened that day for the next day’s edition, and readers eagerly awaited the arrival of the morning paper to read about the surprising shooting of the convenience store clerk in their quiet, upscale neighborhood.
But that was then and this is now, so without further ado, here’s a look at the police blotter that was National Jeweler’s Web site this week.
First, police in London nab a suspect in the big-time heist that took place at a Graff Diamonds store there.
That same day, we learned via news sources that Kenyan police had arrested a man in the brutal slaying of gemologist Campbell Bridges.
And we received very sad news out of Kearny, N.J, where a jeweler’s son was shot dead in their store during a morning robbery.
Then there was the TV preacher with the not-so-holy gem scheme that allegedly bilked people out of millions.
Rounding out the week, we had a report about a group of burglars that are hardly bungling. This crew seems to have J.C. Penney’s number.
And we received confirmation that the New Jersey jeweler found dead in shop in June succumbed to cyanide poisoning.
The week was a mix of small triumphs — arrests in the Bridges and Graff cases, the indictment of an alleged scam artist, coupled with sad news — the deaths in New Jersey — and an interesting series of burglaries that smacks of a script for the next “Ocean’s” movie.
What are they on now, 15?
The Latest

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

Nicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.


Longtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.

The full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Model Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.

The board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.

Three winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.

JD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.

The new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.

Acquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.

The “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.

Columnists Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share tips on how to elevate your professional image.

Peter Damian Arguello, a jeweler in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, was found dead inside his store in November 2023.

The retailer, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is becoming part of the Berkshire Hathaway Jewelry Group with Helzberg.

The Continental Buying Group’s 2025 Tampa Experience Show is slated for Sept. 8-10.

The company raised its full-year sales guidance while noting it has not yet assessed the potential impact of the latest tariff news.

The organization has raised more than $1.3 million for charity since its inception.

The brand’s latest iteration of a bezel-set diamond bangle features clean lines and a timeless design for a new modern silhouette.

The first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.

The catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.

The company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.

An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.