EditorsOct 28, 2026
These Wicked Jewels Will Cast a Spell on YouFor her annual Halloween story, Senior Editor Lenore Fedow highlights bewitching jewels fit for a witch that go from day to unholy night.
SurveysJan 01, 2014
For jewelers, it’s Facebook or nothing
National Jeweler’s final holiday poll showed that while many jewelers found Facebook to be an effective marketing tool this holiday season, there are still a percentage of retailers who aren’t engaged in social media at all.
The final holiday poll focused on social media. A total of 297 retailers took the survey, which was conducted between Dec. 16 and 23.
New York--National Jeweler’s final holiday poll showed that while many jewelers found Facebook to be an effective marketing tool this holiday season, there are still a percentage of retailers who aren’t engaged in social media at all.
Of the 297 respondents to the poll fielded online between Dec. 16 and 23, more than half (61 percent) said Facebook was the most effective social media platform for generating holiday season sales and/or traffic.
The second largest percentage of survey-takers, 17 percent, said they are not engaged in social media.
Other forms of social media included in the poll received very few votes. After Facebook, the most effective platforms cited by respondents were Instagram, selected by 7 percent of survey-takers; Pinterest (3 percent); and Twitter and YouTube (both 2 percent).
Vine, an application that creates short, looping videos, received less than 1 percent of the votes cast.
A total of 7 percent of respondents checked “other,” filling in responses such as “nothing works” and “all of the above but at various levels of effectiveness.”
When conducting interviews for its holiday sales reports, National Jeweler asked retailers about their use of social media, and the results mirrored those of the poll: Facebook was cited most often as being the most effective social media platform.
Both Michigan retailer Randy Cole, CEO of The Diamond Vault, and Bill Longnecker, co-owner of Longnecker Jewelry in McCook, Neb., said they have seen positive results from the social media site.
Longnecker said McCook is a town of about 7,000 and he has nearly 1,400 likes on Facebook.
“We advertise on Facebook to a large area, about an hour outside of our ZIP code. We market to those groups and usually get a reach of about 14,000 to 15,000 people a week,” he said. “Facebook gives us an extremely affordable way to interact and be a jeweler for people.”
While the store’s Facebook ads depict images of jewelry, the store’s page itself is a place for sharing stories, holiday videos and community information.
Other jewelers, however, said while social media is part of their holiday marketing plans, more traditional forms of advertising, such as print, generate more results for them.
Jeff Fox, of Barnes Jewelry in Amarillo, Texas, said the store uses social media “very sparingly.” He said “old-school” forms of advertising, such as radio, TV and print, still constitute about 95 percent of the store’s outreach.
“That’s a good question,” he said when asked why. “We are slow to transition is the honest answer. We’ve also had continued success with this (traditional media).”
Fox said the store continues to see sales growth, adding that he’s seen people pour a lot of time and money into Facebook, “and I don’t know that it’s necessarily generating results. You can have a thousand likes but it doesn’t necessarily mean your business is any better,” he said.
At Manfredi Jewels in Greenwich, Conn., Roberto Chiappelloni said they use Facebook and Twitter but believe that the most effective method of marketing is local advertising, as most of their customers live within 10 or 20 miles of the store.
“The largest concentration of our money is spent that way, especially in local magazines. I don’t know if there’s any way to measure this kind of thing, though, unless you attach some kind of special deal to it and see how many shoppers come in asking for that deal,” he said.
--Senior Editor Hannah Connorton and Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator contributed to this report.
More on Surveys
The Latest
CrimeOct 28, 2026
Man In Florida Who Swallowed Tiffany & Co. Earrings ConvictedJaythan Gilder was found guilty of robbery and grand theft after stealing and then ingesting nearly $800,000 worth of Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
MajorsOct 28, 2026
Stuller’s Holiday Campaign Lets the ‘Magic of the Moment’ ShineThe holiday campaign includes key jewelry trends, a curated holiday gift guide, and resources to help jewelers prepare for holiday shoppers.
Brought to you by
A Diamond Is Forever Launches 2026 Holiday Campaign Championing Natural DiamondsA Diamond Is Forever's holiday campaign reimagines natural diamond icons for a new generation celebrating individuality.
SourcingOct 27, 2026
De Beers Celebrates the Holidays With New ‘Desert Diamonds’ CampaignThe “Icons” holiday campaign spotlights four classic diamond jewelry styles reimagined in “Desert Diamond” tones.
Weekly QuizOct 22, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsOct 27, 2026
Solomon Brothers Acquires Mervis Diamond ImportersSolomon Brothers, which has three stores in the Metro Atlanta area, said it may continue to acquire other independent jewelers.
IndependentsOct 27, 2026
Gabriel & Co. Supports Charity Partner DKMS With Gala, New JewelsThe fine jewelry brand raised $2.3 million at its annual gala that supports the nonprofit’s fight against blood cancer and blood disorders.
Brought to you by
Open an Account, Get $50 Off Your First Order. No Code Needed.Built on Relationships. Refined by Craft.
Events & AwardsOct 27, 2026
JFC Announces 2027 ‘Facets’ HonoreesThe annual fundraising event is slated for June 6, 2027, at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.
CollectionsOct 26, 2026
Bliss Lau’s ‘Vantage’ Point Is the Hawaiian HorizonIn her “Vantage” collection, Lau explores heritage, identity, and inner strength through designs featuring blue-green Guatemalan jade.
MajorsOct 26, 2026
Tiffany & Co. Takes Consumers Behind the ScenesThe jeweler gave the public backstage tours of its flagship store and its design and innovation workshop as part of LVMH’s open house.
Events & AwardsOct 26, 2026
Support JFC’s ‘Monster Mash Challenge,’ If You DareVote for which jewelry professional should dress up as a monster to support Jewelers for Children’s annual Halloween fundraiser.
MajorsOct 23, 2026
PGI USA Set to Close at Year’s EndThe closure is part of a global restructuring that also includes PGI winding down its operations in Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
SourcingOct 23, 2026
Rachel Chalchinsky’s ‘Survivor Tribute’ RingThe ring, our Piece of the Week, was designed by eight-year breast cancer survivor Rachel Chalchinsky of Color Source Gems.
TechnologyOct 23, 2026
JA Unveils New Website, LogoThe website offers enhanced member benefit access, industry directories, educational resources, a job board, and access to the MJSA Journal.
FinancialsOct 23, 2026
Kering’s Jewelry Sales Up Double Digits in Q3Boucheron and Pomellato had a strong third quarter, with Kering looking at jewelry as an increasingly important part of its portfolio.
CrimeOct 22, 2026
Jeweler Shot and Killed in His Suburban Cincinnati Store Tara Sinchuri was the owner of Everest Jewels in Fairfield, Ohio, and a father of three. He was found dead in his store on Tuesday.
MajorsOct 22, 2026
Neiman Marcus Has Gifts for the Jewelry Lover Who Has EverythingBespoke experiences from Buccellati and Verdura are on the retailer’s 2026 “Fantasy Gifts” list.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2026
JIS Fall 2026 Reports Record-Breaking Attendance The number of participants at the fall show was up 12 percent.
CollectionsOct 22, 2026
Billie Eilish, Finneas Co-Design Collection for John HardyThe Academy and Grammy award-winning siblings have collaborated with John Hardy on a new jewelry line inspired by their personal style.
PodcastsOct 21, 2026
Episode 10: This Episode Is Haunted Diana Singer shared the stories of two “cursed” diamonds on this month’s podcast, which was inexplicably riddled with technical issues.
IndependentsOct 21, 2026
Gardner-Collier Jewelry to Close After 9 Decades in BusinessThe family-owned jeweler has three locations across Missouri and Iowa.
SourcingOct 21, 2026
Venetia Mines Final Carats Ahead of 2-Year ShutdownThe De Beers-owned diamond mine in South Africa is being put on ice as part of a round of previously announced cost-cutting measures.
CollectionsOct 21, 2026
Helzberg, Nordstrom Carrying New Jewelry Collection From Off-WhiteThe collection centers designs with clean geometric lines, chunky sculptural pieces, and recognizable details from the luxury fashion brand.
SourcingOct 21, 2026
Gemfields’ Mixed-Quality Ruby Auction Earns $52MThe miner said it saw particularly strong prices for larger, fine-quality rubies at the sale.
CrimeOct 20, 2026
Security Guard Charged With Murder in Shooting at Texas MallThe guard opened fire on a man who was smashing a jewelry display case at La Gran Plaza in Fort Worth last week, police said.
IndependentsOct 20, 2026
David Gardner’s Jewelers Unveils Newly Expanded, Revamped ShowroomThe Texas jeweler added 2,000 square feet to its reimagined showroom, complete with a new design studio and an event space.
