SurveysApr 24, 2026
Mother’s Day 2026 Jewelry Spending to Top $7B, NRF SaysNRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.
EditorsJun 19, 2009
Living Through Jewelry's Good Old Days
They say creativity thrives during times of financial hardship. Based on my experiences over the past week, I can't help but agree. In the span of seven days, I’ve seen more interesting work from up-and-coming and established jewelers than I...
They say creativity thrives during times of financial hardship.
Based on my experiences over the past week, I can't help but agree. In the
span of seven days, I’ve seen more interesting work from up-and-coming
and established jewelers than I typically see in six months of trade
shows, where mainstream buyers lessen the incentive to offer truly
cutting-edge design.
This was hardly the case in London last
week, when my brief stopover en route to Geneva happily coincided with
the last few days of Coutts London Jewellery Week.
It’s the type of organized, well-promoted effort that should make
designers in any other part of the world emerald-green with envy.
Sponsored by Coutts & Co., an investment bank that traces its roots
back to 1692, when it provided banking services to buyers of its plate
and jewelry supplies, the second annual week-long gathering,
chock-a-block full of lectures, demonstrations and cocktail parties, is
intended to raise the profile of the city’s creative talent and
technical expertise in jewelry making.
My first stop was Treasure,
a collection of more than 70 designers selling their wares beneath the
soaring ceilings of the Flower Cellars event space in Covent Garden.
There, I met Jig Pattni,
a Londoner descended from a long line of Indian goldsmiths. Pattni’s
work evokes not the glorious 22-karat gold traditions of his ancestors
but the icons of 20th century pop culture. To wit: At Treasure, Pattni
unveiled his new diamond collection, The King, in homage to Elvis
Presley. It included two 18-karat gold pendants, one fashioned into a
bust of the crooner, complete with a slicked back pompadour, and the
other a seductive pair of blue sapphire-studded shoes.
At a neighboring showcase, Nina Koutibashvili,
a London designer who hails from the republic of Georgia, couldn’t have
embraced a more different aesthetic (the diversity at Treasure, and at
London Jewellery Week, in general, was astonishing). The piece in her
showcase that I most coveted was a large linked white gold bracelet
covered by a thin layer of black stingray skin (see below), its
trademark bubble pattern so beguilingly exotic.
Downstairs in Treasure’s sprawling cellar, JeDeCo, the Jewellery Designer’s Collective,
a brand new group of more than 20 artist-jewelers, had set up shop.
Guided by the principle that there’s strength in numbers, the group
formed just a couple weeks ago, though their professional promotional
materials and uniformly high
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
standard of design would suggest otherwise.
By
the time I returned to New York on Tuesday, capping three weeks of
travel that began in Las Vegas, at jewelry market week, I was fairly
sure that no other piece of jewelry would ever hold my attention again.
Yesterday, however, during a daylong blitz of various jewelry events around Manhattan, I stood corrected. At the Jewelry Information Center’s annual fine jewelry luncheon at Vermilion, a six-month-old Indian-Latin fusion restaurant in midtown, I was captivated by a $30,000 silver and gold choker necklace by Todd Reed featuring his trademark rough diamond cubes; a $19,000 carved emerald ring by Christian Tse; as well as a $175 teak wood cuff set with black onyx and deep pink quartz, the work of Zapphire by Kanupriya Khurana.
The
best part of the event? Editors were asked to place their business
cards in a bowl for a series of giveaways that the JIC’s Helena Krodel
and Amanda Gizzi (just back from maternity leave, looking marvelous)
had organized. I couldn’t believe my good fortune when my name was
called. I won an 18-karat white gold Kir Royale ring, set with a
12.56-carat amethyst accented by diamonds and rubies, by Gumuchian
(see below). Oddly, this was the second Gumuchian cocktail ring I have
won—the first is an 18-karat yellow gold and Tahitian pearl ring that I
wear every single day. I’m thrilled to be the New York jeweler’s
walking, talking billboard.
Slightly dazed by my good luck, I ventured further uptown, to the Kara Ross
showroom on East 60th Street, where I promptly fell in love with a cuff
from Ross’s new capsule fine jewelry collection. Known for her chic use
of exotic animal skins, Ross wrapped this 18-karat gold and
pavé-sprinkled number in purple stingray skin (see below). I’m now
officially obsessed with the material.
My final appointment of the day brought me to the Upper Eastside showroom of Camilla Dietz Bergeron,
the estate dealer. The sight of so many vintage Deco, Retro and
Seventies baubles made me feel a bit delirious. So many rings, so
little time. I circled the round wooden table at the heart of the
showroom like a vulture. From a classic Seaman Schepps rock crystal
frog brooch dappled with cabochon emeralds, to scores of whimsical
1940s-esque gold charms (harem slippers dangling teeny tiny akoya
pearls, a miniature house complete with a garage and moving car, a
lamppost pointing the way to Place Vendôme), the vintage treasures on
display were each more charming than the last. I was tempted to laud
the “good old days” of jewelry design, such is the temptation to
idolize the past at the expense of the present, but then I recalled my
day and my week and realized that the good old days are now.
More on Editors
The Latest
TechnologyApr 24, 2026
TwentyFour’s Digital-Age Locket Is a Virtual VaultThe “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.
Events & AwardsApr 24, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in JulyThe open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s JewelersThe jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.
Weekly QuizApr 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1MThe Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s GardenThe “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Windsor Jewelers Names New Buying DirectorNatalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American JewelryThe pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for AuctionJulien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch CollectionGabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYCSeized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop OwnerRodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.
TrendsApr 20, 2026
Beth Bernstein, Sonia Esther Soltani Pen New Jewelry Book“Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems” highlights the relationships among 22 influential designers, brands, and gem dealers.
Events & AwardsApr 20, 2026
Atlanta Jewelry Show’s Spring Event Is Hitting the RoadThe AJS Spring 2027 show will be held in Savannah, Georgia, with future shows taking place in other Southeast cities.
MajorsApr 20, 2026
Kendra Scott Names New CFO, Chief Business OfficerThe jewelry retailer plans to open 20 new stores this year and expand into new product categories.
TrendsApr 17, 2026
New (Groundbreaking) Floral Jewelry for Spring 2026Flower motifs are the jewelry trend blooming amongst the new collections that debuted this spring.
MajorsApr 17, 2026
QVC Group Files for Chapter 11 BankruptcyThe retailer reported an 8 percent decline in annual sales as it struggles under the weight of billions of dollars of debt.
CollectionsApr 17, 2026
Edina Kiss’ Earrings Are the Devil on Your ShoulderThe “Devil” drop earrings, our Piece of the Week, are part of designer Edina Kiss’ new namesake jewelry line that she will show at Couture.
CrimeApr 17, 2026
FBI Issues Warning to Refineries, Retailers Due to High Price of GoldThe alert states that burglary crews are targeting jewelry businesses and details how jewelers and refineries can protect themselves.
WatchesApr 16, 2026
Cartier Brings Back the RoadsterThe “watchmaker of shapes” debuted the reworked version of the vintage sports car-inspired timepiece at Watches & Wonders.
