The third-generation jeweler shared how the North Carolina retailer is celebrating this milestone and the love story that started it all.
Start Holiday Shopping Early, Says NRF
The National Retail Federation’s new campaign, set to air in October, will encourage customers to shop safely and early in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington, D.C.—The National Retail Federation’s latest campaign, “New Holiday Traditions,” wants consumers to shop safely and early this year.
The retail trade organization’s new nationwide consumer education campaign is set to air across digital and social media, radio, and TV from October through mid-November.
Historically, November has been the most popular month to start holiday shopping, the NRF said.
This year, 43 percent of shoppers surveyed said they plan to wait until November to start holiday shopping, according to the NRF’s annual consumer holiday survey.
A majority of those surveyed, 59 percent, plan to shop more online this year compared with last year.
The organization is encouraging shoppers to start earlier in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid long lines and shipping delays.
“Retailers are ready with inventory and sales, and there’s no reason to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to kick off your gift shopping,” NRF CEO Matthew Shay said in a press release announcing the campaign.
National Jeweler columnist Peter Smith echoed a similar sentiment in a July column, noting that since the pandemic could hamper the usual uptick in November and December, retailers should “get in the spirit of Christmas, and get there sooner rather than later.”
He added: “There is a fine line between predatory and pragmatic marketing and retailers need to be sensitive and empathetic, but we have no idea what the coming weeks and months will hold.”
For more information about the NRF campaign, visit the NRF website.
The Latest

The class, led by renowned metalsmith Cynthia Eid, highlighted Argentium silver as an alternative to gold amid high prices.

The show is slated for Oct. 16-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Submit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.

The “Empresses” capsule uses 19th-century medals depicting Napoleon, Joséphine, and Marie-Louise across five one-of-a-kind pieces.


Daniel Bing was formerly the marketing director for the Americas at Vacheron Constantin.

In our Piece of the Week, the designers reimagine the tennis bracelet with green enamel wrapped around a strand of “Desert Diamonds.”

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

The industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.

Founder Vik Westermann said the app is a “starting point” to inspire people to work with appraisers and gem labs, not replace them.

The Verdura brooch, which belonged to the late Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, was sold to a private collector in Asia.

The five students were awarded a total of $10,000 through the nonprofit’s 2026 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.

Steven Lerche is now beginning his term as the youngest member to become president of The Plumb Club’s elected executive committee.

Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.

The jeweler is encouraging customers who own lookalike rings to come into the store and trade them for credit towards an authentic piece.

The new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.

Mehta led India’s GJEPC through the 2008 financial crisis and was respected worldwide for his wisdom, integrity, and knowledge.

One is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.

In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.

9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.

The jeweler has partnered with 818 Tequila to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.

The exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.

Marquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.

The inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.

The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.





















