The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.
New Plumb Club Platform Aims to Make Virtual Feel Real
Executive Director Lawrence Hess gave National Jeweler the scoop on the TPC-365 virtual platform and the features coming soon for retailers.

Plumb Club member companies are currently being trained on the platform, which is set to roll out this month in time for the fourth quarter selling season.
“It really becomes an immersive experience, just like if you were sitting there.” — Lawrence Hess, The Plumb Club
The buy-and-sell feature is just phase one of the Plumb Club’s three-pronged strategy.
“Right now, all of our members have the ability to invite a retailer to come into a virtual meeting,” said Hess.
“The second phase is the ability for the retailer to now seek out the member that maybe they don’t know and find out more about them.”
This phase is still in development, cautioned Hess, but he gave an idea of what it could look like.
The second phase could be a virtual shopping center, allowing retailers to browse through its members’ offerings just as if they had stopped into a physical store.
Access to the platform would be free for retailers, said Hess.
Retailers could stroll down a virtual hallway, perusing members’ storefronts as if they were shopping along Main Street.
If a retailer is looking for a diamond bracelet or a watch, a search function will filter all the members to those who have a specific item available.
Retailers could also “walk in” to a storefront to get more information and request an appointment.
The Plumb Club has curated its member list to feature a little bit of everything, said Hess, from watch and jewelry companies to diamond manufacturers, which allows it to offer a variety of products.
Its member list includes watch companies Citizen and Bulova, diamond manufacturer Rosy Blue, pearl purveyors Mastoloni and Imperial Pearl, and jewelry consultant Wilkerson Express, among others.
Phase two is still in the works, said Hess, but is expected to be ready by the fourth quarter of this year.
The last phase involves developing a member resource center, a one-stop shop for all of its webinars, podcasts, news articles, and other content.
That content is available on its website now, said Hess, but it’s not all available in one spot like it would be on the new platform.
It could serve as a gathering place for the organization too, said Hess, allowing suppliers and retailers to connect, as they would if the Plumb Club was holding an in-person event.
“This platform, while it’s super valid right now, will continue to be valid. After there’s a vaccine and everyone is going into stores and you can meet physically, we still believe this platform will be relevant and important because it allows you to connect on a regular basis with your clients,” said Hess.
The ultimate goal is to add to the platform to create an immersive experience for its members all year long.
“Many industries have been successfully leveraging the virtual space for years,” said Michael Lerche, president of The Plumb Club, in a press release announcing the platform.
“The jewelry industry has been lagging, however, now more than ever, and continuing to the future, the virtual space is essential for sustained business growth.”
The platform was created by Boss Logics, a web-based business solutions provider, who has worked with H&M, Guinness, and several jewelry brands and retailers.
“The ‘together’ platform not only offers huge efficiencies to both manufacturers and retailers, but more importantly, it provides an effective business-relationship-building tool and a totally collaborative experience, just like an in-person meeting would,” said Zach Lipsky, founder and president of Boss Logics.
The platform is set to be completed sometime in 2021.
For more information, visit the Plumb Club website.
The Latest

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.


The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Sponsored by Stuller

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.

The 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

A longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.

The family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.

The nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.

This year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.

The jeweler’s high jewelry collection features extraordinary gemstones, like a 241.06-carat emerald and the world’s fourth-largest spinel.