Events & Awards

10 sessions for learning at JA New York Summer

Events & AwardsJul 20, 2014

10 sessions for learning at JA New York Summer

Synthetic diamond disclosure, website traffic and trend forecasting are among the topics that will be covered at JA New York Summer Show’s Educational Conference, which will take place Sunday, July 27 and Monday, July 28. 

New York--Synthetic diamond disclosure, website traffic and trend forecasting are among the topics that will be covered at JA New York Summer Show’s Educational Conference, which will take place Sunday, July 27 and Monday, July 28.

Speakers will include representatives from the American Gem Trade Association, Jewelers of America, the Natural Color Diamond Association and the Pantone Color Institute, which twice a year forecasts the hues that will influence the design sectors.

The sessions are as follows.

Sunday, July 27
--Success in the Color Gemstone Revolution: Passion & A Plan
10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
AGTA CEO Doug Hucker will address the colored gemstone marketplace, as well as the trends and issues impacting success with this challenging product.

--Advance Your Business through Responsible Sourcing
11:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.
This interactive presentation will discuss how members of the jewelry trade have made the most of their responsible sourcing efforts to enhance their reputation and improve their bottom line. Topics to be discussed include supply chain assurance, active or passive proof of origin, informal/artisanal sector challenges and the Diamond Development Initiative’s development diamond standards.

--Should You Pay for Website Traffic? Understanding How & Why
12:55 to 1:55 p.m.
JWag founder and CEO Matthew Perosi will review various types of online paid advertising and how to get involved with them, as well as explore the differences between Google AdWords, Facebook ads, Yelp, Yellow Pages and more.

--Unlocking Your Profit Potential through Consumer Financing
2:15 to 3:15 p.m.
Learn about current consumer credit trends and how to build credit into your business model to increase profits while enhancing the customer experience and building loyalty. Shelly Schulz, lead marketing manager of retail finance at GE Capital, will cover proven best practices, tips on introducing financing and overcoming objections, and the important of consumer credit choices in marketing and advertising.

--Presenting the “Diamonds Do Good” Global Message to Consumers
3:35 to 4:45 p.m.
The Diamond Empowerment Fund will host this seminar focusing on the importance of sharing positive messages about diamonds with consumers, including its recently launched “Diamonds Do Good” initiative. The organization also will share insights on the strategic use of social media to positively impact consumer awareness and confidence throughout the world.

Monday, July 28
--Start Your Day with JA: Breakfast & Benefits
10 to 10:30 a.m.
Matthew Tratner, director of membership and sales at JA, will share over a

continental breakfast how a JA membership can benefit a business.

--Trend Forecasting: Discovering the Top Trends to Increase Sales
10:40 to 11:25 a.m.
Amanda Gizzi, director of public relations and special events at JA, will discuss the trends that will shape merchandising this fall, holiday season and in the beginning of 2015. She also will highlight the fashion trends that affect how jewelry is worn, walk through the process of determining a relevant trend and reveal how being a trend leader can increase sales.

--How to Grow Your Business in the Digital Age: Why it Pays to be Likeable
11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Nicole Kroese, director of new business at Likeable Local, will share stories and give actionable advice from inspirational small business leaders on growing a business in the digital age, covering responsiveness, authenticity and adaptability.

--Engaging with Color in Autumn/Winter 2015 (presented by the Women’s Jewelry Association)
1 to 2 p.m.
Laurie Pressman, vice president at the Pantone Color Institute, will show attendees how to engage with color without commercial risk, exploring the color statements for autumn/winter 2015-2016.

--Synthetic Diamonds: The Need for Proper Promotion & Disclosure
2:15 to 3:30 p.m.
In this discussion moderated by National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff and presented by the Natural Color Diamond Association, panelists will discuss what needs to be done for proper promotion and disclosure of synthetic diamonds, as well as their plans for dealing with these materials, current detection methods and how people are dealing with undisclosed synthetics.

More information on these seminars can be found on the JA New York website.

The JA New York Summer Show is scheduled for July 27 to 29 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

The Latest

Spinelli Kilcollin Inara Ring
CollectionsAug 17, 2026
Marquise Diamonds Dance in Spinelli Kilcollin’s ‘Wren’ Collection

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

Karl Getschel and Bob Yanega of Smyth Jewelers
IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth Location

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

Stock image of a gavel
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy

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

1872-x-1052-July-ad (1).png
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying Events

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

Paul Morelli Wavey Vine Earrings
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace Color

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

Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Cover.jpg
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk About

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association

Two Pandora Talisman pendants
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales Fall

In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

Brought-To-By-Article-Top-Image.jpg
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center Stage

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

Cuckoo Cuckoo Cadbury Conundrum egg
AuctionsAug 13, 2026
This Gold Cadbury ‘Conundrum’ Egg Set a World Auction Record

The 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Picture of 2,488 carat rough diamond next to tweezers, a golf ball, and a loupe
SourcingAug 13, 2026
2,488-Carat Diamond, Largest Found in Botswana, Has a New Owner

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

John Hardy Heishi Collection Campaign Imagery
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with Color

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

Jean Dousset Westfield Valley Fair
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third Store

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

Legacy emerald
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Eshed-Gemstar on the Painstaking Process of Cutting ‘The Legacy Emerald’

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Surveillance image of jewelry thieves
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Elderly NYC Woman Targeted in Jewelry Swap Scheme

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

The Finsch Diamond Mine in South Africa, owned by Petra Diamonds Ltd.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Another Diamond Mine Poised to Close

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Stock image of gavel, handcuffs, and law books
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Jewelry Store Employee Gets 20 Years to Life in Choking Death of Boss

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Beth Miller Frederick Goldman
MajorsAug 12, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names New SVP of Sales

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

Verdura unicorn brooch
AuctionsAug 11, 2026
Verdura Unicorn Brooch With Royal Connection Up for Auction

The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.

Jamie Cygielman
MajorsAug 11, 2026
Signet Jewelers Selects Mattel Exec to Lead Zales, Banter

Jamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.

Richard Moore
IndependentsAug 11, 2026
Polly’s Fine Jewelry Co-Owner Richard Moore Dies at 69

Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.

National Jeweler columnists Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams
ColumnistsAug 11, 2026
Creative Connecting: How to Sell Colored Gemstones to Gen Z

Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.

NAJA logo
Events & AwardsAug 11, 2026
NAJA Announces Lineup For 2026 Fall Virtual Conference

The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers will take place Sept. 5-6 on Zoom.

Honest Hands Workbench Ring Builder
TechnologyAug 10, 2026
Colorado Jeweler Launches Customization Tool He Built Himself

Honest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.

QVC Group logo
MajorsAug 10, 2026
QVC Exits Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Names New Interim CEO

QVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.

State Property Lorenz Station Bracelet
CollectionsAug 10, 2026
State Property Puts a Ripple in the ‘The Voyager’ Collection

The brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.

Ostbye receiving Vendor of the Year trophy at 2026 IJO show
MajorsAug 10, 2026
And IJO’s 2026 Vendor of the Year Is …

Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.

1872-x-1052-July-ad (2).png
Supplier BulletinAug 07, 2026
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying Events

Sponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy