From tech platforms to candy companies, here’s how some of the highest-ranking brands earned their spot on the list.
Retail academy to offer pre-show, holiday prep
The Edge Retail Academy will hold two conferences this year to help retailers develop their trade show and holiday season preparation strategies using The Edge software.
Las Vegas--The Edge Retail Academy will hold two conferences this year, one in Las Vegas and the other in Florida, to help retailers develop their trade show and holiday season preparation strategies using The Edge software.
The first conference is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, one day before the JCK Las Vegas show begins.
Titled “Show Me the Money,” the one-day session will focus on developing usable, effective strategies for the show, with topics including inventory, hiring new vendors, purchasing new products, launching and displaying new products, and ongoing vendor and product management.
Training specialists and presenters from the Academy also will show participants how to use The Edge software to improve both efficiency and performance when it comes to inventory management.
“We’ll help (jewelers) create a plan--one that works specifically for them and their store--so they can hit the show floor running,” said Academy co-founder and President David Brown. “They’ll learn what to buy, how to buy it, and how to present it to their customers. They’ll have a solid, targeted plan, so they won’t waste a minute of their JCK visit.”
The second conference is a three-day affair, scheduled for Oct. 11 to 13 at Howey-In-The Hills, Fla.
“Make It A Ho-Ho-Holiday” will help jewelers prepare for the all-important fourth quarter/holiday season with strategies on holiday inventory, business management, handling the holiday traffic and “clienteling”--optimizing the customer’s in-store experience in order to boost sales.
For more information or to enroll in either conference, visit the Edge Retail Academy’s website, or contact Becka Johnson Kibby at 714-925-2456 or becka@edgeretailacademy.com.
The Latest

The “Khol” ring, our Piece of the Week, transforms the traditional Indian Khol drum into playful jewelry through hand-carved lapis.

The catalog includes more than 100 styles of stock, pre-printed, and custom tags and labels, as well as bar code technology products.

Launched in 2023, the program will help the passing of knowledge between generations and alleviate the shortage of bench jewelers.

The chocolatier is bringing back its chocolate-inspired locket, offering sets of two to celebrate “perfect pairs.”


The top lot of the year was a 1930s Cartier tiara owned by Nancy, Viscountess Astor, which sold for $1.2 million in London last summer.

Any gemstones on Stuller.com that were sourced by an AGTA vendor member will now bear the association’s logo.

Criminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.

The Swiss watchmaker has brought its latest immersive boutique to Atlanta, a city it described as “an epicenter of music and storytelling.”

The new addition will feature finished jewelry created using “consciously sourced” gemstones.

In his new column, Smith advises playing to your successor's strengths and resisting the urge to become a backseat driver.

The index fell to its lowest level since May 2014 amid concerns about the present and the future.

The new store in Aspen, Colorado, takes inspiration from a stately library for its intimate yet elevated interior design.

The brands’ high jewelry collections performed especially well last year despite a challenging environment.

The collection marks the first time GemFair’s artisanal diamonds will be brought directly to consumers.

The initial charts are for blue, teal, and green material, each grouped into three charts categorized as good, fine, and extra fine.

The new tool can assign the appropriate associate based on the client or appointment type and automate personalized text message follow-ups.

Buyers are expected to gravitate toward gemstones that have a little something special, just like last year.

Endiama and Sodiam will contribute money to the marketing of natural diamonds as new members of the Natural Diamond Council.

The retailer operates more than 450 boutiques across 45 states, according to its website.

The new members’ skills span communications, business development, advocacy, and industry leadership.

The jeweler’s 2026 Valentine’s Day campaign, “Celebrating Love Stories Since 1837,” includes a short firm starring actress Adria Arjona.

The new features include interactive flashcards and scenario-based roleplay with AI tools.

Family-owned jewelry and watch retailer Deutsch & Deutsch has stores in El Paso, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.

The Italian luxury company purchased the nearly 200-year-old Swiss watch brand from Richemont.

Micro-set with hundreds of diamonds, these snowflake earrings recreate “winter’s most elegant silhouette,” and are our Piece of the Week.

Ella Blum was appointed to the newly created role.























