MajorsOct 13, 2026
David Webb Owner Purchases Lugano JewelryThe high-end jewelry retailer was sold to private investment firm Middle West Partners and a group of longtime clients.
Events & AwardsMar 11, 2016
3 Consumers Share their Jewelry Shopping Habits
A trio of consumers took center stage Thursday afternoon at the WJA In the Know conference, answering questions about lab-grown diamonds and where, when, why and how they shop for jewelry.
Moderator Ben Smithee questions, from left, Elizabeth, Kia and Holly about their jewelry buying habits at the WJA In the Know conference held Thursday at Convene in New York.
New York--A trio of consumers took center stage Thursday afternoon in New York, answering questions about lab-grown diamonds as well as where, when, why and how they shop for jewelry.
The panel discussion, “What Do Consumers Want?”, took place at the Women Jewelry Association’s In the Know conference. Ben Smithee, of the Smithee Group, was the moderator and the panelists, Elizabeth, Kia and Holly, were all New York City residents.
Clad in a sharp cobalt blue suit, Smithee guided the discussion with wit and warmth, taking the three women through a variety of topics, including where they shop for jewelry, what their favorite brands are and how brands and retailers can reach them.
The discussion also veered into the territory of lab-grown diamonds, which none of the three panelists seemed completely sold on despite two of them, Holly and Kia, reiterating numerous times how much they “loved” diamonds.
Kia, a Los Angeles native who is 30, single and works on Wall Street, said while she definitely doesn’t want to buy “blood” diamonds, she doesn’t feel that lab-grown diamonds have the same value as mined diamonds.
Holly, who also works on Wall Street and lives in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood with her husband and child, concurred, noting that “When I hear the word lab-created, it sounds (like) less quality.”
The third panelist, Elizabeth, who is married with no children and lives in Brooklyn, brought up the emotion factor. “Scientifically it’s the same but I don’t know if it has that same sentimental feeling,” she said.
During the Q&A portion of the discussion, one audience member asked the panelists if calling the stones something else--cultured--would change their opinion of man-made diamonds.
They did not seem swayed by a simple change in nomenclature.
The trade has argued against the use of the word “cultured” in connection with lab-grown diamonds, contending that that word should be used in connection with organic processes only, such as the one for pearls.
In its proposed revisions to its jewelry guides, however, the Federal Trade Commission has proposed incorporating the word cultured into the guides for lab-grown diamonds, but only if it is immediately accompanied by the terms lab-grown or lab-created. Those revisions remain a work in progress and are open for comment until June 3.
Kia said she would still have to “do her homework” on a lab-grown diamond’s value, even if it was called cultured. When it comes
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
to where they shop for jewelry and what they buy, the panelists, not surprisingly, didn’t seem to have much awareness about jewelry brands beyond those with big advertising budgets: Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, David Yurman and Tiffany & Co.
Holly also mentioned Mimi So, Temple St. Clair and Ivanka Trump.
Holly and Kia seemed to stick to department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s when it came to shopping for fine jewelry. Elizabeth mentioned she would frequent smaller neighborhood shops where she lives in Brooklyn, though she noted, “I really don’t have one specific place I go to.”
In a bright spot for brick-and-mortar retailers, the panelists did express a bit of reservation about buying fine jewelry online. Elizabeth said she would not buy fine jewelry if she could not see it first, and Kia said she would only purchase from the websites of brick-and-mortar retailers because she likes to have a place to visit in person if there’s a problem.
Also not surprisingly, the two younger panelists, Kia and Holly, said social media was the best way to reach them, Pinterest in particular.
In an interview following the panel, the two also shared some of the hashtags they used to find jewelry on social media, and they were pretty simple: #diamonds, #jewelry, #gemstones and, from Kia, #bling.
“Every company and brand needs to leverage that (social media) because that’s the best way to communicate with a lot of people,” Kia said on stage.
Holly also mentioned Mimi So, Temple St. Clair and Ivanka Trump.
Holly and Kia seemed to stick to department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s when it came to shopping for fine jewelry. Elizabeth mentioned she would frequent smaller neighborhood shops where she lives in Brooklyn, though she noted, “I really don’t have one specific place I go to.”
In a bright spot for brick-and-mortar retailers, the panelists did express a bit of reservation about buying fine jewelry online. Elizabeth said she would not buy fine jewelry if she could not see it first, and Kia said she would only purchase from the websites of brick-and-mortar retailers because she likes to have a place to visit in person if there’s a problem.
Also not surprisingly, the two younger panelists, Kia and Holly, said social media was the best way to reach them, Pinterest in particular.
In an interview following the panel, the two also shared some of the hashtags they used to find jewelry on social media, and they were pretty simple: #diamonds, #jewelry, #gemstones and, from Kia, #bling.
“Every company and brand needs to leverage that (social media) because that’s the best way to communicate with a lot of people,” Kia said on stage.
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
Lab-GrownOct 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Takes Lab-Grown Diamond Collection WholesaleThe jewelry designer has partnered with Sofer Jewelry to distribute her 85-piece lab-grown diamond collection.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Sean DunnDunn, this year’s Single-Store Independent inductee, is passionate about innovation and telling the story of natural diamonds.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
AuctionsOct 13, 2026
Christie's Geneva To Auction 'Bulgari Pink' DiamondThe 24-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring could fetch up to $18 million at the November sale.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers’ New Candle Smells Like HomeThe “Island Jewel” candle honors New York City and Puerto Rico and raises money for the island’s water relief efforts.
TechnologyOct 13, 2026
GemFind Is a New JA Member Benefit Partner The partnership will give JA members access to preferred pricing, exclusive benefits, technology solutions, education, and resources.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
CrimeOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
SourcingOct 06, 2026
DDG Taps Influencers for ‘My Diamond Does Good’ CampaignIn the new consumer-facing campaign, four fashion and lifestyle creators share the stories behind their natural diamond pieces.
MajorsOct 06, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names COO, CMOFGI President John Orrico is also leaving the company after more than 13 years.
Events & AwardsOct 06, 2026
JIS Fall Returns to MiamiThe 2026 edition will feature presentations on alternative materials and design trends, as well as pop-up activations on the show floor.
