GradingAug 22, 2025
Former Head of GIA India Promoted to Oversee Global Operations Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
Events & AwardsAug 10, 2016
New ‘Luxury Jewelry Event’ Launching in New York
Metal + Smith features a select group of fine jewelry designers and is scheduled to take place Sept. 19.
Taking place Sept. 19 in New York, Metal + Smith will connect a small group of invited designers exhibiting their jewelry with retailers, who can place orders on the spot.
New York--To be clear, Metal + Smith is a trade show.
Scheduled to take place Sept. 19 in New York, Metal + Smith will host a small, invited group of independent designers who will showcase their jewelry to retailers.
But the team behind Metal + Smith balks at the term “trade show.” Their goal is to create an anti-trade show experience.
“We’re very careful not to use those words,” said Metal + Smith co-founder Lee Wright of the t- and s-words, “because we’re not a trade show. Even though we are retail focused, it’s about a more intimate relationship between the designer and whoever that guest is.”
“We consider ourselves a luxury event and we’re very specific and deliberate in not using the term ‘show’ or ‘trade’ in our own marketing,” said Metal + Smith executive and venture capitalist Lara Ervin.
Got it. But if Metal + Smith is a “luxury event” during which jewelry designers exhibit their work and retailers are able to place orders, what exactly is the difference?
Ervin explained, “We are different because our cost is significantly less, because we’re more concerned with having the right assortment (of designers) rather than just warehousing brands that can pay 20 to 40 grand to attend a show. We want our space to feel more like a private shopping experience rather than a noisy, crowded convention center, which we don’t think really bodes nicely with the term ‘luxury’ when you’re thinking of fine jewelry. We wanted it to feel more like when you go into Cartier or you go into Tiffany’s.”
“The biggest part of how we differ would be the focus,” said Wright. “We don’t have 500 brands exhibiting, we max out at 50 and that is because we think that’s enough for people coming to be able to see and digest, which I think a lot of my friends who are buyers simply can’t do, due to the size and expanse of tradeshows,” Wright said.
Wright’s background is in luxury branding. She and her Metal + Smith co-founder Nicole Barklayv, a luxury public relations professional, came up with the idea of hosting a small, curated trade show focused on creating a positive experience for designers two years ago.
“We have heard over and over, the brands lamenting about, ‘Gosh, there’s really nothing for us. We’re feeling underrepresented. We’re not feeling the success that we thought we would from doing
these types of shows that come so highly recommended,’” Wright said.
Wright and Barklayv enlisted a group of retail jewelry buyers and bloggers to handle the selection of designers invited to exhibit at Metal + Smith. “It was important to us to work with advisors who were young and hip and fresh and had a good pulse on what was happening in the jewelry space,” said Wright.
“The retailers were important because you can have a beautiful piece of jewelry and not be marketable for whatever reason, so we wanted to focus on what they’re buying as buyers,” added Ervin.
Between 1,100 and 1,200 editors, retailers, stylists and influencers have been invited to the one-day only show at the Mercantile Annex in Manhattan.
Designers participating include Dana Bronfman, Ilana Ariel, Kataoka, Margery Hirschey, Roule and Co., Selin Kent, Tap by Todd Pownell and Yael Sonia.
The Metal + Smith team hopes to host their event two to three times per year, eventually moving into other cities.
“We want to achieve a very prestigious place in the whole jewelry circuit,” said Wright. “We want our brands to know that we put them first. We want our brands to know that we are doing all of this in an effort to help them stand apart. We know we’re only as good as our brands.”
Echoed Ervin, “We’ve gotten brands who are coming all the way from Israel, who have never done a show at market or (brands that) have done a show at market coming from Japan. That tells us that what we’re doing is right, not just because we have New York brands or L.A. brands coming but because people are crossing oceans to get here for Metal + Smith and that’s important to note in your story.”
Noted.
Metal + Smith is scheduled to take place Sept. 19 from 1 to 9 p.m. For more information visit MetalAndSmith.com.
Wright and Barklayv enlisted a group of retail jewelry buyers and bloggers to handle the selection of designers invited to exhibit at Metal + Smith. “It was important to us to work with advisors who were young and hip and fresh and had a good pulse on what was happening in the jewelry space,” said Wright.
“The retailers were important because you can have a beautiful piece of jewelry and not be marketable for whatever reason, so we wanted to focus on what they’re buying as buyers,” added Ervin.
Between 1,100 and 1,200 editors, retailers, stylists and influencers have been invited to the one-day only show at the Mercantile Annex in Manhattan.
Designers participating include Dana Bronfman, Ilana Ariel, Kataoka, Margery Hirschey, Roule and Co., Selin Kent, Tap by Todd Pownell and Yael Sonia.
The Metal + Smith team hopes to host their event two to three times per year, eventually moving into other cities.
“We want to achieve a very prestigious place in the whole jewelry circuit,” said Wright. “We want our brands to know that we put them first. We want our brands to know that we are doing all of this in an effort to help them stand apart. We know we’re only as good as our brands.”
Echoed Ervin, “We’ve gotten brands who are coming all the way from Israel, who have never done a show at market or (brands that) have done a show at market coming from Japan. That tells us that what we’re doing is right, not just because we have New York brands or L.A. brands coming but because people are crossing oceans to get here for Metal + Smith and that’s important to note in your story.”
Noted.
Metal + Smith is scheduled to take place Sept. 19 from 1 to 9 p.m. For more information visit MetalAndSmith.com.
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
CollectionsAug 22, 2025
Piece of the Week: Retrouvaí’s ‘Diamond Vein Bond’ CollarThe one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.
MajorsAug 22, 2025
Kendra Scott Returns as CEO of Her Jewelry EmpireThree C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 StoresThe retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.
Weekly QuizAug 22, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
