Events & Awards

10 Things to Know About JCK Las Vegas 2017

Events & AwardsMay 24, 2017

10 Things to Know About JCK Las Vegas 2017

From lab-grown diamonds to rocking the Bowl, here are 10 items of note about the upcoming jewelry trade show.

20170524_JCK-preview-main.jpg
JCK Las Vegas 2017 is scheduled to take place June 5 to 8 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. (Photo credit: Las Vegas News Bureau)

Las Vegas--As of today, there are 12 days to go until Monday, June 5, the first day of JCK Las Vegas 2017.

Following previews of both Couture and the new Jewellery Box show, National Jeweler brings readers a list of 10 things to know about the show this year, which runs through Thursday, June 8, at Mandalay Bay.

1. For retailers considering adding man-made (lab-grown) diamonds to their inventory, there’ll be plenty of choices.

They include American Grown Diamonds (Booth #B28185); WD Lab Grown Diamonds (formerly Washington Diamond, Booth #B30190); New Diamond Technology LLC, the Russian company responsible for growing big blue diamonds (Booth #B27185); Pure Grown Diamonds Inc. (formerly Gemesis, Booth #B24183); Altr Created Diamonds, which is a company of the R.A. Riam Group (Booth #B58063); and Chatham, the longtime purveyor of man-made gemstones (PC-110).

With the exception of Chatham, which is in the Plumb Club, and Altr, which is in the Bridal pavilion, all of the aforementioned companies are in the First Look pavilion, which is located on Bayside Level 1. (The “B” before each company’s booth number indicates that they are Bayside.)

The Bridal pavilion is also Bayside Level 1. The Plumb Club is Shorelines, which is Level 2.

2. There’s now an entire “neighborhood” dedicated to security. The Jewelers Security Alliance partnered with the show this year to create an area dedicated to companies that offer services for physical and IT security as well as other concerns, like shipment and payment processing.

“The Security Neighborhood” is Bayside Level 1, right inside the entrance that’s near retailer registration.

3. There’s also an “Experience” area. Retail Experience is a new area of the show floor that houses a total of eight companies: Augmente, Gem Cam, Imagine Advertising and Publishing, Main Street Hub, Miicraft 3D Printer, This Is My South Bay, Trax Sales and Yelp.

They’re not selling jewelry but solutions for e-commerce, customer relationship management (or CRM, strategies and technologies for managing and analyzing customer interactions), social media, merchandising, staffing analysis and online reviews.

The Retail Experience area is on Bayside Level 1, right behind the Security Neighborhood.

4. Augmented reality will play a role. Jewelers Mutual Group is bringing its Holojem machine to the show, an augmented reality platform that can educate about, display and share custom designs and diamonds via holograms. Holojem includes portable mobile pyramids that customers can use to share

holograms of designs from their smartphones.

Holojem won the 2016 Think Tank award at last year’s JCK Las Vegas show and, this year, Jewelers Mutual is making the machine available to retailers.

In addition, Venus Jewel (Booth #B53017) will be displaying a machine that allows customers to virtually search its inventory and view holograms of its diamonds in both their polished and rough state and also, in some cases, see which mines the stone originated from.

Jewelers Mutual will have Holojem on display at the Holojem Tech booth (#B61086) and its booth in the lobby, #L106, while Venus Jewel’s booth is located in the Diamond Plaza.

5. The layout of the show can been seen online. A PDF of the Disney-like version of the floor plan is available here.

A full listing of exhibitors along with their locations on the floor plan also is available on LasVegas.JCKOnline.comm.

6. There’s an app for this show. It’s available for both Apple and Android devices and includes the full list of exhibitors, an interactive floor plan map that’s actually better than the stagnant map on the website and an event schedule.

7. There will be no rocking the beach this year. The show instead will be rocking the Bowl--Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, the Sin City offshoot of the popular bowling-alley-on-steroids located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, N.Y.

There won’t be any headlining act at the alley--meaning no Bruno Mars or Maroon 5--but will be more of a networking event with, of course, bowling for those who are so inclined.

Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas is located at 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., between the Flamingo and Harrah’s.

8. Water, water (sort of) everywhere. There will be a total of 10 hydration stations, all sponsored by Effy. They’ll be necessary, as they always are in the desert, but the situation won’t be quite as dire as it was last year.

Right now, the Las Vegas forecast for early June calls for highs to be in the mid- to high 90s, a break from last year when the temperature was well over 100 degrees during the shows.

9. JCK Las Vegas is moving back to the Sands Expo and Convention Center in 2019, so this is the next-to-last year at Mandalay Bay. The time is nigh to log those wave pool hours.

10. For now, the various jewelry trade shows that take place that week remain at opposite ends of the Strip. There are, however, complimentary shuttle services.

For the first three days of Couture (Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4), there will be shuttles going from Mandalay Bay to the Wynn Las Vegas regularly between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., according to the information posted on the show’s website.

That service, however, ceases when JCK Las Vegas begins on Monday, June 5.

From Couture, the shuttles run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the entirety of the show, departing from an area located near self-parking in the Encore hotel. The only exception is the last day of the show, Tuesday, when the shuttle service will depart from outside the Alsace meeting room at the Wynn and end at 5 p.m.

JCK Las Vegas also runs shuttles to a number of different hotels and to the JIS show taking place at the Tropicana. A full list of shuttle services is available on the show website.

Editor’s note: This story was corrected post-publication to reflect the correct spelling of Jewelers Mutual’s augmented reality display. It is Holojem, not Hologem.
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