While the overall number of crimes was down, there were more incidences in which robbers pulled out guns, mace, or rammed cars into stores.
Responsible Jewelry Conf. Returning to Chicago This Fall
The event is slated for Oct. 19 and 20 at Columbia College Chicago’s Film Row Cinema.
Chicago--The Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference is returning this fall with a new schedule of speakers.
The event is slated for Oct. 19 and 20 at Columbia College Chicago’s Film Row Cinema on Wabash Avenue.
This year’s event aims to attract attendees and feature speakers across various sectors of the industry, from large corporations to NGOs, miners, gem cutters, gem and diamond dealers, designers, retailers, consultants and more.
It will be emceed by Andrea Hill of Hill Management Group.
The keynote speaker will be Mark Hanna, CMO of the Richline Group. He will share developments regarding Trust Chain, the cross-industry blockchain initiative on which Richline has partnered.
The closing speaker will be gemstone sector veteran Yianna Melas, a pioneer in the responsible sourcing arena who held a hunger strike in Geneva last year to help raise awareness around Angolan mining.
Other participants include Eric Braunwart of Columbia Gem House, Cristina Villegas of NGO PactWorld, the GIA’s Robert Weldon and Dorothee Gizenga of the Diamond Development Initiative.
Jewelry designer Susan Wheeler is the founder of The Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference. Ethical Metalsmiths is a partner in the conference.
For more information or to register for the event, visit ChiResponsibleJewelryConference.com.
The Latest

Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry is closing its store inside the downtown shopping center after 40 years in business.

Reena Ahluwalia’s painting of the rare red diamond is the first contemporary painting to join the National Gem Collection.

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

The price of gold has risen, affecting the number of pieces designers make, the materials they use, and how they position themselves.


Peter Smith gives tips on leading meetings, developing marketing, and making trade show appointments in the age of short attention spans.

The 11-piece “Medallions” capsule collection features five motifs: a crying eye, a heart on fire, a spiral, a flower, and a swallow.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

From Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.

The owners of Staats Jewelers are heading into retirement.

Jeffrey Gennette, who retired in 2024 after 41 years with Macy’s, is the newest member of the jewelry retailer’s board of directors.

May babies are lucky to have emeralds, a gemstone admired for centuries, as their birthstone, writes Amanda Gizzi.

The new module allows retailers to plan, promote, and measure the success of events from a single dashboard.

NDC said in an open letter that Pandora’s statements about the carbon footprint of lab grown versus natural diamonds are inaccurate.

The diamantaire and industry leader succeeds Feriel Zerouki and said he will focus on being a “champion” for natural diamonds.

She wore our Piece of the Week, Glenn Spiro’s “Old Moghul Golconda” earrings, featuring fancy brown-yellow diamonds totaling 51.90 carats.

The jewelry retailer noted resilience among its higher-end customers while demand softened for its lower-priced offerings.

Led by the 6.59-carat sapphire, the sale garnered $9.7 million, a record total for a Heritage jewelry auction.

In his new role, sales specialist Billy Welshoff will focus on the eastern United States.

José Gaztelu has been promoted to the role, which has been vacant since last year.

It has also opened the application period for the Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship through June 30.

The owner of the Ekati mine, which opened in 1998, has filed for insolvency protection amid the significant decline in diamond prices.

The company announced the change alongside its Q1 results, which showed that the jewelry brand’s year is off to a shaky start.

The retailer will cut 16 percent of its corporate workforce as part of its plan to exit bankruptcy.

Of the many examples used in the filming of “Le Mans,” this one is believed to have spent the most time on Steve McQueen’s wrist.

Megan Piccione dressed Lauren Wasser in layers of diamond jewelry, making her stand out in a crowd that included celebrities like Beyoncé.

Following decades of association leadership, the “semi-retired” colored gemstone expert is turning his focus to gemstone education.























