This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Kay Jewelers adds another exclusive brand
The chain that has had much success selling Jane Seymour- and Neil Lane-endorsed lines of jewelry is partnering with actress Sofia Vergara, of Modern Family fame, for its latest exclusive line.

Akron, Ohio--The chain that has had much success selling Jane Seymour- and Neil Lane-endorsed lines of jewelry is partnering with actress Sofia Vergara, of Modern Family fame, for its latest exclusive line.
Kay parent company Sterling Jewelers Inc. announced Friday that the line, called “Sofia Vergara so Sofia,” will be 10-karat gold set with diamonds and semi-precious gemstones such as amethyst, tanzanite and topaz. Each piece also will contain a small, hidden natural emerald, a nod to the actress’ home country, Colombia.
The jewelry will be sold at Kay Jewelers stores and online at kay.com only.
In commenting on the line, Vergara said, “I’ve loved jewelry since the day I was born. I don’t feel dressed without it--I never even go to sleep without jewelry on. It’s how I express myself--my style, my attitude and the way I feel.”
Vergara plays Gloria in ABC’s hit comedy Modern Family and has appeared in a number of movies, including Fading Gigolo, Chef with Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr., and a comedy with actress Reese Witherspoon due out in spring 2015.
In addition to providing the approximately 1,055-store Kay Jewelers chain another exclusive brand tied to a celebrity well known across all demographics, the partnership with Vergara gives the retailer reach into the growing Hispanic market in the United States.
As Kay noted in a release on the line, The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard magazine named Vergara one of the most talented and powerful women in Hispanic entertainment.
She also is the only Hispanic actress to begin her career in the U.S. Hispanic market and successfully cross over into the general market, making both Forbes’ Power Women and Celebrity 100 lists. Her role on Modern Family has netted the actress four Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and Screen Actors Guild nominations.
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