This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Pandora’s Making a Move on the Indian Market
The Danish company has named an exclusive Indian distribution partner.

Copenhagen, Denmark--Pandora is out to conquer a new market.
The Danish bead and jewelry company, which has approximately 9,000 points of sale across 100 countries, will distribute its products in India for the first time through an exclusive partnership with Pan India Charms & Jewellery Private Limited (Pan India).
Pan India is owned by three individuals, one of whom is the McDonald’s “master franchise owner” in Northern India.
Pandora said via a press release that through Pan India it will concentrate on branded sales distribution through concept stores and shop-in-shops, initially concentrating on Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
Pandora plans to open 50 stores over the next three years in those cities, including five locations in 2017, the first of which will open in the first quarter of this year.
Pandora CEO Anders Colding Friis commented, “Retailing and conceptual sales in India is developing at a fast pace. Furthermore, jewelry as a fashion statement is increasingly popular among consumers and with India already being one of the largest jewelry markets in the world, the country holds a great potential for Pandora.”
“With our new partner and distributor,” Colding Friis continued, “who has substantial knowledge and experience with the Indian retail market, we believe we have a unique opportunity to position Pandora as a leading international jewelry brand in India.”
Pandora said that the overall jewelry market in India increased 18 percent year-over-year in 2015.
According to Euromonitor, from 2016 to 2021 the jewelry market is predicted to grow at a 7 percent compound annual rate.
Indian jewelry is predominantly a gold, diamond and gemstone market, with sterling silver accounting for 5 percent of sales.
Pandora is a Copenhagen-based company that has been creating affordable fashion jewelry since 1982. Pandora is manufactured close to India, in nearby Thailand, where 12,000 of the company’s 18,000 employees are located.
On National Jeweler’s 2016 State of the Majors list, outlining the top jewelry retailers in North America, Pandora ranked No. 32 on the Supersellers list and No. 21 on the Top 50 Retail Jewelry Chains by store count list.
The Latest

As an homage to iconic crochet blankets, the necklace features the nostalgic motif through a kaleidoscope of cabochon-cut stones.

Discover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.

When investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.

The “Royal Ruby” Collection is a quintet of untreated rubies curated by collector Jack Abraham.


The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

Meredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

It will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”

From design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.

The Jewelers’ Security Alliance offers advice for those attending the annual trade shows.

The designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.

On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.

The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.

The actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.

The company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."

The large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.

Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.

Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.

The diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Sponsored by Stuller

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.