A ring set with “hogback” diamonds, an early stone cut dating to around the 16th century, sold for more than $20,000 at a U.K. auction.
According to Stores, the Largest Retailers in the US Are …
The National Retail Federation’s magazine just released its annual “Top 100 Retailers” list, which includes one specialty jeweler.

Washington—Brick-and-mortar stores are holding their ground in the digital age by adapting new technologies and expanding to do more than just sell products, Stores magazine said in its annual “Top 100” issue, out now.
A publication of the National Retail Federation, Stores compiles the “Top 100 Retailers” list every year, ranking the largest U.S. retailers by sales. It’s like the “The State of the Majors” but for all retail, not just fine jewelry.
According to the Stores list, Walmart remains the largest retailer in the United States, with sales totaling $387.66 billion in 2018.
The retail giant’s revenues were more than three times those of the No. 2 company on the list, Amazon.com, which racked up $120.93 billion in retail sales last year (and also now has nearly 500 physical stores).
At No. 3 was The Kroger Co. ($119.7 billion), followed by Costco ($101.43 billion) and Walgreens Boots Alliance at No. 5 ($98.39 billion).
Four of the top five on list are, in addition to everything else they sell, sizable players in the jewelry industry.
Walmart ranks as the second-largest seller of fine jewelry in North America, according to National Jeweler’s 2018 “$100 Million Supersellers” list, while Costco, Amazon and The Kroger Co., which owns Fred Meyers and Littman Jewelers, are all on the list too.
Signet Jewelers ranked No. 85, sandwiched between Speedway and the Defense Commissary Agency, which operates commissaries that sells groceries and household goods to active-duty and retired members of the U.S. military.
In addition to ranking the Top 100 Retailers, Stores broke out lists of “Power Players” by category. It has five companies under “Jewelry/Accessories.”
The largest was, of course, Signet, followed by Tapestry (owner of Kate Spade, Coach and Stuart Weitzman), Tiffany & Co., Helzberg Diamond Shops, and Claire’s Stores.
The full “Top 100 Retailers” list can be viewed on Stores.org, as can the magazine’s complete analysis.
The Latest

The rainbow version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, features angel-cut, octahedral lab-grown sapphires designed to be worn as armor.

The Brooklyn-based jeweler created a limited-edition version of its “Aura” eternity band, set with gemstones in the team’s colors.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

Dallow will lead the International Colored Gemstone Association, effective July 6.


Senior Editor Lenore Fedow headed to Savannah to learn more about the 10-year, $10 million partnership between JM and the art school.

Its new capsule jewelry collection features gold-finished stainless steel pieces designed for a maximalist look without a luxury price tag.

DCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.

The week-long event in Geneva is slated for April 2027.

The three industry leaders bring financial, communications, and legal expertise to the nonprofit’s board of directors.

Jewelers are missing out by not offering this one key add-on at the online point of sale, Emmanuel Raheb writes.

The fourth collaborative collection from the retailer and jewelry content creator focuses on gemstone charms and strands of colorful beads.

This year’s AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards will feature two new categories.

The collection features traceable alexandrite from Brazil in calibrated sizes that is sorted by grade.

The capsule collection looks to vintage trunk pins that echo the spirit of speed, freedom, and the mythology of the American road trip.

SSEF issued a notice about the potential new source of the sought-after gemstone, citing “credible reports” from trade sources.

As Amazon Prime Day kicks off, Etsy is encouraging shoppers to support small businesses.

Cole Winward is the recipient of 2026 AGA Gemological Scholarship.

Whether they evoked nostalgia, wonder, or laughter, these jewels put a smile on our faces.

Scheduled for April 2027, Basilia will be the first watch and jewelry trade show held in Basel since the collapse of Baselworld in 2020.

Submissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.

The beloved beagle dons his aviator outfit for the new Engineer Master II Snoopy Flying Ace timepiece.

The recent high jewelry auction, which also featured the sale of a 10-carat blue diamond, was “a celebration of color.”

She wore the “Le Cauri Endiamanté” earrings, our Piece of the Week, in the Obamas’ first dual portrait for the Obama Presidential Center.

Couture’s Michelle Orman joins Amanda Gizzi and Michelle Graff for this special post-Market Week episode of My Next Question.

The lab is seeing emeralds with filler added post-testing enter the market, accompanied by reports that indicate little to no treatment.

The third generation of the Stern family to head Patek Philippe, he navigated the “quartz crisis” and preserved the brand’s independence.





















