Jewelers who misinterpret the state of the jewelry market risk employing the wrong retail strategy, cautions columnist Sherry Smith.
See Which Jeweler Is a Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gift This Year
Hint: These presents are luxurious, and so are the gems set in this American jewelry-maker’s pieces.

New York—Many would consider themselves lucky to have just one Oscar Heyman ring, but Neiman Marcus is spoiling its customers with the chance to own six exclusive designs from the jeweler.
The retailer has debuted its 2020 Fantasy Gifts, which are geared, in a year unlike any other, to inspire gift-giving rooted in love and meaning, it said.
Labeled as the Fantasy Gift for the “treasure hunter” is a collection of rare and stunning high-end gemstone rings from Oscar Heyman.
Oscar Heyman is a classic American success story.
Heyman and his brother immigrated to New York in the early 1900s, eventually opening their own business.
In the years that followed, Heyman won multiple patents for his creations, and the business earned itself the nickname of “the jewelers’ jeweler.”
The Heymans made their first sale to Neiman Marcus in 1943, and the two companies have worked together ever since.
The 2020 Fantasy Gift features six one-of-a-kind colored stone and diamond rings from the Oscar Heyman Collection (pictured above, on the page in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book):
-- A 3.11-carat alexandrite and diamond ring ($190,000);
-- A 12.92-carat star ruby ring with fancy yellow and white diamond accents ($160,000);
-- A 10.26-carat cat’s eye chrysoberyl and diamond ring ($150,000);
-- A 5.59-carat Paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring ($140,000);
-- A 6.47-carat opal and diamond ring ($130,000); and
-- A 13.58-carat mandarin garnet and diamond ring ($100,000).
Customers can purchase one or up to all six of the pieces.
For each ring purchased as part of the gift, $6,000 will be donated to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation, supporting Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Meanwhile, for the adventure seeker, Neiman Marcus is offering a trip for six to the Sheldon Chalet in Denali, Alaska, set on a nunatak on a plot of land that legendary glacier pilot Don Sheldon claimed more than 60 years ago while mapping the Alaska Range ($345,000).
Two of its other gifts are aimed at foodies and oenophiles.
The first is a trip to the James Beard Award-winning Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap, Texas to meet with the Perini family, learn about sustainable ranching, and receive a year’s supply of beef tenderloin, all for $185,000.
The other is a five-night wine country trip, including a stay at the luxurious
There is also a custom Bowlus RV, replete with an array of yacht-grade finishes and state-of-the-art electrical system ($255,000), and a year of wellness at renowned spa Canyon Ranch for $345,000.
For those with minds closer to home, decorator and home décor designer Jonathan Adler will hop on a video chat to develop a plan for a one-of-a-kind game parlor in the room of their choosing ($145,000), or publisher Assouline will create a custom library ($295,000).
The fashion-savvy can purchase an exclusive collection of custom-made chapeaus by the Keith and James brand for $95,000.
The Fantasy Gifts come as part of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, which was first released in 1926 as a 16-page booklet intended as a Christmas card to the retailer’s best clients before it evolved into the luxurious Christmas catalog for adults it is today.
This year’s version comprises 400 holiday gifts, spanning jewelry, fashion, home décor and much more.
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