PodcastsAug 19, 2026
Episode 8: Diamond Industry Update With David Bonaparte & Ronnie VanderLindenThe industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.
EditorsFeb 15, 2007
Every day should be Valentine's Day
My fiancé hates Valentine's Day. He thinks it's a made-up holiday invented by greeting-card companies, florists and jewelers to guilt men into spending money on romantic gifts. So we compromise by going to a nice dinner on Feb. 14, instead...
My fiancé hates Valentine's Day. He thinks it's a made-up holiday invented by greeting-card companies, florists and jewelers to guilt men into spending money on romantic gifts. So we compromise by going to a nice dinner on Feb. 14, instead of exchanging gifts.
"I don't need it to be Valentine's Day for me to tell you how much I love you," he says.
Of course, when the chocolates start arriving at my co-workers' desks, and I see men on the subway dutifully toting bouquets for their beloveds, I think that maybe I'm getting the short end of the stick.
But then my fiancé will come home the following week with a dozen roses for no reason whatsoever, or he'll pick up a piece of jewelry that he knows I've been eyeing. These gifts mean so much more to me than those I receive out of a misplaced obligation or tradition.
Denouncing Valentine's Day in the jewelry industry may make me somewhat of a heretic, but imagine if all consumers considered every day Valentine's Day. Imagine if men and women walked into your store even during the slow months of July and August looking for a special something for their special someone for no special reason at all.
I think sometimes we sell men short by expecting that they would never have the free thought to buy a gift without commercials and marketing telling them they must. Then again, if we got rid of Valentine's Day, I'd never get to eat those candy hearts.
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