AuctionsJun 12, 2025
Vintage Patek Philippe From the ‘50s Sells for $4M at Sotheby’s Al Capone’s pocket watch also found a buyer, though it went for less than half of what it did at auction four years ago.
EditorsDec 27, 2012
What you liked this year
It’s always interesting to compare the list of what we deemed to be the “biggest” news stories of the year to the hard numbers--the stories that were the most read on NationalJeweler.com.
According to an analysis prepared internally as of the end of the third quarter, our annual State of the Majors report, a perennial favorite that was published in late June, garnered more page views than any other story on the site.After the State of the Majors, this story from January about a 57,500-carat emerald--believed by some gemologists to be a piece of less-valuable dyed white beryl--digging up controversy was the most popular on our website.
The giant emerald--white beryl?--wasn’t the only colored stone attracting attention this year, though.
This post-Tucson story about nearly $1 million worth of Oregon sunstone being snatched from its owners’ trailer at the annual shows held there was the third most-viewed story on our site. Last time I checked, this crime, sadly, remained an unsolved mystery.
Readers also gravitated to stories on synthetic diamonds, which made headlines throughout the year.
A report about the International Gemological Institute in Antwerp receiving a parcel of hundreds of undisclosed synthetics--the site’s fourth most-read story--kicked off an increased interest in lab-grown diamonds that didn’t wane. Subsequent stories about a new lab-grown diamond company launching in the United States and how the labs are prepared to detect synthetics also attracted a lot of readers.
That isn’t to say, however, that our readers didn’t crave lighter news in 2012, a year that certainly brought its share of grave headlines.
Our story on the Couture design awards that took place during the Las Vegas shows was the sixth most-read story of the year, followed closely by our review of what is probably the most anticipated awards ceremony of the year.
The Oscars took place in February, and this year our roundup of celebrities' red carpet jewelry picks was nearly as popular as Angelina Jolie’s leg, ranking as the seventh most-read story on the site.
Want to compare how our most popular reads stack up against our editor-curated list of the 10 biggest news stories of the year? Click here.
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