The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
Diamond Miners’ Group Hires Managing Director for N. America
Kristina Buckley Kayel joins the Diamond Producers Association after nearly 11 years at Van Cleef & Arpels.

New York—The Diamond Producers Association now has a managing director for North America, naming former Van Cleef communications executive Kristina Buckley Kayel to the role.
Managing director is a new position for the DPA in North America.
The organization previously had a chief marketing officer, Deborah Marquardt, but she left in September after two years with the organization, as JCKOnline.com reported. The DPA declined to comment on the reason for Marquardt’s departure.
Buckley Kayel joins Sarah Gorvitz, strategic communications and insights lead, Brooke Goodwin-Fullerton, strategic partnerships lead, and U.S. trade lead Grant Mobley on the DPA’s team in North America.
In a news release, the organization said that Buckley Kayel’s “unique background and extensive experience in strategic marketing, communications and digital leadership roles well position [her] to spearhead the DPA’s mission to restore, protect and promote the integrity and reputation of natural diamonds, especially among the younger U.S. consumer base.”
For the past decade, Buckley Kayel worked as the vice president of communications, the Americas for Richemont-owned jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels. There, her oversight included media, digital, public relations and educational platforms.
Prior to that, she spent three months consulting with Bottega Veneta while finishing her MBA at SDA Bocconi, three years as the marketing director at Salvatore Ferragamo and about three years handling marketing and public relations at crystal company Baccarat.
Buckley Kayel will be based in the DPA office in Midtown Manhattan and report to DPA CEO Jean-Marc Lieberherr.
The Latest

Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Nicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.


Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.

Longtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Model Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.

Three winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.

JD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.

The new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.

Acquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.

The “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.

Columnists Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share tips on how to elevate your professional image.

Peter Damian Arguello, a jeweler in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, was found dead inside his store in November 2023.

The retailer, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is becoming part of the Berkshire Hathaway Jewelry Group with Helzberg.

The Continental Buying Group’s 2025 Tampa Experience Show is slated for Sept. 8-10.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore recently attended a fabrics trade show where a trend forecaster shared her predictions for summer 2027.

The company raised its full-year sales guidance while noting it has not yet assessed the potential impact of the latest tariff news.

The organization has raised more than $1.3 million for charity since its inception.

The brand’s latest iteration of a bezel-set diamond bangle features clean lines and a timeless design for a new modern silhouette.

The first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.

The catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.

The company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.

An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.