Peter Smith gives tips on leading meetings, developing marketing, and making trade show appointments in the age of short attention spans.
Silver Price Up 9% So Far This Year
After a strong performance in 2016, the price of the metal has continued to rise.

New York--Silver prices are up approximately 9 percent since the beginning of the year, according to Kitco.com and the Silver Institute, which noted that the price is likely to keep going up.
In January, silver averaged $16.80, a Kitco.com chart shows.
It is now is averaging above $17 an ounce. Silver’s highest price so far this year was in late February when it hit $18.34.
The Silver Institute released a report this week noting that the increase likely was due to “improving sentiment among institutional investors.”
“We expect that the factors that buoyed institutional silver investment over much of 2016, and have carried over into the early months of 2017, will remain relevant for the remainder of this year,” said Silver Institute Executive Director Michael DiRienzo.
Silver prices went up nearly 17 percent over the course of the year in 2016 according to figures from the London Fix obtained from Kitco, averaging $14.02 an ounce in January and ending at an average of $16.38 per ounce for the month of December.
Year-over-year, the average silver price increased 9 percent in 2016, the Silver Institute said, which was the first increase in five years.
The Silver Institute noted that the current strength of silver is affected in part by “improvement in silver industrial offtake” and better-than-expected market reactions to the recent rise in interest rates from the Federal Reserve.
The Latest

The 11-piece “Medallions” capsule collection features five motifs: a crying eye, a heart on fire, a spiral, a flower, and a swallow.

From Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

The partners have announced the second cycle of the program, which has expanded to include a $25,000 student scholarship.


The owners of Staats Jewelers are heading into retirement.

Jeffrey Gennette, who retired in 2024 after 41 years with Macy’s, is the newest member of the jewelry retailer’s board of directors.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

May babies are lucky to have emeralds, a gemstone admired for centuries, as their birthstone, writes Amanda Gizzi.

The new module allows retailers to plan, promote, and measure the success of events from a single dashboard.

NDC said in an open letter that Pandora’s statements about the carbon footprint of lab grown versus natural diamonds are inaccurate.

She wore our Piece of the Week, Glenn Spiro’s “Old Moghul Golconda” earrings, featuring fancy brown-yellow diamonds totaling 51.90 carats.

Two pieces were named “Best in Show,” one from the retail category and one from the supplier category.

The jewelry retailer noted resilience among its higher-end customers while demand softened for its lower-priced offerings.

Led by the 6.59-carat sapphire, the sale garnered $9.7 million, a record total for a Heritage jewelry auction.

In his new role, sales specialist Billy Welshoff will focus on the eastern United States.

José Gaztelu has been promoted to the role, which has been vacant since last year.

It has also opened the application period for the Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship through June 30.

The company announced the change alongside its Q1 results, which showed that the jewelry brand’s year is off to a shaky start.

The retailer will cut 16 percent of its corporate workforce as part of its plan to exit bankruptcy.

Of the many examples used in the filming of “Le Mans,” this one is believed to have spent the most time on Steve McQueen’s wrist.

Megan Piccione dressed Lauren Wasser in layers of diamond jewelry, making her stand out in a crowd that included celebrities like Beyoncé.

Following decades of association leadership, the “semi-retired” colored gemstone expert is turning his focus to gemstone education.

The museum’s new exhibition will feature one of Jesse Owen’s Olympic medals, Yogi Berra’s crown, Super Bowl rings, and more.

The new program provides access to media exposure and editorial opportunities for exhibitors and retailers.

The “Eclipse” jewelry collection captures the fleeting moment where light and shadow align though onyx, diamonds, and freshwater pearls.

Buying discipline at trade shows starts with clarity about your inventory levels, Smith writes.























