The luxury goods company said founder Ippolita Rostagno will remain at the brand’s helm.
NYJDI to Host Business Classes for Designers
The trilogy of courses will focus on marketing, branding, sales and writing a business plan.
The classes are “Jewelry Marketing and Branding,” “Increase Your Jewelry Sales,” and “Business of Jewelry Design.”
The classes are intended to build upon one another. It’s the first time NYJDI, which normally offers standalone courses, has created such a curriculum.
“Budding jewelry designers are very passionate about their designs and put the majority of their energy into creating amazing pieces. Unfortunately, they struggle to fully launch their careers because they lack the business skills to do so,” said Jenine Lepera Izzi, NYJDI creative director.
“A successful designer will spend 20 percent of their time designing and 80 percent of their time running their business. We strive to make sure our students learn how to design jewelry, as well as learn how to run a successful business.”
"Jewelry Marketing and Branding" is an eight-session course that will be held on Thursday evenings beginning March 9 and concluding April 27.
Taught by Vashti de Verteuil, a professor at Parsons, The New School for Design, and owner of Gallery Vercon, the course will teach students the difference between marketing and branding and how to create a successful brand story through techniques like emotional marketing and targeted marketing.
Following this course is the "Increase Your Jewelry Sales" course, led by another Parsons professor, Nancy Klein. This course will also run on Thursday evenings, beginning May 4 and ending June 22.
Klein said: “Sales and marketing go hand-in-hand. Students will be inspired to launch their brand with the skills needed to make it happen. In the course, they will learn the tools to jump-start their business.”
Topics covered will include establishing brand reputation, how to increase perceived value and how to gain and sustain market value.
The trilogy of courses will conclude with “Business of Jewelry Design,” also taught by de Verteuil.
It will examine all aspects of setting up a business, from legal requirements to writing a business plan.
The dates for this course have yet to be announced.
Each class will be held at NYJDI’s Diamond District campus in Manhattan. The cost to take all three is $1,675 but the courses also can be done separately if someone feels that they only need to take one or two of the classes.
Here is the cost breakdown per class:
Jewelry Marketing and Branding, $550;
Increase Your Jewelry Sales $575; and
Business of Jewelry Design, $550.
To learn more about the classes, contact NYJDI at 212-777-5393 or email info@nyjdi.com.
The Latest

Laura Burdese, who joined the Italian luxury brand in 2022, will take on the role in July.

The National Jeweler editors revisit the most noteworthy industry happenings and design trends from 2025.

How Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.

Need a gift for the cat lover who has everything? Look no further than our latest Piece of the Week.


It purchased the “Grosse Pièce,” an ultra-complicated Audemars Piguet pocket watch from the ‘20s, for a record-breaking price at Sotheby’s.

The lab-grown diamond grower now offers custom engagement and fashion jewelry through its Kira Custom Lab Jewelry service.

Roseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.

Chandler got his start at Michelson Jewelers and has served as DCA president and CEO since 2001. He will retire at the end of the month.

The boutique is slated to open this week inside Terminal 8, offering pre-owned Rolex watches and more to international travelers.

Sponsored by Digital Monitoring Products

The special-edition egg pendant ingested in a New Zealand jewelry store was recovered after a six-day wait.

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco plays favorites with Piece of the Week, selecting a standout piece of jewelry from each month of 2025.

The “Love and Desire” campaign is inspired by the magic that follows when one’s heart leads the way, said the brand.

Two awardees will receive free tuition for an educational course at the Swiss lab, with flights and lodging included.

Berta de Pablos-Barbier will replace Alexander Lacik at the start of January, two months earlier than expected.

Sotheby’s held its first two jewelry sales at the Breuer building last week, and they totaled nearly $44 million.

Winners will receive free registration and lodging for its fourth annual event in Detroit.

Here are six ideas for making more engaging content for Instagram Reels and TikTok, courtesy of Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams.

The honorees include a notable jewelry brand, an industry veteran, and an independent retailer.

Carlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the 2024 murder of Hussein “Sam” Murray.

Yood will serve alongside Eduard Stefanescu, the sustainability manager for C.Hafner, a precious metals refiner in Germany.

The New Orleans jeweler is also hosting pop-up jewelry boutiques in New York City and Dallas.

Set in a Tiffany & Co. necklace, it sold for $4.2 million, the highest price and price per carat paid for a Paraíba tourmaline at auction.

The jeweler’s “Deep Freeze” display showcases its iconic jewelry designs frozen in a vintage icebox.

Take luxury gifting to new heights this holiday season with the jeweler’s showstopping 12-carat sphene ring.

This year's theme is “Unveiling the Depths of the Ocean.”























