Events & AwardsOct 29, 2025
Couture Partners With Time to WatchesThe company, which organizes a watch show in Geneva every spring, will bring a selection of watch brands to the 2026 Couture show in Vegas.
EditorsDec 18, 2015
Blue Nile’s ‘Scary’ Ad
Blue Nile took a swipe a brick-and-mortar retailers with one of the advertisements it’s circulating online this fall. But Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff doesn’t think they should be offended.
Last week, a jewelry industry colleague sent me a link to a 15-second Blue Nile ad called “Engagement Ring Shopping Shouldn’t Be Scary,” which most definitely takes a swipe at the e-tailer’s brick-and-mortar competitors.
A soon-to-be-betrothed young man who is millennial aged, or perhaps a bit older, is walking down Main Street U.S.A. on a nice, sunny day. A bird with an ominous cry circles overhead as he stops to peer into the window of “Bosworth Jewelers” (est. 1974), only to be startled when a creepy-looking salesman with a bird-like nose and too many teeth pops into the frame.
“Looking for an engagement ring?” he drawls.
Scared off by this specter, the young man walks away and, presumably, buys his engagement ring elsewhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZoQy9JhsSg
My colleague said she found the ad to be ugly, and disparaging to the industry’s mom-and-pop operations. “When the biggest kid on the block needs to effectively bully smaller shops via marketing, it’s a sad thing indeed,” she wrote to me.
JCK News Director Rob Bates didn’t care much for it either. In his annual roundup of the highs and lows of the holiday season’s jewelry ads (which is something I enjoy reading every year), Mr. Bates called it a “little mean-spirited and even obnoxious.”
My take on the ad (which, by the way, runs online only, in case you were wondering if you’d see it on TV) is a bit different.
When I saw it, I found it to be a bit silly overall. I also thought that brick-and-mortar retailers could actually take its creation as a bit of a compliment. Blue Nile, the afore-described “biggest kid on the block,” finds them threatening enough to spend the money to create an advertisement targeting them directly.
Why? Because brick-and-mortar jewelers have something Blue Nile desperately wants—face-to-face, personal interaction with people.
The Internet has changed retailing forever, yes, and not all for the better. But people still are going to go out and shop. We are social creatures by nature; we, for the most part, like to be out and about among other people and that’s never going to change. The Internet will never be a full substitute for human interaction.
And Blue Nile knows it. That’s why they are spending money to open as many as four new “webrooms” next year. It’s also why other online-only retailers, including Amazon, Gemvara and BaubleBar, have
been or are experimenting with physical locations or distribution.
Blue Nile doesn’t worry about competition from other online retailers; they are by far the biggest online seller of jewelry.
They worry about the retailers that have what they don’t—a store, a place where people can come in, pick up the jewelry, see it, touch it, feel it, and talk to somebody about it.
Blue Nile doesn’t worry about competition from other online retailers; they are by far the biggest online seller of jewelry.
They worry about the retailers that have what they don’t—a store, a place where people can come in, pick up the jewelry, see it, touch it, feel it, and talk to somebody about it.
More on Editors
The Latest
TrendsOct 29, 2025
Beth Bernstein Releases Vintage Jewelry Guide“The Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery” follows the evolution of jewelry design from the ‘30s to the ‘80s with buying and styling advice.
Events & AwardsOct 28, 2025
Meet the 2026 Gem Award NomineesNotable jewelry designers, members of the press, and retailers are up for an award at next year’s gala.
Recorded WebinarsOct 28, 2025
Watch: The State of the Jewelry Industry Leaders from Jewelers of America and National Jeweler discuss the gold price, tariffs, and more in this one-hour webinar.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsOct 28, 2025
Eriness Reflects on Life in ‘One of One’ CollectionAfter experiencing motherhood, growth, and loss, founder and designer Erin Sachse has created 10 irreplaceable jewels.
AuctionsOct 27, 2025
Napoleon Left This Brooch Behind, And Now It’s Up For AuctionIt is part of Sotheby’s “Royal & Noble Jewels” sale along with an ornate hair ornament and an old mine-cut light pink diamond ring.
Brought to you by
DESERT DIAMONDS: The Newest Trend in Natural Diamond JewelryFrom sunlit whites to smoky whiskeys, introduce your clients to extraordinary diamonds in colors as unique as their love.
CrimeOct 27, 2025
Arrests Made in Louvre Jewel Heist One of the individuals was apprehended at the airport as he was trying to flee the country.
MajorsOct 27, 2025
Target to Cut 1,800 Corporate JobsThe retailer, which has faced struggling sales in recent quarters, is looking to streamline its operations.
Events & AwardsOct 27, 2025
Hill Management Group Hired to Help Atlanta Jewelry ShowHill Management Group will oversee, market, and produce next year’s spring show.
AuctionsOct 24, 2025
Bonhams Under New Ownership, Top Executives ReplacedLondon-based investment firm Pemberton Asset Management acquired the auction house for an undisclosed amount.
GradingOct 24, 2025
DMIA to Hold Diamond Testing Instrument DemoThe workshop will give attendees the chance to try out and ask questions about three different diamond verification instruments.
CrimeOct 24, 2025
Video Emerges of Louvre Jewelry Robbers Fleeing the Scene The footage shows two of the jewelry heist suspects descending from the second floor of the museum and then escaping via scooter.
CollectionsOct 24, 2025
Piece of the Week: Wyld Box Jewelry’s ‘Ray of Light’ EarringsFounder and designer Rosanna Fiedler looked to a vintage Cartier clutch when designing the sunlight-inspired drop earrings.
FinancialsOct 23, 2025
Jewelry Sales Resilient Despite Struggles at LVMH, KeringThe luxury conglomerates faced a challenging Q3 amid geopolitical and economic tensions.
SourcingOct 23, 2025
Petra Diamonds Turns to Shareholders to Raise Capital The struggling diamond mining company, which owns the historic Cullinan mine, has launched a rights issue to raise about $25 million.
WatchesOct 23, 2025
‘Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches’ Recounts Watch HistoryThe book details the journey of watches as symbols of hard-earned success in hip-hop for artists like 2Pac, Jay-Z, and more.
AuctionsOct 23, 2025
Freeman’s | Hindman Names New VP, Senior Specialist for Jewelry & WatchesAlexis Vourvoulis, who most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., brings more than two decades of jewelry experience to her new role.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
The Taylor Swift Effect: Antique Diamonds EditionThe superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
Don’t Forget These Diamond Jewelry Trends When Stocking for the HolidaysRetailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.
AuctionsOct 22, 2025
Pink Diamond, Vanderbilt Jewels to Headline Phillips’ Geneva AuctionThe nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.
SourcingOct 22, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 22, 2025
Tiffany & Co.’s ‘Bird on a Rock’ Finds New PerchChief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
JFC Kicks Off Halloween Costume ChallengeFive dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
Hillsborough Antique Show Gets New OwnerRecently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.
GradingOct 21, 2025
GIA Examines Rare Bicolor Pink DiamondThe stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.
