CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Count Down to the Holidays With Astrid & Miyu’s Advent CalendarsThe trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.
EditorsJun 02, 2016
The Real Reason People Buy Jewelry
As the trade shows kick off in Las Vegas, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff reminds jewelers what they’re really selling when they sell jewelry.
This gold and diamond necklace is one of the pieces my maternal grandmother, who died last Wednesday at the age of 98, passed down to me. She had it made by a jeweler in Pittsburgh using diamonds she broke out of a ring given to her by my great-grandmother.
As I write this I am 30,000 feet up and the plane’s spotty WiFi won’t let me procrastinate on doing a blog post any longer. The Internet is not really working up here; I have no other choice but to write.
It’s the day before the bulk of the shows kick off in Las Vegas, and I probably should be commenting on the current state of retail, the outlook for the remainder of 2016, or what people think about this (fill in the blank with your own adjective) election.
But I feel like that’s all been rehashed many times, and by many more qualified than me.
So instead I am going to write about something I hope jewelers keep in mind as they run from appointment to appointment, trying to decide which vendors to keep and which to add. And that is: what you are really giving customers when you sell them a piece of jewelry.
A week ago, I lost my last grandparent. My maternal grandmother, Helen Ober Willman, passed away at the age of 98.
The third oldest of 13 children raised in a row house on Pittsburgh’s North Side, she was the next to last of her siblings to go. Now only one sister, my 93-year-old Great-Aunt Anna, survives.
A photo of my grandma’s family taken around 1928. She is the third child from the left; three more siblings, all boys, were still to come. Bookending this photo are my great-grandparents, Cyril and Anna Ober.
My grandma had an absolutely beautiful collection of jewelry, both costume and fine, that was divided up years ago before she entered the home that would be her last.
In addition to the jewelry, my grandma, like most, passed on a bits of wisdom throughout my life, which includes, but certainly is not limited to, the following.
1. Practice safe sex. These were not her exact words but, rather, what I distilled from the following scenario, which happened on more than one occasion when I was a young teen. We’d be out somewhere together and my grandma would spot a young-looking girl who was either pregnant or pushing a stroller. She then would turn to me with little regard for volume and say in a semi-threatening tone, “Don’t you end up like that.”
2. Never lend money to relatives.
3. Don’t ever depend on a man for money. Have your own job and make your own living.
But probably the most useful in my current line of work, and perhaps the only one of interest to those currently reading this blog, was this piece of advice that she handed down along with the gold and diamond necklace pictured above:
4. Beautiful jewelry is meant to be worn, not put away in a box because you’re afraid of breaking it or losing it. Wear it when you go out. Have fun with it.
While I had the pleasure of being the sole recipient of that first bit of wisdom, my grandmother must have shared the last with both her daughters and my cousin’s wife because all four of us saw fit to wear a piece she had passed down when we gathered to say goodbye last weekend.
And that, in a nutshell, is why people buy jewelry.
Not because they want another possession, or because it comes with a piece of paper printed with a bunch of letters intended to denote its beauty or value.
They buy it because it’s fun to wear, it has lasting value and it connects people across generations. People buy jewelry because they know they can enjoy it, then pass it down and enjoy watching other people wear it.
The last few years of my grandma’s life were difficult.
She suffered a stroke shortly after her 90th birthday that begat a slow, eight-year decline. Her eyesight eventually failed her, but never so much so that she couldn’t see when I was wearing her necklace. (As another testament to the power of jewelry, I would note that my grandmother had forgotten a lot by the end but she never forgot what I did for a living. I wrote about one of her favorite things--jewelry. She often would ask when I saw her if I had any “free samples” for her.)
As I said here before when my paternal grandmother died a few years ago, I don’t have any firm beliefs about what happens to people when they die.
Sometimes, I can’t shake the idea that some sort of afterlife where we’ll all be reunited is just a story we tell ourselves because the alternative--that somebody you loved so much is just gone--is simply unthinkable.
Other times, I believe that both my grandmothers are still with me and that I will see them again one day. I would also like to think that Grandma Willman was with us last weekend, saw us wearing her jewelry and was happy.
More on Editors
The Latest
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Piece of the Week: Marla Aaron’s ‘Nymphenburg Lock’Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.
MajorsOct 10, 2025
Frederick Goldman Names New VP of SalesJewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.
Brought to you by
JA New York Fall Is Right Around the CornerThe upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Feriel Zerouki Is Leaving De Beers The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.
Weekly QuizOct 09, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsOct 09, 2025
This Fabergé Egg Could Crack $27M At Auction“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.
MajorsOct 09, 2025
Sy Kessler Buying Watch Batteries as Silver Hits Record High The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.
CollectionsOct 09, 2025
Katkim Launches First Men’s CollectionThe line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Gemfields’ Mini Mixed-Quality Ruby Auction Garners $11MThe rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.
SourcingOct 08, 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 08, 2025
Emily P. Wheeler Shifts Into Neutral for Latest ‘Ombré’ CollectionThe champagne colorway in her newest “Ombré” collection combines white and trendy brown diamonds, a departure from her usual vibrant hues.
CollectionsOct 08, 2025
Tsuba Designs Inspire Monica Rich Kosann’s New CharmsKosann partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to create a set of necklaces inspired by the artwork on samurai sword handguards.
CrimeOct 07, 2025
Men Who Posed as Utility Workers Found Guilty in Jeweler’s MurderCarlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo face life in prison for the October 2024 murder of 72-year-old Detroit-area jeweler Hussein Murray.
CollectionsOct 07, 2025
Jessica McCormack Looks to Sea Spirits for ‘Tempest’ CollectionThe brand’s first high jewelry collection, “Tempest” plays with movement while calling to mind the folklore of the sea.
SourcingOct 07, 2025
Columbia Gem House Announces ‘Opals for Outback Heroes’ FundraiserProceeds from its jewelry raffle will go to a volunteer-run fire and rescue group in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia.
MajorsOct 07, 2025
Stuller Names Its S.E.R.V.E Stars for 2025Stuller said the recipients embody the company’s core values, which include community participation and personal and professional growth.
WatchesOct 06, 2025
This Fall, Citizen’s Forecast Calls for RainCitizen’s new “Rainell” women’s watch has a raindrop-shaped case and is available with a silver-, gold-, purple-, or green-colored dial.
AuctionsOct 06, 2025
The ‘Rolex That Made Rolex’ Heads to Auction at Sotheby’s The “Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster,” named for the British endurance swimmer who made it famous, will go up for sale next month.
GradingOct 06, 2025
GIA India Names Former De Beers Exec as New Managing DirectorAmit Pratihari was previously the managing director of De Beers India and Forevermark India.
SourcingOct 06, 2025
SoCal 24 Karat Club Integrates Into Diamond Club West CoastMembers of the Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California will gain access to expanded services, resources, and connections, DCWC said.
TrendsOct 03, 2025
Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco Tie the Knot Wearing Diamonds, White MetalsGomez’s jewelry included Tiffany & Co. drop-style earrings while Blanco stacked diamonds from Jacob & Co. on his wrist.
GradingOct 03, 2025
Grading Lab HRD Antwerp Names New CEODiamond industry banking veteran Paul De Wachter will take on the role in January 2026.
TrendsOct 03, 2025
Piece of the Week: Kallati’s Pink Sapphire RingTaylor Swift flaunts an Elizabeth Taylor-esque gemstone in promo for her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
CollectionsOct 02, 2025
Boucheron Debuts Cuffs Crafted With 3D-Printed SandIts “Quantre Sand” capsule was made using a 3D sand printing technique borrowed from the automotive and aeronautics industries.
CrimeOct 02, 2025
$1M in Jewelry Stolen in Northern California Smash and Grab Four individuals have been charged in the “takeover-style” robbery of Heller Jewelers last month, and additional charges are expected.
MajorsOct 02, 2025
Neil Lane Jewelry Exhibition Coming to Toledo Museum of Art“Radiance and Reverie” will showcase more than 150 jewels from Lane’s personal collection by Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and more.
