SurveysOct 16, 2026
How Inflation, Gas Prices Will Affect Holiday Sales The NRF is expecting holiday sales to increase this year, but consumers and retailers alike are facing Grinch-like headwinds.
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 16, 2026
Christina Puchi’s Earrings Hold the UniverseOur Piece of the Week gathers the planets, represented by a variety of colored gemstones, in a pair of 14-karat yellow gold earrings.
IndependentsOct 16, 2026
Reeds Jewelers Expands, Relocates FlagshipThe New York-based jeweler is moving its Amherst flagship store to a larger location in nearby Snyder.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
MajorsOct 16, 2026
Katy Chen Appointed Executive Vice President of Graff USA Chen, who worked at Cartier and Tiffany & Co., will lead retail sales and operations for the luxury jeweler’s 11 U.S. stores.
Weekly QuizOct 15, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsOct 15, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Amy and Elise Greenberg For 40 years, sisters Amy and Elise Greenberg have helmed their 126-year-old family business, leading with appreciation and integrity.
ColumnistsOct 15, 2026
Peter Smith: What Is the Culture REP?It’s a term Smith coined and felt compelled to share following a bad experience with an aborted flight and an unfeeling flight attendant.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
WatchesOct 15, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb’s New Movado Watches Are Made for Your Wrist StackMovado teamed up with the New York-based fine jewelry designer on a new collection of Movado Museum Velura watches.
SourcingOct 15, 2026
Signet Jewelers, Richemont May Join Bidder for De Beers, Report SaysThe two companies are reportedly in talks to join the Global Diamond Consortium, led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny, as per Bloomberg.
CollectionsOct 15, 2026
Wolf x Marla Aaron's New Jewelry Box Is for Some (Not All) of Your ThingsThe “Some of the Things” box follows the two larger “Everything” box designs with the look and function of antique sewing and toolboxes.
IndependentsOct 14, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Coleman and Mitchell ClarkFourth-generation jewelers Coleman and Mitchell Clark exemplify the best qualities of their predecessors: humility, modesty, and confidence.
SourcingOct 14, 2026
Manuel Marcial de Gomar, ‘The Emerald Whisperer,’ Dies at 90The gem hunter, whose 70-year career was defined by adventure and exploration, is remembered for his steadfast faith and sense of wonder.
FinancialsOct 14, 2026
LVMH’s Jewelry Brands Turn in ‘Very Good’ Performance in Q3 Tiffany & Co. continued its full-scale store renovation project while Bulgari’s high jewelry collection generated “record-breaking revenue.”
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2026
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference Releases 2026 ProgramThis year’s sessions feature leading voices from human rights, legal, and conservation organizations.
MajorsOct 13, 2026
David Webb Owner Purchases Lugano JewelryThe high-end jewelry retailer was sold to private investment firm Middle West Partners and a group of longtime clients.
Lab-GrownOct 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Takes Lab-Grown Diamond Collection WholesaleThe jewelry designer has partnered with Sofer Jewelry to distribute her 85-piece lab-grown diamond collection.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Sean DunnDunn, this year’s Single-Store Independent inductee, is passionate about innovation and telling the story of natural diamonds.
AuctionsOct 13, 2026
Christie's Geneva To Auction 'Bulgari Pink' DiamondThe 24-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring could fetch up to $18 million at the November sale.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers’ New Candle Smells Like HomeThe “Island Jewel” candle honors New York City and Puerto Rico and raises money for the island’s water relief efforts.
TechnologyOct 13, 2026
GemFind Is a New JA Member Benefit Partner The partnership will give JA members access to preferred pricing, exclusive benefits, technology solutions, education, and resources.
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
