In a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Golan spells out how the growing economic divide in the U.S. is reshaping the market.
10 Jewelry News Stories You Might Have Missed
A big blue diamond sells for $16 million, another big retailer goes bankrupt, beautiful rubies for July, and more.

New York—Brooks Brothers and Movado were among the companies that made headlines with their troubles last week, while a tragic story emerged from Myanmar—nearly 200 people lost their lives in a jade mine accident.
But it wasn’t all bad news.
On Thursday, a 12-carat blue diamond soared past pre-auction estimates at Christie’s Hong Kong, Muse Showroom announced a partnership with an amazing actress, and we presented some beautiful ruby jewelry for July.
Read on for more top stories from last week.
1) 12-Carat Marquise Blue Diamond Sells for $16M at Christie’s
The July 9 Magnificent Jewels auction in Hong Kong totaled $39.8 million.
2) Brooks Brothers Latest Retailer To File Chapter 11
The 202-year-old company, known for its classic suits, owns the Alexis Bittar and Carolee jewelry brands.
3) Movado To Lay off Employees Amid Restructuring
The layoffs are part of the watch company’s plan to cut costs amid economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
4) Landslide at Jade Mine Kills 170+ in Myanmar
Heavy rains prompted the landslide in the Hpakant area last week.
5) Stafford Jewelers, Creative Gold to Close Stores
The owners of both independent jewelry stores have decided to retire after decades in the industry.
6) Muse Showroom’s Newest ‘Have a Heart’ Ambassador Is Cynthia Erivo
The award-winning actress became the talk of Hollywood last year. Now, she’s partnered with Muse on their philanthropic initiative.
7) Major Retailers Call for Mask Mandate
In a letter to U.S. governors, the Retail Industry Leaders Association called for a uniform approach to safety measures amid the coronavirus pandemic.
8) Diamond Foundry Among Those Boycotting Facebook
Hundreds of companies have halted advertising on the social media site to protest its lack of policing hate speech and misinformation.
9) Paycheck Protection Program Deadline Extended
The Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration also released more information about where the PPP money went.
10) Amanda’s Style File: Rubies Bring the Heat
Summer’s warming up, and so are these 20 birthstone jewels celebrating July.
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It was the second auction appearance for the fancy vivid blue-green diamond, which sold for $7.8 million at Christie’s Geneva 12 years ago.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force took a 22-year-old man into custody. He was charged with tampering with evidence.

While the overall number of crimes was down, there were more incidences in which robbers pulled out guns, mace, or rammed cars into stores.

Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry is closing its store inside the downtown shopping center after 40 years in business.

Reena Ahluwalia’s painting of the rare red diamond is the first contemporary painting to join the National Gem Collection.

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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.

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.

The diamantaire and industry leader succeeds Feriel Zerouki and said he will focus on being a “champion” for natural diamonds.

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
























