The fast-casual chain partnered with Anna Sheffield’s Bing Bang NYC brand on a capsule collection and it’s a little “extra.”
The Film That Should Be on the Industry’s Radar
Out in select theaters Friday, “A United Kingdom” tells the story of Botswana’s road to independence.

I’d like to start out this blog post by saying that the following is not meant to be a movie review because I am not a movie reviewer. I don’t have any experience in the genre and don’t fancy myself an expert on acting, directing, cinematography or costumes.
So please take what follows as a public service announcement, an FYI if you will; here is a movie that just came out that I enjoyed and that I think people in the jewelry industry should see, if only to better understand the history behind one of the world’s biggest diamond producers.
A few weeks ago, thanks to the Diamond Empowerment Fund, Signet, the GIA and Fox Searchlight Pictures, I attended a special screening of a movie called “A United Kingdom” here in New York.
Shot in London and Africa, “A United Kingdom” tells the true story of how Botswana earned its independence and became a democracy in 1966. The film touches--albeit lightly--on the role diamonds played in that.
The movie stars David Oyelowo (Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma”) as Seretse Khama and Rosamund Pike (nominated for an Oscar for her turn in “Gone Girl”) as Ruth Williams.
The film starts out in post-World War II London, where the black Khama meets the white Williams. They fall in love and get married but, predictably for the time period, nobody is happy about it.
The mixed-race marriage stirs up both familial and political strife.
Khama, you see, was heir to the throne of one of most powerful tribes in the country, at that time a British protectorate called Bechuanaland.
It also happened to be the British protectorate that sat atop South Africa, which at the time was on the brink of instituting the racist apartheid-era policies that would govern it for the next 50 years.
British officials did not want the Khama-Williams relationship to anger the ruling party in South Africa and endanger its access to the country’s natural resources--gold, diamonds and uranium--at a time when the government was reeling financially from the war.
So they conspired to keep the two apart, even exiling Khama for a period of time.
But in the end, it didn’t work.
Khama strategically engineered his return to his homeland--using inside knowledge of a potential diamond find in his homeland as one of his key bargaining chips--was reunited with his wife (and first child, by that point) and began to push for independence.
In 1964, he

At the DEF screening for “A United Kingdom,” which was held at the Roxy Hotel Cinema in downtown Manhattan, we got a chance to hear from one man who has a very personal connection to the individual portrayed in the film.
DEF board member Marcus ter Haar is the grandson of Khama and Williams. His mother, Jacqueline, was their first child and is the baby in the movie.
You can hear from Marcus yourself, and see a trailer for “A United Kingdom” on DEF’s website.
For those who prefer books to movies, there’s “Colour Bar,” the nonfiction book by Susan Williams on which the screenplay was based.
Directed by Amma Asante (“Belle”), “A United Kingdom” opened in select cities Friday. A list of theaters showing the movie is available on the film’s website.
And if you want to read a review of “A United Kingdom” written by a journalist who has experience in the genre, you can check out the one by Rolling Stones’ Peter Travers (Spoiler alert: he gave it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars.) And there’s also Glenn Kenny for The New York Times, which tagged the film as an NYT Critics’ Pick.
The Latest

The home improvement store’s website features an “Empowerment Tools” demi-fine jewelry collection.

De Beers Institute of Diamonds provides the very best in diamond verification, education and diamond services.

The show will feature a new pavilion of 30 jewelry designers and manufacturers from Surat, India.


A government official said search crews “found the needle in the haystack” when they located the capsule belonging to Rio Tinto along an 870-mile stretch of road.

Amanda Gizzi welcomes February with a selection of amethyst jewelry, a birthstone that “deserves its own time to shine.”

De Beers is sharing over 130 years of experience and expertise through the De Beers Institute of Diamonds with a selection of courses.

The Time Century Jewelry Center is located in downtown Miami’s jewelry district.

Wariness about the year ahead offset a more positive view of the current economic situation.

The IJO also welcomed one new vendor member to its 13-member board, Brecken Farnsworth of Parlé Jewelry Designs.

It begins with a “t” and ends with a “c” and is imbued with warmth and positivity, Peter Smith writes.

The tiny capsule, which is believed to have fallen out of a truck, was lost somewhere along an 870-mile stretch of desert road.

The jeweler’s expansion plans include 20 to 30 more stores in North America and the Middle East over the next two to three years.

The Italian luxury brand will receive the first Gem Award for High Jewelry Excellence.

Industry veteran Kevin Lane has stepped into the role.

The ancient Egyptian teenager was buried 2,300 years ago with 49 amulets to guide him through the afterlife.

The NRF’s annual survey shows that consumer attitudes about how, or even whether, to celebrate Feb. 14 continue to evolve.

Nominations are open now through March 24.

A column detailing how independent jewelers did last year and the top watch brands of 2022 were among the most-read stories last week.

Acquired in 2021, the brand’s high jewelry sales have doubled and its new “Lock” collection was an instant hit.

Executives from Fred Meyer Jewelers and Riddles Jewelers have filled the roles.

The Victorian-inspired design is a functional lock and key.

For over 100 years, JA New York has played an integral role in facilitating the evolution of our industry, while also honoring past traditions.

The trend forecaster and her guests explored unconventional jewelry designs, NFTs, AI art, and more during her Trendvision presentation.

The Emerging Designers Diamond Initiative provides diamond credit and mentorship to young brands helmed by BIPOC designers.

It will be located in San Antonio’s Alamo Quarry Market and will be Lee Michaels’ third location in the city.