The layoffs come amid the TV shopping channel’s efforts to restructure and focus on live shopping through social media.
Tivol Matriarch Ruthie Tivol Dies at 91
She is remembered as a force of nature with an impeccable sense of style and a keen eye for up-and-coming designers.

She was 91.
According to her obituary in The Kansas City Star, Ruth Abend Krigel Tivol, better known as Ruthie, was born July 10, 1929 in Dubienka, Poland.
In December 1938, when she was 9, she moved with her mother and older sister to Kansas City, reuniting with her father, who had moved to the United States several years prior.
She always understood how fortunate her family was to escape the Nazis and never forgot those who were left behind.
Tivol graduated from Kansas City’s Central High School in 1946 and attended the University of Missouri for one year before leaving to work for George K. Baum & Co., an investment banking firm.
Shortly after, she met an attorney named Herbert Mayer Krigel. They married in 1950, relocating briefly to California but returning to Kansas City shortly before their first child was born.
The couple went on to have two more children together before Krigel died in 1974.
A widow at the age of 45, Tivol went to work for J.C. Nichols for a few years before marrying legendary retailer Harold Tivol in 1978 and joining him to work at his family’s jewelry store.
Her style and charm enhanced the business, and the couple worked side-by-side for decades, traveling the world to find the best work from up-and-coming designers and becoming a well-known, and well-loved, pair in the jewelry industry.
Harold died in 2016 at the age of 92.
Outside of the jewelry industry, Tivol was president of the PTA at the Border Star School, president of the Women’s Auxiliary at Menorah Medical Center and, for many years, worked as a docent at Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
She belonged to the New Reform Temple, The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, Oakwood Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club and volunteered for the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.
Tivol also chaired numerous fundraisers for area organizations, including the Barstow School, the Anne Frank Exhibit at Union Station, the U.S. Holocaust Museum, and the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy.
The store announced her passing via social media last week, paying homage to a woman the retailer described as a force of nature who inspired the staff at Tivol both personally and professionally.
“She and Harold were the titans of the industry for years,” the post reads. “It is truly the end of an era. May her memory be a blessing.”
She is survived by five children, Merilyn Berenbom (Loren), Kathy Hawley (Scott), James Krigel (Felicia), Tom Tivol (Susan) and Cathy Maslan (Mark); 13 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; one brother, Mel Abend; and many loving nieces and nephews.
A Zoom memorial service is scheduled for this coming Sunday, March 21 at 11 a.m. Central time. Anyone interested in attending should email zoom1@louismemorial.com for more information.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ruth Krigel Tivol Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City, 5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park, Kansas 66211, or to a charity of one’s choosing.
The Latest

The debut event will take place in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood this fall.

The roundtable will take place May 17 ahead of the trade show’s welcome dinner.

Bench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.

The “Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann” collection features the comic strip’s classic vocabulary across 10 bracelet designs.


Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.

Diamonds are not only one of the most prominent gemstones, but the birthstone for those born in April.

Natural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.

The Utah-based company known for making wedding bands has acquired Doubloon Golf.

The longtime luxury executive led one of LVMH’s watch brands, TAG Heuer, for 12 years before taking over Bulgari in 2013.

Authorities said the robbers fled with jewelry and 70 Rolex watches, later taking pictures of themselves posing with big stacks of cash.

Lotus Gemology founder Richard W. Hughes has translated Heinrich Fischer’s 1880 book “Nephrit und Jadeit” from its original German.

The ring's design features contrasting lines influenced by work from architecture-inspired photographer Nikola Olic.

The Conference Board’s index fell as consumers continued to worry about the impact of tariffs, the labor market, and the price of eggs.

However, two medieval jewels surpassed estimates at Noonans Mayfair’s recent jewelry auction in London.

The Oscar-nominated actor debuted in the campaign for the new “Top Time B31” collection, which introduced Breitling’s Caliber B31.

The Congress is scheduled to take place May 19-22 in Brasilia, Brazil.

The “150 Art Deco” collection features a Miss America timepiece and a pocket watch from the brand’s Archive Series.

Alex Wellen, formerly CEO and president of MotorTrend Group, has taken on the role.

The Impact Initiative is part of the nonprofit association’s new three-year strategic plan.

The ruby and the sapphire, which Christie’s calls a “once-in-a-generation masterpiece,” are part of the upcoming Hong Kong jewelry auction.

The two pairs of earrings, snatched from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, are valued at a combined $769,500.

The time to start experimenting with video content is now, writes columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

From striking high jewelry to miniature fine jewelry, the new chapter continues to highlight gemstones featuring its signature 57-facet cut.

The jewelry giant is reducing its senior leadership by 30 percent as part of its new turnaround strategy.

The auction house's partnership with online watch servicing platform WatchCheck makes repairs convenient and accessible, it said.

The company also noted record sales in the United States and a strong performance in its jewelry category.