The industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.
8 Designers to Watch in 2018
Associate Editor Ashley Davis highlights the jewelry brands poised to make an impression in the year ahead.

There was no shortage of fine jewelry design talent in 2017, but a few designers managed to make their voices heard above the others in a very saturated market.
The below eight up-and-coming brands are particularly poised to make an impression in the year ahead.
A post shared by BRENT NEALE (@brentnealejewelry) on Dec 17, 2017 at 10:42am PST
Brent Neale Jewelry
Brent Neale launched her line last year with a polish and confidence attributable to having spent eight years at Kara Ross. The New Yorker favors bold, colorful design that doesn’t get lost in a sea of other jewelers. Neale’s rainbow and unicorn pieces are more sophisticated than their inspiration would imply, but her new inlay door pieces are the most timeless of her oeuvre I’ve seen so far.
A post shared by Karma El Khalil (@karmaelkhaliljewelry) on Dec 17, 2017 at 11:10am PST
Karma El Khalil
Karma El Khalil has been building her career for the last several years but the decidedly global designer continues to expand her abilities. Her latest collection, Linea, explores the idea of fluidity that El Khalil has tinkered with before, with jewelry that lies on the body like (comfortable) armor.
A post shared by Chaoqiu He (@qiuqiu_he) on Nov 22, 2017 at 6:16am PST
Qiu Fine Jewelry
Chaoqiu He is in the early stages of launching her Qiu Fine Jewelry line—her one-of-a-kind pieces have been sold privately to her clients in the past—but is doing so with considerable aplomb. The art collector and style ambassador’s Shanghai/Shanghai collection launched in collaboration with Muzo Emeralds last year and puts the designer in the ranks of the world’s greatest high jewelers. He’s exquisite creations redefine what it means to be “made in China."
A post shared by Shihara (@shihara_official) on Nov 30, 2017 at 6:16pm PST
Shihara
Designer Yuta Ishihara has developed a successful venture with brand Shihara in his native Japan, but recently made a push into the U.S. market. The thoughtful designer, who takes a conceptual approach to his craft, is creating pieces unlike anyone in America, re-thinking basic settings, techniques and closures. Expect to see much more of Shihara’s minimal, engineer-like aesthetic in the future.
A post shared by SANTO (@santobyzani) on Dec 15, 2017 at 12:26pm PST
Santo by Zani
It’s not uncommon for a socialite to try her hand at jewelry design—the medium is, after all, an expensive one—but Santo by Zani, designed by Zani Gugelmann, exhibits a touch of brilliance deserving of buzz. Based on the concept of unfolding, and opening and closing, Gugelmann’s ceramic and gemstone-accented pendants bring geometric design to the next level.
A post shared by N∀pINƎ פHOSN (@nadineghosnjewelry) on Nov 13, 2017 at 10:17am PST
Nadine Ghosn
Fresh off a win in the high jewelry category of the DDFC/Vogue Arabia Fashion Prize, Nadine Ghosn’s cheeky, joyful line of jewels is becoming more well-known
A post shared by All Blues (@allbluesofficial) on Jul 19, 2017 at 7:56am PDT
All Blues
Speaking of jewelry imitating food, Swedish brand All Blues garnered attention for its “Ruined Omelette” series of costume jewelry, an abstract take on egg shells, whites and yolks. All Blues designs pieces for both women and men in silver and 18-karat gold vermeil, and continually pushes the design envelope, as in their latest earrings made of fabric.
A post shared by ALINA ABEGG (@alinaabegg) on Dec 6, 2017 at 9:23am PST
Alina Abegg
German-born Alina Abegg exploits the camp of outer space motifs in her namesake line. Her alien pinky rings are a signature, while less-explicit styles like her UFO studs are surprisingly wearable.
The Latest

Founder Vik Westermann said the app is a “starting point” to inspire people to work with appraisers and gem labs, not replace them.

The Verdura brooch, which belonged to the late Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, was sold to a private collector in Asia.

Submit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.

The five students were awarded a total of $10,000 through the nonprofit’s 2026 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.


Steven Lerche is now beginning his term as the youngest member to become president of The Plumb Club’s elected executive committee.

Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

The jeweler is encouraging customers who own lookalike rings to come into the store and trade them for credit towards an authentic piece.

The new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.

Mehta led India’s GJEPC through the 2008 financial crisis and was respected worldwide for his wisdom, integrity, and knowledge.

One is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.

In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.

9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.

The jeweler has partnered with 818 Tequila to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.

The exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.

Marquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.

The inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.

The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association

In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

The 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.






















