SourcingJul 06, 2026
Gemfields CEO Sean Gilbertson Steps DownAfter eight years, Gilbertson is leaving his post at the mining company, which is currently facing a slew of operational challenges.
OtherFeb 18, 2016
Column: Is Your Store’s Mantra Authentic?
Whether a store’s message is that it offers the “best service” or the “biggest selection,” jewelers better be able to back it up, Peter Smith writes.
I checked into a hotel in Denver last week and I was asked if I wanted to go “green” and earn additional points. When I asked what that actually meant I was told that if I elected to have no maid service for my hotel stay I would be awarded a block of points on my account.
When the lady at the hotel check-in asked me if I wanted to go green for my stay, I was, at first, anticipating a request to use the same sheets for the duration of my four nights; a commitment to recycle any paper, plastic or glass products; and a request to hang up my towels after each use instead of throwing them on the floor.
What I was not prepared for was having no housekeeping service whatsoever for the entirety of my stay.
When the extent of the request sunk in, I found myself, perhaps cynically, wondering if there was an ulterior motive. Were they asking me and their guests to be complicit in a sinister plan to reduce their housekeeping staff? How many “green guests” would it take to reduce the two maids per floor to just one? There were 10 floors in the hotel and I would imagine that cutting the housekeeping team in half would have represented a tidy little saving for the hotel.
As is often the case when I find myself giving vent to my cynical side, I quickly dismissed my early inclination when I entered my room and saw that there was a blue recycling bin in the room (a bare-bones essential that every single hotel and every single business ought to provide.)
After I showered the following morning, I hung my towel up and went about my day. When I returned that night, the towel had been removed and replaced with a fresh towel from the pile.
I was disappointed, as hanging a towel in a hotel typically signifies a desire on the part of the guest to re-use it. I then noticed that the soap I had opened and used the previous evening was also gone. The towel and the soap were replaced each of the four days that I stayed there.
As simple as it may have seemed, replacing a once-used bar of soap and a hanging towel seemed like a decidedly un-green practice to me. It underscored my initial instinct about the hotel’s real motivation for requesting guests go green.
While there was much to like about the hotel, I became convinced that there was a big disconnect between their stated aspirations to going green and their ability to live it throughout the hotel and the guest experiences. Why were there no signs in the bathrooms inviting guests to consider re-using towels? Why was there such a disparity between what the front desk was asking of guests and what the housekeeping staff was actually doing?
Every business and retail store has one or more mantras that they champion. For this particular hotel it was “go green;” for many stores it is a stated commitment to providing great service, or the best quality, or the best prices, or the biggest selection etc., etc.
Every business must decide what its own particular billboard will be, but whatever it is should be absolutely, positively authentic. It should be used because you really believe it and because you and your team live it with every customer contact and touchpoint. There should be a commitment to your mantra that is palpable throughout your organization.
What it is, to a great extent, is less important than that you actually live that commitment.
If you tell people that you have the best prices then you cannot use fiction-tickets that suggest one price so that you sell the goods for another.
If it is great service, then every customer visiting your store ought to notice and experience great service, and every employee should know from the minute you interview them that great service is ingrained in your DNA.
Dyer, Dalzell and Olegario wrote in Rising Tide, Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Build at Proctor & Gamble, “For a company to do the right thing every day, it must not only espouse the principle but also enact it.”
It’s the doing that matters. Make it real.
Peter Smith, author of Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent, has spent more than 30 years building sales teams at retail and at wholesale. He is president of Vibhor Gems and he has previously worked with companies such as Tiffany & Co., Montblanc and Hearts On Fire. Email him at peter@vibhorgems.com, dublinsmith@yahoo.com or reach him on LinkedIn.
More on Other
The Latest
IndependentsJul 06, 2026
Bachendorf’s To Open Fifth Store In DallasThe new location is set to open this winter, featuring the retailer’s first rotating jewelry designer residency.
MajorsJul 06, 2026
Graff Names BTS Star Jung Kook as New AmbassadorThe pop artist appears in the latest campaign for the “Laurence Graff Signature” collection.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
CollectionsJul 06, 2026
Pandora’s New Baroque Pearl Collection Is a Whimsical ‘Wonder’One-of-a-kind pearls take the shape of ice cream cones, frogs, submarines, and other imaginative charms.
Weekly QuizJul 01, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingJul 02, 2026
London Diamond Bourse Elects First Female PresidentCharlotte Rose said her election is “a sign that this is an industry capable of change.”
Supplier BulletinJul 02, 2026
Elevating Retail Showcases with Today's Necklace & Bracelet TrendsSponsored by Rio Grande Jewelry Supply
Brought to you by
Building the Future of Jewelry Retail: DCA Expands Education, Leadership Development, and Workforce SolutionsDCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
TrendsJul 02, 2026
Oscar Heyman’s Flag Brooch Celebrates AmericaThe American jewelry house, founded by Latvian immigrants, has been creating American flag brooches since 1917.
IndependentsJul 02, 2026
D. Geller & Son Partners with KSU Art Students on Store MuralThe artwork celebrates the Atlanta jeweler’s legacy and symbolizes its commitment to supporting local artists and its community.
Events & AwardsJul 02, 2026
Stratus Estate Buyers Offers Jewelers Turnkey Buying EventsIts team can evaluate jewelry and watches, as well as luxury handbags, artwork, and collectibles.
SurveysJul 01, 2026
Consumer Confidence Ticks Up in JuneFalling oil prices were a factor in the slight month-over-month improvement.
CollectionsJul 01, 2026
Rio Grande Launches First Finished Bridal CollectionThe new offering comprises more than 120 bridal and engagement ring styles with natural and lab-grown diamonds.
WatchesJul 01, 2026
Rolex Unveils Clock at Rockefeller CenterThe clock is part of the celebration for the soon-to-open Rolex headquarters on New York City’s Fifth Avenue.
IndependentsJul 01, 2026
Kristen Cannon of Valobra Master Jewelers Dies at 49The public relations professional is remembered for her benevolent generosity and unwavering commitment to those around her.
WatchesJun 30, 2026
Pokémon Fans Will Want to Catch This New G-Shock WatchThe new watch commemorates Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
MajorsJun 30, 2026
Saks Global Emerges From Bankruptcy With New NameThe luxury retailer is now called Exemplar Luxury Group.
CollectionsJun 30, 2026
Jade Ruzzo’s New Collection Embodies the Art of Being a LadyThe “Lady” collection is a new take on old beauty standards with gemstone-adorned hair pins and combs, a compact mirror necklace, and more.
SourcingJun 30, 2026
Blue Nile Introduces Montana Sapphire CollectionThe new line is included in the e-tailer’s curation of jewelry celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
GradingJun 30, 2026
AGS Opens 2026 Recertification ExamAll active members who earned their credential or designation before Dec. 1, 2025, are required to recertify.
CollectionsJun 29, 2026
Briony Raymond’s New Collection Is a ‘Carousel’ of Hard StonesThe new jewelry collection uses a colorful palette of onyx, malachite, tiger’s eye, mother-of-pearl, lapis, turquoise, and coral.
IndependentsJun 29, 2026
Look Inside Lee Michaels’ Revamped Mississippi FlagshipLee Michaels Fine Jewelry is celebrating 30 years in the Ridgeland, Mississippi community.
GradingJun 29, 2026
National Rarities Announces New Gemology ManagerSean Milliner has joined the company.
GradingJun 29, 2026
GIA to Open New London CampusClasses will begin in August at GIA’s new Canary Wharf location.
AuctionsJun 26, 2026
‘Hogback’ Diamond Ring Finds a New Home A ring set with “hogback” diamonds, an early stone cut dating to around the 16th century, sold for more than $20,000 at a U.K. auction.
CollectionsJun 26, 2026
Strength Is Sharpened Into Beauty in Kris Averi’s ‘Prism Thorn’ RingThe rainbow version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, features angel-cut, octahedral lab-grown sapphires designed to be worn as armor.
MajorsJun 26, 2026
Rembrandt Charms Debuts ‘Charms That Give Back’The new initiative donates a portion of the proceeds from select charms to charitable causes.
