CrimeMay 13, 2026
JSA’s 2025 Crime Report Shows ‘Concerning’ Rise in ViolenceWhile the overall number of crimes was down, there were more incidences in which robbers pulled out guns, mace, or rammed cars into stores.
EditorsJun 13, 2019
Musings from a Las Vegas Market Week Newcomer
Associate Editor Lenore Fedow shares four takeaways from her first Vegas trip, including her favorite events and why she doesn’t want another tote bag.
JCK Las Vegas is one of the many jewelry trade shows that takes place during jewelry market week, and is one of the shows Associate Editor Lenore Fedow went to during her first trip to Vegas.
I’m the new kid in class here at National Jeweler, having joined the editorial team this January.
My previous—and first—blog was about my experience attending American Gem Society Conclave this past April in Seattle, sitting in on education sessions and meeting a slew of industry experts.
If Conclave was my orientation to the jewelry world, then Las Vegas market week was my official initiation.
Here are my takeaways as a first-time attendee of the jewelry trade shows in Vegas.
1. There is so much—too much?—to see.
My plane made a rocky landing at McCarran that Thursday afternoon (May 30, the first day of Couture) and I don’t think I stopped going until I sat back down on my return flight to New York the following Monday morning.
I hit the ground running Thursday, heading over to Couture to “ooh” and “ahh” at some of the loveliest jewelry I have ever seen.
Notable mentions include the entire team at For Future Reference, a PR-meets-jewelry-sales company representing designers including Brent Neale and Retrouvai.
My previous—and first—blog was about my experience attending American Gem Society Conclave this past April in Seattle, sitting in on education sessions and meeting a slew of industry experts.
If Conclave was my orientation to the jewelry world, then Las Vegas market week was my official initiation.
Here are my takeaways as a first-time attendee of the jewelry trade shows in Vegas.
1. There is so much—too much?—to see.
My plane made a rocky landing at McCarran that Thursday afternoon (May 30, the first day of Couture) and I don’t think I stopped going until I sat back down on my return flight to New York the following Monday morning.
I hit the ground running Thursday, heading over to Couture to “ooh” and “ahh” at some of the loveliest jewelry I have ever seen.
Notable mentions include the entire team at For Future Reference, a PR-meets-jewelry-sales company representing designers including Brent Neale and Retrouvai.
A Brent Neale 18-karat yellow gold necklace featuring a lapis vase with flowers made of red coral, amethyst, mother-of-pearl, carnelian, citrine, and rainbow moonstone. ($13,850)
I also went to see Jan Leslie, a New York-based designer with a penchant for beautiful, quirky creations.
Leslie’s rainbow gummy bear-inspired cufflinks took home the 2019 Couture Design Award for Best in Men’s.
After a full Friday at Couture, I spent the weekend at JCK running from breakfasts to press briefings to lunch panels to appointments.
Tagging along with our Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff, I stopped by Stuller’s colossal booth to check out its new offerings—everything from fine jewelry down to the box it comes in—then met with Altr founder Amish Shah to discuss the future of lab-grown diamonds. (Michelle is working on articles about both of those.)
I also spent time with Omi Privé then Victoria Tse, playing dress-up with out-of-this-world beautiful colored gemstones and learning what went into making them so breathtaking.
It was a productive trip for sure, but even with a full schedule, there were things I missed.
My fellow editors told me about Lenore Dailey, an antique jewelry collector with an eclectic assortment of beautiful pieces. The opportunities to meet a fellow Lenore are few and far between, but I couldn’t find the time to head over to the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show at the convention center, which also housed the new Premier jewelry trade show, to seek her out.
I don’t know if it’s possible to see everything there is to see during market week, but I look forward to trying next year.
2. The impact of jewelry is far-reaching.
When I transitioned from being a business journalist, covering Wall Street and market trends, to covering the world of jewelry, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I knew how important my jewelry was to me—how fiercely, for example, I love the pair of snowflake-shaped earrings from my mother—and I knew what small businesses like mom-and-pop jewelry stores mean to a community, but I didn’t have a sense of the overall impact.
Nevertheless, I felt in my heart that moving on to cover this industry was a worthwhile endeavor.
I was assured that I had made the right call when I attended JCK’s opening breakfast with a special guest speaker, the president of the Republic of Botswana, His Excellency Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi.
The president of the Republic of Botswana, His Excellency Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi
I knew a little about Botswana before attending the breakfast, mainly about the various diamond mines and its wildlife.
President Masisi expressed what the diamond industry has done for his country, transforming one of the world’s poorest nations into an upper-middle-income country.
Diamonds represent one-third of the country’s gross domestic product, said Masisi, and the proceeds from the country’s 50-year partnership with De Beers have been invested into updated infrastructure, schools, roads and hospitals.
Masisi was an incredible speaker and I left the session feeling immensely proud of somewhere I have never even been.
3. Bring comfortable shoes and leave your tote bags at home.
Everyone warned me not to try to be a shoe fashion hero on the show floors, to ditch my heels and bring my most comfortable shoes with me to Vegas. I heeded those warnings, packing comfy ballet flats and sandals with soft, cushioned soles.
I wouldn’t have lasted an hour in heels and only wore them sparingly to dressier events. Even then, I had a pair of emergency flip-flops in my bag to change into for the walk back to my hotel room.
I needed a comfortable pair of shoes as much as I didn’t need a tote bag. There were tote bags galore at every show and at every booth.
I love a good tote bag, but I’m putting my foot down and calling for an end to the madness.
Looking for inspiration on what to hand out instead? Stuller gave out flower seeds while Tacori sent me on my way with a big bag of candy and I couldn’t have been happier.
4. I am really lucky.
On my worst day, when everything is going wrong, I still know how lucky I am to be doing what I love. I wake up excited for the day ahead and that’s not something everyone can say about their job.
Trying on a ton of jewelry was a dream come true, but it was the people I met in Vegas who left the most lasting impression.
What’s stuck with me is how warm and welcoming people were, how excited they were to share their knowledge with me and show off what they had created.
I feel grateful to work in an exciting and fun industry that has the capacity to do so much good for so many people and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Editors
The Latest
IndependentsMay 13, 2026
New Orleans Jeweler Closing Canal Place StoreJack Sutton Fine Jewelry is closing its store inside the downtown shopping center after 40 years in business.
SourcingMay 13, 2026
Smithsonian Acquires ‘Winston Red’ Diamond PaintingReena Ahluwalia’s painting of the rare red diamond is the first contemporary painting to join the National Gem Collection.
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry RetailersWith the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.
TrendsMay 13, 2026
State of Design: Only the Innovative Will SurviveThe price of gold has risen, affecting the number of pieces designers make, the materials they use, and how they position themselves.
Weekly QuizMay 07, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
ColumnistsMay 12, 2026
It’s Official: We’re Getting ‘Brain Rot’ From Watching Short-Form Videos Peter Smith gives tips on leading meetings, developing marketing, and making trade show appointments in the age of short attention spans.
CollectionsMay 12, 2026
Jessica McCormack Debuts Antique Coin-Inspired Medallions for SummerThe 11-piece “Medallions” capsule collection features five motifs: a crying eye, a heart on fire, a spiral, a flower, and a swallow.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
IndependentsMay 12, 2026
State of Retail: 6 Things Retailers Should Know About Consumers TodayFrom Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.
Events & AwardsMay 12, 2026
The Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award Is BackThe partners have announced the second cycle of the program, which has expanded to include a $25,000 student scholarship.
IndependentsMay 11, 2026
Kansas Jeweler Closing After 70 YearsThe owners of Staats Jewelers are heading into retirement.
TrendsMay 11, 2026
Former Macy’s CEO Joins Signet Jewelers BoardJeffrey Gennette, who retired in 2024 after 41 years with Macy’s, is the newest member of the jewelry retailer’s board of directors.
TrendsMay 11, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Lucky May May babies are lucky to have emeralds, a gemstone admired for centuries, as their birthstone, writes Amanda Gizzi.
TechnologyMay 11, 2026
Clientbook’s New Tool Helps Jewelers Plan In-Store EventsThe new module allows retailers to plan, promote, and measure the success of events from a single dashboard.
Lab-GrownMay 08, 2026
NDC Publicly Criticizes Pandora Over ‘Misleading’ Natural Diamond ClaimsNDC said in an open letter that Pandora’s statements about the carbon footprint of lab grown versus natural diamonds are inaccurate.
SourcingMay 08, 2026
Ronnie VanderLinden Takes Over as WDC President The diamantaire and industry leader succeeds Feriel Zerouki and said he will focus on being a “champion” for natural diamonds.
TrendsMay 08, 2026
Rihanna Chooses ‘Desert Diamonds’ for 2026 Met GalaShe wore our Piece of the Week, Glenn Spiro’s “Old Moghul Golconda” earrings, featuring fancy brown-yellow diamonds totaling 51.90 carats.
Events & AwardsMay 08, 2026
JA Announces 2026 CASE Award WinnersTwo pieces were named “Best in Show,” one from the retail category and one from the supplier category.
FinancialsMay 07, 2026
Brilliant Earth Appeals to Higher-Income Shoppers in Q1The jewelry retailer noted resilience among its higher-end customers while demand softened for its lower-priced offerings.
AuctionsMay 07, 2026
‘Spectacular’ Kashmir Sapphire Headlines Heritage Spring Jewelry SaleLed by the 6.59-carat sapphire, the sale garnered $9.7 million, a record total for a Heritage jewelry auction.
MajorsMay 07, 2026
Gannon & Scott Names New Regional Account ExecutiveIn his new role, sales specialist Billy Welshoff will focus on the eastern United States.
WatchesMay 07, 2026
Chrono24 Names New CEOJosé Gaztelu has been promoted to the role, which has been vacant since last year.
Events & AwardsMay 07, 2026
JA Accepting Applications for 2026 Scholarship ProgramIt has also opened the application period for the Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship through June 30.
SourcingMay 06, 2026
Canada’s Oldest Diamond Mine Faces Uncertain FutureThe owner of the Ekati mine, which opened in 1998, has filed for insolvency protection amid the significant decline in diamond prices.
FinancialsMay 06, 2026
Pandora to Add Carbon Footprint Info to Lab-Grown DiamondsThe company announced the change alongside its Q1 results, which showed that the jewelry brand’s year is off to a shaky start.
MajorsMay 06, 2026
Saks Global Begins Layoffs, Reorganization Plans Closer to ApprovalThe retailer will cut 16 percent of its corporate workforce as part of its plan to exit bankruptcy.
AuctionsMay 06, 2026
Steve McQueen’s Heuer Monaco Watch Heads to Sotheby'sOf the many examples used in the filming of “Le Mans,” this one is believed to have spent the most time on Steve McQueen’s wrist.
