The Biggest Stories of the Year So Far

bowl to “receive a message from the universe.” A bit hokey? Yes. But also on point with the brand and something that made being inside that store a little bit more fun.

Does writing this mean I don’t understand the difference between what Alex + Ani sells and what’s in the showcase at a fine jewelry store? No. But it does mean that I understand the importance today of communicating what you’re all about to consumers.

Sad to say, the rest of the jewelry stores we visited didn’t really look that much different from the jewelry stores I remember seeing in the (decidedly-less-upscale) Beaver Valley Mall when I was a teenager. And that was 20-plus years ago now, which is also sad to say.

Nordstrom Flash-Sale Site Sued Over Vintage Rolex Sales
Signet Refutes Allegations of Systematic Diamond Swapping
It has not been a great year for shoring up consumer confidence in jewelers.

Among our most popular articles were a story on Nordstrom-owned flash-sale site HauteLook, which is being sued over the quality of the “authentic” vintage Rolex watches it sells, and Signet Jewelers’ reaction to the wide-spread allegations of systematic diamond swapping at its stores.

There also have been multiple stories on jewelers in New York’s Diamond District allegedly selling diamonds with undisclosed treatments and rubies with fake grading reports, and the case of the Ventura, Calif. jeweler who apparently had been switching customers’ diamonds with moissanite for years, sending a flood of confused and upset consumers into other local jewelry stores to get their stones checked. The jeweler accused of doing the swapping was arrested and charged with grand theft but, sadly, took his own life a short time later.

It’s completely understandable that thousands of National Jeweler readers clicked on both the Nordstrom and Signet stories. These are the types of stories that shake consumer confidence in jewelers and the products they sell, and it’s imperative to know when and if there’s a negative vein of public discourse.

They also serve as an important reminder: Know your suppliers. Be sure of what you are selling. Hire employees you can trust.

Also: Know what’s happening around you. If a jeweler in your area ends up as the lead story on the 5 o’clock news because of similar allegations, don’t be afraid to reach out to local consumers. Let them know you are an experienced jeweler who can be trusted, and that you are here and willing to help them.

They’ll be looking for some place to go for assurance. It might as well be your store.

Rio Tinto Unveils Impossibly Rare Violet Diamond
The Real Reason People Buy Jewelry
I thought it would be nice to end this blog on an upbeat note, with two of the more positive stories that landed in the top 20 for the first half of 2016.

The purple diamond Rio Tinto has as part its Argyle tender is an amazing stone, and I love that people get as excited as we do about truly exceptional gemstones. (The violet diamond is a huge fan favorite here at the National Jeweler offices.) They really are miracles of nature.

And, finally, there was the post on this very blog about the death of my 98-year-old grandmother, Helen, back in May.

It serves as a reminder of why so many people love jewelry--not because it’s a certain brand or comes with a grading report designating it a D-IF, but because it’s beautiful, it’s fun to wear and it can be passed down through generations.

I was happy to see that people enjoyed reading that blog post as much as I enjoyed writing it.