This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
You Can Almost Shop Directly from Instagram
Plus other updates from the social media channel.

San Francisco—Instagram is closer than ever to letting its users shop directly from the platform.
While consumers have been able to shop products featured on the social media channel since late 2016 through product tags that, upon clicking, lead to product information and a call-to-action “Shop Now” button that redirect to brands’ websites, Instagram has streamlined the process with its new checkout feature.
Checkout, which is currently in beta mode and only available in the United States, lets users buy directly without leaving Instagram. The feature launched in March with about 20 brands including Revolve, Nike, and Burberry.
With Checkout, clicking on a product tag brings up its usual product description and a “Checkout on Instagram” button that lets users input their address and payment information to complete the transaction. Those details are stored for future purchases, according to the company.
Notifications about shipment and delivery are also delivered through the platform.
The Checkout beta mode has been available continuously since March, unlike another shopping initiative Instagram announced—shopping directly from influencers, rather than having them tag the brands they’re wearing and provide details in captions. That feature was announced on April 30, but is no longer available, not even in past posts.
It’s likely the checkout feature will be more widely available soon, as Instagram has since launched its very own “Shop” account, highlighting various brands with an emphasis on small, independent businesses, including jewelry companies like Wwake (seen on the Shop channel below).
View this post on InstagramA post shared by @shop (@shop) on May 23, 2019 at 9:43am PDT
Clearly, Instagram’s current focus is on e-commerce and, specifically, allowing consumers to shop without leaving the platform.
Brands interested in utilizing the checkout feature as it becomes more widely available can indicate so here.
Another issue Instagram is concerning itself with is online bullying and the posting of negative or harmful content, a subject of debate that has grown even more contentious with the recent posting of images of a murdered teenager after her death, which drew criticism for Instagram’s slow response to remove them.
Instagram responded yesterday by outlining a stricter policy for disabling accounts. It said on its website: “In addition to removing accounts with a certain percentage of violating content, we will also remove accounts with a certain number of violations within a window of time.”
More innocuously, Instagram has been toying with the idea of removing likes, allowing for an individual user to see the likes their
The platform launched a test of its hidden like feature earlier this year in Canada, and this week rolled it out to Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand. It is not confirmed if the social media giant will go ahead with this approach or test it in the United States.
The Latest

As an homage to iconic crochet blankets, the necklace features the nostalgic motif through a kaleidoscope of cabochon-cut stones.

Discover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.

When investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.

The “Royal Ruby” Collection is a quintet of untreated rubies curated by collector Jack Abraham.


The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

Two existing executives have been given new roles.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Meredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.

It will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”

From design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.

The Jewelers’ Security Alliance offers advice for those attending the annual trade shows.

Her new role is director of strategic initiatives.

The designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.

On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.

The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.

The actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.

The company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."

The large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.

Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.

Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.

The diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.