WatchesOct 06, 2025
This Fall, Citizen’s Forecast Calls for RainCitizen’s new “Rainell” women’s watch has a raindrop-shaped case and is available with a silver-, gold-, purple-, or green-colored dial.
EditorsDec 18, 2015
Blue Nile’s ‘Scary’ Ad
Blue Nile took a swipe a brick-and-mortar retailers with one of the advertisements it’s circulating online this fall. But Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff doesn’t think they should be offended.
Last week, a jewelry industry colleague sent me a link to a 15-second Blue Nile ad called “Engagement Ring Shopping Shouldn’t Be Scary,” which most definitely takes a swipe at the e-tailer’s brick-and-mortar competitors.
A soon-to-be-betrothed young man who is millennial aged, or perhaps a bit older, is walking down Main Street U.S.A. on a nice, sunny day. A bird with an ominous cry circles overhead as he stops to peer into the window of “Bosworth Jewelers” (est. 1974), only to be startled when a creepy-looking salesman with a bird-like nose and too many teeth pops into the frame.
“Looking for an engagement ring?” he drawls.
Scared off by this specter, the young man walks away and, presumably, buys his engagement ring elsewhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZoQy9JhsSg
My colleague said she found the ad to be ugly, and disparaging to the industry’s mom-and-pop operations. “When the biggest kid on the block needs to effectively bully smaller shops via marketing, it’s a sad thing indeed,” she wrote to me.
JCK News Director Rob Bates didn’t care much for it either. In his annual roundup of the highs and lows of the holiday season’s jewelry ads (which is something I enjoy reading every year), Mr. Bates called it a “little mean-spirited and even obnoxious.”
My take on the ad (which, by the way, runs online only, in case you were wondering if you’d see it on TV) is a bit different.
When I saw it, I found it to be a bit silly overall. I also thought that brick-and-mortar retailers could actually take its creation as a bit of a compliment. Blue Nile, the afore-described “biggest kid on the block,” finds them threatening enough to spend the money to create an advertisement targeting them directly.
Why? Because brick-and-mortar jewelers have something Blue Nile desperately wants—face-to-face, personal interaction with people.
The Internet has changed retailing forever, yes, and not all for the better. But people still are going to go out and shop. We are social creatures by nature; we, for the most part, like to be out and about among other people and that’s never going to change. The Internet will never be a full substitute for human interaction.
And Blue Nile knows it. That’s why they are spending money to open as many as four new “webrooms” next year. It’s also why other online-only retailers, including Amazon, Gemvara and BaubleBar, have
been or are experimenting with physical locations or distribution.
Blue Nile doesn’t worry about competition from other online retailers; they are by far the biggest online seller of jewelry.
They worry about the retailers that have what they don’t—a store, a place where people can come in, pick up the jewelry, see it, touch it, feel it, and talk to somebody about it.
Blue Nile doesn’t worry about competition from other online retailers; they are by far the biggest online seller of jewelry.
They worry about the retailers that have what they don’t—a store, a place where people can come in, pick up the jewelry, see it, touch it, feel it, and talk to somebody about it.
More on Editors
The Latest
AuctionsOct 06, 2025
The ‘Rolex That Made Rolex’ Heads to Auction at Sotheby’s The “Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster,” named for the British endurance swimmer who made it famous, will go up for sale next month.
GradingOct 06, 2025
GIA India Names Former De Beers Exec as New Managing DirectorAmit Pratihari was previously the managing director of De Beers India and Forevermark India.
Brought to you by
JA New York Fall Is Right Around the CornerThe upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.
SourcingOct 06, 2025
SoCal 24 Karat Club Integrates Into Diamond Club West CoastMembers of the Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California will gain access to expanded services, resources, and connections, DCWC said.
Weekly QuizOct 02, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
TrendsOct 03, 2025
Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco Tie the Knot Wearing Diamonds, White MetalsGomez’s jewelry included Tiffany & Co. drop-style earrings while Blanco stacked diamonds from Jacob & Co. on his wrist.
GradingOct 03, 2025
Grading Lab HRD Antwerp Names New CEODiamond industry banking veteran Paul De Wachter will take on the role in January 2026.
TrendsOct 03, 2025
Piece of the Week: Kallati’s Pink Sapphire RingTaylor Swift flaunts an Elizabeth Taylor-esque gemstone in promo for her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
CollectionsOct 02, 2025
Boucheron Debuts Cuffs Crafted With 3D-Printed SandIts “Quantre Sand” capsule was made using a 3D sand printing technique borrowed from the automotive and aeronautics industries.
CrimeOct 02, 2025
$1M in Jewelry Stolen in Northern California Smash and Grab Four individuals have been charged in the “takeover-style” robbery of Heller Jewelers last month, and additional charges are expected.
MajorsOct 02, 2025
Neil Lane Jewelry Exhibition Coming to Toledo Museum of Art“Radiance and Reverie” will showcase more than 150 jewels from Lane’s personal collection by Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and more.
TrendsOct 02, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: October’s Colorful ShowThe month’s birthstones, tourmaline and opal, complement the palette of autumn.
ColumnistsOct 01, 2025
Peter Smith: Why Vendor Success Starts With Self-ReflectionSmith shares the importance of looking at your company with openness and honesty to identify opportunities you may be missing.
SurveysOct 01, 2025
Consumer Confidence Hits 5-Month Low in September Respondents were concerned about job availability and rising prices.
SourcingOct 01, 2025
Gemfields’ H1 Revenue Falls 47%Its latest interim financials revealed a challenging first half due in part to production troubles at its mines.
MajorsSep 30, 2025
Pandora CEO to Retire in 2026, Hand Reins to CMO Alexander Lacik has led Pandora since 2019. Berta de Pablos-Barbier will succeed him, the first woman to head the company.
CrimeSep 30, 2025
2 Suspects Charged in $300K Sleight-of-Hand Jewelry Store ScamTwo men allegedly used counterfeit bills to purchase luxury watches and jewelry from a North Carolina jeweler.
CollectionsSep 30, 2025
Billie Eilish, Finneas Partner with John HardyThe “Lovestruck” collection, designed with the Academy and Grammy award-winning siblings, is the brand’s first lab-grown diamond offering.
IndependentsSep 30, 2025
Spinelli Kilcollin Announces Residency in DallasThe brand, celebrating its 15th anniversary, has popped up at Market, a luxury fashion destination in Highland Park Village.
IndependentsSep 29, 2025
Nina Pugliese, Longtime Henne Jewelers Employee, Dies at 65She was remembered as a creative and generous woman of faith, who also had a sweet tooth.
TrendsSep 29, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Ear FocusMove over neck mess, the ear story is the way to make a layering statement today.
IndependentsSep 29, 2025
Mark Henry Jewelry to Debut in CanadaThe New York-based brand is set to launch a limited-time offering for the holiday season at Holt Renfrew in Toronto.
MajorsSep 29, 2025
Overnight Releases New Bridal CatalogThe “Volume 7” bridal catalog features best-selling engagement rings, trending styles, and a new section highlighting anniversary bands.
SurveysSep 26, 2025
Online Shopping, Influencers to Drive Holiday Spending, Mastercard SaysHoliday sales growth is expected to slow as consumers grapple with inflation and tariff-related uncertainty.
Events & AwardsSep 26, 2025
Winners of Austin Jewelry Design Contest Announced Jamie Turner Designs is among the winners of the local “Austin Shines” contest, hosted by Eliza Page, a jewelry store in Austin, Texas.
TrendsSep 26, 2025
Piece of the Week: Kwit Jewelry’s Square Signet Pinky RingThe red and azure colorway is one of many fun enamel pairings offered, bringing whimsy to the classic style of a monogramed signet ring.
