“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.
In Louisiana, A Fund is Formed for Flood Victims
Jewelers of Louisiana created the fund for jewelers and their employees in the hard-hit state, and Stuller employees are in need of help too.

Baton Rouge, La.--Over the course of a few days, an unnamed storm dumped 31.39 inches of rain on Watson, La., 27.47 inches on Brownfields and 26.26 inches on Monticello, National Weather Service data shows.
A little perspective on just how much water that is: It’s more rain than some U.S. cities get in an entire year, and it’s triple the total amount of rainfall that poured down on south Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina.
The rains caused widespread flooding, claimed 13 lives, destroyed tens of thousands of businesses and left just as many with no place to go.
Now south Louisiana is in need of help, and the state’s jewelers association wants to make sure members of the industry aren’t left out, creating a fund through the Baton Rouge Area Foundation for donations.
Established in 1964, the foundation has come to the aid of Louisiana residents in the wake of other tragedies, including Katrina and the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Following the floods, a number of companies have started charitable funds through the foundation’s Employees 1st program. By donating through the program, companies don’t pay taxes on contributions and employees who receive the aid don’t pay income tax on it, said Louisiana Jewelers Association President Chad Berg, of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelers.
To donate money to those in the jewelry industry via the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, go to Employees1st.org/JewelersofLA.
Berg said at Lee Michaels, which has two stores in Baton Rouge plus stores in Shreveport, Lafayette and Metairie, they have 15 employees whose homes were flooded.
He said his brother, Scott Berg, who heads the Baton Rouge market for the family-owned chain and is president of the American Gem Society, found a friend who had a boat in order to rescue one Lee Michaels employee from her home.
His tale is just one of many emerging from this devastated region.
“Everybody,” Chad Berg noted, “has a story to tell.”

Eric Armentor, of Armentor Jewelers, is being forced to shut down his Abbeville store after it was flooded with more than three feet of water. “All of our showcases and displays were damaged beyond use,” he said. “We’re not going to rebuild this store and restock it.”
Armentor, whose father opened the first Armentor Jewelers store in 1939, said that prior to the storm, sales were a little soft at the Abbeville location, and they were considering closing it down to concentrate on the other two stores, in New Iberia and Lafayette.
Now, that is a foregone conclusion.
He said most of the inventory was saved, so they are going to run a short liquidation sale and just close up after that, dividing any inventory that doesn’t sell between their other two locations.
“To try to go forward here’s just not going to work,” Armentor said.
“It’s a little disheartening. We’ve been here 28 years.”
Then there’s Stuller.
The largest supplier to the U.S. jewelry industry, Stuller is headquartered in hard-hit Lafayette, where nearly 22 inches of rain fell, according to the National Weather Service, which records rainfall at the regional airport there.
While the company’s facilities were not damaged, it did elect to suspend operations for one day, Friday, Aug. 19, for the safety of its staff, shipping all orders the following Monday.
The manufacturer and supplier told National Jeweler that about 90 of its approximately 1,400 employees in Lafayette lost either a home or a car in the flooding. Stuller is now accepting Visa gift card donations in $50 increments, which employees can use for food, home improvements, rental cars or other needs.
The company also is accepting checks made out to cash, which it can use to purchase gift cards.
“This has been a trying time for many here at Stuller and in our community. We thank you for not only your contributions, but for supporting our Stuller family,” said the company’s vice president of human resources, Jennifer East.
The Latest

Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

Designer Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.

Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.

The company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.


Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Simon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

The company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.

The organization also announced its board of directors.

Charms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.

Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.

Paola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

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

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

The “Strong Like Mom” campaign features moms who work at Tiffany & Co. and their children.