The layoffs come amid the TV shopping channel’s efforts to restructure and focus on live shopping through social media.
Cathy Calhoun Takes Home the Shipley Award
The American Gem Society awarded its highest honor to the Pennsylvania jeweler at Conclave last Friday.

Los Angeles--At Conclave last Friday, when former Robert M. Shipley Award recipient Clayton Bromberg announced Cathy Calhoun as this year’s winner, he joked that “shy, timid, quiet, modest” were adjectives that “had never been used to describe the 2017 Shipley Award winner.”
Joking aside, Bromberg commended Calhoun, with whom he served on the board of the American Gem Society Laboratory Board of Managers, for being the first female to serve on that board.
“Cathy Calhoun has made a lasting impact upon the American Gem Society because of her outstanding commitment to professional excellence, education, innovating, and customer and community service,” said Bromberg.
Calhoun is the owner of Calhoun Jewelers, located in Royersford, Pennsylvania.
Her many industry accomplishments include serving as president of the AGS from 2010 to 2012 and winning the organization’s inaugural Sallie Morton Guild Award in 2014. In addition, she was named Pennsylvania Jeweler of the Year in 2009.
She currently serves on the boards of directors for Jewelers of America, Jewelers for Children, the Diamond Empowerment Fund and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company.
A teary-eyed Calhoun joked that she was “doing that ugly cry thing” as she accepted her award.
She mentioned her initial lack of career direction and humble beginnings, which included leaving home and living in a car at age 14. She explained how after entering the jewelry industry by chance, she soon became aware of the AGS and its reputation for excellence, which led her to become a gemologist.
Calhoun thanked several AGS members for their influence on her career, including last year’s Shipley award winner Ruth Batson. “She and I have a lifelong friendship,” Calhoun said.
She concluded, “When I come to Conclave, I feel like it’s my family.”
The Latest

The debut event will take place in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood this fall.

The roundtable will take place May 17 ahead of the trade show’s welcome dinner.

Bench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.

The “Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann” collection features the comic strip’s classic vocabulary across 10 bracelet designs.


Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.

Diamonds are not only one of the most prominent gemstones, but the birthstone for those born in April.

Natural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.

The Utah-based company known for making wedding bands has acquired Doubloon Golf.

The longtime luxury executive led one of LVMH’s watch brands, TAG Heuer, for 12 years before taking over Bulgari in 2013.

Authorities said the robbers fled with jewelry and 70 Rolex watches, later taking pictures of themselves posing with big stacks of cash.

Lotus Gemology founder Richard W. Hughes has translated Heinrich Fischer’s 1880 book “Nephrit und Jadeit” from its original German.

The ring's design features contrasting lines influenced by work from architecture-inspired photographer Nikola Olic.

The Conference Board’s index fell as consumers continued to worry about the impact of tariffs, the labor market, and the price of eggs.

However, two medieval jewels surpassed estimates at Noonans Mayfair’s recent jewelry auction in London.

The Oscar-nominated actor debuted in the campaign for the new “Top Time B31” collection, which introduced Breitling’s Caliber B31.

The Congress is scheduled to take place May 19-22 in Brasilia, Brazil.

The “150 Art Deco” collection features a Miss America timepiece and a pocket watch from the brand’s Archive Series.

Alex Wellen, formerly CEO and president of MotorTrend Group, has taken on the role.

The Impact Initiative is part of the nonprofit association’s new three-year strategic plan.

The ruby and the sapphire, which Christie’s calls a “once-in-a-generation masterpiece,” are part of the upcoming Hong Kong jewelry auction.

The two pairs of earrings, snatched from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, are valued at a combined $769,500.

The time to start experimenting with video content is now, writes columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

From striking high jewelry to miniature fine jewelry, the new chapter continues to highlight gemstones featuring its signature 57-facet cut.

The jewelry giant is reducing its senior leadership by 30 percent as part of its new turnaround strategy.

The auction house's partnership with online watch servicing platform WatchCheck makes repairs convenient and accessible, it said.

The company also noted record sales in the United States and a strong performance in its jewelry category.