The Western star’s 14-karat gold signet ring sold for six times its low estimate following a bidding war at U.K. auction house Elmwood’s.
LVMH Watch, Jewelry Revenue Up 8% in First-Half 2018
An “excellent” six-month period for Bulgari and strong watch sales propelled the division.

Paris—A strong performance from Bulgari helped boost revenues in the half-year period for the Watches & Jewelry division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
LVMH said in its six-month results released Wednesday that the division’s revenue grew 8 percent on a reported basis to €1.98 billion ($2.31 billion). Profit from recurring operations was up 46 percent.
The company attributed much of the growth to Bulgari. LVMH said the watch and jewelry brand had an “excellent” first half, particularly in the American and Chinese markets, and continued to gain market share.
The brand’s Serpenti, B-Zero 1, Diva and Octo lines all reportedly made strong progress, while Chaumet unveiled its new high-end jewelry collection.
LVMH also noted a “good” performance from its watch brands in the half-year period.
TAG Heuer added new models its flagship Carrera, Aquaracer and Formula 1 collections and launched a smaller version of its smartwatch.
Hublot saw strong growth, benefiting from the brand’s enhanced visibility as the official timekeeper of the FIFA World Cup, LVMH said.
Overall, LVMH recorded group revenue of €21.75 billion ($25.41 billion) in the first half of 2018, which is an increase of 10 percent (on a reported basis) over the prior-year period. Organic revenue growth was 12 percent compared with the same period in 2017.
Fashion & Leather Goods saw the greatest revenue growth for the company at 25 percent on a reported basis. Perfumes & Cosmetics tied with the Watches & Jewelry division at 8 percent growth.
Selective Retailing saw only a 1 percent revenue increase, helped along by a strong performance from Sephora.
Wines & Spirits was the only LVMH division to record a decline, reporting a 1 percent decrease in reported revenue in the first half of the year.
The Latest

The discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.

The jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

A matching pair of 18.38-carat, D-color diamonds from Botswana’s Jwaneng mine sold for $3.3 million, the top lot of the jewelry auction.


Sponsored by A Diamond Is Forever

The next generation of lapidarists are entrepreneurial, engaged online, and see the craft as a means for artistic expression.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

It was the second auction appearance for the fancy vivid blue-green diamond, which sold for $7.8 million at Christie’s Geneva 12 years ago.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force took a 22-year-old man into custody. He was charged with tampering with evidence.

While the overall number of crimes was down, there were more incidences in which robbers pulled out guns, mace, or rammed cars into stores.

Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry is closing its store inside the downtown shopping center after 40 years in business.

Reena Ahluwalia’s painting of the rare red diamond is the first contemporary painting to join the National Gem Collection.

The price of gold has risen, affecting the number of pieces designers make, the materials they use, and how they position themselves.

Peter Smith gives tips on leading meetings, developing marketing, and making trade show appointments in the age of short attention spans.

The 11-piece “Medallions” capsule collection features five motifs: a crying eye, a heart on fire, a spiral, a flower, and a swallow.

From Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.

The partners have announced the second cycle of the program, which has expanded to include a $25,000 student scholarship.

The owners of Staats Jewelers are heading into retirement.

Jeffrey Gennette, who retired in 2024 after 41 years with Macy’s, is the newest member of the jewelry retailer’s board of directors.

May babies are lucky to have emeralds, a gemstone admired for centuries, as their birthstone, writes Amanda Gizzi.

The new module allows retailers to plan, promote, and measure the success of events from a single dashboard.

NDC said in an open letter that Pandora’s statements about the carbon footprint of lab grown versus natural diamonds are inaccurate.

The diamantaire and industry leader succeeds Feriel Zerouki and said he will focus on being a “champion” for natural diamonds.

She wore our Piece of the Week, Glenn Spiro’s “Old Moghul Golconda” earrings, featuring fancy brown-yellow diamonds totaling 51.90 carats.

Two pieces were named “Best in Show,” one from the retail category and one from the supplier category.

Led by the 6.59-carat sapphire, the sale garnered $9.7 million, a record total for a Heritage jewelry auction.
























