The highlight of a single-owner jewelry and watch collection, it’s estimated to fetch up to $7 million at auction this December.
Online Sales Tax Bills Reintroduced in House, Senate
A senator from Wyoming and a representative from South Dakota have resurrected past pieces of legislation in their respective houses of Congress.
Washington, D.C.--The issue of “sales tax fairness” is back on the table, again, in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
On Thursday, Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyoming) resurrected the “Marketplace Fairness Act,” the legislation first introduced in 2013.
The act passed the Senate that year but never got to the floor of the House for a vote. A nearly identical version of the bill was reintroduced in March 2015 but did not even pass the Senate.
Joining Enzi as co-sponsors on the bill were Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota).
In the House, Rep. Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) reintroduced the “Remote Transactions Parity Act” along with Reps. Steve Womack (R-Arkansas), Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Lou Barletta (R-Pennsylvania), John Conyers (D-Michigan), Jackie Speier (D-California), Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Suzan DelBene (D-Washington) and David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island).
The Remote Transactions Parity Act was introduced in June 2015, originally by Chaffetz, but did not pass the House during the 114th Congress.
While the Senate and House bills are not identical, both would allow states to require out-of-state sellers to collect sales tax, regardless of whether or not they have a physical location in the state.
The issue of sales tax collection by online-only retailers has been introduced in Congress in the form of various bills for more than a decade, but none have made it through.
In that time, a number of states have passed or considered legislation that would require online sellers to collect sales tax, and the largest e-tailer in the country announced that it would start collecting sales tax in all states where it’s required.
On April 1, Amazon, which ranks No. 9 on National Jeweler’s latest $100 Million Supersellers list, started collecting sales tax in 45 states (there is no state sales tax in Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Delaware and New Hampshire.)
But other online sellers, including Blue Nile, do not collect sales tax in all states. Brick-and-mortar retailers--particularly those who sell high-dollar items online, like independent jewelers--have long complained puts them at a disadvantage.
As Gene Poole, owner of Hudson-Poole Jewelers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, put it in a recent interview with National Jeweler: “My real agitation with the internet is sales tax. I can compete with diamond prices and I can compete with mounting prices, but I can’t compete with sales tax ... At some point, we have to level the playing
The Latest

CEO Efraim Grinberg noted a resurgence in the fashion watch market.

The “Bullseye” necklace, with vintage bakelite and peridot, August’s birthstone, is the perfect transitional piece as summer turns to fall.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

Sponsored by Clientbook


It will classify lab-grown stones into one of two categories, “premium” or “standard,” in lieu of giving specific color and clarity grades.

President Duma Boko addressed the country’s medical supply chain crisis in a recent televised address.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Former Free People buyer Afton Robertson-Kanne recently joined the retailer.

The jeweler teamed up with two local organizations for its inaugural “Back to School and Bling” event.

The singer’s new bling, reportedly a natural old mine-cut diamond, is no paper ring.

Dubbed the “Imboo,” or “buffalo,” emerald, the rough gemstone is part of Gemfields’ latest emerald auction, which is taking place now.

Plans for dining out, booking vacations, and buying big-ticket items were down.

The “Play” collection centers on nostalgic toys that have kinetic elements to carry playfulness and wonder into adulthood.

Designer Christina Puchi, the creative force behind CCWW Designs, has created charms and pendants based on iconic candies and crackers.

The Jonas Brothers star showed off new timepieces against the backdrop of his favorite spots in his home state of New Jersey.

The family-owned jeweler in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is in the hands of the second generation.

In his latest column, Emmanuel Raheb shares tips for encouraging customers to treat themselves to new jewelry.

The new stand-alone Rolex boutique is housed in the former Odd Fellows Hall, a landmark built in 1897.

The Brilliant Earth ambassador co-designed a diamond medallion featuring meaningful symbols.

Wrap jewelry is more than just a trend; it’s the perfect motif for the coming season of layering, scarves, and pumpkin spice.

The three-day watch collector show, coming this October, will feature 44 exhibiting brands, as well as a new dinner experience.

Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.

The one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.

Three C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”

The retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.

Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.