The 24 Karat Club Southeastern U.S. is now accepting applications for the multiple scholarships it is offering. 

Michelle Graff

With the recent data breaches impacting major retailers and web security issues stemming from Heartbleed, National Jeweler takes a look at what jewelers can do to protect their customers. 

Brecken Branstrator

U.S. consumers are expected to spend slightly less on mom this Mother’s Day and they will keep practicality in mind when shopping.

Michelle Graff

Schiffman’s Jewelers has been named the 2014 North Carolina Family Business of the Year in the century category by the Wake Forest University Family Business Center and Business North Carolina. 

Michelle Graff

Based in London, designer Jacqueline Cullen incorporates a unique and interesting material into her designs: Whitby jet, 182 million-year-old fossilized wood found only in Whitby, England.

Woolly mammoths and walruses and dinosaurs, oh my! Jewelry designer Monique Pean has carved out an interesting niche, literally --  she digs in the dirt for unique fossils -- in the accessories market. Marissa Collections sat down with the seasoned globetrotter about her passion for prehistoric treasures and philanthropy. A retailer of fine jewelry and high fashion in Naples, Fla., Marissa Collections has begun conducting Q&As with new designers as the store adds them, and shares these with National Jeweler exclusively before posting the interviews on its jewelry blog at MarissaCollections.com. Marissa Collections: Describe your transition from finance to jewelry design. Monique Pean: While working in finance, my younger sister Vanessa passed away in a car accident at the age of 16. At that moment, I realized it was necessary to reevaluate what I wanted to do with my life. I decided to pursue a career that allowed me to combine my passions for design, art, travel and philanthropy. MC: Did any of your former skills apply to the next phase? MP: Very much so. I was able to use my financial skills to pursue an entrepreneurial path and properly establish and grow my brand. MC: What’s a typical day like? MP: Between designing, traveling for personal appearances and all of the other aspects that go into running a business, I find that each day is completely different. I love that I get to meet people with different backgrounds and experience so many new places. MC: Which came first, your love of travel or jewelry design? MP: I’ve loved both from a young age. My grandmother has an incredible Art Deco jewelry collection, and she always encouraged me to explore her jewelry box as a child and experiment with wearing multiple rings and bracelets at once. My father worked in economic development, so I was lucky enough to accompany him to over 40 countries, which got me hooked on travel. MC: Since travel is such a major component of your work, how does it affect your design process? MP: Each year I take a trip to a new destination to find sustainable materials and partner with local artisans to develop new collections. The geography and indigenous art of these areas are my core inspirations along with modern artistic movements and architecture. I’m working with artisans in the Arctic Circle, French Polynesia, Peru, Guatemala, Colombia and the Philippines. MC: What are some of your favorite destinations? MP: I keep returning to Japan, where I’ve collected many comfortable, sculptural pieces over the years. Others are Brazil, Egypt, Antarctica, Guatemala and South Africa. Pean's 18-karat recycled yellow gold fossilized walrus ivory Norske oval ring ($10,530)

The United Nations Security Council has voted to lift the nearly decade-long ban on diamond exports from the Ivory Coast, freeing the country, which already has been cleared by the Kimberley Process, to re-enter the diamond trade. 

Michelle Graff

In the wake of its massive data breach, Target Corp. announced Tuesday the hiring of a new chief information officer, Bob DeRodes, who has served as an advisor to both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department. 

Michelle Graff

This holiday season, Macy’s will begin selling both bridal and fashion Marchesa jewelry with the majority of pieces to be priced between $5,000 and $10,000. 

Michelle Graff

Diamond manufacturer Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. (SRK) recently marked its 50th anniversary by “Celebrating the Legend,” its founder and chairman, Govind Dholakia. 

Michelle Graff

Anglo American plc reported that De Beers produced 7.5 million carats of rough diamonds in the first quarter ended March 31, up from 6.4 million carats in the prior-year period. 

Michelle Graff

Woolly mammoths and walruses and dinosaurs, oh my! Jewelry designer Monique Pean has carved out an interesting niche, literally -- she digs in the dirt for unique fossils--in the accessories market.

Michelle Graff

Sigmaq Group has acquired Chippenhook Corp., a U.S.-based designer of visual merchandising, packaging and fixture products. 

Michelle Graff

Matt Crimmin has been appointed vice president of laboratory operations at the Gemological Institute of America, where he will oversee regional lab operations with a focus on Africa and the Middle East. 

Michelle Graff

The American Gem Society named industry veteran Doug Parker as the 2014 Robert M. Shipley award winner on Friday during Conclave.

Brecken Branstrator

Quarterly sales continue to climb for Amazon.com Inc. though a new study shows the online retailer is losing sales--particularly of larger-ticket items--in states where it collects sales tax. 

Michelle Graff

During her presentation at Conclave on Friday, Denise Chislett of Underwood Jewelers addressed how social media and a mobile website can increase engagement with customers and drive sales when done right.

Brecken Branstrator

I am writing this blog post from the sunny lanai (fancy Florida word for what we just called a porch when I lived in Pittsburgh) of my parents’ house in Florida.

Michelle Graff

A group of thieves targeting Metro Detroit jewelry stores that sell Rolex watches has struck twice in the same day, and area jewelers should review their surveillance footage to look for suspicious behavior around their stores. 

This past winter, one of my esteemed industry colleagues included a saying in one of his blogs that I had never heard before: If you really want to be wary of the mass media, read an article on a topic about which you are particularly well informed.

Michelle Graff

Jewelers tend to stick with the basics when it comes to their showcases and lose sales because of it, says consultant Larry Johnson. In a seminar held Wednesday at Conclave, he addressed the top 10 display mistakes and how retailers can avoid them. 

Brecken Branstrator

In his presentation at AGS Conclave Wednesday, Shane Decker armed the crowd with knowledge about the different types of salespeople and closes, and how to handle customers’ objections when trying to close a sale. 

Brecken Branstrator

The history, science and artistry of fine jewelry will be explored at the Northwest Jewelry Conference in August, with jewelry historians and industry professionals holding presentations and seminars. 

Michelle Graff

United Nations experts report that a senior Ivory Coast army officer might be using profits from diamond sales to buy arms, violating the country’s longstanding embargo just as it was getting close to returning to the diamond trade. 

Michelle Graff

The Prime Jewelry Group will host an invitation-only buying event in Miami this summer, bringing together high-end independent retailers with manufacturers. 

Michelle Graff