After spending a great portion of Thursday afternoon reading Partnership Africa Canada's (PAC) report entitled "Diamonds and Human Security Annual Review 2008," I have a new perspective on the perceived "problems" that exist in my life. Generally, when I get...
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Anyone who has been running a jewelry company for more than five years has ridden the financial roller coaster—up and down, good times and bad. Many years ago, when I owned a large jewelry manufacturer, we faced hard times too,...
Rings have always been a sort of friendship symbol for me, and they've also always been among the most demure jewelry pieces I've possessed. For years, the only ring I sported was a tiny diamond eternity band that matched one...
My son just graduated from business school with a degree in marketing and consumer behavior and, since he comes from a jewelry family, I kinda coaxed him to continue the family tradition. He has been going through the "required" job...
With most—if not all—jewelry raw materials (gold, silver, gemstones, diamonds, etc.) coming from overseas, it is refreshing indeed to see a U.S. company develop a jewelry brand (platanium) that could, to some degree, take the place of foreign gold and/or...
In covering fashion for National Jeweler, my e-mail inbox tends to be a revolving door of product images. Going through them, the real treat lies in coming across a product that I can't get my mind off of, something that...
On display last night at the MTV Video Music Awards: a lucid Britney Spears, svelte Christina Aguilera and lots and lots of diamonds. Despite bling on all ends of the stage, my eyes were on host Russell Brand, the British...
I just got back from my business school class reunion. (My wife says she has no idea how I got through such a good school. Humph!) From time to time, my university publishes studies on the career paths of its...
Lots of jewelers attended the National Jeweler Network Online Retailing Forum at the JA New York Show a couple of weeks ago, including me. Although I was asked to make a few remarks on one of the panels, I learned...
If you want to learn a thing or two about how Lucite bangles are made, check out The Cut. A throwback to the 1940s, Lucite started making its way back on the accessories scene in 2007. If shelves of stripper-esque,...
A simple turn of the knob on Steve Fossett's Breitling Emergency wristwatch might have saved his life. So why would the experienced 63-year-old adventurer, the first man to complete a non-stop flight around the world in a hot air balloon,...
With a pearl jewelry story coming up in October, I've got pearls on the brain, and I've seen some really fabulous ones at the JA New York Summer Show so far. Among my favorite new pieces is this strand from...
Please submit my name to the television show Intervention if my addiction to jewelry becomes so severe that I can't resist the urge to dangle gems from my eyeball via contact lenses—which I already wear and find absolutely unbearable at...
It's that time of the year again. Yesterday, I hit the JA New York Summer Show, heading to the New York City's West Side for the first of a few days at the Javits. Convention centers aren't the most fun...
It seems like just yesterday that the economic resilience of membership clubs such as Costco and BJ' s made business news headlines. But now, as the fourth quarter draws to a close, Costco has sent up a flare to warn...
Lightening bolt sales of the July issue of Italian Vogue, which was dedicated to black models, proved that women of color can sell fashion magazines. However, page after page of ads featuring white models confirms advertisers' lack of confidence in...
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, 19 re-creations of Dorothy's ruby slippers will be unveiled in the windows and designer shoe salon of Sak's Fifth Avenue's New York City location during a gala on Sept. 4....
Why would jeweler Harry Winston hold a California art dealer's sapphire hostage? Money could be a motive. After all, one of the sapphire's owners, Jack Armstrong, says the Black Star Sapphire of Queensland is the most valuable sapphire in the...
I recently stumbled across For the Love of God: The Making of a Diamond Skull by artist Damien Hirst at my favorite book haunt, a slightly dusty place called Strand Book Store in Manhattan. In the book written by the...
Sarah Jessica Parker fashioned a silk tie into a bow and wore it to a party for Christian Lacroix. Gwyneth Paltrow walked the red carpet at Cannes a few weeks ago in a Chanel dress covered in bows. In tandem...
De Beers' Chief Executive Gareth Penny talked to The Wall Street Journal about the South African-based company's efforts to polish its tarnished image and expand its retail business. By helping to introduce the Kimberley Process to governments around the world,...
Two Cape Cod teens have taken the creepy, crawly jewelry trend of the season to an even scarier level. TheBostonGlobe.com reported that Katheryn Maloney and Brady Cullinan paid neighbors five cents for each dead cicada they captured. Then, the two...
Was MySpace's global deal with luxury jeweler Cartier the final blow in its war with Facebook? Some say there is no competition; many users have pages on both social networking sites, and it's been noted that the alleged war is...
Angelina Jolie's two-baby bump was only partially responsible for the actress' radiant glow at the Cannes premiere of Kung Fu Panda this past May. The yellow gold and diamond ring, earrings and bracelets from Bulgari definitely contributed to the luminous...
Model and actress Elizabeth Hurley was the epitome of glitz and glam at Elton John's Chopard-sponsored Tenth Annual White Tie and Tiara Ball last Thursday. InStyle.com reported that Hurley's diamond-studded tiara held more than 190 carats. I'm sure the diamond...