The similarities between a Swiss-made timepiece and a Wimbledon champion or PGA Tour winner is excellence in performance, a concept that can be easily conveyed in an ad campaign. So why are watchmakers, who typically pursue endorsement deals with star...

The list of designer exclusives commissioned to mark Neiman Marcus' 100-year anniversary include quite a few irresistible pieces. The Monroe Ring from Lana Jewelry's "Iconic" collection (shown here) is among those that recently caught my eye. Designer Lana Fertelmeister's favorite...

Victims of credit-card fraud stemming from a security breach at TJX should feel a sense of vindication now that a ring leader associated with the crime has been ordered to serve a five-year sentence and cough up $60,000 for damages....

I’m not sure what the traditional gift is for a 100-year anniversary, but John Hardy and designers around the world have gone a step beyond, creating wares exclusively for Neiman Marcus’ hallmark occasion. One example: the “Sunset Colorway” white sapphire...

Jeweler Boucheron is joining the small ranks of luxury brands that have begun using their Web sites for purposes other than enhancing brand awareness. The jeweler has loosened the reigns on its desire to control distribution and begins selling pieces...

The e-mail campaign for the new Saks.com boasts that the Web site is not "just pretty on the outside." The savvy cross- and pull-marketing tactics the retailer uses to boost online sales clearly demonstrate that it has earned bragging rights....

Allowing Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week—a private, invitation-only event—to occupy more than a block of public space is not sitting well with some New Yorkers, reports Ron Knoth, a guest blogger on Retaildesigndiva.com. And rumors of a change in venue continue to...

A recent article on CNNMoney.com warned consumers not to expect big bargains from retailers this holiday season. Despite sagging July sales and shaky housing and credit market conditions, retailers are raising their profit forecasts for the year, which Wachovia Capital...

Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Serena Williams and Martina Hingis lit up the USTA National Tennis Center at the U.S. Open this week. I'm referring to the jewelry they wore in addition to the fact that each of the seeded players...

After yet another week of watching and reading about celebrity mishaps, I was inspired to create a concept for a new jewelry line dedicated to the desperate cries of young starlets gone wild. A mini restraint piece resembling Jewelry.com's diamond...

As I mentioned in my 10X blog entry "Off the cuff," I'm less than ecstatic about the Fall 2007 return of fashion circa 1980. Throughout the years, as I watched styles from the '60s and '70s recycle, I lived in...

Instead of judging a man by the shoes he wears, set your eyes further north and check out his wristwatch. Men's timepieces make definitive style and status statements similar to the way a pair of lace-up black Kenneth Cole oxfords...

Like Etta James' classic "At Last," I was the most requested at weddings in the '90s, walking down the aisle a total of five times. I had become the poster child for the saying "always a bridesmaid, never a bride."...

An above-average price tag is the only thing Tourneau watches and Honora pearl jewelry seem to have in common with Fage Total yogurt. But that was enough for Fage's advertising agency, Ogilvy New York, to approach the brands with a...

This summer has been all about bracelets, and although the season is almost over, the trend isn't. After attending the recent "Accessories The Show" in New York City, Women's Wear Daily reporters gave us a glimpse of what to expect...

The trend of adding precious metals and gemstones to home design is rapidly growing to the next level. An exclusive pot from premium cookware company Fissler features solid gold handles and 200 diamonds intended to complement only the finest kitchen...

An Entrepreneur Magazine article details the evolution of a line of fashionable medical ID tags. It explains how a search to find a jeweler for a friend with an epileptic daughter who refused to wear a medical ID bracelet led...

Since 1990, August has been named the month with the highest number of births more times than any other in the calendar year. So while you're sprinting out of the office on Summer Fridays, remember storks across America are working...

I first read about Paris Hilton becoming the new face of Italian jeweler Damiani on one of the heiress' fan sites. (Disclaimer: The URL is not on my list of bookmarks; I was led there by a news feed.) Considering...

From suit-wearing, Bentley-wielding armed robbers to various smash-and-grabbers caught on surveillance tape and featured on YouTube, it's no surprise this retailer employed a security team capable of stopping a thief in his tracks. For a little while, at least. According...

With income totaling $33 million in 2006, Gisele Bündchen was the top-earning supermodel last year, according to Wednesday's article on Thestreet.com. The Brazilian beauty is the campaign face for several publicly traded companies, including LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Other...

The “ice” that Queen Elizabeth II lent Prince Charles’ wife Camilla this past Saturday wasn’t chipped off the cold shoulder she has reportedly given her daughter-in-law in the past. According to the Daily Mail, the Queen lent the Duchess of...

Hearts and teddy bears might have a girlie connotation, but these designers definitely put a grown-up spin on them. Exhibitionist Earrings in 18-karat gold with pink tourmaline. I love these earrings because the pink hearts make them sweet while the...

Michelle Graff

A 10X blog entry from Editor Beth Braverman, "Grills bill to hit state senate," told us about a proposed bill that would take grill-making out of the hands of jewelers and place it in the care of dentists. While I...

Chopard "Copacabana" earrings in 18-karat white gold with sapphire and diamond posts, multicolored, pastel sapphire briolettes and tear-shaped opals. Almost as beautiful as the Brazilian beaches from which they get their name, these earrings combine flirty movement and subtle color...

Michelle Graff