Anyone else out there still struggling to recover from Las Vegas market week? I must admit that despite the long hours and brutal heat, I find the Las Vegas shows among my favorites of the year. Of course I work...

Michelle Graff

According to a recent federal court filing mentioned on NWAnews.com, former Wal-Mart executive Julie Roehm testified that Wal-Mart Chief Executive H. Lee Scott purchased a large pink diamond at preferential pricing. Since Wal-Mart's ethics rules prohibit employees from receiving free...

Vacheron Constantin All the bells and whistles of modern watches are great, but sometimes you just want a nice, crisp classic watch. It doesn't get much more classic than Vacheron Constantin's "Patrimony" watch with a solid platinum dial and case,...

Michelle Graff

The 60th edition of the Cannes Film Festival reportedly had more glitz and glam than ever before. Jewelry from Chopard (which hosted the event for the 10th year), Mont Blanc and de Grisogono lit up the red carpet, making it...

Martini's with four- and five-figure price tags are at the top of beverage menus around the world. The high cost is due to the high-end jewelry attached to or submerged in the cocktail. When trying to impress loved ones or...

I took a tour of the new Tourneau repair and distribution facility in Long Island City yesterday morning. It's amazing to see firsthand the way the world's biggest watch retailer keeps track of the hundreds of watches that pour into...

Michelle Graff

According to a May 17 Reuters report, a mother of five was recently sentenced to three years and 10 months in jail for driving her 17-year-old son to a jewelry store that he and two accomplices intended to rob. "I...

While many Americans enamored with British royalty were anxious to hail the Queen, style editors couldn't wait to criticize her staunch attire, which seemed to exclude stunning pieces from one of the largest private jewelry collections known. Queen Elizabeth II's...

I am not a proponent of firearms, believe me. The events that occured at Virginia Tech last month proved to anyone that firearms in the hands of the wrong people can be disastrous. But the shooting of two would-be robbers...

Michelle Graff

TAG Heuer Reinterpreted with a hot new look and a dynamic color range, TAG Heuer's Formula 1 timepieces continue to evoke the need for speed. The collection retains its six sports-watch features, which include a screw-in crown, a titanium-carbide-coated unidirectional...

Michelle Graff

An online poll conducted in April by ShopLocal, a multi-channel shopping Web site, revealed that while 18 percent of moms were unhappy with their Mother's Day gifts, a whopping 67 percent of dads echoed the same sentiment about their Father's...

After attending this year's Swiss watch shows, I've put together a list of the top 10 new all-around collections and the top five up-and-coming brands. But first of all, the "Rising Star Award" has to go to the Dimier Recital...

Michelle Graff

Surprisingly, body piercing dates all the way back to the Egyptian civilization, not SuperBowl XXXVIII when Ms. Jackson gave millions a two-second glance of her bejeweled bosom. As a matter of fact, if you grab a bible, you'll see a...

Talk about daddy's little girls! The San Francisco Chronicle reports that rap mogul Sean "Diddy" combs has already begun purchasing diamond accessories for his six-month-old twin daughters, Jesse James and D'Lila Star. "They're about to get their ears pierced, maybe,...

Michelle Graff

I don't think it's a huge news flash to retailers that men and women approach shopping differently. A recent article in the Financial Times reports on a host of policies retailers throughout the world have implemented to get men into...

Michelle Graff

Keep your sales staff on hand and your inventory well-stocked because June brides are still storming the stores. Accessorizing is of the utmost importance, but often falls to the bottom of the bride's long to-do list. Here are a few...

Jaeger LeCoultre When I asked retailers if they saw anything special at the Swiss watch shows, Jaeger LeCoultre came up again and again. With watches like this one, it's easy to see why. Jaeger has reinvented the chronograph with this...

Michelle Graff

How does it go? "Treat others as you would like to be treated," I think. Which means that if you would like someone to walk into your store and shell out a few thousand dollars for a piece of jewelry...

Michelle Graff

Of the 800-plus brick-and-mortar shops projected to close their doors for good this year, how many will be missed? That's a question that was posed to attendees of the American Gem Society Conclave by management expert Jim Collins. How many...

Michelle Graff

Who could've guessed that rosary beads and crosses would one day top the "haute" accessories list? It's become increasingly common to see entertainers and everyday people adorning their necks and wrists with religious symbols, but do you think the majority...

10. You check under your bed for life preservers…just in case. 9. Green asparagus looks strangely discolored to you. 8. You attend a trade show and wonder where all the dogs and baby strollers are. 7. You feel the need...

Michelle Graff

Iced-out pups in the arms and purses of young "celebutants" are all over the pages of fashion and gossip mags these days. Their sparkly, bubblegum-pink gem-encrusted collars and leashes are cute and age-appropriate for their owners. But I want to...

Many retail jewelers view e-commerce sites—and online auction sites in particular—with a skeptical eye. But some are discovering how to use these sites to their advantage. For example, Maryland-based Mervis Diamond Importers recently announced a partnership with auction site Bid4Assets.com...

Michelle Graff

Your wife would love to get a pair of diamond earrings for Mother's Day, but how would she feel if you buy your mom the exact same pair? An informal, impromptu survey of several men who are sons, husbands and...

So I hit the malls last weekend looking for dresses for the seven (yes, you read that correctly) weddings I've got coming up this season. I didn't get very far, however, as I just could not compete with the mobs...

Michelle Graff