Much to the delight of retailers, De Beers is back on the airwaves this holiday season with this nationwide commercial that seems to be one of the favored spots among the jewelry set.

Michelle Graff

As a journalist with experience in both the consumer and trade press, it’s always interesting to me what gets reported, and what doesn’t make the cut, following the industry’s more widely followed events, such as the recently concluded Kimberley Process plenary in Washington, D.C.

Michelle Graff

In these modern, social-media crazed times, the word “fail” has taken on a new life.

Michelle Graff

Thursday (Nov. 8) was the first day back in the office for most of the National Jeweler team following Superstorm Sandy, and we are doing our best to try to get back into the groove.

Michelle Graff

Every year, lingerie lord Victoria’s Secret unveils a multi-million dollar bra set with an astounding number of diamonds and colored gemstones that one lucky model gets to wear down the runway at the brand’s annual fashion show.

Michelle Graff

During the summer, I wrote a story about the re-launch of the Bailey Banks & Biddle chain. One of main points imparted on me during the interview by Paul Leonard, part of the team of executives who attempted to re-boot the brand, was the chain’s focus on expanding into outlets.

Michelle Graff

As has already been widely reported, the newly introduced Diamond Source Warranty Protocol (which I assume eventually we’ll call the DSWP) wasn’t exactly met with widespread applause at the recent World Diamond Congress held in Mumbai.

Michelle Graff

As I’ve noted in this blog before, getting the chance to view some of the world’s most spectacular gemstones in person at Christie’s is and always has been one of my favorite aspects of this job.

Michelle Graff

Earlier this week, news broke of a renaming and corporate identity consolidation underway at De Beers, a company in the midst of a major transition as the Oppenheimer family exits the diamond business and Anglo American ups its stake. The...

Michelle Graff

I don’t usually have the opportunity to blog about jewelry I like. I am usually, as the English would say, banging on about generic diamond marketing or social media law. Recently, though, I received an email from a jeweler I...

Michelle Graff

The absence of De Beers as the driving force behind the promotion of diamonds has been described as a void, a vacancy and a vacuum, one the industry has not been able to cohesively fill. A couple of years ago,...

Michelle Graff

I feel the need to confess something right here and now. I personally don’t like Facebook. I just can’t delude myself into thinking that anybody actually cares what brand of syrup I bought at the store this morning (yes, this...

Michelle Graff

Sterling Jewelers made a number of big announcements during its conference call on Thursday, not the least of which is that it is now a “Select Diamantaire” of mining giant Rio Tinto, and that it's making a bigger push into...

Michelle Graff

On my trip to London last month, I learned an interesting piece of Olympic history, one that I thought would be good to share as the Summer Games kick off this Friday in London. So, here’s my trivia question: The...

Michelle Graff

When you’re a member of the media you receive many emails, particularly from people and companies you may not know looking to introduce themselves and, hopefully, garner a little press. In the midst of this digital crush, it takes something...

Michelle Graff

A few weeks after news surfaced that hundreds of synthetic diamonds were submitted to the International Gemological Institute (IGI) in Antwerp without proper disclosure, a press release began circulating about a $199 lab-grown diamond detection device. The DiamaPen, a laser...

Michelle Graff

For years in retail, the story has been about brick-and-mortar retailers losing business to pure-play online retailers, which can offer the same product for less due to lower overhead costs. Now, however, it seems that e-tailers are awakening to the...

Michelle Graff

Last night, the Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America (DMIA) held a meeting in New York City covering what is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about topics among diamantaires today: synthetics. As I am sure many of you are...

Michelle Graff

In the watch industry, brands constantly are on a quest to connect with their history and tradition, leading to the introduction of countless timepieces that “reach back into the archives” to pay homage to a milestone anniversary of one particular...

Michelle Graff

It didn’t take very long after the World Diamond Council (WDC) and the Kimberley Process (KP) expressed their support for broadening the definition of “conflict” diamond for the first sign of resistance to surface. The day after the news emerged...

Michelle Graff

Last week was Madison Avenue Watch Week here in New York, a seven-day stretch dedicated to showcasing and recognizing the work of watchmakers and the high-end timepiece brands that line Madison Avenue. As part of the week’s festivities, I took...

Michelle Graff

A recent Associated Press article ignited debate over employers asking for potential employees’ social media passwords, the combination of letters and numbers that open the door to the presumably personal worlds of accounts on sites such as Facebook and Twitter....

Michelle Graff

Major changes are afoot at the world’s largest diamond miners: De Beers, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. After 80 years in the business, the Oppenheimer family likely will be out of the diamond trade by years’ end. Both BHP Billiton...

Michelle Graff

Over the years, we’ve seen any number of unusual uses for, and products comprised of, precious gemstones and metals. Most recently in this blog, our fashion editor, Hannah Connorton, told us about an Italian company that has created karat-gold tattoos....

Michelle Graff