Looking for a diamond that's simply out of this world? Well, New York diamond dealer Nilesh Sheth, president of Nice Diamonds, might have just what you need. Some time ago, Sheth purchased two strange stones from a rough diamond dealer...
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Two nights ago, I was whisked off to Philadelphia for a private tour of “Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy,” a fascinating exhibit opening tomorrow at the Franklin Institute science museum. More than 100 artifacts, including gilded 16th...
San Francisco-based jewelry designer Rebecca Overmann's busy schedule has her skipping from trade shows to trunk shows across the nation while also trying to balance studio time to bring her designs to life. I met up with the Savannah College...
With the Oscars last month rounding out the season's biggest awards shows, one thing I've been wondering lately is what the placements mean for the jewelry designers who are almost 100 percent of the time lending their multi-thousand dollar jewels?...
I don't know what to think of the economy anymore. It goes without saying that as of right now, the world is in the midst of a recession that's comparable to the Great Depression. But just how bad is it?...
As I mentioned in a news story on NationalJeweler.com, a new opal exhibit just opened up at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Consisting of just 25 opals, the exhibit is small and confined to just one...
With a surname like Graff and a job covering the diamond industry, I’m constantly asked if I’m related to well-known diamantaire and billionaire Laurence Graff. To answer this question once and for all, no. To be honest, until I took...
Watching the 2009 Academy Awards, I found it hard to look past the proliferation of cream-colored gowns without adding quite a few of them to my favorites list (Penelope Cruz in vintage Balmain, Taraji P. Henson in glam Roberto Cavalli...
After whirlwind trips to Vicenza and New York for the VicenzaOro First show and the JA New York Winter Show, I’m slowly starting to digest all the things I saw. In Vicenza, as to be expected since it’s the Italian...
My wife gave me a book for Christmas titled The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis (Ballentine Books, 2008). The dust jacket reads Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives. Needless to say, the book got my attention. If any...
A recent survey from the NRF indicated that, as of the second week of December, 41 million people had not yet started their holiday shopping, and 47.1 percent didn’t have it all done. If you are among those still searching...
In this business downturn, fear could be running rampant through organizations—yours included. But keep in mind that just because you read about the economic crisis in the newspaper or hear about it on TV, that fear might be unfounded. Nevertheless,...
I’ve been back a few weeks now from my latest trip, this one to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was one of those trips where I was gone less than a week (after flying for 12 hours), but it felt...
With the election over (finally), it's time to forecast where our industry is heading. If we're not in a recession now, we will be shortly. What was learned during the recessions of 1980, 1990, 2001, etc., should test your leadership...
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...
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...
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...
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...