Auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s brought the hammer down on more than $1 billion worth of jewels last year. Here’s a look at the lots that were top off the block.

National Jeweler has chosen four books from Goodreads’ February list of new releases that could be beneficial to business owners and added an editor’s pick for reading pleasure.

While many publications have focused on the smartwatch’s fashion and productivity abilities, Self is touting the timepiece for its health-monitoring functions.

Studs in geometric shapes and with colored gemstones are styles retailers should consider stocking alongside classic diamond earrings this Christmas.  

Asaad Malak of Malak Jewelers in Charlotte, N.C. shares how he turns strangers into friends and first-time visitors into lifelong clients. 

From New York to Delaware to Denver, National Jeweler outlines five jewelry exhibitions worth checking out this autumn.

Jewelry that once belonged to Rachel Lambert Mellon, a horticulturalist and art collector who died earlier this year at the age of 103, will hit the auction block at Sotheby’s in November, including a fancy vivid blue diamond estimated to garner up to $15 million. 

An 18-karat gold Rolex Oyster Ref. 6305 wristwatch given to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1951 failed to sell last Wednesday, as bidding did not reach the reserve price established by the seller. 

Shinola is opening a brick-and-mortar location in London’s Soho district next month, marking the brand’s first standalone store outside the United States.  

Nine pieces of jewelry designed by Marina B, the granddaughter of the founder of Bulgari, will be offered at Bonhams this fall, and is expected to fetch more than $1 million. 

One jewelry store in the Midwest is harnessing the power of social media and hashtags to attract younger consumers.  

Ten hues that will be prominent in fashion and other industries next spring have been identified by the Pantone Color Institute. 

A. Jaffe is taking personalized jewelry to the next level with its new Maps collection, which offers pieces that depict a particular spot on the globe to mark where people have met, fell in love or experienced some other significant or personal event.  

Fine jewelry brand Annoushka has expanded from its London roots to enter the U.S. market, debuting this week exclusively with Saks Fifth Avenue in its New York and Beverly Hills locations. 

British fine jewelry brand Astley Clarke has expanded its presence in the U.S. with a launch in 11 Neiman Marcus stores across the country, including locations in Boston, Dallas and Los Angeles. 

A diamond brooch and a peridot frog figurine given to Wallis Simpson by her famous love the Duke of Windsor are expected to sell for nearly $16,200 at Bonhams later this month.

Movement, openwork, bold colors and gemstone slices will be among the trends in jewelry this holiday season and into 2015, according to an educational seminar held at JA New York Summer Monday morning. 

Fine jewelry designer Anthony Lent has successfully used Kickstarter to fund the development and initial production of a new sterling silver collection.  

A platinum Patek Philippe Ref. 3979 wristwatch sold for about $468,000 at Antiquorum’s sale of Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces on Saturday, the top lot of an auction heavy with examples from the famed watchmaker. 

Model, actress and singer Cara Delevingne is the face of John Hardy’s new advertising campaign, slated to debut this October in major fashion monthlies, the brand said.

American jewelry brand Verdura will mark its 75th anniversary with a nearly three- month-long exhibition of more than 150 pieces created by the late jeweler Duke Fulco di Verdura.

The most complicated watch ever made entirely by human hand is expected to sell for up to $16.8 million at Sotheby’s this November when the timepiece makes its first reappearance on the market in 15 years. 

Auction house Christie’s is having a record-setting year so far, announcing a 22 percent increase in total sales and noting its 20th consecutive year of auction market leadership in the jewelry sector. 

Pandora is moving its regional headquarters for the Americas from Columbia to Baltimore, where it will occupy five of the 24 floors of a high rise on a major throughway in the city. 

Anzie introduced extensions to its Starburst, Dewdrop, Aztec and Bouquet collections in 14-karat yellow gold and silver, debuting delicate and feminine bracelets as well as a bold bib necklace.