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...
Having spent several years reading and writing about the most beautiful jewelry in the world, naturally my curiosity was peaked when I read an announcement for the 2008 Ugly Necklace Contest. Now in its sixth year, the contest, which is...
As I mentioned in my first post when I returned from Africa (aptly titled "Back from Africa"), one experience I had there that really touched me was visiting the SOS Children's Village in Botswana. According to information from SOS, an...
When I first heard that my trip to Africa would include a visit to one of De Beers' mines, my first thought was that it was sure to be a dark, dirty and claustrophobic, albeit interesting, experience. I was right...
Today is my first day back at work after spending nine wonderful days in Africa. The trip, courtesy of JWT's Diamond Information Center (De Beers), was a first-class, well-organized and well-run operation. Kudos to those employees of the DIC because...
I am obsessed with tassels. Those on curtains, lamps or other household fixtures, not so much. But the jewelry sort? Bring them on. There's just something downright glam about swinging metal fringe and the Old Hollywood feel that tassel pieces...
Hello again, it's Michelle Graff, National Jeweler diamond editor and world's most inconsistent (but, in my defense, extremely busy) blogger. In my last blog posting back in February, I did a roundup of the many varied and somewhat ridiculous diamond...
In New York City, we've got about three more months before it really starts to warm up, and I'm counting the days. I'm eager to pair rich gold jewelry with breezy black summer dresses, a look that up-and-coming actress Camilla...
I'm finally not living in denial. No more pretending it's not winter by wearing summer dresses paired with tights in 30-degree weather, a combination that has given me a mild case of frostbite and a permanent red complexion. Spring has...
This is another segment from The Real Hustle. I found it really interesting since it is based on a true scam that happened in London. In this case, the scam artists relied on the jeweler to be impressed by their...
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