JCK 2024 Summer Issue

WE’RE BETTING ON DIAMONDS. TRUST US: THEY’RE A SURE THING.

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148

ROCKS THIS WAY

From Oscar-worthy triple-strand necklaces to party-ready supersize cocktail rings, these diamond jewels are big, bold, and stacked to the max. Prepare to be amazed.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKAEL SCHULZ

SPECIAL REPORT: WEDDING JEWELRY COVER

119

How retailers can prep for the post-pandemic marriage boom. Plus: wedding party gifts—pearls, hair jewels, watches, and more— for every budget.

FEATURES

142

SHADES OF DESIRE

We’re craving rainbow, soft pink, and champagne colored stones.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN LEWIS

148

ANATOMY OF THE FALL

Can the banal be glorious? For fall 2024, designers set their sights on the ordinary and made it extraordinary.

BY VENESSA LAU

FEATURES

154

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Our guide to experiencing your best Vegas ever BY MATT VILLANO

158

LOVE, JCK STYLE

Five unforgettable tales of romance at JCK Las Vegas BY VICTORIA GOMELSKY

164

QUIET RIOT

Why consumers can’t get enough of quiet luxury. Plus: jewelry to get the look. BY AMY

ELLIOTT

170

2024 JEWELERS’ CHOICE AWARDS: THE WINNERS

Your top vote-getters in every category. Plus: the Editors’ and Influencers’ Choice picks.

Cover Look

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HoLD ’e M

We’re betting on diamonds. Trust us: They’re a sure thing.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKAEL SCHULZ

Hair: FERNANDO TORRENT/ L’ATELIER NY USING LIVING PROOF

Makeup: STEVEN CANAVAN/L’ATELIER NY USING M·A·C COSMETICS

Stylist: DANIEL EDLEY

Manicurist: ROSEANN SINGLETON FOR CHANEL LE VERNIS/ ART DEPARTMENT

Model: ANGE-MARIE/ HEROES MODEL MANAGEMENT

Hat: Maison Michel

14k yellow gold and 0.29 ct. t.w. diamond ring; $2,678 ; Effy ; 877-2753339; effyjewelry.com

Earrings with 2.02 cts. t.w. diamonds in 14k yellow gold; $4,895 ; KC Designs; 800-5523790; kcdesignsnyc.com

14k yellow gold Diamond Orb necklace with 23.18 cts. t.w. diamonds; $75,000 ; Eriness; orders@eriness. com; eriness.com

Shiraz choker in 14k yellow gold with 1.45 cts. t.w. diamonds; $8,945 ; Ashaha ; lauren@megamegaprojects. com; ashaha.com

Diamond Cleopatra necklace in 14k yellow gold with 1.77 cts. t.w. diamonds; $11,000 ; Shy Creation; info@shycreation.com; shycreation.com

Secret pavé ring in recycled 18k rose gold with 1.08 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds; $5,400 ; Unsaid; hello@unsaid.com; unsaid.com

Recycled 14k yellow gold tennis bracelet with 5.5 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds; $8,500 ; Vrai; 855956-4488; vrai.com

Floating Stone pavé ring in 14k yellow gold with 0.25 ct. t.w. labgrown diamonds; $500 ; Lightbox ; 833-270-3737; lightboxjewelry.com

14k yellow gold bracelet with 1.34 cts. t.w. diamonds; $10,913 ; Effy ; 877-275-3339; effyjewelry.com

18k white and yellow gold bypass ring with 1.55 cts. t.w. diamonds; $8,400 ; Gabriel & Co. ; 212-5191400; gabrielny.com

Trio bracelet in 18k yellow gold with 4.35 cts. t.w. diamonds; $36,000 ; Gwen Beloti; 347-467-0082; gwenbeloti.com

18k yellow gold and platinum Mara ring with 2.4 cts. t.w. diamonds; $18,500 ; Rosario Navia ; 917-8825811; rosarionavia.com

18k yellow gold ring with 5.07 ct. diamond; $165,000 ; Norman Silverman; 213-687-3985; normansilverman.com

Not pictured: 18k yellow gold bracelet with 4.77 cts. t.w. diamonds; $24,000 ; Norman Silverman

14k gold ring with 2.2 ct. lab-grown diamond; $4,450 ; Zales x Shahla ; 347-9274647; shahlakarimi.com

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN LEWIS

Prop Stylist: ELIZABETH PRESS/JUDY CASEY

CoL or & LIGHT

Bask in the glow of this season’s most luminous gems.

Crownwork bezel-set pink zircon earrings with blush freshwater pearl drops in 18k yellow gold; $2,585 Ray Griffiths; 212-6897209; raygriffiths.com

Crownwork Edwardian ring with 4.26 ct. pink zircon and 0.82 ct. t.w. pavé diamond surround in oxidized silver and 18k yellow gold; $6,930; Ray Griffiths

voW & F orever

How retailers can prep for the post-pandemic marriage boom.

Plus: wedding party gifts, from wallet-friendly to high-end.

Half Moon Salt and Pepper ring in recycled 14k yellow gold with 2.07 cts. t.w. diamonds; $5,500; Sofia Kaman; 310-310-3998; sofiakaman.com

Signature Chelsea bead gemstone necklace with tourmaline, peridot, amethysts, aquamarines, and garnets in 18k gold; $8,495; Lauren K; info@ laurenk.com; laurenk.com

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN LEWIS

Prop Stylist: ELIZABETH PRESS/JUDY CASEY

Locket ring with 0.73 ct. old mine diamond in 18k yellow gold; $8,910; Ten Thousand Things; 212-352-1333; ten thousandthingsnyc.com

Ring in recycled 18k yellow and white gold with 2.1 ct. rose-cut diamond; $16,500; Vale Jewelry; 212-3982708; shopvale.com

Step Cut Pear solitaire ring in 18k yellow gold with 1.5 ct. diamond; $17,500; Vale Jewelry

Bullet Cut Diamond Monolith Ring No. 26 with 0.5 ct. diamond in Fairmined 14k yellow gold; $5,560; Wwake; wholesale@wwake.com; wwake.com

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If you haven’t started planning your schedule for JCK Las Vegas, allow us to offer a few friendly suggestions. On Thursday, May 30, a twohour Sustainability Summit will take over the San Polo Ballroom on Level 3 of The Ve netian starting at 11 a.m. Closing out the weekend at 9 p.m. on Sunday, June 2, is JCK Rocks at Tao Beach, featuring head liner Flo Rida. In between, find a plethora of timely JCK Talks sessions, new activa tions (a pop-up shop selling JCK and a host of surprises based on this year’s love theme. “We unite a community that is all about love,” says Sarin Bachmann, group vice president of the RX jewelry portfolio. “It’s only fitting to honor why we do what we do by weaving the love theme throughout the show in creative ways you’ll have to see to believe!”

The pin is in…said JCK five years ago. Finally, men in Hollywood are getting the memo. Just a few of the styles we spotted on the guys during awards season: clips, tie pins, poppies, starfish, panthers, and multiple birds on rocks. Pro tip: Don’t stop at the lapel. Think bracelets, rings (the more the better), a necklace, and, of course, a watch. Take a tip from Rustin nominee Colman Domingo: Bedazzle your bow tie! It’s time to go beyond the brooch.

Olena rings with heart-shape sapphires in 18k yellow gold; starting at $3,685; Lauren K; info@ laurenk.com; laurenk.com

Colman Domingo in David Yurman rings, bracelets, and EY Signature Starburst pendant in 18k gold with yellow beryl and diamonds

STYLE

In March, style lovers the world over mourned the loss of Iris Apfel, a celebrated fashion icon known for her maximalist style, who died at her home in Palm Beach, Fla., at the age of 102. A former interior designer and textile specialist, Apfel famously favored an inventive and daring mix of colors, textures, and patterns: “More is more and less is a bore” was one of her most beloved maxims. As for her legacy, Apfel’s friend Russell Pagliughi tells JCK that he believes those who love jewelry will look to her as a role model. “I think they’re going to add a few more bangles, a few more rings, or a few more necklaces,” he says. “And that’s because of her.”

DIAMONDS 3

In December 2023, the Group of Seven (G7) nations and the European Union laid out a timetable to stop the import of Russian-mined diamonds into their markets, decreeing that in March, the nations would implement a ban on Russian polished diamonds 1 ct. and over. In September, the ban would expand to 50-pointers and up. Since that announcement, however, things have grown fuzzier. While the U.S. did enact a polished ban in March, it’s only requiring importers to self-certify—even as other G7 members require documentation proving stones weren’t mined in Russia. What will happen in September, when the EU hopes to enact an ambitious plan to have every rough diamond certified in Belgium?

De Beers and Botswana are often called “Siamese twins”—each is dependent on the other. Yet, last year, their 50-year-old diamond-mining partnership seemed seriously on the rocks, with Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi threatening to walk if the country didn’t get what it wanted in contract negotiations. Last June, the two signed an agreement in principle. (At press time, a final agreement had yet to be inked.) The new deal calls for Botswana to sell 50% of its production independently within the next decade and to play a greater role in downstream promotion. In an appearance with Botswana officials, De Beers CEO Al Cook struck a surprisingly humble note—a sign of how much the company had been unnerved by the public brawl with its No. 1 partner. “We at De Beers will never forget that it is a privilege to be the partners of the government of this great country,” he said. “It is not a right.”

The 2014 documentary Iris celebrated and explored Apfel’s style and helped cement her cultural icon status.

PEOPLE 6 7

GOLD

When Matthew Stuller Sr. accepted the Jewelers Vigilance Commitee’s Stanley Schechter Award in March, he reminisced how, when he first started in the jewelry business in the 1970s, people told him its glory days were over because gold had just hit $100. The audience laughed knowingly. Days before, gold had crossed the $2,150 barrier for the first time; a month later, it would top $2,300, a once-unimaginable benchmark. Analysts offered a variety of explanations for the yellow metal’s latest bull run—its third in a decade—including a lighter touch at the Federal Reserve and global political and economic instability, which generally causes investors to view gold as a safe haven. Some think silver may be next.

On Oct. 3, Hedda Schupak, editor-in-chief of JCK from 2000 to 2009 (and a staffer for 14 years before that), died at age 62 of complications from lung cancer. Since then, not only have industry colleagues and friends paid tribute to her memory, but industry associations have as well. In February, Centurion renamed its annual design prizes the Hedda SchupakBaum Centurion Excellence in Design Awards. And in March, the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA)

Foundation established the Hedda Schupak-Baum Memorial Media and Communications Scholarship, to give a boost to aspiring journalists and content creators in the jewelry and watch industries. Schupak’s husband, Jim Baum, found the latter award particularly touching: “WJA was near and dear to Hedda’s heart, and to know that her legacy will live on through this scholarship would have meant the world to her, as it does to me.”

Yin & Yang earrings in 14k yellow gold; $2,020; Fie Isolde; mark@markdluxury. com; fieisolde.com

CELEBRITIES 9

Elton John’s 1991 Cartier Crash sold for $277,200 (nearly quadruple its low estimate).

AUCTIONS

Elton John has always been one of the flashiest rock ’n’ rollers—so it’s not surprising that the Rocket Man has an out-of-this-world jewelry collection. In February, a fraction of his stash—200 jewelry pieces that he stored at a now-sold home in Atlanta—went up for sale at Christie’s, and the items sold out faster than one of John’s stadium shows; the three famed watches garnered a combined $630,000. In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, John told bidders to remember that the pieces were coming “from an incredibly eager collector, who got so much pleasure out of what you’re going to buy.”

Call it Super Bowl 2024: Taylor’s Version: A record 123.7 million viewers tuned in to see the NFL’s most famous fan cheer on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She was bejeweled in an array of red and gold, the Chiefs’ colors, largely from female-founded brands including Shahla Karimi, Retrouvaí, Shay, Jacquie Aiche, and Stephanie Gottlieb. “Taylor is America’s sweetheart, who has provided so many of us with so much joy,” says Gottlieb, who designed the No. 87 pendant (Kelce’s number) in Swift’s neck mess. “We are thrilled to create a piece that celebrates this special moment for both her and Travis.”

SECURITY

Even Batman had to hang up his cape. After 32 years heading Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA), John Kennedy plans to retire at the end of the year. “I’ve been dealing with crime for 45 years, long before I came to JSA,” he tells JCK. “I want to take it easy.” Kennedy has much to be proud of. Over his three-decade tenure, he helped enlist federal law enforcement in the fight against jewelry crime, and has provided a long list of tips to keep industry members safe. Kennedy says he’ll stay involved in the industry, as secretary of the 24 Karat Club. No doubt JSA will be seeking a successor with staying power. Since its founding in 1883, JSA has had only four presidents, and each served more than 25 years.

SG Fine large Varsity pendant; $4,250 as shown; stephanie gottlieb.com

from the editor

W

hat Is Love (JCK Style)?

THE SIMPLE ANSWER is that it’s the headline of a feature article on page 158 about five industry couples who found, rekindled, or formalized their love at JCK Las Vegas. The more involved answer is that in all its myriad manifestations, love is what makes our whole industry go ’round.

Retailers hardly need reminding. From couples on the brink of getting engaged to long-marrieds shopping for their 50th anniversary gifts or self-purchasers searching for pieces to mark personal milestones, jewelry customers are uniquely motivated by love—for their partners, their family members, and themselves.

That’s why we, together with our friends and collaborators at RX, organizers of JCK Las Vegas, decided it was high time to explicitly celebrate the show’s enduring connection to love. I dare you to come up with a product that captures the convergence of beauty, value, and meaning better than jewelry (it doesn’t exist!), or a marketplace better suited to championing that product than JCK.

Victoria Gomelsky Editor-in-Chief vgomelsky@jckonline.com

In keeping with the love theme, our annual JCK magazine show issue features a special weddings section beginning on page 119. Don’t miss contributor Amy Elliott’s deep dive into the post-pandemic wedding boom in “Getting Married Today” (page 128).

Bridal jewelry is a big focus, but don’t for a minute think that we’ve lost our passion for

fashion. In “Anatomy of the Fall” on page 148, Venessa Lau, JCK ’s longtime fashion correspondent, recaps five major trends spotted on the fall ’24 catwalks and riffs on the season’s overarching message: elevating the everyday. One surefire way to amp up an average outfit? Take a cue from our gorgeous cover model, Ange-Marie, who looks utterly ravishing in “Rocks This Way” (page 134), an over-thetop paean to triple-strand diamond necklaces, extravagant cocktail rings, and stacks (upon stacks) of tennis bracelets.

Speaking of rings, I’d like to share a brief note about the 18k gold and silver style featured at the top of this page. In a “sisterhood of the traveling jewels” sort of way, I am its temporary custodian. Designed by Paris-based jeweler Elie Top, the piece belongs to Gem X, the New York City jewelry social club. Lin Jamison, the club’s cofounder, was kind enough to add me to the sharing list (currently restricted to Gem X Patron or Core members).

“We visited Elie in his Paris salon in spring of 2022,” Lin tells JCK. “He hosted us for a most lovely luncheon. We fell in love with this ring from his Celestial collection. The lapis orb reminded us of a globe and the Gem X mission to connect our friends across the world through jewels.”

Jewelry as both spellbinding accoutrement and friendship glue. What’s not to love?

STAFF PICKS

Victoria Gomelsky JCK editor-in-chief

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

DOORS OPEN AT 8:00 AM

SPEAKER STARTS AT 8:30 AM SAN POLO BALLROOM, LEVEL 3, THE VENETIAN

SUGAR RAY LEONARD, LEGENDARY

BOXING ICON WITH CHAMPIONSHIP

TITLES IN FIVE

WEIGHT DIVISIONS, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

Sponsored By:

Editor-in-Chief VICTORIA GOMELSKY

Creative Director PETER YATES

Managing Editor MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO

SUNDAY, JUNE 2

EDITORIAL

News Director / ROB BATES rbates@jckonline.com

Contributing Editor & Social Media Manager BRITTANY SIMINITZ / bsiminitz@jckonline.com

Photography Director / FREYDA TAVIN

Art Director / ALFREDO CEBALLOS

Jewelry Director / RANDI MOLOFSKY

Jewelry Editor / RIMA SUQI

Contributing Editors KAREN DYBIS / kdybis@gmail.com AMY ELLIOTT / aelliott718@gmail.com

Copy Editor / SHARON CONGDON

Editorial Contributors

KATHY HENDERSON, ARI KARPEL, VENESSA LAU, KRISTIN LUNA, MICHELE MEYER, RACHEL S. PETERS, MONA QURESHI-HART, NANCY SIDEWATER, WHITNEY SIELAFF, DANIEL P. SMITH, MATT VILLANO, MARTHA C. WHITE, KRISTIN YOUNG

Photography Contributors

JASON KIM, STEPHEN LEWIS, KENJI TOMA, JOEL STANS, DIEGO UCHITEL, YULIA GORBACHENKO, MIKAEL SCHULZ, JEAN-PHILIPPE MALAVAL, PATRICIA HEAL, JAMES WOJCIK, NICOLE LaMOTTE, KEN GUTMAKER, MARK LUND, BALL & ALBANESE, CODY PICKENS, REBECCA STUMPF, RYANN FORD, LIAM GOODMAN

U.S. ADVERTISING SALES

JCK Associate Publisher PATRICIA CARTWRIGHT 203-840-5447 patricia.cartwright@rxglobal.com

JCK Advertising Sales Director RANDI GEWERTZ 800-887-3905 randi.gewertz@rxglobal.com

GENERAL ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertise@jckonline.com

CIRCULATION magazine@jckonline.com

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THAILAND

Group Vice President / RX USA Jewelry Portfolio SARIN BACHMANN 203-840-5651 sarin.bachmann@rxglobal.com

& LUXURY

Sales Director LARS PARKER-MYERS 203-840-5808 lars.parker-myers@rxglobal.com

Marketing Director MJ M c GRATH 203-945-9073 mj.mcgrath@rxglobal.com

Strategic Accounts Manager JESSICA GOLDKOPF AUDET Luxury 203-832-7929 jessica.audet@rxglobal.com

Sales Executive MONALISA D e PINA Bridge, Bridal, Clockwork, Design Collective 203-840-5556 monalisa.depina@rxglobal.com

Marketing Manager MARGARET BLANCO 203-820-0384 margaret.blanco@rxglobal.com

Special Events & Conference Manager OLIVIA LAGUN 475-266-9475 olivia.lagun@rxglobal.com

JCKONLINE.COM/SUBSCRIBE

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QUENTIN CHAN 852-2366-1106 fax 852-2366-1107 cell 852-9438-9577 quentinchan@leadingm.com

Key Accounts Manager ANA CROSBY JCK Show Currents, Diamond Plaza, Gallery level 2, Lab-Grown 203-840-5305 anamaria.crosby@rxglobal.com

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Account Executive BARBARA MURRAY First Look, GEMS 203-840-5820 barbara.murray@rxglobal.com

Safely securing every cherished stone

A. 66233 Natural Diamond Stud Earrings, 2 ctw, 6.3mm, Platinum, 32, $27,085 | B. 126603 Natural Diamond Semi-Set Engagement Ring, 3 3/4 ct (11×9mm), 3/4 ctw, Platinum, 32, 125, $8,265 | C. 124575 Natural Diamond Semi-Set Engagement Ring, 11/2 ct (12×6mm), 1/6 ctw, Platinum, 21, 32, $2,215 | D. 124348 Solitaire Engagement Ring Mounting, 2 ct (12×6mm), Platinum, $1,535 E.124651 Natural Diamond Semi-Set Engagement Ring, 21/2 ct (9×7mm), 11/2 ctw, Platinum, 125, $26,235

Transcending time with pure , heirloom quality

A. 2002202 Cushion Double Claw-Prong Peg Setting, 9×7mm, Platinum, $489 | B. SH1005 Natural Diamond Peg Shank, 1/3 ctw, Platinum, 21, 32, $2,069 | C. 312 Round 6-Prong Low Peg Setting, 10.5mm, Platinum, $545 | D. SH1012 Natural Diamond Low Profile Peg Shank, 1/2 ctw, Platinum, 32, $2,255 E. SH1011 Low Profile Euro Peg Shank, 2.5mm shoulder width, Platinum, $945 | F. 2002666 Natural Pear Diamond Semi-Set Halo-Style Peg Setting, 1/5 ctw, 12×8mm, Platinum, 32, $1,529 | G. 29662 Emerald 4-Prong Earring Top, 7×5mm, Platinum, $135 | H. 29822 Emerald 4-Prong Link, 7×5mm, Platinum, $135 | J. 29732 Emerald 4-Prong Dangle, 7×5mm, Platinum, $125 | K. SH979 Natural Diamond Open Shank for 4-Prong Setting, 5/8 ctw (4.5mm), Platinum, 32, $4,659 | L SH761 Natural Diamond Open Shank for 4-Prong Setting, 1/3 ctw, Platinum, 32, $1,619 | M. 2002679 Natural Round Diamond 4-Prong Shank Setting, 0.03 ctw, 8.2mm, Platinum, 32, $535

A. 126641 Natural Diamond Semi-Set Engagement Ring 1 1/2 ct (9×6mm), 1 1/4 ctw, Platinum, 32, $8,365 | B. 126750 Natural Diamond Ring Guard, 3/8 ctw, Platinum, 32, $3,629 C. 126350 Natural Diamond Eternity Band, 1 1/2 ctw, Platinum, size 7, 32, $5,195 | D. 123713 Solitaire Engagement Ring Mounting, 3 ct (12×8mm), Platinum, $1,649 E. MG11 Milgrain Half-Round Band, 6mm, Platinum, size 10, $1,819 | F. 126741 Natural Diamond Contour Band, 1/5 ctw, Platinum, 26, 32, 35, $1,899

A. FIR10 Comfort-Fit Flat Band, 6mm, Platinum, size 10, $2,675

B. EL10 Lightweight Comfort-Fit European Band, 6mm, Platinum, size 10, $1,935 | C. 5977 Beveled Edge Comfort-Fit Flat Band, 6mm, Platinum, size 10, $2,599, Shown with Bead Blast | D. HR10 Half-Round Band, 6mm, Platinum, size 10, $1,895, Shown with Twist Pattern | E. CC10 Comfort-Fit Concave Band, 6mm, Platinum, size 10, $2,585 | F. HR9 Half-Round Band, 6mm, Platinum, size 9, $1,825

A. 88539 Natural Pink Morganite Bow Earrings, 11×6.1mm, Platinum, 627, $1,309 | B. 72394 Ring Mounting for Oval Stone, 7×5mm, Platinum, $1,605 | C. 88571

Natural Pink Morganite and Natural Diamond Bow Necklace, 0.08 ctw, 18.4×9.6mm, Platinum, 16–18”, 32, 627, $2,259 D. 86886 Natural Diamond Hoop Earrings, 1 3/8 ctw, 16.5×2.8mm, Platinum, 32, $5,625 | E. 61134 Natural Diamond Solitaire Necklace, 1/10 ct, 13.5×5.7mm, Platinum, 18", 32, $1,195 | F. 87712

Natural Diamond Stud Earrings, 5/8 ctw, 5mm, Platinum, 31, $3,699 G. 87752 Natural Ruby and Natural Diamond Heart Necklace, 0.015 ct, 10.5×10.5mm, Platinum, 18", 32, 66, $1,485 | H. 61-0059 Madison Collection Olive Velvet Stud Earring Box, $6.30

Adorning everyone, even those with the most sensitive skin

Stuller.com

800 877 7777

Back cover, from top:

126562 Natural Diamond Semi-Set Engagement Ring, 1 ct (8×6mm), 0.09 ctw, Platinum, 32, $1,985 | 126253

Natural Diamond Semi-Set Engagement Ring, 9/10 ctw (10×5mm), 0.02 ctw, Platinum, 32, $1,725

126565 Natural Diamond Semi-Set Engagement Ring, 1 ct (8×6mm), 0.025 ctw, Platinum, 32, $1,719 | 126476 Solitaire Engagement Ring Mounting, 3/4 ct (5.8mm), Platinum, $1,399

Front cover, from top:

123635 Natural Diamond Anniversary Band, 1/8 ctw (2×1mm), Platinum, 21, 32, $1,419

123713 Solitaire Engagement Ring Mounting, 3 ct (12×8mm), Platinum, $1,649

FIR7 Comfort-Fit Flat Band, 3mm, Platinum, size 7, $1,279 | 123629 Natural Diamond Anniversary Band, 5/8 ctw (3×1.3mm), Platinum, 21, 32, $2,785

Items are shown larger than actual size. All jewelry, findings, and mountings are suggested retail based on $1,000 platinum. Packaging is priced at jeweler’s cost, and is sold each, unless otherwise noted. Prices are subject to change without notice. Visit Stuller.com for complete product selections, current pricing, and availability. Diamond weights are not exact. See chart at Stuller.com/diamondsizeranges for weight ranges.

21 Natural Straight Baguette Diamond, SI2-SI3, G-I, N | 23 Natural Tapered Baguette Diamond, SI2-SI3, G-I, N | 25 Natural Diamond, SI1, G-I, N

26 Natural Diamond, SI2-SI3, G-I, N | 31 Natural Diamond, VS, G-H, N

32 Natural Diamond, SI2-SI3, G-H, N | 33 Natural Round Diamond, I1, G-H, N

35 Natural Princess Diamond, SI2-SI3, G-H, N | 66 Natural Ruby, AA, H

108 Natural Oval Diamond, SI2-SI3, G-I, N | 125 Natural Emerald Diamond, SI2-SI3, G-I, N | 627 Natural Pink Morganite, AA, R | 631 Lab-Grown Moissanite, SYN | 703 Natural Princess Diamond, SI, G-H, N

Scan to shop

@stullerinc | #HowIStuller

This year’s Gem winner for Media Excellence: writer Tanya Dukes

Christopher Kilaniotis, Tiffany & Co., president and CEO, Americas, celebrates the retailer’s Special Recognition Award for The Landmark.

3

OH, WHAT A NIGHT

Gem wholesaler/ influencer Julia Hackman Chafé with designer Stephanie Gottlieb on the red carpet

Bridge, CEO &

Two days before the academy awards, the industry gathered for its oscars—Jewelers of america’s annual Gem awards—in New york

GIA president and CEO Susan Jacques was honored for lifetime achievement. 7 8

Marla Aaron,

(For more on Aaron, see page 86.)

JVC’s Tiffany Stevens and PGI’s Rebecca Moskal

Grammy, Tony, and Emmy winner Cynthia Erivo winner of the Gem Award for Jewelry Style— makes an entrance at Cipriani 42nd Street.

B&B Gems’ Dave Bindra (c.) with designers Lizzie Mandler (l.) and Lauren Harwell Godfrey, the 2022 Gem Award winner for Jewelry Design

Lisa

president of Retail Excellence winner Ben Bridge Jeweler

winner of the Gem for Jewelry Design.

NEWS GEMS

panies have been doing much celebrating lately. While demand for lab-grown diamonds, largely limited to the United States, has generally been healthy, many say there’s simply too much product out there, and that oversupply has caused prices to fall by as much as 90% in recent years.

“I don’t think there’s anybody who wasn’t taken aback by the unbelievably precipitous drop in the pricing of rough lab-grown diamonds,” says Benny Landa, the legendary Israeli tech entrepreneur, who founded the created gem company Lusix in 2016. “Every quarter, we were expecting it to bottom out and it kept going down. I’ve never seen, in any business, in any market, in any technology, price declines this steep.”

The drops have led Lusix to put greater emphasis on tech applications. Other growers have made similar pivots, including Diamond Foundry, whose website is now almost entirely devoted to tech applications, and WD Lab Grown, whose gem-producing division declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2023.

And some retailers—even those that were early lab-grown adopters—now say they want to talk more about natural diamonds.

BY ROB BATES

“We have always maintained a focus on natural diamonds while offering customers choice,” Gina Drosos, CEO of Signet, told JCK in January. “I would expect us to continue to do that and maybe even to lean in a bit more to reintroduce customers to how wonderful natural diamonds are.”

Defining wrap ring with 2 cts. t.w. lab-grown cushion, oval, round, pear, marquise, and emerald diamonds in 14k white gold;

Moments threestone necklace with 2 cts. t.w. round ideal-cut natural diamonds in 18k white gold; $14,999

The natural diamond business could certainly use the help. In 2023, De Beers’ revenues fell 23% compared with the prior year. That caused its majority owner, Anglo American, to write down the diamond giant’s value by $1.6 billion. Things got so bad that at the end of 2023, Indian cutters enacted a two-month voluntary moratorium on rough imports, which many credit with stabilizing the market.

De Beers CEO Al Cook says the trade isn’t simply being hurt by competition from lab-grown; it’s also suffering from a sputtering Chinese economy and a post-COVID drop in engagements. He told Bloomberg that 2024 will be a “year of recovery” for natural diamonds, though the recovery will be “gradual—more of a U than a V.” In the meantime, Anglo has said that De Beers will trim $100 million from its bottom line. With both sectors in turmoil, many wonder if they will stop trying to

THE

one-up each other and actually start to work together. Some think that’s already happening, especially now that natural and lab-grown are settling into different price points, with lower-end fashion brands like Pandora and discount retailers like Walmart increasingly promoting lab-grown.

Analyst Paul Zimnisky estimated in January that about 60% of lab-growns now compete with natural diamonds; in the past, that number was 100%. Which means that lab-growns may soon start to enlarge the diamond market rather than cannibalize it.

David Rudlin, a former De Beers exec who now sells lab-grown, says he wishes his new industry “would focus on what we can do now that we couldn’t do before—such as produce to demand, not only in terms of volume but also size and shape. But that would require a shift from defense to offense, and right now there aren’t enough people willing and able to make the change.”

“This is the 21st century. I would never believe that I would live through a war. I heard [about war] from my grandparents, who lived through the Second World War, and when they would talk about it, my grandmother [would cry]. I would never want anyone else to feel what I feel today.”

Fine Jewelry Displays

—Ukrainian jewelry designer Valeriya Guzema, to JCK ’s Victoria Gomelsky at the Jewelers Vigilance Committee luncheon in New York City March 8

3 Questions for…

JEANCLAUDE BIVER

& A

JEAN-CLAUDE BIVER has had a storied career in the Swiss watch industry, overseeing such notable brands as Blancpain, Omega, and Hublot and serving as head of LVMH’s watch division. In February, Biver (pictured, top, and above, working with his son, Pierre, to his right) spoke with JCK editors Victoria Gomelsky and Rob Bates on JCK ’s podcast, The Jewelry District

How did you get into the watch business?

I was a hippie. I lived in a commune with students from the university. And in this community, we tried to understand the future and the world. And one day, we heard the Beatles sing “All You Need Is Love”: And that was a revolution. We said, “We know what the future will be. We have to behave like love. We have to love each other. But we have to love our passion, we have to love our job, we have to be honest.” That guided me. But I didn’t know what my passion was.

A friend of mine, Jacques Piguet, whose family had been 100 years in the watch business, said to me, “Why don’t you go into the watch business? We can find a job for you.”

He introduced me to the big boss of Audemars Piguet, Georges Golay, who offered me a job. “You will sit next to the watchmaker masters,” he said, “and

you will get the spirit, you will get the soul of making watches. Slowly, it will come into your blood.” I took the job and I never left.

Do you think working closely with master watchmakers would be helpful for young people today? It would be helpful for a certain price range. If you are a Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet or my brand [Biver], it would be helpful, because we are not in the watch industry. We are in the watchmaking art, and art is different from the industry.

I have people coming from universities, from Harvard Business School, and they don’t understand the art. If you want to work in art, you must respect the art. For instance, there are parts of the watch movement that you cannot see. But they must be finished the same way as the ones that you can see. That doesn’t change the quality of the watch. But it gives it soul.

Tell us about your new brand, Biver. We are trying to be first, different, and unique. And that happens through the soul. To bring the soul into a watch, you need perfection. Without being perfect, the soul of the watch will never come out. We need to master all the parts, even the ones that are not visible. The real luxury is what you cannot see.

Carillon Tourbillon Biver Doha with ruby dial in 42 mm titanium case

Gobeil spoke to JCK about Attic’s new salon, its sustainability pledge, and why taking two weeks off twice a year has proven good for business.

How did you approach the design of the new space?

We wanted people to come in and feel at ease. We wanted clean, uncluttered lines. It’s like our collections. Honestly, we gave our designer a lot of room to do her thing because we know that is really successful—let your designer do what they do best! We just had to let go and trust. And I think that’s where you get the most beautiful pieces. We were involved, of course—how can you be a designer and not be? There were days when we were all collaborating on the layout or the design of the cases. We were cutting out shapes and all plotting together. There was a very macro creative brief down to this very granular functionality of the space. But then you had to know when to step back. It turned out stunningly.

INNOVATIVE RETAILER

Production manager/ goldsmith Jhenae Ho Sue at the bench; (far l.)

Why do you think transparency and connection with clients is the future of jewelry?

You naturally make connections with people as you’re sharing. We’re women-led and -run, but we all have our specialties. For example, my business partner [Susan] does all of our 3D modeling. Our goldsmith is Jhenae. Valerie is taking over some of the design work. But as a small team, you all need to be able to flex. And, being women, people are going on maternity leave or will be. We’re all in that reality that we need to be able to step in as needed.

We really believe in making pieces that last and stand the test of time, which is why we got into fine jewelry. So, from material selection to the design itself, we’re really thinking about what will give a piece longevity in someone’s life, in their wardrobe, in their family. That’s one way we’re approaching it. We don’t follow any traditional fashion cycles. We’re instead releasing collection pieces

“We’re offering a pretty curated and uncluttered collection.”

—Melissa Gobeil

when we feel the design is right. We’re trying to take the time we need to execute the design.

We’re offering a pretty curated and uncluttered collection at the end of the day. That’s just who we are. That also results in less of an environmental footprint. We also design and make our pieces here in Toronto, and they’re mostly made to order. We’re also members of 1% for the Planet. That means we donate 1% of our revenues to nonprofits for the environment— that’s super meaningful to us.

You offer your staff biannual sabbaticals. How do they work? We can all have a better work/life balance. We shut down for two weeks every winter and every summer. It was

crazy when we first did it. We wondered how we were going to do it, but then we decided to take the chance. We wanted to give people time to recharge and be with their families. We took the chance, and we’ve been doing those four weeks every year. We’re all off and doing our own thing. Clients were surprisingly supportive, and ultimately people are supportive of a business that supports their people.

The Faroe and Amalfi rings

the new open space

The Miami chain and bracelet, Staple chain bracelet with charm ring, and Canadian Diamond Buoy charm

888-SPB-GEMS (772-4367) www.spbgems.com info@spbgems.com

OCTOBER 6–9, 2024

MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

MIAMI BEACH, FL

SHOP. DISCOVER. CONNECT.

JIS Fall offers a unique opportunity to connect with leading suppliers from around the globe, ensuring your showcases are stocked with the finest inventory ahead of the holiday rush. From timeless classics to cutting-edge designs, discover a diverse range of wholesale products including gold, diamonds, silver, fashion pieces, loose stones and much more. Join us to cultivate meaningful connections, transact business seamlessly and stay ahead of industry trends within the supportive atmosphere of the JIS community.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

BY ROB BATES

Q: have you found any use for ChatGpT in your work routine?

DENABURG SALES AND INTERNET MARKETING LEVY’S FINE JEWELRY Birmingham, Ala.

a: We use ChatGPT all the time. My favorite use is having it generate lists of ideas around a specific topic, and then asking it to write 500-to-600–word articles. The most important aspect is outlining very specifically how you want it to approach a task. One prompt I have used is: “Act as a jewelry industry expert with access to a pool of experts in all areas of the jewelry industry with a special focus on vintage jewelry, art history, diamonds, and rare colored gemstones. Come up with a list of 10 different blog post ideas directly relating to the Edwardian period that would help tell the story of how jewelry styles evolved. The posts should be both educational and entertaining for anyone interested in the topic.” Fact-checking is important, though. It once told me, “In 1862, the Gemological Institute of Amsterdam introduced the first-ever diamond certificate.” I could find no evidence the Gemological Institute of Amsterdam ever existed.

VIVIANA LANGHOFF OWNER

ADORNMENT + THEORY Chicago

a: Initially, I approached the use of technology with caution. Being an early adopter doesn’t always guarantee success, especially considering the rapid pace at which innovations can become obsolete (e.g., Clubhouse, Threads, etc.). However, we’ve found value in leveraging [AI] to elevate our social media copy and business writing. While it’s not without its flaws, requiring manual adjustments to align with our brand voice, it has undoubtedly streamlined our processes and saved us valuable time.

a: I absolutely love ChatGPT. I use it for social media posts [and] to write letters to my suppliers, job postings, text messages to clients. You name it, I use it! Why not embrace technology? You just have to be specific and tell it exactly what you want to do. When it spits out all these great ideas, I then put my own “Jenny O” twist on it.

a: We try to automate or streamline as much as we can. We are always trying the latest tech or app; we of course jumped on ChatGPT as soon as it was released. We write blogs for the website, and ChatGPT has helped save so much time with that. We also wanted longer and more thorough descriptions for our online items, and once we started using ChatGPT for item descriptions, they began to look and feel how we envisioned. We still write our own social captions, as it’s our personality. We sometimes use [ChatGPT] for brainstorming, trying to find the proper word or phrasing.

JOSEPH

JENNY O. CALLERI OWNER HUNTINGTON JEWELERS Las Vegas

CHAE CARTER OWNER AND PRESIDENT CARTER’S COLLECTIVE FINE JEWELRY Petal, Miss.

gold, platinum, silver, steel, titanium, brass

JCK LAS VEGAS

31.05. - 03.06.2024 Booth 24135

33 CENTRE ST. NANTUCKET, MASS.

THE VAULT NANTUCKET

A true treasure trove of jewels, 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod

BY ANNIE DAVIDSON WATSON

IT’S A CELEBRATION of art,” says Australian jewelry designer and Nantucket resident Katherine Jetter of her charming island boutique, The Vault Nantucket.

“If you’re a jewelry lover, you walk into the store and you just start giggling because it’s so exciting,” Jetter says. “The minute somebody who’s a real jewelry lover walks in, it’s like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe this is all here in one place.’ ” And that’s exactly the response she is looking for: “The goal is to have a complete bonanza of unbelievable pieces to explore.”

Right in the heart of Nantucket’s historic district on Centre Street, the 8-year-old store—open seasonally, May 15–Sept. 30—is a true treasure trove of finds by Jetter and designers she’s carefully sourced. “As a jewelry designer myself, our philosophy is all about educating our customer on the designers: their stories, their workmanship, their craft, why they make pieces a certain way, understanding the value of the pieces, understanding the gemstones, being able to speak intelligently to every single piece.”

This designer-centric approach also resonates with shoppers, who can choose from an amazing selection of couture jewelry from around the world. “I want to make sure that every designer in the space has their own niche so that there are no two designers who do the same aesthetic and are in competition with each other,” Jetter says. “Within a certain aesthetic, I drill into who I feel is

The Vault’s decor includes diamond paintings by Jetter’s good friend, artist Angela Muñoz

“I want people to feel comfortable. I want them to enjoy the experience and make it lighthearted.”

FINE JEWELRY, BUT MAKE IT FUN

meeting the standards of production, pricing, execution, and quality that I’m looking for in a finished piece of jewelry.”

Her enviable roster of designers includes Eva Fehren, Melissa Kaye, Silvia Furmanovich, Sorellina, Sydney Evan, and more.

GEMS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK

The 700-square-foot boutique’s design speaks Jetter’s same sparkling language. “There are gems on the ceiling. There’s pink, there’s purple, there’s green. It’s just a joyful, happy space,” she says. “I want them to be excited to come into the space. I want it to be a joyful experience. I want them to be able to discover the jewelry. I want it to be approachable, friendly, and fun.”

Jetter herself doesn’t enjoy “stuffy, intimidating jewelry environments,” and The Vault’s relaxed vibe reflects her outlook as well as the tranquil charm of Nantucket. “Jewelry doesn’t need to be intimidating,” she says. “It’s another product like anything else. We don’t need to take ourselves too seriously.”

Jetter’s upbeat sentiment resonates with the local and visiting clientele alike. “I do think that people are in a more whimsical mood when they’re on [an] island, and they’re looking for pieces that they can wear more casually…as opposed to sitting down and making, I don’t know, a 5-carat diamond engagement ring.”

Nantucket is a popular summer destination, and Jetter finds that her seasonal-business customers are more inclined toward impulse shopping. “They’re looking for fun things to wear out at night and something that’s going to complement their time while they’re there.”

While the purchased jewel may seem like the souvenir, oftentimes guests realize that a visit to The Vault Nantucket— the unfiltered experience of absorbing the space, discovering unexpected designs, and making human connections with Jetter and her knowledgeable staff—is the real keepsake.

DO YOU ADORE YOUR STORE? GO TO jckonline.com/be-part-of-jck-mag TO TELL US MORE.

Fernando Jorge disco earrings, Moritz Glik shaker necklace, and Single Stone heart charm

Katherine Jetter (far r.) showing a client layering necklaces from her Graffiti collection

Bangles, hoops, and necklaces from Katherine Jetter’s Origami collection, plus a selection of cocktail rings

BEYOND THE SEA

THE LOOK

1 / Amethyst, diamond, and turquoise shell earrings in 18k gold; $11,880; Silvia Furmanovich; hello@muse xmuse.com; silviafurmanovich.com

2 / Nautilus 18k yellow gold pendant with diamonds; $6,100; Alex Šepkus; 212-391-8466; alexsepkus.com

Designers are hitting the beach for inspiration, enshrining the act of collecting shells by the shore in keepsakes meant to last a lifetime.

BY RANDI MOLOFSKY

3 / Lady Venus ring in 14k gold with diamonds and cultured pearl; $4,850; Mateo; sales@mateonewyork.com; mateonewyork.com

4 / Carved coral citrine charm in 18k rose gold with black enamel; $6,000; Dezso by Sara Beltran; sales@ dezsosara.com; dezsosara.com

5 / 18k yellow gold shell charm bracelet; $11,900; Cadar; 212-6633456; cadar.com

CARABINER QUEEN

how Marla Aaron got a lock on the convertible jewelry market, kicking off the era of clips, connectors, and open-ended chains

BY KATHY HENDERSON

Tcollection of fine jewelry. In Aaron’s hands, a tiny lock can be attached to multiple chains, charms, rings, and pulleys to create an intricate necklace that didn’t exist before she began looping and wrapping the individual elements. “You can double this,” she says, grabbing a thick chain and an oval lock, “and make a choker, or add another chain and drape it like this.” Completing her impressive 30-second demonstration of jewelry sleight of hand, she declares, “Everything is about iterations.”

Iterations is an understatement for a brand offering 500 different locks and more than 10,000 total SKUs, with new pieces added on a regular basis. The entire enterprise grew out of Aaron’s vision for transforming the humble carabiner—those sturdy clips used in rock-climbing—into the centerpiece of a line favored by fashion influencers, celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Julianne Moore, and women of all ages who enjoy, as Aaron puts it, “playing with their jewelry.” And she did it from scratch, after age 40, with no experience in the industry and a thick skin for rejection by jewelry-makers and retailers.

“I didn’t expect any of this to happen,” Aaron says, seated in her gorgeously appointed headquarters on a full floor high above 47th Street in Manhattan. She leased the 5,300-square-foot space in March 2020, just as the city went into lockdown, a decision that proved wise as her brand skyrocketed in popularity online during the pandemic. Billed on her website as “not quite a store, not

Red Greenland Ruby strand with 14k yellow gold loops; $5,700; Marla Aaron; sales@ marlaaaron.com; marlaaaron.com

DESIGNER SHOWCASE

line’s screw-closure locks, spring-closure rings, gems that twirl in their settings, and bangles that pop apart to reveal hidden engraving. “I’m just obsessed with the possibilities of making functional, personal jewelry.”

Aaron’s obsession began in childhood, when her favorite hangout spot was a hardware store, and continued through young adulthood, when she moved from her native Boston to New York City and began making jewelry for friends in her spare time. While building a career in marketing and communications at an advertising firm, she spent her lunch hours on 47th Street chatting with jewelry-makers. Playing around with lock motifs, “a lightbulb went off,” she recalls, “when I realized that with 3D printing, you could morph the shape of a lock and do so many things with it.”

quite a showroom,” the sun-drenched, wallpapered salon displays hundreds of locks, rings, bracelets, and chains atop an enormous orange lacquered dresser with a center section that transforms into a mirrored vanity table. Customers can make appointments with members of her sales team for in-person or virtual consultations. If they’re lucky, the designer herself might pop in to make suggestions. (More later on Aaron’s sales philosophy.)

The personal touch is key to a jewelry brand that owes as much to ingenious mechanics as to beautiful design elements. “I’m not an engineer,” Aaron laughingly says of her

It took a while to find a bench jeweler who understood her vision of small silver and gold locks that could be attached to chains via loops on both ends. Oh, and what about adding gemstones to the lock mechanism? Or covering an entire lock in enamel or baguette diamonds? The versatility of the line may have scared off retailers, who didn’t respond to Aaron’s early pitch letters. Once she decided to quit her job in 2012 and make jewelry fulltime, she discovered the power of social media, thanks to a

Aaron came to social media from a place of caution, establishing strict rules about when and how much her two boys could use their cellphones. At the time, she says, “nobody was buying my jewelry, so one night at dinner, I said to them, ‘Why don’t you show me how to use the Instagram?’ They thought this was hilarious, but they taught me.”

Posting her first “terrible” product photos, Aaron was surprised to receive orders from as far away as Japan and Australia. Over time, she established herself as the charming face of her brand, with more than 180,000 Instagram followers and 100,000+ views of a recent selfie video in which she shared the many (many) items of jewelry she planned to wear that day. Mixed in with reels demonstrating how to style her pieces are cheeky videos in which the designer cooks chicken in a pot, does pull-ups, and applies copious amounts of blush while making fun of her age (57).

Allstone Starlock with diamonds in 14k white gold; $9,300 ($14,150 in platinum)

Heartlock with turquoise enamel in 14k yellow gold; $1,100

DESIGNER SHOWCASE

Aaron considers herself an accidental Insta star delighted by sales increases that allowed her to go from one full-time employee to 16. “I didn’t want any face of the brand,” she insists, noting that her website only recently began displaying jewelry on models. “I really wrestle with the old tropes of how jewelry is sold to people: the glistening bodies; the perfection of those images. It’s fine for the jewelry to look perfect, but the scenarios are tired.” Asked what lessons other retailers can learn from her example, she quickly esponds, “Get rid of the jewelry cases. Let people sit down—not just those buying expensive things. Everybody should get to sit down. Offer them a real experience.”

Though it’s certainly possible to spend thousands on Aaron’s gem-encrusted 14k gold pieces, particularly when purchased in multiples, she proudly points out that a sterling silver Babylock retails for $110. “I have a very egalitarian approach to jewelry,” she says. “I want it to be for everybody. Many of those [initial] customers come back and add a gold lock or chain to their collections, which is great.”

With success came offers to sell Marla Aaron jewelry at Bergdorf Goodman, one of about 25 U.S. retailers ently carrying the brand. Although she is grateful to boutiques that believed in her work early on, such as Kick Pleat in Austin and Houston, Texas, she says, “it’s not like we were discovered by these phenomenal stores—our story is the customer embracing us. Interestingly, it was the antique jewelry world that first understood what we were doing. Even though our jewelry looks modern and industrial, there is a hearkening to the Victorian era of functional jewelry.”

Almost all of Aaron’s pieces are produced by three kshops in New York City’s jewelry district. “Why is that important to me?” she muses. “There used to be incredible fashion manufacturing in New York, and now it’s pretty much all overseas. I don’t want that to happen to the jewelry industry. I love 47th Street, and I want to be part of keeping it alive and innovating.”

As is obvious from her designs, Aaron brims with creative ideas. During the pandemic, she set up a jewelry vending machine in Rockefeller Center selling tiny gold chairs, with proceeds benefiting laid-off restaurant workers. Formerly a single mother herself, she gifts silver heartshape locks to 1,500 single moms every holiday season. She doesn’t sleep much and happily oversees her company’s “messy and chaotic but defined” weekly product development meetings. Simply put, in building her business, “the more I did, the more I wanted to do.” And the more she did, the more she believed in the motto on her showroom’s cocktail napkins: Jewelry has one job, and that is to bring joy to people.

Enamel hinged sterling silver Cufflings in Bubblegum/Tacky and Princess/ Marigold; $950 each

PRICE GUIDE On Demand

BROWSE THROUGH THOUSANDS OF HAND-SELECTED DIAMONDS

ALL SHAPES & SIZES GIA AGS EGL USA IGI

BACKED BY THE ORIGINAL MOST FLEXIBLE, LIFETIME TRADE-UP POLICY

With your support and trust, we have grown from a small, family-run business to one of the world’s largest and leading suppliers of diamonds. You’ve depended on us to help you meet the rapidly changing needs of our industry and we’ve delivered.

We’ve maintained double-digit growth for more than 25 years, expanded our footprint, and grown our business to better serve the jewelers who rely on RDI Diamonds®. We’ve learned that being open-minded, inclusive, and resilient is critical for growth and forging the modernization our industry deserves.

We’ve hired smart people, partnered with forward-thinking companies, and built a network of more than 4,000 retailers, many of them family-run businesses like ours, to transform the jewelry industry by providing customers what they want— authenticity, transparency, and quality services and products.

We are committed to continually innovating to better serve you. We’ll continue to deliver exceptional customer service and the training, tools, and technology you need to create new and better conversations at the retail counter.

RDI Diamonds® will help you build your business and win new customers by providing access to thousands of high-quality diamonds, including Rare & Forever® Natural Diamonds. These diamonds are hand-selected for their brilliance and graded with cutting edge A.I. Technology for accuracy and consistency that customers can’t find on the Internet. We will empower you to offer your customers a truly superior diamond shopping experience.

We thank you—our people, partners, and retailers—for being part of our family and our journey. Learn

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Michael Indelicato - CEO of RDI Diamonds®

Stud Program

Frustrated with stock replenishment inconsistencies, endless vendor comparisons, & lack of value?

HERE’S WHAT WE OFFER:

Uncompromising Quality Control

Unlike other suppliers, RDI Diamonds® maintains strict parameters for quality control. We reject any diamonds with tints or haziness and hand-pick only the best diamond pairs.

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100% Sell-Thru Guarantee

As a buyer, you can rest assured knowing this program is offered with NO RISK! Our 1:1 stock balancing ensures that you won’t be left with excess inventory.

Mick Roscoe Director of Jewelry Programs

Showstopper RINGS

| Platinum | 3.46 ctw | 3.03 ct center | G | SI2 | GIA Call For Price.

YELLOW OVAL HALO RING

P282482 | 18k WG | 4.74 ctw | 3.39 ct center | Fancy Yellow | SI1 | GIA Call For Price.

| 18k WG | 1.51 ctw | 1.08 ct center | Pink | VS2 | GI A Call For Price.

CUSHION HALO RING

P276972 | 14k WG | 4.61 ctw | 4.01 ct center | Fancy Yellow | GIA Call For Price.

OVER $10 MILLION IN FINISHED JEWELRY OPTIONS

YELLOW

P205742

PINK HALO RING

P288084

PEAR HALO RING

STRAIGHTLINE NECKLACES

Available in White Gold | 3.0 ctw - 10.0 ctw | 17” Length

Starting at $3,800 Net

GRADUATED NECKLACES

Available in White Gold | 3.0 ctw - 10.0 ctw | 17” Length

Starting at $4,550 Net

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pre-screened to remove brown, green, and milky hues, which would otherwise greatly devalue a diamond.

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graded between very-high to exceptional, providing the most sparkle and brilliance possible.

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Boivin 1980s diamond and gold twist cuff; Fred Leighton

BARBIES

Tufted cuff in 14k gold-plated recycled brass; $385; Christina Caruso; lauren@mega megaprojects.com; christinacaruso.com

MARGOt ROBBIE

Hi, Barbie! After a promo tour where she perfectly re-created fantastic plastic icons such as Enchanted Evening Barbie (a pink satin gown, white stole, and three-strand pearl choker) and Totally Hair Barbie (a groovy swirled minidress and superlong crimped ’do), actor/producer Robbie went entirely another way on Oscar night. In a strapless black chain mail hot-off-the-runway Versace fall 2024 dress and vintage Boivin gold and diamond jewels (via Fred Leighton), our Stereotypical Barbie transformed into Hollywood Glamour Barbie. UNDER $10,000

Arcadia bracelet in 14k yellow gold with diamonds; $6,056; Ashaha; contact@ashaha. com; ashaha.com

Pomellato

Ode to Milan Castello necklace with 28 cts. t.w. baguette-, princess-, and brilliant-cut diamonds and 29+ cts. t.w. reverse-set rubellites in 18k rose gold; price on request

Alternating Pavé Marquise Drop Link choker with 2.58 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k rose gold, $15,240; Diamond, Ruby, and Pink Sapphire Triple Stacked Threads choker in 18k rose gold, $14,340; Shay; 424-777-0210; shayjewelry.com

Millenia necklace with octagon-cut pink crystals; $400; Swarovski; 800-426-3088; swarovski.com

RED CARPET

Boucheron Vendôme Liseré ring with emerald-cut morganite, pavé diamonds, and black lacquer in 18k white gold; price on request

UNDER $15,000

necklace with pear-shape drop pendant and morganite ring—provided what Welch called “the perfect finish.”

Adele ring with 6 ct. emerald-cut morganite and 0.68 ct. t.w. diamonds in 14k white gold; $2,100; Anye Designs; info@ anyedesigns.com; anyedesigns.com

UNDER $2,500

Cocktail ring with 13.2 ct. oval morganite and 0.39 ct. t.w. diamonds; $12,000; Katherine Jetter; info@ katherinejetter.com; katherinejetter.com

Mini Pebble ring in 18k gold with 0.6 ct. t.w. diamonds in rhodium finish and 0.12 ct. t.w. rubies; $8,500; Renato Cipullo; 212-3029137; renatocipullo.com

Bucherer Fine Jewellery Rivière white gold necklace with 61.21 cts. t.w. emerald-cut diamonds; price on request

Tennis necklace with 13.3 cts. t.w. round- and emeraldcut lab-grown diamonds in 14k white gold; $8,200; Grown Brilliance; 877-476-9627; grownbrilliance.com

Classic Mini Tennis necklace with 3.75 cts. t.w. baguette white diamonds in 14k white gold; $24,000; Suzanne Kalan; 747-2377132; suzanne kalan.com

KIMBERLY COLLINS

the sparkle-loving designer, gem dealer, and AGtA board president on her colorful career

WE ADMIT: ASKING Kimberly Collins to name her favorite gemstone is unfair. “That’s like being asked to pick a favorite child!” But since she’s been in the gem and jewelry biz for nearly 30 years, we couldn’t resist. “All jokes aside, I am a refraction junkie,” she says. “So, naturally, spinel, and all fancy sapphires, garnets—oh, and zircon! I can’t pick one; I love them all!” What ever gem is your favorite, you’ll find it when you visit Collins’ booth at the AGTA GemFair Las Vegas, May 30–June 3 at the JCK show at The Venetian. —MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO

Age: 53

Years in the biz: This November will be 29.… I can’t believe it! Employees you oversee: Two in the office plus one sales rep. Family and pets: Proud mom of two sons, Brady, 23, and Preston, 19; two dogs, Frisco, a white Lab, and Poncho, a Chiweenie; and an amazing boyfriend that serves as a dad to my sons. Asks...

Describe your personal style: If we are talking home, I love that slightly modern mountain-chic look…using stone, wood, and bougie accents. For my wardrobe/ jewels: chic, colorful, and coordinated. Piece of jewelry you’re most proud of: I received a heart-shape emerald pendant for Christmas. Both of my boys as well as my boyfriend are May babies within one week of each other. It’s all three of my loves in one necklace. Most underrated gemstone: Garnet. The colors are so poppy and diverse. It’s durable and brilliant. Best advice you ever received: Listen to the people telling you “You can’t,” “You won’t,” “You shouldn’t,” and let it fuel your fire because “You can,” “You will,” and “You should.”

Worst advice: Unsolicited by a competitor in response to my Instagram. “Yeah, I wouldn’t waste my/your time on social media— it’s dying.” That person started his Insta a few months later. Here I am, closing in on 25K organic followers. Yeah, it’s dying, dude. How did you get started? We had a family friend in Nairobi, Kenya, who mentored me and allowed me to live with his family to learn the East African gem trade.

shapes, and colors

Jewelry you’re wearing right now: Emerald pinky Hug ring from my line (emeralds for both of my May babies); my girlwer Crown thumb ring by my amazing friend Erica Courtney; a nice big Yumdrop ring stack from my line with emerald, yellow sapphire, and gray spinel with a diamond infinity band for a little extra bling; three gold bangle bracelets; a diamond ear cuff; stick earrings and emerald heart studs; emerald heart necklace.

“Tennessee Whiskey,” Chris Stapleton; “Stone pictured ]; Songbird, Eva Cassidy; “Amber,” 311. Lots of walking and hiking, skiing, and yoga. Drink (daytime/evening): Daytime: loads of water, one green tea, one coffee. Evening: water (if I am being good), wine/ , vodka soda, or a Manhattan.

I can’t decide between When Harry Met Sally, pictured ], and Love Actually

Who would play you in your life story? I had my sons help. One said Margot Robbie [ pictured ]; the other said Jennifer Aniston.

Kimberly Collins’ Rainbow Sapphire Baguette necklace

Vow & Forever

Wedding Merch

by Melissa Rose Bernardo

Pearls

1 / Floating Bubble necklace with diamonds and 8 mm–13 mm South Sea cultured pearls in 18k white gold on platinum collar; price on request; Sean Gilson for Assael; info@assael.com; assael.com

2 / 14k yellow gold Peek-a-Boo hoop earrings with tsavorite garnets and detachable freshwater peacock pearl charms with amethysts; $2,390; Mejia Jewelry; elise@ mejiajewelry.com; mejiajewelry.com

3 / 14k yellow gold baroque pearl Scepter brooch; $5,500; Mateo; sales@mateonewyork.com; mateonewyork.com

4 / Miriam earrings in 14k goldplated brass with detachable shell pearl drops; $195; Bounkit; 212-244-1877; bounkit.com

5 / Siren earrings with white pearls and moonstones in sterling silver; $775; Nakard; sales@nakarmstrong. com; nakarmstrong.com

6 / 3.5 mm–4 mm freshwater white pearl band ring with 0.16 ct. t.w. diamonds in 14k white gold; $1,135; Mastoloni; 800-347-3275; mastoloni.com

1 / Zodiac 14k gold and diamond necklace (shown in Capricorn); $3,150; Eriness; orders@eriness. com; eriness.com

2 / Custom Diamond Medallion in 18k yellow and white gold with diamond baguettes and two to four pavé custom diamond letters; $9,245; Foundrae; 844-731-0808; foundrae.com

3 / Alphabet Letters necklace in 18k gold with pavé diamonds; $5,200; Future Fortune; mark@markdluxury. com; futurefortunejewelry.com

4 / Large Beaded Radiant Heart Gemstone L(abradorite), O(pal), V(iolet amethyst), E(merald) acrostic medallion; $2,050 (chain sold separately); Scribe; hello@ scribejewelry.com; scribejewelry.com

5 / Enamel Letter huggie in 14k yellow gold; $395 (sold as single); Alison Lou; wholesale@alisonlou. com; alisonlou.com

6 / Name Graffiti ID tag in 14k gold with diamonds; $1,200; Heather B. Moore; direct@heatherbmoore.com; heatherbmoore.com

1 / Artemisia hair barrette in silver-tone metal with clear crystals; $195; Ben-Amun; 212-944-6480; ben-amun.com

2 / Lucia Peony headband with crystals on silk-satin with grosgrain lining; $298; Jennifer Behr; wholesale@jenniferbehr.com; jenniferbehr.com

3 / Lele x SJP ivory bow barrette with faux pearls; $65; Lele Sadoughi; sales@lelesadoughi. com; lelesadoughi.com

4 / The Rocky pin in stainless steel with pink stones; $149; Deborah Pagani; info@deborahpagani.com; deborahpagani.com

5 / Manus hairpin in sterling silver; $345; Ariana Boussard-Reifel; sales@arianaboussardreifel.com; arianaboussardreifel.com

1 / Long Girandole earrings with white quartz and porcelain fabric in white rhodium–washed sterling silver; $2,300; Larkspur & Hawk; wholesale@larkspurandhawk.com; larkspurandhawk.com

2 / Fluted Button 7-Drop earrings in 18k yellow gold with diamonds; $16,795; Lizzie Mandler; jessica@ lizziemandler.com; lizziemandler.com

3 / Stella Sunburst earrings with diamonds in 14k yellow gold; $90,000; Marlo Laz; sales@ marlolaz.com; marlolaz.com

4 / Sparkler Transform earrings in 14k yellow gold with 1.6 cts. t.w. diamonds; $6,900; Eden Presley; sales@edenpresley.com; edenpresley.com

5 / Kent Geo VII earrings with 6.5 cts. t.w. shield-shape spinel and white diamond pavé in 18k blackened white gold; $9,250; Eva Fehren; 646-8613595; evafehren.com

1 / Marine Star in stainless steel with mother-of-pearl dial and silicone strap; $695; Bulova; 800-228-5682; bulova.com

2 / Club Campus 38 Nonstop Red in stainless steel with vegan velour velvet gray strap; $1,650; Nomos Glashütte; sales@glashuette.com; nomos-glashuette.com

3 / T1/08 Bauhaus in stainless steel with lacquer bezel and three-layer dial; $1,264; SevenFriday; usa@ sevenfriday.com; sevenfriday.com

4 / Canfield Chrono 43 mm with PVD gold stainless steel case and bracelet; $1,195; Shinola; 844-7446652; shinola.com

5 / Luminor Due Pastello in stainless steel with light blue gradient dial; $7,900; Panerai; 877-726-3724; panerai.com

Getting Married Today

b y Amy Elliott

Diamond Trace Cloud ring in 18k gold; $12,000; KatKim; 213-2657947; katkimfine jewelry.com

Natasha East-West Marquise Diamond Wrap ring in 18k yellow gold; starting at $15,000; Natasha Schweitzer; info@ natashaschweitzer. com; natasha schweitzer.com

W(From top) Novi Diamond, Touch Diamond, Touch, and Quinta Diamond stack rings in 14k gold, $980–$2,965 each; White/ Space; info@ whitespacejewelry. com; whitespace jewelry.com

HEN IT COMES to engagement and wedding rings, a “three-year tailwind” is coming, predicts Jamie Singleton, group president and chief consumer officer of Signet, the parent company of 11 retail jewelry brands in the United States and U.K., including Zales, Kay Jewelers, Jared, Blue Nile, and JamesAllen.com.

“You would think there’d be a bit more pullback on spending for weddings. But we’re not seeing that. Weddings are still going pretty big.”

—Brittny Drye, Love Inc.

“The COVID-induced disruption of dating three and a half years ago impacted engagement levels,” Singleton tells JCK “Pre-pandemic, there would typically be about 2.8 million engagements every year in the United States. Last year, that number was between 2.1 million and 2.2 million.

“We expect the engagement rate to recover back to prepandemic levels over three years,” Singleton adds.

Since the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, couples have had a lot of time to think, daydream, and reflect on what they want in a wedding. This cohort also has consumed a steady diet of social media content. And they are taking the next step in their relationship against the backdrop of geopolitical turbulence.

How do these factors influence how couples set priorities, if at all? And what are the reigning aesthetics in terms of style? (Hot

tip: Mason jars, once a staple of rustic-themed weddings, are out.) Finally—and this is the big question—are Generation Z couples scaling back due to the economy?

JCK put these questions to a group of wedding pros. Look to their answers to inform your JCK Las Vegas shopping list.

SPENDING

By all accounts, couples are not scaling back on their wedding spending. “The Gen Z population is still obsessed with luxur y,” says Amy Shey Jacobs, founder and creative director of Chandelier Events in Ridgewood, N.J. “But there’s a heightened consciousness. The tone of the wedding matters.” In other words, while they’re not necessarily going to minimize their total spend, they are mindful of the optics—a gratuitously lavish or ostentatious celebration is to be avoided at all, well, costs.

David band in recycled 18k yellow gold with hidden lab-grown diamond; $1,662; Nue Fine Jewelry; info@ nuefinejewelry.com; nuefinejewelry.com

Peter Langner spring 2023

Viktor & Rolf spring 2023

Baguette-cut single diamond band; price on request; Lauren Addison; 646-836-9821; laurenaddison.com

Brittny Drye, founder and editor-in-chief of Love Inc., a nationally distributed LGBTQ+-inclusive print and online wedding publication, agrees. “You would think that there’d be a little bit more pullback on spending for weddings. But we’re not seeing that. Weddings are still going pretty big.”

CUSTOMIZATION

Post-pandemic couples expect to be able to tweak and customize just about everything. Vendors—and jewelers—who offer static packages or styles with no allowance for modification are doing it wrong.

Shelley Brown, head of brand partnerships at the Natural Diamond Council, recently got engaged and made several adjustments to an existing Ashley Zhang design to suit her vision of something that “looks like a vintage ring you might find in the jewelry box of a glamorous relative,” she says.

“Even small customizations like changing the orientation of a stone or adding engraving can make a very classic design feel special and speaks to the overarching trend of bridal consumers looking to stand out, even in subtle ways,” Brown says.

SOCIAL MEDIA

If you want to meet post-pandemic couples where they are and find out where their obsessions originate, get comfortable with TikTok, Jacobs advises.

Wedding experts have noted a slight shift away from the Instagram era, “where everything was very controlled and you didn’t really see people’s imperfections,” says Bethany Pickard, owner of Modern Kicks Event Design in Kingston, N.Y. “So there’s a lot less focus on perfection and more on real moments, because TikTok has shown people who are more authentic.”

GENDER INCLUSIVITY

It’s not a trend; it’s reality. “There’s a huge percentage of young millennials and Gen Zers who identify as LGBTQ,” Drye says. “If they are not LGBTQ themselves, they likely have people in their close circle who are.”

Drye says that couples are doing lots of research before moving forward with meetings and bookings to see if potential vendors—including jewelers—are on board with inclusivity.

Meanwhile, in terms of style, Drye says she’s frustrated by the fact that genderless jewelry tends to focus on “big, thick bands that feel very cis-driven and heteronormative.” Offering wedding bands in a range of widths and including styles with delicate details like pavé or engraving is a safe bet.

5 mm rose-cut diamond Crown Bezel Diamond eternity ring in 14k yellow gold; $15,880; Grace Lee; contact@gracelee. com; gracelee.com

Rime Arodaky fall 2023

Higar Novias spring 2023

MULTIPLE LOOKS

Opportunities to sell wedding-day jewelry have increased because brides and grooms are donning new looks for every phase of the wedding weekend, from the rehearsal dinner to the farewell brunch. In other words, it’s a complete wardrobe of outfits (all requiring jewels).

The most common outfit change is the dress switch-up, where the bride changes into something slinkier or shorter for the reception; often the main dress has a detachable skirt or a similarly convertible feature. “They might keep the jewelry simple for the ceremony, and then as the night progresses, it gets bolder,” Pickard says.

ECO-CONSCIOUSNESS

You probably already know that environmental concerns are top of mind for today’s couples. “They’re asking their caterer about reducing waste and their carbon footprint,” Drye says. “It’s the same with their floral designer. For transportation, they’re asking about electric vehicles.”

Arlo engagement ring with 1.54 ct. antique old mine–cut diamond in 18k yellow gold; $14,800; Ashley Zhang; 347268-3526; ashley zhangjewelry.com

These considerations, Drye says, “are definitely integrated into their planning decisions.”

The same is true for engagement rings. Ethical mining and sourcing remain very hot topics, so retailers should be prepared to address those concerns and try to work with suppliers that emphasize transparency and sustainability.

Rachel Leonard, editorial director of The Bridal Council in New York City, says the shift to a more sustainable mindset is unmistakable. “Maybe they’re redoing a diamond ring that was handed down,” she says. “People are wearing heirloom veils to pass down. Or they’re thinking about ways to recycle flowers [by giving them to charity or taking them to a hospital]. They are more conscientious about all of that—the green.

“They don’t want to do wasteful things like favors,” Leonard adds. “But a piece of jewelry is not a favor.” You can say that again!

Chambray ring with 0.01 ct. hidden love stone diamond; $1,630; State Property; team@ thisisstateproperty. com; thisisstate property.com

Wedding Trends Cheat Sheet

We’ve highlighted some key words and concepts trending among engaged couples in 2024

RECEPTION STYLES

• Nostalgia (flash film photography, vinyl records, Champagne towers, 1950s cakes with thick retro piping)

• Euro aesthetics (Lake Como, South of France estate weddings)

• Anthropologie (eclecticism, found objects, vintage, bohemian)

• Return to warmth (no more gray; no more white, ultramodern “blank canvas” spaces)

• Quiet luxury

INFLUENCES

• Taylor Swift

• Over the Moon wedding blog

• TikTok

• Sofia Richie

• Nicola Peltz

FASHION

• Floral motifs

• Maximalist sleeves

• Pearl embellishments

• Genderless formalwear (one to watch: Wiederhoeft)

• Multiple outfits and costume changes

• Refurbishing dresses to wear again

• Bows

Monique Lhuillier

Eisen Stein fall 2023

Clarity Icicle 18k white gold earrings with 3.46 cts. t.w. diamonds, $18,000, Mindi Mond New York, 914-7159779, mindimondny.com ; 24-inch 18k white gold three-row necklace with 10 cts. t.w. diamonds, $46,900, Gabriel & Co., 212-519-1400, gabrielny. com ; ring with 2.58 cts. t.w. diamonds in 14k white gold, $11,835 Effy, 877-275-3339; effyjewelry.com ; Jumbo Link 14k white gold bracelet with 5.78 cts. t.w. diamonds, $12,995 Shy Creation info@shycreation. com, shycreation.com; pear-shape bypass ring with 4.11 cts. t.w. diamonds in platinum, $132,120 Rahaminov Diamonds, 213-6229866, rahaminov.com ; Constellation ring in 14k white gold with 1 ct. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $1,200 Lightbox 833-270-3737, lightboxjewelry.com ; 18k yellow and white gold ring with 1.24 cts. t.w. diamonds, $25,170 Yael Designs, 415989-9235, yaeldesigns. com ; Paradox 18k white gold ring with 1 ct. t.w. diamonds, $6,990, Ashi Couture, 800-622-2744, ashidiamonds.com ; Geometric Diamond bangle in 14k white gold with 0.47 ct. t.w. diamonds, $3,105, Luvente, 212-370-1003, luvente.com ; 18k white gold bangle with 2.8 cts. t.w. diamonds, $14,200, Gabriel & Co.; Raindrop Coronet 14k white gold bangle with 2.62 cts. t.w. diamonds, $3,105 Luvente; bracelet in 18k white gold with 7.64 cts. t.w. diamonds, $35,000, Dabakarov, 212-7301888, dabakarov.com ; 18k white gold marquise statement bangle with 1.31 cts. t.w. diamonds, $9,850, Luvente

Photography by Mikael Schulz

Delphine 18k yellow gold earrings with 6.05 cts. t.w. diamonds, $18,765 Lionheart, 212-2193793, lionheartjewelry. com ; recycled 18k yellow gold ring with 4.3 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $7,650 Unsaid, hello@ unsaid.com, unsaid.com ; 18k Honey Gold ring with 3 cts. t.w. Vanilla Diamonds, $21,898 Le Vian, 516-466-7202, levian.com ; 18k yellow gold ring with 2.09 cts. t.w. diamonds, $11,250, Jennifer Chang/ Jye’s International 415-621-8880, jyescorp. com ; Diamond Baguette Wrap ring in 14k yellow gold with 0.83 ct. t.w. diamonds, $5,395, Eriness, orders@ eriness.com, eriness. com ; ring with 2.25 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds in 14k yellow

gold, $2,309, Charles & Colvard, 800-210-4367, charlesandcolvard.com ; Triangle Pyramid 18k yellow gold ring with 3 cts. t.w. diamonds, $14,000, Luis Morais, info@luismorais.com, luismorais.com ; rose-cut three-stone ring in 18k yellow gold with 2.45 cts. t.w. diamonds, $20,000, Rahaminov Diamonds, 213-6229866, rahaminov. com ; 14k yellow gold Sunshine ring with 1.39 cts. t.w. diamonds,

$5,550 Eriness; 14k yellow gold ring with 1.23 cts. t.w. diamonds, $7,470, Effy, 877-2753339; effyjewelry. com ; Princess Cut Twin Bezel ring with 5.15 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k yellow gold, $96,000, Rahaminov

Photography by Mikael Schulz

Sty list Daniel Edley / Jewelry e ditor Rima Suqi

Mesmerizing Diamond

Princess necklace with 43.96 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k white gold, $300,000, Dilamani, 516-466-6767, dilamani. com ; platinum necklace with 49.47 cts. t.w. diamonds, $400,000 Saul Fraiman for Grandview Klein Diamonds, 212719-4800, gkdg.com ; Duchess 18k white gold tennis bracelet with 7.9 cts. t.w. diamonds, $42,990, Ashi Couture, 800-622-2744, ashidiamonds.com ; bracelet with 5.56 cts. t.w. diamonds in 14k white gold, $39,308 bracelet with 3.08 cts. t.w. diamonds in 14k white gold, $16,605, Effy, 877-275-3339, effyjewelry.com ; floral bracelet with 9.8 cts.

t.w. diamonds in 18k white gold, $78,500, Luvente, 212-370-1003, luvente.com ; 18k white gold bracelet with 98.18 cts. t.w. diamonds, $400,000, Rahaminov Diamonds, 213-622-

9866, rahaminov.com ; ring with 2 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds in 14k white gold, $4,890 Zales x Shahla, 347927-4647, shahlakarimi. com ; 18k white gold

Facet ring with 2.01 cts. t.w. diamonds, $9,020, Vivaan, 212-302-0402, vivaan.us ; geometric 18k white gold ring with 2 cts. t.w. diamonds, $5,000, Luvente; ring in 14k white gold with 3.5 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $3,999 Charles & Colvard, 800-210-4367, charlesandcolvard.com

Dois Irmãos earclips in 18k pink and white gold with 1.6 cts. t.w. diamonds, $36,000, Fatto a Mano necklace with 3.9 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k white gold, $54,200 Prasi, 646-691-6512, prasiofficial.com ; 18k white gold necklace with 8.8 cts. t.w. diamonds, $21,970 Sofer Jewelry, 212575-0213, benysofer. com ; necklace in 18k white gold with 7.95 cts. t.w. diamonds, $34,500 Gabriel & Co. 212-519-1400, gabrielny. com ; 14k white gold necklace with 9.3 cts. t.w. diamonds, $49,703, ring in 14k white gold with 0.56 ct. t.w. diamonds, $3,970 Effy, 877-2753339; effyjewelry.com ; 14k white gold ring with 2 cts. t.w. diamonds, $7,995, Kallati, 516466-0035, kallati.com ; platinum ring with 3 cts. t.w. Vanilla Diamonds, $21,348, Le Vian, 516-466-7202, levian.

com ; Secret pavé ring in recycled 18k white gold with 1.08 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $5,400 Unsaid, hello@ unsaid.com, unsaid. com ; platinum ring with 3.33 cts. t.w. Vanilla Diamonds, $21,798 Le Vian; pavé stretch bracelet in 14k white gold with 3.15 cts. t.w. diamonds, $10,999, Facet Barcelona, 212-302-8200, facetbarcelona.com ; three-row bracelet in white gold with 14 cts. t.w. diamonds,

$62,560, Rahaminov Diamonds, 213-6229866, rahaminov.com ; 18k white gold Giotto bracelet with 19.2 cts. t.w. diamonds, $61,130, Roberto Demeglio, 212-5750213, soferjewelry. com ; Blanche bracelet in 18k white gold with 12.09 cts. t.w. diamonds, $34,320, Vivaan, 212-302-0402, vivaan.us ; pavé stretch bracelet in 14k white gold with 2.2 cts. t.w. diamonds, $7,999, Facet Barcelona

Infinite earrings in recycled 18k yellow gold with 2.3 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $6,450 Unsaid hello@unsaid.com, unsaid.com ; Elizabeth necklace in 18k yellow gold with 54.3 cts. t.w. diamonds, price on request Rahaminov Diamonds, 213-6229866, rahaminov. com ; 18k yellow gold necklace with 12.93 cts. t.w. diamonds, $66,000 Norman Silverman, 213-6873985, normansilverman. com ; signet ring in 18k white and yellow gold with 0.66 ct. t.w. diamonds, $4,265, Doves by Doron Paloma, 888-663-6837, dovesjewelry.com ; Cluster bangle with 3.8 cts. t.w. diamonds in 14k yellow gold, $17,150, Eriness, orders@

eriness.com, eriness.com ; Palazzo 18k yellow gold bangle with 2 cts. t.w. labgrown diamonds, $12,000, Emily Kuvin Jewelry 917-553-2516, emilykuvin. com ; Concave Hammered bangle with 0.46 ct. t.w. diamonds in 18k yellow gold, $9,475, Dana Bronfman, hello@danabronfman.com, danabronfman.com ; Morse Code I Love You bangle in 18k yellow gold with 2.96 cts. t.w. diamonds, $15,990, Amina Sorel Fine Jewelry, 845893-8099, aminasorel.com ; 18k yellow gold Carabiner bracelet with 1.1 cts. t.w. diamonds, $16,760–$18,000, Luis Morais, info@luis morais.com, luismorais. com ; 14k yellow gold ring with 0.85 ct. t.w. diamonds, $5,715 Effy, 877-275-3339, effyjewelry.com ; Mosaic Cigar Band with 1.28 cts. t.w. diamonds in 14k yellow gold, $7,850, Gigi Ferranti, 718251-1614, gigiferrantijewelry. com ; bracelet in 18k white and yellow gold with 0.91 cts. t.w. diamonds, $9,459, Herco (Quality Gold), 800-3549833, herco.com

Earrings in 14k white gold with 2.19 cts. t.w. diamonds, $13,050 Effy, 877-275-3339; effyjewelry.com ; 18k white gold necklace with 47.26 cts. t.w. diamonds, $180,000 Norman Silverman, 213-6873985, normansilverman.

com ; River ring in 18k white gold with 2.51 cts. t.w. diamonds, $6,105, Vivaan, 212-302-0402, vivaan.us ; 18k white gold bracelet with 31.04 cts. t.w. diamonds, $570,000, Norman Silverman; bracelet in white gold with 2.37 cts. t.w. diamonds, $16,200, Effy; platinum bezel-set knife-edge bracelet with 16.2 cts. t.w. diamonds, $115,000, Saul Fraiman for Grandview Klein Diamonds, 212719-4800, gkdg.com ; bracelet in 18k white gold with 9.59 cts. t.w. diamonds, $60,000 Jennifer Chang/Jye’s International; 415-6218880, jyescorp.com

Dagger Drop earrings in 18k white gold with 2.08 cts. t.w. diamonds, $8,495, Doves by Doron Paloma, 888663-6837, dovesjewelry. com ; necklace in recycled 18k white gold with 42.67 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $116,700, Unsaid, hello@unsaid.com, unsaid.com; Chubby Pavé Link 14k white gold necklace with 7.86 cts. t.w. diamonds, $23,980, Shy Creation, info@shycreation.com, shycreation.com ; 14k white gold bracelet with 9.5. cts. t.w.

lab-grown diamonds, $10,249, Charles & Colvard, 800-210-4367, charlesandcolvard. com ; bracelet in recycled 14k gold with 5.5 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $8,500, Vrai, 855-956-4488, vrai.com ; 14k white gold stretch bracelet with 3.6 cts. t.w. diamonds, $13,249 Facet Barcelona 212-302-8200, facetbarcelona.com

Button earrings in 14k yellow gold with 4.5 cts. t.w. diamonds, $24,750, Gwen Beloti Jewelry, 347-467-0082, gwenbeloti.com ; tennis choker in recycled 14k yellow gold with 9.5 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds, $13,500, Vrai, 855-956-4488, vrai. com ; 14k yellow gold necklace with 2.85 cts. t.w. diamonds, $12,540, Sofer Jewelry, 212575-0213, benysofer. com ; 18k yellow gold tennis necklace with 7.4 cts. t.w. diamonds, $46,990, Ashi Couture, 800-6222744, ashidiamonds. com ; 18k yellow gold ring with 0.48 ct. t.w. diamonds, $4,750 Jennifer Chang/ Jye’s International, 415-621-8880, jyescorp. com ; bypass bracelet in 18k yellow gold with 14.28 cts. t.w. diamonds, $105,000, Saul Fraiman for Grandview Klein Diamonds, 212-7194800, gkdg.com ; 14k gold ring with 2 ct. labgrown diamond, $4,490, ring in 14k yellow gold with 0.25 ct. t.w. diamonds, $1,350, Zales x Shahla, 347-9274647, shahlakarimi.com ; Diamond Illusion signet

14k yellow gold ring with 1.23 cts. t.w. diamonds, $9,650, Eriness, orders@eriness.com, eriness.com ; stretch ring in 18k yellow gold with 1.91 cts. t.w. diamonds, $6,900, Zydo, 786-651-3781, zydo. com ; Essence 14k yellow gold cuff with 0.2 ct. t.w. diamonds, $3,305 Gwen Beloti Jewelry; bracelet with 0.4 ct. t.w. diamonds in 18k white and yellow gold, $7,947, Herco (Quality Gold) 800-354-9833, herco. com ; Orb bangle with 1 ct. t.w. diamonds in 14k yellow gold, $8,150, Eriness; 14k yellow gold Geometric bangle with 0.47 ct. t.w. diamonds, $3,105, Luvente, 212-370-1003, luvente. com ; Sliding Baguette bangle with 0.92 ct. t.w. diamonds in 18k white and yellow gold, $7,145 Doves by Doron Paloma, 888-663-6837, dovesjewelry.com ; 14k yellow gold bangle with 1.44 cts. t.w. diamonds, $12,330 Effy, 877-2753339; effyjewelry.com

WE’RE CRAVING RAINBOW, SOFT PINK, AND CHAMPAGNE COLORED STONES

b y Stephen Lewis

Photography

Prop sty list Elizabeth Press

Necklace with 97.5 cts. t.w. emeralds, rubies, multicolored sapphires, and diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $236,000; Rahaminov Diamonds; 213-622-9866; rahaminov.com

Duet ring with 10.95 ct. blue zircon, 1.22 cts. t.w. pear-shape tsavorite, 0.38 ct. t.w. round tsavorite, and 0.57 ct. t.w. diamonds in platinum; $30,000; Omi Privé; jewelry@ omiprive.com; omiprive.com

(This page) Desert Earth Colors necklace with rutilated quartz; tourmaline; yellow, brown, and gray diamonds; and 0.05 ct. t.w. white diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $11,225; Dana Bronfman; hello@danabronfman. com; danabronfman.com

(Opposite page, from l.) 18-inch freshwater pearl choker with 14k gold clasp; $1,560; Russell Jones Jewelry; info@russelljonesjewelry.com; russelljonesjewelry.com

10 mm–13.5 mm round freshwater pink pearl 16-inch strand, $6,600; 14 mm–17 mm off-round freshwater multi-pearl multicolor 32-inch strand with 18k yellow gold, $7,700; Mastoloni; 800-347-3275; mastoloni.com

(This page, clockwise from top l.) Cascade earrings with rutilated quartz, rose of France, and tiger’s eye in sterling silver; $1,375; Nakard; sales@nakarmstrong.com; nakarmstrong.com

18k gold Autumn Harvest long drop earrings with Madagascan honey sapphire, rutilated quartz, smoky quartz, imperial topaz, and brandy citrine; $2,860; Pippa Small; wholesale@pippasmall.com; pippasmall.com

Honey spessartite necklace with tsavorite drops; $12,000; Guita M; lauren@megamegaprojects.com; guitam-jewelry.com

(This page, clockwise from l.) Moss agate drop earrings with white diamond flower and moonstone; $6,600; Guita M; lauren@megamegaprojects.com; guitam-jewelry.com

Sterling and 14k gold ring with vertical asymmetrical faceted citrine on middle Groovy band; $990; Jamie Joseph; info@jamiejoseph.com; jamiejoseph.com

Corazon ring with round dendritic agate in 14k green gold; $2,975; Judi Powers; info@judipowersjewelry.com; judipowersjewelry.com

ANATOMY OF THE FALL

Can the banal be glorious? Or, in fashion terms, can a basic white tank and straight-leg jeans quicken the pulse? Conventional wisdom says not on the runways—the epicenter of spectacle and showmanship. And yet…

by Venessa Lau

designers set their sights on the ordinary and made it

That tank-and-jeans combo? It was the opener at Jun Takahashi’s magnificent Undercover show—except, look closely, it was actually an ingenious jumpsuit, gently spliced at the seams. The rest of the collection followed suit: a windbreaker sprouting tinsel-like fringe, a beige corduroy jacket with a single printed

Consider this the next stage after stealth wealth: the prosaic reimagined, through innovative construction and special details, as seen on runways as far-flung as Dries Van Noten, Bottega Veneta, Jil Sander, Victoria Beckham, and Brandon Maxwell. Tory Burch said it best: “We were thinking about making the everyday

Among the season’s many trends—from shaggy coats and luxe leathers to exaggerated volume and the reemergence of boho—elevating the everyday felt so simple and yet revelatory. It gave us some wonderful moments of wit, too. Burch riffed on her inspiration with fruit-shaped earrings, while Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing served up clusters of “berries” and “grapes” for statement earrings, necklaces, and belt-buckle hardware. And let’s not forget Loewe’s allover-beaded barrel bag modeled after…a bunch of asparagus. Imagine that—the humble veggie catapulted to “it

On the jewelry front, perhaps fittingly, it was a rather quiet season, with many designers opting for small-scale everyday pieces like the Lilliputian pendants at Versace (gold bars), Christian Dior (eggshape), and Alexander McQueen (medallions). But don’t fret! Because there was still so much to love. And really, when you think about it, adding a touch of the marvelous to the mundane is—let’s face it—jewelry’s

Fringe Benefits

—1—

Swirl earrings in sterling silver–plated bronze or 14k gold–plated bronze; $240; Lady Grey; lauren@megamegaprojects.com; ladygreyjewelry.com

Undercover’s Takahashi wasn’t the only designer to lean on fringe as a decorative punctuation. It shot out of sleeves at Louis Vuitton and poured over dresses and beneath evening jackets at Victoria Beckham, who also printed the motif, trompe l’oeil–style, on a gown. We saw fringe channel myriad moods as well: macramé-chic at Roksanda, edgy at Mugler, Western at Elie Saab, and oldschool glamorous at Carolina Herrera (those spectacular tassels!). While the trend tends to veer flamboyant and over-the-top, what felt fresh were the more minimalist takes. Over at Jil Sander, for instance, the stringy stuff was everywhere—on scarves and skullcaps, as jewelry, trimming dresses and cascading down gowns—and yet the collection still felt beautifully spare. Ditto Dries Van Noten (pictured), who named his collection The Woman Who Dares to Cut Her Own Fringe, and touched on the theme in an ever-poetic way, with glittering strands both embroidered and free-falling in a single garment.

—2—

Hidden Beauty 14k gold choker necklace with fringe; $1,380 (also available in 18k); Guzema; 844-8631658; guzema.com

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Ghoda necklace with diamonds in rhodium-plated sterling silver; $800; Modern Moghul; lauren@megamegaprojects.com; modernmoghul.com

—4—

Earrings in 18k yellow gold with 21.49 cts. t.w. multicolored diamonds; $42,000; Etho Maria; info@ethomaria.com; ethomaria.com

—5—

Wave Enamel hoops with dangling crystals; $286; Joanna Laura Constantine; lauren@ megamegaprojects.com; joannalauraconstantine.com

Melting Point

The runways saw a few front-runners for trending colors, among them crimson, black, earth tones, and various shades of pink. But this next one will undoubtedly make your heart soar: High-shine metallics will be major for fall 2024. Countless designers incorporated lustrous looks into their collections, from the rose-gold foiled shearling jacket at Marques’Almeida to the silver sequin garments at Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, and Sacai. And there was plenty of jewelry to match. You name it, we saw it—two-tone, sleek, sculptural, hammered, and more.

But the most exciting trend here dovetailed with the season’s emphasis on draped and softenedup silhouettes. We’re talking about molten metals, which mirror the rippling folds of Atlein’s gunmetal goddess gowns, Coperni’s crinkly Mylar-like tube dress, and the metallic velvet, crushed satin, and brocade numbers at Badgley Mischka, Jason Wu, and Anna Sui. Think of Uma Wang’s earrings, by Detaj, which resembled crumpled sheets of aluminum. Or the wavier styles at Christian Siriano (pictured). Or the undulating hoops at Valentino. It’s about a play of light and shadow, movement and sensuality—fluid textures that invite touch.

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Marcia ring in 18k yellow and white gold with diamonds; $2,888; Ashaha; contact@ashaha.com; ashaha.com

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Bold Heart pendant in 14k yellow gold; $2,400; Fie Isolde; mark@ markdluxury.com; fieisolde.com

—3—

XL Molten Ribbon pendant necklace in sterling silver; $425; Sterling King; sales@sterlingkingny.com; sterlingkingny.com

—4—

Palm Leaf earrings in 14k gold–plated recycled brass; $385; Christina Caruso; lauren@megamegaprojects. com; christinacaruso.com

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Liquid Gold Crossover ring in 18k yellow gold and titanium with 0.27 ct. t.w. diamonds; $4,890; Ritique; lauren@megamegaprojects.com; ritique.com

1

4 5 3 Bow Coup

2

Remember last season’s coquette-core craze?

The hyper-feminine trend that moved from TikTok to the runways? Well, latter-day Marie Antoinettes, the pendulum swings forever in your favor because it’s still going strong. The shows were filled with the familiar romantic tropes—such as ruffles and lace—and none more so than bows. There they were at Batsheva, as part of a graphic print. And there, at Richard Quinn, cinching his grand gowns. And over at Coach, charmingly done in intarsia. Simone Rocha, meanwhile, had our favorite jewelry take—shoulder-sweeping earrings crafted from cascading stacked bows. The motif transcended the sweet and girlish, though. For every Bora Aksu and his frothy and frilled Nellie Olesons, there were Nina Ricci and Prada (pictured). The latter opted for bourgeois elegance—extra points for the shifts covered in bows that fluttered like fringe (two trends in one!)—while the former went masculin-féminin with extreme bow ties on exactingly tailored Le Smokings.

For those who embrace coquette- and goth-core with equal relish, you can have your cake and eat it too. In her Anger collection, Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo gave us a dramatically beribboned dress—pannier included— in matte all-black leather.

—1— Golden Starless Lucia earrings with 24k gold-plated stainless steel beads and crystal rhinestones; $195; Saule; hello@saulelabel.com; saulelabel.com

—2— Fishnet bow charm in 14k gold with diamond on 16- to 18-inch cable chain; $860 ($650 for charm only); Sydney Evan; 213-236-4444; sydneyevan.com

—3—

Jeux de Rubans diamond and akoya cultured pearl bow bracelet; price on request; Mikimoto; 844-3410579; mikimotoamerica.com

—4— Sink Ribbon Twirl earrings with created blush and fuchsia sapphires in aluminum and 18k gold vermeil; $2,366; Anabela Chan; sales@ anabelachan.com; anabelachan.com

—5— Midsize Bow ring with 2.61 cts. t.w. black and 0.52 ct. t.w. white diamonds in 18k white and oxidized white gold; $9,780; Mimi So; 212-300-8600; mimiso.com

1

Sheer Leaders

2

4

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T5

—1—

Liquid Vine Orb necklace with hand-carved and -painted Lucite and 14k gold-plated brass accents; $595; Alexis Bittar; 888-807-7780; alexisbittar.com

—2—

Loucite medium Jelly Hoop earrings in wisteria; $145; Alison Lou; wholesale@alisonlou.com; alisonlou.com

—3—

Figarella cuff in transparent Bakelite with 18k gold; €390 ($425); Aurélie Bidermann; info@aureliebidermann.com; aureliebidermann.com

—4—

here are certain trends you expect for fall—like beastly furs, swaddling knits, spice colors, and power suiting, all of which we got in spades. Sheer? Not so much. But winter chills—and nip slips—be damned, because designers went all in on gossamer fabrics. Take a look at Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent outing—48 exits, all but a handful see-through. It grabbed headlines, sure, but let’s be real: Who among us walks through life with the uninhibited bravado of a Julia Fox?

For those not destined for paparazzi lights, Vaccarello also proposed another option to dip into the trend: bold Lucite. His cuffs were stacked high and tinted in various shades of caramel, while earrings dangled with massive faceted drops. Prabal Gurung, meanwhile, went even more outsize with his transparent offerings—chunky collars as well as grandiose hoops and chandeliers—designed by none other than the King of Lucite himself, Alexis Bittar. That’s the beauty of this trend— you can go mega, without the heft.

Designers found other ways to get creative with the motif as well. Two chic cases in point: Susan Wang, who crafted clear floral bijoux, and Fforme’s Paul Helbers (pictured), who went the mixed-media route and combined delicate silver hoops with Patricia von Musulin’s sculpted Lucite earrings. So go ahead and dare to bare, happily.

Totem pendant with rock crystal, enamel, emerald, yellow sapphire, kunzite, and diamonds in platinum and 18k gold; $168,000; David Webb; 212-421-3030; davidwebb.com

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Domo ring with rock crystal, sapphires, and diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $9,100; Sauer; yvonne@sauer1941.com; sauer1941.com

2

Portrait of a Lady

1

Brooches were big this season, including allover brooch effects at Miu Miu and Marine Serre. In fact, we could have done a whole trend on the accessory—and almost did—except we soon realized a much larger pattern was at play. Because we also saw classic collars and colorful gemstones, polite pearls, and crystal clusters. Plus gloves, capes, and leopard spots galore. Together they telegraphed a movement that’s greater than the sum of its parts: a return to ladylike à la Truman Capote’s Swans (who have been in the zeitgeist lately thanks to Ryan Murphy). Giambattista Valli and Badgley Mischka, for instance, both quoted them as muses. But the glamour served more as a blueprint than a push for retro nostalgia. Some designers used it as a feminine counterpoint, like at Casablanca (bejeweled hoops against sharp suiting, pictured) and Paco Rabanne (glitzy necklaces for magpie bohemians). For others, like Marc Jacobs, it added a layer of emotional frisson. While Jacobs nodded to the ladies who lunched in bouffants and midcentury silhouettes, his collection was compelling—and joyous—in its simplicity: uncomplicated shapes in off-kilter proportions inspired by dolls’ clothes. “By examining the memorable and the mundane,” he explained in the show notes, “we abstract and exaggerate…in our desire to express something naive and elegant.”

4 5 3

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Platinum frame earrings with 8.11 cts. t.w. Ceylon orange sapphires and 3.05 cts. t.w. diamonds; price on request; Oscar Heyman; 800-6421912; oscarheyman.com

—2—

Gemmy Gem necklace with beryl, emeralds, fire opals, sapphires, spinel, rubellite, tanzanite, and tourmaline in 18k gold; $106,740; Irene Neuwirth; 310-566-6660; ireneneuwirth.com

—3—

Jeweled Bark ear clips with diamonds and detachable South Sea cultured pearl drops in 18k yellow gold; price on request; Mish Fine Jewelry; 561-331-3900; mishfinejewelry.com

—4—

Giza cocktail ring with blue sapphire in 18k yellow gold; price on request; Harwell Godfrey; mark@ markdluxury.com; harwellgodfrey.com

—5—

Odette pin with mother-of-pearl, blue quartz, and fuchsia CZ in 14k gold–plated brass; $550; Bounkit; 212-244-1877; bounkit.com

1. The cabaret-meets-disco show Belle de Nuit at Voltaire, which you’ll find at 2. The Venetian, aka your home base for JCK.

3. The much-buzzed-about Sphere

4. Restaurant by day, club by night

HaSalon 5. Benvenuto a Sala 118, the Italian-influenced bar at The Venetian. 6. Play Playground at The Luxor. 7. High times at Smoke and Mirrors

OUR GUIDE TO EXPERIENCING YOUR BEST VEGAS EVER. (TWO WORDS: NEGRONI FOUNTAIN.)

by Matt Villano

VEGAS GOLDEN NIGHTS

THE JCK SHOW is landing in Las Vegas at a perfect time— Sin City is on quite a heater.

It all started back in November with a Formula One race that rattled windows along Las Vegas Boulevard and attracted international attention. Then the city welcomed its newest Strip resort: the 3,644-room, $3.7 billion Fontainebleau Las Vegas north of Resorts World and south of the Strat Hotel, Casino & Tower.

Finally, in February, Allegiant Stadium hosted the 2024 Super Bowl, aka the game that awarded Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce the World Championship of Love.

Bars are cranking out craft cocktails in record numbers. Restaurant rezzies are as elusive as the jackalope. Music residencies are grabbing headlines. And you never know when A-list celebs might end up in the DJ booth of your favorite club. Everyone, it seems, wants a piece of the Vegas action. Which sets a pretty buzzy backdrop for our annual event.

As always, what’s hot and what’s not around town changes as quickly as luck at the craps table. Here, then, are some spots to keep in mind.

EXPLORING HOME BASE

Since JCK-ers will be spending most of their time at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center, it’s always a good idea to keep tabs on new stuff inside the two major properties that compose The Venetian Resort

No. 1 on that list: Sala 118 , a swanky European-style bar just off the hotel lobby at The Venetian. With sumptuous banquettes and spectacular cr ystal chandeliers, the lounge

is a great place to unwind with friends or zone out alone after a long day. Italian cocktails characterize the bar menu, and mixologists make their own bitters and vermouth. There’s even a Negroni fountain (you know, for the ’Gram).

The vibe is similarly intimate inside the new theatrical venue Voltaire. This spot is the Vegas home for Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera, and Jason Derulo. A more regular show, Belle de Nuit, blends cabaret with disco and acrobatics.

On the culinary front, the Israeli restaurant HaSalon has a menu that changes nightly and incorporates flavors from across the Mediterranean. One dish, the Horrible Hammer, is beef carpaccio with a twist; servers use hammers to pound in herbs and flowers. (If you want a quiet evening, be warned: After hours, the atmosphere in the dining room channels that of a nightclub with singing, dancing, pulsating music, sparklers, and strobe lights.)

Finally, of course, there’s the Sphere. Since the attraction debuted in late 2023, the ever-changing digital screen on its exoskeleton has become synonymous with the new Vegas. Inside, the experience is like an IMAX on steroids—a visual and audio immersion like none other. Dead & Company will be playing two shows during JCK this year; when there’s no concert, the futuristic venue shows an immersive movie directed by Darren Aronofsky.

STRIP SEARCH

There are new and exciting attractions elsewhere around town as well—especially along and adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip.

Perhaps the most headline-grabbing of the bunch is Smoke and Mirrors, the first of 19 conditionally approved recreational marijuana consumption lounges in the state of Nevada. From comfortable couches and conversation pits, guests can smoke or eat all sorts of different cannabis products. There’s also a bar where mixologists can create cannabis-infused cocktails.

For a trip of a different kind, check out Play Playground at the Luxor Las Vegas. Designed for adults, this place comprises more than a dozen Double Dare–style physical challenges and life-size spins on popular games such as Operation and Scrabble. Because it’s Vegas, there are two bars here, too. (Just don’t puke in the twisty tunnel slide.)

Digital art fans will love the newish Arte Museum across the street from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. In addition to a realistic wave room, the museum has a spot where kids (and grown-ups) can draw animals and digitize them into a junglescape where an artificial intelligence engine brings them to life.

On the restaurant front, two high-end spots are worth noting: Amalfi, an Italian seafood eatery from Bobby Flay, and Chyna Club, one of restaurateur Alan Yau’s additions to the Fontainebleau. There’s also a new Whataburger where City Center meets Las Vegas Boulevard.

GETTING ARTY

While additions on the Strip get national attention, locals go gaga over the Arts District, a sliver of city between the Strat and Downtown. This area has been a steady hub of creativity in Vegas since the 2000s, and it continues to evolve as Sin City’s most vibrant neighborhood.

The biggest news in this part of town: Chef James Trees moved his beloved Esther’s Kitchen restaurant into a larger space in March, and the spot is open till 2 a.m. nightly. (It also hosts a farmers market on Sunday mornings in a courtyard out back.)

Other recent developments include Stray Pirate, a themed bar serving Polynesian-inspired drinks; Liquid Diet , a Gothy craft cocktail bar in an unmarked garage; and the 1980s-style bar at Vintage Vegas, a retro thrift store. The Wine Garden, a wine and bubbles bar, also has become a fave.

Roller skaters swear by Fresa’s Skate Shop, a womanowned venue with the only indoor half-pipe in Vegas. While this counterculture day spa specializes in skates and clothing, guests can book skate time for $20 per hour per person. Another great new store: Spilled Milk, which specializes in offbeat home accessories.

On the outskirts of the Arts District next to the Strat you’ll find Atomic Golf, a 99,000-square-foot driving range. In addition to 103 physical driving bays, the facility has eight digital driving bays, six bars, a sportsbook-style lounge, a brew pub, meeting space, and more.

FARTHER AFIELD

We’d be remiss if we didn’t report on two other worthwhile destinations around the Las Vegas Valley.

Cool things are still happening at Area15, the entertainment complex just west of Interstate 15. Lost Spirits Distillery closed unexpectedly in late April, but Radiance, a series of new wellness programs revolving around dance and breathwork, has been hugely popular among locals looking to expand horizons beyond yoga.

What’s more, Illuminarium features immersive digital art experiences like those at the Arte Museum, only more grandiose. The Space After Dark program enables guests to sip cocktails as they zip through the cosmos. The full sensory experience includes in-floor vibration that makes you feel like you’re walking on the moon.

Finally, the Southwest Valley neighborhood is rising from the suburbs southwest of the Strip. The Durango Casino & Resort opened just after the Fontainebleau and is home to an epic steakhouse, Nicco’s Prime Cuts & Fresh Fish, and a sophisticated party scene in the Bel-Aire Lounge and Backyard. The casino’s sportsbook, adjacent to The George restaurant and its covered open-air patio, has become one of the best spots in town to watch a game.

Across the street, the UnCommons development continues to take shape. In less than a year, this work-live community has spawned an award-winning Italian restaurant, Amari, and a popular tiki/tequila bar called Todo Bien The Sundry, an upscale food hall from chef Michael Mina, opened earlier this year.

8. Amalfi, chef Bobby Flay’s Italian seafood eatery. 9. The kid-friendly Arte Museum 10. Chyna Club at the Fontainebleau. 11. Retrostyle wheels at Fresa’s Skate Shop 12. The hot new Durango Casino & Resort in southwest Las Vegas. 13. The always-popular Esther’s Kitchen, now in a bigger location (and open later). 14. The Looking at the Moon experience at Illuminarium. 15. Teed up at Atomic Golf 16. Small plates at B.S. Taqueria at Michael Mina’s Sundry food hall.

L VE

STYLE

WE LOVED HEARING THESE ADORABLE ANECDOTES, FROM A (SORT OF) SURPRISE PROPOSAL TO AN IMPULSE WEDDING TO A MEET-CUTE AT MANDALAY. WHAT CAN WE SAY? WE’RE HOPELESS ROMANTICS!

by Victoria Gomelsky

OVE HAS ALWAYS been an integral part of the jewelry business. For starters, jewelry is practically a love language unto itself. From the deep affection a piece of jewelry symbolizes to both giver and recipient to the pride and care embodied by family businesses that have passed the craft down through generations, love is inextricably woven into everything we do.

At JCK, we’re proud to be connected to another facet of love within our industry. A huge part of our business has to do with personal connections. It’s the thing we hear most often when we ask professionals about their favorite aspect of the jewelry industry. It’s our favorite thing about the JCK Las Vegas show, too. This year we’ve decided to be more explicit about these connections by officially declaring love as the theme of this year’s event.

To celebrate, we asked our readers to share love stories connected to the show, and boy, did they. Here, we recap five unforgettable tales of romance at JCK Las Vegas.

Natalie Chomet

2003: JEFF AND JOLISSA HEBARD

Jeff and Jolissa “Jo” Hebard didn’t expect to get married in Las Vegas. The couple from Southern California had been separated four years when, a few days before the 2003 JCK show, Jeff— then-manager of trade relations for Platinum Guild International (PGI) USA in Newport Beach—called Jo on a whim. “A couple

months before that, she’d come to our son’s baseball game and we briefly reconnected,” Jeff recalls. “I don’t know what came over me, but I called her and said, ‘You should come to Vegas; I’ll fly you out.’ ”

Jeff had worked for PGI since 1997 and regularly attended JCK. This year was already shaping up to be more raucous than most. “It was my brother’s 21st birthday, and my sister and her then-fiancé, now husband, came out, too.”

On Jo’s last night in town, she joined Jeff and his siblings at Gilley’s Saloon, a nightclub at the New Frontier. That same night, the couple’s mutual friend, Alex Alvarez, then-manager of public relations for PGI, was at a Women’s Jewelry Association event at The Venetian, where he won a trip for two to Italy.

Afterward, he convinced a crew of jubilant partygoers— including designer Jose Hess, PGI’s then-CEO James Courage, and the guild’s then–technical director Jurgen Maerz—to accompany him to Gilley’s.

When they arrived, Alvarez told Jeff and Jo about the trip he’d won, and challenged them to a dare. “He told us, ‘I’ll give you the trip to Italy if you get married tonight,’” Jo says. “And we’re like, ‘Okay, we’ll do it, we will get married—but you have to give us the trip.’

“Suddenly, everyone was really excited. ‘Oh my gosh, they’re going to get married.’ ” Courage secured a stretch limo for the wedding party, and

though it was well past midnight, about 20 well-wishers accompanied the soon-to-be Hebards to a liquor store, where they stocked up on refreshments and bought a “Just Wed” Nevada license plate. From there, it was on to the Little White Wedding Chapel

But when they got to the chapel, the manager thwarted their plans. “The guy tells us, ‘Listen, you can’t just get married. There really is actual paperwork to be filled out.’ We’re like, ‘We’ve got 20 people, can we just use the room?’ ” Jo says. As Jeff explains: “Jurgen was an ordained priest.”

The manager relented and let the couple carry on with the ceremony. “People are sitting in the pews, there are flower decorations all around, and we had this wedding,” Jo says. “Jeff’s brother and sister are crying. People are taking this really seriously. Except for us.” The manager gave the pair some paperwork and urged them to file it the next day to make the marriage official.

“Alex told us he wasn’t giving us the trip unless we filed the paperwork, which was not part of the deal,” Jo says with a laugh. “And when Jeff showed up to work at the show the next day, Alex had taken the photos from the night before and made a slideshow with music. By now, the news was out: PGI had a wedding. People were coming to the booth, asking, ‘What happened?’ ”

With the paperwork still unfiled, Jo flew back to Los Angeles and, despite how close she and Jeff had come to tying the knot, they didn’t speak for months. She was working on getting sober, and her newfound sobriety was the catalyst for the couple’s official reconciliation in February 2004, followed by the birth of their second child, a daughter, a year later.

“Having that Vegas experience made us realize there was still something there,” Jo says. “Even if we weren’t ready to admit it to ourselves.”

“That Vegas experience made us realize there was still something there. Even if we weren’t ready to admit it to ourselves.”

—JOLISSA HEBARD

It was Jo’s first time at JCK (“Boy, did I make a splash,” she says), but hardly her last. The couple attended JCK together three more times, even after Jeff stopped working at PGI in 2008. In October of that year, they eloped to Vegas, and finished what they’d started.

2007: TERRY AND CINDY CHANDLER

Talk about an industry connection! Terry Chandler, president and CEO of the Diamond Council of America (DCA), and Cindy Ramsey, then–deputy executive director of the American Gem Society (AGS), had known each other professionally for years. But their relationship made an unexpected turn at the 24 Karat Club Gala in New York City in January 2007, when they took a spin on the dance floor at the Waldorf-Astoria, and Chandler, a widower, realized he was smitten.

Shortly after that fateful night, Terry invited Cindy to join him in Tucson for the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Spectrum Awards dinner the following month. For Cindy, who lived in Las Vegas and was committed to her job at AGS, the encounter at 24 Karat was ultimately little more than a fun distraction. “It was nice to be with the gang but I was very focused on my job, and when I got a call from Terry inviting me to his event in Tucson, I thought, hmmm,” says Cindy, now the education director of the Atlanta Jewelry Show. “Then he had me invite two other people, so I thought, maybe not.”

“I hadn’t dated for a while,” Terry says. “I was a little rusty.”

“He was a lot rusty,” Cindy says.

From Tucson, their relationship progressed quickly. “We were on the phone a lot,” Terry says. By the time the next big industr y gathering—AGS Conclave in Denver—rolled around that spring, Terry was ready to propose.

Cindy said yes, and they began to plan the nuptials. “We wanted a family gathering and couldn’t get the family together,

JEFF & JOLISSA HEBARD

and all that, but this chapel in The Venetian opens out to a beautiful garden. It’s very elegant.”

—TERRY CHANDLER

so we planned it for Vegas, when we knew we’d all be there,” she says. “Ten days before the date we were married, we went to The Venetian, made arrangements, and stopped by Nordstrom to try on a dress.”

On the final evening of the 2007 JCK show, the couple wed at the Venetian wedding chapel, with Terry’s son, Ian, and Cindy’s daughter, Sheri, in attendance, along with some 50 industry friends including David Rocha, then–executive director of Jewelers for Children; Doug Hucker, then-CEO of AGTA; and members of the DCA and AGS teams.

“People talk about getting married in Vegas and Elvis and all that, but this chapel in The Venetian is on the ground level [and] opens out to a beautiful garden,” Terry says. “It’s very elegant.”

Every year, when the Chandlers return to JCK, they have drinks and french fries at Bouchon, Thomas Keller’s French bistro in The Venetian. Says Cindy: “It’s our ritual.”

2010: BRAD WILLIAMS AND JEN CULLEN WILLIAMS

Jen Cullen was a publicist with the Luxury Brand Group when she came to the JCK show in 2010 to handle PR and press appointments for several exhibiting brands. Unbeknownst to her, Brad Williams, her longtime boyfriend, had coordinated a plan with her then-boss, Frank Proctor, to fly to Vegas and stage a surprise proposal in her hotel room the Friday of the show.

“I decided to leave the show a bit early so I could go back and freshen up for an important ‘editorial dinner’ Frank said we had that night,” Jen recalls. As she walked to her room, she caught a glimpse of Brad in the lobby. For a moment, she thought he was there to propose, but he explained that after she’d texted him that morning (to brag about her upgraded room), he decided to surprise her. “He said he would go to the pool and gamble while I worked. I actually believed him!”

Jen then received a call from Proctor. She told him about the

BRAD WILLIAMS & JEN CULLEN WILLIAMS

TERRY & CINDY CHANDLER

BRIAN LAZAR & BRITTANY DOTSON-LAZAR

told me I was supposed to stay at the show until it closed, and I needed to come back to the show,” she says. “Meanwhile, Brad had texted him: ‘Abort mission.’ Frank then texted me and told me to just get ready for the dinner. Finishing her hair and makeup, she walked out of the bathroom to discover a rose-petal trail leading to Brad, who was down on one knee with a ring box in his hand. “He said some lovely things and I said yes!” she says.

“It turns out Brad and Frank had coordinated everything— the timing, the upgraded room, the fake editorial dinner—but I messed up the surprise by leaving JCK early and then spotting Brad at the hotel,” Jen says. “In the end it all worked out. We got to celebrate with industry friends, I had a beautiful diamond ring that I still wear to this day from a client that was exhibiting at the show, and lots of bridal editors were excited by the story!”

2013: BRIAN LAZAR AND BRITTANY DOTSON-LAZAR

Brittany Dotson and Brian Lazar’s meet-cute at JCK Las Vegas 2013 is textbook rom-com material. It happened during the show’s decade-long stint at Mandalay Bay, when Brittany, who was the Columbus, Ohio–based office manager for The Kingswood Co., a maker of jewelry cleaning products, and

“I looked at the beautiful girl in front of me and realized if I allowed her to walk away, I would never have this opportunity again.”

—BRIAN LAZAR

Brian, the New York City–based vice president of a marketing and advertising firm at the time, had a serendipitous encounter. They had been working at their respective booths for three days when they attended that year’s highly anticipated JCK Rocks the Beach event, featuring Maroon 5.

“After the excitement of the live show, we found ourselves at the same spot for the after-party,” Brian tells JCK. “Where else but Eye Candy?

“This was meant to be Brittany’s last time at the show because she was leaving the jewelry industry and heading off to graduate school in the fall, but the universe had other plans,” Brian says.

Brittany was on the bar’s glowing checkerboard dance floor, grooving to the summer’s biggest hit, “Blurred Lines,” when she spotted Lazar, in a distinctive black fedora. She approached him, smiling and confident, and reached up to take the fedora off his head and put it on hers. But his initial reaction gave her pause.

“She didn’t know that I cared more about the way my hair looked than most things in life,” Brian recalls. “Brittany sheepishly

MIREK KRACZKOWSKI & DOMINIKA OLEJNIK

“Since Brittany isn’t Jewish, she didn’t have anyone on her side really, so we went with Billy Bob—he was at the show with us when we first met, and was a part of some of our first experiences at JCK events,” explains Lazar, now a partner and chief market ing officer at IGS Creative, a full-service creative agency catering to the jewelry industry.

The Lazars welcomed their first child in 2022. What hap pened in Vegas…will forever stay in NYC.

2019: MIREK KRACZKOWSKI AND DOMINIKA OLEJNIK

Mirek Kraczkowski and Dominika Olejnik met through a dating site in 2007. Divorced, Mirek was living in Paris at the time, working in ad sales for JCK, while Dominika was based in Warsaw, Poland, where she worked in sales for a textile company.

“We were communicating very intensely over one to two months and then we had to meet, to check if this was for real,” Mirek says.

In 2008, Mirek moved to Warsaw, and the relationship grew deeper and more multifaceted, as Dominika began to accompany him on business trips to various jewelry shows in Istanbul, Las Vegas, and beyond. She also became a second mother to his young son, Maximilien, who’d initially moved from Paris to Florida with his mother (Mirek’s ex-wife) and his older sisters, twins Victoria and Alexandra, before expressing a desire to be with his dad. “When my son showed up and wanted to live with us in Poland, Dominika always said, ‘Your children are not from my tummy, but they are from my heart,’ ” Mirek says.

In 2013, when the couple was at the Istanbul Jewelry Show, standing next to the Zen Diamond booth, Mirek asked Dominika if she would like to choose an engagement ring. She said yes and chose a simple diamond ring accented with a gold heart. The following year, their partnership took on another dimension when she formally joined Mirek in the ad sales business.

Mark Smelzer. He and Mirek were my mentors. The entire team welcomed me wonderfully, and I’m very grateful for it.”

The couple had lived and worked together for a decade when they finally decided, in 2019, to make things official. “I said, ‘Why don’t we do something simple in Vegas during JCK, something just for us?’ ” Mirek says. Dominika, however, was nervous. “One day before the wedding, I said that maybe we were making a mistake because we were so happy and everything might change after the wedding.”

On June 3, 2019, Mirek and Dominika tied the knot at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas with Mirek’s three kids, a longtime JCK client, and Smelzer in attendance. Nobody else knew about the secret affair until the wedding party arrived at Carson Kitchen in downtown Las Vegas for a surprise reception with the entire JCK magazine sales and editorial team.

But that’s not where this story ends. For years, Mirek and Dominika tried, and failed, to have a baby. “We got Luna, a Jack Russell terrier, and he became our baby,” Mirek says.

In early 2023, when Dominika was 43 years old, she was shocked to learn she was pregnant. She and Mirek welcomed their daughter, Rose Jasmine, on Sept. 15, 2023. Mirek continues to represent JCK as sales representative for Brazil, Europe, and the Middle East. A family trip to JCK Las Vegas 2025 is in the works.

Instead of yellow gold, a status-symbol watch feels more discreet in a white metal.

(Oyster Perpetual Explorer 40 in Oystersteel; $7,700; rolex.com)

CONSUMERS CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF QUIET LUXURY. HERE’S HOW TOP INDUSTRY PROS ARE THINKING ABOUT THE CONCEPT WITH RESPECT TO THEIR PRODUCT ASSORTMENTS AND CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS.

RIOT QUIET

by Amy Elliott

No one does stealth wealth better than Shiv Roy (played by Sarah Snook) on the HBO drama Succession

Some vintage or vintageinspired jewels just inherently telegraph old money vibes.

An easy way to nail the quiet luxury look: plain gold, sumptuous in its simplicity—no gems necessary.

(14k yellow gold Bujukan beads Y necklace; $5,600; gabrielny.com)

(Sunburst pendant with rose-cut diamonds and rosecut bail setting circa 1800s with old rose-/portrait-cut 10.46 ct. emerald in silver and 14k gold; price on reques t; mindimondny.com)

Substantial gold pieces accented with one of the “big three” are one way to bring in a subtle pop of color.

(14k yellow gold bangle with 3.14 cts. t.w. rubies and 0.46 ct. t.w. diamonds; $8,100; effyjewelry.com)

FOR ALL THE attention the “mob wife” aesthetic has garnered on social media, fine jewelers know that when it comes to sales year in and year out, it’s all about the polar opposite trend: quiet luxury.

Some say that Hermès screams luxury, but others swear it’s more of a whisper.

that align with it. The consensus is that quiet luxury centers on quality craftsmanship and timelessness. It’s the jewelry that the ultrawealthy might wear with quintessentially luxurious labels such as Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, and Hermès. It’s stylish but not flamboyant.

But let’s dispel a common misconception: Quiet luxury isn’t really a trend. It’s an evergreen concept that jewelers—and plenty of consumers—are embracing with new enthusiasm.

JCK asked a handful of jewelry professionals how retailers should think about the understated aesthetic and how they might curate their fall and holiday assortments with styles

The essence of quiet luxury is also tacit and implicit— the client who appreciates this style probably won’t use the phrase. So the general advice is to slow down your interactions with customers; you’ll need sufficient time to highlight the distinctive features of the silky gold bangle, the hand-hammered chain, or the emerald-cut engagement ring. The conversation can take off from there. Speak quietly and you can bet they’ll listen.

A cashmere sweater by Loro Piana, cozy and quietly luxurious

Paging C.Z. Guest! This super expensive-looking strand of pearls is still perfectly understated.  (11 mm–14 mm freshwater cultured pearl 18-inch necklace with 14k white gold corrugated ball clasp; $6,000; imperialpearl.com)

LAUREN KULCHINSKY LEVISON

MICHAEL O’CONNOR

Chief style officer, Mayfair Rocks East Hampton, N.Y.

Quiet luxury is really going back to English estate dressing with luxe brands that are cashmere-based and sensory, like a scotch that you can smell and taste and feel the tones of. And there’s a lot less in your wardrobe when you dress this way. You’re buying less, you’re buying better. You’re not jumping on trends.

How do you interpret this for someone’s jewelry box? Most retailers, curators, and buyers already have quiet luxury pieces in their possession because the concept has been around forever. And you can’t really say what jewelry brands work for this because they technically all do; it’s just a matter of finding one that speaks to your aesthetic and not putting too much of it on. When you are secure in what you are wearing, that is the most luxurious you can be.

A standard diamond solitaire pendant might not be sophisticated enough—a design-forward version feels more intentional and grown-up. (24k gold Krista necklace with 23.5k gold chain and 0.09 ct. diamond center in oxidized silver; $2,630; likabehar.com)

MELISSA GEISER

Plumb Club marketing director and style expert New York City

Quiet luxury to some extent connotes the classics. And when I say classic, I don’t mean boring and canned. There has to be some kind of a design element that speaks to the consumer’s individuality. Consumers, especially ones that are skewing a little bit younger, are still looking for individuality.

I also think quiet luxury is a mindset that says, “I don’t necessarily need a bracelet that is blinged-out from elbow to wrist; what I need is one really good bracelet that I can wear day in and day out that’s going to stand the test of time.” And if you’re thinking that way, you are actually kind of defaulting to the better-quality pieces. Retailers can use the phrase quiet luxury as a tool in their tool belt and a talking point that can lower barriers to purchase.

Fine jewelry buyer, Stanley Korshak Dallas

Quiet luxury is about subtle, understated elegance without flashy displays. It emphasizes timeless designs, premium materials, quality craftsmanship, and a refined aesthetic, appealing to discerning customers seeking sophistication over conspicuousness. At Stanley Korshak, we don’t need to use the phrase quiet luxury with our clients; rather, we are all about the in-store experience and offering the best in customer service. We have conversations about the specific, unique details of a piece of jewelry with clients to better understand their needs and get to know them.

A lustrous finish and just a whisper of diamonds are a winning combination.

(Ellipsis dome ring in 18k yellow gold with 0.3825 ct. t.w. diamonds; $3,895; dorianwebb.com)

Minimalists live for quiet luxury—and they wear pieces like this.  (14k yellow gold polished dome ring; $155; royalchain.com)

DORIAN WEBB

Jewelry designer Oakland, Calif.

In times where people are maybe feeling a little insecure about the future, it’s very comforting to know that you have a piece of jewelry that feels good against your skin or that’s made with a certain degree of quality, and that you can depend on to work well with whatever it is that you’re wearing.

Also, I think that because quiet luxury is all about refinement, it’s both a challenge and an opportunity for retailers. It’s a challenge because highlighting the refinement of a piece requires retailers to spend additional time with customers to really explain the fine jewelry they’re selling. But this extra time is also an opportunity to better understand them and their motivation to make purchases, which is always helpful.

Don’t mistake “classic” for “basic,” as in a tennis bracelet with a wavy design element. (Arcane Edessa tennis bracelet in 18k gold with 3.08 cts. t.w. diamonds; $10,740; thisisstateproperty.com)

Not the diamond studs you get for your 21st birthday! Subtle design details make this pair feel entirely more sophisticated.  (White gold diamond studs made from a vintage pin; $1,800; justjules.com)

A modern twist on something classic like a tubogas bracelet is the right idea.

(Bangle in 18k white gold with 0.19 ct. t.w. diamonds; $2,820; simongjewelry.com)

MILTON PEDRAZA

Founder and CEO, Luxury Institute New York City and Boca Raton, Fla.

Owner, Jo Latham Fine Jewelry Fort Worth, Texas

You cannot assume that someone’s understated clothing and accessories choices define their taste in jewelry. You really have to see what the taste of the client is, and you can only do this by understanding their specific preferences, desires, and needs. See whether the client wants something that is aligned with the idea of quiet luxury or a piece of jewelry that’s more of a showpiece, something that creates a little contrast. People who are dressing in the quiet luxury style might still love a statement piece. Because jewelry and watches have permission to be a little bit more playful, frivolous, and creative than clothing.

I have felt a stronger pull toward the idea of quiet luxury, and it’s been interesting to watch wardrobe pieces—things you can wear every day that are timeless, classic, and chic— return as a strong-selling category.

But in Texas, we kind of still want a little flash, that pop of color. You want that expressive moment, so if you have a beautiful bangle with rainbow pavé gemstones, it can still have that quiet luxury feel if the bangle itself is very classically constructed and has those elements of heft and quality. But when a designer adds a detail that’s a nod to the customer, maybe set inside or on the back of the piece? That to me speaks to the idea of “I’m wearing this for me, not for you.” That’s what quiet luxury really means to me.

JOANNA LATHAM

THE

A few takeaways from the annual JCAs: Voters still love their greens and blues. The bigger the earring, the better. Stock up on cocktail rings. And congratulations to our grandprize winner, Rahaminov, for its Celestial Diamond lariat, featuring 40+ carats of white and yellow pearshape diamonds.

$2,500 & UNDER

$2,501–$10,000

Diamond Serpent Tail bangle in 14k gold with pavé diamonds; $2,900 ; shycreation.com

Lu Pin–designed carbon fiber bracelet with a 2.69 ct. Munsteiner-cut prasiolite and two red sapphires in 18k gold; $4,450 ; rzewuska-designerschmuck.de

Woven Eightfold bracelet with ombré Rainbow Silk and pavé tsavorite garnets, amethysts, and pink, orange, yellow, and blue sapphires; $1,450 ; minedandfound.com

OVER $10,000

One-of-a-kind bracelet with 35.87 cts. t.w. tanzanite, 18.22 cts. t.w. pink tourmaline, and 13.65 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k white gold; $53,174; stevenroyce.com

Bujukan 14k yellow gold and black oval ceramic link chain tennis bracelet; $2,100 ; gabrielny.com 1 2 3  5

ALL PRICE POINTS

Skull Yin Yang pendant with hand-carved white mother-of-pearl, black pinna shell, and abalone in 14k gold on a black rhodium sterling silver cable chain; $1,210 ; mauragreenjewelry.com

$5,000 & UNDER

14k yellow gold earrings with diamonds and 10.87 cts. t.w. turquoise; $4,200 ; dabakarov.com

$10,001–$30,000

Convertible earrings with 10.69 cts. t.w. free-shape dark purple sapphires, 9.34 cts. t.w. medium purple sapphires, and diamond halos in 18k rose gold; $27,442 ; yaeldesigns.com

$5,001–$10,000

Green With Envy one-of-a-kind earrings with 43 cts. t.w. pear-shape emerald matrix, 1.3 cts. t.w. tsavorite, and 0.85 ct. t.w. diamonds in 14k yellow gold; $7,430 ; izicreations.com

OVER $30,000

Earrings with 4.52 cts. t.w. pear-shape blue tourmaline, 0.57 ct. t.w. square-cut blue tourmaline, 1.94 cts. t.w. pearshape paraiba-type tourmaline, 0.47 ct. t.w. round Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline, and 0.36 ct. t.w. round diamonds in platinum; $40,000 ; omiprive.com

Vinci rough ruby and black spinel pendant in black rhodium–plated silver; $870 ; germankabirski.com

Dragonfly brooch with 1.34 cts. t.w. brilliant-cut diamonds; $8,250 ; jyescorp.com

Saturn necklace with 4.27 ct. Australian opal and diamond moon and starburst in 14k yellow gold; $4,995 ; parlegems.com

$5,000 & UNDER

Artistic Oval pendant with turquoise, 0.37 ct. t.w. diamonds, and 1.35 cts. t.w. blue sapphires in 14k yellow gold on 18-inch chain; $3,575 ; shulany.com

1 13 17 16

OVER $30,000

Celestial opal necklace with 26.23 cts. t.w. Australian light opals and 2.45 cts. t.w. radiant diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $49,195 ; parlegems.com

$5,001–$10,000 14k gold link necklace with 2.13 cts. t.w. diamonds; $9,980 ; shycreation.com

$10,001–$30,000

Regalia necklace with bezel-set 4.79 ct. cushion green tourmaline, white enamel, 1.53 cts. t.w. channel-set baguette diamond halo, and 0.3 ct. t.w. round diamonds in 18k gold; $21,281; yaeldesigns.com

$500 & UNDER

Chain Dangle huggie earrings with diamond-cut 14k gold chains; $365; shycreation.com

Eternal Flames earrings with 0.4 ct. t.w. emeralds and 0.08 ct. t.w. diamonds; $969 ; angara.com

$501–$1,000

Diamond Bezel textured hoop earrings in 14k gold; $840 ; shycreation.com

Double Curva pearl hoop earrings with white akoya pearls in custom 18k yellow alloy mix and Fairmined yellow gold; $7,000 ; vanessa-fernandez.com 18 20 19 21

Twist of Character ring in yellow and white gold; $870 ; ckcjewellers.com

Guardian Golden Temple pendant and ombré South Sea pearl necklace with 1.18 cts. t.w. diamonds and akoya pearls in 18k yellow gold and platinum; $48,800 ; renisis.com

$2,500 & UNDER

14k gold Quilts ring with 0.68 ct. t.w. diamonds; $2,170 ; ajaffe.com

Dance to Flamingo platinum and 18k gold ring with 4.09 ct. purplishpink sapphire, 1.95 cts. t.w. round brilliant diamonds, and 1.07 cts. t.w. custom-cut baguette diamonds; $60,000 ; pomposjewelry.com

$2,501–$5,000

14k yellow gold ring with 1.32 ct. emerald-cut purple sapphire, 1.1 ct. marquise-cut bright pink sapphire, and full-cut diamond accents; $4,215; izicreations.com

$5,001–$10,000

White gold ring with cushion-cut aquamarine, double halo of paraiba tourmaline and full-cut round white diamonds, and full-cut white diamond side stones; $7,250 ; justjules.com

$10,001–$30,000

Modern Deco ring with 4.5 ct. cushion green tourmaline, 0.74 ct. t.w. baguette diamonds, and 0.35 ct. t.w. round diamonds in 18k white gold; $17,299 ; yaeldesigns.com

OVER $30,000

Twin Bezel ring with 3 ct. Movál-cut diamond; $95,000 ; rahaminov.com

Lotus Blossom ring with 5.37 ct. Merelani garnet, 1.12 cts. t.w. Mahenge spinel, and 0.49 ct. t.w. round brilliant diamonds in 18k rose and white gold; $32,500 ; aggems.com

$10,000–$30,000

Earrings with 5.51 cts. t.w. pear-shape diamonds and 2.72 cts. t.w. marquise diamonds in 18k white gold; $22,300 ; uneekjewelry.com

Kintsugi bracelet with 8 mm–20 mm white, pink, and champagne South Sea cultured pearls, mother-of-pearl and gold inlay, and round and baguette diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $13,958 ; ckcjewellers.com

$30,001–$100,000

Douglas Elliott–designed green emerald beaded choker with pear-shape emeralds, round brilliantcut diamonds, and micro pavé diamonds in platinum; $74,000 ; marisaperry.com

OVER $100,000

Celestial Diamond lariat with yellow and white diamonds; $600,000 ; rahaminov.com

Euphoria

Th e jewelry trade's most important global gathering

JCK GATHERS THE COMMUNITY WE’VE CULTIVATED AND THE INDUSTRY WE’RE A PART OF AND LOVE. FROM THE BRANDS YOU KNOW AND LOVE TO NEW ONES YOU WILL DISCOVER, FROM THE NETWORKING AND LEARNING, INNOVATION AND SERENDIPITOUS MOMENTS. ARE YOU A PART OF THE MOST-LOVED SHOW?

Friday, May 31 – Monday, June 3, 2024

OPENING MAY 30

NEW: HONG KONG PAVILION

NEW: THE SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT AT JCK GEMS & JCK TALKS

THE VENETIAN EXPO, LAS VEGAS, NV

WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL? LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW AN UPGRADED BADGE UNLOCKS A JCK EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER.

ALL PRICE POINTS (TIE)

L’Oasis de la Rosée platinum and 18k rose gold ring with 2.53 ct. pear modified brilliant natural light brown-pink diamond, 1.08 cts. t.w. round brilliant colorless diamonds, and 0.72 ct. t.w. round brilliant fancy pink diamonds; $270,000 ; pomposjewelry.com

COLORED DIAMOND JEWELRY

LAB-GROWN

INFLUENCERS’ CHOICE WINNER

ALL PRICE POINTS

Dangle earrings with 9.5 cts. t.w. lab-grown diamonds; $12,770 ; stuller.com

Lab-grown sapphire ring with 1.3 ct. lab-grown diamond; $13,000 ; solofordiamonds.com

EDITORS’ & INFLUENCERS’ CHOICE WINNER

ALL PRICE POINTS (TIE)

Open bangle bracelet with 37.9 cts. t.w. natural fancy yellow pear-shape diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $700,000 ; normansilverman.com

EDITORS’ CHOICE WINNER

Golden Glow earrings with 8.83 cts. t.w. natural yellow radiant diamonds and 1.09 cts. t.w. white diamonds in platinum and 18k yellow gold; $165,000 ; ricardobasta.com

PLATINUM JEWELRY

EDITORS’ & INFLUENCERS’ CHOICE WINNER

OVER $10,000

and 0.22 ct. t.w. round diamonds; $25,000 ; omiprive.com

$2,500 & UNDER

14k white and yellow gold oval double halo engagement ring with 0.26 ct. t.w. brilliant pavé diamonds; $2,050 (without center stone); gabrielny.com

$2,501–$5,000

14k white gold bypass pear-shape sapphire and diamond engagement ring; $3,850 (without center stone); gabrielny.com

$5,001–$10,000

1.7 ct. hexagon-cut Montana sapphire with 0.74 ct. t.w. diamonds on 18k yellow gold wide cigar band; $8,745; parlegems.com

Atelier collection 18k gold emerald diamond bezel-set engagement ring; $8,900 (without center stone); noamcarver.com

OVER $10,000

One-of-a-kind 18k white gold ring with 6.8 ct. oval pastel light blue sapphire, 0.55 ct. t.w. round and baguette diamond halo, and 0.12 ct. t.w. round diamond accents; $64,130 ; yaeldesigns.com

Jewelers’ Choice Awards

INFLUENCERS’ CHOICE WINNER

$5,000 & UNDER

Open bangle in 14k gold with round brilliant-shape diamonds; $4,490 ; shycreation.com

$5,001–$10,000 Floral open ring with 2.5 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k white gold; $8,700 ; gabrielny.com

OVER $10,000

L’Oasis de la Rosée platinum and 18k rose gold ring with 2.53 ct. pear modified brilliant natural light brown-pink diamond, 1.08 cts. t.w. round brilliant colorless diamonds, and 0.72 ct. t.w. round brilliant fancy pink diamonds; $270,000 ; pomposjewelry.com

50 52

OVER $500

Love collection 18k gold–plated silver necklace with brushed texture finish; $1,520 ; jorgerevilla.com

Signature lariat necklace with 13.25 cts. t.w. emerald-shape diamonds and 5.23 cts. t.w. round diamonds in 18k white gold; $57,960 ; uneekjewelry.com

EDITORS’ CHOICE WINNER

$500 & UNDER

OVER $2,500

Hope matchbox pendant in 14k gold with pavé diamonds and red enamel; $3,850 ; minedandfound.com

$2,500 & UNDER

14k yellow gold Bujukan bead crisscross ring; $1,425; gabrielny.com

EDITORS’ & INFLUENCERS’ CHOICE WINNER EDITORS’ & INFLUENCERS’

Sun necklace with motherof-pearl and CZs in 14k gold–plated silver; $275; oceanjewelrystore.com

COLORED STONES

Geiger natural rough citrine and orange sapphire ring in black rhodium–plated silver with 18k yellow gold; $590 ; germankabirski.com

$2,500 & UNDER

Just Us ring with bezel-set blue topaz and diamonds; $1,495; shycreation.com

$2,501–$5,000

Flower ring with 2.32 cts. t.w. Montana sapphires and Australian light opals in 14k yellow gold; $4,745; parlegems.com

$5,001–$10,000

Thunderstruck necklace with 5.59 ct. Australian black opal, briolette blue sapphire, and diamond lightning bolt in 14k yellow gold; $8,345; parlegems.com

56 57 58 59

$10,001–$30,000

Moonlight earrings with Tahitian pearls, green tourmaline, and diamonds in 18k yellow gold; $14,745; parlegems.com

OVER $30,000

Crevoshay mosaic Twilight Romance bracelet with 142.26 cts. t.w. Ceylon sapphires and 0.61 ct. t.w. diamonds in 18k gold; $133,900 ; crevoshay.com

One-of-a-kind ring with 4.25 ct. Asscher-cut pink tourmaline, 0.95 ct. t.w. baguette diamonds, and 0.39 ct. t.w. round diamonds in 18k gold; $15,018; yaeldesigns.com

Galileo titanium mesh and silver bangle with 19.65 cts. t.w. cabochon pink tourmaline in 18k gold; $1,080 ; germankabirski.com

$2,500 & UNDER (TIE) Emerald solitaire ring in 14k white gold; $2,015 (without center stone); stuller.com

$2,500 & UNDER (TIE)

Moana smoked rose gold tungsten ring with Hawaiian koa wood, abalone, and guitar string; $300 ; thorstenrings.com

signet ring with emerald and round diamonds in satin-finished 14k yellow gold; $3,990 ; shycreation.com $2,500 & UNDER (TIE)

Riff black faceted tungsten ring with charred whiskey barrel and guitar string; $300 ; thorstenrings.com

white and yellow gold easy stackable ring with 0.3 ct. t.w. diamonds; $1,525; gabrielny.com

MIXED METAL JEWELRY

& UNDER Blue Wave pendant with Swarovski crystals in sterling silver; $159 ; oceanjewelrystore.com

silver chain necklace with white sapphire oval link pendant; $1,200 ; gabrielny.com Morning collection sterling silver earrings with multicolored tourmaline; $618 ; jorgerevilla.com

$500

FLY DRAGON

“Within our jewelry collections, cherished creatures like elephants, turtles, ladybirds, and teddy bears, to name a few, hold a special place in my heart,” says Scheufele. “Their essence has significantly influenced the animal-centric designs produced in our workshops.”

A BRACELET PACKED with sleek sardines, a slithering snake ring, an arresting fire opal cougar necklace, sparkling seahorse earrings, a cheeky monkey pendant: These are just a few of the fantastic beasts that the 164-year-old maison Chopard has brought to brilliant, bejeweled life. “I draw endless inspiration from the diverse representations of fauna across various cultures,” says co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele, who calls this piece “a perfect embodiment of the rich Asian cultural influences.” —MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO

CREATURE FEATURES

This Red Carpet collection brooch is crafted from a 15.33 ct. carved green-white jadeite, 2 rubies, 8 pink diamonds, 182 blue sapphires, 108 orange sapphires, 112 yellow sapphires, 394 white diamonds, 585 black diamonds, and a smattering of tsavorites in colored titanium and ethical 18k white and yellow gold.

“Exploring the symbolic significance of animals in different regions fascinates me deeply,” says Scheufele. This tiger and dragon jewel (which attaches to a tanzanite and amethyst bead necklace) couldn’t be better suited for the Year of the Dragon.

GOLD

what makes you feel good. There seems to be no end to the carousel of creatures that will spring up next. Now, one particular ecosystem has piqued our interest: the savanna. Abundant with elephants—a long-standing favorite among jewelry wearers for their representation of good luck—safari-themed jewels are taking shape in other majestic creatures, too: great cats like the lion and leopard, the elegant giraffe, even the all-important beetle. “I am personally drawn to animal motifs because they remind me of my humanity and connection to the living world,” says Sara Freedenfeld, whose brand Amáli offers an array of luxuriously wild jewels. “Also, they sprinkle a little joy and playfulness into my day.”

Forces of Nature lion-inspired jacket ring in 18k gold with warm white trilliant-cut diamond, pear-shape yellow diamond, and white diamonds; price on request ;

heaRtS WIll GO ON

Heart safety-pin brooch with diamond in 14k gold, (also available in 18k); Transformer heart ring with $690 (also guzema.com

LUXE HANDMADE CHAINS! FOR THAT AND MORE.

After the VicenzaOro shows every January and September, we can’t resist asking retailers what they’re buying, what they’re selling, and what they’re seeing. Two words, according to Laura Barringer, longtime fashion jewelry buyer for Ben Bridge: yellow gold. “I have never seen so much interest in yellow gold.” As for trends she spotted: flexible bracelets, letters (“whether it’s big, huge gold letters or tiny diamond letters”), and hearts. “It has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day—it’s just hearts.” Not surprisingly, she’s right. Suddenly we’re seeing hearts—like these cuties by Ukrainian brand Guzema—everywhere we look. Especially in (say it with us!) yellow gold. —MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO

HOT STOCK TIP

Chocolate Diamonds

Classic Crescent RoyalT band in platinum with 3.8 cts. t.w. emerald and pear diamonds; $21,990 ; tacori.com

Jade Ruzzo x PGI Tennessee ring in platinum with diamonds; price on request ; jaderuzzo.com

Men’s wide

Staccato hammered platinum wedding ring; $3,800 ; mejiajewelry.com

Large Limitless Hoop platinum earrings; $1,400 ; platinumborn.com

Renaissance band in platinum with 0.95 ct. t.w. diamonds; $5,200 ; verragio.com

Wedding band in platinum with 0.3 ct. t.w. diamonds; $2,160 ; simongjewelry.com

Medium Limitless Hoop platinum earrings; $1,150

TREND GAME

We’Re WIth the BaND Keynes platinum and 1.29 cts. t.w. diamond buckle ring; $12,995 ; waltersfaith.com

Small Limitless Hoop platinum earrings; $650

WHITE GOLD HAS long dominated the wedding jewelry industry; now yellow gold is giving it a run for its money, and even rose gold is having a moment. But whatever color the engagement ring, there’s no doubt it’ll go beautifully with a platinum band. With its bright exterior and celebrated strength, platinum is (literally) a solid choice for an everyday-wear item such as a wedding band. “Platinum is naturally white and dense so can withstand natural wear and tear,” says Mollie Good, cofounder and designer of Walters Faith. “We love how platinum pairs with yellow gold and, of course, rose gold as well.”

—BRITTANY SIMINITZ

WINNeR’S CIRCle

Every woman needs at least one pair of hoop earrings in her arsenal, and these Platinum Born beauties are both practical and festive. Don’t the beads look like little disco balls? Pick the size that works for you: small (0.83 inch wide), great for every day; medium (1.57 inches wide), the perfect nighttime accessory; and large (2.05 inches wide), for when you want to unleash your inner J. Lo. —MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO

We identified our core jewelry products and built stock of our most

EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES & TECHNOLOGY

TOOL TIME

AI AT RETAIL

Looking to save time responding to online reviews, writing ad copy, and performing other ordinary tasks? Outsource it to ChatGPT!

BY KAREN DYBIS

JAMES ALLEN KNOWS that engaged couples sifting through the thousands of diamond options on its website can quickly become overwhelmed, so last August the online retailer introduced a ChatGPT plug-in to streamline the process.

“ChatGPT’s technology will pull curated selections from our offerings, incorporating exactly what the customer is looking for,” says James Allen’s chief marketing officer Shannon Delany-Ron. “The technology takes into consideration parameters input by the customer as well as current trends, price options, and more.”

The result has been happier customers, Delany-Ron says, adding that the brand’s developers were already well versed in artificial intelligence–related applications, so creating and testing the

plug-in took about three weeks. “We’re constantly looking at new technology to incorporate in our business and are exploring other ways of using AI,” she says. “We think there’s a bright future for it in the retail industry.”

More luxury retailers, especially those in the jewelry industry, should invest in ChatGPT, says Ford Saeks, founder and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, a marketing agency in Wichita, Kan. “This technology isn’t going away—you need to embrace it,” says Saeks, who has been urging jewelers to employ a chatbot to help them save time on everything from writing product descriptions to replying to emails.

“It does the things you don’t want to do,” Saeks says. “Then you can use your time for the highest and best use, which is taking care of your customers.”

Consumers and retailers alike are already utilizing ChatGPT and other AI-powered applications, says Mia Katrin, a jewelry designer and marketing consultant in Fleetwood, N.C. If you create wild-looking images with the design software Midjourney, get

directions from Siri, or even spend time on Facebook or Instagram, you’re using AI in one way or another, she explains. “ChatGPT uses ordinary language,” Katrin says. “It is simple, accessible, and free. Jewelers can tap into this resource for every aspect of their business.”

So whether you want to personalize a client message, manage data, or design a piece of jewelry, Katrin says, ChatGPT is a valid place to start. “Describe your business, then ask for ideas for a new marketing campaign,” she says. “Use ChatGPT as your personal assistant or create a manual for store policies. The more you use it, the more you’ll begin to realize how it can help you.”

AI, however, is not all-knowing, Katrin says. Differently worded prompts, even those with very slight variations, can yield vastly different results.

“Be precise in your requests,” Katrin advises. “Provide background context, like the nature of your business.… ChatGPT responses may sometimes seem vague or formulaic. Follow-up responses asking ChatGPT to refine and edit its first draft can prove useful.”

WHO, WHAT, WEARABLE SAFeT

Y FiRST

THE GOODS

The InvisaWear battery doesn’t need to be charged, and is designed to last at least a year.

At its best, jewelry is both beautiful to behold and meaningful to the wearer. In the case of InvisaWear, however, it could even save your life. At least that’s the pitch behind this new tech product that doubles as a necklace, bracelet, or key chain. Each item features a button hidden on its back side. If you double-click that button, the device can alert loved ones via text, share your location, or even contact 911 for assistance.

—KAREN DYBIS

You can operate the LP4 from a smartphone via Bluetooth or a laptop via USB cable.

What it does: InvisaWear uses the same emergency response technology as ADT, the security company. The device can notify up to five preselected emergency contacts and let them know you are looking for aid.

What we liked: If you can’t activate the InvisaWear piece with your hands, you can activate it with your voice alone. With this optional feature, you say the secret phrase you have programmed into it, and the device sends an SOS to your contacts. The safety accessories are light and easy to wear daily, and look fashionable.

Best feature: Even if your location changes during an emergency, ADT can get help to you quickly. The company also can provide agents to talk to you via phone call or text. The technology allows women and anyone who uses InvisaWear’s smart jewelry to live without fear, says Rajia Abdelaziz, InvisaWear’s cofounder and CEO, and that’s empowering in every way. (From $129; invisawear.com)

IN DEMAND

Personalized jewelry is hotter than ever, and a top-notch engraver can make a custom piece stand out. That is where the Stuller LaserPecker LP4 Deluxe Dual-Laser Engraver comes in. “The LP4 is a fantastic entry-level laser engraver to expand your business and take your customization offerings to the next level,” says Brighton Broussard, tools tech manager for Stuller in Lafayette, La. Known for its precision and affordability, the portable engraver combines a 10-watt blue diode and a 2-watt pulsed infrared laser to engrave on more than 300 materials, including gold, silver, platinum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and more. The LP4 is designed to engrave flat, curved, and cylindrical pieces as well as larger items with the included attachments. With a laser source life span of 10,000 hours, the LP4 is ready to go to work. ($2,500; stuller.com) —KD

CHRISTIAN TSE ON THE FUTURE OF JEWELRY MANUFACTURING! SEE jckonline.com/topics/technology FOR THAT AND MORE.

We’re RJO, the premier jewelers cooperative, founded by and for jewelers to achieve greater success.

For over half a century, we’ve put millions of dollars into the hands of our retail members/owners through cash back rebates on their inventory and business purchases. But the savings don’t end there. RJO members also have access to free seminars, hosted foreign buying trips and low, pre-negotiated vendor prices. Visit

INDEX

Alex Velvet pg. 74

Website: alexvelvetusa.com

Email: info@alexvelvetusa.com Phone: 323-255-6900

Amden Jewelry pg. 84

Phone: 213-327-0863 Fax: 213-327-0865

Arpas Gold Jewellery pg. 89 Website: arpas.com.tr

Email: info@arpasusa.com Phone: 212-869-5548

B.H.C. Diamonds

(USA) Inc. pg. 185 Website: bhcdiamonds.com

Email: bhcusa@bhcdiamonds.com Phone: 212-997-9195

Bhanderi Lab Grown

Diamonds Inc. pg. 181

Website: blgd.in

Email: usa@blgd.in Phone: 212-278-0905

Brosway Italia pg. 72

Website: broswayitalia.com

Email: usa@broswayitalia.com Phone: +1-305-548-1355

Charles & Colvard pg. 71 Website: charlesandcolvarddirect.com

Email: sales@ charlesandcolvarddirect.com Phone: 877-463-9782

Christopher Designs pg. 109 Website: Christopherdesigns.com Toll-Free: 800-955-0970

CrownRing Bridal House pg. 55 Website: crownring.com

Email: sales@crownring.com Phone: 514-381-1589 Toll-Free: 866-214-7464

DA Gold pg. 53

Website: dagoldproducts.com

Email: da@dagoldproducts.com

Phone: 212-819-1111

Toll-Free: 800-223-6639

Fax: 212-730-5706

Dabakarov pg. 34-35

Website: dabakarov.com

Email: info@dabakarov.com

Phone: 212-730-1888

eBay Inc. pg. 18-19

Website: ebay.com

Phone: 866-540-3229

Effy pg. Back Cover

Website: effyjewelry.com

Email: inquiries@effyjewelry.com

Toll-Free: 855-ASK-EFFY

FURA Gems pg. 117

Website: furagems.com

Email: info@furagems.com Phone: +971 06 531 3641

Gabriel & Co. pg. 51

Website: gabrielny.com Phone: 212-519-1400

GIA pg. Inside Back Cover

Website: gia.edu

Email: marketdevelopment@gia.edu

Phone: 760-603-4000

Toll-Free: 800-421-7250

Hoover & Strong pg. 193

Website: hooverandstrong.com

Email: info@hooverandstrong.com

Phone: 804-794-3700

Toll-Free: 800-759-9997

Imperial pg. 123 Website: imperialpearl.com

INOX Jewelry pg. 187 Website: inox-us.com

Email:csteam@inox-us.com Phone: 203-803-1481

JCK Events pg. 54, 177 Website: jckshows.com Toll-Free: 800-257-3626

Jewelers Mutual pg.16-17 Website: JewelersMutual.com Toll-Free: 800-558-6411

JIS Show pg. 80 Website: jisshow.com

Email: info@jisshow.com Toll-Free: 800-840-5612

JTR Jewellery Exporters’ Association pg.191 Website: jtr.org.tr Email: info@jtr.org.tr

Jubilee Diamond Instrument Limited pg. 75 Website: gemlogis.com Email: enquiry@jubileediamond.com.hk Phone: +852 2351 7888 Fax: +852 2351 7333

Jye’s International pg. 37 Website: jyescorp.com Email: jyescorp@gmail.com Phone: 415-621-8880

Labon LLC pg. 179 Website: labondiamonds.com Email: sales@labondiamonds.com Phone:315-207-7066

Le Vian pg. Inside Front Cover, 1 Website: levian.com Email: sales@levian.com Toll-Free: 877-2LEVIAN

Lizay Diamond pg. 118 Website: lizaypirlanta.com

Email: export@lizaypirlanta.com

Phone: +90 545 346 1587

Marisa Perry, Inc. pg. 125 Website: marisaperry.com

Email: marisa@marisaperry.com Phone: 212-566-8977

MARKALED AYDINLATMA SAN. TIC. LTD. STI pg. 183 Website: markaled.com

Email: info@markaled.com

Phone: +90 212 418 50 58

Metal Alchemist pg. 44-45 Website: metalalchemist.com

Email: wholesale@metalalchemist.com Phone: 800-504-3098

Metal Marketplace International pg. 87 Website: metalmarketplace.com Email: mmisales@metalmarketplace.com Toll-Free: 800-523-9191

Midas pg. 4-5

Website: midaschain.com

Email: sales@midaschain.com Phone: 201-244-1150

Mioro pg. 24-25

Website: miorogold.com

Email: info@miorogold.com

Phone: 212-302-6077

Fax: 212-302-6018

Monte Christo Trade Inc. pg. 167 Website: montechristocorp.com

Email: mcc901@cs.com Phone: 213-629-2958

INDEX

Nivoda pg. 169

Website: nivoda.com

Email: sales@nivoda.com

Omi Privé pg. 107

Website: omiprive.com

Email: jewelry@omiprive.com

Phone: 626-331-4533

Parade Designs, Inc. pg. 43

Website: paradedesign.com

Email: info@paradedesign.com

Phone: 213-627-4019

Parlé pg. 41

Website: parlegems.com

Email: parlegems@parlegems.com

Phone: 800-635-9800

Peter Lam Jewellery Ltd. pg. 22-23

Website: peterlam.hk

Email: Jacky@peterlam.com.hk

Phone: +852 2355 5802

Fax: +852 2764 1328

Pompos Jewelry pg. 91

Website: pomposjewelry.com

Email: quality@pomposjewelry.com

Phone: 213-624-1441

Quality Gold, Inc. pg. 8-9

Website: Qgold.com

Email: info@Qgold.com

Phone: 513-942-7659

Toll-free: 800-354-9833

Fax: 513-682-1100

Toll-free Fax: 800-686-7184

RDI Diamonds pg. 92-105

Website: rdidiamonds.com

Toll-Free: 800-874-8768

Rembrandt Charms pg. 26-27

Website: rembrandtcharms.com

Email: orders@rembrandtcharms.com

Toll-Free: 800-828-7811

Riddhi Corporation LLP pg. 188

Website: rclgd.com

Email: kautil@vishnuexport.com

Phone: 0261 2550073, +91

9327392476

RJO pg. 197

Website: rjomembers.com

Email: rjo@rjomembers.com

Phone: 641-792-4900

Toll-Free: 800-247-1774

Fax: 641-792-9251

Toll-Free Fax: 877-252-4542

Royal Chain Group pg. Gatefold Cover, 2-3

Website: royalchain.com

Toll-Free: 800-622-0960

Sabrina Designs pg. 39

Website: sabrinausa.com

Email: mail@sabrinausa.com

Phone: 212-302-6840

Schofer pg. 81

Website: schofer.com

Email: info@schofer.com

Phone: +49 (0) 7231-91030

Shanghai Lao Feng Xiang Jewellery Co. pg. 20-21, 113

Website: laofengxiang.com

Shy Creation Inc. pg. 6-7

Website: shycreation.com

Email: info@shycreation.com

Toll-Free: 800-606-1749

Shula New York pg. 29

Website: shulany.com

Email: info@shulany.com

Phone: 212-302-0022

Fax: 646-357-9735

SPB Gems pg. 79

Website: spbgems.com

Email: info@spbgems.com

Phone: 212-719-5170

Stuller Inc. pg. 57-69, 132, 163

Website: stuller.com

Email: sales@stuller.com

Toll-Free: 800-877-7777

Fax: 337-981-1655

Sylvie Jewelry pg. 10-11, 33 Website: sylviejewelry.com

Email: marketing@sylviejewelry.com Phone: 800-992-3426

Tasha R Bridals pg. 12-13 Website: tashar.com

Email: info@tashar.com Phone: 713-242-8029

Tracr pg. 14-15

Website: tracr.com

Email: sales@tracr.com

Umicore pg. 194

Website: umicorepreciousmetals.com Toll-Free: 877-795-5060

Uneek Jewelry Inc. pg. 30-31

Website: uneekjewelry.com

Email: info@uneekjewelry.com Phone: 213-622-5119

Toll-Free: 888-BE-UNEEK Fax: 213-622-5115

VAHAN Jewelry pg. 76

Website: vahanjewelry.com

Email: sales@vahanjewelry.com

Phone: 914-937-1800 Fax: 914-937-1805

Yilmaz Fine Jewellery pg. 115

Website: yilmazfj.com

Email: shop@yilmazfj.com Phone: +90 5322877650

Zen Diamond pg. 111

Website: zendiamond.com Phone: 201-842-7698

Copyright ©2024 Reed Exhibitions. All Rights Reserved. JCK Vol. 155 No. 1 (ISSN 1534-2719) is published 1 time a year in May by Advance Local LLC d/b/a Headline Studio on behalf of Reed Exhibitions, a Division of RELX Inc., 201 Merritt 7, Norwalk, CT 06851. Circulation records are maintained at 201 Merritt 7, Norwalk, CT 06851. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to JCK, 201 Merritt 7, Norwalk, CT 06851. JCK is a registered trademark of RELX Inc., used under license. This advertiser index is published as a convenience and not as part of the advertising contract. Every care will be taken to index correctly. No allowance will be made for errors due to spelling, incorrect page number, or failure to insert or include information. Please reference page number listed for more information.

THE WAY WE WORE

MEGAWATTAGE ON AND OFF THE SCREEN

GANGSTER PARADISE

Sharon Stone rocked the mob wife look in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 Vegas crime pic Casino

“ DO YOU THINK it’s too much if I wear all these on the same day?” squeals Ginger McKenna (played by Sharon Stone) in the 1970s- and ’80s-set Casino. Ginger gets a trunk full of Bulgari bracelets, rings, necklaces, and earrings from her paramour, pro gambler/mafioso Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro), and spreads them on the bed in all their gilded glory. Now, nearly 30 years later, we know that con artist Ginger— with her big hair, red lips, chinchilla coat, and statement gold jewels—was creating the blueprint for a now-ubiquitous fashion aesthetic. “Mob wife style may sound like a slightly sinister trend, but it is really just a fun label for over-the-top glamour,” says Marion Fasel, founder and editorial director of The Adventurine. “The references are generally kept in the fictional world of film and TV. In terms of jewelry, there is no better example than Sharon Stone in Casino. She captured the mob wife look to perfection.” —MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO

The Science of Colored Stone

and Origin.

GIA research and reports are the benchmark of colored stone analysis. Those who buy, sell, or curate the world’s most important gems rely on GIA's expertise, precision, objectivity, and integrity.