EditorsOct 25, 2022
Q&A: Meet the Edgy and Elegant Dries CrielEditorsOct 26, 2022
My 12 Favorite Quotes From All Those Conversations in Park City
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff shares some verbal highlights from Jewelers Mutual’s inaugural “Conversations” event in Park City, Utah.
Milk Bar President Keith Levy was among the speakers at “Conversations in Park City,” Jewelers Mutual’s recent two-day conference. He spoke about how Milk Bar, which started out with a single, small shop in New York City and has expanded nationwide, differentiates itself from other bakeries.
There is a lot to digest from Jewelers Mutual Group’s recent two-day “Conversations in Park City” event, too much to fit into a single opinion piece or article.
But, before the event gets too far behind me, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from the two-day event, held over the weekend of Oct. 14 at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.
These quotes are not presented in chronological order but, rather, in order of interest to me.
Hopefully, you will find them interesting too.
On ‘genderless’ jewelry
“Men have been wearing jewelry since ancient times, and they were comfortable with that.”
— Paola De Luca, CEO, The Futurist
“I think we are moving to a place where gender will not be a distinction in anything we make. ‘Men’s jewelry,’ I don’t think, will be a thing.”
— Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief, JCK magazine
De Luca and Gomelsky spoke on the same panel on Sunday afternoon about fashion and trends. The topic of brands moving away from labeling collections as “men’s” and “women’s” came up more than once during the discussion.
We see it all the time now among the big watch and jewelry players, though as Paola so astutely noted, gender fluidity in jewelry is not new; it’s just new to us right now.
On the metaverse
“It’s super-early. Lean in; don’t run from it.”
“Chinese consumers are the most advanced in the world. They don’t call NFTs, ‘NFTs.’ They call them digital collectibles, because that’s what it is.”
— Liz Bacelar, global executive director of innovation, Estée Lauder Companies
In my opinion, Bacelar was the best speaker of the weekend—energetic, engaging and beyond knowledgeable about Web 3.0, the next iteration of the internet that will be decentralized and powered by AI and machine learning.
Bacelar broke down the esoteric topics of the metaverse and NFTs—both expected to be key parts of Web3—in such a way that they would be understandable to anyone.
She also gave some of the best advice of the entire conference in telling retailers that, unless they plan to retire in the next six years, they need to embrace it.
Related stories will be right here …
But, before the event gets too far behind me, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from the two-day event, held over the weekend of Oct. 14 at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.
These quotes are not presented in chronological order but, rather, in order of interest to me.
Hopefully, you will find them interesting too.
On ‘genderless’ jewelry
“Men have been wearing jewelry since ancient times, and they were comfortable with that.”
— Paola De Luca, CEO, The Futurist
“I think we are moving to a place where gender will not be a distinction in anything we make. ‘Men’s jewelry,’ I don’t think, will be a thing.”
— Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief, JCK magazine
De Luca and Gomelsky spoke on the same panel on Sunday afternoon about fashion and trends. The topic of brands moving away from labeling collections as “men’s” and “women’s” came up more than once during the discussion.
We see it all the time now among the big watch and jewelry players, though as Paola so astutely noted, gender fluidity in jewelry is not new; it’s just new to us right now.
On the metaverse
“It’s super-early. Lean in; don’t run from it.”
“Chinese consumers are the most advanced in the world. They don’t call NFTs, ‘NFTs.’ They call them digital collectibles, because that’s what it is.”
— Liz Bacelar, global executive director of innovation, Estée Lauder Companies
In my opinion, Bacelar was the best speaker of the weekend—energetic, engaging and beyond knowledgeable about Web 3.0, the next iteration of the internet that will be decentralized and powered by AI and machine learning.
Bacelar broke down the esoteric topics of the metaverse and NFTs—both expected to be key parts of Web3—in such a way that they would be understandable to anyone.
She also gave some of the best advice of the entire conference in telling retailers that, unless they plan to retire in the next six years, they need to embrace it.
On sustainability
“In 2020, everything changed. Everything changed for all of us forever.”
“I think it’s about not getting discouraged but going one step at a time toward very lofty goals.”
— Sally Morrison, director of PR for natural diamonds, De Beers Group
Morrison spoke on the last panel of the weekend, a Sunday afternoon session about sustainability.
Her first remark referenced the way we all came to realize the impact our constant consumption has on the Earth when the pandemic forced billions of people to stay home and the smoke literally cleared.
The context of her second remark had to do with De Beers’ ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Both she and fellow panelist Johanna Levy, GIA’s first vice president whose role focuses on sustainability, made the point that for smaller players in the jewelry industry, being more sustainable doesn’t have to be a massive, expensive, and intimidating undertaking.
It can start with small things, like reducing energy consumption in your stores, getting involved with a local environmental group, or not handing out plastic water bottles to customers all the time (I think the elimination of plastic water bottles is also a good note for all future conference organizers to take.)
On overlooked generations
“Millennials are not dead. For some reason, I have not heard anyone talking about millennials.”
“Boomers and Gen Xers are not dead.”
— Paola De Luca, CEO, The Futurist
True to form, De Luca was one of the most quotable speakers of the weekend.
While there was a lot of talk over the weekend about Gen Z and their social media platform of choice, TikTok, De Luca astutely pointed out that older generations—the millennials, the baby boomers and, yes, even the lonely and forgotten latchkey kids of Generation X—still have a lot of buying power and many years left ahead of them.
It reminded me of the talk De Luca gave a couple years ago in Vicenza on the “midult,” which our Senior Editor Ashley Davis covered in an article that generated a lot of buzz.
On ‘micro-influencers’
“The days of overly curated Instagram accounts, I think, are almost gone.”
“As a brand, I’d be cautious about sending out too much free stuff.”
— Jessica Quillin, co-founder and principal, It’s a Working Title
Quillin’s presentation on Saturday afternoon focused on the shift from macro-influencers—meaning major public figures like Kim Kardashian—to micro-influencers in the world of marketing, something National Jeweler columnist Lilian Raji explored for us a couple years ago.
Consumers today want authenticity. They want to feel like the influencer genuinely cares about the product they promote, and is a real person like them, with flaws and vulnerabilities.
(For those interested in pursuing a relationship with an influencer, micro or otherwise, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee provides a free “Disclosures 101” guide on its website; scroll down on this page to find it.)
On diversity and inclusion
“Diversity and inclusion is a very important aspect of marketing today.”
— Paola De Luca, CEO, The Futurist
It is also an important aspect of staffing, and organizing events like conferences and trade shows.
De Luca’s quote came after Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez, director of membership and digital content at JVC, commented during the Q&A portion of De Luca’s panel that she will immediately leave a brand’s Instagram page if she’s scrolling through and sees no diversity.
And she’s not the only one.
“That is really important and a lot of my friends are like that,” Jenkins-Pérez said.
On not diluting your brand
“We don’t have to be all things to all people. When you do that, as a brand you get into difficult territory.”
— Keith Levy, president, Milk Bar
Milk Bar is the now-huge chain of bakeries that pastry chef Christina Tosi started with one tiny shop in the East Village in New York. I remember going in there for a slice of crack pie (delicious) and cup of coffee when I lived in the East Village and drank coffee, both a number of years ago now.
Levy is the chain’s president and an operating partner at Sonoma Brands, one of the private equity firms pouring money into Milk Bar so it can expand.
A lot of people seemed impressed with Milk Bar’s growth and really enjoyed Levy’s presentation.
I have other thoughts about private equity firms in retail (and in general) but I liked Levy’s quote and I thought it summed up what a lot of other speakers were saying over the weekend.
You don’t have to try everything—TikTok, the metaverse, influencers, etc.—but you do have to define your brand and be able to answer these two questions.
What makes your jewelry brand or store unique? Why should people buy from you instead of from one of your competitors?
EditorsAug 30, 2022
Two Jewelry Trade Shows in Two DaysMore on Editors
The Latest
FinancialsMay 17, 2024
Richemont Appoints Van Cleef & Arpels’ Nicolas Bos as New CEOThe announcement coincided with its full-year results, with growth driven by its jewelry brands.
FinancialsMay 17, 2024
Watches of Switzerland’s Fiscal-Year Sales Flat Looking ahead, the retailer said it sees “enormous potential” in Roberto Coin’s ability to boost its branded jewelry business.
Recorded WebinarsMay 17, 2024
Watch: Preparing for Trade Show SuccessJewelry trade show veterans share strategies for engaging buyers, managing your time effectively, and packing the right shoes.
Brought to you by
Record Gold Prices Have Consumers Undeterred. Here’s Why.Despite the rising prices, consumers continue to seek out the precious metal.
AuctionsMay 17, 2024
Piece of the Week: Cartier’s Ring-Tailed LemurThis little guy’s name is Ricky and he just sold for more than $200,000 at Sotheby’s Geneva jewelry auction.
Weekly QuizMay 16, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these seven questions.
AuctionsMay 16, 2024
Christie’s Holds 2 Sales Despite CyberattackThough its website has been down for a week, Christie’s proceeded with its jewelry and watch auctions on May 13-14, bringing in nearly $80 million.
AuctionsMay 16, 2024
Sotheby’s Withdraws 101-Carat Yellow Diamond from AuctionDespite the absence of “The Allnatt,” Sotheby’s Geneva jewelry auction totaled $34 million, with 90 percent of lots sold.
Brought to you by
From Registration to Return: 10 Tips to Protect You Before, During and After a TradeshowTradeshow risks are real. Get tips to protect yourself before, during and after and gain safety and security awareness for your business.
ColumnistsMay 16, 2024
The PR Adviser: What the Designer Should’ve DoneLilian Raji gives advice to designers on how to make the most of great publicity opportunities.
SourcingMay 16, 2024
Lucapa to Shed Stake in Lesotho Diamond Mine The mining company wants to divest its 70 percent holding in the Mothae Diamond Mine in an effort to streamline its portfolio.
ColumnistsMay 15, 2024
Squirrel Spotting: Why Retailers Struggle to Fire BrandsWhy do so many jewelers keep lines that are not selling? Peter Smith thinks the answer lies in these two behavioral principles.
AuctionsMay 15, 2024
Red Diamond Breaks Records at Phillips GenevaThe “Argyle Phoenix” sold for more than $4 million at the auction house’s second jewels sale.
Events & AwardsMay 15, 2024
See Who’s in JA’s 2024 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list recognizes young professionals making an impact in jewelry retail.
IndependentsMay 15, 2024
David Mann Jewelers in Upstate NY to Close After 35 YearsOwner David Mann is heading into retirement.
FinancialsMay 15, 2024
Brilliant Earth’s Sales Fall Flat in Q1 While overall sales were sluggish, the retailer said its non-bridal fine jewelry was a popular choice for Valentine’s Day.
SourcingMay 14, 2024
Anglo American Confirms It Is Looking to Sell De Beers The mining giant also wants to offload its platinum business as part of an overhaul designed to “unlock significant value.”
AuctionsMay 14, 2024
2 Huge Yellow Diamonds Are Heading to AuctionChristie's is selling one of the diamonds, moving forward with its Geneva jewelry auction despite the cyberattack that took down its website.
MajorsMay 14, 2024
Platinum Born Taps ‘Born Leaders’ for New CampaignThe ad aims to position platinum jewelry as ideal for everyday wear.
GradingMay 14, 2024
Instappraise Adds Trifold Brochure to Appraisal OfferingsRetailers can customize and print the appraisal brochures from their store.
Lab-GrownMay 13, 2024
Lab-Grown Diamond Brand Lightbox Cuts Prices by 25 to 40%The move follows a price-drop test run in Q4 and comes with the addition of a “quality assurance card” from GIA for some loose diamonds.
TechnologyMay 13, 2024
Christie’s Website Brought Down by Hackers, Watch Auction Postponed The site has been down since Thursday evening, just ahead of its spring auctions.
AuctionsMay 13, 2024
Madeleine Albright’s Jewelry, Pins a White-Glove Sale at Freeman’s | HindmanThe late former U.S. Secretary’s collection went for quadruple the sale’s pre-sale estimate.
IndependentsMay 13, 2024
Zachary’s Jewelers Names Mother’s Day Jewelry Contest WinnersThree fifth graders’ winning designs were turned into custom jewelry pieces in time for Mother’s Day.
IndependentsMay 10, 2024
Frank Adams Jewelers Names New CEOKimberly Adams Russell is taking over the role from her father, David Adams, marking the third generation to hold the title.
CollectionsMay 10, 2024
Piece of the Week: Carina Hardy’s ‘Birth of Venus’ NecklaceAs a token of womanhood, this necklace depicts when Venus was born from the sea.
MajorsMay 09, 2024
Watches of Switzerland Pays $130M for Roberto Coin Inc.The deal gives the retailer control over the distribution of Roberto Coin jewelry in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, and Central America.
TrendsMay 09, 2024
Amanda’s Style File: Shine Bright, Moms Show your mother some love with a piece of fine jewelry.
