Sherry Smith unpacks independent retailers’ January performance and gives tips for navigating the slow-growth year ahead.
Forevermark to Focus on Women in Q4, Backed by a Beacon
The De Beers-owned diamond brand’s fourth quarter marketing campaign will target women, both single and married, who buy jewelry for themselves.

Las Vegas--Women will be the focus of Forevermark’s fourth quarter marketing campaign, which, like the beacon programs of the past, will center on a single diamond jewelry design developed by De Beers.
Announced Sunday at the diamond brand’s annual breakfast in Las Vegas, the marketing campaign will focus on women--both married and single--who buy jewelry for themselves, a category that has grown significantly.
According to De Beers research presented at the breakfast, the number of women who buy jewelry for themselves has increased by 50 percent in the past 10 years and now accounts for more than 30 percent of the U.S. diamond jewelry market.
The campaign also will speak to women who receive gifts of diamond jewelry that celebrate personal success and growth, like promotions or career changes.
“It’s time to tell her story,” Charles Stanley, president of Forevermark U.S., said.
He said that this type of program--which is reminiscent of the De Beers “beacons,” like Journey diamond jewelry and the three-stone (past, present, future) ring--is what Forevermark partners have been asking for from the brand. He described it as getting “back to basics.”
The tagline used in the advertising will be trademarked and the design will be exclusive to retailers that carry Forevermark, unlike last year’s fourth quarter program, which piggy-backed on the success Signet Jewelers had with the “Ever Us” collection of two-stone jewelry.
“We understand that two-stone jewelry did not work for some of you,” Stanley said, addressing the retailers present at Sunday’s breakfast. “You need to love the product.”
The advertising and marketing materials to support the campaign are still being developed but are slated to roll out in October following a launch event in New York. The campaign will include national TV commercials as well as digital elements.
Forevermark is keeping the design concept under wraps for now; all that company executives would reveal at Sunday’s breakfast is that is a multi-diamond design and will be available in earrings, necklaces and rings.
While the diamond brand didn’t reveal much about its “big idea” on Sunday, Forevermark did debut the new “Lorato” collection, an exclusive line of bracelets benefiting Tusk, a charity raising awareness of the threat facing black and white rhinos in sub-Saharan Africa.
Forevermark
The bracelet, which is available in 10 color combinations, features a 10-point Forevermark diamond with a rhino charm and the Forevermark icon on either a gold chain bracelet or colored fabric cord. It will start around $500 retail.
Lorato is slated to launch on World Rhino Day, Sept. 22.
The Latest

From how to get an invoice paid to getting merchandise returned, JVC’s Sara Yood answers some complex questions.

Amethyst, the birthstone for February, is a gemstone to watch this year with its rich purple hue and affordable price point.

Launched in 2023, the program will help the passing of knowledge between generations and alleviate the shortage of bench jewelers.

The Italian jewelry company appointed Matteo Cuelli to the newly created role.


The manufacturer said the changes are designed to improve speed, reliability, innovation, and service.

President Trump said he has reached a trade deal with India, which, when made official, will bring relief to the country’s diamond industry.

Criminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.

The designer’s latest collection takes inspiration from her classic designs, reimagining the motifs in new forms.

The watchmaker moved its U.S. headquarters to a space it said fosters creativity and forward-thinking solutions in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The company also announced a new partnership with GemGuide and the pending launch of an education-focused membership program.

IGI is buying the colored gemstone grading laboratory through IGI USA, and AGL will continue to operate as its own brand.

The Texas jeweler said its team is “incredibly resilient” and thanked its community for showing support.

From cool-toned metal to ring stacks, Associate Editor Natalie Francisco highlights the jewelry trends she spotted at the Grammy Awards.

The medals feature a split-texture design highlighting the fact that the 2026 Olympics are taking place in two different cities.

From tech platforms to candy companies, here’s how some of the highest-ranking brands earned their spot on the list.

The “Khol” ring, our Piece of the Week, transforms the traditional Indian Khol drum into playful jewelry through hand-carved lapis.

The catalog includes more than 100 styles of stock, pre-printed, and custom tags and labels, as well as bar code technology products.

The chocolatier is bringing back its chocolate-inspired locket, offering sets of two to celebrate “perfect pairs.”

The top lot of the year was a 1930s Cartier tiara owned by Nancy, Viscountess Astor, which sold for $1.2 million in London last summer.

Any gemstones on Stuller.com that were sourced by an AGTA vendor member will now bear the association’s logo.

The Swiss watchmaker has brought its latest immersive boutique to Atlanta, a city it described as “an epicenter of music and storytelling.”

The new addition will feature finished jewelry created using “consciously sourced” gemstones.

In his new column, Smith advises playing to your successor's strengths and resisting the urge to become a backseat driver.

The index fell to its lowest level since May 2014 amid concerns about the present and the future.

The brands’ high jewelry collections performed especially well last year despite a challenging environment.

The collection marks the first time GemFair’s artisanal diamonds will be brought directly to consumers.


























