TrendsJul 31, 2026
These Pieces of the Week Are Sweet Edina Kiss’ “Popsicle” pendant and Karina Choudhrie’s “Ice Cream” charm satisfy that summer craving for a sweet piece of jewelry.
EditorsJun 17, 2019
What Does Transparency Mean in 2019?
It’s central to growing your business, and it’s not just about material provenance.
There are a handful of topics right now in the jewelry industry that come up again and again—sustainability, social media and omnichannel retail, to name a few—and rightly so, because they signal monumental changes in the way all sectors of the industry do business.
Transparency is one of these hot topics that I hear a great deal about, but I was surprised to get a totally different take on the issue at a recent educational panel at JCK Las Vegas.
Moderated by Ben Smithee of The Smithee Group, the panelists of “JCK Next Generation” illuminated how empowering transparency can be for a company when approached in a multi-faceted way.
“Some of us think if we don’t know provenance for every single element that we can’t participate in being transparent with our customers—that’s not at all true.”— Michelle Adorjan Chila, Tacori
“Don’t be intimidated by it,” said Michelle Adorjan Chila, senior vice president of marketing and public relations at Tacori.
“Some of us think if we don’t know provenance for every single element that we can’t participate in being transparent with our customers—that’s not at all true.”
For Tacori, Chila explained, which is handmade in California, the brand’s current mission is to illuminate what it already offers—“bespoke, made-to-measure jewelry”—to consumers.
“What we’re working toward is creating that artisanal transparency, so [customers] know which artisans worked on their pieces,” she said.
“In bridal, every customer feels like they got their own ring, though [in the industry] we know it’s a variation of a color, a finger size, a diamond shape or size, but it has to feel really personal. And that journey that it takes to get to you is personal. Each ring has its own unique path.”
Transparency can also be a valuable tool, she said, in communicating a brand’s story through social media.
“We’ve been doing Instagram Stories where we meet our designers and they talk about their favorite pieces and why. Doing that for your sales team is also really functional, where they get to share their favorite pieces and why, or give visibility into the before and after of a custom piece.
“Any [time] you give people insight into the magic adds value, and whether that’s provenance-related or materials-related or designer-related, that’s a really important story that we need more of.”
Chila’s point, that transparency into the inner workings of a business can pique
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
customer interest by drawing them into the brand’s world, had me thinking of certain social media accounts that I enjoy following.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by WWAKE (@wwake) on Jun 15, 2019 at 12:30pm PDT
Brooklyn, New York-based Wwake, headed by designer Wing Yau, is a perfect example of the strategy Chila talks about.
A recent Instagram story I viewed took me behind-the-scenes of the Wwake workshop in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, where I watched a female bench jeweler set a ring with diamonds and gemstones. What many in the industry may take for granted as being the mundane, daily workings of their company can be fascinating to the average layperson, even to a seasoned jewelry lover like me.
I’m not the only one interested in the unique, esoteric craft of jewelry-making.
Instagram itself went on to visit the Wwake workshop as well, capturing a tour of the facility in its Instagram Stories (yes, Instagram’s Instagram Stories; I can only imagine how many consumers were introduced to Wwake in the process.)
Even if product isn’t fully made on-site or in the country, brands can still provide insight into their world.
Dana Rebecca Designs, based out of Chicago, does an excellent job of this.
A recent Instagram story showed the designer in her workshop in India, demonstrating the steps of the manufacturing process, while a typical story will show employees of the Chicago store showing off the jewelry they’re wearing that day, oftentimes touting a sale to go with it for certain pieces, and even tagging the clothing brands they’re wearing.
The social interaction feels personal and authentic, which is the key to transparency, said another “JCK Next Generation” panelist, Jackie Brooks, owner of Bottom Line Marketing.
“Be transparent with your employees. Are you up? Are you down?”— Jackie Brooks, Bottom Line Marketing
“You can’t cut corners anymore, it needs to be real,” she said of addressing consumers on social media.
But authenticity doesn’t stop there. Brooks stressed that transparency is important in all aspects of a company, not just on the consumer-facing front.
“Be transparent with your employees,” she said. “Are you up? Are you down? Are you meeting your sales goals? Why are there secrets in that world? Let employees take ownership.”
And how can retailers address transparency, particularly when it comes to the provenance of all the materials from all the brands they carry or the loose diamonds they sell, including older product made or mined before there was all this emphasis on transparency and traceability?
GIA Global Director of Business Development (and former National Jeweler publisher) Matthew Tratner said that as he’s traveled the country talking about GIA’s new diamond origin reports, that’s the No. 1 question he’s asked, and his advice is to just be honest.
“Unfortunately, the answer is really that the technology just didn’t exist to be able to match that rough to the polished diamond. It doesn’t mean [a diamond was] unethically sourced.
“As technology evolves and blockchain gets better and other [new] data systems come to the forefront, there’s always going to be that question.”
Tratner said to tell consumers: “There’s the technology to identify these diamonds now; when these other diamonds were obtained, the technology didn’t exist.”
More on Editors
The Latest
MajorsJul 31, 2026
Macy’s Iconic Red Shopping Bag Sign Torn DownThe massive billboard has been in the same spot on the department store’s Herald Square flagship store for decades.
SourcingJul 31, 2026
Gemfields’ H1 Revenue Jumps 72%The miner’s ruby and emerald auctions brought in a combined $102.9 million.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
SourcingJul 30, 2026
De Beers Sale in ‘Final, Most Challenging’ Phase, Anglo CEO SaysThe goal is for the De Beers sale to be finished by the second half of 2026, with the subsequent approvals process expected to take a year.
Weekly QuizJul 30, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Policies & IssuesJul 30, 2026
JA Heads Back to Washington as New Wave of Tariffs Takes Effect David Bonaparte, along with Tim Haake and Ronnie VanderLinden, continue to lobby for tariff exemptions for diamonds, gemstones, and pearls.
SurveysJul 30, 2026
Consumer Confidence Slips in JulySurvey respondents were concerned about the rising prices of food and groceries as well as unemployment.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
Events & AwardsJul 30, 2026
Vicenzaoro Releases 2026 Education LineupThe trade show, slated for Sept. 4-8 in Vicenza, Italy, will feature sessions on trends, AI, gemology, and manufacturing.
Events & AwardsJul 30, 2026
Hillsborough Show Moves to New Location for 2026The public shopping event featuring art, jewelry, watches, and rare collectibles, will take place in Santa Clara, California, this fall.
MajorsJul 29, 2026
Kevin Reilly Retires After 39 Years in the Jewelry Industry Reilly has been with PGI USA for the last 20 years, leading partnership development and professional education.
FinancialsJul 29, 2026
Kering’s H1 Jewelry Sales Up 14%Boucheron reached record sales while Pomellato found success in its signature collections.
Events & AwardsJul 29, 2026
Lauren Harwell Godfrey Designs a Flag for ArkansasShe was one of more than 120 American designers who created flags for the “United Flags of Fashion” project led by CFDA and Vogue.
ColumnistsJul 28, 2026
Peter Smith: Why Your Job Postings May Be Working Against You Smith reveals the method The Retail Smiths use to help retailers and vendors write better job postings.
FinancialsJul 28, 2026
Tiffany & Co., Bulgari Lead the Way for LVMH in H1LVMH’s jewelry and watch brands outperformed the company’s other divisions in an environment the company described as “disrupted.”
CollectionsJul 28, 2026
Lionheart’s New Collection Unites Spiritual Iconography“Sacred Heart” features symbols like crosses, angel wings, the Star of David, and the evil eye as a representation of coexistence.
Events & AwardsJul 28, 2026
The Edge Funding 2 Scholarships Via 24 Karat Club SEUS The scholarships will go to early-career professionals looking to study gemology, bench work and jewelry design, or store operations.
SurveysJul 27, 2026
Jewelry Leads Luxury Market Amid Stabilization, Bain SaysBain & Company delved into the trends shaping the luxury market, the impact of AI, and more in its recent study.
SourcingJul 27, 2026
‘Rubies’ Goes on Display at Harvard MuseumThe exhibition reveals the gemology, geology, and cultural history of the iconic red gemstone.
Policies & IssuesJul 24, 2026
New Trump Tariffs: What They Mean for Jewelry The new sweeping slate of tariffs impacts 60 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Ode to ‘The Odyssey’From coin pendants to diamond shields, these old world-inspired jewels are the perfect accessory for an epic journey.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Courtney Leidy’s Silk Cord Pendants Center Unexpected Pairings Our Piece of the Week pairs a checkerboard-cut amethyst with an ivy green silk cord.
PodcastsJul 23, 2026
Episode 7: Reinhold Jewelers on the Power of RelationshipsMildred Marcano Abrams and Yael Reinhold join the podcast to talk community connections, holiday plans, and preserving Reinhold’s legacy.
SourcingJul 23, 2026
De Beers’ Production Jumps 88 Percent in Q2 Production also was up in the first half of 2026 but is expected to “substantially” decrease in H2 as two key mines undergo maintenance.
CollectionsJul 23, 2026
Silvia Furmanovich’s New Collection Travels Back to the 1920s“Art Deco” fuses ancestral techniques, rare materials, and modern perspectives as a tribute to the optimism and curiosity of the movement.
IndependentsJul 23, 2026
Sissy's Log Cabin Opens Casino StoreThe jeweler’s newest store is inside Arkansas’ Saracen Casino Resort.
WatchesJul 23, 2026
Movado Inks Licensing Deal With Kate Spade New YorkThe watch company will design, manufacture, and distribute Kate Spade New York watches.
