Lorie’s father, Marcel, founded IGI in 1975. Roland became CEO of the grading lab following his father’s passing in 2006; all told, he’s worked there for 48 years.

Tehmasp Printer, who most recently served as managing director of IGI India, will take Lorie’s place as head of IGI. Printer has worked for the lab for 24 years.

Deborah Pienica will continue as chief operating officer, and Roland’s son Arnaud serves as its chief marketing officer.

Blackstone Group recently bought IGI for $569.65 million. Fosun Group and Lorie’s family owned the lab from 2018 until this year.

(Photos courtesy of IGI)

Pickleball—described as a cross between ping-pong, badminton, and tennis—was invented nearly 60 years ago but has recently exploded in popularity across age groups throughout the United States. An estimated 36.5 million people in the U.S. played pickleball in 2022, according to the Association of Pickleball Players, and pickleball participation has soared an average of 158.6% over the past three years, said the Sport & Fitness Industry Association, which issues an annual report on pickleball statistics.

So perhaps people might wear a pickleball bracelet right next to their tennis bracelet? That’s what Mary Weber-Rupert, founder and jewelry designer at Five Star Jewelry Brokers in Austin, Texas, says. Weber-Rupert started playing pickleball during the pandemic and now plays three to four times a week.

“I had heard about Chris Evert coining the term tennis bracelet during a U.S. Open in 1978 when her diamond bracelet broke while she was playing and was lost on the court. When asked, she told the press she was looking for her tennis bracelet. Tennis bracelets became so popular. As the sport of pickleball started becoming more and more popular, I thought about how people would enjoy wearing pickleball jewelry while playing,” Weber-Rupert says.

“A paddle seemed like the perfect choice to me. However, I felt like the pickleball ball looked more like a soccer ball, so we spiced things up and added diamonds, citrines, and pearls instead. I wanted it to be a design that was easy to see, but not too big to wear on the court,” Weber-Rupert says.

Irina Rachow, owner of Everwild Designs in Encinitas, Calif., developed the PickleBelle collection to celebrate her love for the game and offer jewelry that allows others to do so in style. She says the collection is selling well and she loves adding new designs, everything from bracelets to earrings to cufflinks.

“I got into pickleball in 2020 when I was introduced to it by a close friend who had just started playing during lockdown and knew I would love it. It was a way to feel connected with friends in an outdoor setting when we had plenty of time on our hands, and as the learning curve was so short, I was able to get the hang of it in under five minutes,” Rachow says.

“I am a designer at heart, and like many people I am intrigued by miniature things—perfect replicas of everyday objects. As pickleball is so popular, it was a completely natural jump to create pretty jewelry that embodied the tools of the sport—perfect pickleball paddles and balls,” Rachow says. “Being a sport, I incorporated movement, like a pickleball swinging in front of a jeweled paddle or a paddle with an impact starburst ‘chasing’ the pickleball up the necklace chain.”

With pickleball fans rallying for the sport to join the Olympics, Rachow expects interest will continue to rise. She hopes people who began playing during the pandemic will help make pickleball jewelry more than a trend.

“It used to be dominated by the older folks, but a recent survey shows that the No. 1 growing age group in pickleball is 18- to 25-year-olds,” Rachow says.

Top: Five Star Jewelry Brokers in Austin, Texas, is one of the jewelers selling pickleball-inspired fine jewelry as on-trend accessories for the popular game. (Photo courtesy of Five Star) 

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Sunia Mafileo Faavesi, Ryan Kentrell Montgomery, Paul Christopher Tonga, John Ioane Tupou, and Kyle Vehikite have all been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce for their alleged roles in the March 17 robbery of Heller Jewelers in San Ramon, Calif., said a statement from the U.S. attorney for California’s Northern District.

All the defendants were arrested last week except Tupou, who remains at large.

The suspects got away with $1.1 million in jewels, including several Rolex watches, in one minute. The robbery took place at a busy mall in the middle of the afternoon and resulted in multiple bystanders fleeing the scene.

The GPS tracker was “embedded in the cushion of the packaging” of one of the Rolexes, said the affidavit, signed by a special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).

“Immediately following the theft, the tracking device began recording GPS locations and disseminating that information to officers and dispatchers. For the hours that followed, the device sent near real-time GPS location data of its current location.”

Officers of the San Ramon Police Department followed the tracker in multiple vehicles as the watch was taken through different counties before its battery died, the affidavit said.

The investigators also used witness accounts, surveillance footage, and automated license plate reader technology to track the suspects, according to the ATF agent.

The robbers were helped by a supposed “law enforcement insider”—who reportedly worked as a clerk in the local police department and gave information to a suspect via text. Authorities are said to be investigating her.

Among the things that intrigued investigators: a visit to a nearby casino. “Based on my training and experience, I know individuals often use casinos to clean illicit proceeds,” said the affidavit. “This is done by exchanging illicit proceeds through the casino’s cage for playing chips. After playing a few games (gambling), the individuals will cash out the chips, having now obtained new currency provided by the casino.”

The government has asked for the defendants to be detained prior to their trial. Their lawyers could not be reached for comment.

Top: The robbery at Heller Jewelers (photo from U.S. government legal papers)

The New York–based association announced winners in its 33rd annual jewelry design competition on Aug. 2. The awards recognize JA members for creativity, artistry, style, and excellence—or CASE.

JA received more than 150 entries in eight categories, which are separated for retailers and suppliers and by dollar value of the jewelry. In addition to the eight winners, one retail and one supplier entry were named Best in Show.

“Jewelers of America’s CASE Awards design competition highlights the fine craftsmanship, creativity, and talent of Jewelers of America member designers and bench jewelers,” Gizzi said in a statement.

Sardwell, who won in the supplier $10,001–$50,000 category, says she believes jewelry is not merely something people casually wear—it can change them.

“It’s more than just the object, which I feel must be of immense quality and craftsmanship. It’s also that the objects hold this essence—this preciousness, this spirit—that transcends into something else,” Sardwell says. “Not only does the object hold that power, but as you put it on, the wearer transforms as well.”

CASE winners were selected by a panel of design experts who evaluated entries on the following criteria: overall design, marketability, originality, and quality of manufacture. Judges included Tanya Dukes, writer; Lenore Fedow, National Jeweler; JA’s Gizzi; Helena Krodel, David Alan Jewelry; Adrianne Sanogo, Black in Jewelry Coalition; and Steve Velasquez, Madison Jewelers.

The awards, sponsored by Synchrony and Aurora Payments, are open to employees of JA member companies. All winners will receive a customized trophy.

The 2023 CASE winners are:

Retailer: jewelry up to $2,000
Wright’s Jewelry
Designed by Jennifer Beatty
Fallston, N.C.
14k white gold “Lotta Love” ring ($2,000) with 1.18 cts. t.w. marquise diamonds (one 0.47 ct., seven 0.4 ct., a 0.19 ct., and four 0.12 ct.), created from three separate rings from special men in the jeweler’s life

Retailer: $2,001 to $5,000
Avianti Jewelry Designs
Designed by Ani Babayan and Avi Babayan
La Cañada, Calif.
14k yellow gold necklace ($4,980) on a paper-clip Italian chain with a 78.67 ct. boulder opal with green-blue and black hues and 42 round natural pavé diamonds

Retailer: $5,001 to $10,000
Schullin
Designed by Marianne Köle and Laura Thomann
Graz, Austria
Ring in 18k rose gold ($5,580) with 11.09 ct. teardrop-cut citrine and 62 brilliant-cut diamonds of 0.36 ct.

Retailer: $10,001 to $50,000
Schullin
Designed by Hans Schullin and Laura Thomann
Graz, Austria
18k rose gold “Smile” necklace ($21,900) with 144 brilliant-cut diamonds of 3.06 ct. that are pavé-set in every other arch. In the center, the necklace features a diamond-set 18k white gold smile and 12 orange sapphires of 1.8 ct.

Retailer: Best in Show
Giraux Fine Jewelry
Designed by Sarkis Sarkissian
San Francisco
Platinum ring ($40,000) containing a heat-treated 9.05 ct. octagonal step-cut natural sapphire, prong-set with two antique-cut 1.1 ct. marquise diamonds and two 0.17 ct. round brilliant-cut diamonds

Supplier: up to $2,000
Jorge Valdes Fine Jewelry
Designed by Jorge Valdes
Astoria, N.Y.
18k rose gold Sparks studs ($1,495) with 0.14 ct. round white diamonds

Supplier: $2,001 to $5,000
Martha Seely Design
Designed by Martha Seely
Carlisle, Mass.
Stardust dangle earrings in 14k white gold ($4,775) with 5.8 ct. tanzanite, 3.2 ct. sapphires, and 1.35 ct. diamonds

Supplier: $5,001 to $10,000
Tabayer
Designed by Tabayer
Miami
Handcrafted 18k Fairmined rose gold Oera ring ($6,400) with 1.32 ct. brown diamond

Supplier: $10,001 to $50,000
Renisis
Designed by Sardwell
New York City
18k yellow gold Guardian Gold Temple pendant ($38,000) with a central golden South Sea Pearl framed with diamond patterns, and a strand of golden ombré 9–11 mm South Sea pearls with 18k clasp with Akoya pearls and diamond pavé. The back has shibori-inspired cut-out designs in platinum and is framed with a cherry blossom motif.

Supplier: Best in Show
Katherine Jetter Ltd.
Designed by Katherine Jetter
Nantucket, Mass.
Unicorn ring ($39,300) featuring 11.77 ct. square emerald-cut tanzanite, 1.15 ct. tapered baguette diamonds, and 2.01 ct. ombré blue sapphire set in 18k yellow gold and blue rhodium finish

Top: Avianti Jewelry Designs’ opal and diamond pendant by Ani and Avi Babayan of La Cañada, Calif., won the 2023 CASE Award in the retailer $2,001–$5,000 category. (Photos courtesy of Jewelers of America)

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In her new role, Campagna will lead and manage the grading lab’s operations and strategic growth.

Campagna has 25 years’ experience in the luxury goods and jewelry industry. She was most recently director of operations at Sarine Technologies.

Prior to that, Campagna spent over seven years as vice president and global production manager at Sotheby’s Diamonds. She has also worked as a senior gemologist at Cora International and a gemology instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She holds a Graduate Gemologist degree from GIA.

IGI was purchased by a division of Blackstone Group for $569.5 million in May.

(Photo courtesy of IGI)

How the recession doomers got the U.S. economy so wrong

The ultra-wealthy have never been richer and they’re spending like crazy

– Pam Danziger: Luxury customers putting purchases “on hold”

Retail rents rise in second quarter

Walmart adds advertising in store aisles

Kering-Valentino deal helps reignite luxury M&A market

Diamond prices plummet in “difficult market”

– De Beers faces “next quartz crisis” (subscription)

Botswana plans new sales channel

– Next for De Beers: a Namibia deal

Insurance companies think lab-grown diamonds are a “risk headache”

No pay disparity between lab-grown and natural diamond polishers

Angry letters show tensions between Indian bourses

555 ct. black diamond bought with misappropriated funds, says SEC

Over $10 million in jewels stolen from Paris Piaget

How a GPS-enabled Rolex led to the capture of a robbery crew

The great Rolex recession is here

– Discontinued Daytonas helping Rolex prices

– Second-hand watch prices slump to two-year low

Aurate partnering with Helzberg on collection

John Hardy appoints new president and CEO

– Reed Krakoff’s first John Hardy collection is here

IGI names new director of operations and business development

Lagos promotes Amanda Willinger to chief revenue officer

Brosway Italia hires two U.S. VPs

Macy’s supply chain officer steps down

Interview with new Smithsonian gems curator

– NPR interviews retiring curator Jeffrey Post (as does JCK)

How green is your watchmaker?

Hermès has $1 billion in watch sales in its sights

“How culture drives the Swiss watch industry” (subscription)

Tiffany lands on NRF’s list of fastest-growing retailers

Jesper Nielsen claims Pandora owes him money (translation)

Customer flabbergasted at eco-impact of jewelry packaging

Colonial diamonds overshadow Tower of London’s most interesting objects

“Beefy brawlers” get into fight in Diamond District store

New laser slicing technique for diamond semiconductors

Anti-counterfeiting tech draws on unique qualities of micro-diamonds

Drake bought Tupac’s ring for $1.01 million

– It’s Drake’s latest auction win

Kelly Clarkson says you can throw diamonds at her (but that’s it)

Which Sex and the City engagement ring was the most expensive?

From the Podcast     

The Jewelry District, Episode 101: Guest Jeffrey Post

Have a great weekend!

– Email: rbates – at – jckonline.com.

– Twitter: @robbatesjck

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 (Photo: Getty Images)  

And while all of the above are actual trends this fall, it’s important to keep in mind that in the age of social media, influencer marketing, and celebrity mania, multiple—and competing—trends can exist simultaneously.

To help streamline what that means for fine jewelry retailers, we’ve highlighted fall 2023’s most salient fashion trends, and the jewels that epitomize them. Happy curating!

Stealth wealth

Unless you’ve spent the past six months on a desert island, you’re well aware of “quiet luxury,” the aesthetic concept du jour. High-quality materials meet inconspicuous styling in looks that underscore a minimalist approach to fashion, including a focus on materials designed to stand the test of time.

As JCK’s longtime fashion correspondent Venessa Lau wrote in “Fashion Files,” her fall preview in our May 2023 issue: “Designer after designer, from Brandon Maxwell and Bottega Veneta to Christian Dior and Balenciaga, put the spotlight on grown-up codes such as spare tailoring, timeless classics, and neutrals.”

Few jewelry collections embody those ideals better than Tabayer. Founded by Uzbekistan-born Nigora Tokhtabayeva, the brand takes its inspiration from talismanic amulets reinterpreted through a modernist lens. Crafted from Fairmined 18k gold, the pieces, such as the Oera hoop earrings below, boast a signature curve that’s recognizable to connoisseurs: If you know, you know.

Florals in season

The vibe for fall is all about romantic floral prints and appliqués—darker than the pastels we normally see in spring and quite a bit moodier. While the runways saw a profusion of roses, jewelers are besotted with the humble daisy, whose silhouette lends itself to artful profusions of color.

Check out this Daisy earring from U.K.-based Basak Baykal, featuring petals that have been meticulously hand-painted and studded with gems.

Racy red

Barbiecore pink gives way to a vivid crimson hue this fall, reflecting the fashion world’s collective embrace of red as the color of the season. For a perfect combo of the two shades, look no further than Gyan Jaipur’s one-of-a-kind ruby, black onyx, and pink opal ring, a deco-inspired testament to the allure of pairing sister colors.

Corporate chic

Power dressing in the form of oversize blazers and wide-leg pantsuits continues to reign supreme. What better way to complement a tailored, masculine look than with a strand of pearls, à la this hand-knotted style from L.A.-based Lizzie Mandler?

Top: Ring in 18k rose gold with ruby, black onyx, pink opal, and diamonds, $13,100; Gyan Jaipur

Rose gold had its moment in the engagement ring category about a decade or so back, but it was quickly overtaken by the immensely popular offerings of yellow gold, especially in the form of thick flush-mount settings.

Like sterling silver, rose gold is now experiencing a spike in popularity—particularly in fine/fashion jewelry—and it’s a welcome one indeed.

Soft and lustrous, rose gold provides a beautiful departure from the chunks of yellow gold we’ve been heavily (and happily) consuming for the past several years. For those invested in yellow gold, rose gold plays nicely with it. It’s also marvelous paired with white metals, its unique shade managing a cool warmth—not too hot like yellow gold, not as icy as, say, platinum. The perfect in-between.

Below, some of the latest in rose gold.

Top: Gold Strokes ear cuff in 18k rose gold, $1,579; Susana Martins

Police are currently investigating the theft, the office said.

An “investigating source” told the Daily Mail that a woman in a dress and two men in suits “calmly walked into the Piaget store and then threatened staff with a gun with a silencer on the barrel.”

The robbers then “forced a member of staff to open the display windows and a trunk where some of the most expensive pieces are kept,” the source said. “The raiders fled on foot, and then possibly got on to two-wheelers nearby.”

No one was reportedly injured in the incident. Richemont-owned Piaget did not return a request for comment by the time of publication.

The robbery comes within a year of other high-profile robberies at some of Paris’ toniest jewelers. In March, three men armed with assault rifles robbed a Paris Bulgari, which is next to the Ministry of Justice, according to the Mail. A security guard was injured during the robbery. It was the second theft at the store in two years.

In July 2022, thieves made off with goods worth almost £2 million (about $2.5 million) from a Chaumet store near the Champs-Élysées.

(Photo: Getty Images)

The store, located in Shanghai’s prestigious Qiantan Taikoo Li shopping center, opened June 28 with a special event including Chopard’s co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele and brand ambassador of joy, actress Bai Lu.

Balancing luxury with the modern aesthetic of Qiantan Taikoo Li, the boutique serves as a model for displaying Chopard’s elegant watches and jewelry and focusing on its expertise in jewelry and devotion to craftsmanship, brand representatives tell JCK.

Its location in one of Shanghai’s newest high-end commercial areas—designed to be a destination for business and shopping—is key for Chopard because it sets a tone for giving clients a luxurious shopping experience in one of the world’s most glamorous cities, brand reps say.

The boutique’s exterior starts to tell the brand’s story. Its cursive logo is located above the doors, which are outlined with a dark trim that contrasts with the light tones of the building, drawing the eye to the entrance. For the grand opening, Chopard used a royal blue for a welcoming rug and floral wall, adding to that exterior experience.

Upon entering, clients are welcomed into a large space that Chopard describes as homey and intimate, with light walls, textured wood trim, and soft lighting. Off to one side, clients can catch a glimpse of the exclusive VIP area, which is done in a rich, romantic purple for a sumptuous look.

In the main area, Chopard’s jewelry and watches are inside refined display cases, including a showstopping round case in the middle of the space. At a simple, sleek desk, clients can meet with Chopard representatives to select their next piece.

The VIP area has a more casual feel, with a soft purple couch for lounging as you look at the jewelry. Contemporary artwork on the walls, along with a few display cases, create a comfortable place for clients to relax as they shop.

The Shanghai boutique features the brand’s Happy Hearts and Happy Diamonds collections, which Lu wore during the opening ceremony. Also attending the event were Tasso von Berlepsch, managing director of Chopard China, and Gu Yuzhen, general manager of the new boutique.

Top: Chopard’s newest boutique, in Qiantan Taikoo Li, Shanghai, held its grand opening in late June. (Photos courtesy of Chopard)

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