Jeff Cassels’ jewelry store, falling real estate values and rising gold prices are more than news headlines — they are contributors to an uncertain holiday season.
This season finds independent retailers across the country dealing with a new set of economic challenges even as they still contend with growing competition from big-box retailers like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Borders Inc. T
(Full post Independent retailers fight weak economy – JB News Feed…)
Southern California watch manufacturer, Oceanaut, launched its 2008 collection of men and womens timepieces at Nordstrom stores.
The company’s latest collection of fine watches made their official debut at select Nordstrom stores before Thanksgiving. The Oceanaut timepieces range in price from $1,095 to $14,500 retail.
The gents and ladies collections for 2008 have Latin names that include Acquatico, Baltica, Baccara, Cortez Limited Edition, Carrero, and Conquistador.
Wannabe princesses, rejoice. These days, getting your hands on your own tiara is much easier than finding Prince Charming. Hello Kitty wore one during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, Judith Nathan wore a diamond-and-pearl version when she became Mrs. Giuiliani and Karolina Kurkova models pyjamas – and a tiara – in a current Victoria’s Secret catalogue.
Meanwhile, “Crowned,” a new CW reality show, debuts this month with mother-daughter teams duking it out to win a pair of matching tiaras in a pageant finale.
(Full post Some women celebrate a milestone like a princess – Canadian Press…)
Movado Group, Inc. said its net sales for the third quarter increased 8.3 percent to $180.2 million. Same-store sales grew 8.8 percent at the Movado boutiques for the period ended Oct. 31, versus a 0.5 percent gain achieved during the third quarter of 2006.
Gross profit for the quarter was $109.9 million, or 61 percent of sales, compared to $97.9 million, or 58.9 percent of sales last year.
CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, has launched a new Web site, located at www.sustainablejewellery.org, which is designed to provide information about the jewelry sector’s responsibility when it comes to corporate responsibility, as well as the role of the industry in promoting sustainable economic and social development in the countries in which it is active.
The site was launched on Oct.
The first 18 days of the holiday season saw more than $7 billion in online retail spending (excluding travel), a 17-percent gain versus the corresponding days last year, comScore, Inc. reports.
“The online holiday shopping season got off to a slow start in the first week of November, but it has since picked up sharply,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “Sales in the first ten days of November were up modestly versus year ago, but surged to levels in excess of 20 percent by mid-November.
Amanda Jaron spent years designing for other big name companies like Avon, Givenchy, Tommy Hilfiger, and Jones New York before she decided to open her own company and make jewelry for her own customers. I like the fact that while she's got plenty of high-end jewelry for those that can afford it, she also has a large selection of more affordable jewelry designs from her Studio Sterling Collection.
So she has a range of prices and tastes for everyone, thus making gift-giving – which is mucho important right now folks – a lot easier.
(Full post Some Perfect Jewelry Presents…)
Do your hands look like you make jewelry? Today my husband took some pictures of me making jewelry, real close up shots for a project I’m working on. So he basically included my hands along with the tools and materials in the pictures. As I was getting ready for the pictures, I started to get so self-conscience about how my hands look. I started thinking of some of the videos and pictures I’ve seen of other jewelry designers making jewelry, and their hands always look so well-manicured.
This got me wondering if I’m the only one who has hands that actually look like I make jewelry!