Analysis

A Look at Judith Leiber Bags: Novelty and Pop Culture Fame

Michelle

A Journey Through Whimsy, Craft, and Iconic Moments

Looking for Novelty, Sparkle and Veggies

I was looking at my summer activities which have consisted of work, writing and gardening. This got me thinking about luxury pieces around vegetables. Searching for vegetable themed sparkle on auction sites had me run across Judith Leiber, made a 90s name by Sex and the City, which has just announced it’s rebooted third season was its last. As summer is ending, I think some novelty is needed for this post and Judith Leiber bags—sparkling, sculptural, and utterly unforgettable are perfect for this. Revered among collectors and celebrities alike, her creations occupy a unique space at the intersection of luxury and artistry.

Judith Leiber: The Visionary

… Read the rest
The Closing of Lightbox: A Look at the Man-Made Diamond Model Versus Natural Diamonds

The Closing of Lightbox: A Look at the Man-Made Diamond Model Versus Natural Diamonds

Michelle

The trends still point to ethical diamonds and an answer the jewelry industry had was man made diamonds. A cleaner, less harmful stone for the environment with a bit more price conscious consumer getting access to this luxury. So when I saw recently the closure of Lightbox on July 31st, the online diamond jeweler that promised affordable luxury by offering lab-grown, man-made diamonds at prices that challenged the very foundation of the traditional diamond industry. I wanted to dive into the story of Lightbox that is not just a business case study—it is a window into shifting values, technological disruption, and the complex interplay between natural and synthetic gems.

The Birth of Lightbox and Its Vision

Lightbox emerged as a … Read the rest

Jewelry Business Look Back Series: Gemvara

Michelle

A year ago this week, an online jewelry store announced it business was ending not at the end of the month or week but that day. Gemvara, an online jewelry store started in Boston, was a hot new company in the early 2010s due to proprietary technology that created your custom piece through CAD design in real time. Imagine following them and seeing this posted:

Gemvara Last Instagram Post Text

This was dated February 13,2023. Jewelry stores closing is nothing new, but this story is interesting in that it tried to have no inventory of jewelry and started entirely online. With my experience of going to school and living in Boston for a time I got a chance to see this company from about the … Read the rest

Jewelry in the Movies: Looking at The Divorcee (1930)

Michelle

With summer in full swing, I was hoping there would be some summer movies to look forward to seeing, so far nothing looks that good. As I wait and see what else comes to theaters, I am watching movies online from places like Turner Classic Movies. I recently watched The Divorcee with Norma Shearer and Chester Morris who play a young married couple with a new age thought of equal roles until the husband cheats on the wife. Throughout the movie I saw how jewelry, specifically the rings the wife wears add an extra detail to the story. This had me think of analyzing this movie and others where jewelry takes on a major role.

This movie released in 1930 … Read the rest

How Jewelry Businesses are Branding Wrong

Michelle

With more time inside I have been looking at articles about what the future of the jewelry industry and retail will look like. The articles and videos I have seen have almost dreary existence for retail. In an earlier post I mentioned some of the changes stores like Nordstrom were making to adjust to the pandemic. What I have found to be troubling is that these are short term trends and how people are interpreting them and applying them to their brand is misguided. I will look at a prediction from the past and see how you should evaluate it for your brand.

McKinsey published a trend report for the jewelry industry on Feb. 1, 2014 titled, ‘A … Read the rest

Why starting a Project because you have the time is a Bad Strategy

Michelle

It’s hard to avoid the topic of the current events taking place. Many of you reading are probably in the same situation as I am requested to stay in to ‘flatten the curve’. I’ve enjoyed saving time by not commuting to work but I’m not embracing it as much as others. I have noticed several businesses trying to update their Instagram accounts more, email messages of how they are responding to Covid-19 etc. It’s good to see businesses trying to adapt but what will become of these strategies once the quarantine is over?

If you are thinking of starting a new project something to think about; is it because you have the time now? If it deals with your business … Read the rest

Why doesn’t the Jewelry Industry put out a Superbowl Ad?

Why doesn’t the Jewelry Industry put out a Superbowl Ad?

Michelle

Last month roughly 102 million people watched the Super Bowl and 23.6 million tuned in to see the glamour, gowns and winners of the Oscars. Town and Country put out it’s February 2020 edition with the 3rd Annual Jewelry Awards and after the first two events I thought, who is this really reaching, and should the Jewelry Industry think about a different strategy to reach consumers?

I’ve done a more detailed analysis on the last two awards issues here and here last year. This time I’m going to ask some bigger questions that might get you thinking about how you want to market your company. Let’s first look at how Town and Country presented the awards this year.

Town … Read the rest

Diamond Shoes: Stuart Weitzman Marketing Genius

Michelle
Weitzman being introduced at Mass Art for talk held April 2, 2019

What would you think if you saw a pair of shoes designed with one million dollars’ worth of diamonds walk across a stage? You might be clapping or oohing and awing, but if you were me, you’d thought what a great way to market to a younger group! Stuart Weitzman visited the Massachusetts College of Art & Design yesterday to give a talk about himself and his company. I want to look at a few topics dealing with Stuart Weitzman’s marketing strategy that can apply to all industries!

Weitzman’s beginnings

Weitzman talked about taking a more traditional path with plans to go to school and heading to Wall … Read the rest

Marina B adds E-commerce to their Website

Michelle

Luxury and e-commerce have always been a little tricky. The brand wants to retain some mystery but still be visible to customers and aspirational buyers. Apparel has done better with adapting to social media and online sales, jewelry again has been slow to adopt new ways of doing business. Last month though Marina B updated their website and added e-commerce! If you follow David Webb, they also updated their website increasing their pieces offered that can be bought online. JCK covered it in an article from late January.

In this post I will look at some of the features on Marina B’s website, the product offerings and where they may move towards in the future with e-commerce.

The Website

… Read the rest

The Added Costs of Jewelry at the Oscars: Looking at the Taylor-Burton Diamond

Michelle

Lots of excitement surrounded Lady Gaga for wearing the Tiffany Yellow Diamond last worn by Audrey Hepburn. Several articles on seeing this stunning piece were covered by JCK, Independent, and Town & Country .   Lady Gaga’s jewelry and performance will be looked backed on for many years but you wonder if it’s worth the cost? Business of Fashion put out an article titled, Does Oscar Fashion Still Matter? (accessible only to BOF Professional subscribers) Drawing attention to some of the numbers a recent poll referenced in the article found 44% of Americans did not watch the awards show red carpet coverage. I was in those numbers. Of the 56% that did only 6% said they … Read the rest