Articles and News
BRAND NEWS: BROOKE BURKE AT JCK; FRED LEIGHTON LAUNCHES WHOLESALE LINE; PANDORA, BLUE NILE PLUNGE May 09, 2012 (0 comments)
DWTS’ Brooke Burke To Attend JCK Show With Chad Allison
New York, NY—Brooke Burke-Charvet, co-host of the popular television show Dancing With the Stars, will be attending the JCK Show in Las Vegas, making a personal appearance at the Chad Allison Salon on Saturday, June 2, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., in the Luxury Ballroom, salon 901.
Burke is partnering with Chad Allison to launch her new fine jewelry line, Brooke Burke Collection by Chad Allison. Her first collection will consists of bracelets, charms, pendants, earrings, and rings in diamonds, colored gems and Swarovski crystals in gold and sterling silver. This attractive collection retails from $99-$2,500, with the expected distribution of 700 doors within the United States.
To make an appointment, call (212) 278-8669 or email Debbie Son, Debbie@chadallison.com.
Fred Leighton to Launch New Wholesale Collection At Couture
New York, NY—Fred Leighton announces the introduction of The Fred Leighton Collection, a new wholesale line available to a select group of retailers in the United States. It will bow at the upcoming Couture 2012 show at the Wynn Las Vegas.
The Fred Leighton Collection, is a newly designed line of jewelry that takes its inspiration from historical styling, referencing the last 250 years of jewelry history, but infuses it with a modern sensibility.
For its debut collection, Fred Leighton has looked to the designs of the Art Deco period and the 19th century. Highlights from the sophisticated Art Deco inspired group, below, include black jade and diamond drop earrings and chain necklaces, carved jade pendant earrings and briolette drop earrings in vibrant lapis lazuli and pink opal. Classic styles and motifs from the 19th century, such as clusters, starbursts, and rivieres, are infused with the colors of amethyst, citrine, and multicolored sapphires.
The Fred Leighton Collection will have a limited and exclusive distribution to a select group of retail partners around the United States and the world.
In addition to the newly designed collection, The Fred Leighton Estate Jewels—the curated estate jewelry collection for which Fred Leighton is world-renowned—also will be available to a very small group of retail partners.
“Fred Leighton is one of the most exclusive names in jewelry and is synonymous with vintage style,” said Greg Kwiat, Fred Leighton CEO. Kwiat purchased Fred Leighton in 2009.
Fred Leighton will be exhibiting exclusively at the Couture show and will be joining Kwiat in the Mouton 2 Ballroom. The joint Kwiat-Fred Leighton sales team is led by Michael Chador and Rosa Dunlap.
Pandora Revenues Drop, Stock Balancing Blamed
Copenhagen, Denmark—First quarter financial results for Danish charm maker Pandora were off 18.4%, owing to an aggressive stock rebalancing program. According to this report on JCKOnline, however, the decrease still remained below anaylsts’ expectations. U.S. revenue dropped 10% but sales at the company’s own stores grew 6.7%, said the report. CEO Björn Gulden says that despite analysts’ concerns about the company being overinvested in bracelets and charms, he feels it’s the right strategy to “own” those categories, along with rings.
Rina Limor Will Debut Handmade Bridal Rings, Sapphire Collection, and More Moonstone in LV
New York, NY—Designer Rina Limor is adding a new collection of diamond bands to her best-selling bridal jewelry collection. The rings come in a range of single or multi-row designs, all handmade in 950 platinum or 18k gold with emerald, Asscher, radiant, or cushion-cut diamonds. All diamonds are cut in Israel with specific measurements for each band, assuring precise quality. Diamonds are available with GIA certificates, with the cert number laser-cut into the stone.
Also debuting in Las Vegas is Limor’s Sapphire Fantasy Collection, one-of-a-kind jewelry featuring slices of multicolored sapphires set in 18k gold, and accented with diamonds and colored gemstones.
Says the designer, “The beauty of these slice sapphires has a natural appeal in itself that inspired me to create one-of-a-kind, cool gems that are both rough and refined, imperfect and yet polished.”
The collection includes earrings, pendants, bracelets, cuffs and several dramatic necklaces, each with a comfortable, lightweight feel. In each, the candy-colored sapphires are lightly faceted for maximum sparkle and available in a variety of tones, including shades of blue and pink, yellow, and palest green, embellished with accents of blue topaz, turquoise, chrysoprase, and other gemstones. Because each sapphire must be cut and set by hand, every piece is unique.
Earrings from Rina Limor's new Sapphire Fantasy collection, left, and a necklace of faceted black spinel and moonstone from her Moonlight Treasures jewelry collection, right.
Limor also has expanded the styles and assortment of her Moonlight Treasures jewelry collection, set in 18kt gold and silver. The group includes dramatic cuff bracelets and earrings with round, oval and pear-shaped moonstones. The newest pieces feature complementary or contrasting colored gemstones, such as turquoise, blue topaz, spinel, and black diamonds, and include pendants to coordinate with the earrings and bracelets and long necklaces of faceted black spinels with stations of moonstones, or vice versa, that can be worn a variety of ways.
The designer’s pieces have been worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Hudson, Kim Kardashian, Carla Gugino, and others. See Rina Limor at JCK Luxury booth 908. Call (800) 999-0583 for an appointment or email rina.limor.designs@gmail.com.
Erica Courtney Jewelry on DWTS, Jennifer Beals
Los Angeles, CA—Designer Erica Courtney can add a few more notches to her celebrity follower belt: Carrie Ann Inaba wore her 18k gold, yellow diamond, and beryl snake ring on Dancing With the Stars this week, while Jennifer Beals wore Courtney’s 18k gold, diamond and mandarin garnet “Miranda” ring and her 18k gold and diamond India earrings with mandarin garnet drops during a recent appearance at the YouTube2012 Upfront presentation in New York City.
Carrie Ann Inaba, left, and Jennifer Beals, right both chose Erica Courtney jewelry for recent public appearances.
1884 Collection Gets Key Placement in Accessories Magazine
New York, NY—The 1884 Collection by Alberto Petochi recently garnered a feature article in Accessories magazine, a B-toB publication serving the fashion industry. The designer is the sixth generation of a family of Roman jewelry artisans who have been in business since—you guessed it—1884. His new collection of bangle bracelets features both authentic ancient Roman coins and new sterling silver coins that are stamped in the ancient tradition.
Petochi, prior to launching his own line, did a stint working for Roberto Coin (no pun intended!). Customers who purchase an 1884 Collection bracelet can also register to have a coin with a corresponding wish thrown into the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, on their behalf, and one lucky customer per year will win a trip to Rome to meet the 1884 Collection family and throw their own coins into the Trevi Fountain. Finally, the company also has partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to sponsor children whose wish is to travel to Italy.
Blue Nile Sales Edge Back Up, But Profits Take A Huge Hit
Seattle, WA—E-tail jewelry giant Blue Nile reported a 4% gain in revenue for the first quarter of 2012, aided by a 20% increase in new customers, but its profits plunged more than 93% as the aggressive pricing and marketing that helped attract those customers ate away margins. In its report of first quarter financial results, the firm posted a net income of only $154,000, and earnings of $0.01 per diluted share. By contrast, the firm's first-quarter net income last year was $2.4 million and its earnings $0.16 per diluted share.
Blue Nile's international sales rose 9.3%, while sales from U.S. engagement rings—its core business—rose 3.1%. Sales from non-engagement jewelry, a category the retailer previously announced plans to focus on more closely, rose an anemic 1.3%.
But Blue Nile's new CEO, Harvey Kanter, said he's pleased with the firm's growth in revenue and new customers, and that the enormous drop in profits was both expected and planned.
"In January, we launched a plan to accelerate growth in the business through increased investments in the U.S. and international markets. As expected, our financial results reflect the costs of these investments in reduced profitability versus a year ago. We are still in the early stages of executing this plan, and I am excited by the opportunities I see after my first 30 days as CEO.
"We have unique and disruptive capabilities to serve the diamond engagement market and have built a brand centered on high quality diamonds and excellent customer service," he said in the report. He also reconfirmed the commitment to growing the company's non-engagement business with "a mix of compelling product in an inspirational environment."
Separately, NJ also reported modest first-quarter sales increases at both QVC and HSN TV shopping networks. QVC posted a 4% gain in U.S. sales, while HSN reported a 3% gain in the first quarter. Neither retailer cited jewelry as a driver of growth this quarter—culinary, home, and dining were strong categories at both—and both are experiencing stronger growth from online sales than television.