The JA Report: News, Tips & Trends from Jewelers of America

JA On The Air: Discussing Diamonds and Consumer Confidence

Jewelers of America Chief Operating Officer Robert Headley represented the association last week on "Midmorning," a Minnesota Public Radio program that was covering conflict diamonds and consumer confidence surrounding the international diamond supply chain. The program, hosted by Kerri Miller, also featured Tom Zoellner, author of The Heartless Stone and Corinna Gilfillan of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Global Witness. Headley entered the conversation in the second half hour, representing the views of Jewelers of America retailers in the U.S., who are the closest connection to consumers. The discussion covered the Charles Taylor War Crimes Tribunal, recent decisions regarding diamonds from Zimbabwe's Marange region and what the industry is doing to ensure consumers are buying diamonds that are not from conflict.

Click here for the link to the audio program at JA's In The Media Page.

Mr. Headley Goes To Washington

Jewelers of America is taking a stand for jewelers’ issues in Washington, D.C! On July 29, JA’s Chief Operating Officer Robert Headley attended a press conference on Capitol Hill, held by Representative William Delahunt, of Massachusetts, to announce his introduction of The Main Street Fairness Act, which would help level the playing field between online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

Pop-Up Jewelry Stores: The Wave of the Future?

By Helena Krodel, Director of Media and Special Events

From Boston to California, New York to San Francisco, pop-up stores are a new phenomenon taking retail by storm. A pop-up shop, that is — a temporary retail space or experience which involves “popping-up” one day, and disappearing the next – has become the second most clever way (after social media of course) to create a unique environment that engages customers and generates a feeling of relevance and interactivity. As far as publicity goes, this concept is high on the list of buzz-worthy activities.