Kathy Passero

1 week ago | jckonline.com | Rob Bates |Karen Dybis |Amy Elliott |Kathy Passero

The Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO) has appointed Samantha “Sam” Larson director of vendor relations and merchandise strategy. In her new role, Larson will focus on enhancing IJO’s existing vendor relationships while expanding its network. She will use a data-informed approach to help IJO curate its assortments, the organization said. Larson has more than 25 years of experience in the luxury jewelry sector.

1 week ago | jckonline.com | Amy Elliott |Kathy Passero |Rob Bates

Lori Friedman, the Westport, Conn.–based designer behind Loriann Jewelry, has consistently prioritized newness in her work, regularly debuting collections that align perfectly with her customers’ appetite for more. Without overtaxing her creative energy—or her production team—Friedman has been able to reinvent the design codes of her work to land on an idea, or a storytelling motif, that flows seamlessly from one collection to the next.

1 week ago | jckonline.com | Karen Dybis |Amy Elliott |Kathy Passero |Rob Bates

The Athena Calderone x John Hardy capsule feels like the child of the art deco and Streamline Moderne styles—clean, geometric, and linear yet still beautifully opulent. This is Calderone’s first jewelry collection, and the New York City interior designer, author, chef, and entertaining expert who created the EyeSwoon lifestyle brand shows her deft hand at creating elevated shapes and intriguing contrasts between hard, luxurious gemstones and softer materials like silk rope.

1 week ago | jckonline.com | Kathy Passero |Rob Bates |Karen Dybis

In The Jewelry District’s first-ever video podcast, JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky and news director Rob Bates sit down with JCK managing editor Melissa Rose Bernardo to discuss buzzworthy trends in categories from colored stones to diamonds. With JCK Las Vegas opening on June 6 and Luxury on June 4, it’s the ideal time to catch up on the latest looks, from creative new gold and pearl earrings to Mocha Mousse gems and Guatemalan jade.

1 week ago | jckonline.com | Rob Bates |Kathy Passero |Karen Dybis

Sotheby’s is selling an ultrarare Rolex that, for years, many aficionados believed didn’t exist. The fourth in a long-rumored series, the 1999 Cosmograph Daytona (Ref. 16516) will be offered at Sotheby’s’ May 11 Important Watches live auction in Geneva. It carries an estimate of $850,000 to $1.7 million. This timepiece is particularly notable because it’s a specially commissioned Rolex—a rarity for a company that generally shies away from producing private limited editions.