May/June 2003 • Collective Soul: The Designers of Idar • Tanzanian Ruby Mine Brings Hope • Markets: Selling Naked Gems • News & Updates • In This Issue

JCK Kick-Starts Summer
By Morgan Beard · Editor-in-Chief

The 2003 edition of The JCK Show — Las Vegas, held May 30-June 3 at the Sands Expo Center, ended with a sigh of relief rather than a bang.

Business is still slow, exhibitors agreed, but there are definite signs that it's picking up. With the war in Iraq behind them and the U.S. economy perking up, retailers were back and buying, if cautiously. Demand was strongest in the lower price points, except for the ever-hardy top end of the market.

Demand for jewelry dominated even the American Gem Trade Association's colored stone and cultured pearl pavilion, where more exhibitors than ever were displaying at least a little finished jewelry in their cases. Sales of loose stones were slow although, as many dealers pointed out that JCK is primarily a jewelry show.

Traffic was slow in the Design Pavilion, which was moved upstairs and to the very back of the hall. Despite the hard-to-reach location, designers there were enthused about the more sophisticated look of the section as well as the placement near the high-end pavilions like the Plumb Club and the Prestige Promenade.

Antique styles dominated the jewelry scene, featuring pavé-set gemstones and dangling briolettes. Anything with an Edwardian or Victorian flavor was sure to be a hit as fashion took a hundred-year step back in time.

But a new trend was emerging, one of conspicuous consumption. Jewelry buyers went for the big looks, be it rings or pendants set with large colored stones or elaborate chandelier earrings. In silver jewelry, big beads and "chunky" stones were the favored look, the bigger the better. Buyers also appreciated colorful mixes of gemstones, particularly in beads or in large pieces that offered eye-popping, distinctive color.

In gemstones, oranges and pinks were in high demand, everything from spessartite garnet and fire opal to pink sapphire and morganite. The fortuitous discovery of a deposit of large kunzite crystals in Afghanistan a couple of years back led to a run on this otherwise-obscure gem as jewelers ate up the large sizes. A number of jewelry manufacturers also did major lines in "cherry quartz," a glass quartz simulant coming out of Asia.

Turquoise appeared to be finally cooling off as the gem of summer, although several designers picked up on Peruvian blue opal as a more subtle substitute. Also big were the blues and greens of tourmaline, while the purples of amethyst and tanzanite attracted little notice.

Overall, The JCK Show set a positive tone for the coming summer and fall months as the industry as a whole tried to put the tensions of the past year behind it.

Posted: June 13, 2003