Eddie LeVian
CEO, Le Vian
Le Vian is unveiling a treasure trove of collections and new designs in its appointment-only high-jewelry room at JCK. For our annual Red Carpet Revue, jewelry influencer Julia Hackman Chafé of @JewelswithJules will engage with luminaries, while our event’s emcee, the world-renowned master mentalist Lior Suchard, will weave Le Vian’s jewelry trends into his mesmerizing acts. The denouement will be an electrifying musical performance by Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. Despite the tumultuous descent of synthetic-diamond prices, [which] has prompted a wave of caution among retailers, Le Vian predicts a surge in sales, increased brand positioning and a swell in show attendance. Plus, for the first time, high-quality platinum jewelry has not only surpassed the purity and endurance of gold, but triumphed in affordability as well.
Eric Yen
Manager, Yen’s Jewelry & Accessories
Sales in 2024 began with cautious optimism, but we believe there is untapped potential in pearls, with designers yet to fully explore this sector. There is an upward trend in demand for smaller-size pearls, appealing to a younger demographic. In Las Vegas, we’ll unveil super round and high-quality baby Chinese Edison freshwater pearls, also known as bead-nucleated pearls, ranging from 2 to 6 millimeters. These meet the demand for hard-to-find akoya pearls. And while Yen’s is renowned for intense natural-color freshwater pearls with deep purples and metallic overtones, we also boast a large selection of South Sea ombré pearls. Additionally, our curated collection of saltwater akoya strands includes rare 10- to 11-millimeter and 11- to 12-millimeter varieties, and we stocked up on small 8- to 10-millimeter Tahitian strands graded “ocean blue” by the Pearl Science Laboratory.
Melanie Goldfiner Goldberg
Director of marketing and business development, Rahaminov Diamonds
While sales are stable, we remain resilient and adaptive, fulfilling a growing appreciation for quality over quantity. Expectations are tempered by market conditions, but we’re optimistic about fostering positive sentiment and forging fruitful partnerships at the show. Our focus on quiet luxury and understated elegance resonates with the sentiment that less is indeed more. We anticipate that JCK Luxury and JCK Las Vegas will provide a welcome opportunity for attendees to indulge in the finer things, offering a sense of comfort amid turbulent times. We’re thrilled to expand our Movál collection with new necklaces, timeless pieces featuring fresh gemstones, and designs that blend innovation with classic elegance. We also anticipate that retailers will gravitate toward classic jewelry pieces, prioritizing timeless elegance over fleeting trends.
Gary Levine
Director of business development, Sylvie
Despite geopolitical tensions and economic shifts, Sylvie Collection has seen its strongest growth over the last three years, with the first few months of 2024 being our strongest-ever first quarter. Our retailers are interested in the evolving preferences and interests of younger consumers, and the impact of digital marketing on retail traffic. Regarding trends, we see a strong lean toward minimalism in bridal and the rising popularity of gemstone-embellished men’s jewelry, which is evident in our new line of men’s wedding bands. More new collections include Shell Iconelle and Tulira, the former featuring [founder and designer Sylvie Levine’s] signature shell motif, and the latter a collection of engagement rings and wedding bands inspired by the Belgian springtime of her childhood.
Amish R. Shah
Founder, Altr and J’Evar
We already have over 25 patents in diamond cuts but will present new ones tailored to the lab-grown diamond category. We’ll also unveil J’Evar, our fine-jewelry consumer brand featuring type IIa lab-grown diamonds [with an SCS 007 certified sustainability rating. The diamonds are] created with solar energy, [have] a net-zero carbon footprint and guaranteed traceability, [and are] set in recycled gold. One of our new jewelry collections includes symmetrically cut diamond letter pendant necklaces in 18-karat gold, while another has step-cut diamonds boasting internal reflections and refractions to capture more oblique light, making the diamonds more visible from greater distances. Finally, [we have] Lotus Petals, a patent-pending setting that enfolds each diamond in an open lotus-petal motif representing purity and holding each diamond like a sacred offering.
Main Image: Model wearing J’Evar hoop earrings and bracelets with lab-grown diamonds. (J’Evar)
This article is from the July-August 2024 issue of Rapaport Magazine. View other articles here.
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