The Plumb Club’s Podcast

The Growth and Opportunity in Colored Diamonds

Colored diamonds can help a store stand out from competition, but with the growing increased consumer desire surrounding the category, they can represent increased sales opportunities to customers who are looking for the unique. Mark Funk talks about the growth of colored diamonds in Hollywood and among consumers in general, providing fun facts and historical stories about the various colors of diamond.  Mark Funk is the vice president of sales and marketing at CIRARI by Color Jewels, a prime source manufacturer building all categories of product, with a strong commitment to the expansion of colored diamonds.

Seed to Stone: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Premium Diamond Growth Process

Consumer demand for lab grown diamonds continues to rise. It is more important than ever that a retailer can accurately and powerfully share the unique story behind lab grown diamonds. In this podcast Brittany Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer and Dr. Jonathan Levine-Miles, Chief Process Officer for WD Lab Grown Diamonds give a clear overview of the premium lab grown diamond growth process, to ensure retailers can answer questions at point of sale. They provide fun facts about lab grown diamond growth, as well as talking points on sustainability and traceability and give retail tips on engaging the next generation customer. WD Lab Grown Diamonds is a leading lab grown diamond manufacturer, founded in 2008. A global leader in high-quality laboratory created diamonds with distribution under the brands WD Lab Grown Diamonds and Latitude.

Building Your Business With Diamond Milestones

Long term customer relationships are vital to the success of your business. In this podcast sponsored by Jasani Group, a vertically integrated diamond company, Cheryl Kremkow shares how focusing on customer lifecycles can increase sales and profits. Structuring marketing, merchandising and sales on life’s milestones can help you make sure that customers come back to you to celebrate all their important occasions.

From the Laboratory: Everything Retailers Need to Know About Disclosure and Detection of Diamonds

Retailers are ultimately responsible for the final disclosure of the origin of the diamonds and diamond jewelry they sell. Before going across that final 18 inches of sales counter, diamonds must go through multiple processes including screening and detection, and laboratory testing and analysis to ensure that the consumer receives exactly what the retailer has represented as origin. Alethea Inns, Chief Learning Officer for Gemological Science International outlines some of the ways that a retailer can best detect and disclose laboratory grown diamonds, and why accurate disclosure of diamond origin is essential to the health of the jewelry industry.  

Piercing & Zapping Parties 101

Curating the perfect ear and wearing permanent jewelry are two of the biggest recent fine jewelry trends. In this informative “How-To” podcast, Duvall O'Steen and Katherine Whitacre, on behalf of Plumb Club Member Chic Pistachio, provide you pro tips for producing successful piercing and “zapping” parties to bring more Gen Z and Millennial customers into the store. Discover the tools required and the pitfalls to avoid so that your customers will have an exciting and pleasant experience of self-expression and/or gifting that they can talk about and share on social media, all with your expert help.

The Rising Popularity in Colored Gemstones

Colored gemstones are a continually growing category for today’s retailers. The reasons are multifold. Among them a changing consumer demographic, a changing economy, fashion and fashion influencers/celebrities. Oren Akhavan discusses each of the underlying reasons that account for the surge in colored gemstone popularity and illustrates how the category helps provide support and opportunities for a retail jeweler.  Oren Akhavan is the operations manager for Ryan Gems, a second generation family business specializing in both gemstone and diamond jewelry.   

Lighting is Essential to a Successful Jewelry Store

Great lighting is crucial for a successful jewelry store. In this podcast, Leslie McGwire helps listeners understand the goal of lighting and how the proper intensity of light impacts the merchandise and customer perception. She gives tips on best in-case lighting as well as the lighting in aisleways between the showcases. Further, she details how decorative lighting captures the customers attention and adds to the store’s perception. Leslie McGwire, ASID (American Association of Interior Designers) Allied, is an award-winning interior designer and author, with 35 years of experience in retail design and a specialization in jewelry store design. She is the owner of Leslie McGwire & Associates, Inc.

Programed For Success - Making Vendor Programs Work for You

Efficiency and effectiveness at the sales counter is a “must” for retailers. By simplifying the visual product and value presentation, a retailer can not only help a consumer understand the various options available to them within a category, it can help guide and expedite the consumers decision making process.  In this presentation, on behalf of Plumb Club Member Shefi, Kate Peterson of Performance Concepts illustrates how vendor programs allow the consumer to eliminate the need to search further, help them “self-qualify” on quality and budget options and assist the salesperson in closing a sale. Shefi was established in 1975 and is a top source for programs such as: Anniversary Bands, Clusters, Stackables, Diamond Hoops, Diamond Bracelets and Bangles, plus a variety of new Bridal Collections.

Top 5 Ways to Get More ROI From Your Internet Marketing

Today, internet marketing is a crucial part of the marketing mix. Unlike many historical marketing methods, internet marketing allows a retailer to track the performance of the initiative. In this podcast, Suereea Mathews discusses several elements of internet marketing that can help a retailer get more ROI from their initiatives and ensure success. Suereea Mathews is the Co-CEO of Luxury Brand Marketing and has specialized in the jewelry industry for over 18 years. She has beta-tested technology, apps, communities and other online tools for Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.

What Do They Want? The Evolving Consumer

Today’s consumer is younger, better educated and have a different set of experiences. Therefore, they have different expectations of a shopping experience. In a talk with Paco Underhill, author and environmental psychologist, listeners will gain insights into how their customer has changed. Tips are provided on what clues to watch for, how their desires can be met and what a retailer can do to lower purchase barriers. Paco Underhill and his company Envirosell have a global perspective on consumer shopping habits that has underpinned their work with over 1/3 of the Fortune 500 list. Additionally, Paco Underhill has written a number of best-selling business books such as "How We Eat", "Call of The Mall", "What Women Want” and “Why We Buy”, dedicated to the science of shopping.