The Plumb Club’s Podcast

Diamond Inclusions: Nature’s Storyteller

Much like beauty in humans, the beauty of a natural diamond can often be seen in the elements that are not “perfect”, but in the slight imperfections that make them unique. But in diamonds it’s even more revealing. These elements tell the story of each diamond’s journey from formation to the surface of the earth, and can be a powerful part of a sales conversation. Alethea Inns, chief learning officer for Gemological Science International, takes the listener on the fascinating journey of a diamond, likening it to the customers own and pointing out the beauty of uniqueness.  

Applying the 80-20 Rule to Managing Diamond Jewelry Inventory

Applying the classic 80-20 rule can help a retailer maximize the benefits from their diamond inventory. Sam Sandberg talks about the challenges facing retail profitability and cash flow. He defines what the 80-20 rule is, explains how it works, how it has evolved and illustrates how a retailer should apply the rule to the management of their diamond category.  Sam Sandberg is chairman of the A Jaffe Co, a Plumb Club Member, with over 30 years of experience as a principle of the company.

The Power of a Strong Logo

A customer's physical and pleasing shopping experience always starts with good design. One of the first pieces of design that your customer will come into contact with is your logo. That's why it's important to ensure that your logo convey a store message and set you apart from competition. In this podcast, Leslie McGwire, ASID Allied discusses some iconic brand logos and what makes them stand out. Further, she provides insights into the creation of a meaningful store logo, as well as how and where you can place that logo to reinforce your message, both within your store and when a customer is elsewhere!! Leslie McGwire is a designer who has worked in the spa, salon and jewelry retail environments for 35 years and has won over 27 national design awards for her work. 

The Growing Market for Men’s Jewelry

On behalf of Diamour, Cheryl Kremkow looks at the market forces and top trends that are driving major growth in the men’s jewelry category. She provides insights and tips on how retailers can merchandise and market men’s jewelry to take advantage of the significant surge in demand. Diamour is a family-owned, multinational diamond jewelry organization and a leader in product development and design. Their expansive line includes bridal rings, fashion rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings, and men’s rings.

 

5 Key Insights into the Lab Grown Phenomenon

On behalf of HK Designs, George Prout takes the listener on a journey through the state of affairs on the supply side of lab grown diamonds and what appears to be happening on the consumer side. He discusses the trends in the category and provides insight and tips that will help retailers navigate the the market and category. HK Designs is a vertically integrated company known for pioneering innovations and creating cutting edge designs. They supply an extensive range of diamond and gemstone jewelry to retailers around the world, including a lab grown diamond division called Craft Lab Grown Diamonds.

The Rise and Importance of Special and Custom Orders

Customers today want more personalization and customization in everything that they buy and retail stores can cater to that desire, often significantly increasing ROI and the ticket-price of the sale. Stuart Marcus and Binoy Shah provide numerous statistics on just how important customization is to several target consumer markets and why retailers should be embracing this customer. They provide tips on interacting with the special-order customer and advice on what to look for in manufacturer support, to help take confusion away and ease the sale. Stuart Marcus and Binoy Shah are with Asian Star, a preferred supply partner of leading brands and retail chains across the world for brilliant diamonds and innovative jewelry.

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.