WHAT ADVICE DID JEWELERS actually want to read this year? We let Google Analytics answer that question. These 20 stories — profiles, case studies, advice features — earned the most attention in 2025. Consider this your catch-up list.
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1. 100 Things Every Jewelry Salesperson Should Know
If you want to sell jewelry, here’s where to start
FEATURED TIP: Show something ridiculously expensive, just for fun. You’re not trying to sell it — you’re creating an experience. How often does someone get to try on a $20,000 necklace? They’ll remember that. / READ MORE HERE.
2. Here’s How You Should Be Adjusting to $3,000 Gold
These three measures should take top priority in your jewelry store.
FEATURED TIP: Once your staff is comfortable charging more, you don’t have to go back down — even if gold does. Responding to the market isn’t just survival. It’s an investment in your future margins. / READ MORE HERE.
3. Overwhelmed by Tech Advances? Try Artificial Intelligence Anyway
AI can seem daunting, but its tantalizing benefits make it worth the effort to understand.
FEATURED TIP: The simple truth is that AI was created to make your life easier and your customer service better. It can handle routine customer questions so that you’re freed up to take on more complicated queries. It can aid you in capturing your client’s imagination in a custom design. It can write your social media posts and product descriptions. It can even analyze all of your customer reviews and tell you what customers love most about your business and where you have room for improvement. / READ MORE HERE.
4. What You Need to Know About Tariffs and How You Can Deal With Them
Retailers and manufacturers have some options to lessen the impact of tariffs, and there are also ways to add your voice to industry calls for eliminating tariffs.
FEATURED TIP: If the new watch market slows under tariff weight, the preowned market may become the lifeboat. Estate and secondhand inventory sourced domestically sidesteps the tariff hit entirely—something to think about for your sourcing mix. / READ MORE HERE.
5. Wisconsin Jeweler Shares ‘Inappropriate’ Advice with Engagement Ring Shoppers
Other retailers may also find Andy Koehn’s book beneficial.
FEATURED TIP: Talk to customers like you’re their buddy at a bar. Your stuff is behind glass — you don’t have to be. And remember what the customer actually woke up thinking about. It wasn’t cut, clarity, carat, and color. It was: “I want the most powerful symbol in the world.” / READ MORE HERE.
6. A Self-Made Bench Jeweler Finally Gets the Store She Always Wanted
After three DIY expansions in a rented bank building, Amber Gustafson went all in on her own showplace.
FEATURED TIP: When you finally go big, go all the way. “I have been a miser,” she says. “But when I did this, I decided to spare no expense.” A bar, plush couch, robust sound system, appealing scent—comfort sells. / READ MORE HERE.
7. A Client Wants to Return His Custom Engagement Ring, But the Jewelry Store Says “No Returns on ‘Specials'”
The ambiguous wording is cause for conflict.
FEATURED TIP: Ditch vague policy language like “no returns on specials.” Say exactly what you mean: “No returns on special orders, custom jewelry, or modified jewelry.” Ambiguity just invites conflict. / READ MORE HERE.
8. How to Capitalize on the High Price of Gold — and Look Good Doing It
Jewelry retailers share their best tips and advice on gold buying during a time in which the price of gold has never been higher.
FEATURED TIP: Don’t advertise “Cash for Gold” if you want to stay upscale. Call it “gold recycling services” or say you “work with estates.” Or skip signage entirely and rely on word of mouth from existing customers. / READ MORE HERE.
9. Former Minneapolis Retailer Moves to House-Calls-Only Model
It’s the latest incarnation of T. Lee’s operation.
FEATURED TIP: Without a retail store, you can finally travel for education. T. Lee and her longtime jeweler couldn’t leave the store at the same time for 30 years. Now they study together in Nashville and Barcelona. / READ MORE HERE.
10. Here Are Three Ways to Maximize Your Gold-Buying Revenue
If you’re just waiting for people to come in and offer to sell you their gold, you’re missing out on lots of opportunities.
FEATURED TIP: Partner with the largest funeral home in town. Put a tasteful, non-salesy sign in their lobby and pay a monthly fee for the privilege. You’ll be the jeweler families remember when it’s time to sell. / READ MORE HERE.
11. Bar Vibe Puts Jewelry Shoppers at Ease at The Diamond Bar
This St. Louis-area Cool Store carves a niche in its market for personalized service and unique gemstones.
FEATURED TIP: Give every client a professional photo of their piece. It adds significance to the purchase—and gives them something they’ll want to share. / READ MORE HERE.
12. A Dairy Farmer’s Daughter Trades Rural Wisconsin for a Custom Jewelry Design House in One of the Hippest Parts of Chicago
akohl is known for its design aesthetic, chic urban gallery vibe and innovative jewelry.
FEATURED TIP: Throw a formal dinner for your top clients. Owner Tammy Kohl hired a chef, set formal tables with florals, and invited her top 25. People shared memories and made speeches. It’s still talked about. / READ MORE HERE.
13. Northwest Gem: Ben Bridge’s Nature-Inspired Flagship Is Revitalizing Downtown Seattle Retail
The new store epitomizes a formula for 113 years of jewelry success.
FEATURED TIP: Have an executive call every store, every night. At Ben Bridge, someone on the leadership team calls every single location daily to celebrate wins or support someone who had a tough day. “It could be your second day in the company and now you’re talking to the CFO.” / READ MORE HERE.
14. Pittsburgh Jeweler Elevates Store to Reflect Luxury Reputation
Henne Jewelers expansion creates multi-level showroom.
FEATURED TIP: Give every couple who tries on an engagement ring a marriage advice book. Henne gives out “The Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married” by Gary Chapman. Couples who complete premarital counseling get $100 off each wedding band. / READ MORE HERE.
15. 2025 Will Be a Good Year for Jewelry Retailers — But Will That Be a Bad Thing?
When times are good, complacency is a small business owner’s worst enemy.
FEATURED TIP: Remember what sparked the last growth spurt: COVID. A global pandemic forced scrappy independents to get creative. That’s when things got really, really good. What’s going to force you to innovate when times are comfortable? / READ MORE HERE.
16. These Are the Four Characteristics Every Jewelry Store Manager Should Have
One of the most important is learning the right way to delegate tasks.
FEATURED TIP: Don’t promote your top salesperson to manager just because they’re your top salesperson. You’ll create two problems: their personal sales drop, and the team resents their management style. Most great managers aren’t the best salespeople—but they can drive the floor like a machine. / READ MORE HERE.
17. Close More Jewelry Repairs by Training Your Team
Pricing repairs correctly is only the first step to making money in the shop.
FEATURED TIP: Train a little at a time. Cover one to three repair tasks per store meeting. Take 15–20 minutes each week, and you could cover the entire Geller Book in a quarter. / READ MORE HERE.
18. Follow These 5 Tips to Increase Your Jewelry Store’s Average Ticket
Jewelry retailers can make clients happier — and make more money — by creating a premium jewelry-buying experience.
FEATURED TIP: Offer financing instead of discounts. Instead of 10% off, offer 12 months interest-free. You protect your margins and turn “maybe later” into “yes, today.” / READ MORE HERE.
19. How Three Friends Created a Fine Jewelry Brand in Louisiana
They hatched the plan around a dining room table during pandemic shutdowns.
FEATURED TIP: Turn an unexpected event into a signature one. When Embark learned 30 local men who rent a bus for Christmas shopping had chosen them as a stop, they didn’t just wait—they built “men’s night” around it with a bartender, festive atmosphere, and wish lists from significant others. It became a record day. / READ MORE HERE.
20. Here Are 5 Ways to Increase Foot Traffic to Your Jewelry Store
They all involve going the extra mile for your customers — in very specific ways.
FEATURED TIP: Reward customers for booking appointments in advance. Offer something like $100 off for scheduling ahead. It attracts serious buyers and gives your team time to prepare—understanding preferences and ensuring the right inventory is ready. / READ MORE HERE.
The Next 10 Top Stories of 2025
