Headlines

How These Two Unmarried Women “Conned” America into Buying Diamonds Again

Published

8 years ago

June 13, 2016

INSTORE Staff

In the 1940s, Frances Gerety and Dorothy Dignam changed the course of the jewelry business with their brilliant marketing slogans.

In the 1930s, diamond engagement rings were declining in popularity until two unmarried women changed the public perception of diamonds and “conned” America into buying them again, The New York Post writes. The article explains how De Beers hired Philadelphia ad agency N.W. Ayer to spur sales, and in 1947 a copywriter named Frances Gerety conceived of the iconic slogan “a diamond is forever”, implying “that a diamond was more than just an object – it was the very embodiment of love and domestic harmony.”

The article adds that Dorothy Dignam, the head of the agency’s publicity department, inundated her Hollywood contacts with the “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” concept – possibly influencing the song that Marilyn Monroe sung in the 1953 film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” As Rachelle Bergstein, author of Brilliance and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds told the outlet: “The song, along with Gerety’s successful tagline ‘Diamonds are forever,’ provided two definitive pop-culture statements about the role jewels should play in people’s lives.”

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”