The Jewelers Board of Trade reported that 135 U.S. jewelry retailers closed their doors in the second quarter of 2019.

That number represented a decrease from 195 closings in the second quarter of 2018.

The total included 105 retailers in the category of “ceased operations” as well as 24 “consolidations (sale/merger)” and six bankruptcies.

The total number of U.S. jewelry businesses that closed, including retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, was 185. That was a decrease from 234 in the second quarter of 2018.

Meanwhile, JBT reported that 56 new retailers opened their doors in the U.S., down from 63 in the second quarter of 2018.

The total number of new jewelry businesses, including retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, was 68. That was down from 71 new businesses in the year-ago quarter.

JBT listed a total of 18,893 jewelry retailers in the U.S. as of the second quarter of 2019, down from 19,357 in the same quarter a year ago.

The group listed 24,966 jewelry businesses in all, including retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. That was down from 25,607 in the second quarter of 2018.

Robyn Hawk, a writer and social media specialist focused on the jewelry industry, has died at age 63.

She passed away on July 16 from a stroke, according to a post made on her Facebook page by relatives.

“Robyn fell hard in love with the gemstone and jewelry world – and with all of you,” wrote her mother, Maureen, and younger sister, Dawn.

“She was always excited to learn more and then to share and promote this world on her many blogs. Robyn was truly wowed by all the creative people she met, those in mining, gemstone cutters, jewelers, collectors and more. She was a social media guru and a wonderful writer, and her enthusiasm was infectious.”

Working under the moniker “A Fly on the Wall,” the Fullerton, CA, resident was a social content curator, serial blogger and website copy writer.

Her blogs included the Daily Jewel, Celebrity Jewel, Editorial Jewel and Historic Gems & Jewels.

YORK, PA – A jeweler and a coin dealer have been accused in Pennsylvania with violating reporting requirements for precious-metal sales.

The York County district attorney filed charges against James Zimmerman of Zimmerman Jewelers and Dennis Steinmetz of Steinmetz Coins and Currency.

A Pennsylvania statute mandates, “A copy of every record of transaction shall be delivered or mailed to the district attorney of the county in which a purchase of precious metals is made by the close of the next working day after the day on which the metal is purchased.”

Both owners were contacted on Jan. 15 advising them that they were to return to compliance, according to a press release from the district attorney’s office. From Feb. 1 to present, Zimmerman Jewelers has had a 37% compliance rate, and Steinmetz Coins and Currency had a compliance rate of 17%, according to the release.

The York County District Attorney’s Office stated that it “has invested significant time and money in an effort to make submissions easier on precious metals dealers by creating a web-based reporting system.” Over the past two years, the program has grown to include Lebanon County and is in the process of expanding to Cumberland County. There are currently over 50 precious metal dealers using the website, who maintain an average 94% compliance rate.

District Attorney Dave Sunday said, “It is the legal obligation of every precious metal dealer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide this information to their jurisdiction’s District Attorney. Data from this website has proven to be an invaluable tool, aiding municipal law enforcement officers in solving drug and property crimes, and helping to reunite stolen items with their rightful owners.”