“I’m lost for words.”
(Press Release) LAS VEGAS — British luxury jeweler Stephen Webster received the Cindy Edelstein award for Human Spirit at the 2017 Couture Design Awards in Las Vegas.
The award was renamed in 2016 in honor of Cindy Edelstein, the designer advocate and industry veteran who passed away suddenly last year. Edelstein’s daughter Remy presented the award in recognition of Webster’s contribution to the jewelry industry, his ongoing support of up-and-coming designers through the British Fashion Council’s Rock Vault platform, his work with numerous charitable organizations and his dedication to ethical sourcing and sustainability.
On accepting the award, Webster paid tribute to the late Edelstein: “I’m lost for words. I feel really emotional here … because obviously I knew Cindy very, very well. I was right there in the beginning when she was the champion of designer jewelry in America, and as a Brit, I always felt very much a part of the spirit that she just passed on to everybody.”
Stephen Webster received the Cindy Edelstein award for Human Spirit at the 2017 Couture Design Awards in Las Vegas.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
