Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein

Jewelry Designers Who Blog -- Who Does it Well?

I was asked recently to recommend some great blogs by jewelry designers - to show how it can be done in a good, entertaining, useful way.

Thought I'd share my top picks:

www.daniellemillerjewelry.blogspot.com

www.studiojeweler.blogspot.com (by Natasha Wozniak)
www.pamelafroman.blogspot.com
www.wendyculpepperblog.com
www.amytavern.blogspot.com

Got any others to nominate to my list?

            These just in from readers:

www.jeannejohngren.blogspot.com
www.gentrydesignco.typepad.com

Three Times in Three Weeks Makes it a Super Trend -- Agate Slices and Crystal Jewelry

Agate sliced jewelry layout in the May issue of O Magazine.

Did you ever think it would be high fashion/in again?

Inspired by Mother Earth - More Editorial for Drusy, Agate Slices and Raw Gems

Inspired by Mother Earth - Los Angeles Times.

"Authentic more natural stones are the 'new bling,' " says Julie Gilhart, senior vice president and fashion director of Barneys New York. "There is a handmade craft and artisanal feel to them, which feels fresh and new."

Devon Leigh earrings, $395 at www.devonleigh.com.

Erickson Beamon necklace, $778 at Curve, Los Angeles; Irene Neuwirth necklace, $34,340 at Barneys New York, Beverly Hills; Manu rings, $175 each at Barneys Co-Op.

Can Full Price Luxury Survive This Economy? Will Sample Sales Take Over?

Have you bought anything on one of the sample sale websites yet?

• http://www.Gilt.com
• http://www.Ruelala.com
• http://www.theOutnet.com
• http://www.editorscloset.com
• http://www.thetopsecret.com
• http://www.ideeli.com
• http://www.billiondollarbabes.com
• http://www.thesavvy.com

More interestingly ... have you sold anything on them? In the past six months I have seen online sample sales for: Gurhan, Judith Ripka, Penny Preville, Kwiat, DiModolo, Ippolita, John Hardy, Temple St. Clair, Emily & Ashley, Leslie Greene, Heather Moore and dozens more.

What impact does this quick-access online discount shopping for luxury goods have on the general retail scene? Will the high-end fashionable customer head into the stores more or less when the economy rebounds?

We're fascinated by this new business mode -- by the pricing structure, merchandise selection and just how successful they are for the designers overall.

We'll definitely be doing some research and interviews but for now, dear readers, we lead you to a Wall Street Journal article -- and video -- to get some answers to some of the questions.

Loree Rodkin Looking to Sell -- Being Known as Michelle Obama's Jewelry of Choice Should be Lucrative

The Wall Street Journal reports that Loree Rodkin "has been telling friends that she would be willing to sell her company," Well-connected in Hollywood and rocker circles, she has jetted to widespread fame as a jewelry designer since becoming Michelle Obama's go-to jeweler. Now, Ms. Rodkin is ready to cash in, says the article.

"Recession or no, the dream of selling one's brand lives on in the luxury business. Investors can offer designers the joys of creativity without the headaches of operations and can bankroll global expansions. Louis Vuitton made luggage and ran his company until his death in 1892, when he passed it on to his son George. But these days, who wants to labor as an artisan into old age?"

... read the whole article at wsj.com

Recession Drains Fashion from Henri Bendel in NYC - Yay, More Room for Accessories!

Henri Bendel, is planning to stop selling clothes this summer and focus on accessories and beauty products as it struggles to lure shoppers during a prolonged recession, says a news report.

"But Bendel, a division of Limited Brands, is changing its business model," reports today's New York Times,  "from the department store that was founded in 1895 to a more mall-like chain selling Bendel-branded beauty and gift items, like an $18 box of tea in the company’s signature brown-and-white stripes."