Thoughts from a 2015 show

 2015

We’re on the heels of the New York Antique Jewelry and Watch Show, which ran from July 24th to 27th in Manhattan. What a trip! Our time in the city was a typical sleepless combination of gem and jewelry deals, networking, and connecting with both old and new friends. All fun and games aside, though, these shows are the lifeblood of our industry and help me achieve what I set out to do each year: bring you the most exciting and beautiful pieces possible. So here’s a little peek behind the curtain from me on jewelry industry trade shows:

On the surface, the purpose of attending a trade show is to run a booth and show off our stuff to dealers and retail customers. And sure, we do that. In fact, we really pride ourselves on putting together one of the cleanest, best-looking booths in the show. I try to bring a high degree of intention and design aesthetic to everything I do, and our display reflects that. Some of the other vendors at the show look to cram their entire inventory into the display, but I prefer to be selective, curate to show the best, and have my display reflect the discernment and attention to detail that I put into my entire collection.

Just selling out of the booth isn’t the whole purpose of a trade show, and at this one in particular, the sales prospects were slow all around. But even in a slow market, a show can be hugely productive! While many dealers complain about slow sales, I see it as an opportunity -- a buyer’s market. I managed to buy aggressively and add some truly beautiful stones to my inventory. When I’m able to do that, my customers reap the benefit. You’ll see the results in these pages over the next several months.

Not every deal happens on the show floor. One member of my team landed in New York at 5 AM on Friday after a red eye flight from Los Angeles and, after taking a quick nap, jumped into a taxi to fetch stones from all over Manhattan before joining us at the show. Being able to meet dealers from all over the planet and make deals in person instead of by phone and messenger is one of those hidden perks of attending a show like this one.

Overall, we had a productive and fun time, and set ourselves up for a great finish to 2015. I’m looking forward to sharing some of the results with you! Maybe we’ll see you at the next show.

Anup Jogani