The diamond and jewelry industries were keen to see the strength of the US market as represented at the fair.
Official JCK Vegas attendance on opening day was described as strong by many exhibitors and visitors to the annual trade fair.
Rapaport News observed that the larger loose diamond firms that market heavily ahead of the show from Los Angeles, New York and Antwerp were busy with appointments and writing orders on the first day, signaling a strong start. But, which is often typical on the first day, activity was very subdued at the booths of many smaller diamond exhibitors, by their own account.
Nonetheless, retailers were ordering unique, fine diamond jewelry that presented an elegant fashion statement and that could be worn day and/or night, according to Gabriel & Co. New York, which nearly achieved its entire show sales goal on the first day.
This year, designer Erich Zimmermann of Augsburg, Germany returned to the JCK venue after a six-year hiatus and said that orders for his handmade pieces were very strong on opening day. "Rose quartz in rose gold rings are very easy to sell right now," he said, as were his hand-carved lavender and green jade earrings, which sold out. Early in the day, the designer also sold several of his Cocoon collier necklaces that were handcrafted in 18-karat yellow gold. He described the necklace collection as "light and organic," mimicking nature's delicate forms.
Zalemark unveiled its much anticipated Crayola Fine Jewelry collection under the theme "I am Color." The initial collection offered a limited number of diamond pieces, but head designer and Zalemark CEO Steven Zale said that more diamond and gold jewelry will be forthcoming as the collection gains momentum.
Initially, the majority of pieces featured enamels, pearls and crystals in 14-karat white, yellow or rose gold and silver. Zalemark was chosen to partner with Crayola, one of the world's most recognized brands, to create a fine jewelry collection as it branches out with new product lines, including jewelry, clothing and home accessories.
Meanwhile, Dominion Diamond Corporation launched its business-to-business platform for the CanadaMark diamond hallmark program. Kiran Group and CUFF partnered to bring "smart jewelry" to the U.S. CUFF, which is based in San Francisco, plans to elevate wearable technology by discretely including it in fashion and accessories.
