Signet rings have evolved from formal symbols of authority to playful and deeply personal pieces of jewelry. Designers like Cece Fein Hughes and Katherine Jetter are creating modern signet rings that reflect individual stories and friendships, often incorporating whimsical elements and colorful designs. The article showcases various contemporary signet rings from different designers, highlighting their unique features and the creative freedom they offer.

The article discusses the growing awareness of human rights abuses in the diamond trade, with views from NGOs and industry insiders. NGOs like Impact, Global Witness, and Human Rights Watch have criticized the Kimberley Process and the World Diamond Council for their lack of rigor and overreliance on the Responsible Jewellery Council. Reports have highlighted issues such as 'blood diamonds' and abuses at mines like Petra Diamonds' Williamson deposit in Tanzania. Industry insiders emphasize the importance of ethical sourcing, traceability, and considering environmental and human impacts. Some suggest using recycled diamonds as an ethical alternative. The diamond industry continues to face challenges in ensuring responsible practices, with ongoing debates between NGOs and industry participants.

Designers are embracing a white color palette for summer jewelry, utilizing materials like platinum, pearls, and rock crystal. The trend moves away from the previously dominant yellow gold, with white gold and diamonds being a classic combination. Other materials like white agate, pearls, chalcedony, and rock crystal offer different textures and effects. Platinum is gaining popularity due to its lower price compared to gold, and brands are experimenting with it. Pomellato introduced a new 18-karat Manganese White Gold alloy in its Nudo collection, paired with white diamonds and milky quartz. The article features various jewelry pieces from different designers and brands that align with this trend.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies analyzed the relationship between diet quality and cardiovascular outcomes. The review included 159 cohort studies with over 6.2 million participants, focusing on diet quality indexes like the Mediterranean Diet Score and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. High diet quality was associated with a 17% risk reduction in cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality. The review highlighted the protective effects of high-quality diets against cardiovascular diseases, emphasizing the consumption of nutrient-rich foods. Despite significant heterogeneity and publication bias in some outcomes, the evidence supports the benefits of Mediterranean-style dietary patterns and adherence to heart-healthy guidelines.

Heart-themed jewelry continues to be a beloved trend, invigorated by pop-culture influences such as the 'Barbiecore' aesthetic. Designers like Anne Sisteron, Emily P. Wheeler, and Anna Lou are incorporating playful heart shapes into their collections, while brands like Repossi and Foundrae offer more abstract interpretations. Celebrity influences include Margot Robbie and Sarah Jessica Parker, who have been spotted wearing heart-themed pieces. Jewelers are creatively reimagining this classic motif, ensuring its longevity in the fashion world.

The article outlines five reasons to choose natural diamonds over lab-grown diamonds, emphasizing their geological wonder, investment value, support for mining communities, contribution to biodiversity, and authenticity. It highlights the historical and romantic appeal of natural diamonds, their consistent increase in value, and the positive impact of diamond mining on communities and the environment, citing Botswana's GDP and De Beers' carbon neutrality goal. The article suggests that while lab-grown diamonds are marketed as sustainable, natural diamonds offer tangible benefits that lab-grown alternatives do not.

Fuli Gemstones has been promoting its Changbai Mountains-sourced peridots through collaborations with notable jewelry designers like Liv Luttrell and Stephen Webster, and through competitions. The collaborations have resulted in unique and innovative jewelry pieces, such as Luttrell's Spear Tip ring and Webster's Magnipheasant necklace. Fuli's strategy also includes engaging with emerging talent through contests, leading to partnerships with designers like Stasia Parker, whose competition-winning design was brought to life and showcased internationally.

The Couture jewelry trade show will take place at the Wynn Las Vegas from June 1 to 4, featuring trends such as platinum jewelry by Platinum Guild International, innovative chain designs, colorful gemstones, flowing diamond designs, fantasy-themed pieces, and unique gemstone cuts. The Big Bang earrings by Ondyn in 14-karat gold and diamonds are highlighted as an example.

The diamond industry is experiencing a shift with lab-grown diamonds becoming more popular, particularly among younger generations who prioritize accessibility and ethical considerations over rarity. Despite higher margins for sellers, there is a debate about the long-term value of lab-grown diamonds, with some resistance in markets like India where natural diamonds are seen as investments. The industry faces the challenge of marketing both natural and lab-grown diamonds effectively to maintain the exclusivity of natural diamonds while catering to a new consumer segment.

Signet rings have evolved from formal symbols of authority to playful and deeply personal pieces of jewelry. Modern signet rings, often genderless, are seen as jubilant pledges of allegiance to oneself, with designers like Cece Fein Hughes of Cece Jewellery creating whimsical scenes on them. Katherine Jetter's Lady of the Rings collection celebrates friendship, while Roxanne First and Alison Lou offer quirky and humorous designs. These rings serve as a canvas for storytelling and personal expression.

Capterra UK's survey of over 1000 UK professionals revealed that social relationships at work are a key factor in job satisfaction, especially for on-site and hybrid workers. While 71% of on-site and 67% of hybrid workers find work friendships important, only 46% of remote workers agree. Work-life balance is the top job satisfaction factor across all work environments, followed by job security and compensation. High staff turnover affects the likelihood of employees investing in work relationships, with remote workers being less influenced. Despite the lack of company-organized virtual and in-person social events since the COVID-19 pandemic, two-thirds of employees are likely to participate in such activities, indicating a need for HR teams to foster social connections for all types of employees.

Jewelry from the 1980s, characterized by bold and gold designs, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Fashion houses like Chanel and Gucci have launched collections inspired by the decade, such as Coco Crush and Gucci Link to Love. The vintage market has seen a sharp increase in demand for original '80s pieces, with a Cartier zebra bracelet auctioned by Christie's France selling for over four times its listed price. Vintage dealer Jill Heller notes that consumers are drawn to the tangible luxury of '80s jewelry, which is now influencing contemporary designs.

Brazilian-born jeweler Fernando Jorge has launched a new jewelry line called Sync, featuring earthy hues and geometric shapes with rounded edges, inspired by the 1970s. Jorge, known for adorning celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, started his career in Brazil and studied at Central Saint Martins in London. His US best-selling collections include Brilliant, Surround, and Flame, with pieces often exceeding $60,000. Sync, however, is more accessible, with entry-level prices under $1,000, and targets a gender-neutral audience. Jorge plans to reveal a series of high-jewelry pieces in New York this spring.

The article discusses the challenges faced by the luxury watch industry, particularly with the younger, tech-savvy generations who prefer digital devices over traditional watches. Emily Stoll from Carl F Bucherer acknowledges the difficulty in appealing to these consumers. The industry has seen a decline, with Swiss watch exports dropping significantly in 2016. However, the UK market saw a surge in luxury watch sales due to a post-Brexit weakened pound. The mood in the industry is improving, with seven months of growth reported by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. Brands like A. Lange & Söhne are focusing on value for money and wearable styles to attract customers. The article ends by highlighting the ongoing challenge of competing with digital preferences.

Reena Ahluwalia is a Toronto-based artist, lecturer, and jeweler with a routine that starts early and ends well past midnight. Originally from India, she attended The National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi and began her career at Suraj Diamonds. Ahluwalia has achieved success with many collections and collaborations, including winning the De Beers International Diamond Award. She has worked with industry giants like Rio Tinto and De Beers, which led to her move to Canada. Her partnership with Coronet has produced the Inner Brilliance collection, featuring spinning diamond jewelry. She also creates hyperrealistic diamond paintings, sales of which have raised $50,000 for Jewelers for Children. Ahluwalia's work ethic and passion for design and charity remain as strong as ever.

The article discusses the use of gouache, an opaque watercolor painting technique, in the world of bespoke jewellery design. Renowned houses like Boucheron, Dior, Piaget, and Cartier use gouache paintings, or 'renders', to guide craftsmen in creating jewellery pieces. Despite the rise of computer-generated images, the tradition of hand-painted gouache remains strong among top jewellery houses. The article highlights the importance of gouache in the design process, its role in authentication and archiving, and its value to collectors. Personal insights from designers such as Luis Miguel Howard, Caroline Scheufele of Chopard, and Giampiero Bodino of Richemont emphasize the craft-oriented nature of high jewellery and the emotional connection to hand-drawn designs. The article also notes that original gouaches can significantly increase the value of a piece at auction.