In 2018, the FTC permitted “a mineral consisting essentially of pure carbon crystallized in the isometric system” to be described as a “diamond,” whether naturally occurring or man-made. Ever since then, the jewelry establishment has been erecting barriers of entry for lab-grown diamonds into their lucrative $84 billion global market.The Natural Diamond Council established the […]
Archive | June, 2022
With Recession on the Horizon, Luxury Consumers Are Feeling Déjà Vu
Up until the 2008/2009 Great Recession, conventional wisdom held that affluent consumers were immune to economic downturns. The assumption was their higher levels of income and wealth sheltered them when prices rise and the economy tanks.But during the last recession, that conventional wisdom didn’t hold. Luxury consumers felt the pain and reacted just like everybody […]
Rising Lipstick Sales Confirms ‘Lipstick Effect’ Is Beauty’s Leading Economic Indicator
In beauty circles, the Lipstick Effect, also called the Lipstick Index, is claimed to be the category’s leading economic indicator. The concept is that in times of a recession and other economic stresses, women will indulge in discretionary purchases that provide an emotional uplift without breaking the budget. Lipstick fits the bill.While the lipstick effect […]
Poised for Growth under New Leadership, David Yurman Opens Paris Flagship Jewelry Boutique
Look at almost any list of the world’s most coveted luxury jewelry brands, and among the list including Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Tiffany, Harry Winston, Bvlgari and others, you’ll find David Yurman.After being founded by sculptor David and artist Sybil Yurman a mere 42 years ago, the David Yurman brand has worked its way […]