By Adrienne Weinfeld-Berg
So what was so exciting? I admit that I was impressed with a very cool, pre-holiday 2015 Jewelry Preview Party hosted by the Knoxville, Tennessee-based home shopping network, Jewelry Television (JTV), which took place recently at the posh Bryant Park Hotel in Manhattan.
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- “Welcome to the Jungle” - Off Park Collection, two-tone mesh Snake Necklace and crystal, glass, enameled silver tone Leopard Ring; Titanic Jewelry Collection, Juliette’s Exotic Flower Brooch.
For those of you out there who are wondering about JTV and the mega spread of unique jewels—fashion, fine (and everything in between)—that is served up live, on-air, 24/7/365, and also online (www.jtv.com) at varied price points, the short story goes something like this. JTV focuses on the “jewelry for everyone” credo, which is a neat trick to accomplish, especially when considering that the company manages to offer a reported 30,000 jewelry options across its repertoire.
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- “Lighter Shade of Pale” - Mia by Moda Al Massimo, multicolor Murano glass bead 18K yellow gold over bronze strand necklace ; Stratify, 33.30ctw oval Bolivian Orchid Amethyst/18K rose gold over silver three-row bracelet and 17.86ctw Brazilian Amethyst 18K yellow gold over sterling silver dangle earrings; round Swiss-blue topaz sterling silver Floral Necklace ; Charles Winston for Bella Luce, Rhodium over sterling silver Cocktail Ring.
All of this translates into lots of designer and private label collections from a mix of well-known and not-so-well-known names, many of whom appear regularly on air alongside a JTV show host. The banter is always chatty and casual in order to add a personal touch that brings shoppers instantly and directly into the mix. The real star, however, is the jewelry. Unlike the other home shopping channels out there, JTV’s main event is all about the jewelry, all of the time, both on-air and online. Shoppers can take full and instant advantage of a huge array of loose gemstones, petite and large cocktail rings, small to chunky necklaces, bracelets, and more. There are many different varieties within each grouping sold alongside diamond baubles (real and real-like simulants), available in base metals and in 14K gold. Customers can select from “Made in Italy” pieces (totally haute couture in feeling), karat gold, “look of gold,” pearls, embracing a wide range of extremely affordable, cultured pieces, as well as the more swanky, high-end varieties, such as Keshi, Tahitian, and South Sea.
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- “Stack It Up” - Splendido Oro 14K rose gold artformed silk ring (shown also shown in 14K white gold, 14K yellow gold ; Sophisticated Steel, 22.00ctw carnelian, manmade Swarovski Element glass stainless steel necklace ; Off Park Collection, gunmetal tone crystal chevron multi-strand Drape Necklace .
Further, JTV works hard, in order to always enhance and fulfill each shopper’s desire to easily and quickly purchase and own that special piece of jewelry, because, no matter what that shopper’s budget may be; no matter the amount of her or his purse – perhaps just a mere few dollars or mega thousands – each customer is able to dream her or his dream, in terms of basically affording and owning that treasured gem at nearly every price level.
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- “Heavy Metal” - Moda Al Massimo, Made In Italy, 18K yellow gold over Bronze fancy curb link Bracelet and 18K yellow gold over Bronze circle link Necklace; Stile Italiano Rhodium over sterling silver graduated Circle Necklace and Rhodium over sterling silver filigree design Chandelier Earrings; Diamond-cut 18K rose gold over sterling silver spiral round Dangle Earrings.
Pardon the pun, but absolutely no “stone” was left unturned during the JTV Rocks Cocktail Party. Set against the Hotel’s luxy, top-floor loft space, the sparkly gems mixed and mingled with the glittering, night-time Manhattan skyline views. There were the requisite huge platters of food and flowing wine and champagne for guests to enjoy, but the real fun of the evening began with an invitation for everyone to select a ring from among the many offerings, which were nestled in oversized cocktail glasses, as part of a very glitzy “Cocktail Ring Bar.” FYI, this Editor chose a huge, gunmetal tone/multicolor purple/white crystal dome ring (Off Park Collection)—way more expensive-looking than the $39.99 JTV price, as was noted in the full-color, oversized, magazine-style catalog, handed out at the event.
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- The Cocktail Ring Bar at the JTV 2015 Jewelry Preview Party held in NYC.
Further to promoting the highly visible and totally accessible jewelry as the main event with focus on the season’s specific “trending” stories, several well-edited and tightly-themed groupings were laid out tabletop-style against stark white cloths, accentuated by softly colored silk ribbons. While for this Editor, nearly every trend and just about every piece of jewelry—all at varied price-points—were superb, there were definitely certain standouts, as seen in the pieces presented here.
