The U.S. recession may be officially over, but are jewelers prepared to face a consumer base that may still be experiencing the aftershocks? National Jeweler asked members of America's Best Jewelers (ABJ) and the ABJ Network to join a retailer roundtable and discuss plans for 2010.

Expect a strong diamond industry presence at BaselWorld this year that includes the unveiling of a new responsibility-focused ad campaign from the Israeli Diamond Institute (IDI) Group of Companies and Rapaport Group Chairman Martin Rapaport's presentation on diamond opportunities and his fair trade conference. 

After 57 years in business, Andrews Jewelers of Lavonia, Ga., has closed shop, ending its operations with a final sale that the jeweler's liquidation company says exceeded projections by 59 percent.

The Women's Jewelry Association (WJA) will be holding educational events on both coasts this week, including a social networking seminar in Los Angles and the annual Women in the Know Conference in New York City.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) recently extended its educational services in the Middle East, with the recent wrap-up a series of gem identification and colored stone grading lab classes for students in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Jewelry marketing firm Fruchtman Marketing and concept marketing firm United Brands both recently announced a number of key appointments.

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Same-store monthly watch sales rose 18 percent in January to $261 million, compared with January 2009, according to the LGI Network January Time Tracker Newsletter, which noted that the increase excludes the thousands of retailers who exited the business over the past year.

Steven Singer, who has made a name for himself with his offbeat "I Hate Steven Singer" advertising campaign, has taken the concept of irreverent marketing to a whole new level.

As a growing chorus of jewelry consumers inquires at the counter about environmental impact and fair trade issues, jewelers are increasingly making marketing claims that address those consumer concerns.

While the jewelry industry has been occupied weathering the economic storm, the Internet (now referred to in business circles as the "digital applications industry"), has been growing and changing--radically.