The JCK Las Vegas show is scheduled for the last week of August (27th through 30th August 2021) and as jewellery trade events go, it is one of the most prestigious annual events. What you see at JCK is jewellery, gems and timepieces. That’s not all. It’s also a destination for networking and for gauging current and upcoming trends in the global jewellery market. However, this year’s show is especially significant, since it is being hosted after a gap of a year and a half year. The cancellation of last year’s show caused disappointment among exhibitors and attendees alike, but was a necessary step during a pandemic year.
For this year’s Show, I’m on the lookout for beautiful pearls and on my radar are five JCK veteran pearl exhibitors. Their selection of pearls and pearl jewellery is beautiful, to say the least, and definitely not to be missed.
Baby Akoya Pearl and Diamond Hoop Earrings, Baggins Inc.
Baggins Inc. have been participating at JCK Las Vegas for the past 18 years. When I spoke with Anil Maloo, President of Baggins Inc. about his goal for this year’s show, he explained that they had been working on some special ideas in terms of jewellery design. Since classic items like strands and studs have been selling again, Baggins Inc. have created some new styles which although are classic yet have a modern feel to them.
This year, the two collections they will be focusing on are their Diamond by the Yard & Pearl Collection and their Baby Akoya Collection. In addition, since they have been manufacturing and selling diamond jewelry for the past couple of years, their Floating Diamond Collection and Classic Tennis & Riviera Diamond Necklaces will also be part of their exhibit at JCK Las Vegas. With excellent price points, Anil is confident that retail stores would sell these pieces very well. However, as Anil pointed out, being able to conduct business safely and successfully is their top priority at JCK Las Vegas this year. You can find Baggins Inc. at Stand Lux 400, JCK Las Vegas.
Yen’s Jewelry have been exhibiting at JCK Las Vegas for more than 25 years. For Eric Yen, Director at Yen’s Jewelry, JCK Las Vegas “is the show to visit if you want to keep yourself updated with the industry. Here, you’ll find the newest designs from dealers in the states and international dealers. It’s also a great time to create new connections with vendors around the world.” The preparations for the show have been going on for months at Yen’s Jewelry, and after a gap of a year they are all happy to be back at their old JCK Las Vegas stamping grounds.
This year, you will find a wide selection of silver white to natural gold South Sea Baroque pearls as well as freshwater Edison pearls in an intense purple natural colour, at Yen’s Jewelry’s JCK booth. While Eric has some reservations about the turnout, he is optimistic that attending this in-person jewellery event will help him make new connections and friendships. You can find Yen’s Jewelry at Stand 902, JCK Las Vegas.
Eliko Pearl Company have been exhibiting at JCK Las Vegas for 19 years. However, even prior to that, they have been participating in the AGTA Las Vegas show as well. As Raphael Basaleley, Vice President of Eliko Pearl Company pointed out, attending the JCK Las Vegas show is an important part of Eliko Pearl’s jewellery calendar simply because it is the single biggest finished jewellery show in the United States. In terms of number of exhibitors and amount of jewellery exhibited, it is the jewellery show to participate in.
What they’ll be bringing to JCK Las Vegas is an exciting mix of pearly goodies such as Freshwater, Akoya and South Sea White, Golden and Tahitian strands as well as a large selection of new keshi pairs and strands. However, what I believe will truly have pearl lovers flocking to their stand will be their large inventory of new Maki-e pearl styles.
When I asked Raphael about his goal was for this year’s show, he replied “This year the goal for the show is to reconnect with customers who we have not seen since Tucson 2020, over 18 months ago! In our industry it is important to put a face to a name and establish in person relationships in addition to seeing merchandise in person. The combination of these two things makes JCK Las Vegas an exciting sort of “reunion’.” This week you can find Eliko Pearl Company at the AGTA Gem Fair Las Vegas, Booth #225 (August 24th-26th, 2021) and at JCK Las Vegas, Stand 20123 (27th-30th August, 2021).
At Tara Pearls, this will be the 16th year since they started participating at JCK Las Vegas and their biggest takeaway from this show, over the last decade and a half, has been meeting new customers as well as forecasting and developing new plans with existing customers.
For Tara Pearls, exhibiting at JCK Las Vegas this year will be a excellent opportunity to meet with retailers and plan holiday specials. During my conversation with Renee Sethi Moondra, Vice President at Tara Pearl, I found out that two of Tara’s founding partners are planning to retire in the near future. As a result, Tara Pearls have decided to discontinue their fashion line and solely focus on high-end and rare pearl pieces. This is a boon for pearl jewellery lovers since retailers will be able take advantage of deeply discounted prices for Tara Pearls’ fashion line (these discounts will be available both at the Luxury and JCK shows as well on their website where retailers can set up an account). You can find Tara Pearls at Stand Lux 800, JCK Las Vegas.
Continental Pearl have been regularly participating at the JCK Las Vegas Show for the past 15 years. When I asked Ankeet Shah, Director at Continental Pearl, what he was most looking forward to at the Show this year, he replied “Meeting many jewelry designers, displaying our wide variety of pearls and networking.” As far as pearls go, Continental Pearl will be bringing with them a large selection of beautiful blue Akoya baroque pearls as well as many Tahitian pearls in fancy colours and fancy shapes. You can find Continental Pearl at Stand 48092, JCK Las Vegas.
With such a gorgeous array of pearls and pearl jewellery, it’s no wonder these pearls are on every pearl lover’s ultimate wish list!
Featured Image: 18K Golden South Sea Cultured Pearl Cognac Diamond Earrings, Baggins Inc.
