Community News

Hood and Kathryn C. “Kitty” Lovelady will lead the company in partnership with the Bromberg family as the sixth-generation business continues its Mountain Brook renovation. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 16, 2026 — Bromberg & Co., Alabama’s oldest retailer, announced the appointment of Marlin “Brian” Hood, a 20-year company veteran and manager of its Mountain Brook store, as president, succeeding the late Ricky Bromberg. Hood will lead the company alongside longtime vice president Kathryn C. “Kitty” Lovelady, who has been with Bromberg & Co. for 40 years. Hood and Lovelady will work closely with the Bromberg family, whose members remain active on

Star Gems, one of the nation’s leading wholesale custom jewelry manufacturers, has launched a reverse image search platform that allows retailers to instantly find similar jewelry designs from its library of more than 25,000 CAD models and receive live pricing. By combining AI-powered image recognition with Star Gems’ extensive design database and in-house manufacturing capabilities, the platform gives retailers a faster, more practical way to quote custom jewelry without waiting on a manufacturer to estimate pricing. Retailers can simply upload a photo of a piece they want to recreate, and the platform identifies similar designs from Star Gems’ CAD library

New York, NY (August 5, 2026) – Luxe Software, the vertical software and payments platform built specifically for independent jewelry retailers, today announced it has strategic backing from K5 Global and Jewelers Mutual® Group to fuel continued product development, scale the company’s capacity to onboard thousands of independent jewelry stores, and expand its support, training, and education teams. At the center of the investment is a shared focus on the customer. Independent jewelry retailers are increasingly challenged to deliver the kind of service, trust, and reliability that today’s consumers expect from any high-value purchase, and modern retail technology plays a

From formally trained jewelry designer and gemologist, gem dealer and educator to jewelry brand founder, Erica Silverglide inspires a reimagined brand experience New York, NY (July 13, 2026) – After spending more than twenty years sourcing exceptional gemstones, and developing collections in-house for some of the industry’s most prestigious brands, designer and Graduate Gemologist, Erica Silverglide is launching the next chapter of her career. Through Ignite, GemologyGeek’s first fine jewelry collection, and a newly redesigned website, Silverglide shines her gemological expertise into pieces made for collectors and connoisseurs. Ignite features rings, pendants, and earrings featuring natural rare gems, some with

New capabilities enable jewelry manufacturers to receive purchase orders electronically through EDI or professionally formatted PDF documents, simplifying order processing and accelerating fulfillment. Newport Beach, CA (August 2026) – GemFind Digital Solutions today announced the launch of Purchase Order Automation in JewelCloud 2.0, introducing new Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and PDF Purchase Order capabilities that streamline how jewelry retailers submit orders to manufacturers. The new functionality allows retailers using JewelCloud to generate purchase orders directly within the platform, while giving manufacturers the flexibility to receive orders in the format that best fits their business. Manufacturers with ERP or order management

Star Gems, one of the nation’s leading wholesale custom jewelry manufacturers, has launched Ring Studio, a new platform that enables independent retailers to offer a curated collection of today’s most popular engagement ring styles directly on their own websites. Designed as a seamless extension of a retailer’s brand, Ring Studio combines premium presentation, live AI-powered pricing, and Star Gems’ manufacturing expertise to help retailers compete online without the investment and risk of stocking inventory. Ring Studio features a growing collection of proven engagement ring designs that retailers can easily integrate into their websites. Consumers can explore each style with high-quality