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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
