Travel Archives – Jewels Abound

November 21, 2019November 21, 2019

I Went to Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin

Back in September, our Vacheron Constantin area sales rep emailed one of the Zadoks to ask if I would be able to attend a training with the brand in Geneva, Switzerland the following month.

Let’s see, I thought. Do I want to go on an all expenses paid trip to Geneva with one of the oldest and most respected watch manufactures in the history of watchmaking to visit their headquarters? As part of an exclusive group of only five other salespeople from big time retailers in the North American market? Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin? Oh gee, I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.

NOT.

I realized I’d be about five months pregnant during the trip, so I immediately called my OB to make sure I was okay to travel. I knew I would be, but I also knew my husband would be very unhappy if I accepted the invitation without talking to the doctor first. As soon as I got the go-ahead, I emailed back to accept the invitation and texted my husband to let him know I’d be jetting off to Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin for a week while carrying our unborn child. He was cool with it.

If you’ve never heard of Vacheron Constantin, it’s because they only make about 25,000 watches per year. Compare this to Rolex, which produces more than 800,000 per year. Vacheron Constantin doesn’t do any marketing with celebrities, either. It is one of the watchmaking maisons under the Richemont group, which also owns Cartier, Montblanc and Jaeger-LeCoultre, to name a few. Vacheron Constantin was founded in 1755 in Geneva and has had uninterrupted production since then. No other manufacture can make the same claim. Think about it– that’s older than the United States. They specialize in belle haute horlogerie, or beautiful high watchmaking. After my trip, I understand better than ever what that actually means.

First Impressions

Geneva in autumn is gorgeous. The leaves are turning, the weather is chilly but not too cold, and the sky is overcast for the most part. Coming from the tail end of a Houston summer, I loved it.

The Jardin Anglais in autumn — Walking around the Jardin Anglais.

L'horloge Fleurie in Geneva — Geneva’s famous attraction, L’horloge fleurie (flower clock)

It’s the kind of city where no one jaywalks and everything runs on time. Plus, they speak French, so I got to practice.

Geneva at dusk during my trip to Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin — Geneva at dusk. No jaywalkers in sight.

Day 1: Let the Training Begin

Our first full day began at the Vacheron Constantin manufacture and administrative headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates, which is about a 30 minute drive outside the city center. Designed by famed architect Bernard Tschumi, the building was completed in 2005 and is a sight to behold.

Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin — Our group. The inside of the building is just as beautiful as the outside.

This day started with a general reintroduction to the maison’s history and a look at some heritage pieces from the archives. We saw some truly incredible things. My favorite was the original watch inspired by Gerard Mercator’s 16th century atlas.

Vacheron Constantin acquired the atlas itself at auction many years later, so we got to see that, too! Mercator created the term “atlas” to describe a collection of maps, if that gives you any idea of his importance in the world of cartography.

Title page of the Mercator atlas — The title page of Mercator’s atlas. Amazing!

We also got to see a watch from 1921 that inspired the design of a watch I sold last year!

Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin archives — The watch in the center is the original.

Historiques Americain 1921 in platinum — The watch in the center is the original.

In the afternoon, we got to practice putting together a mechanical watch movement. I didn’t have a knack for this, but I managed to finish. It was an interesting exercise and I was glad I got to try it out. I should note that it was not a Vacheron Constantin movement!

That night, we ate our weight in fondue at Hôtel de Ville. If you ever find yourself in Switzerland while not drinking, our waiter suggested an excellent pairing for me. (I had finished my sad one-third of a glass of wine and was looking dejected, which prompted him to make the suggestion). It was a Swiss sparkling apple juice and it did indeed go very well with the cheese. I regret not bringing a few bottles home for the holidays. Martinelli’s apple cider is not the same.

Day 2: Journey Into the Vallée de Joux

Day two was my favorite. I woke up with a raging sore throat and felt very tired, but chose to ignore that. We boarded our shuttle and headed toward Le Brassus, a town in the Vallée de Joux about an hour and a half from central Geneva. It was otherworldly.

Fall leaves in Switzerland — Beautiful fall leaves as we headed up into the Alps.

Cloud cover in the Swiss Alps — Cloud cover in the Alps.

The Vacheron Constantin manufacture in Le Brassus handles watch component production and finishing. Before assembly by a watchmaker, each component is hand decorated to extremely strict aesthetic standards set by the maison. Most of our day focused on this, and we got to observe the people doing it in action. Imagine your entire workday, work week, work life devoted to engraving one tiny part of a watch movement, for example. It takes an unbelievable amount of concentration and skill.

Movement decoration — Go follow @vacheronconstantin

I got to try my hand at a couple, including perlage, also known as circular graining. This requires pressing a tiny whirring engraver onto a movement plate to create overlapping circles. It’s vital to maintain the same amount of pressure when pulling down each time and just as important keep the circles perfectly spaced. I did okay!

Trying perlage — Trying my hand at perlage. I was excited; they were amused.

I also did some chamfering, which is beveling a perfect 45 degree angle onto any edge that requires it. There is no way to measure the angle; you only know it’s right from the way the light reflects. Having done some bench jewelry work in the past, I was better at this. I’m still waiting for my job offer, though. Any day now!

In Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin trying perlage and chamfering — The expert’s example perlage rows are on the outside. I pressed down too hard on my rows and didn’t space as evenly. At the bottom right you can see the reflection of my chamfered edge.

We made the drive back to Geneva and I passed out most of the way back, as did everyone else. When we got back, we made a visit to the Vacheron Constantin Geneva boutique, conveniently located right next to our hotel. It was immaculate and beautiful. Now that I mention it, I don’t think I saw a speck of dust anywhere the entire time I was in Switzerland.

Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin Geneva Boutique — Boutique entrance

Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin Geneva Boutique second floor — Boutique entrance

Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin Geneva boutique watchmaker station — Watchmaker station

Geneva boutique strap display — Watchmaker station

By the end of the day I felt like death warmed over, and in addition to the sore throat, I had the sniffles. So after dinner I went to bed early, excited for our last day of training.

Day 3:

Our last day brought us back to the headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates. My nose was running like a faucet by now, and any hope of a quick recovery had flown out the window, but I didn’t have a fever so I was determined to make it through the last day. I knew I had a run-of-the-mill cold, so I just tried my best to pay attention while sanitizing my hands a lot.

Despite my faucet nose, it was a really nice day. We visited the Métiers d’Art workshop, where we got to see enameling and hand engraving of some specialty pieces. The gem setter was on vacation, unfortunately, so we didn’t get to see any watches being set with diamonds or gemstones. (The Swiss get something like 40 vacation days a year, so it was inevitable that someone would be gone during these tours– good for them!) We couldn’t take photos of the engraving, but I was able to capture this nifty wall of enamel colors.

Enamel wall in Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin — Wall of enamel. The colors!

We also visited the design studio, where we got to learn about the entire design process, from creative inspiration to 3D-printed prototypes to final color selection. No photos were allowed here, for obvious reasons. I appreciated this peek behind the curtain in particular. Most watch trainings primarily focus on brand history and watch movements with maybe a minute or two devoted to design inspiration, so to get a detailed explanation of the creative process surrounding aesthetics was interesting.

At the end of the day, we had a mini-graduation of sorts. Hugo Castro, the international training project manager for Vacheron Constantin, presented each of us with a certificate of completion.

Graduating in Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin — Graduation day with Hugo Castro at the Vacheron Constantin headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates.

I had such an amazing experience in Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin and cannot thank the training team enough. It was better than I could have dreamed. I understand so much better the time and effort put into creating these amazing timepieces. I wish I hadn’t gotten sick, but I have no regrets.

VacheronConstantinCabinotiers — It can take three months to finish engraving a case like this. Courtesy: Vacheron Constantin

Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin, Lake Geneva, a rainbow and cold meds — One last sunset looking at Lake Geneva and a rainbow. I enjoyed both along with hot chocolate and completely useless pregnancy-friendly herbal cold meds. Being in Switzerland with Vacheron Constantin was a dream.

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019

My First Time at COUTURE and JCK: Day 3 and Takeaways

Catch up on Day 1

Catch up on Day 2

Saturday morning began bright and early with the Plumb Club breakfast at the ungodly hour of 7:15 a.m. The Plumb Club is an organization of suppliers whose purpose is to connect its members and their customers and help shape the future of the jewelry industry. The keynote speaker, Shep Hyken, gave a speech on how a great customer service experience can –must!– set any business apart.

Two main points stuck with me. The first was that customers no longer compare you to your competition, they compare you to the best service they have ever had, anywhere. Fair? No. But it is what it is. The second was that you don’t need to provide 5 star service 100% of the time to be excellent. You just need to provide above-average service consistently, with no hiccups or off days. That’s the real key.

And that’s about all I got out of the breakfast, because at this point in the trip, I was dragging. I mean really, truly, dragging. The combination of endless walking, dry desert heat and little sleep was really getting to me. Later I’d learn that many convention regulars pack humidifiers for their hotel rooms. I didn’t have one hangover the whole trip, but it didn’t matter. I was exhausted.

Activity log showing 6.4 miles and 16,165 steps — An average day’s activity log from my first time at COUTURE and JCK.

It was in this state that I returned to JCK and Luxury after the breakfast, determined to see a ton of jewelry. My feet were covered in a protective layer of band-aids and I was ready to roll–or at least I was determined to drag myself from booth to booth all day long. I’d already abandoned my plan to head to the Las Vegas convention center that day for the Premier show. I figured it was better to hit fewer shows and do them well then get just a taste of too many.

I sat on the floor briefly to consult the JCK map app and get my bearings. All of the benches were full of people resting and I remember thinking, “Okay, good, I’m not the only one struggling today.” I got up, walked a bit, and realized that I didn’t have my notebook with me. My notebook containing my notes about every single thing I’d done during my first time at COUTURE and JCK and takeaways so far. Every lecture, every booth, every random observation, gone. All of the quotes I’d written down at the panels I attended, gone. I returned to where I’d sat on the floor and it wasn’t there. So I made the hike back to the ballroom at the Venetian where the Plumb Club breakfast had taken place. A really nice staff member who was breaking down tables helped me look, but we had no luck.

Then, I visited one of the many JCK information booths to ask if there was a lost and found. What followed was a rather ridiculous back and forth journey during which JCK staff directed me to the Sands Expo security booth, the security booth people sent me back to talk to JCK staff, and on and on until I was ready to give up. After much confusion over what should have been a very simple matter, I was finally able to leave record of my missing notebook with security. (A note to the Sands Expo: your security staff needs work. Also, the security booth is left completely unattended more than it probably should be.)

At some point during all this, I took a walk among the booths and found Simon G., one of our bridal vendors.

Simon G. sapphire and diamond rings — Pretty sapphire rings.

At this point, I could have laid down on the floor next to the JCK DJ booth and gone right to sleep as thousands of people streamed by. Instead, I dragged myself back to the Mirage, grabbed some lunch to go, ate in my room and took a three-hour nap.

The DJ booth at JCK Las Vegas 2019 — I walked by this DJ about 11,000 times during my notebook search. He was a champ.

I woke up and got ready for my last night in Vegas. First, I had a GIA Alumni event at a restaurant called Yardbird. But by the time I got to the event, it was so packed I couldn’t hear myself think, much less talk to anyone. Walking across the room to get a drink and a cake pop was a challenge in and of itself. This was a bummer, but I was happy to see that their event was a success. Note to self: don’t arrive fashionably late to any future GIA alumni events in Vegas! I finished my drink, ate my cake pop and headed to dinner with the Zadok team.

Don’t ask me why you get two photos of an event I was at for 10 minutes. You just do.

In the morning, I boarded my 6 a.m. flight back to Houston and passed out the entire time. It was an amazing, exhausting trip and although it didn’t go perfectly, I learned a ton. It was truly one of the coolest experiences of my life and I’m so grateful I was able to go.

I almost forgot– I did get my notebook back in the end! A few hours after I landed back in Houston, I got a text message from a woman named Caroline who works for Andreoli, a line we’ve worked with at Zadok in the past. She found my notebook at the show, saw my contact information inside and ended up giving it to my boss, who brought it back to me, along with a few lovely pieces of jewelry for the store. It’s a small world after all! Thanks again, Caroline.

Multi-hued sapphire and diamond horseshoe earrings by Andreoli — Fancy sapphire and diamond earrings in 18k white and yellow gold made by Andreoli. These were sent to the store along with my notebook. Beautiful detail front and back! Photo: Tim Ewasko

COUTURE and JCK Takeaways

Sustainability was the major theme of the show. A note to anyone out there who is, or could become, a jewelry customer: If you ask, you shall receive. Walmart began carrying organic products because customers repeatedly asked for them. Do you care about the origin of your diamonds? Does it matter to you where your jewelry was made, and by whom? Do you care about the carbon footprint involved to make that cute stackable band you have your eye on? Speak up. The industry will listen. It already has–thank God, or I wouldn’t be a part of it.

Lab grown vs. natural diamonds: will one conquer the other? Can both coexist? Are lab grown diamonds for cheaper, less formal jewelry and are natural diamonds for more expensive, occasion-oriented jewelry? This remains to be seen. The industry can do as much marketing as it wants to, but at the end of the day, the consumer will decide.

I have heard industry people say trade shows are dying. It didn’t look like it to me. But there are a lot of shows, and this was only my first time at COUTURE and JCK. I will say, as someone who paid her way to attend, going to a convention in Las Vegas is expensive (and I didn’t even have registration fees!) I spent 50,000 hard-earned airline miles on my flight and almost $900 on three hotel nights. That’s with the convention discount. And you have to eat, too. I admit I attended some talks because in addition to having interesting subject matter, there was free food. The Zadoks were kind enough to invite me out to dinner two nights, which made a huge difference. But for a small store, new designer, or a freelancer or blogger like me, it’s a big investment to attend one of these things.

Jewelry people are fun. There is minimal snobbery and cliquishness at Vegas Market Week compared to what I’ve heard about New York Fashion Week from friends who work in or adjacent to that world. With that said, big time jewelry brands with big followings may not give you the time of day. But that’s okay. No one’s going to body-block you and stop you from entering their booth.

The biggest takeaway of all? I want to go back.

June 27, 2019June 27, 2019

My First Time at COUTURE and JCK: Day 2

Check out my post on Day 1!

My first time at COUTURE and JCK: day 2 started off with a much-anticipated panel discussion. I woke up early so that I could attend the COUTUREtalk called Lab Grown x Mined Diamonds. Somewhat mystified by the “x” in this context — did it mean “for”? “by”? “and”? — and excited to hear what the panel had to say, I was also happy to see they had breakfast.

Breakfast at COUTUREtalk Lab Grown x Mined Diamonds — Best breakfast of the trip. Thanks, COUTURE! What? It’s the most important meal of the day!

The individuals making up the panel represented a diverse array of jewelry industry professions. Designer Stephen Webster was there, as was Laura Freedman, owner of bi-coastal jewelry boutique Broken English. On the marketing end of things, they’d invited Lightbox CMO (remember my post on them?) Sally Morrison and Rachel Aaron of Canadamark Diamonds. Cathryn Ramirez of GIA moderated.

I found the discussion enjoyable, if somewhat predictable. The panelists either enthusiastically agreed with or tiptoed carefully around the party line currently marketed by the Diamond Producers Association: natural diamonds are for meaningful occasions and lab-grown diamonds are not. In other words, natural diamonds are high-end luxury items and lab-grown diamonds are for lower-priced fashion jewelry.

Stephen Webster said he thinks both natural and lab-grown stones have design potential, adding that “something new can be amazing and dynamic.” He did not bring up his collaboration with Atelier Swarovski called Double Diamond. That collection used lab-grown diamonds and lab-grown quartz dubbed “Swarovski-created.” (At least, I don’t think he brought it up. I got a little distracted at one point when I realized that Liza Urla of Gemologue was seated one table over.) The Double Diamond collection was priced from $1,990 up to $11,000. I’d consider that aimed at the luxury consumer, wouldn’t you?

The COUTUREtalks Lab Grown x Mined Diamonds panel seated onstage — From left to right: Cathryn Ramirez, Laura Freedman, Sally Morrison, Stephen Webster and Rachel Aaron

Laura Freedman seemed to be taking a wait-and-see approach with her stores. “Consumers are not asking for this product yet, but it’s coming,” she said. Sally Morrison shared that Lightbox isn’t seeing a particular millennial focus on lab-grown diamonds, which many wrongly assume, then drilled her main point home: “One thing a lab-grown diamond is not is rare, because we can make them over and over again.” Message received.

When it came time for the audience Q&A, I raised my hand to ask why it’s being treated as an established fact that lab-grown diamonds are for lesser occasions. We’re seeing a big push in the bridal market with lab-grown center diamonds, for example. If that’s not celebrating a momentous occasion with a lab-grown diamond, what is? But I didn’t get to ask my question, because a man from the lab-grown industry stood up and loudly interrupted with, “I just want to say…” and then shared an unsolicited opinion.

“Well, I would like to hear what you had to say,” said a nice woman sitting to my left when Mr. Interrupter finished and people stood up to leave. I talked to her and the man to my right about my question for a bit. They agreed that that the lab-grown vs. natural mindset is not set in stone. Then, she invited me to her company’s party that evening. She worked for –wait for it– Atelier Swarovski.

It was time for the trek to pick up my badge and explore JCK and Luxury by JCK. I was walking toward the COUTURE exit when I spotted Barbara Palumbo sitting by herself, shuffling through some papers. She’s a freelance writer I discovered after stumbling upon this blog post about her experiences with sexual harassment in the jewelry industry. She wrote it a year before the #MeToo movement became a thing. I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t meet her, so I walked over and said hello. I was nervous, because you never know who’s going to be an asshole in this world. But she was really warm and funny and game to take a picture with me.

Jewels Abound and Barbara Palumbo pose together at the COUTURE show. — With Barbara Palumbo of Adornmentality and What’s on her Wrist.

Who took the photo of us? None other than Katerina Perez, jewelry blogger extraordinaire. She’d come over to say hi to Barbara when I was talking to her. So in the span of about 20 minutes, I saw three successful bloggers I admire, met two and got a photo with one. Not too shabby!

Once I made it to the Venetian, I headed to the Sands Expo and Convention Center, home of JCK. My first impression? Holy shit, this is MASSIVE. I got my badge and intended on taking a quick lap around the convention to get my bearings. I quickly realized there is no such thing as a quick lap at JCK. There were multiple floors, ballrooms, lounge areas and an entire gemstone pavilion. What seemed like a million vendors had everything from loose opals to charms to chains to the latest in CAD and CRM software. There was even a DJ who played from start to finish every day! It was wild.

Benches and street signs inside the Sands for JCK Las Vegas — The benches and street signs were very necessary.

I completed my sorry attempt at a lap and wasn’t sure what to do. It was almost time for a GIA panel called Embracing Sustainability Amid New Consumer Expectations, so I headed in that direction. The idea of sitting down for a while was really appealing.

The talk opened with a video montage. Loud, ominous music blared from speakers and images of blood diamond magazine covers and child miners danced across the screen. As the lights came back on, Susan Jacques, president and CEO of GIA, took the stage to introduce the speakers. She emphasized our industry’s need to change the public’s perceptions by focusing on the efforts being made to improve industry-wide. “We must be the change we wish to see in the world,” she said.

Claire Piroddi, Dr. Saleem Ali, Lisa Bridge, Marcus ter Haar, Nadja Swarovski and Susan Jacques onstage — Claire Piroddi of Kering, Dr. Saleem Ali from the University of Delaware, Lisa Bridge of Ben Bridge Jewelers, Marcus ter Haar of Okavango Diamond Company, Nadja Swarovski of Swarovski, and Susan Jacques of GIA

Overall, I was very pleased to learn of the different efforts being made from mine to market to treat our planet better. Everyone acknowledged that today’s consumers care about where their jewelry comes from, and that it’s our job to make sure we’re taking care of the earth and sourcing our materials responsibly.

While all of the panelists were excellent, two in particular stood out to me. Claire Piroddi holds the title of Sustainability Manager of Watches and Jewelry for Kering. Kering is a luxury group that owns brands like Ulysse Nardin and Pomellato, both of which we carry at Zadok Jewelers. Kering has developed a sustainability road map to 2025 that includes reducing its environmental footprint, promoting gender equality and embracing new technology and startups.

Marcus ter Haar is CEO of Okvango Diamond Company, which operates in Botswana. He talked about the positive impact that diamond mining has had on Botswana, which has a partnership with DeBeers called Debswana. The government of Botswana and DeBeers each own 50% of Debswana. Every diamond mined in Botswana that a consumer later purchases helps provide education, free healthcare and more. Most consumers don’t know about this, so it’s precisely the kind of thing we need to educate them about.

After that, I waited by the door, hoping to make it into a GIA lab I registered for a little too late. I was on the waiting list, but in the end did not get to participate. At this point, I felt a little frustrated with myself. I’d vastly underestimated the time it would take simply to get from point A to point B every day, and I wasn’t getting to see nearly as much jewelry as I thought I would. It was time to get serious.

During my attempt to get serious, I found myself completely lost in the gemstone pavilion. Which was okay, because I got to see this cool opal from Cody Opal Australia.

A 59.51 ct. black opal displaying flashes of blue and green — 59.51 ct. of Australian black opal awesomeness.

Too exhausted to do anything else, I went back to my room, took a nap, went out to dinner with the Zadok team and called it a day. I would return to JCK and JCK Luxury the next day and make up for lost time.

Or so I thought.

Stay tuned for the third and final post about my first time at COUTURE and JCK!

June 10, 2019June 10, 2019

My First Time at COUTURE and JCK: Day 1

My plane to Las Vegas was seventeenth in line and 45 minutes late for takeoff when I decided that whatever happened during my first time at COUTURE and JCK, I would just roll with it. I was about to attend the most important annual jewelry trade shows in the country, and I needed to chill out.

My anticipation had been building since January, when I asked my bosses if I could register under Zadok Jewelers so that I could attend for Jewels Abound. I would pay my own way, running around and exploring for the blog while they attended to official buying business. It would be one of the coolest experiences of my life, and I’d have an amazing time. But I didn’t know that, because I was stuck on the tarmac at IAH.

I did finally make it to Vegas with my nerves intact. The silver lining of arriving much later than I’d planned was that my room at the Mirage was ready for check-in.

Room key dispenser — The self check-in did not exist the last time I stayed at this hotel three years ago. No line!

The next stop was picking up my badge at the COUTURE registration desk at the Wynn hotel. Since 1995, COUTURE has brought together big-name heritage brands and emerging design talent to showcase their newest creations. Thousands of retail buyers and members of the press attend the show each year. (COUTUREtime, for Swiss watches, is also at the Wynn, but I did not make it to the watch show.)

Me holding my COUTURE badge at the Wynn — I was seriously so jazzed to get this badge. I’ll keep it forever.

Once I got my badge, it was time to hit the booths. I was really nervous. Even though I work for a well-known store, I didn’t know if anyone would want to talk to me. I felt like the new kid at school trying to find a seat in the cafeteria for the first time. Where do I go first? Who looks nice?

Irene Neuwirth is a personal favorite, so I made a beeline for her booth. I was hoping to see the one-of-a-kind ribbon earrings Rachel Brosnahan wore to the 2019 SAG Awards in person, since I knew they were still for sale. I asked someone working there if I could see them, and got to hold them in my hand. They were stunning in person, just lovely. But when I asked if I could take a picture of them, the girl helping me got uncomfortable and said she wasn’t sure. This was the only time during my three days in Las Vegas when someone didn’t respond with an immediate yes to a photo request. I’m still not sure why. There are photos of those earrings all over the internet and they were trying to sell them at the show. Oh well! I decided to move on.

As I tried to decide who to visit next, a friendly “Hello!” rang out in my direction. It was David, a kind gentleman who works for Beverly Hills designer Dena Kemp. Dena herself was there as well, and we started chatting. It was also her first year at COUTURE, and she and David were more than willing to show me their line. My favorite piece was a one-of-a-kind mint tourmaline and diamond ring.

Close-up of a large mint tourmaline and diamond Dena Kemp ring — Mint tourmalines and diamonds were used in this intricate one-of-a-kind ring. (“Mint” just refers to the color). Dena travels around the world to purchase the stones she uses in her jewelry herself!

After this second encounter, I began feeling more comfortable. I walked around the COUTURE showroom as much as I could, trying to visit as many designers on my list as possible. All in all I got to see a decent amount of jewelry and I met a lot of really nice people who were happy to show off their designs. I didn’t get as many photos and videos as I would have liked because a lot of designers were in meetings, so sometimes it was difficult to capture the pieces I wanted to see. Here’s a bit more of what I saw.

A selection of Lydia Courteille designs at COUTURE 2019 — Lydia Courteille is a fabulous French designer with a badass new collection called Marie Antoinette Dark Side. That collection was constantly in meetings, so I didn’t get to photograph it. But this selection of pieces is also a good example of her creative and fantastical designs. I did get to meet Lydia and I think she’s a genius.

A golden south sea pearl and diamond necklace at COUTURE from Yoko London Pearls — Yoko London Pearls was one of the first brands I followed as @jewelsabound on Instagram. It was a real treat to finally see their creations and meet CEO Michael Hakimian in person. Is this golden south sea pearl and diamond necklace a showstopper or what?

These Jacquie Aiche pendants are really interesting. Opal was popular in Vegas this year.
Jacquie Aiche is a Hollywood favorite. Her aesthetic is very LA.

Karen Suen diamond earrings on display at COUTURE

Karen Suen, based in Hong Kong, is another favorite Instagram follow that I was excited to see in person my first time at COUTURE and JCK. These black, gray and white diamond earrings have amazing movement. Her team could not have been nicer! Karen had stepped away when I was there, unfortunately, and I never did find the time to go back to her booth.

Karen Suen emerald earrings on display at COUTURE

These emerald and diamond earrings were divine. Look at the carved emerald leaves and the smooth cabochon drops. Phenomenal color. Plus, the drops are detachable!

Before I knew it, it was time to head back to my hotel to prepare for the COUTURE opening night party. I decided to make a quick stop at the Stuller table on my way out. I’ve ordered many an earring back from this Lafayette, Louisiana-based company, so I wanted to say hi. Plus, they had a zen garden to play with! Then, something crazy happened. One of the women working for Stuller, Katie Kennedy, and I realized that our mothers are both from Donaldsonville, Louisiana. Donaldsonville is an extremely small town, so we pretty much flipped out and texted our mothers immediately.

Abby and Katie Kennedy at the Stuller table at COUTURE Las Vegas — Here I am with Stuller’s Katie Kennedy, the only person I know who has been to Donaldsonville, Louisiana that I am not related to.

It turned out my mom did know of her family growing up! It was one of those crazy small-world moments that I never could have imagined would happen during my first time at COUTURE and JCK.

Finally, it was party time! The theme was #ThrowbackThursday 80’s Night. Not a lot of people came in 80’s themed outfits, but there was an awesome band, plenty of drinks and good company. It was a great way to officially kick off my first time at COUTURE and JCK.

Jewelry people know how to party!
With Betty and Stacy from the Zadok team

Stay tuned for more from my first time at COUTURE and JCK!

April 23, 2019April 23, 2019

I Got One-Starred by a Customer: Part II

Need to catch up? I Got One-Starred by a Customer: Part I

Everyone Needs a Break Sometimes

Once or twice a year, my husband and I take an international trip. During these trips and these trips only, I do not read work emails. I know that’s shocking nowadays. But look, I work in sales. That means checking my work email multiple times a day, every single day, all year long. I am at the store on Christmas Eve; I work the Friday after Thanksgiving. It’s not out of the ordinary to get texts from customers at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night. I love what I do, so this is not a complaint. But everyone needs a break once in a while. In the four years I’d worked at Zadok Jewelers before this trip to Colombia, my unplugging during international trips had never been a problem.

I Got One-Starred, but First, a Threat!

My husband and I had an amazing two weeks in Colombia. I came back to work relaxed and refreshed, ready to dive back into things. I sat down that morning, opened my email, scrolled to the bottom to start answering them in order, and saw this:

I got one-starred by a customer — Does this remind anyone else of those angry “I’m a nice guy” messages from men on dating apps that go viral? Gotta love a nice threat. (Also, don’t judge my 253 unread emails. None of them are from actual humans.)

He’d sent it while we were on the plane from Houston to Bogotá, just a few hours after I’d officially unplugged for the trip. I don’t think I have ever felt so taken aback in my entire life. I was absolutely gobsmacked and just sat there, blinking. Then, the part about leaving bad reviews sank in and my heart dropped down to my stomach. Panicked, I immediately went to Google. There it was, the customer rant to end all rants:

Tears began streaming down my face. This person was clearly trying to damage not just the store’s reputation, but mine. Horrified by how angry he sounded and still in shock, I began to fear for my job and my career. His repetition of my full name was genuinely bizarre and made it pretty clear that his goal was to cause me personal suffering.

But most of all, as I read the rant over and over again, I was disturbed by the fact that every single claim this man made was a bald-faced lie. (Well, he did come and pick up his mom’s ring, but he didn’t ask for a manager like he said he would in his email.) I checked Yelp and found nothing, then went to Facebook and found the same review copy-pasted there. Months later, I’d find it on Wedding Wire as well. I decided to forward our entire months-long email chain to the higher-ups at work, informing them about the review and telling them it was completely false. Why delay my fate? I preferred that they find out about it directly from me.

An accurate depiction of me trying to cry discreetly at work that day. via GIPHY

As I sat at my desk feeling like absolute garbage, our digital marketing and PR person came upstairs, right on cue. She had, of course, received notifications about the review. He had published them all the night before I came back to work. I suspect he read my out-of-office message and planned it that way so I’d have a nice surprise upon my return.

She told me immediately that she knew the review was bullshit as soon as she read it, that I would never do that, that this customer was clearly angry about something that had nothing to do with me. The Zadoks, I found out later, were also immediately certain that it was completely false. No one doubted me for a second, which I will always feel grateful for, and proud of. All of this was all somewhat reassuring, but didn’t solve the problem at hand.

The Customer is Always Right (At Least Online)

Turns out there’s not a damn thing a business can do to remove negative online reviews on sites like Google and Yelp, even when you have written proof they’re full of lies. Lying and repeating someone’s full name do not constitute abuse, so flagging did nothing. All a business can do is type a response. The store opted to type a generic “please-get-in-touch-with-us-about-this” response, which in my mind only validates what he wrote in the eyes of anyone reading it. He made some really specific claims that will probably seem believable to anyone who doesn’t know the whole story. I would have handled it differently, but it was not my decision to make. They didn’t want to poke the bear, so to speak. He did get in touch, but was not, how shall I say, receptive.

So that’s that. With the passage of time, algorithms and new reviews have pushed it lower and lower. But it will always be there, floating around online for anyone to see. In Canada or Australia it seems I’d have a firm legal case for libel, but here in the U.S. I’d have to prove actual damages, which I have no way of doing. Someone would have to refuse to work with me because of reading the review. To my knowledge that hasn’t happened, and I hope it never will.

Now What?

I’ve checked my work email excessively since I got one-starred by a customer. More than is necessary or healthy, as if I were the founder of a tech startup about to go public. When my husband and I moved back to the U.S. and re-entered this work-obsessed culture, I promised myself I would never become this person. And I wasn’t this person until I got one-starred. I hate it. I don’t have the inflated sense of self-importance that causes one to feel warm and fuzzy about checking their work email right before turning out the light to go to sleep.

My husband and I are going to France soon, a dream trip we’ve been planning since last July. I’ve debated with myself about unplugging. What if something bad happens again? But really, what could I have done from Colombia? Forward the threatening email to my co-worker and spent the rest of my vacation distracted, freaking out about an irrationally angry customer, checking Google and Yelp every day ? I’m so glad I didn’t spend my trip that way and was instead present in the moment, enjoying time with friends and family we see maybe once a year, if that.

Family photo in Colombia — With my husband along with his mother and grandfather on our trip. This is what matters most.

Do you know what the funny thing is? My engagement ring, which I absolutely adore, cost the same amount as this guy’s final budget. His real final budget, not the one he said he had in his review. I know there’s nothing I did to fuel his rage. Maybe one day he’ll find peace with whatever demons caused him to act out in this way. Me? I just want to eat some croissants and guzzle champagne in peace. Here’s hoping.

Want to see what I did in Colombia?

Jewels Around the World: The Emerald District in Bogotá, Colombia

Jewels Around the World: Shopping for Emeralds in Cartagena, Colombia

April 14, 2019April 14, 2019

I Got One-Starred by a Customer: Part I

I got one-starred by a customer! What do I mean when I say that? It means a customer wrote an online review about where I work, and more specifically, about me, leaving a one-star rating. Want to know why a lot of businesses loathe online reviews? Because of BS like what you’re about to read! Pour yourself a stiff drink on my behalf and enjoy.

Everything Seemed Normal at First

On June 9, 2018, I was working the sales floor at Zadok Jewelers on a Saturday and helped a young man who was looking for an engagement ring. It seemed like a perfectly normal encounter, and he was friendly and polite. The following Monday, as is my custom, I sent him an appointment recap with information, photos and pricing on the rings and diamonds we looked at in store.

He did not respond, so six days later I followed up, and reminded him we were still holding his mother’s ring that he wanted to trade in toward his purchase.

What followed was a fairly standard exchange about pricing for different settings and diamonds. I got him all of the information he requested. He responded a week later and mentioned that since he was going to buy a house, his budget had changed. I answered him on my day off and said I heard him loud and clear, and that I’d send him some alternatives the next day, which I did. Then there was back and forth about payment options, financing information and the like. He stopped responding.

via GIPHY This is the sort of reaction I always aim for!

Things Start Getting Weird

One month and three days later, now in early August, he wrote to me apologizing for his delay in getting back to me. He said that he needed to lower his budget more. This happens a lot. Life happens, customers drop off, budgets change— no big deal! I wrote back said no problem; I work on the customer’s timeline. Then, I asked if he was open to different ring styles from what we’d looked at before, since with the new budget I was more limited with what I could find him.

(If all of these details seem excessive, just keep reading. You’ll understand later).

Two weeks later, he responded asking if I’d had time to look into more options. I asked him a second time if he was open to other styles. He said yes on a Thursday. Four days later, on Monday, I apologized for the delay in getting back to him and sent over photos and pricing for different styles. (Four days, even when two of those days are days off of work for me, is not a quick response time in my mind, hence the apology.)

He responded and said the options looked great, and that he was ready to spend $X. The only problem was that $X was a much lower budget than we’d last discussed, a four digit difference in fact. I felt a little perplexed by him presenting me with a new budget as if it hadn’t changed. Now, it would be difficult to find him any ring at all.

I Thought We Were Done?

At this point, I’d spent almost three months emailing back and forth with someone who never got past the initial investigation phase of ring buying. He hadn’t returned to the store once since his first visit and his communication had been erratic. I gently explained that I wasn’t seeing any diamonds in the carat range he wanted that would keep him in budget, but that I hadn’t factored in the trade-in item yet. In hindsight, that was a mistake. I was tiptoeing around the issue, and with the ambiguous comment about the trade-in item I wasn’t direct enough in saying that I could not get him what he wanted at his budget, period. Irony alert: I specifically remember not wanting to say anything that could be interpreted as the slightest bit blunt or snobby because I feared a bad online review. His reply: “Ok, thank you.”

I thought that it was over, that “Ok, thank you” meant “Ok, thanks anyway.” That was the end of our communication. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out, and that’s okay. Except that it wasn’t. He would one-star me, and I had no idea.

Can I Live? Spoiler Alert: No

Six days later, I was on a late-night flight to Bogotá, Colombia, excited to travel around Colombia visiting my husband’s family and friends for two weeks. I had contacted all of the customers with whom I was actively working to let them know that I would be gone. I left detailed instructions with my co-worker, who would help them in my absence. My out-of-office email message had his information as well, along with the statement that I would answer all emails in the order in which they were received upon my return. If anyone needed help before then, all was taken care of.

via GIPHY An accurate depiction of our excitement level when leaving for Colombia.

I didn’t contact the customer with whom I’d emailed back and forth with for so long before leaving. If I made any other mistakes, I guess this was mistake #2. But we hadn’t actually accomplished anything together, and if he had written to me, we’d have to start from scratch yet again. I honestly thought he was done with me and the store.

Spoiler alert: he wasn’t. The shit was about to hit the fan, and I was leaving on a jet plane, none the wiser.

To be continued…

October 28, 2018

Jewels Around the World: Shopping for Emeralds in Cartagena, Colombia

In my last post, I wrote about spending the day in Bogota’s emerald district. But what if you aren’t spending time in Bogotá during your Colombian adventure? Not to worry! There are plenty of emeralds to be found all over the country. If you’re only hitting Colombia’s Caribbean coast, you’ll love this guide to shopping for emeralds in Cartagena.

There are two main areas in Cartagena where you’ll see a concentration of emerald jewelry stores. The first is in the neighborhood of El Laguito, which lies just south of Bocagrande. (If you’re not staying inside the walled city, you’re probably staying in Bocagrande.) Here, you’ll find an outdoor mall of sorts with multiple emerald stores. I’ve heard taxi divers call it Plaza de las Esmeraldas. As you walk around, people will beckon you to come inside their stores, but don’t worry. Unlike the people who sell stuff on the beach, no one is particularly aggressive about it.

The store I liked the most in El Laguito was called Jewelry Factory. It’s a family business going back to 1953. The people working there were extremely friendly and happy to show me around.

Jewelry Factory exterior — The outside of Jewelry Factory in El Laguito. The charming older gentleman behind me watches the door.

With the owner of Jewelry Factory. Behind us is the jewelers’ workshop.

Unlike many stores, they had a section of silver jewelry set with better quality emeralds. Most stores in Colombia save lower-quality stones for silver jewelry, but at Jewelry Factory, they recognize that some people are in it for the stone. I saw a lot of cool pieces that would work well as souvenirs or gifts. I got a cute silver coffee bean and emerald pendant with matching silver chain for about USD $20. Not bad, right?

Silver and emerald coffee bean suite. So cute! There’s nothing more Colombian than emeralds and coffee.

Silver flower studs with deep green emeralds — I almost got some of these silver flower studs set with deep green emeralds. Most silver pieces at other stores will have emeralds that are quite light in color.

For serious buyers who are ready to plunk down some cash for something really special, I recommend Lucy Jewelry, located within the Ciudad Amurallada, or walled city. This is where the second concentration of emerald stores lies. Lucy is the most upscale store of the bunch. If you’re looking for the best Colombia has to offer, this is a great place to shop. It’s gorgeous on the inside, but don’t worry about being under dressed. You’re a tourist, so no one will care as long as you’re not in a swimsuit.

Lucy Jewelry exterior — Lucy Jewelry’s gorgeous exterior. I was on my last day of clean clothes, and they did not judge me for looking like a sweaty bum.

Showroom at Lucy Jewelry — The showroom at Lucy Jewelry. The store is actually a remodeled colonial carriage house. As you can see, the interior stone walls are original.

As soon as we walked in, a salesperson asked if we needed help in English or Spanish, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t have Spanish skills here. Although it lacks a family feel, this store had by far the best quality stones and jewelry out of everywhere I went in Colombia this trip. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photos of the jewelry, but they did let me photograph a few things.

Different qualities of polished emeralds — Some examples of different qualities of polished emeralds. Which is your favorite?

Rough and cabochon emeralds — Some emerald specimens they keep on hand. I’m fond of the rough crystals (left).

For a little something different, head to Joyas Momposinas L&L, also found within the Ciudad Amurallada. Here, a family from the Colombian city Santa Cruz de Mompox sells filigree jewelry, or filigrana. Santa Cruz de Mompox is known all over Colombia for this type of metalwork, a tradition which goes back hundreds of years to colonial times. One enterprising family decided to take their wares to sell in Cartagena, and Joyas Momposinas L&L was born.

Joyas Momposinas exterior — Joyas Momposinas L&L is on a typical picturesque street in the Ciudad Amurallada.

Window display — A close-up of the window display.

Most of what the family makes is silver, but if you want yellow gold, they can do that as well. While emeralds are frequently utilized, many pieces are just metal. One day I’ll visit Santa Cruz de Mompox and write about it, but this was a great preview. Mompox isn’t a big tourist destination (yet), so this is a great way to see and buy some of the coolest jewelry in Colombia without leaving Cartagena. And, if you ask nicely, they’ll give you a demonstration of the technique in the back.

Filigree earrings — Earrings like these stunners can take days to make. Each little silver thread is turned, twisted and sautered by hand.

Filigree butterfly — They were kind enough to give me a demonstration of the filigree technique. This is a butterfly the jeweler was working on.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to shopping for emeralds in Cartagena, Colombia. Whether you’re spending a few days in the city or just passing through on a cruise, I have no doubt you will fall in love with Cartagena and its people. You may as well take a little souvenir home so you can remember it forever. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Plates with rough emeralds — If you have no appreciation for jewelry, I’m not sure how you found your way to Jewels Abound, but you could always get one of these sweet souvenir plates decorated with rough emeralds from the Jewelry Factory.

Jewelry Factory
Local 1, Cra. 1 #1A-120
Barrio El Laguito
Cartagena, Colombia
+57 1 6651519

Lucy Jewelry
Calle Santo Domingo #3-19 Edificio Cuesta
Ciudad Amurallada
Cartagena, Colombia
+57 5 6644255

Joyería Momposina L&L
Cra. 7 #38-2
Ciudad Amurallada
Cartagena, Colombia
+57 6606479

September 19, 2018

Jewels Around the World: The Emerald District in Bogotá, Colombia

My husband and I just got back from a fabulous trip to Colombia. We traveled to Barranquilla, Valledupar, Medellín and Cartagena to visit family and friends. But first, we went to Bogotá, the thriving capital city with a population of more than 10 million. We lived there for almost a year and it’s where we got engaged and legally married. There are a million things to do in Colombia, but I highly recommend spending a day in the Emerald District in Bogotá, which we revisited during this trip.

The Emerald District lies adjacent to Bogotá’s historic center, better known as La Candelaria. If it’s your first time in Bogotá, La Candelaria is a great place to stay. Beautiful colonial architecture, fabulous food and museums will be around every corner. Plus, every important emerald-related activity is within walking distance.

A view of Bogotá as seen from the Emerald Museum, which is on the 23rd floor of the Avianca building. This building was the tallest skyscraper in Latin America upon its completion in 1969.

The first stop on your tour should be the Museo Internacional de la Esmeralda, or Emerald Museum, located at the intersection of calle 17 and carrera 7. (Click here for an explanation of Bogotá’s grid system.) The Emerald Museum is on the 23rd floor of the Avianca building, which was once the tallest skyscraper in Latin America. Simply enter on the ground floor and tell the staff at the desk that you are there to go to the museum. They will likely ask for ID and take your photo, so be sure to have your passport on you. Then head to the elevator, and up you go.

The doors will open and you will walk right into the reception area.

The reception area of the Emerald Museum.

After paying the COP$5000 per person entry fee (less than US$2.00), a guide will show you to a room to watch a short video about the history of the museum, which was founded in 2008 and displays a private collection. Then, the guide will walk you through a reproduction of three of the most important mines in Colombia: Muzo, Chivor and Coscuez. The tunnel is fake, but the veins in the wall displaying rough emeralds, pyrite and quartz are very real!

This is the only part of the museum where you can take photos. Look, I’m mining!

Then, you will enter a room filled with towers containing some truly stunning rough emerald specimens. The guide will walk you through them, pointing out different characteristics in the specimens that come from different mines. The Muzo mine generally contains the highest quality emeralds. There are also beautiful panoramic views of the city from this room. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed in most of the museum.

Finally, you will visit the museum’s store. It’s not your average gift shop. This is where my husband and I chose my engagement ring five years ago. My ring has an emerald center stone from the Muzo mine. This time around, however, I wasn’t very impressed with what it had to offer in terms of design or quality compared with previous visits. Or perhaps I’m just spoiled now that I work at Zadok Jewelers, where I see magnificent gems on a daily basis. That’s probably it. Anyway, their inventory is constantly changing, so be sure to check it out.

The Gold Museum is about a 10 second walk from the Emerald Museum.

Right next to the Emerald Museum is the Museo del Oro, the Gold Museum. How convenient! This museum contains multiple floors and exhibition halls displaying gold artifacts and information about gold’s role in the lives of Colombians throughout the country’s history. You could spend hours here. There is an audio guide that you can purchase, and the entry fee alone is just COP $4000 (about USD $1.25). I’ve never felt the need to purchase an audio guide since there is plenty of information on the walls, but many say it’s well worth it.

Indigenous king — That’s gotta be heavy.

Human gold figures with emeralds — Gold figurines show the human form. Often, the indigenous would use emeralds to decorate their gold pieces. Can’t blame them. Gold and emeralds were everywhere!

After all this museum going, you will probably be ready to do some shopping. Lucky for you, there are plenty of treasures to be found. I recommend heading just a few blocks south of the museums to window shop. The sheer quantity of emerald jewelry stores is pretty impressive!

Emerald district in Bogotá — One of a million window displays seen in the Emerald District in Bogotá.

I bought a little something for myself at Joyería y Relojería Angie, a family-owned shop of wholesalers in business for more than 20 years. Lucia, who helped us, was extremely kind and happy to answer all of my questions. She has been working with her family for decades, sourcing emeralds directly from the mines. You can find her shop in La Catedral, a small shopping center on a street lined with emerald jewelry stores. To see what I got, you’ll have to keep an eye on the Jewels Abound Instagram!

Of course, it’s always fun to walk by the Emerald Trade Center to see the traders making deals out in the street. I’ve never taken a picture there because it can be chaotic, but it’s worth walking by.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this e-tour of the Emerald District in Bogotá. Colombia exports more emeralds than any other country, so if you happen to travel to Bogotá, it’s a great opportunity to learn about a huge part of the country’s history and economy. Best of all, it’s accessible to any traveler, from backpacker to trust funder. The museum entry fees are extremely low, and I’ve seen emerald and silver jewelry pieces that start at US$10.00. ¡Buen viaje!

April 23, 2018May 2, 2018

Jewels Around the World: World Jewellery Museum in Seoul

I have to admit that the World Jewellery Museum in Seoul, South Korea was not on my radar as a jewelry tourism destination. By jewelry tourism, I don’t mean shopping. I’m talking about sightseeing that involves jewelry and gemstones!

Think oohing and ahhing over the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., or waiting in line to see the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Or, staring way too long at a diamond-studded replica of “Starry Night” at Amsterdam’s Diamond Museum during your spring break from graduate school. It all counts.

At the time, I was more focused on the “Rocket Man” debacle and resultant escalating tensions than planning an itinerary. But one day during my lunch break at the store, I was flipping through “Lonely Planet: Seoul” and came across the World Jewellery Museum. I was immediately intrigued and knew we’d have to make a stop there during our trip. After investigating more, I learned that it was founded in 2004 by Lee Kang-Won, a diplomat’s wife who amassed an impressive collection of jewelry during her decades of world travel. The museum features her private collection along with donated pieces.

Before the trip I reached out to Elaine Kim, the founder’s daughter and current deputy director of the museum. In addition to her work at the museum, she is a museum management and curatorship professor at Kyung Hee University. I asked if I could meet her, but sadly, she would be traveling during my time in Seoul. Despite never meeting in person, she was incredibly gracious and generous with her time and resources.

Entrance of World Jewellery Museum — At the entrance to the World Jewellery Museum in Seoul, South Korea.

Elaine’s passion for what she does is evident. The entire layout of the museum is reminiscent of a jewelry box with different compartments. The first two floors are dark, but strategically-placed spotlights illuminate the collections. There is jewelry from all over the world and many different time periods. From African tribal jewelry to a stunning gown embroidered with pearls, patrons will have their eyes opened to just how important jewelry has been as a cultural symbol throughout history. Seeing so many examples of this in one place is quite striking.

Vintage jewelry and watches — Each piece is chosen with care and has a story.

Long gown embroidered with pearls — How long do you think it took to embroider this gown with pearls?

The top floor features rotating exhibitions. When I visited, the exhibition was Masterpieces with Painted Jewels. It featured reproductions of some of the most famous paintings in the world, all of which include jewelry. Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” and Gustav Klimt’s “The Woman in Gold” were just a few of the works there. Next to each print was an explanation of the artist’s use of specific jewelry pieces to convey meaning.

As a lover of both travel and jewelry, I found this fascinating. I’ve seen several of the paintings in person during various trips and very much enjoyed reading about the jewelry in each one. It’s a testament to Elaine’s curating skills that I barely noticed the amazing view from the floor-to-ceiling windows until after I read the explanation next to every work.

"The Coronation of Napoleon" by Jacques Louis David — “The Coronation of Napoleon” by Jacques Louis David. I took this photo at the Louvre in Paris in 2007. It’s one of my favorite paintings, and it was featured in Masterpieces with Painted Jewels.

The World Jewellery Museum makes for a perfect stop before or after exploring the nearby Bukchon Hanok Village or Gyeongbokgung Palace, two of the better-known tourist destinations in Seoul. I highly recommend visiting this hidden treasure if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood.

World Jewellery Museum
75-3 Hwa-dong, Jongro-gu
Seoul, South Korea
+82 2-730-1610