In a summer of shimmering heat, two high-end jewelry brands are offering royalty and art as artistic salve.

As you can see above, Tiffany & Co. is finally opening its Soho store in New York, and fêting the event with four artists’ renderings of true love — a recurring theme for the brand — “to trick out the hoarding around the façade” for two week stints each, each installation displayed on oversized wooden canvases in front of the Tiffany & Co. storefront as behind the scenes everything's getting ready for the opening.

Artist Danielle Dimstom kicked off the collaboration on July 16 with a stylized combination of text and drawings, followed by street artist Ellis Gallagher’s unique take on the colors of love on July 27. The current installation features a mural from Igor + Andre, which will be followed by the final artist in the series, Natasha Law. The installations can be viewed at 97 Greene Street.Continue reading...

Long associated with engagement and wedding rings, diamonds may be a girl's best friend. But De Beers, the brand name most closely associated with the coveted stone, aims to make diamonds a retailer's best friend too, with its new iPhone/iPad app.

The De Beers Bridal App allows consumers to review a complete collection of wedding day jewelry, choose an engagement ring and matching wedding band, view videos to get expert information on how to choose diamonds, and go behind the scenes of De Beers' diamond selection, design, and craftsmanship. Leveraging the power of social media, the app encourages the consumer to select their favorites and share them with friends. The consumer can also sign up to receive emails from De Beers.

In a nice touch that will keep retailers happy, the app also offers up the retail locations closest to the user who sell De Beers jewelry and enables the consumer to make an appointment as well as locate the retailer on a map. While the consumer can "arrange a viewing" on the De Beers website, store locations are limited to a few major retailers in key cities.Continue reading...

Cartier is celebrating its 165th anniversary with a cinematic ad that features the jewelry-maker's classic diamond panther comes to life, prowling its iconic designs in a visually stunning series of outdoor settings that span the globe. As the brand puts it, "L'Odyssée de Cartier" commercial is "a journey between dream and reality. For the very first time, Cartier has decided to create a cinema epic focusing on its history, its values and inspiration, its artistic and universal scope." Watch it below.Continue reading...

In a development that will be appreciated by male football fans everywhere, "The Diamond Store" Zales has a new holiday season ad campaign.

And… it's actually not that bad. But the campaign message is nearly the same as two years ago, what changed?Continue reading...

Swatch Group has broken off a partnership with Tiffany & Co. that was originally set to last for 20 years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Nick Hayek, chief executive of Swatch, claims that Tiffany “pushed for the partnership’s creation in 2008 but then neglected it and blocked its development,” according to the Financial Times. As a result, Swatch would like some big bucks in compensation – and it presumably won’t take it in champagne flutes.

The brands' collaborative watch business, dubbed Tiffany Watch Co., is definitely winding down — Tiffany fired back Monday to say that Swatch didn’t “make the necessary commitments and work co-operatively” on the business, either.Continue reading...

Tiffany's new collection expands its signature lock motif in a new jewelry line that ranges from $80 to $6,000. The new shoot, styled by red carpet power stylist Estee Stanley, also marks a departure from Tiffany's more traditional campaigns, such as the recent "True Love Grows."Continue reading...

The jewelry houses of Faberge and Louis Vuitton are proceeding in due course through the current recession, each using a unique marketing strategy to guide their direction.

During flush economic times luxury retailers can rely on a strong aspirational consumer base eager to scoop up logo-clad products. Today, however, as that market dries up and cash-strapped consumers guard their wallets and eschew conspicuous consumption, luxury brands are shifting their focus to a different type of customer: wealthy individuals.Continue reading...

Consumers are wondering just how much damage was done during last week's Black Friday, but it's important to put all that shopping into perspective.

Retailers and luxury brands hoped shoppers would feel more comfortable in stores this season, as business seemed to be poised to pick up. But though Macy's and Saks have reported improvement, new statistics suggest that more is needed to show that this recession can be beat. November's luxury sales declined 7.3%, their first drop since August after gains in September and October, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse.Continue reading...