Not long ago, we wrote about Tiffany’s trademark infringement case against Costco for engagement rings sold at Costco’s warehouse club. Although Costco is clearly in the wrong in this case, Tiffany may yet end up getting the short end of the stick. A popular and successful brand name can sometimes be devalued into a generic description of a type of product. When this happens, the brand name loses it’s unique qualities and the power of brand association. This is not something new; take Xerox as an example. Xerox was so dominate in the copying machine sector that its brand became synonymous with making copies. When their brand was disseminated into common speech, it was no longer a defensible trademark. Tiffany is now facing a counterclaim from Costco; who claim that the Tiffany brand has become devalued.

Authentic Tiffany?

Costco claims that the generic term for the setting they sold is “Tiffany.” A Tiffany setting, according to Costco, is one in which there are multiple prongs that reach upwards to hold a single diamond or gemstone. They further claim that the rings themselves were never sold as being Tiffany brand rings, but only that the setting was of the “Tiffany” style. Costco’s argument lies on the premise that the “Tiffany” setting has become a ubiquitous term, and that the usage of the term is so common that Tiffany has lost the right to enforce their trademark.

You Must Fight For Your Right

The case could have important repercussions for the diamond industry. It’s not just company brand names, like Tiffany, that need to be defended. There are many trademarked brand name perfect cuts, like Hearts on Fire, that may also be vulnerable to dilution. Costco’s counterclaim states that they have used the term “Tiffany setting” for years and that they are only just now being sued over it. This plays into Costco’s favor as the longer a trademark is used without an infringement claim, the stronger the implication that the term is no longer salvageable as a true trademark. While no company can stop the general populous from adopting a brand name as a descriptive term, strong efforts should be made to prevent competitors from diluting their brand. Those in the diamond industry who wish to retain their trademark rights should pursue all infringements of their trademarks to the maximum extent of the law, and do so with all haste.  Those who wait may find themselves in a losing battle to defend a diluted trademark.

If you were homeless and someone dropped a diamond ring in your change cup, would you sell it? Not, if you’re Billy Ray Harris from Kansas City, Missouri. One fateful night, Sarah Darling accidentally dropped her engagement ring, along wit some change, into Harris’ donation cup. She had taken it off earlier in the evening due to chafing and put it into the change purse, unaware that she would later pick it up with some coins she tossed into Billy Ray’s open cup. She may not have noticed, but Billy Ray certainly did when he looked into the cup and there was a diamond ring staring back at him. By then, Mrs. Darling was long gone. It seemed to be Billy Ray’s very lucky day. Continue reading »

Jewelry retailers can expect similar numbers from last year during this holiday season. The National Retail Federation conducted a survey and 22.8 percent of those polled hoped to receive jewelry. Last year, the same number responded in the same manner. Continue reading »

There are some things to watch out for when a stranger rents a room from you. While many people are trustworthy, many are not and that was certainly the case with a woman who rented a room to the daughter of a co-worker of her ex-husband. After divorce, money can be tight, so the woman, a Golden Estates resident, rented the room to her, not knowing that her jewelry and other items would turn up missing soon after the perpetrator moved in to her home.

The woman did receive her first month’s rent, but that was about it. The renter, Shannon McDonald, told her then landlord that she lost her job but was due a large sum of money very soon. That never happened, but the landlord did notice that some of her prescription medicine was missing. She later checked her jewelry box and noted that over $8,000 worth of items were missing including a watch, an emerald ring and a high school ring.
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Who better to make period pieces from the early twentieth century than Tiffany &Co.? The venerable jewelry company has partnered with Bazmark and Warner Bros. Pictures to create jewelry for the upcoming cinematic picture based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. It is a perfect partnership as Tiffany & Co. made many of the pieces that were worn in that era.

The pieces that have been created so far include diamonds set in platinum as well as those that include pearls as they were very popular during that time. The jewelry fits the time frame perfectly as would be expected from such a knowledgeable jewelry company. They can look back to pieces they created back then and recreate them with extra flair for the silver screen. Continue reading »

Lead in jewelry has been a problem in the past so regulations have been put into place to limit the amount of lead used in products of all kinds. Recently there have been recalls on children’s jewelry from China that contained a dangerous amount of lead. These jewelry designs were pulled from the shelves and the companies that produced them were ultimately reprimanded. Continue reading »

Those with the most money plan on spending it this holiday season. This bodes well for jewelry retailers and they should maintain high-end products for those willing to spend the big bucks. While carrying low end products is always a good idea, jewelry stores should stock some of the higher-end pieces just in case.

A recent survey puts holiday spending about 7 percent higher for those who make $250,000 a year or more. This means they will be looking for more items and if you have them you will have a better chance of making that lucrative sale. For those who make less than $250,000, spending will be down by quite a bit. Having the proper items will make all the difference in the world. Continue reading »

Paying your taxes is something we all have to do. There are ways to lower that burden, but lying is never a good choice. When you are caught evading taxes, you will have to pay much more, so it is in your best interest to pay all of the taxes that you owe the IRS. While many see this as a fact of life and do comply, there are some that do not want to pony up the cash and try to deceive the IRS hoping they won’t get caught. Continue reading »

Buying jewelry online can be a stressful endeavor. You never know if you will actually like the piece until you see it and try it on. That could be a problem as most online retailers do not have stores where you can see what you are buying. In most cases, you must look at pictures and many of the better jewelry retailers will allow you to look at their pieces from many different angles.

While this is not ideal, it works quite well as you can often return the item if it doesn’t fill your expectations. A diamond company by the name of Forevermark has initiated a new technology that will allow you to see what the item will look like on you. This helps you make your decision and does take a bit of work and particular hardware to make it happen. Continue reading »

October is a big month for fashion retailers as they release products that coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness month. They get the ball rolling in August and no one is exempt. From the smallest jewelry manufacturers to big-label names, everyone wants to get in on the excitement of bringing attention to this horrible affliction.

This year is certainly no exception as retailers and charities are partnering with one another to get the word out using social media. Twitter and Facebook are two of the best ways to communicate with your customers and let them know what is going on with your October breast cancer activities and products. Continue reading »