QVC ‘Jewelry Love’ Day Was Pretty, Pretty Good

We admit it: We did some damage to our credit card on Friday during QVC’s jewelry love day. It didn’t help that we were off, taking a comp day after covering the National Retail Federation conference last weekend in Manhattan, and could watch much of the day.

We thought QVC did a good job of presenting baubles across categories — gold, silver, gemstones, diamonds, high price and low price.

Veteran QVC gold buyer David Markstein debuted his new line for the home shopping network, and we thought it was inventive and appealing. We ordered two of his items, one a 14K gold bracelet and a silver cross that is on waitlist.

Gold has gotten so expensive that frankly we really can’t afford it anymore. But we’ve been looking for two items in solid gold anyway: a link-type bracelet to layer and a small cross. We’re hoping that the bracelet we ordered from Markstein is substantial enough for us for the price.

We also ordered a small cross from Eterna Gold that was dimensional and had diamond-cutting, another item we plan to layer. We’ll see how that goes.

Finally, we ordered a half-a-carat Infinity diamond ring in silver, with round stones and baquettes (our favorite cut). BTW we really enjoy Michele Lau. We weren’t looking for a diamond ring, but this one looked really good for the price — a big look for the money. We hope we like it.

Jeff Moseley debuted his new jewelry line, Pure Tarzanite. They were gorgeous pieces, but well out of our price range. But we love seeing his passion for the stone, and wish him well with this venture.

So, it’s time to lock up our credit. And there goes that New Year’s resolution about taming our spending.

BTW, someone who reads this blog stopped by the NRF press room to say hello. He knew we were at the conference because of some posts we did on LinkedIn. He said he works for some vendors for both QVC and HSN.

We actually got in trouble for talking too loudly and had to cut our chat short!

Bitchy NY Post Gossip Columnist Cindy Adams Slams Joan Rivers’ QVC Jewelry As ‘Crapola’

We despise New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams. Why we ever look at her writing is a mystery, because we are always aggravated afterward.

She is a constant name dropper. She counts Donald Trump as a close friend and she remains one of his staunch supporters. Her idea of humor is saying President Biden has dementia, and that his wife doesn’t dress designer-high society enough for her — unlike precious Melania.

Here we’re taking off the gloves, Adams’ late husband, comedian Joey, was repulsive. Adams has had so much plastic surgery her face is tight as a drum.

Oh, and Adams claims the late great Joan Rivers was a good friend. With friends like Adams, who needs enemies?

In a column last week, Adams came after — can you believe it — Joan’s QVC jewelry line. It was about years ago having lunch with the First Lady of Iceland.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/28/even-the-first-lady-of-iceland-isnt-safe-from-having-bad-neighbors/

The first lady, Dorrit Moussaieff, was from an Israeli family that “deals in major jewels,” Adams wrote. A few days latter she visited Adams at her apartment.

Here’s what Adams wrote about that visit.

“Joan Rivers arrived covered in the fake-o junkola jewelry she sold on TV.

Dorrit? Two long, long, long ropes of real white pearls. Huge. Each bead the size of a kneecap.

As a joke, Joan suggested trading jewelry for the afternoon. They did.

Joan wore the pricey knee-length pearls and Dorrit sported Joan’s crapola. This is to show how easy and good-natured is Dorrit.”

We’re not really fans of so-called fashion jewelry, but our mom had some of Joan’s QVC pieces and they were well-made and classy. Unlike Adams.

And Joan was one of her close friends, huh? Nice. Speak ill of the dead much?

And sorry, the average American can’t afford to walk around wearing Tiffany and Bulgari pieces.

We’re holding our tongue here now about Adams. She’s an asshat. Aand what we’ve said about her is fraction of the nasty unnecessary and not-funny comments she makes about others.

Home Shopping Jewelry News: Valitutti, Manse And Jay King

Our favorite topic: jewelry. Here are a few tidbits.

ShopHQ just announced that Michael Valitutti will be coming back to the home shopping network.

Well, the press releases said that a several returning brands will be back, including Gems en Vogue, which it described as “a vintage-inspired gemstone jewelry brand offering unique, semi-precious gemstones set in palladium silver.” That is Valitutti’s collection.

He was a staple at the Minnesota channel for years, one of the “Three Amigos” jewelry vendors. Valitutti left ShopHQ and was selling his pieces on his own website as well as HSN.

Now, according to ShopHQ, he will be one of three vendors returning to its fold.

Next, we saw Balinese jewelry purveyor Robert Manse post on Facebook that he had just done his last live presentation on HSN. That’s a shame. We bought two of his crosses that we constantly wear. We hope he turns up at another home shopping venue soon.

Finally, we’ve been very disappointed at the collections that HSN “rock” star Jay King has been bringing to the network the past few years. We know times are tough, and the price of silver has soared, but still.

But last week we happened to see one of his shows and he had some gorgeous gallery pieces, lapis and turquoise, that incorporated corn-row inlay. We love that.

The ring, pendant and bracelet were pricey, but beautiful. That’s what we like to see.

Designer of HSN’s Roberto By RFM Jewelry Line Dies of Cancer At Age 48

With all the horrors going on right now, we have to report some more sad and bad news from the home shopping world. HSN jewelry vendor Roberto Faraone Mennella died Thursday at age 48 of cancer.

The name may not be immediately familiar to you, but Mennella was the partner of Amedeo Scognamiglio. Amedeo was perhaps best known on HSN for the gorgeous, and very reasonably priced cameo jewelry, he brought to the home shopping channel. His family had been involved in cameo making.

But Amedeo and Roberto, both Italians, also appeared on HSN selling a line of very beautifully designed, fluid sterling silver jewelry on the channel. That line was called Roberto by RFM.

Roberto was incredibly handsome, charming and obviously talented. Amedeo is very outgoing, gregarious and funny.

According to an obituary in WWD, the two men were former boyfriends and current business partners. We never knew this, but apparently they were featured in the show “Sex And The City” when stylist Patricia Field learned about them.

https://wwd.com/eye/people/jewelry-designer-roberto-faraone-mennella-dies-at-1203646874/

The WWD obit also mentioned that the two designers sold their pieces on HSN in the United States and QVC Internationally.

So sorry to hear this news.

HSN Jewelry Maven Carol Brodie Sues Over Toxic Diet Noodles

Gorgeous HSN jewelry vendor Carol Brodie, who was just on the home shopping network tonight, has filed a lawsuit over diet noodles that sent her to the hospital.

We were looking through our Facebook feed today when we saw a post from WNBC-TV here in New York, and it reminded us of the posts Brodie had done about her horrible experience eating “Better Than Pasta.” It is made of konjac flour.

As it turned out, the TV segment was on Brodie’s lawsuit and she was interviewed on-camera, blonde and slim as ever. She is not only suing the manufacturer of the product but Amazon for selling it.

Here is the promo for the segment:

A woman who purchased Better Than Pasta noodles said the food congealed in her stomach and caused her great pain — and she’s not the only one to complain of the possible side effects by the noodles that don’t dissolve in the stomach.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/potential-dangers-from-eating-diet-noodles/2302267/

Brodie and others are calling for the FDA to ban products made from konjac flour.

We sure don’t think we’ll be trying them soon, even though we need to lose a ton of weight.

Paula Deen To Debut Jewelry Line On JTV

Paul Deen and her sons were a fixture on Evine, now known as ShopHQ. She offered kitchenware, apparel and even beauty items.

https://www.shophq.com/b/beauty/paula-deen/?icid=DB-_-B-_-PaulaDeen-_-100618

Now she has another pan on the fire, to mangle a cliche.

We were among the folks who saw the promo Friday night on Jewelry Television saying the Southern belle was bringing a line to that home shopping network.

We never saw Deen on ShopHQ. We do know she also did an apparel line for that channel. Now it’s jewelry for JTV.

https://www.jtv.com/pauladeen

Here’s what JTV.com has to say:

Dress yourself in tasteful and dazzling designs from best-selling author and restaurant entrepreneur Paula Deen. Inspired by the rich heritage and coastal feel of Paula’s adopted and beloved hometown of Savannah, Georgia, this charming collection showcases her personal passions, along with her southern style and spirit.

And then there is this full-fledged pitch:

Culinary icon, best-selling author and restaurant entrepreneur Paula Deen is serving up a new dish made up of dazzling jewelry designs. Known as the Queen of Southern Cuisine, Deen is adding another jewel to her crown with stunning styles that symbolize her spirit and personal sense of style. The Paula Deen Jewelry collection celebrates her everyday inspirations including the joy of family, life’s simple pleasures and the most meaningful parts of her life.

Inspired by the rich heritage and coastal feel of her adopted and beloved hometown of Savannah, Georgia, the Paula Deen Jewelry collection features several pieces with intricate, ornamental details found in the historic homes and buildings throughout the city. Some of the most well-known architectural features in Savannah are the cast iron and wrought iron fences, gates, and stair rails. Many of the filigree styles in the collection are taken from Savannah’s beautiful wrought iron work and allow everyone to add a piece of Paula’s adopted hometown to their wardrobe.

Another source of Paula’s inspiration for Paula Deen Jewelry is the Atlantic waters running along the coast of Savannah. Between living on the water with her husband Michael, a tugboat captain, and fishing, the water is a huge part of Paula’s life. One of her most loved hobbies is shelling and creating her own crafts and designs with seashells. One of Paula’s favorite pieces in the collection is a seashell necklace with flowing tassels and gold ornamental plating surrounding the shell. She believes every woman needs classic pearl pieces and the pearl accent on this necklace adds a timeless look to a fun and bold accessory.

It’s no surprise that Paula enjoys sharing her passion for jewelry as much as her passion for cooking and entertaining. She loves to wear large hoops that can work with any outfit or for any occasion. She also loves necklaces that features a variety of styles and design elements, including long and adjustable lengths, two tone colors such as gold and silver, along with ornamental details. Discover all your favorites from Paula Deen Jewelry, available exclusively on JTV and jtv.com.

In addition to working on her new jewelry collection, Paula Deen continues to be a best-selling author and restaurant owner. She has sold over 11 million copies of her 18 cookbooks. Her 2019 cookbook, Paula Deen’s Southern Baking, features 125 brand-new, soon-to-be-classic baking recipes for casseroles, breads, cakes, pies, and a whole lot more. The Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah that Paula founded with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, remains one of the country’s most popular regional restaurants.

Since 2015, Paula has opened six new restaurants, including Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Branson, Missouri; Destin, Florida; and Panama City Beach, Florida; and Paula Deen’s Creek House in Savannah, Georgia.

Ex-HSN Vendor Nicky Butler Debuts on Evine April 22

Best news this week: Jewelry designer Nicky Butler is coming to Evine.

Butler, a Brit who used to sell high-end jewelry in a London shop to the likes of Princess Diana,was one of our favs for years on HSN. His sterling silver jewelry, with gemstones from India and an artisan look, were gorgeous.

Over the years we bought many of his pieces, especially his crosses, since we collect them.

When Butler said he would no longer be on HSN earlier this year we and his other fans were dismayed.

But Butler recently posted on Facebook that he has a new home, Evine, with a link to the channel’s website.

https://www.evine.com/l/nicky-butler?icid=InternalSearch_Default_Nicky%20Butler&search_text=Nicky%20Butler

“Tune in April 22 for the premiere of my jewelry collection,” the site says, featuring a photo of Butler standing next to a British phone booth. “More announcements coming soon.”

There is also a sweepstakes to win one of his creations.

Butler joins a whole bunch of HSN jewelry vendors who have landed at Evine.

Congrats Mr. Nicky!

HSN Jewelry Maven Heidi Daus Expands in Montclair, N.J.

A year ago we were working at a scrappy start-up print paper, Montclair Local, in the town where we live in New Jersey. And during that one-year tenure we had to cover many a long and boring meeting. The Zoning Board of Adjustment meetings were often especially grueling.

But we would have been really jazzed to cover the recent zoning board meeting regarding HSN jewelry vendor Heidi Daus.  She lives and works in Montclair, and we even ran into her once at the local QuickChek. Her husband, Mitchell MacGregor, owns a construction company.

MacGregor appeared before the board seeking a variance to expand the property on Forest Street in Montclair where Daus has offices and storage space for her fashion jewelry business.

According to the website Baristanet, MacGregor was seeking permission to build a dormer on the Heidi Daus HQ, an 850-square-foot expansion of the 5,643-square-foot property.

MacGregor told the board that the site acts as a showroom and a spot where the jewelry designs are created, Baristanet reported. The jewelry itself is manufactured in China, not Montclair.

MacGregor and Daus got their variances. They were represented by Montclair attorney Alan Trembulak, who we always enjoyed working with.

Official HSN Word On Anne Geddes Jewelry

We wrote about this already, but here’s the press release.

HSN Partners With World-Renowned Photographer Anne Geddes for Exclusive Launch of New Jewelry Line

Anne Geddes to Create a Line Inspired by her Iconic Images that Embodies the Innocence, Transformation and Creation of New Life and the Individual Spark within Every Child

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Innovative entertainment and lifestyle retailer HSN is thrilled to announce the exclusive launch of Anne Geddes Protect Nurture Love with Anne Geddes making her official premiere on HSN on October 17th.

A champion of women around the world, Anne has partnered with HSN to create a jewelry collection inspired by her iconic photography and artistic designs, reflecting her deeply held belief that all children must be protected, nurtured and loved. Perfect for any woman celebrating the spirit and purity of new life and the intimacy of the mother/child bond.

“Throughout my career, I have strived to capture the beauty, purity and vulnerability of children,” said Geddes. “I have always wanted to translate my inspiration and message into wearable art, and I knew that this partnership with HSN was the perfect opportunity to do so. We’ve created a stunning collection that is both beautiful and meaningful, and I’m excited to share these pieces with those who share this appreciation of motherhood,” she added.

Every piece in the jewelry collection includes a freshwater cultured pearl with a bezel-set diamond. Pearls are the only gemstones in the world with a natural gestation period, representing innocence, transformation and the creation of new life. The bezel-set diamond in the pearl represents the individual spark within each new life. The 18-piece collection will range in price from $89.95 for a beautiful, sterling silver Genesis pendant with two pearls to $399.95 for a limited-edition, sterling silver and 14k gold floral pendant, which includes an autographed copy of Anne’s latest coffee table book entitled “Small World”.

“HSN is honored to be partnering with such an iconic artist to inspire a unique and meaningful jewelry line,” said HSN’s Chief Merchandising Officer, Carmen Bauza. “Anne is an amazing artist and advocate for children, and we are thrilled to be offering her beautiful and thoughtful designs to women everywhere.”

HSN and Anne have partnered with SHR Jewelry Group — a creative full service jewelry company with expertise in brand building, product development and licensing — to bring this unparalleled jewelry collection to life.

Anne will appear on HSN on October 17th and her collection will be available across all of HSN’s platforms, including HSN.com and the HSN mobile app.

Baby photog Anne Geddes bows jewelry on HSN

We were blogging tonight, with HSN on our TV in the background, when a promo caught our attention.

Renowned photographer Anne Geddes, who is known for her adorable photos of bare infants nestled in flowers and depicted in other scenes in nature, is bringing a jewelry line to HSN.

https://www.hsn.com/shop/anne-geddes/18033?rid=5207&query=Anne%20Geddes&isSuggested=false

Her photos are very distinctive, and much imitated.

http://www.annegeddes.com/homepage

Geddes’ jewelry line is called “Protect Nurture Love” and debuts next Tuesday, Oct. 17, as HSN’ Today’s Special.

This is from Geddes’ website:

One of the world’s most respected photographers, Anne creates images that are iconic, award winning and beloved. Like no photographer before her, her imagery singularly captures the beauty, purity and vulnerability of children embodying her deeply held belief that each and every child must be “protected, nurtured and loved”.

Anne’s work has been published in over 84 countries and translated to 24 languages, with over 19 million books and 13 million calendars sold. A multilple New York Times bestselling author, Anne’s photography has been treasured and enjoyed by many generations.

We’ll be tuning in to see what Geddes is serving up.