The Materialist : Victoria Gomelsky

Victoria Gomelsky and Marc Bridge Live from the Fabulous Venetian Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas.

Welcome back to The Materialist. I recorded this special episode live from the jewelry shows in Las Vegas—the annual gathering point for the industry’s global village. Fittingly, I sat down with Victoria Gomelsky, Editor-in-Chief of JCK Magazine, contributor to The New York Times, and one of the most thoughtful chroniclers of the jewelry world for over two decades.

Victoria and I talked about what keeps her coming back to JCK after 23 years, why jewelry is still a face-to-face business in a screen-filled world, and how she ended up with a watch named after her—literally, The Gomelsky.

Some highlights:

"This business runs on trust—millennia ago, you only traded gems with people you knew. That legacy still shapes the industry today."

"Of all industries, jewelry is the most intimate—and the most global. You walk one aisle and you’ve met people from China, India, Botswana, Sri Lanka… it’s like the U.N. in diamonds."

"Shinola’s CEO said, ‘We can’t come up with a name for this watch—what’s your name?’ I said Gomelsky. And that’s how I got a watch line named after me."

"Trade press may not be glamorous, but it's where you learn the real business—the players, the politics, the paradoxes."

We also get into:

* The evolution of women buying jewelry for themselves

* Why trade shows still matter in the age of Instagram

* How the jewelry press balances journalism with brand hospitality

* Her accidental path from Soviet émigré to New York Times travel writer to gemstone editor

Victoria’s storytelling reminds to stay open to serendipity as the best experiences—and the best careers—are rarely planned. You can read her latest New York Times stories here and find her on Instagram at @vikavickyvictoria.

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