Consumer magazines' coverage of jewelry and watches is rampant, but not long ago editors wouldn't give fine jewelry a second glance. Whether or not jewelry is in favor in a given week, the Jewelry Information Center continues to stir interest in fine jewelry in the consumer press. The promotion association's fall consumer media projects were a hit, prompting a flurry of coverage.

• JIC scored placements on the October cover of Modern Bride, in watch features in InStyle, Mode and More, a gold jewelry feature in Glamour, in an article on right-hand rings in Departures.
• Broadcast placements included a late October syndicated TV feature called "Main Floor," focusing on the JIC's Luxury of Time event this past summer, and a syndicated radio spot telling consumers how to identify a professional jeweler.
• Several syndicated stories written by JIC for newspapers told the positive story of fine jewelry. The Associated Press picked a fall fashion trends report, resulting in headlines around the country touting the importance of diamonds and personalized jewelry to celebrate the millennium. A story on charm bracelets also reached 10,000 newspapers, in addition to an October story on appraisals.
• To penetrate the world of high fashion, the JIC worked with organizers of falls' ready-to-wear shows in New York City, providing easy access to the seasons' latest fine jewelry. Jewelry placements on runway models, and the amount of jewelry in the fashion magazine fashion reports that followed, were at all-time highs.

- by Peggy Jo Donahue