Jewelry

New York -- Despite continued weakness in the overall economy, middle and upper-class consumers appear to remain little affected by the downturn, as evidenced by Tiffany & Co.'s U.S. same-store sales growth of 9% during its fiscal fourth quarter. Worldwide sales were up 12% for the quarter.

Boston -- Gordon Bros. Group said Tuesday it has named Leonard R. Polivy as managing director in the Retail Division.

Polivy began his jewelry career with Gordon Bros. in the mid-1980s and then went on to become president of a wholesale diamond company. He also held other management positions and worked on valuing and restructuring clients within the jewelry sector before returning to Gordon Bros. in 2009.

New York City -- Tiffany & Co. said fourth-quarter earnings rose 29% as net sales jumped 12% to $1.1 billion. The company earned $181.2 million in the quarter compared with $140.4 million in the year-ago period. The latest quarter includes from the pending relocation of Tiffany's New York headquarters staff.

For the full year, worldwide net sales increased 14% to $3.1 billion. Net earnings from continuing operations rose 39% to $368.4 million.

WEST CHESTER, Pa. -- St. Patrick's Day is here, and QVC is celebrating with 24 hours of Irish programming that will feature an extensive assortment of authentic Irish goods, many of which were created especially for QVC.

During the event, which began at 12 a.m. EST March 17, QVC will offer jewelery, fashion, home decor and othe products from Ireland-based brands. The world-renowned singing group Celtic Thunder is also scheduled to perform several times throughout the broadcast, the company reported.  

Hollywood, Calif. -- International gem designer, manufacturer and retailer, Stone Market has opened its first U.S. location, at Hollywood & Highland Center, Hollywood, Calif.

The 319-sq.-ft. shop offers a collection of stylish jewelry, featuring gem and natural stones and silver accessories. Stone Market operates more than 100 retail outlets in Japan.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla . -- Stein Mart announced that its costume and sterling jewelry buyer, Lori Cassidy, was named to the 2011 Merchants Hall of Fame by the trade publication Accessories magazine.

Paris -- A report released Monday by Reuters said that French luxury group LVMH will acquire Italian luxury jeweler Bulgari for $5.2 billion.

The offer, according to the report, is a 60% premium to Bulgari’s average share price, and indicates that the bounce-back of the luxury market could occur at a faster rate than Wall Street anticipated.

Rival bidders included the Richemont group and PPR, according to Reuters.

It’s hard to keep up with Manhattan’s fast-changing retail scene. But no one does it better than Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, retail leasing and sales division, Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Here are new and upcoming stores that Consolo, often referred to as the “Queen of Retail,” expects to be “fashionably” fabulous this year (with all comments by the Queen of Retail herself):

DALLAS -- Zale Corp. announced that Jeannie Barsam has been named SVP merchandise planning and allocation, and Toyin Ogun has been named SVP human resources and customer service.

“Jeannie and Toyin add both critical experience and depth to our leadership team,” said Theo Killion, CEO. “These appointments exemplify the strategic investments we are making in organizational capability to drive our turnaround initiatives.”

DUBAI -- Tiffany and Co. announced it has named Frederic Cumenal as EVP effective March 10. Cumenal will be responsible for the company's businesses in Asia, Japan, Europe and emerging markets, and will report to chairman and CEO Michael Kowalski.

Cumenal joins Tiffany from the LVMH Group where most recently he was president and CEO of Moet and Chandon, S.A.