In the Loupe

In the Loupe

In the Loupe is a weekly podcast hosted by Punchmark, the Jewelry Industry's favorite website provider. Each week's episode is focused around the explanation and advocacy of important E-Commerce topics and why every jeweler needs to be focused on their online presence now more than ever.

Episodes

February 24, 2026 39 mins

Mike sits down with Becka Johnson Kibby, the new CEO of Edge Retail Academy, to unpack real jewelry retail benchmarks, smarter inventory moves, and the coaching habits that outperform the market. We cover vendor partnerships, clienteling that actually works, and how to protect margin without leaning on discounts.

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What if brick‑and‑mortar isn’t dying, but splitting into winners and roadkill? We sit down with Peter Smith, former Hearts On Fire president, columnist for National Jeweler, and sales behavior coach, to unpack why independent jewelers just had their strongest five‑year stretch while the total number of stores keeps falling. Peter makes a compelling case that physical retail is both a beginning and an end: a beginning for operators ...

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February 10, 2026 45 mins

We talk with Ostbye president Craig MacBean about leading through volatility, integrating a business acquisition without losing its soul, and why staying focused on independent jewelers' wins keeps a vendor business grounded. 

Gold climbs, tariffs become unpredictable... yet smart operations, better data, and classic designs keep momentum strong.

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We discuss gold’s leap past $5,000 (and back) and unpack why refiners are pausing intake even as demand soars. David Siminski explains the credit and capacity squeeze, the silver backlog, and how jewelers can navigate cash settlements versus physical exchanges.

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January 27, 2026 29 mins

We talk with Eric Lux, President of Rembrandt Charms, about why charms convert so well online, how vertical integration keeps shelves stocked, and what smart marketing does for repeat sales. 

Learn more about Rembrandt Charms: rembrandtcharms.com

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We bring back StoneAlgo's CEO, Devin Jones, to share how a human concierge turns website visitors into verified, high-intent appointments. We also dive into engagement ring trend data across lab grown and natural diamond purchases, straight from the StoneAlgo platform. 

Book a Demo with StoneAlgo: https://getjeweleros.com/

Read the full Engagement Ring Trends report: https://getjeweleros.com/2025-engagement-ring-trends

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We set the tone for Season 7 with a focus on substance: vendor stories without the pitch, real data that guides decisions, and platform upgrades that make selling online easier for everyone. 2026 gets a bold forecast as we track ADA progress, performance trends, and the metrics that matter.

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December 23, 2025 52 mins

We close the season by revisiting ten standout moments that shaped a year of change, from AI pricing and buying group leadership to gold’s surge, fancy color diamonds, and how Tahitian pearls really form. 

• AI pricing tools and the case for fair markup
• JewelCraft as the jeweler’s jeweler for scale
• Google Workspace as a collaboration backbone
• IJO ownership shift and long-term vision
• Gold price drive...

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We chart the rebound of jewelry e‑commerce in 2025, why average order value climbed, and how Cyber Monday pulled ahead of Black Friday online. We share two winning models, volume vs high ticket, and a practical plan to hit $50k–$100k next year.

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December 9, 2025 31 mins

We unpack how agentic AI shifts marketing from reactive prompts to proactive systems that watch behavior, answer real questions, and stretch budgets. Hope Bellair joins us to map practical steps for independent jewelers, from product data hygiene to Reddit-driven relevance, plus a few warnings about AI ads and synthetic influencers.

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November 18, 2025 17 mins

Mike shares five practical fundamental tips to prepare your jewelry store for Black Friday and the holidays. Quick wins stack up: show energy, make hours obvious, trigger visits with email, and remove online friction.

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Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe
Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com

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November 11, 2025 20 mins

We break down how a small DNS error inside AWS rippled into a global outage, and why it affected everything from uploads to streaming to... beds? Andy Szoke, Developer at Punchmark, joins us to explain cloud basics, Lambda bottlenecks, and redundancy.


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Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe
Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com

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Michael is joined by three independent jewelers who share how they protect margins, create memorable offers, and keep teams sharp during the busiest weeks of the year. 

We discuss gold pricing, VIP outreach, gift guides, and why the week after Christmas can outsell Black Friday.

Guests: 

Vincent Spilotro from Arezzo Jewelers
Anna Barnett from Barnett Jewelers
Lee Elgin from Elgin's Fine Jewelry



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Mike talks with Komoka’s Josh Humbert about his family pearl farm in Tahiti rebuilt its methods around eco-farming and sustainable handling of oysters. Fish now clean their oysters, helping reefs recover, resulting in the harvesting of hundreds of beautiful pearls that shine with rare color that redefine what quality feels like.

The story of Kamoka illustrates what is possible when working WITH nature, instead of against it.

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October 14, 2025 43 mins

We trace Malo Bands’ journey from handwoven artistry to a tech-enabled, service-first business, and how listening to retailers turned beautiful showpieces into scalable, profitable designs. Tony shares candid lessons on customization, B2B tools, tariffs, and why yellow gold is surging.

Learn more about Malo Bands here: https://www.intro.malobands.com/

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Mike shares how he's helping rebuild Punchmark’s Premium Vendor Program from a one-way data pipe into a two-way system that gives vendors and retailers real value. He discusses zero-to-one strategy, systems thinking, and practical steps to standardize data, deliver insights, and reduce friction.

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Mike sits down with his boss Ross Cockerham, Punchmark Co-Founder & CEO, about how he balances attending trade shows and events vs. being present at his own business vs. family life.

Every business owner learns to balance these roles on their own, as well as how they fold into their own personal lives, but the journey is important and worth discussing! Enjoy the conversation.

Learn about our sponsor JewelerOS: trytheringbuilder.c...

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Melisa Monroe from Podium shares exclusive insights from a recent consumer survey of nearly 1000 prospective shoppers about projected holiday spending for the upcoming season, revealing data-driven strategies for retailers to maximize their sales.

Learn more about Podium: https://go.podium.com/tSqRg1

Learn about our sponsor JewelerOS: trytheringbuilder.com

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Digital marketing expert Hope Bellair shares insights from HubSpot's Inbound 25 conference and tailored Q4 marketing strategies for different types of jewelry businesses.

Reach Hope Bellair at hope@punchmark.com or 704-910-4774, extension 318 for more information about holiday marketing strategies.

Learn about our sponsor JewelerOS: trytheringbuilder.com

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The jewelry industry is evolving with significant technological, market, and policy developments that are reshaping how businesses operate and connect with customers.

  • Google Gemini AI tool can place jewelry onto digital hands and ears, offering an alternative to expensive lifestyle photography.
  • Taylor Swift's vintage-inspired engagement ring features an antique cushion cut diamond on yellow gold with ornate engraving, likely...
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