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The post As Seen In: National Jeweler May 2024 first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

For many, an engagement ring is the first piece of fine jewelry a woman has owned. Care and cleaning of a fine piece is different from that for fashion or demi-fine pieces, so help fill her gap in knowledge.

Here are some top need-to-knows for brides-to-be.

1. Brides-to-be love to look down at that ring sparkling on their left hand. The best way to keep that sparkle going is routine, at-home cleaning with a professional jewelry cleaning formula and polishing cloth from your jewelry care line. Offer quality products and explain what formulation works best for the stones and metal in her ring.

2. Help your customer to understand that at-home, DIY jewelry cleaning tricks are old wives’ tales best left in the past. These hacks thrive on the internet but often omit the risks, particularly damage that can be caused by cleaning agents not formulated specifically for jewelry, like ammonia, toothpaste, vinegar and more. Remind them that they can always find high-quality, professional products at your store.

3. While your customer may wish to never take off that beautiful ring, the truth of the matter is that sometimes it’s best to do just that. Rings should be left in a safe place when one is cleaning, exercising, swimming, gardening, and sometimes even when cooking or baking. This protects it agains damage from chemicals or contact with strong forces. Recommend that your customer place the ring in the same place whenever it is taken it off; this helps guard against loss.

The post Smart Shine Tips: 3 Things Every Bride Needs to Know first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

1. Order inventory to ensure you have plenty of stock on hand. Be sure to plan ahead for lead times and account for potential shipping delays.
   Note: current private-label lead time is eight to 12 weeks.
   
2. Freshen up your display. Make sure it is fully stocked with product, and update your signage, if necessary.
   
3. The holidays are a great time to add to your jewelry care product line. Consider adding a new formula, travel items, or ultrasonic machines, all of which make for wonderful holiday gifts.
   
4. Do your associates know how to answer customer questions about jewelry care and jewelry care products? Offer training or refreshers to those that need it. Our blog, #cleanjewelry, features lots of helpful posts you can share with your team.
   
5. Make sure your website is updated with your jewelry care product line and helpful jewelry care information your customers can access. We offer Cleaning 101 tips on our website which you can repurpose for your own: https://www.thekingswoodcompany.com/tips-for-your-customers/

The post Your Holiday Checklist first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

A private-label jewelry care product line from The Kingswood Company was awarded a Gold 2023 Editors’ Pick Award in the Cleaning Category from Store Brands magazine. Store Brands announced winners of its Editors’ Picks in its August issue.

The winning product line was developed in 2021 and launched in 2022 in over 2000 stores throughout North America. It is a consumer-focused jewelry care line with an elevated, on-trend aesthetic. Each of the line’s products was meticulously designed and created to meet unique jewelry cleaning needs of an entire collection of jewelry both at home and on the go. The award-winning line’s fresh look was designed with inspiration from high-end luxury and cosmetic products, differentiating it from other jewelry care products in the market. Additionally, the packaging incorporates jewelry care and cleaning education, highlighting the products’ benefits and purpose. The company notes that it maintains customer confidentiality and therefore is not disclosing the winning brand’s name.

“We are proud to partner with our customers to design beautiful product lines that marry our outstanding jewelry cleaning formulas with packaging that highlights the customer’s brand and its luxury nature,” said Pam Waclawski, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are also unique in our attention to jewelry care education, which helped this brand become award winning.”

Store Brands notes that the last two years have seen a period of strong growth across the private-label industry. Retailers seek to offer their customers products that are differentiated from national brands, offering both higher value and higher quality.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since 1956, The Kingswood Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality jewelry care products, serving thousands of retailers, designers and manufacturers worldwide. Kingswood was recognized with inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing companies in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

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The post The Kingswood Company Awarded the 2023 Editors’ Pick Award from Store Brands Magazine first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

The Kingswood Company announced in August the promotion of Pam Waclawski to the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In this new capacity, Waclawski will lead the sales, marketing and design teams to meet specific growth goals that are effective for the company; cultivate an understanding of industry trends and plan strategic initiatives to stay ahead of market demands; and build and maintain long-term relationships with customers.

“This promotion is a reflection of Pam’s tremendous impact on our company’s continued growth and success,” said Kristie Nicolosi, President & CEO of The Kingswood Company. “We have a long-standing history of valuing promotion from within, as both our team and our customers benefit from the institutional knowledge and skills acquired over time, which guarantee continuous high-quality services and products for our customers.”

Waclawski first joined The Kingswood Company in 2012 as a designer. Her exceptional talents resulted in her promotion to art director and then creative director, with expanded roles in design, marketing initiatives, new product development and sales. Waclawski led the development and launch of the company’s Clean + Care® line, which is the fastest-growing jewelry care line in the industry. She has worked with many sophisticated national and global brands and retailers to develop and launch successful and award-winning product lines. Additionally, she has supported Kingswood’s growth of its private-labeling capabilities, new product development, innovation, and value-added services offered to customers.

“I am honored to receive this promotion and to continue to grow my career and explore my creativity with The Kingswood Company,” said Waclawski. “Working with our talented team and valued customers for the last 11 years has been inspiring and fulfilling, and I look forward to continued growth for both Kingswood and myself.”

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since 1956, The Kingswood Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality jewelry care products, serving thousands of retailers, designers and manufacturers worldwide. Kingswood was recognized with inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing companies in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

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The post Pam Waclawski Promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing by The Kingswood Company first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

What is aqueous ammonia?
How does it differ from “regular” ammonia?
Is it safe for all kinds of jewelry?

Aqueous ammonia is a solution of ammonia in water, and is also known as ammonia water, ammonium hydroxide and ammonia liquor. Ammonia itself is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and is a colorless gas with a distinctive smell. So when you clean with “ammonia,” you are really using an ammonia solution.

Aqueous ammonia solutions are common in a number of household cleaning products because it is effective at breaking down grime and stains from animal fats and vegetable oils. Cleaning products that use aqueous ammonia include glass and window cleaners, oven cleaners, tile and wood floor cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and all-purpose cleaners. It can also be used to clean stains from clothing, carpets and even white shoes. Ammonia is a particularly effective cleaner for glass and mirrors, because it evaporates quickly and therefore does not leave streaks.

Because the concentration of ammonia used for jewelry cleaning is vital, you should discourage your customers from using DIY, at-home ammonia cleaning methods that can cause damage to treasured jewelry. Too much ammonia can be caustic, and mixing your own ammonia solution poses its own risks. Exposure to concentrated ammonia irritates eyes, skin and the respiratory tract. While, mixing ammonia with bleach results in a chemical reaction that generates a toxic gas. Your best bet is using an ammoniated jewelry cleaner specially formulated for jewelry care.

PRIVATE-LABEL
FINE JEWELRY CLEANER

For a professional, high-quality jewelry cleaning formula that contains aqueous ammonia choose our Fine Jewelry Cleaner.

LEARN MORE

The post Ingredient to Know: Aqueous Ammonia first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

For the third year in a row, Inc. magazine placed The Kingswood Company on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Ranked at number 3066, a jump from number 3657 in 2021, Kingswood’s placement results from three-year revenue growth of 176 percent. The company is the 20th fastest growing company in Columbus and the 70th fastest growing company in Ohio.

“We are thrilled to be included on this list of the most successful independent businesses in the country,” said Kristie Nicolosi, president & CEO of The Kingswood Company. “Our ability to grow at such a pace demonstrates our resilience in the midst of supply chain difficulties, labor shortages and the ongoing impact of Covid-19.”

The company’s move to a larger manufacturing and office space in 2021 provided a foundation for its continued growth, by expanding production capacity and allowing Kingswood to hold more inventory. This move bolstered Kingswood’s ability to weather supply chain challenges and maintain inventory levels to meet customers’ needs.

The company has continued to expand product offerings, another factor of its continued growth trajectory. The Clean + Care^® line launched in 2020 is one of Kingswood’s fastest growing product lines, along with new products including custom-sized polishing cloths, co-branded and semi-customizable wipe sample cards, and additional packaging options.

“The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated,” said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today.”

The complete listing of Inc. 5000 honorees, including details about Kingswood’s ranking, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since 1956, The Kingswood Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality jewelry care products, serving thousands of retailers, designers and manufacturers worldwide.

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The post The Kingswood Company Ranks 3066th on the
Inc. 5000 Annual List of Fastest Growing Companies first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

Smart Shine Tips is a new monthly series from The Kingswood Company, the industry leader in jewelry cleaning and care. If you’ve ever wondered how you can sell more jewelry cleaner we’re here to help! Each month we’ll be bringing you pro tips that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll be able to download the tips to share with your team and store associates.

Smart Shine Tips: 3 Jewelry Cleaning FAQs for Your Store Associates

Your customers look to you as an expert on all things jewelry related. When your customers have jewelry cleaning questions, do your store associates know what to say?

Here are three top FAQs your team should be able to answer

1. Can I use dish soap or other DIY or household cleaners to clean my jewelry?

No, that’s not a great idea. DIY cleaning hacks percolate throughout social media and the internet, but they aren’t specially formulated to clean jewelry. Therefore, they run the gamut from not very helpful to downright dangerous.

Your associates can offer jewelry care products from your own line, along with tips on which products work best on which type of jewelry. They can also encourage your customers to both clean and polish their pieces, with a liquid jewelry cleaning product and a polishing cloth.

For more information on DIY jewelry cleaners and why they are best avoided, visit our blog: https://www.thekingswoodcompany.com/a-closer-look-at-diy-jewelry-cleaners/

2.    What is tarnish?

Though tarnish makes your jewelry look dirty, it’s not actually dirt. Tarnish is the result a chemical reaction of metal (your customer’s jewelry) with a non-metal compound (usually oxygen or sulfur dioxide gases). The reaction causes a thin layer of corrosion to form on the metal, taking away the jewelry’s shine.

So, cleaning the piece with a fine or gentle jewelry cleaning formula won’t remove that black or gray corrosion. Tarnish needs to be removed with a product specially formulated to removed tarnish. Your associates can offer a professional silver cleaning formula from your product line, or a chemically-treated polishing cloth.

For more information on tarnish, visit our blog: https://www.thekingswoodcompany.com/tarnish-removal-what-your-customers-want-to-know/

3. What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting?

What a crash course we all received in disinfecting thanks to Covid 19. Often people use the terms interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Cleaning refers to the process of removing dirt and germs from an item, rather than killing them. While disinfecting usually refers to killing germs on surfaces rather than humans. The EPA regulates disinfectants, and few cleaning products are registered as such.

If your customers are concerned about germs on their jewelry and they probably should be, you can reassure them that frequent cleaning of their pieces with a professional jewelry cleaning product, such as a Fine Jewelry Cleaner or Gentle Jewelry Cleaner, should do the trick. The surfactants used in these formulas attach to a germ’s membrane, breaking the outer coating and rendering it inactive. The remnants are rinsed away, along with dirt and oils. Additionally, most disinfecting products contain bleach or other harsh chemicals, which pose a threat to your customers’ jewelry.

The post Smart Shine Tips: 3 Jewelry Cleaning FAQs for Your Store Associates first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

It may seem like we’re a bit out to get the old wives, but they have a lot of tales about jewelry cleaning that don’t hold up to scrutiny. 

We’ve already covered some old favorites, but the old wives never give up. Here are some new DIY tips debunked, plus a few old not-favorites. The key takeaway? For best results, clean your jewelry with professional products designed specifically for the purpose.

What Not To Use?

Ketchup

It’s great for dipping your fries; less great for dipping your jewelry. Ketchup has entered the DIY cleaning repertoire due to the vinegar it contains. Vinegar is a popular acidic agent used to clean metals, including copper, stainless steel, cast iron and silver. Even the DIY-proponents acknowledge that using ketchup “for too long” can damage your jewelry. How long is too long? And do you really want to rub your jewelry with sugary ketchup?

Cleaning your silver jewelry with a silver jewelry cleaner formulated for the purpose is much safer. Our Silver Jewelry Cleaner is a mild formulation that will not cause pitting or silver loss. Your ketchup is formulated to taste great on a burger or hot dog.

Coca Cola

Coca Cola is sometimes recommended for jewelry cleaning for the same reason as ketchup: its acid content. And we don’t recommend it for the same reasons we don’t recommend ketchup. Enjoy a Coke on a hot summer’s day, but use professional jewelry cleaner for your jewelry cleaning needs.

Beer and Vodka

Maybe DIY cleaning has been overtaken by foodies? We love beer and vodka at happy hour, but not so much at cleaning hour. Beer has been suggested for cleaning gold, while vodka is suggested for gemstones. But caveats always emerge, like not using dark ales or beer on gemstones. Again, the best choice is something formulated specifically for cleaning jewelry. You know, something you would use to clean your jewelry if you accidentally dropped it into a mug of beer or a vodka martini. 

Windex or toothpaste with an old toothbrush

These are all big favorites for the DIY crowd, but please set them down now. Toothpaste is too gritty for jewelry and can cause scratches on the metal. Toothbrushes can do the same, plus their long handle places too much pressure on settings. But that little brush in a jar of jewelry cleaner is just right for brushing off dirt and oils after a soak in a professional jewelry cleaning formula. And while Windex leaves your glass sparkling, the chemicals can damage gemstones like emeralds, opals and more. 

Dish and body soap

DIYers recommend creating a solution with dish or body soap and soaking your piece in that. But not soap with a moisturizer, and no details are given on the quantities that go into the solution, and the time to soak is a frustratingly wide window. They add that you should use a brush to clean it better, but a soft brush. Do you know what brushes are soft? Do you know whether you soap has moisturizer? Do you know whether 20 or 40 or 60 minutes is safe? There are a lot of variables to be sure of. Again, the best bet is a cleaning formula designed specifically for jewelry, one you know is safe and one that comes with a brush that is the right size and softness. 

The post A Closer Look at DIY Jewelry Cleaners first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

Smart Shine Tips is a new monthly series from The Kingswood Company, the industry leader in jewelry cleaning and care. If you’ve ever wondered how you can sell more jewelry cleaner we’re here to help! Each month we’ll be bringing you pro tips that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll be able to download the tips to share with your team and store associates.

3 Analogies to Help Educate Your Customers

Analogies are a great way to help people understand new concepts.
Here are our top three analogies to help you educate your customers about jewelry care and cleaning. 

The post Smart Shine Tips: 3 Analogies to Help Educate Your Customers first appeared on The Kingswood Company.