Whether you want to buy or to sell jewelry or watches, the first step in figuring out value is to identify what it is, when and where it was made, and by whom. A maker's mark can help but if jewelry has hallmarks, this process is almost foolproof.

This week UMB Fashion had its May 2017 NY Women’s tradeshow. UMB Fashion is one of the world most influential fashion decision makers and the world’s top fashion brand.  UMB is a trillion-dollar fashion industry through their fashion marketplaces. They hold events in New York, Las Vegas, and Japan. Their events cover Fashion for men, women, children, accessories, and footwear. They are a number one fashion influencer and bring together brands from all over the world. This month’s show included women’s fashion and accessories. This show included over one hundred designers featuring some of this years must have trends.

Each summer, throngs of tourists flock to New York City to catch a glimpse of Lady Liberty and the Empire State Building - and do some serious shopping. Luxury jewelry and watch retailers in Midtown Manhattan tell us business is booming right now, and many of their prime customers are washing in from foreign shores.

Serpents and wildlife motifs dominated the high-end period jewels on display at the Antique Jewelry and Watch Show in July, as more than 100 watch and jewelry dealers gathered in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Pavilion. Now in its seventh year and growing in prestige, the four-day event was open to the public and attracted around 3,000 private collectors and industry insiders.

The show opened two days before the massive trade-only JA New York summer show, which focuses on high-end contemporary jewelry.

With the rise of clock-equipped cellular phones, wristwatches were projected to fall into obscurity alongside portable CD players and VHS machines. Not only has this not come to pass, watches - particularly in the luxury category - are setting records at auction.