{"id":36573,"date":"2026-05-27T12:33:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T07:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/?p=36573"},"modified":"2026-05-27T12:33:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T07:03:22","slug":"cbgs-curated-designer-project-returns-bigger-and-better-at-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/cbgs-curated-designer-project-returns-bigger-and-better-at-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"CBG\u2019s Curated Designer Project Returns Bigger and Better at Las Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The two-day Continental Buying Group (CBG) Las Vegas show, held alongside the bustling JCK Las Vegas week, took place from May 26\u201327, 2026 at Caesars Palace. Among the highlights of the event was the return of the Curated Designer Project (CDP), which first debuted at the group\u2019s Miami gathering earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>What began as a tightly edited four-designer showcase has now grown to more than double its original size, reflecting rising retailer interest in niche, design-led jewellery collections. The concept behind the CDP is simple: offer retailer members access to distinctive jewellery collections that stand apart from mass-market offerings and cannot easily be found \u201cdown the street.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36575\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36575\" style=\"width: 940px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-36575 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"940\" height=\"365\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek.jpg 940w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek-150x58.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek-768x298.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek-450x175.jpg 450w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek-225x87.jpg 225w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek-900x349.jpg 900w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek-20x8.jpg 20w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GemologyGeek-247x96.jpg 247w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36575\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 GemologyGeek\u00ae<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The pavilion follows an asset-light model, with many of the participating designers focusing on limited-edition collections, artisanal craftsmanship and bespoke commissions rather than carrying extensive inventory. The emphasis is firmly on originality, storytelling and exclusivity \u2014 qualities increasingly valued by independent retailers looking to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<p>Designers participating in this year\u2019s Curated Designer Project include ANTY, Chris Ploof Designs, Folium, GemologyGeek, Jason McLeod Jewelry, Joyla Jewelry, Melina Lawton Jewelry and Rahul\u2019s Jewels.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36576\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36576\" style=\"width: 940px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-36576 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"940\" height=\"940\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton.jpg 940w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-120x120.jpg 120w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-90x90.jpg 90w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-270x270.jpg 270w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-20x20.jpg 20w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-225x225.jpg 225w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-900x900.jpg 900w, https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lawton-96x96.jpg 96w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36576\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Emerald-cut Indicolite tourmaline is the hero of this 14-karat gold ring. The 6.49-carat gem is accented with diamonds. Photo: Melinda Lawton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Matt Tratner, President, Continental Buying Group, stated, \u201cWe are intentionally curated on both sides of the relationship. Our retail members are flagship independent jewellers, roughly 95 firms across approximately 215 doors in the U.S. and Canada, and we protect each of them with a one-hour drive-time exclusivity policy. Our supplier members, nearly 170 strong, are vetted partners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Throwing light on what retailers are asking for most, Tratner said, \u201cDifferentiation is the dominant theme. Our retailers are independent operators, and they need product that tells a story and that their local market cannot find anywhere else. Distinctive product also creates healthier margins, which matters enormously for an independent business.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are seeing strong interest in coloured stones, in distinctive custom and handcrafted work, and in suppliers who can offer exclusivity or near-exclusivity within a market. On the business side, retailers are focused on technology, specifically how to use it to improve customer experience and drive sales.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The two-day Continental Buying Group (CBG) Las Vegas show, held alongside the bustling JCK Las Vegas week, took place from May 26\u201327, 2026 at Caesars Palace. Among the highlights of the event was the return of the Curated Designer Project (CDP), which first debuted at the group\u2019s Miami gathering earlier this year. What began as&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36574,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,112],"tags":[],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-36573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-international"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v14.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>CBG\u2019s Curated Designer Project Returns Bigger and Better at Las Vegas - Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/cbgs-curated-designer-project-returns-bigger-and-better-at-las-vegas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CBG\u2019s Curated Designer Project Returns Bigger and Better at Las Vegas - Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The two-day Continental Buying Group (CBG) Las Vegas show, held alongside the bustling JCK Las Vegas week, took place from May 26\u201327, 2026 at Caesars Palace. Among the highlights of the event was the return of the Curated Designer Project (CDP), which first debuted at the group\u2019s Miami gathering earlier this year. 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