Click here for the press release from National Jeweler.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Some of the jewelry retailers that have embraced Facebook are realizing significant returns. Samuelson’s Diamonds, for example, a recognized leader in the movement, has not only posted a page under its specific company name but also operates a page under the title “Diamonds.” As I write this column, that latter page was being followed by 342,977 people. Imagine what that’s doing for Samuelson’s.

The original article is from the May 16th Edition of National Jeweler and is entitled “The Facebook Wave is Cresting” A pdf excerpt is available here.

Details about Ron’s appearance:

Saturday, June 5

7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.–Breakfast

8 a.m. to 9 a.m. -”Peer Panel 3: Social Networking 2–Best Practices.” Join your fellow jewelers to continue the social networking discussion, concerning maximize return from social networking. What are realistic expectations? What tools do you need to get started? How do you gain customers?

The presenter for this session will be Ron Samuelson, chief executive officer of Samuelson’s Diamonds, an 87-year-old, family-owned business. The retailer’s Facebook fan page, titled simply “Diamonds,” boasts more than 300,000 fans.

We hope to see you there!

The original article is available here: National Jeweler – America’s Best Jewelers announces speaker lineup.

Baltimore–Maryland retailer Samuelson’s Diamonds is constantly busy on the Facebook front, regularly adding photos of new designs and posting updates on giveaways and rare diamonds from around the world. But one of Samuelson’s latest updates might take the cake for being the retailer’s most interactive to date.

Samuelson’s Diamonds, whose Facebook fan page is simply named “Diamonds,” has partnered for a jewelry giveaway with Gemvara, an online jewelry marketplace that launched in February and allows shoppers to pick from thousands of jewelry designs and then customize the pieces to their own tastes with just a few clicks of the mouse.

This is the latest and biggest in a series of contests and giveaways that Samuelson’s Diamonds has been involved in. To customize your own ring, start here.

The original article is located here, “National Jeweler – Retailer teams up for custom Facebook giveaway“

The point of social networking, says Samuelson, as well as marketing experts who study the subject, isn’t necessarily to generate business directly, but to establish a dialogue with consumers in the virtual world.

It is not a place to advertise but, rather, to engage so that if consumers do visit a store that has a Facebook page or followers on Twitter, they feel like they already have a relationship with the owner.

“That main thing and the most important thing about Facebook and Twitter and all these things is that your customers see you as a real person,” Samuelson says. “Even though you’re the CEO of a jewelry store, you’re not just the guy behind the counter. I think that it is really important today, and customers see that from you. This way, people feel like they know you.”

Ron Samuelson is an active participant in many online communities, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace, and maintains his own blog, Ramble On Ron. He has been featured in a number of videos which are available through YouTube.

The original article is available here: “National Jeweler – How to make social networking work for you“

Ron Samuelson, chief executive of Samuelson’s Diamonds in Baltimore, Md., has taken that philosophy to the extreme. On his 12-year-old Web site, he offers links to the company’s official Facebook page, Twitter account and MySpace profile. He’s also got links to his personal blog and Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.

As if all that weren’t enough, a year ago Samuelson created a Facebook fan page simply called “Diamonds,” that has since amassed 260,000 fans, all of whom he can blast with updates about his business. While some of those fans live as far away as Australia and Saudi Arabia and therefore have little value to him as potential customers, he does not underestimate the value of free marketing.

“People ask me, ‘Do you get business from this? How do you have the time?’” Samuelson says. “That’s my job. The old way of doing things is handwriting tickets, making double your investment and those days are over. Young guys getting engaged–they’re all on Facebook. It’s like going to a big party.”

Samuelson is such a strong believer in the power of digital marketing that the JCK Show tapped him to lead a roundtable discussion in Las Vegas on May 31 titled “Become a Digital ‘Rock’ Star.” Naturally, Samuelson promoted it via Facebook and is also offering his consulting services to jewelers who need guidance on where to begin.

(Note: the aforementioned diamonds fan page now has closer to 280,000 fans.)

Samuelson’s Diamonds maintains its focus on interactive marketing and online networking in the digital age. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Flickr, and look for Ron Samuelson on various other mediums, including his blog.

The original article is available here: “Can social networking boost your bottom line? | National Jeweler“

Baltimore–Last year, Ron Samuelson, chief executive of Samuelson’s Diamonds in Baltimore, bought an 8.5-carat brownish-yellow round diamond mounted in a men’s nugget ring from a customer who was seduced by the “sell your jewelry” offer on the store’s Web site.

“It was a big, ugly stone,” Samuelson recalls. “When we showed it to our cutter, he said, ‘Yeah, I could make this into a fancy yellow.’”

The resulting diamond, a 6.86-carat fancy-yellow radiant, is now part of the store’s inventory, and Samuelson is confident that when he eventually sells the stone, it will net him a tidy profit.

“I’ve almost eliminated my need for diamond dealers,” Samuelson says. “For every one person who wants to buy a diamond, 20 want to sell.”

As of this release, the ring is still available:

The 6.86 Carat Fancy Yellow Radiant Ring

Samuelson’s Diamonds continues to offer its customers the best prices for used jewelry, gold, silver and diamonds.

The original article can be found here: ‘Recession brings glut of diamonds, but few buyers.‘

Samuelson’s Diamonds, a Baltimore, Md.-based retail jeweler, was chosen as a finalist in the contest for its use of a viral marketing campaign.

The brand created a Facebook fan page simply called “Diamonds,” so that anyone searching for that term could become a fan, thus expanding the retailer’s exposure to a global audience.

The page currently counts more than 260,000 fans worldwide, with diamond enthusiasts in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and everywhere in between connecting with the retailer.

Samuelson’s adds frequent posts, updating its friends on giveaways and photos of new diamond designs that link fans over to Samuelson’s own Web site, SamuelsonsDiamonds.com.

Samuelson’s Diamonds continues its role as innovator in the field of online advertising.

The original article is available here: ‘Delamina’s online ad tops ‘Best Of’ list | National Jeweler‘