Susan Grant, founder and CEO of Grants Jewelry, is greeted by Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) during the Jewelers of America Political Action Committee visit to Capitol Hill on Sept. 17.
With the jewelry industry under siege from tariffs and retail crime, the Jewelers of America Political Action Committee’s annual fly-in to Washington, D.C., took on a tone of urgency. JA president and CEO David Bonaparte said this year’s Sept. 17 meetings with lawmakers may be the industry’s most critical yet.
Constance Polamalu (right), chief operating officer at Zachary’s Jewelers in Annapolis, Md., chats with Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) during the JAPAC fly-in.
“Our fly-in took place at a very critical time for the jewelry industry,” Bonaparte told JCK. “Tariffs and retail crime are two major issues that are deeply affecting our members. We are at a place where real changes can happen.”
JAPAC delegates hammered on two themes: the Trump administration’s across-the-board tariffs and the rise of organized retail crime. Both, they argued, are crippling businesses and threatening jobs across the country.
During the fly-in, Constance Polamalu, COO of Zachary’s Jewelers in Annapolis, Md., was seen meeting with Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.). Bonaparte said lawmakers appeared receptive, eager to hear how tariffs and crime impact not just businesses but entire communities.
The tariffs have snarled global supply chains, Bonaparte explained, pointing out that U.S. jewelers depend on diamonds and gemstones that cannot be mined domestically. A month before the fly-in, Bonaparte met with White House trade counsel Peter Navarro to press the issue, and soon after the administration announced potential tariff exemptions for diamonds, gemstones, and pearls.
Still, punitive tariffs—such as a 50% rate on India, one of the industry’s key sources—remain a heavy blow. With already thin margins, many jewelers now face an impossible choice: raise consumer prices, cut staff, or scale back community initiatives.
(From left) NYC jeweler Susan Grant, Polamalu, Rep. Aumua Amata (R-American Samoa), and Jewelers of America’s Susan Thea Posnock in Washington, D.C.
Independent retailers feel especially vulnerable. Michael Page of Hingham Jewelers in Massachusetts, a third-generation owner attending his first fly-in, met with Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) to share how tariffs hit family-owned businesses hardest. “Having direct access to lawmakers during times of such dramatic policy change is invaluable,” Page said. “The legislators we met with seemed genuinely interested in hearing how national politics is impacting our small, family-owned business.”
The delegation also pushed hard on organized retail crime. JAPAC members met with Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), who introduced the Organized Retail Crime Act earlier this year. The bill would empower law enforcement to better identify criminal networks and create a federal coordination center to streamline intelligence-sharing across agencies.
“This year, over 20 elected officials heard from us. One actually signed on as a cosponsor of the crime bill while we were in his office,” said Brian Alter, owner of Alter’s Gem Jewelry in Beaumont, Texas, and JAPAC board member. “Participating absolutely does make a difference.”
The delegation was led by Bonaparte and Susan Thea Posnock, JA’s public affairs and education director, supported by Tim Haake of Haake & Associates and consultant Jennifer Bogart of Bogart Associates.
Yet the unspoken question lingers: while the industry fights to shield natural diamond imports from tariffs and protect stores from crime, are jewelers overlooking the bigger disruptor—lab grown diamonds—whose stable pricing and transparent sourcing may ultimately do more to secure the industry’s future than political lobbying ever could?
👉 Want to understand why lab grown diamonds are overtaking natural stones? Dive into our Lab Grown Diamonds guide.
👉 Explore how sustainability and transparency are driving change in our Ethics & Sustainability Hub.