Executive Watch: Who’s on the Move in the Jewelry Industry?

By JCK News Desk | May 21, 2026

Vicky Xu Joins Caratwise as COO

Custom jewelry design platform Caratwise has appointed Vicky Xu, formerly with Signet brands Blue Nile and James Allen, as chief operating officer.

At Caratwise, Xu will oversee operations, supply chain, and fulfillment strategy as the company grows its platform for custom design and pricing. Caratwise said it is currently onboarding select independent retailers in the U.S. and plans broader expansion later in 2026.

Xu served as vice president of operations at Blue Nile from 2023 to 2025, overseeing inventory management and operational systems strategy following the e-tailer’s acquisition by Signet. She’d previously spent nine years at James Allen, where her most recent role was director of operations. She was working at James Allen when Signet acquired its parent company, R2Net.

In a statement, Xu said Caratwise’s independent retail clients should benefit from her experience in large-scale e-commerce operations.

“Independent jewelers have always had the relationships and the expertise. What’s been missing is an operational layer built specifically around the way they work,” she said. “I spent years building that for the big players. Now I get to build it for the independents, who best serve bridal consumers.”

Russ Whitehouse Retires After More Than 55 Years in Jewelry Business

Russ Whitehouse, a longtime jewelry executive and retailer, has retired, it was announced by Wilkerson, the marketing and business consulting firm where he worked for the past 12 years.

Whitehouse began his career in 1969 at a Lewistown, Pa., jewelry store and completed management training with its upscale affiliate. He earned his Graduate Gemologist degree from GIA in 1974.

Prior to joining Wilkerson as operations director in 2014, Whitehouse had been a sales rep for jewelry brands Bellarri and Leslie’s. Earlier, he’d founded Court Street Jewelers in New Braunfels, Texas, which he operated for over a decade.

Other roles during his 55-plus-year career included general manager and diamond buyer at Mann’s Jewelers in Rochester, N.Y., and general manager and buyer at Ira’s Diamond World, a regional chain.

The JCK News Desk uses AI to help research and produce the first draft of articles. This story was then reviewed and edited by staff writer David Blomquist.

(Photo courtesy of Caratwise)