For nearly four decades, Southern Jewelry News has chronicled the people, businesses and changes shaping the independent jewelry industry. Bill Newnam, former editor-in-chief, spoke with me about SJN’s history. Founded in 1988 as a regional trade newspaper, the publication survived early tragedy, grew through changing ownership and technology, and remained committed to giving independent jewelers a voice.
Today, under new ownership, Southern Jewelry News is entering its next chapter. As the publication expands its reach and embraces new technology, it continues to preserve the personal spirit and unwavering commitment to independent retail that have defined it from the beginning.
The Early Years
Arnold Curtis founded Southern Jewelry News in 1988 in Mount Holly, North Carolina, a small town located 105 miles south of Greensboro. At the time, much of the gem and jewelry industry did business regionally. State Jewelers Associations were highly important to independent jewelers, and SJN carved out a successful niche by running dedicated news sections for these associations in every publication. The regional business model was an instant success, as advertisers quickly signed on to Arnold’s then-new, regionally based trade magazine.
Tragically, almost a year after the first issue was printed, Arnold Curtis passed away. Much to her credit, his wife, Elizabeth Curtis, stepped in to keep the magazine going.
Remembering that time, Bill says: “When we met with Elizabeth to negotiate purchasing SJN, she told us of Arnold’s literal last words from his deathbed, a promise to keep his trade magazine going right down to the tabloid newsprint and trim size. Elizabeth stayed committed to that promise until she was ready to retire. That’s when we found out about the sale of the magazine.”
The Transitional Era & Early Growth
When Elizabeth was ready to sell the publication in 1999, she met with Bill Newnam and Chris Smith. Bill and Chris, based in their hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina, had experience in the gem and jewelry industry working for a jewelry and engravable giftware manufacturer and wholesaler. Over time, they moved up the corporate ladder and enjoyed early career successes, but both men had ambitions to be their own bosses. However, neither had a background in running a newspaper.
Buying SJN was a “total leap of faith,” according to Bill, with gross sales totaling $192,000 at the time of the business purchase. “We gambled we could make it work, and we did,” says Bill. “We nearly doubled sales in our first year of ownership and continued to rise from there.” They did this by focusing heavily on making the publication “personal and homey” for independent jewelers.
Success came with hard work and risk-taking. Bill and Chris did their best to improve the paper’s layout and production quality with limited color, while expanding editorial content and increasing the page count. Like other trade magazine publishers, Bill and Chris walked a thin line with every monthly issue, balancing editorial column inches with advertisements. At the same time, they boosted circulation to reach more readers.
As operations flourished, Bill and Chris became spread thin with their designated duties. To support this rapid growth, Elesa Dillion joined the company as a part-time salesperson in 2001. Within a year, her stellar sales success earned her full-time status, and she eventually rose to Vice President of Sales.
Expansion & Tech Evolution
To help advertisers reach a broader audience without giving up their regional niche, Bill and Chris launched Mid-America Jewelry News in 2002.
As former editor-in-chief Bill Newnam explains: “The world changed and became smaller due to easier travel with more options and then the internet. Our advertisers wanted to reach a wider audience, but we didn’t want to give up our trusted name, Southern Jewelry News, or our regional niche, which separated us from the deep-pocketed big boys – our competition. … With the two publications, we covered every state with the exception of states bordering the Pacific Ocean and states in the Northeast.”
Bill and Chris liked to say their operations were “lean and mean,” with just the three executives and Martha Joyce, office manager, working full time. The rest was contracted out. With that foundational business axiom in mind, the magazine honored Elizabeth’s newsprint and trim-size wishes while continually fine-tuning and modernizing production quality.
“Printing on newsprint was always a challenge,” says Bill. “Over inking, under inking, matching colors, etc. are much more difficult on newsprint as opposed to glossies. We were forced to change printers a handful of times due to lack of quality control.”
Technological advancements to produce the printed word were both blessings and curses. Bill and Chris went from laying out on grid paper on a light board to digital-based publishing, making production quick, seamless and intuitive. Yet, with a small staff, it was difficult to have a foot in print and digital content creation. In 2014, Bill and Chris developed the SJN/MAJN website. Sometime later, they asked Guy to help advance digital content while boosting SEO (Search Engine Optimization), according to Bill.
Guy Pineda purchased the business from Bill and Chris in November 2025. One of his first executive decisions was to tweak the design layout of the magazines and transition from a monthly distribution to quarterly starting in 2026, a move that immediately realized production savings. Under Guy’s leadership, Elesa Dillion was also promoted to associate publisher while maintaining her executive sales position.
For 2027, Guy plans to increase editorial coverage and distribution nationwide, shedding the magazines’ regional past and making American Jewelry News the future.
Looking back, Bill, Chris and Elesa view their “unwavering commitment” to their target audience–mainly independent retail jewelers–as their greatest contribution to the gem and jewelry industry.
As Southern Jewelry News and Mid-America Jewelry News shed their regional history and identities starting with the first issue of 2027, Elesa says: “The change signals growth, momentum and a renewed commitment to serving the industry. I’m excited about what American Jewelry News represents. It honors our history while opening the door to new opportunities, new audiences and a bright future. This rebrand will establish the publication as a modern, forward-looking resource for jewelers while continuing to support the relationships and industry coverage that have always been at the heart of what we do and what our loyal readers and ad partners expect.”
Bill Newnam, former editor-in-chief, shares equal enthusiasm for the rebrand: “I support Guy in any changes he deems beneficial to the publications. It’s a constantly changing world, and all businesses must adapt in order to survive. I believe Guy is a go-getter and the ideal tech-savvy person to lead the publications forward as American Jewelry News.”
