Continental Buying Group doubles Curated Designer Project in Las Vegas

Continental Buying Group turned its Las Vegas buying week into a sharper hunt for point-of-view jewelry, doubling the Curated Designer Project to eight independent designers inside the Augustus Showroom at Caesars Palace. The May 26-27 event landed alongside JCK Las Vegas week, giving the edited showcase a far larger stage than its four-designer debut at CBG Miami earlier in 2026.

That growth matters because the CDP was built as a pipeline for independent retailers that want work with stronger authorship and less repetition. CBG said the project was created to bring the best independent designers into its ecosystem and give retail members access to distinctive, handcrafted pieces. Matt Tratner, CBG’s president, has made the case plainly: these are not brands found in every store, and independent jewelers need original points of view if they are going to stand apart in their markets.

The Las Vegas roster reflected that argument. Chris Ploof Designs and Folium returned after Miami, while GemologyGeek, Joyla Jewelry, Rahul’s Jewels, Melinda Lawton Jewelry, Jason McLeod Jewelry and Anty joined for the first time. Even before a buyer touched a tray, the lineup suggested a room built around individual signatures rather than trend-generic assortments. GemologyGeek, founded by Erica Silverglide, brought a gem-focused sensibility into the mix, while the broader group gave retailers a range of handcrafted design language to sort through for store identity and customer fit.

CBG’s Las Vegas show itself was designed as a substantial sourcing event. Organizers said it brought together 95 retail firms from across North America, along with designers, manufacturers and service providers. CBG said its independent retail membership stands at roughly 95 firms across about 215 doors in the United States and Canada, backed by nearly 170 vetted suppliers and a one-hour drive-time exclusivity policy that protects members’ local markets. That structure makes the CDP more than a showcase. It becomes a controlled channel for finding product that can feel exclusive without relying on the usual luxury-house playbook.

The larger show also introduced a Rising Stars Pavilion for high-fashion and silver-price-point manufacturers, while sessions on natural diamonds, AI in retail and market intelligence rounded out the programming. Together, the rooms pointed to the same retail-design logic: stores need merchandise with a sharper point of view, and curation is now as important as inventory.