Associations

AGS PLANS CONCLAVE

The American Gem Society’s “Magic of Conclave” will be held March 18-22 at the Anaheim Hilton in Anaheim, Calif.

James Courage, chief executive of the Platinum Guild International, will speak at the opening session luncheon. Courage has over 20 years of international marketing and public relations experience, working with De Beers on large-scale marketing and promotional programs. He joined PGI in September 1996.

Matthew Runci, executive director of Jewelers of America, will be the featured speaker at the Robert M. Shipley Luncheon on Saturday, March 21.

American Gem Society, 8881 West Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89117; (702) 255-6500, fax (702) 255-7420.

WISCONSIN JEWELERS ON THE INTERNET

All Wisconsin Jewelers Association members can have their own website on the Internet, including store name, address, phone number and an e-mail address, through Polygon. Websites can be reached through JA’s Home Page. Members also can add their company logo and a 500-word description about their store at no extra charge.

Polygon/JA Web Sites, P.O. Box 4806, Dillon, CO 80435; (800) 221-4435.

ISA OFFERS TOLL-FREE ACCESS

The International Society of Appraisers headquarters has a new, toll-free number, (888) ISA-4732. Callers can obtain a referral to a personal property appraiser, as well as information about the ISA, its education program and becoming an appraiser or a member of ISA.

International Society of Appraisers, Riverview Plaza Office Park, 16040 Christensen Rd., Suite 320, Seattle, WA 98188-2929; (206) 241-0359, fax (206) 241-0436, e-mail: 75304.3567@ compuserve.com, www.isa-appraisers.org

TUCSON MEETING LOOKS AT INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

Better industry-wide communications are among the goals of the International Gem Trade and Laboratory Conference to be held on Feb. 3 in Tucson, Ariz.

At the invitation-only meeting, preliminary discussions among leaders of international laboratories and the trade associations affiliated with colored gemstones, diamonds and cultured pearls are expected to focus on how to coordinate responses to industry-wide challenges.

The agenda was developed at a prior meeting organized by the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in July 1997. The February conference, coordinated by the ICA, will be held at the Doubletree Hotel. One hundred industry leaders are invited and the American Gem Trade Association will host.

ICA, 3 E. 48 St., Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10017; (212) 688-8452, ica@gemstone.org.

MJSA TACKLES ENERGY COSTS, ISSUES SOURCE BOOK

The Manufacturing Jewelers & Silversmiths of America (MJSA), working with the California-based New Energy Ventures (NEV), has designed a program to cut power bills for its members.

The project is the result of the growing trend toward deregulation in which more states are phasing in the sale of electricity from private vendors. “As more states start deregulating,” says James F. Marquart, president and CEO of the MJSA, the association will “continue to pass along these cost-cutting opportunities to our members.”

In other news, MJSA unveiled its 1997 Industry Sourcebook. Published by its trade magazine American Jewelry Manufacturer, the 108-page book features hundreds of high-tech products specifically designed for jewelry manufacturers.

The book deals with nine categories: tools for small shops, casting equipment, CAD/CAM, industry specific software (including EDI and Internet services), bar coding systems, welding technology, chain machines, magnetic tumblers and pollution control systems. It also contains photos and brief descriptions of products, and lists the winner for the best equipment in a variety of fields.

Information in the book is drawn from MJSA’s members and from exhibitors at the MJSA expos in New York and Providence, R.I., the JCK show in Las Vegas and the annual watch and jewelry show in Basel, Switzerland.

MJSA has some 1,800 members nationwide and a wide range of member benefits. MJSA, One State St., 6th Floor, Providence, RI 029908-5035; (401) 274-3840 or (401) 274-0265. Web site (http://mjsa.polygon.net); e-mail (MJSA@internetMCI.com).

IJO PLANS WINTER SHOW, CONVENTION

Warm breezes, tales of heroism, fun and profit-building workshops await International Jewelers Organization members at their annual winter gathering. The combined convention, conclave and buying show will be held Feb. 21-26, at the Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel in Palm Springs, Calif.

This year’s keynote speaker is real-life hero Terry Anderson, journalist and national syndicated columnist who was held captive for seven years in the Middle East. Anderson, using examples from his ordeal, will talk about the “empowerment of change, and the mental and emotional tools that can turn negatives into positives.”

Other items on IJO’s educational schedule include workshops on profit analysis; IJO’s free web site services for members; how to close high-ticket diamond sales; store security; marketing platinum jewelry; and how to improve the performance of the sales staff.

The winter conference also will include Gemological Institute of America workshops on gem treatments and synthetics, and pearl grading. There also will be IJO/GIA exams for Master IJO Jeweler.

Social highlights will include the “Lost Galleon Treasures” event, featuring Andy Matroci, one of the world’s most successful shipwreck recovery experts; a “Canteen Party” at the Palm Springs Air Museum; and IJO’s “Oscars” gala ball on the last night.

The buying room for the IJO will be open Feb. 22-25.

IJO, 2 Railroad Place, Westport, CT 06880; (800) 624-9252, fax (203) 454-4371. Web site (http://www.polygon. net/ijo); e-mail (ijo@polygon.net).

“Why Is a Ruby Red?” – an educational video sponsored by Jewelers of America – recently made its debut in the newly renovated Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The video, which runs continuously, explains the scientific principles which create color in gemstones. Attending the opening celebration for the hall were (from left, standing) JA Treasurer Alan Zimmer, Reeds Jewelers; JA President-elect Ed Bridge, Ben Bridge Jewelers; JA Executive Director Matthew Runci; JA President Stanley Pollack, G.M. Pollack & Sons; John Cohen, Carlyle & Co. Jewelers; and Richard White, Ed White Jewelers. Seated (from left) were Phil Pope and JA Secretary Carolyn Pope, Crews Jewelers; Jewelry Information Center President Lynn Ramsey; and JA Vice President Lex Harrison, Harrison’s Jewelers.

Trade Shows

WISCONSIN JEWELRY SHOW

The Wisconsin Jewelers Association and the Illinois Jewelers Association are sponsoring Jewelry Expo ’98, to be held March 14-15 at the Marriott Hotel, Madison, Wisc. For more information contact the Wisconsin Jewelers Association, 30 West Mifflin St., Madison, WI 53703; (608) 257-3541.

GROUPS PLAN TUCSON EVENTS

Atrium Productions expects a record-breaking number of international firms among the 185 exhibitors at the 17th Annual Gem, Mineral, Jewelry and Fossil Show in Tucson, Feb. 2-14. Some will come from Nepal, China, Russia, Japan and Moscow. One change this year: the Pueblo Inn has been upgraded and its name changed to the Four Points Hotel by Sheraton.

The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) will host the Second Annual Coyote Classic Golf Tournament on Feb. 3 at the Starr Pass Resort in Tucson. This kick-off event for the AGTA GemFair starts with a 7-8 a.m. warm-up, with tee time at 8 a.m. Fee per person is $150. Registration and fee deadline is Jan. 16. Contact AGTA at (214) 742-4367 or (800) 972-1162.

PJS CO-CHAIRS NAMED

Richard Horne of Shreve & Company, San Francisco, and Pat Patten of Nancy B & Co., Culver City, were appointed co-chairmen of the 1998 Pacific Jewelry Show. Ivan Munson, president of the California Jewelers Association and sponsor of the show, made the announcement. Horne and Patten will oversee the planning committee that handles show production, operation and promotion. This will be Horne’s second year as co-chairman of the PJS.

California Jewelers Association, The Pacific Jewelry Show, 911 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1740, Los Angeles, CA 90017-3446; (213) 623-5722, fax (213) 623-5742.

BASEL ON THE INTERNET

The World Watch, Clock and Jewellery Show, to be held April 22-28 in Basel, Switzerland, is opening a site on the Internet. The site covers show services and events as well as the latest news from the watch and jewelry sectors. It will be regularly updated.

BASEL 98, Schweizer Mustermesse in Basel, P.O. Box CH-4021, Basel, Switzerland; (+41) 61 686 20 20, fax (+41) 61 686 21 90, e-mail: basel@ messebasel.ch, website: www.messebasel.ch

L.A. MART PLANS SHOW

L.A. Mart will present its Gift, Decorative Accessories and Furniture Market Jan. 13-20. There will be more than 300 showrooms featuring top lines of virtually every product category: general giftware, bed, bath, party, floral/baskets/seasonal, office/home furnishings and more. Theme events, showroom specials, educational seminars and free refreshments highlight the show.

JIS HOLDS MIAMI SHOW

The 31st Miami Beach Jewelers International Showcase was held Oct. 18-21 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. An expanded floor plan provided space for more than 700 booths of exhibitors from around the world. Attendance included both domestic and international buyers. Based upon figures from 1997, JIS expected a sell-out of its Jan. 17-19 show followed by a sold-out expanded floor plan of almost 1,200 booths for its Oct. 24-26 show.

FOREIGN SHOWS

Barnajoya 97 brought 519 exhibitors and 12,434 visitors to Spain’s Fira de Barcelona trade fair centre. Held Sept. 11-15 in 19,067 square meters of floor space, it included the International Jewellery, Watchmaking, Silverwork, Goldwork, Machinery and Related Services exhibitions. During the exhibition, Josep Piqué, Minister of Industry, opened the first Barnajoya “International Meetings” congress in which national and foreign specialists reviewed issues such as jewelry engineering, gold lending, finance and exports. The next Barnajoya will be held Sept. 10-14, 1998. (93) 233 20 00, fax (93) 233 22 72.

The Miller Freeman Jewelry Group launched its Couture Collection & Conference Latin America in the Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort, Bal Harbour, Fla., Sept. 21-24. It featured upscale jewelry and watch designs from around the world. The by-invitation-only event hosted retail jewelers from South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Conference speakers focused on the resurgence of a healthy economy and the buying potential of the Latin American customer. Contact Miller Freeman Jewelry Group, One Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10119-1198; (212) 615-2624, fax (212) 279-3973.

Intergem ’97, held Sept. 26-29 in Idar-Oberstein, drew 125 exhibitors and about 3,000 trade visitors to celebrate the area’s 500th anniversary as a gemstone region. Colored stones of all shapes and sizes were shown, while diamond highlights included a star inclusion inside a 1.68-ct. octahedron. Idar-Oberstein gem cutters were spotlighted, with pieces such as a labradorite trout, a dalmatian worked from spotted dalmatian jasper and a bowl worked from clear Madagascan rutilated quartz on view. Intergem Messe GmbH, P.O. Box 12 27 20, D-55719 Idar-Oberstein, Germany; (0 67 81) 4 10 15, fax (0 67 81) 4 24 18.

The 4th Malaysia International Jewelex ’97 was held Nov. 21-24 at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur. Two hundred exhibitors from more than 20 countries participated; some 10,000 visitors were expected to attend. Eleven jewelry associations actively supported the show. Seven educational seminars were conducted including “Jewellery Design and Cultural Influences,” which discussed ethnic origins, motives, preferences of specific age groups and jewellery design in Malaysia. The Benevolence Touch ’97 Charity Gala Dinner and the Jewellery & Fashion Parade were highlights. Contact Vivian Chan, Hong Kong (Asia) Exhibition Co. Ltd., 15/F Matheson Centre, 3 Matheson St., Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; (852) 2591 9823, fax (852) 2573 3311.

Portugal’s Portojóia ’97 trade show attracted approximately 300 exhibitors and 10,100 trade visitors. The show offered gemstones, gold and silver articles, watches, machinery and components. The “Fashion Trends” section, showcasing the latest in goldsmithery, jewelry and watchmaking, was complemented by a “Live Setting” where models displayed selected pieces.

The Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, held Sept. 10-14, drew 13,700 buyers, with 5,400 international visitors. Exhibitors reported strong sales to buyers from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Next year’s show will be Sept. 9-13. Hong Kong Trade Development Council, 219 E. 46 St., New York, NY 10017; (212) 838-8688, fax (212) 838-8941; www.tdc.org.hk.

The international trade fair year begins with VicenzaOro1. Held from Jan. 11 to 18 in Vicenza, Italy, the fair is expected to have about 1,200 exhibitors supporting 17,000 visitors. The fair previews the latest goldware, jewelry in gold, platinum and silver, silverware for the home, coral, cameos, stones and pearls.

KAM 98 International, the 39th Swiss Art and Antiques Fair, will be held Feb. 3-8 at Zurich’s Trade Fair Center. The fair brings exhibitors from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands together to show such items as Greek and Roman icons, silver of the 16th to 20th centuries, Oriental art, rugs and applied arts and furniture of the 16th to 18th centuries. One of the main attractions will be the Swiss and foreign galleries offering objects of classical antiquity and Egyptian works of art.

MACEF Spring ’98 will be held Feb. 6-9 at the Fiera Milano. A leading international exhibit of tableware, household items, gifts, silver, gold and watches, the expo is expected to occupy over 130,000 square meters of net exhibition space. The Autumn ’97 show, with 3,251 exhibitors and 81,208 visitors, was MACEF’s largest September show ever in terms of exhibition space: 121,500 square meters.

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