NAJA SCHEDULES EASTERN CONFERENCE

The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers will hold its fourth annual East Coast Conference Sept. 17-21 in the Holiday Inn-O’Hare International, Chicago, Ill.

The conference will be structured to relate to the appraisal industry in general – from novice to knowledgeable gemologist, professional appraiser, jewelry store employee and private collector.

Seminars on the first day will be “General Appraisal Principles Relating to Fair Market Value,” “Pertinent Fair Market Value-Related Tax Court Decisions” and “How to Write and Value Fair Market Value Narrative Appraisal Reports for Estate, Casualty/Theft Loss, Donation and Gift Purposes.” Presenters will be David S. Atlas of D. Atlas & Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; James V. Jolliff, executive director of NAJA and owner of JEI Gemological Laboratory, Annapolis, Md.; and Joseph W. Tenhagen of J.W. Tenhagen Gemstones Inc., Miami, Fla.

The second day will include “How to Establish an Appraisal Business,” Jolliff; “The Appraisal of Antique and Period Jewelry,” C. Jeannene Bell of Jewel Box Antiques in Kansas City, Mo.; “How to Value Colored Diamonds Using the Gemological Institute of America’s New Fancy Color Diamond Grading System,” Chuck Meyer of the Henry Meyer Diamond Co., New York, N.Y.; and an optional evening session on “How to Write Narrative Insurance Appraisal Reports,” Jolliff.

The third day will begin with a tour of the mineral, cameo and jade carving collections at the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Arts. The afternoon seminar schedule will feature “How to Appraise Cameos,” Karen Lorene of FacerÇ in Seattle, Wash., and “How to Appraise Watches,” Jolliff.

The final day will feature “How to Appraise Treated Gemstones,” Richard Drucker of Gemworld International, Northbrook, Ill.; “Insurance Company Concepts on Valuing Gems and Jewelry,” Rick Zandy of State Farm Insurance; and the following workshops and instructors: “Hairwork Jewelry,” Bell; “Cameos,” Lorene; “Fracture-Filled Diamonds,” Tenhagen; “Appraisal Workbook Clinic,” Atlas; and “Metals Testing,” Jolliff.

For fee and other information, contact NAJA, P.O. Box 6558, Annapolis, Md. 21401-0558; (301) 261-8270.

LEADING JEWELERS GUILD MEETS ANTWERP OFFICIAL

A delegation of the Leading Jewelers Guild met with Leona Det°ege, the Lord Mayor of Antwerp, during a recent trip to Belgium.

Members of the delegation presented Det°ege with a proclamation from their local government officials and a token gift from their regions. They also presented a limited-edition bronze and 24k gold eagle by American sculptor Kitty Cantrell. “We wanted to extend a hand of friendship and goodwill,” says Joan Reece, executive director of the guild. “Diamonds convey love, joy and excitement; we felt we should bring some of the excitement and emotion to the people of Antwerp.”

The jewelers were received in Antwerp’s 15th century city hall and treated to products and delicacies indigenous to Belgium.

The Leading Jewelers Guild comprises retail jewelers representing more than 180 stores from across the nation. It offers merchandising, marketing and advertising services, including 15 direct mail catalogs annually. Leading Jewelers Guild, 2050 Bundy Dr., Suite 210, Los Angeles, Cal. 90025; (310) 820-3386, fax (310) 820-3530.

MORE THAN 110 ATTEND NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

More than 110 jewelers from Washington, Oregon and western Canada participated in the first Northwest Jewelry Industry Conference, held April 29-30 in Seattle, Wash. The four organizing associations were the Pacific Northwest Jewelers Association, the Northwest Chapter of the Gemological Institute of America Alumni Association, the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Women’s Jewelry Association and the Pacific Northwest Guild of the American Gem Society.

Karen Dean, executive director of PNJA and conference organizer, said the joint event eliminated the problem of jewelers having to choose from among several associations’ meetings, resulting in lower attendance at all of them. “We felt there was a real need to combine our resources to bring in quality speakers and have a weekend filled with education,” she says.

Speakers included Dan Wilson of Strauss Jewelers in Mt. Vernon, Wash., who said employers must pass on to employees a vision for the business and then train them to carry it out; Mark Moeller of R.F. Moeller Jewelers in St. Paul, Minn., who discussed marketing to consumers of the mid-1990s; and Kate Thayer of Nordstrom Fine Jewelry, who encouraged jewelers to exceed their customers’ expectations.

Other speakers included John Mauthe of Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co., Ron Dean of the Diamond Promotion Service and Robert Lanham of the American Gem Society.

During the program, the AGS presented its Guild of the Year award to Sherry Vosburg, president of the Pacific Northwest Guild.

CUFF LINK SOCIETY SCHEDULES CONVENTION

The National Cuff Link Society will hold its annual convention Aug. 19-20 in the Ramada Hotel O’Hare in Chicago, Ill. The event will showcase antique and contemporary cuff links and related pieces of men’s and women’s jewelry.

The public is invited and admission is free. During the convention, the society will provide free cuff link appraisals and present awards for the best antique cuff links, the best modern pair, the most unique and the best display of a specialization. “The agenda will also include plenty of opportunities for attendees to network and to buy, sell or trade for that special pair,” says President Eugene R. Klompus.

Exhibitors will include dealers, suppliers of material and books, manufacturers, French cuff shirtmakers and display case distributors.

National Cuff Link Society, P.O. Box 346, Prospect Heights, Ill. 60070; (708) 816-0035 telephone and fax.

AGS CREATES COMMITTEE TO PUSH MEMBER SERVICES

The American Gem Society has established a Member Services Committee. AGS President Clayton Bromberg outlined three goals for the committee:

• Encourage members to increase their use of existing services (the goal for the coming year is a 20% increase in use).

• Develop five new services (three unspecified services were in the research and planning stages at press time).

• Aggressively market all member services.

AGS is looking for 12 members to serve on the committee. Selection of members will be balanced by geographic and membership concentration. American Gem Society, 8881 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, Nev. 89117; (702) 255-6500, fax (702) 255-7420.

GIA EUROPEAN ALUMNI NAME FOUR TO BOARD

Four people have joined the Gemological Institute of America’s European Alumni Board. They are Jeremy Richdale, director of De Beers’ Central Selling Organisation Polished Division in London; Guido Giavannini-Torelli, international diamond consultant and editor of Diamond Insight magazine; Marilynn Liddicoat, G.G., a gem dealer; and Andrea Turcato, general secretary of the Vicenza Trade Fair Board.

The association’s general mission is to provide alumni and members with a forum for educational meetings and to keep them informed and involved with GIA. The association promotes regional interest in GIA and its educational programs and helps to build a network of support for former, current and future GIA students. Board members serve three-year terms.

GEM CONFERENCE PLANNED IN CANADA

Dr. John Sinkankas, a well-known mineralogist, lapidarist and author, will be the keynote speaker at the 1995 Gem Conference, to be held Oct. 20-22 in the Vancouver Renaissance Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia.

The conference is sponsored by Vancouver Community College and the Canadian Gemmological Association. Other speakers include Anthony de Goutiäre, Richard Drucker, Alan Hodgkinson, William Hanneman, Tom McPhee, Anna Miller, Judith Osmer, Gary Roskin, Peter Fankboner, Jeannine Dykstra, Joe Nagel and Brad Wilson.

Gem Conference, Vancouver Community College, Continuing Education Department, 250 W. Pender St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1S9; (604) 443-8380, fax (604) 443-8393.

NEW JERSEY JEWELERS DISCUSS ENHANCEMENTS

More than 160 jewelers attended the New Jersey Jewelers Association convention in Long Branch April 23.

Speakers H. David Morrow of the Diamond Promotion Service, Ron Yehuda of Diascience Corp., Abe Sherman of the association and Chris Almquist of the Gemological Institute of America spoke on the fracture-filling and clarity-enhancement of diamonds.

Also at the event, NJJA named Betsey Irwin as Person of the Year. Irwin recently retired from the Diamond Promotion Service.

CONVENTIONS PLANNED IN CONNECTICUT, WYOMING

Two associations have scheduled their annual conventions in September.

The Connecticut Jewelers Association will hold its convention Sept. 17 in Ledyard, Conn. Contact Ed Isenberg at (203) 246-6566, fax (203) 249-3631.

The Intermountain Jewelers Association will hold its convention Sept. 14-17 in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Call President Ann Marie Schram at (503) 889-3213.

YEHUDA ADDRESSES OHIO JEWELERS GUILD

Members of the Ohio Jewelers Guild recently heard a presentation on clarity-enhanced diamonds featuring Ron Yehuda of Diascience Corp., a New York City company that treats diamonds with fracture filling.

Yehuda used printed and visual graphics and loose and mounted diamonds to explain the treatment process. Participants could view the stones through gem scopes and darkfield loupes. More than 125 jewelers, goldsmiths, diamond brokers and wholesalers attended the seminar.

Videotapes of the presentation will be made available through the Ohio Jewelers Guild, 5900 S.O.M. Center Rd., Willoughby, Ohio 44094; (216) 943-2700, fax (216) 943-2717.

TENNESSEE JEWELERS SCHEDULE CONVENTION

The Tennessee Jewelers Association will hold its 1995 convention Sept. 8-10 in the Crown Plaza Hotel, Nashville.

The theme will be “Painting the Town Red with TJA.” Judith Reiss, a professor of jewelry and silversmithing at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y., will speak on design techniques for the non-designer. Entries for the 1995 TJA jewelry design contest are due at association headquarters by Sept. 1 so they can be displayed and judged at the convention.

TJA also reminds members that its security-alert network is now in operation. Members pay $10 to register, then receive a fax within minutes of any security alert reported by another member.

Tennessee Jewelers Association, 73 White Bridge Rd., #115, Nashville, Tenn. 37204-1444; (615) 352-0593, fax (615) 353-1489.

MJSA ANNOUNCES 1996 SCHEDULE

The Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths of America announced its 1996 schedule of events.

MJSA will participate Jan. 31 to Feb. 5 in the American Gem Trade Association GemFair in Tucson, Ariz. This will be the second year that some MJSA members who sell component parts and supplies will participate in the fair. More than 50 booths have been allocated.

The association’s New York Gala is scheduled for March 2. The gala kicks off Expo New York, a March 3-5 showcase of the latest products and services available to manufacturers of precious jewelry from more than 350 companies. The show will be at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

The MJSA Annual Banquet will be held May 4 in the Rhode Island Convention Center. That’s the starting point for the May 5-7 Expo Providence, which highlights the latest in technology and innovation for volume jewelry manufacturers. Nearly 300 exhibitors are expected.

MJSA, One State St., Sixth Fl., Providence, R.I. 02908-5035; (401) 274-3840, fax (401) 274-0265.

THE GOLD INSTITUTE NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN

Ronald C. Cambre, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Newmont Mining Corp., New York, N.Y., is the new chairman of The Gold Institute.

Before joining Newmont in 1993, Cambre was a senior executive of Freeport-McMoRan, a major natural resources company. A native of New Orleans, La., Cambre received a degree in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University and attended the Harvard Business School Program for Management.

“I look forward to working with the executives of our member companies in addressing the many public affairs issues the industry faces,” says Cambre. “Their input is invaluable in focusing the institute’s efforts.”

John Lutley, president of The Gold Institute, says Cambre’s 30 years in the natural resource business have given him a broad understanding of issues now facing the gold industry. “We look forward to his leadership of the industry for the next few years,” says Lutley.

The Gold Institute is a worldwide, non-profit trade association representing gold miners, refiners, fabricators, banks and bullion dealers. It’s located at Suite 240, 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 835-0185, fax (202) 835-0155.