jon lief, a colored-stone importer who owns great lakes gems co. in cleveland, has co-authored a book titled get what you want!! a fun, upbeat, and fresh approach to negotiating!! the other author is hal becker, a sales trainer and author of two national best sellers. published by oakhill press, the book has three parts.

the lone star chapter of the gia alumni association received the outstanding chapter of the year award for 2005. in 2005 lone star awarded 12 scholarships for gia classes from funds raised from a silent auction held in august. southwest midas texas vendors donated items for the auction. janisue rigel and shelley hirsh received chapter member of the year awards, and richard hirsh received the …

the 2006 baselworld watch, clock, and jewelry fair took place march 30–april 6, drawing some 90,000 buyers from more than 100 countries. exhibitors numbered 2,127 and represent 45 countries. here are some highlights: • in the jewelry building, the new first avenue allowed multifloor stands for the first time.

a long-awaited third story from the wall street journal on the gemological institute of america lab scandal appeared in march—but the story contained little that was new and was not the earthquake many had feared. the most tantalizing nugget was its report that gia had banned “three more prominent dealers,” whom it did not name.

in a surprising blow for de beers and an unprecedented boost for the open market, the european commission has ruled that 40 years of dealings between de beers and russian diamond mines will soon cease. the european commission has ruled that de beers should not be allowed to buy russian rough after 2009.

• gia’s gems & gemology now online the gemological institute of america is offering the entire archive of back issues (1934–1980) of its scientific journal gems & gemology free through its web site, www.gia.edu/gemsandgemology. the back issues feature seminal articles on identification techniques, new gem localities, and synthetics and imitations, written by some of t…

the gemological institute of america’s gem identification laboratory is changing some of its reports (see “true colors,” jck, april 2006, p. 72). rubies, sapphires, and alexandrites will join emeralds in receiving their own gem-specific reports, which will include separate information for species, variety, quantification of treatments when present, and a photograph of…

many business owners who use web sites to increase their exposure to customers are taking the next step: e-commerce. e-commerce, though daunting, can be worth your time and money. according to a study by jupiterresearch, an internet research and consulting firm, annual online spending is expected to reach $105 billion by 2007.

the national association of jewelry appraisers has added its member list to its web site. the list is organized geographically by state and city and then alphabetically by members. it includes member phone numbers and naja designation. definitions of the different levels of membership are accessed from a drop-down menu.

the diamond dealers club plans a special 75th anniversary celebration this month at the rainbow room above rockefeller center in new york city. the event will honor three distinguished diamond statesmen with lifetime achievement awards: shmuel schnitzer, president of the world federation of diamond bourses; alrosa vice president sergei oulin; and eurostar diamond traders chairman kaushik m…

montblanc, the german luxury brand that built a worldwide empire atop a pen, has devised its own diamond cut, crafted in the shape of its famous star logo, to celebrate its centenary. the montblanc star diamond appears this year in the logo’s usual spot on every pen, watch, and accessory in montblanc’s 100 years collections.

the apparel industry is missing a major market by not targeting baby boomers, according to more magazine, which recently sponsored an american apparel & footwear association business conference titled “50 is the new 35.” the median net worth of a consumer over 50 is $112,000—compared with the $7,240 median net worth of the typical target of most fashion companies, consumer…

held feb. 25–27, 2006, at the cobb galleria centre, the spring atlanta jewelry show, sponsored by the southern jewelry travelers association, broke all attendance records. buyer attendance increased 9 percent over 2005 figures, while the exhibitor base increased from 500 to 600 booths. sjta partnered with the manufacturing jewelers & suppliers of america to present a full day of ed…

1 set brief appointments with key vendors. be sure to include vendors that haven’t sent a sales rep to your office in the last six months. (but ask yourself this: if a “key vendor” hasn’t sent a rep to your office for six months, how important are they to your business, and are you important to their business?) 2 review jewelry publications, and then schedule additiona…

• the group dubois dépraz, which specializes in manufacturing mechanical and complicated movements, has acquired isa swiss, another swiss movement maker. isa is a significant supplier of dubois dépraz. • watch designer jorg hysek resigned feb. 22 from the company he founded and led—jorg hysek horlogerie s.

it’s often said that perception is more important than reality. so when the world diamond council met recently in catania, sicily, the event’s host, cibjo president gaetano cavalieri, joked that attendees probably expected to see bullets fly by. none did, of course, but the jest wasn’t lost on attendees reeling from yet another spate of bad industry publicity.

mark priest is president of legend jewelers, an american gem society store in san angelo, texas, that sells a mix of contemporary custom design—including creations that focus on texas history—and traditional jewelry. the retailer’s historic building, built in 1901, once housed a famous bordello on the second floor.

the most successful companies, sales managers, and salespeople continually challenge themselves and their people through setting goals. let your people know what’s expected of them on three levels: (1) minimum goal, or how much they have to produce; (2) actual goal, or how much they’re expected to produce; and (3) stretch goal, the level at which a reward or bonus is appropriate.

the franck muller group, the swiss luxury watchmaker, is significantly expanding its operations with a new watch production park in les bois, in northwest switzerland’s jura region, a longtime center of swiss watchmaking. it will invest $27 million to $30 million in the next two years to develop a complex of facilities specializing in parts and movements for its five brands, jck was told …

tourneau inc., a leading u.s. watch retailer, announced feb. 23 that it’s in a joint venture to operate a chain of retail stores in china to sell luxury watches. also involved are peace mark (holdings) ltd. of hong kong, a leading manufacturer of watches, and the international watch group of new york city.

the value of swiss watch exports in 2005 topped $9.3 billion, a new record for the swiss watch industry and 10.9 percent higher than 2004 figures, said a report by the federation of the swiss watch industry fh. exports to the u.s. market, the top market for swiss watches, rose 14.1 percent to $1.6 billion.

antiquorum, the world’s leading auction house for timepieces, has sold 50 percent of its equity to artisthouse holdings inc., a japanese company, for $30 million. the deal enables antiquorum to expand its asian, publishing, and internet operations. the deal, effective jan. 23, makes artisthouse an equal partner with osvaldo patrizzi, antiquorum’s founder, chairman, and chief …

the signs on the shuttle buses in tucson, ariz., during february’s gem shows proclaimed the tanzanite foundation’s new slogan: “be born to tanzanite.” the message bewildered hundreds of people, but it drew plenty of attention. according to tf, “be born to tanzanite” is the campaign slogan for positioning tanzanite as “the birthstone,” that is, the…

the society of north american goldsmiths has opened a new administrative and business office in eugene, ore., at 540 oak st., suite a. administrative and business components of snag will be centralized at the new office. snag also has hired tara jecklin as operations manager and tina rinaldi as associate director, both newly created positions.

the 2006 society of north american goldsmith’s conference will be held may 24–27 at the marriott chicago downtown on chicago’s magnificent mile. the theme for 2006 is “mind and matter: from thought to object,” and programs will explore all aspects of the creative process, from initial inspiration to final realization.

laurie hudson knows what it means to “reinvent” oneself. thanks to her talents in marketing, brand building, and new-business development and her fearlessness in taking risks, hudson has already forged two successful careers in the jewelry industry—with the american gem society and platinum guild international—and she’s well into her third act as the co-founder of …

eric braunwart believes gem-mining operations shouldn’t exploit children or pollute the environment and should pay miners a decent living wage. he also thinks retailers and consumers should be able to have confidence that a gemstone’s origin and its route from mine to market are legitimate. braunwart isn’t a pie-in-the-sky dreamer.

in 1991, shortly after jewelers of america announced the sale of its semiannual ja international jewelry show to the blenheim group, a group of manufacturers and retailers approached charles bond, then-publisher of jck magazine, about the idea of starting a new jewelry trade show. at the time, the idea of launching a major jewelry show was practically unthinkable.

this year’s array of gem and mineral shows in tucson, arizona—40 shows at 38 venues—allowed attendees to see every kind of gemstone that’s currently available. the three major shows—agta gemfair, gem & jewelry exchange tent, and glda (gem and lapidary dealers association) show—all offered more finished jewelry than usual, but the outer shows displayed fewer gems an…

market in brief: april 5, 2006… the diamond market has shortages of well-made goods of 3.00+ cts. in the collection colors, but dealers report strong resistance to higher prices. rounds lead demand, cushions and princess cuts are strong, and demand for pears and marquises is level. the popularity of well-made cushions has pushed prices close to rounds’.

the seventh annual luxury by jck event is scheduled to take place may 30 through june 2 at the venetian resort hotel casino in las vegas. the all-salon event is for high-end retailers and features breakfasts, lunches, cocktail parties, dinners, and evening entertainment. special events include a performance by earth, wind & fire.

Spectore and Stahl Announce Strategic Alliance Spectore Corp., Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Stahl Design, Birkenfeld, Germany, have announced a strategic alliance. Spectore, a designer and manufacturer of alternative metal products with a specialization in titanium, will exclusively market and sell Stahl Design Products in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and other selected areas. In…

the american gem society laboratories llc has announced that it will launch an ongoing seminar program targeting asian retailers. the program, “the power of performance,” which will begin in may, provides an overview of the american gem society, ags laboratories, and the lab’s products and services.

net exports of polished diamonds from israel declined 6.9 percent in january and february 2006, compared with figures from the same period in 2005. according to statistics released by shmuel mordechai, diamond controller for the israel ministry of industry, trade & labor, 2006 polished diamond export figures totaled $1.

i’ve been thinking about the “past, present and future”—not the diamond trading company ad campaign but the state of jewelry retailing. a recent trip to jewelers across the country got me thinking about how much—and how little—retail has changed. the mall business has largely consolidated and often suffers from overly conservative formatting driven by bottom-…

after jewelry crime hit record lows in 2004, it held steady in 2005 and in some areas showed improvement, according to the jewelers’ security alliance’s yearly roundup of crime statistics. the most important statistic—overall crime events—was down 5 percent in 2005, to 1,275, from 1,342 in 2004.

set up your store so that customer service—not making the most sales—drives your sales team. commission-heavy remuneration plans tend to breed sharks—in fact, it’s the environment they thrive in best. your main goal should be to provide the best possible experience to customers.

direct-mail advertising can be an effective tool to reach customers, boost store traffic, and increase sales. yet it can also be ineffective, time consuming, and costly if used incorrectly. jck asked several direct-mail marketing experts and independent jewelers with direct-mail programs to offer insight into a successful direct-mail strategy.

aaura, a chicago-based wholesaler of gold jewelry, filed for chapter 11 reorganization on feb. 28. in a statement, the company said the filing was caused by the recent dramatic volatility in the price of gold; the weakening of the dollar against the euro; and a general tightening of credit in italy, resulting from a sluggish economy there.

to obtain more information about the b-one pavilion at the vicenza fair (see “vicenza fair to launch new pavilion at the jck show ~ las vegas,” jck, february 2006, p. 86), contact the vicenza fair directly at (39-0444) 969 111 or e-mail: vicenzafiera@vicenzafiera.it.

at this year’s gemstone industry & laboratory conference in tucson, ariz., one of the main topics of conversation was whether the term “paraíba” should be used to describe anything other than tourmalines from paraíba, brazil. paraíba is the brazilian state where trace elements of copper and manganese found their way into the chemistry of tourmalines in the s…

high gold price? what high gold price? most jewelers polled by jck in a nationwide survey say the price of gold—the highest in 25 years—has had little effect on their jewelry sales in the past 12 months. some even turned it into a marketing tool to sell gold jewelry. of course, not everyone’s sales were unscathed, and gold’s high price has had some impact on jewelersr…

the jewelers’ security alliance has launched a new web site that will provide information on stolen jewelry. jsa’s stolen jewelry web site, www.stolenjewelry.org, which went live in january, is the only clearinghouse of information on stolen jewelry, gems, and watches available to the industry and the general public, said john j.

continuing a trend, several luxury watch brands recently opened watch shops in major cities. audemars piguet now has a boutique on milan’s via montenapoleone, a famous shopping street hosting great names in haute horlogerie and jewelry. vacheron constantin recently opened an 80-square-meter shop in moscow, continuing ties it’s cultivated with russia since 1819, when it delivered its…

jacob arabo, owner of jacob & co., and ellen asmodeo, publisher of travel + leisure, show off their jacob & co.’s the world is yours timepieces [inset], after the watch was honored in february with a travel + leisure 2006 design award. the annual contest cites products and destinations that underscore the significance of design in the traveler’s world.

german pearl expert elisabeth strack, author of the book perlen, says chinese freshwater cultured pearls (cfwcps) are not “nucleated” when mantle tissue is inserted into the oyster. “they are activated,” says strack. “the inserted mantle tissue is the precursor of the pearl sack in which the pearl grows.

james allen diamonds inc. has announced the addition of amy levine designs to jamesallen.com, an online retailer of loose diamonds and diamond jewelry. amy levine designs is based in new york city.

• ann arnold is new president of wja the women’s jewelry association has appointed ann schonwetter arnold, chief financial officer and vice president of lieberfarb, as its new president. she succeeds anna martin of abn amro. arnold has been a member of the wja board for the past five years, during which time she served as its treasurer and in 2004 became its first vice president.

richard drucker, president of gemworld international and publisher of the guide, the colored-gem wholesale pricing book, has been awarded this year’s antonio c. bonanno award for excellence in gemology from the accredited gemologists association. drucker, a third-generation jeweler, began the pricing publication in 1982.

oris swiss watches recently renewed its role as official watch partner of the williamsf1 team in the formula 1 races of the grand prix 2006. its logo is “on car”—on both sides of the racing car’s front wings—and “on team.” the entire williamsf1 team wear the new series of sporty, mechanical oris watches, which mark the partnership, and the oris logo is …

dr. frederick h. pough, a noted mineralogist, museum curator, and author, died april 7 in rochester, n.y. he was 99. pough, during his tenure as curator of physical geology and mineralogy at the american museum of natural history in new york, wrote a field guide to rocks and minerals in 1953. the book, considered a definitive volume on the subject of mineralogy, is still in print and, acco…

• the india international jewellery show is set for may 4–8 at the nse complex, goregaon (east), mumbai, india. now in its 23rd year, iijs has grown to be the second-largest jewelry show in asia and is among the top five jewelry trade exhibitions in the world. the 2006 event will host 700 exhibitors and is expected to welcome approximately 25,000 buyers.

a salesperson’s most important skill is superior questioning. the right questions build the knowledge that lets a salesperson make a unique, value-added recommendation to the customer—one that creates the memory that generates future loyalty to the salesperson and to the store. appraising the situation salespeople are lucky if they can ask two or three questions before the client l…

an impressive roster of a-list speakers headlined the first jck nyc invitational, held in march at the hilton new york hotel. in his keynote address on “principles of leadership,” former two-term mayor of new york city, rudolph giuliani, listed the “six qualities of a leader”: leadership was also on the mind of the second keynote speaker, the legendary former chief execu…

members of the laboratory manual harmonization committee have standardized the nomenclature they use to describe a padparad-scha sapphire. the seven member laboratories will define padparadscha as “a variety of corundum from any geographical origin whose color is a subtle mixture of pinkish orange to orangey pink with pastel tones and low to medium saturations.

inhorgenta europe 2006, the 33rd international fair for watches, clocks, jewellery, precious stones, pearls and technology, held feb. 17–20, in munich, germany, welcomed 1,157 exhibitors from 47 countries and more than 29,000 buyers from more than 70 countries. a focal point of inhorgenta europe 2006 was the connection between fashion trends and developments in the timepiece and jewelr…

Diane Warga-Arias has joined Gem Certification and Appraisal Lab, which is owned by Collector’s Universe, an authenticator of coins, stamps, and other high-value items. GCAL, based in New York’s Diamond District, owns the Gemprint diamond identification and registration system, which according to Warga-Arias, will be offered exclusively through GCAL. The Women’s Jewelry Association has announced…

mayer ziefer, founder of mayer’s jewelry, hollywood, fla., died jan. 13. he was 93. ziefer immigrated to the united states from europe to avoid the holocaust, arriving with $5 in his pocket. he founded mayer’s jewelry in new york city in the late 1940s, moving the company to south florida in the early 1970s.

three years ago, a forbes magazine cover story on russian-israeli diamond magnate lev leviev called him the man who “took on de beers.” now he is taking on de beers in a different way—by setting up his own store on bond street in london, just down the street from de beers’ flagship.

everyone knows a dissatisfied customer will tell many more people about a bad experience than a satisfied customer will tell about a good experience. this isn’t news—but these days anyone with an internet connection can also complain to the world at large. two recent experiences have inspired me again to discuss the importance of service.

marcel lorié died feb. 17 in antwerp, belgium. he was 80. lorié was the founder of the international gemological institute, and its chairman since the institute’s inception in 1975. lorié is survived by his wife, mignon; a son, roland; a daughter, carole lorié-low; and eight grandchildren.

jakob kats, founder of soho, died in september 2005. he was 55. kats was born in odessa, ukraine, formerly part of the soviet union. an accomplished pianist and guitarist by age 12, he graduated music school with a master’s degree, but his real passion was jewelry. after obtaining the highest ranking for mandatory service in the soviet army, he enrolled in a master’s program for …

the las vegas international jewelry show will take place june 2–5, 2006, at mandalay bay’s convention center in las vegas. the show was created by arnold duke, president of the las vegas international jewelry show, and organizers said they expect to attract 300 to 500 vendors. during the show, duke will offer a celebrity jewelry contest where attendees will have a chance to match…

longtime u.s. watch industry veteran hugh glenn retired jan. 31 as president of cyma usa after 40 years in the watch business. he plans to devote his full time to expanding the business of the sequoia jewelry brand, which is owned and sold by his company, yves k. designs. the new president of the cyma usa/hugh glenn corp.

contrary to what jck reported in “de beers bends the pipeline,” jck, february 2006, p. 116, tiffany’s diamond supply agreement with aber resources—which obligates tiffany to purchase at least $50 million in value per year of rough diamonds from aber—remains in effect and will expire in 2013.

a thought occurred to me on the train returning from a meeting with new york city officials. it was held to discuss a serious safety problem. several explosions occurred in jewelry manufacturing operations as a result of the improper mixture of natural gas and oxygen at the bench. fortunately, the explosions did not cause serious injury or damage.

bernie robbins fine jewelry is in the process of rebranding and expanding its presence in southeastern pennsylvania and southern new jersey. nowhere is this more evident than at its flagship store in somers point, n.j. the store serves as corporate headquarters of the nine-store luxury jewelry operation (expected to grow to 10 stores by the end of the year), which stretches from the southern n…

the american gem society laboratories llc and the american gem trade association gemological testing center have announced that the two organizations are entering into a strategic alliance to service their global expansion. ags labs has opened its international distribution channels to agta gtc, so clients can submit colored gemstones to the ags labs’ take-in windows in antwerp, belgium; du…

dr. gary r. hansen and his wife, barbara, of g.r. hansen precious stones, have donated a collection of staffmultigemstone pavé jewelry to the gemological institute of america museum collection. the collection, purchased during one of the couple’s trips to switzerland, includes a maple- leaf necklace and earring suite; four butterfly brooches; and two pins, titled bird of paradise and …

jewelers international showcase has relocated to 6421 congress ave., suite 105, boca raton, fla. 33487-2858. the telephone number remains the same at (561) 998-0205. web address is www.jisshow.com.

robert marks of rogers jewelry co., modesto, calif., has been re-elected president of the california jewelers association for 2006. other officers re-elected for the year included richard velayo of gleim the jeweler in palo alto, president-elect; lexi kern of churchill jewelers in santa barbara, first vice president; and allen kessler of kessler jewelers in burbank, treasurer.

a new exhibit at the heard museum in phoenix offers a comprehensive look at hopi artist charles loloma, who influenced generations of jewelers by incorporating nontraditional materials—such as gold-set lapis lazuli, fossilized ivory, pearls, malachite, and ironwood—into jewelry designs. “loloma: beauty in hopi jewelry,” on loan from the wheelwright museum of the american…

the museum of arts & design in new york will host “schmuck” (german for “jewelry”), an internationally renowned, juried exhibition of contemporary jewelry that’s the oldest and most visited exhibition of its kind. the exhibit runs from may 18 through sept. 3. inaugurated in munich, germany, in 1959, “schmuck” has been held there every year.