dealers in antwerp are worried about the u.s. economy but are hopeful that things will pick up this year. “people are concerned, but we don’t have many indications of a recession in america,” says peter meeus, head of hoge raad voor diamant (hrd), the antwerp promotional group. “i’m nervous it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

dejonghe original jewelry of saratoga springs, n.y., has announced an affiliation with joyce panitch of alpha gem lab to conduct appraisal clinics in the store. panitch is a graduate gemologist trained at the gemological institute of america and a member of the national association of jewelry appraisers.

tivol jewelers, kansas city, mo., hosted the “milestone for memories” black tie platinum gala, raising more than $200,000 for the national alzheimer’s association and the mollie tivol alzheimer’s family resource center. the retailer partnered with platinum guild international and town & country magazine to make the night of dinner, dancing, and donations a success.

jewelers wanting more information on the “conflict diamond” issue now have a variety of resources to choose from on the internet. retailers looking for suggestions on what to tell their customers should visit the following sites: www.jewelers.org/ja_member/conflictdias.html and www.dps.org/conflictdiamonds.

results of elections for the american gem trade association board of directors are as follows: president, richard greenwood, a.f. greenwood, new york; vice president, simon watt, mayer & watt, maysville, ky.; secretary, frank farnsworth, idaho opal & gem corp., pocatello, idaho; treasurer, fran mastoloni, frank mastoloni & sons, new york.

following months of investigation, the american gem trade association (agta) has issued a warning concerning the extent to which synthetic materials are being misrepresented as natural colored gemstones. this practice appears particularly prevalent in larger and better-quality amethyst and citrine. as a partial solution to this problem, the agta introduced low-cost “batch testing” services in…

the gemological institute of america has been awarded first place in the gemkey magazine web site awards 2000 competition. gia was selected as the best of 15 finalists in the category of best lab/associations/info – business-to-business site. according to the magazine, gia was one of more than 3,000 web sites surveyed before eventually being chosen as the best in its category—one…

the december 2000 “millennium” edition of the auction market resource concentrates on certified colored and colorless diamonds. it reviews all the certified diamonds offered and sold at major national and international auction houses from october 1994 through october 2000. the 600-page amr diamond millennium edition lists 718 colorless and 450 fancy-color diamonds, sorted in several differ…

this is one of those times when i could get downright artistic. i could describe the poetry-in-motion of a fast-moving flow of information streaming onto your computer monitor. how it aligns perfectly, with boldly marked headers. how it resembles a high-resolution television screen; and how it pulsates on the colored background, its data like a sunset drawing the attention of its unsuspecting …

every year, a chance to win diamonds attracts more than 1,000 people to a small jewelry store in cartersville, ga. according to david harrison, owner of cartersville jewelry exchange, the “treasure chest” promotions begin three months before the event. direct-mail invitations are sent to regular customers, who are invited to try their hand at opening the treasure chest.

jewels by star has changed the name of its diamond division, sancy trading inc., to j.b. star diamonds. david abuloff has been appointed vice president of sales for the newly named division. j.b. star diamonds is part of paz consolidated group ltd. of israel, which has been a de beer’s sightholder for more than four decades.

the aurora collection of colored diamonds is featured in the nature of diamonds exhibition, which opened last month at the musee de la civilisation in quebec city, quebec, canada. the exhibition runs through jan. 6, 2002. the aurora collection consists of 260 natural colored diamonds with a total weight of 242.

diamonds were big news—but not a big draw—in tucson again this year. for over a decade, loose diamond dealers have made the pilgrimage, and colored diamond dealers like aminzade’s natural fancy color diamond company continue to participate and do well. some people feel that diamonds—colorless as well as fancy color—are in tucson to stay, and this year they held their ow…

the professional gem sciences (pgs) gem grading laboratory in chicago wants to use the term “blue-white” on its grading reports for d or e colorless diamonds that have “very strong blue” fluorescence. “blue-white” hasn’t been used for decades because the federal trade commission says it’s unfair practice to use the term unless a diamond shows blue or bluish color.

fink’s jewelers, roanoke, va., has opened a new store in dulles town center in the washington, d.c., area. the new store is the 10th for fink’s, which has locations in roanoke, lynchburg, richmond, and norfolk, va.

the world of residensea, the world’s first luxury community at sea, has chosen house of graff jewelers as its exclusive onboard jeweler. laurence graff, purveyor and founder of graff jewelers, is considered a leader in the world of diamonds and precious gems. all of graff’s jewelry is made by hand. the world, which will be delivered in december 2001, will have 110 luxury residences ranging i…

sockett enterprises, meyda tiffany’s exclusive distributor throughout canada, has relocated its offices to gananoque in ontario, canada. meyda tiffany, headquartered in yorkville, n.y., manufactures tiffany lamps, decorative lighting, and home décor products. for information, call (800) 900-5267, fax (888) 303-5267.

the international colored gemstone association (ica) is now making available to wholesale and retail jewelers their collection of thousands of gemstone images. accessible through its internet site, the ica gemstone image library can be viewed at www.gemstone.org. the ica invites jewelers to use its image library for projects such as web site building, advertising, merchandising, trade press p…

zadok jewelers, houston, a 25-year-old family-owned and managed jewelry store, recently received the 2000 better business bureau torch award for excellence in the retail category. zadok jewelers opened in 1976, after helene and dror zadok’s arrival in houston from jerusalem the previous year. dror zadok had been trained in his father’s shop in the king david hotel and brought with him six ge…

avantgold jewelers has launched a web site (www.avantgold.com) featuring upscale designer jewelry and the store’s services, including custom designs, watch repairs, and insurance replacement appraisals. plans call for adding an online newsletter and other educational features. photographs of high-end jewelry, a virtual-reality tour of the store, and a flash-enabled designer section characteri…

all eyes around the country were riveted on the bushes’ washington debut, but within each state, attention also focused on local officials entering—and leaving—office. in north carolina, it was mike easley, newly elected governor, who took center stage with his wife, mary. one of the inaugural events for easley was a luncheon held in honor of the state’s new first lady, and the fo…

tabletop sales are on the rise, according to results of “the tabletop report: the market, the industry, the trends,” published by unity marketing, stevens, pa.* nearly 65% of adults own higher-end tabletop items such as fine china, crystal stemware, and sterling flatware. in fact, sales of tabletop accessories and giftware totaled $7.

author geoffrey munn may be to tiaras what harold and erica van pelt are to gemstone photography: historian, expert jeweler in his field, and friend to jewel collectors worldwide. munn is the managing director of wartski, a well-known jewelry store in london, and a man who knows his tiaras … and wreaths, diadems, and kokoshniks.

the jewelers of america’s 11th annual ja affiliate design competition revealed a strong two-tone trend as well as a taste for color and versatility. a panel of judges, including retailers and jewelry editors, chose the top award winners during the ja new york show in february. buyers at the show, meanwhile, chose their own favorite, best of show—a necklace by jeffrey dunnington, houston,…

award-winning jewelry designer tammy kohl has opened the first fine jewelry gallery in chicago’s west loop gallery district at 110 n. peoria, a half block south of randolph street. kohl, a west loop pioneer, has maintained a studio loft gallery in the area for the past 13 years. the new gallery will bring her work to the “ground floor” with a new street-level retail space.

thirty-three percent of u.s. adults (65.41 million), based on the 1999 population survey from the bureau of the census, bought jewelry in the past year, according to results of “the jewelry report: the market, the industry, the trends 2001,” another study conducted by unity marketing, stevens, pa. demographic information about u.

jewelry warehouse, columbia, s.c., has been named “retailer of the year” by gdm group, a marketing and manufacturing organization for independent retailer jewelers. the family-owned business has three stores in columbia, and has been in business since 1977. it has been the official jeweler for the miss south carolina pageant for the past 18 years and was voted the best jewelry store in the col…

alvin’s jewelers, cleveland, ohio, recently announced the opening of the company’s 16th and 17th stores, in medina and norwalk, ohio. in addition, alvin’s akron, ohio, store has relocated to the summit mall center court. according to a company press release, the new medina store offers a full-service jewelry repair shop on the premises, allowing repairs to be done while customers wait.

in a recent election, members of the ohio jewelers association elected the following persons to serve on their board for 2001: president, alan rodriquez; vice-president, james schwartz; secretary, daniel pugh; treasurer, robert ball. board members are robert komara, dennis vondrell, robert smith, tim smith, glenn kelsey, tom laudick, lee krombholz, larry hall, stuart palestrant, larry hug, and…

merchandise looks stale to shoppers after eight weeks on the floor. that’s the verdict of a study on shopping behavior recently conducted by wiese research associates, omaha, neb., for meridian advertising, troy, mich.* that means stores that sell fashion products must update stock frequently. to keep jewelry displays looking fresh, retail analysts offer the following tips: during holiday sea…

platinum guild international usa (pgi-usa) has revamped its web site at www.preciousplatinum.com. pgi’s new web site offers new tools to make it easier for consumers to learn more about platinum. visitors to preciousplatinum.com can log on to learn about platinum and its history and to get answers to frequently asked questions, including other uses of platinum.

jewelers of america has introduced two new videos in the “masters’ mentoring: professional bench skills” series, its line of educational videos for bench jewelers. the new videos are “prong setting – round brilliants,” featuring ja certified master bench jeweler jeffrey mathews of jeffrey mathews designs, dallas; and “ring sizing – karat gold,” featuring ja certified master bench j…

paulding farnham, tiffany & co.’s head jewelry designer from the 1890s through the early years of the 20th century, was a pivotal figure in the history of jewelry design. he established tiffany as a world-class jewelry house, winning gold medals at international exhibitions in the 1890s and early 1900s.

staff gemological institute of america student kelly murray models a gold virtuosi award-winning design during the grand opening gala of an exhibit of this year’s winning pieces. the event took place at gia headquarters in carlsbad, calif., on dec. 6. ten suites of jewelry were worn by instyle magazine models and gia students for an audience of more than 275 at the special preview party.

nick del re, a veteran laboratory professional, recently joined european gemological laboratory. del re, formerly of the gia gem identification department in new york, is an expert in colored diamonds, colored stones, pearls, and advanced gem testing technology. his responsibilities at egl will include research project management, organizational development, and staff training.

de beers hopes to open its first canadian mine by 2004. after acquiring the snap lake concession in a hostile bid last december, de beers plans to turn it into a mine within four years. it will be the first underground diamond mine in the northwest territories as well as de beers’ first owned and operated mine outside southern africa, de beers canada president and ceo richard molyneux told jck.

perles de tahiti has announced plans for a second tahitian pearl trophy jewelry design competition, with an awards ceremony to be held in new york city in september 2002. this will be an international event aimed at encouraging jewelry designers throughout the world to design original creations using the tahiti cultured pearl.

the muséum national d’histoire naturelle in paris is hosting a diamond exhibit that continues through july. the museum’s gallery of mineralogy is the site of the exhibit, which covers 1,200 square meters and includes the largest public vault in paris. the first section of the exhibit is devoted to the physical and chemical mysteries of diamonds.

platinum guild international italy has announced that the new web site www.myplatinum.it is now online. the site features italian platinum jewelry, using the words and images of the current platinum guild international advertising campaign. it provides contact details advising users where they can get additional information about the jewelry that’s shown.

two well-known jewelry designers are looking to spice up the bridal category and at the same time boost their own brands. while the branded designer jewelry category has generally focused on designers who establish their own fashion and look, both jose hess and steven lagos hope to take a nibble from the lucrative bridal category by extending their brands to engagement and wedding rings.

the society of north american goldsmiths (snag) 2001 conference, held at the omni hotel in richmond, va.’s historic shockoe slip, included a variety of jewelry and metals exhibitions in shops and galleries in the fan, shockoe slip, and carytown. the public exhibitions offered the people of richmond an opportunity to view hundreds of pieces designed by some of the country’s most creative metal …

reed exhibition companies (rec) has signed an agreement with the vienna city exhibition organization (messe wien) to acquire its portfolio of 22 exhibitions and to secure a long-term lease of its exhibition facilities. this agreement is subject to approval by the austrian antitrust court (the kartellgericht).

you don’t think of needing to perform heavy lifting while working at the bench, but certain jobs require precise movement of thick and heavy precious metal materials that often are not easy to bend. in this article, we look at a prong lifter modified by jeffrey mathews, a ja® certified master bench jeweler™ from dallas, texas, that he uses to perform a variety of bending procedures.

jewellery arabia 2000, the ninth show in the series of exhibitions for the middle east’s gold, jewelry, clock, and watch market, closed its doors on nov. 11, 2000, having attracted a record number of buyers from throughout the arab world. the exhibition was held under the patronage of hh the prime minister of bahrain shaikh khalifa bin sulman al khalifa, who presided over the official opening…

nickel dermatitis, an allergic reaction to nickel, is the most common form of contact dermatitis in the united states, according to the american academy of dermatology, schaumburg, ill. and unfortunately for jewelers, nickel has been a common component in some alloys of white gold, in yellow gold of less than 14k, and in costume jewelry.

oe design inc., new york, which designs, markets, and sells rudolf erdel platinum jewelry, will merge with oe design sdn bhd, a manufacturing company owned by erich oeding-erdel, rudolf erdel’s father. oe design bhd has produced and supplied all rudolf erdel platinum jewelry since its inception. the company has specialized in the production of platinum jewelry for more than 25 years.

the word on the street is that yellow gold is back. for most jewelers, however, it never really went away. instead, the infusion of fashion into fine jewelry is creating “categories” in place of “trends.” women are becoming confident in their own sense of style and buying fine jewelry to fit that style.

the first china international gold exhibition (china world gold expo 2001) will be held june 19-21 at beijing international convention center in beijing, china. the show is jointly organized by the china gold society and the china council for the promotion of international trade (ccpit) beijing sub-council.

the american gem society laboratories has introduced its new icon, a chocolate brown labrador retriever, as part of its 2001 advertising campaign. the concept is an effort to spread the message of agsl in a lighter, more entertaining fashion. the ads are scheduled to run in trade and consumer publications in domestic and international markets.

for the past year, we’ve heard about de beers the retailer, de beers the not-quite-a-monopoly, de beers the company that’s going through a sometimes jarring series of changes and contortions. but de beers executives want jewelers to know that, despite the refiguring, the company can still help you sell diamonds.

tourneau, the world’s largest watch retailer, kicked off the month of march with a charitable gesture: it invited customers to donate watches to the american red cross and to purchase a new watch tax-free. (tourneau picked up the cost of the tax.) tourneau stationed expert appraisers at each of its stores (six in new york city, two in florida, and one each in texas and california), including …

on dec. 10, 1984, a 3-lb meteorite hit a mailbox in claxton, ga. the meteorite—defined as an asteroid fragment that has fallen to earth—was one of many that each year make the long journey from space. true gem materials can be found in them, but most of these gems are so tiny that when faceted “they would look charming on a bacterium,” says dr.

two events have inspired me once again to talk about service. there’s no new point to be made here, only an old subject worth repeating and two amusing tales to relate. last fall, while in london for a party celebrating robin walker’s retirement from de beers, my wallet was stolen. ian macgregor, the manager of durrants hotel in central london, stopped everything he was doing to help me call …

the diamond council of america (dca) has released its revised diamontology course. the 21-lesson salute to diamond knowledge is packed with valuable information for sales staffs, including history, quality grading, selling, and security. the text is well-written and includes beautiful illustrations and photographs.

a year after de beers decreed that all its diamonds are “conflict-free,” the company finds itself having to defend that designation. in the latest attack, the cbs newsmagazine 60 minutes noted that the “de beers’ guarantee makes no mention of the diamonds in their vast stockpile, which was built up while de beers was buying up all those diamonds from africa’s war zones.

if you want to display your products to their best advantage, the most important element of your store’s design may be its lighting. unfortunately, lighting is often the most neglected component of store design. lighting designers say proper lighting attracts more shoppers into the store, helps sell product—particularly items like jewelry—and enhances a store’s image.

hirsch armbänder ag, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of watch straps and the parent firm of speidel inc., is entering the new century with a new corporate structure and changes in top management. hermann hirsch has retired as chairman. he joined the family firm in 1957, bought it in 1975, and had led it since then.

sasha samuels isn’t exactly new to the jewelry business, but her new line—the freedom collection—is her first venture into a complete commercial wholesale line aimed at retailers across the country. the collection, a blend of comfortable wearability, fashionable design, and a spiritual message, is based on the idea of wings as a symbol of free will.

recipients of grants from the 2000 jck industry fund were announced during ceremonies at the jck show in orlando, feb. 4-6. each year, the fund grants a total of $400,000 to individuals, groups, or associations who develop plans to enhance the jewelry industry’s image and promote the welfare and growth of the industry.

first diamond group-diamond enhancing laboratories has announced a new service for fancy color enhancing to fancy black, fancy blue, fancy green, and fancy greenish-yellow at $38 per carat for quantities of more than 150 carats per color.

rio grande announces the second annual saul bell design award, a competition honoring the company’s founder, saul bell. bell, who was born into a jewelry-making family, founded rio grande in albuquerque, n.m., in 1944. rio grande will open the competition to talented individuals to create original and unique designs within the parameters of several categories.

designer paul klecka, best known for his award-winning floater and mirage collections, has launched paul klecka signatures, a gallery devoted to his work. the gallery, which will present klecka’s full repertoire, will receive clients by appointment. it will also function as an environment for wholesale purchasing and educational programs for retailers and their sales staffs.

sixteen years ago, an ambitious twenty-something iraqi immigrant sold three pieces of jewelry to lana turner. yossi dina got such a kick out of the experience that he now does business with celebrities and celebrity-wannabes every day of the week at his beverly hills jewelry and loan in beverly hills, calif.

gannon & scott, a leading refiner and assayer of precious metals based in cranston, r.i., has purchased the handy & harman refining group’s phoenix, ariz., precious metals processing facility and equipment. the purchase of the phoenix facility expands the company’s thermal reduction capacities and adds shredding to gannon & scott’s capabilities.

the national retail federation (nrf) has chosen the nu-era group inc. as its preferred store supply and fixture provider through its member discount program. all nrf members will receive a 25% discount on shipping of standard catalog orders from nu-era. the nrf cites nu-era’s competitive prices and customer service as basis for its decision to make nu-era a member discount program partner.

lee michael berg, president and owner of lee michaels fine jewelry, a seven-location fine jewelry firm, has opened a new store in san antonio, texas. the new store opened in the city’s north star mall in october 2000. jill roshto, former manager of locations in louisiana, will manage the new store.

inspired by linda mcgill’s 1998 agta/platinum guild international award-winning pendant set with a pistachio tahitian pearl, cheryl bock asked her daughter hallie (pronounced hay-lee) to search the internet for information on tahitian pearls. when the 15-year-old high school freshman found perles de tahiti’s web site (tahiti-blackpearls.

award-winning jewelry designer robert lee morris has announced the launch of www.robertleemorris.com. the web site is an in-depth exploration into the motivation and inspiration behind the work of the celebrated designer. the site is designed to be surfer-friendly while providing information, interactive features, and visuals featuring the designer’s work.

working with local indian manufacturers, the government of antwerp recently dispatched an 11-person relief team to india to help victims of the earthquake there. the team is headed by a doctor from the university of antwerp and is backed up by two ambulances, a mobile hospital, and local relief workers.

this week, i lost a friend. in fact, he was more than a friend. he was a role model. majid (mike) zerovabeli was always first to join you if you needed a friend, and last to leave. he was always positive, always calm and collected, a comfort to anyone around him. he was a hard-working salesman on the road, yet he was a dedicated husband and father of four children.

one in six people are victims of workplace bullies, according to a recent survey conducted by the campaign against workplace bullying (cawb) at www.bullybusters.org, a 3-year-old nonprofit group located in benicia, calif. some 1,335 people, all targets of workplace bullies, voluntarily completed the survey online in 2000.

nothing is more essential to successful selling than good communication. communication is a two-way process that includes listening to the customer with complete concentration and understanding and speaking with excitement and enthusiasm, in such a way that the customer understands you. people can speak english at a rate of approximately 150 words per minute, but we have the ability to hear 1…

the center for jewelry studies web site (www.center4jewelrystudies.org) is up and running. features include complete program information and online registration for the 3rd west coast antique & period jewelry seminar; a reference page with information and links to other antique and period jewelry-related sites; an online order form for signed copies of warman’s jewelry, 2nd edition; a fo…

bertolucci, one of the few family-run luxury watchmakers in switzerland, was sold to a private investment consortium, effective feb. 27. the acquisition, sought by both bertolucci and the investment group, provides the funds needed by the small firm to raise its profile and expand in the international watch market.

manufacturing jewelers and suppliers of america (mjsa) recently launched the centennial capital campaign to celebrate its 100-year anniversary coming up in 2003. the centennial capital campaign offers participants four levels of donorship: platinum, $10,000+ per year, 2001-2003; gold, $5,000 per year, 2001-2003; silver, $1,000-$4,999, 1-3 year commitment; and benefactor, less than $1,000, 1-3 …

the 15th annual santa fe symposium on jewelry manufacturing technology will be held may 20-23, 2001, at the albuquerque marriott in albuquerque, n.m. at this non-commercial gathering of jewelry manufacturers, technology is freely shared among attendees. more than 20 industry professionals will present their current research findings while participating in discussions, answering questions, and …

after several years of commercial collaboration, reuge s.a., the swiss manufacturer of music boxes, singing birds, pocket watches with automata (reuge music), musical movements (romance), and collectible gifts (symphony), has purchased arte intarsio, its main supplier of luxury boxes. as a result of the acquisition, reuge s.

gem cutters karl-egon wild, kirschweiler, germany, and thomas petsch, idar-oberstein, germany, have merged their businesses. both companies have been powerhouses in the idar-oberstein-area gemstone cutting industry, but increasing worldwide competition spurred them to “tackle the future together from a position of strength.

after many years of prominent display, the authenticity of the “canning jewel,” a prize of the jewelry collection at london’s victoria and albert museum, is being openly questioned. this exquisitely crafted pendant was believed to date to the 1580s and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of the genius, inventiveness, and skill of the renaissance jeweler.

the rogoway family, which operates four diamond specialty stores in portland, ore., was recently honored as “oregon’s family business of the year.” established in 1896, the firm recently opened a downtown location dedicated solely to diamonds. massachusetts mutual insurance company was one of the sponsors of the annual event.

native turk has launched nativeturk.com, which features turkish “evil eye” beads. native turk has been available in los angeles stores since april 2000, but the company wants to use its web site to take the line to consumers across the globe. for more information, call (909) 506-5783 or (323) 697-6673, or visit www.

forty percent of americans purchased jewelry last year, according to results of a study conducted recently by unity marketing, stevens, pa. “luxury purchase behavior: the psychology of discretionary spending” examines american’s discretionary spending power as it relates to 27 different product categories, including jewelry.

the american gem society reported an increase of 59% in new members for 2000 over 1999 figures. the ags criteria for membership remain stringent, with turndown rates doubling in 2000 because of the tremendous increase in applications. ags members are reporting an increased interest in membership in the society among sales staffs.

it never ceases to amaze me that, for the most part, the marketing sophistication of the jewelry industry at the manufacturing level is at best primitive. from mid-february until the third week of may, jck magazine’s phones ring off the hook with phone calls from desperate manufacturers trying to gain entrance to the jck las vegas show.

the rosen group, baltimore, md., announced the winners of the 2001 niche awards at a ceremony on feb. 18, 2001, at the pennsylvania convention center, philadelphia, held in conjunction with the philadelphia buyers market of american craft. the awards are sponsored by the rosen group’s niche magazine, the exclusive trade publication for craft retailers.

two members of the gemological institute of america’s alumni association lone star chapter chose a unique way to make a large donation to the institute while honoring gia’s chairman, richard t. liddicoat. daniel and bo banks of banks international presented the institute with one of the world’s largest sapphire sculptures, carved by artist and sculptor trent mann into a likeness of the man kno…

technomarine, the trendy luxury sports watch brand, has moved its headquarters, including distribution operations, to 2915 biscayne blvd., suite 303, miami, fl 33137. the company was formerly located in playa del ray, calif. “proximity to europe and nearest door to latin america” is cited in a company report as the reason for the move.

staffordshire enamels ltd., stoke-on-trent, england, has been purchased by john carr, a businessman from scotland. details of the sale were not available at press time. effective immediately, michael turner remains as managing director; ian marshall, founder/member of the family firm that revived bilston & battersea enamels, joins the company as a director; john carr becomes chairman; an…

in may 2000, rofin-sinar laser gmbh acquired the worldwide baasel lasertech group of companies, including the 14-year-old acton, mass., corporation a-b lasers inc. effective nov. 1, 2000, a-b lasers inc. and the rofin-sinar marking systems division of tempe, ariz., will join and be known as rofin-baasel inc.

barnett helzberg jr., the former ceo of helzberg diamonds and creator of the “i am loved” slogan, has teamed with dr. rich davis, creator of kc masterpiece barbecue sauce and co-founder of kc masterpiece barbecue & grill restaurants, to create a book titled i am loved: true stories of true love from people like you.

the hong kong jewellery & watch fair 2000, held sept. 20-24, recorded a 21% increase in asia-pacific buyers and saw sales exceeding us$300 million. post-fair orders were estimated at around us$685 million. the fair registered a total of 30,665 visitors from 129 countries and regions. the 21% increase in visitors from the asia-pacific region was an indication that the region’s economy is r…

“i got robbed the last night of the gjx show,” laments arthur anderson, a well-known award-winning gem carver from fredericksburg, va. “things stolen out of my booth included boxes that contained parts of my large statue ‘leigha,’ the fourth in a series of nine that i’ve been making, all based on an ancient minoan figure from the island of crete, circa 1700 bc .

on feb. 28, the board of the watchmakers of switzerland training and education program (wostep), the training center for the swiss watch industry, approved a plan to modify its training program for use in the united states. the new program is designed to attract young americans to the watchmaking industry.

“watches are an anathema. you must have them but they kill the bottom line,” grouses an east coast jeweler. another agrees: “we only carry them as an accommodation to our customers.” such sentiments are held by many retail jewelers, and perhaps for good reason: one in three jewelers in a recent national jck survey say watch sales represent only 5% or less of their business.

rumor has it that butchers put beef under red lights to make it look better. that makes sense: lights that generate more nonabsorbing wavelengths do enhance the color of the object being lit. beef doesn’t absorb red, so putting a filet mignon under lights that generate a higher-than-natural daylight red content—for example, incandescent lights—gives it an even more appealing red co…

pacific pearls pte. ltd. in singapore and its daughter company in kuala lumpur have been renamed golay pte. ltd. and golay sdn. bhd., respectively. pacific pearls, which was founded in 1980, joined the golay group in 1996.

mvi marketing ltd. has launched mvi pulse, a web-based market research service that provides research and analysis aimed to help companies with brand management, new product introduction, customer satisfaction analysis, competition evaluation, sales expansion strategies, and more effective and efficient marketing.

the european gemological laboratory’s web site, eglusa.com, allows visitors to verify grading results and certificates online. after logging on, a user points to “online results,” enters the desired report number, and then submits. this feature is available to the trade and consumers. other features include the complete egl product and service catalog, the ability to check account informatio…

a strategy to boost last year’s holiday sales with aggressive promotions of fashion and lower-priced jewelry put zale corp. “dramatically off track” in its important second quarter, says robert j. dinicola, chairman and chief executive officer. following its best year ever in fiscal 2000, the first half of fiscal 2001 saw sharp drops in comparable-store sales and net income as well as the feb.

nearly 150 jewelers descended on capitol hill in february to drum up support for industry-favored “conflict diamond” legislation. the grass-roots lobbyists, brought to washington by jewelers of america, mostly met with congressional staffs, although some powwowed with actual lawmakers including sen.

distinguished industry leaders in diamonds and colored stones addressed the nearly 200 people who attended gia gemfest 2000 sept. 14 and the 26th bangkok gems and jewelry fair. the event was co-organized by the thai gem and jewelry traders association (tgjta) and gemological institute of america, thailand campus.

many people who exercise regularly at home don’t schedule workout time when they travel. business trips, with their rounds of appointments, seminars, and dinners, seemingly afford no time for workouts. but fitness experts say that to stay mentally and physically sharp, combat jet lag, and sleep better at night—often a problem for travelers—the best solution is hitting the gym or ev…

european gemological laboratory will undertake a research project on cultured chinese freshwater pearls in 2001. the study will focus on advanced testing procedures using x-radiography, x-ray fluorescence, and other methods to separate the chinese pearls from other varieties of pearls. pearl suppliers wishing to participate in the project should contact the egl research department at (212) 730…

yourgemologist.com, a new gemological reference and study site, is now operational and available as a free service to the jewelry trade as well as consumers. the site offers information on a wide variety of gemstones and minerals that includes photographs, consumer shopping information, and gemological testing information.

last year’s international jewellery london, which took place sept. 3-6, attracted more exhibitors and visitors than in previous years, prompting organizers to call it bigger and better than ever before. ijl 2000 was 17% bigger than it was in 1999 and had a 9.2% increase in stand space sold. the event attracted more than 460 exhibitors from 24 countries, including australia, belgium, france, g…

the cas-ker company, a cincinnati-based distributor and importer of watch material and tools, supplies, and equipment for jewelers and watchmakers, has moved into a new facility, doubling its floor space to 21,000 sq. ft. the company has also purchased the watch material division of fargotstein’s, a memphis, tenn.

panelists were glum about the future at a recent discussion sponsored by the diamond dealers club in new york. “i don’t see the prognosis as very good for dealers,” said former ddc president william goldberg. “i say to the younger generation, ‘get involved with computers or accounting. you need to re-school yourself and find another way of making a living.

through good times and bad, one constant in the jewelry industry has been the atlanta jewelry show, managed and owned by the southern jewelry travelers association (sjta). the only show founded by traveling salespersons, this regional event has enjoyed steady growth throughout the past 50 years. during that time the show has moved, grown, and changed to keep pace with the needs of the industry.

few gemstones are prized for their beautiful inclusions. consider the overwhelming popularity of diamond, which is most valuable when it is inclusion-free. internal growth features in most gemstones are typically considered by jewelers and consumers alike to be flaws, and their presence reduces the gem’s value.

last fall’s hong kong watch & clock fair, held sept. 6-10 in the hong kong convention and exhibition centre, attracted 15,595 buyers from around the world, according to the hong kong trade development council, the fair organizer. the fair featured 774 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions. buyers from outside hong kong totaled 5,671 from 4,214 companies, an increase of 1.

wheeler manufacturing co. inc., lemmon, s.d., a producer of jewelry for the american tourism trade, has purchased the prairie rose jewelry line. prairie rose, which consists of gold necklaces, rings, and earrings, will be sold alongside wheeler’s dakota gold line. wheeler purchased the prairie rose line from bernard schumacher, the line’s founder and designer.

the carnegie museum of natural history in pittsburgh recently purchased for their permanent gem exhibit two designs by award-winning master gem artist michael dyber of rumney, n.h., who is known for his optical illusions in stone. the works purchased are indicative of dyber’s signature lapidary techniques: the “dyber optic dish,” in a 74.

the internet is becoming an important tool for the major japanese watch brands, both in japan and in the united states. but the big three—seiko, citizen, and casio—are driving in very different lanes on the information highway. the major watchmakers are using the internet to sell watches—albeit in a limited way, for now—and to collect market data.

precious metals suppliers abi precious metals, carson, calif., and refining one inc., providence, r.i., have joined forces to purchase the patent for sterilite, a sterling silver product that is said to significantly inhibit tarnishing. the joint venture has formed a new corporation, sterilite llc. the two companies will act as exclusive marketing representatives for the product line that inc…