the number of jewelry stores using computers is increasing, and jewelers are discovering endless possibilities for the new technology in 1960s science-fiction movies, they were monstrous, skulking machines that developed evil minds of their own. in the 1980s, popular films featured them starting war games against the soviet union and cloning human beings.

basel– the world watch, clock & jewellery show is the one show every jeweler should visit at least once in his or her career. for eight days each april, it is the center of the world’s watch and jewelry industries, the forum where nearly every new watch and clock product from east or west debuts, the showplace where trends in america next year are unveiled this year.

auction houses have become the most visible and powerful force at the top end of the jewelry selling industry, but this success has bred resentment. retailers who’ve watched their grip on the high end of the market slip say the auction houses have unfair legal advantages. they also charge that auction houses overlook forgeries and forget disclosure rules.

economic growth has been good for the jewelry industry – and at least one of the tradeshows that support it – in southeast asia there’s a powerful explosion in southeast asia. it’s an explosion of buying power as jewelry industries and consumer markets mushroom, spurred by growing economies in developed and developing nations, including china.

june 5 – hpakan for over 30 years, myanmar’s military government has kept the crown jewel of “jadedom” locked away like a virgin in a tower. it has taken four long days of travel covering a scant 35 miles just to get a glimpse of the tower. but here we stand, on the cusp of the town of hpakan.

a turning point in the fortunes of the emerald business may be under way. the international forum of the colombian emerald, held in november in santa fe de bogota, colombia, and an emerald congress to be held later this year are designed to breathe new life into the world’s emerald business. even more significant, observers say, is a change in attitude at the highest levels of colombia…

argyle diamonds, the australian mining giant, is beefing up promotion of indian-manufactured diamond jewelry in the u.s. to bolster demand for its smaller diamonds and to help the indian diamond industry recover from its depression the american retailer will be a key player in argyle’s new independence from de beers’ central selling organisation, say top argyle officials.

jewelry styles forecast from vogue to vanity fair, from elle to town and country, the consumer magazines were filled with jewelry throughout the fall season. your customers read these chic, high-fashion magazines, and chances are that what they see is what they’ll want. just in case you were too busy to read the popular magazines during the holiday season, here’s what your customers…

teens pick jewelry and watches if teenagers shopped where they predicted they would, jewelers should have seen more of them over the holiday season than they did throughout the rest of 1996. a national survey by channel one network, a leading provider of news and educational programming to u.s. teens, found this group was expected to control $7 billion in shopping power this past christmas season.

waist not, want not. as the new trend in accessorizing calls for one or two standout pieces, designers are suddenly looking down – to the waist and hip – for inspiration. tom ford, whose column dresses at gucci have built-in jewelry over cut-out hips, is also helping to fuel the revival of the status belt.

kenneth cole band expands hot mesh style watchmakers and retailers have hailed the resurgence of the expansion band as a major link to surging sales among fashion watch brands. the expansion bands were popularized from the 1940s through the 1970s by speidel, kreisler, timex and a host of smaller companies that today are only a memory.

diamond sales up; uncertainty too retail sales in the u.s. will drive the world diamond market this year, as japan and the rest of asia will likely remain off the fast-growth track. here are some other diamond trends: colored stones: earth tones reign the trend toward warm, earthy colors complementing the colors of women’s clothing is likely to continue, with peridot and garnet in the lead.

turkey, the legendary land of roman emperors and muslim sultans, is once again the center of a thriving gold jewelry export industry that some experts believe will rival italy’s within 10 years. the country’s current specialty is creating european designs at lower cost. but forward-thinking turkish manufacturers foresee competitive challenges and are looking for ways tointegrate the…