selling is what makesthe engine hum, what gets the juices flowing. here, in time for the christmas selling season, are scores of hints and suggestions which will help turn a good sales staff into a squadron of high performers selling is the heart of any retail business and the care and feeding of salespeople one of the prime tasks of managers.

lorus to centralize watch distribution seiko has reorganized distribution of its lorus brand quartz watches, turning over nearly all key mass merchandise accounts from four distributors to one. starting jan. 1, 1996, the king co., austin, tex., will head distribution of lorus; three other distributors in new york, seattle and kansas city will be used only as needed at a local level, says tony c…

agta gemfair to feature designer jewelry gallery a new designer jewelry gallery will make its first appearance at the american gem trade association gemfair in tucson, scheduled jan. 31 to feb. 5. called bydesigntrademark, the gallery will feature more than 70 designers in the arena next to the gem hall in the tucson convention center.

lee berg named entrepreneur of the year lee berg, president of lee michaels fine jewelry, baton rouge, was named louisiana entrepreneur of the year in the retail category. the award is associated with the 10th annual national entrepreneur of the year awards program founded by ernst & young and sponsored nationally by inc.

south african miners warn of decline south africa’s leading gold mining companies have called on their government to change the country’s labor laws and create tax breaks to avoid closing down much of the country’s gold mine production. in its proposal to the government, the chamber of mines, which represents all of south africa’s top mining houses, says the country’s mining industry “is at a w…

platinum demand rises the platinum push continued last year as north america used 55,000 ounces of the metal in jewelry manufacturing. that was 22% more than in 1993, says a report from johnson matthey, a principal platinum refiner, fabricator and marketer. north america remained far behind the top two users, but had the bigg-est percentage growth of any world region.

pgi/ja develop ad the spotlight is on platinum jewelry in a new advertisement unveiled by the platinum guild international and jewelers of america. the two-page, four-color ad appears in the october/november issue of modern bride magazine. it showcases platinum and platinum/18k gold engagement and wedding rings and includes a toll-free telephone number that consumers may call for their closest …

ja announces internet site jewelers of america has unveiled a site on internet’s world wide web. consumers can use the site to view brochures, product and buying information on gold, diamonds, pearls, platinum, colored stones and other jewelry topics. in addition, they can obtain the names of the ja member jewelers closest to them.

cocktails and conservative chic the return to ladylike apparel has helped to fuel a return to classic accessories such as shaped handbags, contoured belts and cocktail rings. women’s wear daily reports rising sales in handbags, belts and jewelry at stores such as bergdorf goodman, henri bendel and saks fifth avenue; retailers expect the trend to continue as feminine dressing remains strong for …

three-minute burglaries can be reduced, says jsa leaving jewelry in showcases overnight is “inviting burglars to break into your store,” warns a jewelers’ security alliance bulletin on three-minute burglaries. “if they can see it from outside, they will try to steal it!” three-minute burglars – so-called because of the amount of time it takes to break in, grab the merchandise and leave – can ra…

maxixe beryl: fading beauty in court a recent court ruling in singapore could have far-reaching effect on legal cases involving disclosure of gem treatment. judge g.p. selvam ordered house of hung of singapore to refund a reported $485,177 to a plaintiff who bought a parcel of beryl from the company in 1988.

shuly assuline and lori gyl mahler were the winners of the 1995 ja jewel award. mahler, of jamms, new york, won in the women’s jewelry category for her counterpoint necklace of 14k green and white gold with princess-cut diamonds suspended by three rows of bead chain. assuline, of mdviani, new york, designed the multi-passion ring, a men’s reversible band of 18k gold and platinum, adorned with d…

jsa does it quietly invisible fences are an unobtrusive way to keep your dog from running out of your yard and being a nuisance or a traffic casualty. the “fence” is an underground wire that gives the animal a brief shock if it tries to cross the line; once shocked, it stays put. but invisible fences also are useful to keep intruders from coming on to your property – especially if you’re talkin…

rumors that synthetic diamonds are infiltrating the gem trade have ripped through the world’s diamond centers. but the only person to announce publicly that he was producing such a line says he’s still a long way from market. tom chatham, president of chatham created gems, san francisco, says that continued setbacks have thrown his schedule so far off that “we have no viable date for production…

family values and hometown virtues. suddenly, they’re in the spotlight as politicians and social critics rediscover and reaffirm them. but for king’s jewelry of new castle, pa., they aren’t new or trendy. this unabashedly small-town regional chain of 31 stores in northwest ohio, western pennsylvania and west virginia has thrived on family values and hometown virtues for eight decades.

philanthropist kicks off bulova school campaign philanthropist norman morris of harrison, n.y., has launched the joseph bulova school’s first fund-raising campaign with a $25,000 pledge. morris, 96, a watch importer for 65 years, is credited with making the swiss-made omega watch well-known in the u.

farewell to an industry giant another one-of-a-kind, another one of the giants who made the jewelry industry so great and one we love so much is leaving his jewelry connection for something else, no doubt a greater challenge in a long career of challenges. of course, i refer to michael d. roman, known to everyone as mike! mike roman (who retired last month as chairman of jewelers of america) is…

nick paspaley likes to show off a 20mm white pearl found on one of his pearl farms two years ago. “i’ve been offered almost a million dollars for this, but i’m keeping it for now,” he says, rolling the gem between his fingers. “look at the luster; the color; this is what makes a magnificent pearl.” paspaley, australia’s largest pearl farmer, says this gem symbolizes how far the country’s pearle…

de beers sees opportunity in switch to jwt agency de beers hopes for a seamless transition and new opportunities for jewelers in its decision to switch its u.s. advertising and promotion account from n.w. ayer & partners to j. walter thompson. nonetheless, the decision, announced in september and effective jan.

watch sales accounted for 20% of total sales at harland jewelers last year – more than twice the figure at a typical u.s. jewelry store. the modesto, cal., retailer also reported a 10% increase in watch sales, despite higher prices from swiss manufacturers and a generally unmotivated consumer. that figure was higher than typical, as well.

jewelry’s intent the art and craft of jewelry, by janet fitch. 1994. 144 pages. 175 color illustrations. $17.95. (jck data center ix-003.) to order call (800) 722-6657. this inexpensive, high-quality, how-to-book is loaded with creative ideas for a large variety of materials and techniques to make all types of jewelry.

after more than 40 years of total secrecy, russia put its diamond operations on public view in june. the occasion was an international diamond summit in moscow (see august jck, page 14), followed by a visit to sakha, the siberian province where the country’s mines are located. russia produces one-fourth of all diamonds mined in the world, an estimated $1.

geography is one of the most persistent elements factored into any economic forecast. it’s a favorite cause-and-effect; because such-and-such a region’s having tough times, businesses there must suffer. let’s look at a couple of recent examples in our own industry. midwest manufacturing collapsed as the auto and steel industries were undermined by foreign competition.

sterling moments receives craft award sterling moments, a jeweler based in louisville, ky., was recently named one of “america’s top 100 retailers of american crafts” by niche magazine. the jeweler, which isn’t connected with sterling inc. of akron, ohio, was cited for superior performance in buying, marketing, store presentation and community outreach.