LOUISIANA JEWELERS PLAN CONFERENCE

Jewelers of Louisiana Inc. will hold its 52nd annual convention July 11-13 in the Hilton & Tower, Lafayette, La. The Gemological Institute of America will present seminars on colored gemstones, synthetics and clarity-enhanced diamonds. Jewelers also will be able to tour Stuller Settings and will have a chance to take the Jewelers of America Bench Jewelers Certification test.

Separately, members of the organization recently traveled to New Orleans to see the exhibit of 400 Fabergé objects owned by Americans.

Jewelers of Louisiana, 2423 Old South Plaza, Abbeville, LA 70510; (318) 893-1900, fax (318) 364-1784.

APPRAISERS PLAN CONFERENCE

The American Society of Appraisers will hold its international conference June 21-25 in Houston, Tex. Panel discussions will focus on personal property appraising, including discussions on legal issues and a look at valuing special collections, artist collections and celebrity estates.

Seminars also will cover the use of electronic media in appraising. The developer of ArtFact, a CD-ROM listing more than 2 million descriptions from art auctions, will present a session on using new technology to appraise decorative arts.

Conference attendees will be able to take private tours of the Bayou Bend Collection and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Pre- and post-conference tours and receptions are scheduled at the Menil Collection, the Rothko Chapel, the River Oaks Antique Warehouse and the home of a Houston collector.

ASA, P.O. Box 17265, Washington, DC 20041; (800) ASA-VALU or (703) 478-2228, fax (703) 742-5471. For registration information, contact Sharon Smith Theobald at (765) 463-1270 or e-mail artserv@pop.nlci.com. jewelers help flood victims

The California Jewelers Association and the Kentucky Jewelers Association are collecting donations to help jewelry retailers who were victims of the Ohio River Valley and San Joaquin, Cal., floods in March.

At press time, organizers were assessing the needs of jewelers in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and California and setting up hotlines for industry members who wish to help. The associations will match up jewelers and manufacturers who wish to help with retailers who have specific needs.

Jewelers who wish to help or who know of a jeweler who needs help should contact Pat O’Rourke of CJA at (800) 253-7469, fax (213) 623-5742, or A.J. Sales of KJA at (800) 949-5675, fax (502) 443-7069.

PROVIDENCE JEWELERS ELECT OFFICERS

Michael Ames of Stern-Leach in Lincoln, R.I., is the new president of the Providence Jewelers Club. He was elected during the club’s annual meeting in Providence, R.I.

Serving with him are F. Paul Mooney Jr. of George Fuller & Sons, Pawtucket, R.I., vice president; Robert P. Slack of Geib Refining Corp., Warwick, R.I., treasurer; and Randolph Sowa of Mel-Co-Ed Inc., Pawtucket, R.I., secretary.

SILVER INSTITUTE ELECTS DIRECTOR

Paul Bateman is the new executive director of The Silver Institute, a global association of miners, refiners, fabricators and manufacturers. He succeeds John Lutley, who is stepping down after 11 years in the post and who now becomes senior consultant to the institute.

Bateman formerly was director of public affairs for the institute and before that worked in senior government positions in the White House and the Treasury Department.

WJA CHAPTERS PLAN LAS VEGAS EVENT

The Northern California, Los Angeles and San Diego chapters of the Women’s Jewelry Association will sponsor the fifth annual Las Vegas Bash during the JCK International Jewelry Show in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be held 7-11 p.m. June 1 in the Las Vegas nightclub Drink.

WJA will use the occasion to announce winners of its DIVA Awards for Jewelry Design. Winning entries will be showcased at the party.Tickets are $70 per person and include open bar, buffet and dancing. A cigar room will be available. Proceeds from the event will benefit the WJA Scholarship Fund.

Contact Elsa Martinez Phillips at (213) 489-7444 or Colleen Rafferty at (415) 344-9535 for more information.

PJA RELOCATES

The Pennsylvania Jewelers Association has moved to 411-A Amherst Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17109-5411; (800) 523-1106 or (717) 657-5458, fax (717) 657-5446.

PLUMB CLUB ELECTS 1997 OFFICERS

Jose Hess of Jose Hess Inc., New York, N.Y., has begun his second term as president of The Plumb Club. Other officers are Bruce Rubin of Astoria Jewelry Manufacturing, Long Island City, N.Y., vice president; Banice Bazar of Imperial Deltah Inc., East Providence, R.I., treasurer; and Robert Wueste of Samuel Aaron International, Long Island City, N.Y., secretary.

New directors are Rachel Wertheimer of Oro Dall’Italia of New York, N.Y., and Barry Sullivan of ArtCarved, Austin, Tex.

GIA JOURNAL HONORS ROBERT KAMMERLING

The winter 1997 issue of Gems & Gemology, the quarterly journal of the Gemological Institute of America, is dedicated to the memory of Robert C. Kammerling, formerly vice president of research and development at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory. Kammerling died last year.

Seven international researchers wrote articles about unusual gemstones and gem materials for the issue in honor of Kammerling, who was known for his fascination with “gem oddities.” Articles look at gem materials from Sri Lanka, tanzanite imitations, black opaque gem materials, traphiche rubies and operations at an imperial topaz mine in Brazil.

Also listed in the journal is the “honor roll” of major donors to the Robert C. Kammerling Research

Endowment, which will fund applied gemological research worldwide. The issue also includes the 1996 index of Gems & Gemology.

Gems & Gemology Subscriptions Dept., 1660 Stewart St., Santa Monica, CA 90404-4088; (800) 421-7250 or (310) 829-2991, ext. 201; fax (310) 453-7674.

JADE EXPERT SPEAKS TO HISTORIANS

The American Society of Jewelry Historians met recently for a presentation by Don Kay, an expert on jade and president of Mason Kay, the largest distributor of jade in the United States. Kay discussed the history of nephrite and jadeite, two materials often referred to collectively as jade. Nephrite was used as far back as

Chinese recorded history, at least 5,000 years. It was carved into tools, knives and bowls and used as symbolic ornaments. Jadeite, a much greener version of the material, came to China from Burma and wasn’t used to any great extent until around 1750 A.D. Kay also used slides to describe the mining and carving of jade, and discussed the traits and forms of jade.

ALAN LEOPOLD NAMED TO NYSJA POST

The New York State Jewelers Association Inc. has appointed Alan Leopold as executive director. He succeeds Nelson Lavergne, who resigned earlier in the year.

Leopold previously served with Jewelers of America for 17 years, most recently as director of affiliate member services.

Wholesalers group offers videotape on inventory

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors offers a new installment in its Q&A series of videotapes. Distribution Inventory Mastery is a set of two one-hour videos by distribution inventory expert Gordon Graham. A 30-year distribution executive and best-selling author, Graham answers questions from wholesale distribution executives about such inventory issues as dead stock, cycle counting, seasonal items, forecasting sales of new products, inventory carrying costs, replenishment costs and multibranch inventory systems. The video comes with a 36-page viewer guide.

The videotapes and guide are available for $195 for NAW Direct Members, $235 for NAW Member Associations and $280 for non-associations members. NAW Publications, 1725 K St. N.W., Dept. T, Washington, DC 20006; (202) 872-0885, fax (202) 785-0586.

URBAN SAFARI CRUISE

The jewelry industry’s new leadership committee of the National Conference of Christians and Jews will hold its annual urban safari cruise June 12 to raise money for a youth leadership training program.

The four-hour cruise aboard the Royal Princess yacht in New York City will include music, food and dancing. The yacht will depart the North Cove Harbor Marina in front of The Winter Garden at the World Financial Center at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. Tickets are $175 per person. Discount parking is available at Gateway Garage Plaza. Call Zita Dorn at (212) 807-8440.

BASKETBALL COACH TO SPEAK AT WJA BREAKFAST

Noted women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer will be the featured speaker at the Women’s Jewelry Association breakfast during the JCK International Jewelry Show in Las Vegas. The event begins at 8 a.m. June 3 in the Mirage Hotel.

Van Derveer has coached Stannford’s women’s basketball team to two NCAA championships and was coach of the 1996 Olympic gold medal women’s team.

In 18 years of coaching, her teams have made 12 post-season appearances. In her 11 years at

Stanford, her record is 285-64, and nine of her players were among the first to be selected in the inaugural women’s American Basketball league draft.