GOLDEN CIRCLE CLUB SETS INDUSTRY BENEFIT

The Golden Circle Club of New York, a business and social club for retailers and suppliers in New York state and the Northeast Corridor, will sponsor an industry-wide gala dinner dance to benefit two industry nonprofit associations. The event, called ?The Jewelers Millennial,? will be held Dec. 4 and will benefit the Jewelry Information Center and the Jewelers Vigilance Committee.

The gala, open to all members of the industry, will take place at the Starlight Roof of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. A silent auction will be held during the evening.

For information, contact Susan Cullum at (201) 816-8881 or Jim Donohue at (201) 804-2285. For information on event sponsorship or contributing an auction item, contact Lisa Wayne Sadow at (212) 244-8666.

AGS NAMES CONCLAVE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Bill Sustachek, president and owner of Rasmussen Diamonds in Racine, Wis., has been appointed American Gem Society Conclave Committee chairman. He succeeds Bill Farmer, who served in the position for six years.

Sustachek, an AGS Certified Gemologist Appraiser who was elected to the AGS board of directors last year, is a past president of the Wisconsin Jewelers Association. He has more than 20 years of jewelry experience.

The 2000 International Conclave will be held March 22-25 at the Philadelphia Marriott.

JA ISSUES REFERENCE

Jewelers of America has published a laminated, spiral-bound reference, the JA Professional?s Guide to Fine Jewelry Craftsmanship. The guide is divided into five sections: repair, setting, fabrication and assembly, casting, and finishing. Bench jewelers, sales associates, and store managers can use it to understand and communicate acceptable industry standards.

The publication, designed to stand on a sales counter, illustrates professional workmanship and helps to identify the causes and consequences of structural failures in jewelry design and fabrication.

For information, contact Jewelers of America, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10036-2061; (212) 768-8777, fax (212) 768-8087,

e-mail: jewelersam@aol.com.

PLUMB CLUB ELECTS SLATE

Banice Bazar of Imperial-Deltah Inc., Providence, R.I., has been elected president of the Plumb Club of New York State. Bazar has served on the club?s board of directors since 1993. Victor Weinman of Original Designs Inc. is the new vice president. Rachel Wertheimer is treasurer. Michael Kaplan of Rocket Jewelry Box is secretary.

The 48 member firms of the Plumb Club, along with retailers and trade associates, enjoyed an evening together at the Bellagio Hotel during The JCK Show in Las Vegas in June. The evening began with an outdoor reception overlooking the hotel?s Italian-themed pools and gardens. Entertainment included magic tricks, palm reading, and stilt walking. After dinner, guests enjoyed a private performance by the magic-comedy team of Penn & Teller. The evening ended with dancing.

GIA CAREER FAIR SET NEXT MONTH IN CALIF.

The Gemological Institute of America is hosting its Career Fair on Oct. 15 at its world headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif.

Recruiters will be seeking to fill hundreds of jobs at all levels and in all areas of the industry, according to fair organizers. ?Movers and shakers? in the industry will meet one-on-one with participants to offer advice. Seminars will provide insider knowledge of ?hot? careers. Also slated are hands-on workshops covering interviewing skills and designer marketing, as well as information booths focusing on owning a business, résumé writing, manufacturing, and retailing.

One-on-one mentors who will attend the California Career Fair include Cos Altobelli, president of Altobelli Jewelers; Howard Herzog, president of International Jewelers Block Insurance; Matt Runci, president of Jewelers of America; Richard Drucker, president of Gemworld International; and Douglas Hucker, executive director of the American Gem Trade Association. Organizations that will be sending recruiters include the American Gem Society, Zale Corp., Jewel Bells Co., Le Vian Corp., Tiffany & Co., Ben Bridge Jewelers, and the Jewelry Judge.

This marks the second Career Fair held by GIA this year. The first fair took place in August at the Jewelers of America summer show in New York. Career Fair was created by Kathryn Kimmel, GIA vice president of marketing and public relations.

For more information, job seekers are requested to call GIA?s Jewelry Career Fair hotline, (800) 421-7250, Ext. 4065. Recruiters are requested to call Anna Lisa Johnston, GIA?s career services manager, at (800) 421-7250, Ext. 4255, or Elizabeth Hutton, GIA?s job referral coordinator, at (212) 944-5900, Ext. 3077.

DCA ELECTS OFFICERS

Terry Chandler, senior vice president/partner at Michelson Jewlers Inc., Lexington, Ky., has been elected president of the Diamond Council of America. He succeeds Robert Love, who received DCA?s Lode Van Bercken Award for his service to the group.

Jeffrey Comment of Helzberg Diamonds, North Kansas City, Mo., is the president-elect. Herbert Ledbetter of Marks and Morgan Jewelers, Augusta, Ga., is vice president. Bruce Kenney of Sterling Inc., Akron, Ohio, is secretary/treasurer.

Jeffrey D. Zimmer of Reeds Jewelers, Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Steve Robbins of Robbins Bros., Los Angeles, were re-elected to the board of directors.

DCA, which contributed 14k gold and diamond pins for the Best Friends Foundation, a Washington, D.C., organization that provides guidance for adolescent girls, was recently honored for its efforts at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

NAJA ADOPTS TWO CREDENTIALS

The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers has authorized two new designations for use and attainment by its members: Certified Member (CM) and Certified Senior Member (CSM).

The move is an effort to counter appraisers who call themselves ?Certified Appraisers? but are not affiliated with any appraisal association and therefore are not certified by anyone. Misunderstandings result among members of the public who believe such titles represent the same level of achievement as a ?Certified Public Accountant.?

For CM designation, members will be required to take a three-hour exam covering appraisal terminology, definitions, techniques such as metal testing and report writing, and value theory issues related to insurance replacement appraisals. They will then be required to write a narrative appraisal report to NAJA standards for one jewelry item provided by the association.

For CSM designation, members will be required to take a three-hour exam covering appraisal terminology, definitions, report writing, and value theory issues related to fair market value appraisals. They will then be required to write a fair market value appraisal report to NAJA standards for one jewelry item provided by the association.

For information, contact NAJA at (301) 261-8270.