Catalogs
Ten Broeck Creations, the jewelry division of National Diamond Syndicate Inc., offers a new 64-page catalog of guild-quality and price-point jewelry, including engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, bracelets, pendants and wraps. National Diamond Syndicate Inc., 67 E. Madison St., Suite 1610, Chicago, IL 60603; (800) 621-5057, fax (312) 782-4553.
A&B Jewels and Tools offers two new catalogs. One features 64 pages of jewelry displays ranging from acrylic gem boxes to zippered pouches. The other is a 288-page tool, supplies and equipment catalog featuring the Grobet line. It contains everything a craftsman needs to become involved in the jewelrymaking or jewelry repair business as a professional or hobbiest. A&B Jewels and Tools, 350 W. Grand River, Williamston, MI 48895; (800) 62-TOOLS, fax (800) 39-TOOLS.
Star Struck Inc. introduces a 24-page catalog of weighing products with “aggressive pricing.” The catalog features brands such as Ohaus, Mettler, Sartorius, Tanita, Dendritics and Acculab and includes scales covering anything from gold and diamonds to postage. Star Struck Inc., P.O. Box 308, Bethel, CT 06801; (800) 243-6144, fax (800) 962-8345.
Elba Jewelry Inc.’s new catalog features invisible settings, semimounts, bridal jewelry and colored gemstone rings. Elba Jewelry Inc., 910 N. Amelia Ave., 2nd Fl., San Dimas, CA 91773; (800) 444-ELBA or (909) 394-5803, fax (909) 305-2141.
A new 32-page color catalog of traditional designs – from rings to Y necklaces, colored stones to pearls – is available from Black Hills Gold by Coleman, P.O. Box 6400, Rapid City, SD 57709; (800) 874-9926.
T. Sardelli & Sons Inc.’s newest catalog features new and basic styles of 14k gold earrings under the Sarde® brand. T. Sardelli & Sons Inc., 195 Dupont Drive, Providence, RI 02907; (800) 327-4641 or (401) 944-8510.
A catalog update from Contact East Inc. offers new items for jewelers, watchmakers and hobbyists working with detailed jewelry and electronic parts. Brand names included in this update are Xcelite, CK, Moody, Lindstrom, Branson, Loctite and Luxo. Contact East Inc., 335 Willow St., North Andover, MA 01845; (508) 682-2000, fax (508) 688-7829.
A new catalog titled America’s Finest Jewelry from J.B.J. Distributors Inc. features a range of products from 14k coin holders to Rolex watches and watch accessories to North American game pendants. J.B.J. Distributors Inc., 10547 S. Post Oak Rd., Houston, TX 77035; (800) JBJ-7777 or (713) 729-6993.
ENAMEL GIFT BOXES: REVIVING A TRADITION
You can help customers to revive an 18th century tradition with miniature copper enamel gift boxes from Staffordshire Enamels Inc.
Two centuries ago, enamels were often given as tokens of love and friendship or simply as decorative objets d’art. While many 20th century enamels are decorated with multicolored transfers, which painters then finish off by touching in the missing colors, Staffordshire Enamels uses the 18th century practice of hand-painting over a single color transfer and “touch marking” of each piece by artists.
Customers can buy the boxes as decorative accents or collectibles; retailers can sell them outright or use them as high-end packaging for a high-end piece of jewelry. The boxes range from $85 to $600 retail and are available in various series.
The Joy of the Garden Collection, for example, recalls the intricate language of flowers dating back to the Victorian era. It includes an oval box called “Auricula” ($165), refering to a plant once used as a cure for headaches; a “Forget-Me-Not” box ($95) for one’s “true love,” a “Pansies” pill box ($150); “Anemone” and “Rose” boxes ($235 each) that re-create freshly cut flowers; and “Picnic Basket” ($235).
The Christmas Collection, meanwhile, includes a limited-edition “O Little Town of Bethlehem” box, the first in an annual series related to Christmas carols; “We Three Kings” with 22k highlights, the seventh in this annual series; “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” a new rectangular miniature; and “A Christmas Angel.”
Other collections include the Georgian Collection, Sculpted Fruits, the Panelled Collection, Astrology & Astronomy, Musical Boxes, Year Box and Anniversaries, the Traveller’s Collection, Keepsakes, Childhood Memories, Sporting Pastimes, All Creatures Great & Small, Eggs and Flowers of the Month. The company offers corporate services, displays and special commissions.
Ernest Johnson started Staffordshire Enamels in 1977 after working at Wedgwood. He found his inspiration to start his own company and revive a nearly lost English art form while studying the Schreiber collection of antique English enamels displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The company currently sells its products at better independent gift, jewelry, department, specialty and stationery stores worldwide. “Staffordshire Enamels really fills a niche in the sense of unique subject matter an innovative-shaped enamel boxes,” says Jim Jimenez, giftware coordinator at Shreve & Co., a jeweler in San Francisco, Cal. “I am particularly excited about the new floral/fruit baskets, as these and other decorative boxes will appeal to our customers at holidays.”
Staffordshire Enamels is based in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and has a U.S. office at 53 Boston Harbor Rd., P.O. Box 1697, Dover, NH 03821-1697; (603) 749-5964, fax (603) 749-5949.
Bench & Lab
United Precious Metal Refining Inc. offers a free 26-page book of hints on all aspects of jewelry manufacturing, from maximum gold recovery to soldering, investment casting and casting stones set in wax. United
Precious Metal Refining Inc., 2781 Townline Road, Alden, NY 14004; (800) 999-3463.
The Little Torch, weighing just 1.5 ounces, is designed to braze and solder even the tiniest elements and to be used in areas that are difficult to reach with conventional torches. Smith Equipment, 2601 Lockheed Ave., Watertown, SD 57201; (800) 328-3363 or (605) 882-3200, fax (605) 882-2100.
Censortron introduces a minicarat scale you can carry in your pocket. The scale has up to 50-carat capacity and .01 accuracy. Censortron, 15 W. 47th St., Suite 1100, New York, NY 10036; (800) 223-0551 or (212) 764-7130, fax (212) 764-9617.
The laminar flow endpiece (shown on the table), when attached to PACE’s Arm-Evac II central filtration unit, removes harmful fumes during benchtop assembly and production activities such as hand-soldering. PACE Inc. 9893 Brewers Ct., Laurel, MD 20723; (301) 490-9860, fax (301) 498-3252.
DISPLAY
Magic Glass introduces the Quarter Vision Display Case, which measures 39 inches high, 20 inches deep and four, five or six feet long. The standard model features locked storage and halogen lighting and comes in wood, plastic or mirror finish. Magic Glass, 2345 Harrison St., San Francisco, CA 94110; (800) 222-1070, e-mail magicglass@infinex.net, Internet www.3000.com/magic.
The GL10 tempered-glass showcase from Tecno measures 24 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 76 inches high and has five adjustable shelves and a locking door with security latch. It is dust-resistant and has three 50-watt halogen lights at the top and hidden wheels for easy mobility. Laminate finishes are black, walnut, brushed gold or silver. Tecno, 150 Park Lane, Brisbane, CA 94005; (800) 255-3536 or (415) 468-6766, fax (415) 468-2554.
The curved-front classic series of showcases by Spartan features mirrored doors, 1000 series octron light with lamp, standard HPL formica or Wilson Art interior and exterior finishes with open lower storage. Spartan Showcase Inc., P.O. Box 470, Union, MO 63084; (800) 325-0775, fax (314) 583-4067.
Wrought iron spiral displays are available in single- and double-spiral designs that show chains, bracelets and earrings. They range from a 4-in.-high earring display to a 16-in.-high double-spiral earring display. The chain/bracelet display comes in 10-in .and 15-in. versions. Rio Grande Display & Packaging, 7500 Bluewater Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87121-1962; (800) 545-6566.
The Modform line of track lighting from Nuco Lighting comprises three versions to accommodate halogen Par20, Par30 and Par38 lamps. The fixtures feature bent wire that is die-formed in a parallel configuration. All fixtures are fully adjustable and equipped with an on-off switch and are available in black or white finishes. Nuco Lighting, 2730 Greenleaf Ave, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007; (847) 806-6826, fax (847) 364-5127.
Skanda Lights II offers a new auto-converter designed to minimize voltage fluctuation and sustain the rated manufacturer’s MR16 lamp life. The auto-converter provides for a high-color index and optimal color temperature, is fully dimmable with a solid-state printed circuit, is equipped with a thermal protector, operates silently and comes with a full replacement guarantee. Skanda Lights II, 2730 Greenleaf Ave., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007; (800) 748-1832, fax (847) 364-5127.