design find kathryn kinev of atlanta founded jewel creations while attending georgia state university in 1983, but her interest in jewelry design dates from 1977, when she began designing and making pieces for her friends. later she got her first real job in the industry designing 18k gold pieces for various designers.

rolex enterprise award four u.s. citizens were among the 15 winners of the international rolex awards for enterprise, given each year since 1976 to encourage and fund individual achievement. three were awarded the laureate honor, which includes $50,000 and a solid gold rolex chronometer. one received the associate laureate honor, which includes a $10,000 award and a steel and gold rolex chronom…

the young man and woman put down their cappuccinos, he places the diamond ring on her finger and they look up and smile broadly as a camera shutter clicks. they embrace, then proudly admire the ring as they leave the store, hand-in-hand. this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them. but for robbins bros.

pennsylvania jewelers plan show, conference the pennsylvania jewelers association will gather at “the sweetest place on earth” for its annual jewelry show and convention aug. 2-5. the event at hershey, pa., will feature several educational opportunities, recreational events and the 20th annual keystone jewelry show, with more than 50 exhibitors.

by george holmes, editor in chief since becoming editor in chief of jck in september 1974, i’ve written 264 editorial columns. some annoyed you. a few startled you. i’m sure quite a few bored you. hopefully, some made you think about some issues with more focus or greater intensity. and now this is the last one.

security conference focuses on crime reduction more than 100 jewelry retailers and manufacturers, insurers and law enforcement authorities put their heads together at the recent jewel and gem conference to discuss ways to reduce crime. the three-day conference was sponsored by zale corp., sterling inc.

it’s ok to look rich again. even if you aren’t, this is the season to dress as though you are. the slim, tailored, classically elegant apparel styles created for fall are worth investing in — and are relatively easy to fake if such an investment isn’t in the budget. colors are rich and deep, fabrics are lush and accessories are back! the look is sophisticated, grown-up and functional.

the fascinating shapes of american pearls are showcased in the winners of this year’s vision awards competition. american pearls range in shape from nearly round to teardrop, from baroque to bizarre. all lent a special look to winning pieces in the second annual pearl design contest sponsored by the american pearl co.

contest winners honored at jck show the winners of three design competitions were honored during the jck international jewelry show in las vegas, nev. winners of the jck retail design contest (see jck, may 1996, pp. 112-114) were honored at a luncheon held may 31. they are frank yanke of franklin, mich.

adolf jewelers named marketer of the year ronald adolf of adolf jewelers of richmond, va., recently was named 1996 richmond area marketer of the year. the award was presented by the richmond chapter of the american marketing association, which cited adolf’s creative marketing strategy. the slogan “relax, we’ll make you happy” and the store’s marketing program distinguish the single-location bus…

though separated by two world wars and a european continent, french jeweler jean schlumberger (1907-1987) and russian master peter carl faberge shared one common trait: both celebrated nature with startlingly imaginative designs. while faberge eschewed big expensive colored stones, however, schlumberger, living in more colored stone-accessible times, adored them.

auction market strong; high reserves take toll the market for big diamonds and world-class jewelry was strong at the may auctions in geneva, switzerland. however, christie’s and sotheby’s saw their results compromised when several large pieces failed to sell. the reason: dealers demanded reserve (minimum) prices too high for the market to bear.

retailer wins suit for right to hold lien a civil court in hawaii ruled in april that a jeweler who sued a customer to gain overdue payment for a large-scale estate appraisal is within the law to hold the jewelry until the bill is paid. circuit court judge gail nakatani said the plaintiff, carats & karats fine jewelry of honolulu, has the right to “possessory lien” on the jewelry until the …

many changes in the revised guides focus on the sections dealing with diamonds. the most controversial issues concern weight measurement and lasering the federal trade commission’s revised guides for the jewelry industry have been published in final form; they officially took effect on may 29. the guides now cover 24 pages in a formal booklet.

cso raises & lowers prices on rough de beers’ central selling organisation announced an overall 3% increase in rough diamond prices in july. the action ranges from big increases for big diamonds to actual reductions for smaller, lower-quality stones. the increases average 7% for 1-ct. rough and rise along with the size (anything over the top size category of 10.

gold jewelry reaches new high prospects never looked brighter for your gold jewelry business, based on a recent world gold council report that shows 18 consecutive quarters of sales growth. in fact, gold jewelry sales rose 10% in both dollar and unit volume in the first quarter of 1996, the highest percentage increase since the council started to track sales in 1988.

2nd couture collection proves successful the second couture collection & conference, a by-invitation-only show geared to high-end jewelers, was considered successful by attendees. the event, held may 27-29 in the ritz-carlton huntington hotel in pasadena, cal., featured a seminar program dedicated to marketing issues facing luxury retailers and a buying floor where manufacturers exhibited t…

appointments linda malias passaro is the new vice president of marketing for baume & mercier inc., new york, n.y. she was formerly a partner at j. walter thompson, where she served as manager of the diamond marketing group. also at baume & mercier inc., steven jager, who had been vice president of marketing and merchandising, was named to the new post of vice president of merchandising …

the issues of fracture filling and low industry profits dominated the world federation of diamond bourses and international diamond manufacturers association congress, held in may in tel aviv, israel. at the last congress in 1993, wfdb and idma enacted tough sanctions on diamond traders who fail to disclose that their goods are treated to improve clarity (fracture filling) or color (irradiation).

flaws in gemstones wonders within gemstones: the elusive beauty of gemstone inclusions, by anthony de goutiere. 1996. 135 pages. 124 color illustrations. $49.95. (jck data center pd-001) to order call (847) 564-0555. this is primarily a pretty picture book, definitely coffee-table caliber. if you can’t afford the guebelin-koivula opus on the same subject, this could serve as a less costly way t…

in 1946, jewelry sales were at an all-time high of $1.5 billion, spurred by 2.3 million weddings that had been postponed during the war years and an overall pent-up demand for luxury goods. it was clear to some in the industry that, in spite of the boom in jewelry, the post-war competitive environment would require a more aggressive marketing strategy than ever before.

gia class to teach diamond grading the gemological institute of america will teach four one-week courses in diamond grading this summer and fall at the diamond institute in florida, n.y. “we’re offering a complete, intensive program,” says sofus michelson, founder of the diamond institute, which offers an 80-hour program in diamond cutting and polishing.

show security incidents spur need for caution getting exposure on national tv or having a story about you flashed nationwide on the ap wire is the sort of instant fame that many jewelers — retailers or manufacturers — might think the stuff dreams are made of. but, in our industry, if you’re talking about a news event likely to attract crooks, the dream can become a nightmare.

the diamond centers in belgium and israel have spent millions of dollars promoting their industries around the world in recent years. new york city’s 47th st. has been quiet by comparison, but that’s not to say there haven’t been changes. a majority of the big diamond houses in new york city have gone into finished jewelry lines in a big way, and now many smaller colleagues are following suit.

gem river branches out gem river corp., grand rapids, mich., and emkay international inc., new york, n.y., have agreed to jointly develop a consumer awareness program focusing on multicolored sapphires from the u.s. the agreement also calls for emkay to market on a national level the sapphires that gem river mines in southwestern montana.

[janet zapata is a decorative arts historian who specializes in american jewelry and silver. she is a consultant to christie’s auction house, the newark museum and the louis c. tiffany museum in nagoya, japan. she also lectures in the graduate program at the cooper-hewitt museum in new york city, writes for several antiques magazines and is the author of the book the jewelry and enamels of loui…

[ginger moro is an author, lecturer and dealer in antiques and vintage jewelry and early 20th century works on paper. she is based in los angeles, cal. her recent book, european designer jewelry, explores jewelry in 13 countries. she also wrote “the mystery designers for georg jensen usa” for the june 1996 issue of heritage.