pa jewelers plan convention the pennsylvania jewelers association will convene in the yummiest city in pennsylvania for its annual convention and jewelry show. the convention and keystone jewelry show will be held aug. 1-4 at the hershey lodge & convention center in hershey, pa., home of the famous chocolate factory.

antwerp boils over banking scandals belgian officials reacted angrily to a perceived attempt by leaders of the israeli diamond center to profit from a series of banking scandals that have struck antwerp. on the heels of belgian press coverage – in which israeli diamond leaders were quoted as questioning the stability of belgium’s diamond sector – peter meeus, general manager o…

new diamond polishing technology and an urgent need to offer something new and distinctive are bringing consumers an ever-widening choice of diamond shapes and styles. the manufacturers say these new cuts can differentiate jewelrymakers and retailers from their competition and subvert price lists by offering a product that can’t be shopped around easily.

with its domed crystal, rounded case and patent-pending form-fitted bracelet, the new kirium continues tag heuer’s look toward contemporary design melded with sports-oriented marketing and technical foundations. it also marks tag heuer’s first new group of watches since 1992 and the largest international public relations campaign in the company’s 137-year history.

ijo honors three for jewelery designs the independent jewelers organization honored three members for their artistic designs and quality workmanship in its jewelry design contest, held at the semiannual international buying show in white sulphur springs, w.va., earlier this year. claude dickinson of c.

pgi offers retailers sales support retail jewelers breaking into the platinum market will do so with a little help from their friends – at platinum guild international. a study commissioned by pgi of manufacturers, retailers and consumers found more than 60% of all platinum jewelry purchased in 1996 was specially ordered.

heads or tails? being president has some perks. despite occasional fights with cranky members of congress and nasty foreign dictators, you do get to live in a big house and have an airplane at your disposal. your cat’s more popular with the public, but your wife can show her devotion by wearing your likeness on a specially designed coin.

most jewelers open a jewelry store first and then use an attention-getting piece of jewelry to create traffic. john kautz did just the opposite – he acquired a 44-pound gold nugget and then created a jewelry store. kautz owns ironstone vineyards in murphys, cal., a community in the middle of california’s gold country.

to hear it told, newark, n.j., was famous for three things: leather, beer and jewelry. these once-monstrous industries have shrunk over time. the number of leather tanneries dwindled before world war ii, and the conspicuous anheuser-busch plant is the one remaining beer producer. likewise, the krementz & co.

master goldsmith standards the american jewelry industry is a vast and amazing field of business and art. contained within it are pockets of ingenious commerce and fine art fueled by the exceptional creativity of individuals. though the industry is large, it is still a neophyte compared to the european standards of goldsmithing, which are hundreds of years in the making.

we talk to all kinds of jewelers: small independents, regional and national chains, promotional operators, guild and department stores. as varied as their opinions are on everything from advertising to assortments, they are of one mind about one important fact: doing business today is more of a challenge than ever.

fifty years in the tortuous 5,000-year history of india is but a teardrop in the arabian sea. despite chaos during the past five decades – the assassinations of two leaders, religious and political conflicts in certain regions, a tragic toxic gas leak at bhopal – a half-century of freedom that began at midnight on aug.

third couture event spotlights luxury the third annual jewelry couture collection & conference was held may 25-28 at the phoenician resort in scottsdale, ariz. the event was launched in 1995 to aid upscale jewelers in merchandise planning and marketing strategies. this year’s focus on luxury marketing recognized that attendees were much more than jewelers, says nancy robey, executive …

ftc proposes leaner watch guides the federal trade commission has proposed a series of changes to its guides for the watch industry. the ftc asks industry members to comment on the proposals by sept. 2 and, for the first time, also asks about the need for the guides at all. the proposed changes include amendments addressing representations about shock, water and magnetic resistance; the minimum…

two actions in washington protect jewelers following years of lobbying by jewelers of america and retail jewelers across the country, the house of representatives and the u.s. postal service have taken action on issues involving military exchanges and insured mail. the house committee on national security ruled that the u.

a three-day conference titled “expressions of the modern: jewelry in the context of the decorative arts 1910-1945,” discussed the relationship of style in jewelry and style in architecture, fashion and interior and industrial design. the conference was held in june in new york city and was directed by joyce jonas, president of the american society of jewelry historians and adjunct a…

in summer 1995, the jewelers vigilance committee issued a bulletin cautioning jewelers that we could no longer rely on the long-standing protection of not providing specific identification information when taking in jewelry and watches for repair, modification or appraisal. a jeweler followed industry-recommended procedures and limited the description of a possible emerald to one “green s…

religious medallions and charms are a mainstay for many jewelers. often these are the first pieces of jewelry a young girl (or boy) receives. crosses and stars of david are the most common symbols in religious jewelry design. but inventories are beginning to reflect the fact that customers’ spiritual beliefs and symbols are becoming increasingly diverse.

ort to recognize schreiner the jewelry industry chapter of the american ort will present harriet schreiner, executive vice president and general merchandise manager of sterling inc., with its community achievement award sept. 18. the dinner at the grand hyatt in new york city will be cochaired by terry burman, chief executive officer of sterling inc.

i took a vacation recently around my favorite part of the world, the british isles and ireland. i expected to see castles and abbeys, visit museums and monuments and muse about all the peoples who have trod on english, irish and welsh soil through the ages. what i didn’t expect was to see so much jewelry or to become aware of how great a role it played in these countries’ histories.

on the alert for green opticon american gemological laboratories, new york city, has issued a “gem alert” warning the trade about the use of green opticon to fill surface-reaching fissures in emeralds. while clear opticon and other synthetic resins have been used for years, the color variation of the product adds a new twist.