jewelry leads holiday sales jewelry was a bright spot in overall lackluster holiday sales. jck’s own informal poll of jewelry retailers found jewelry sales 10% ahead of the 1993 holiday season. the international council of shopping centers cited an identical increase for jewelry stores, compared with 5.

new find: east african golden tourmaline at first sight you might think it’s andalusite. it has an odd orangy brown color with the hints of green often glimpsed in andalusite. in reality, it’s a golden brown elbaite tourmaline from kenya.”it was quite rare in east africa until recently,” says miner-geologist campbell bridges.

entries sought in pearl design contest the japan pearl promotion society is seeking entries in the 23rd international pearl design contest. the deadline is march 15. designers, jewelers and manufacturers may submit entries in three categories: specified theme, in which designs must take the form of aquatic animals; free style, any form; and paper design rendering, full-color sketches.

it would take a silver bullet to slow the growth of silver jewelry sales. annual sales increases have grown from 7%-10% in the very early 1990s to at least 10% now, says the silver trust international, with the 1994 total expected to hit $1.6 billion. the best news for jewelers? much of this growth is occurring in the higher end of the market, the segment traditionally carried in fine jewelry s…

ftc charges firms with gem scam the federal trade commission in november requested and received a temporary court order halting what it called misrepresentative telemarketing of gemstones as investments by florida residents thomas e. o’day and jeffrey l. kelley. o’day operates thomas e. o’day co. in orlando.

dear jck readers, welcome to jck’s february 1995 management study center devoted to the topic of employee relations. yukari is delighted to be sponsoring this important subject, the first of four that we will sponsor during 1995. we at yukari believe strongly that good employee relations provide the foundation for a successful and healthy business environment.

the best of a series complete price guide to watches, no. 14, by cooksey shugart and richard gilbert. 1994. 1017 pages. $19.95. (jck data center nw-004) the current 14th edition is larger than preceding editions by 62 pages. it claims, with some justification, that it can be considered a “new encyclopedia.

a capsule look at business, economic and demographic trends affecting the jewelry industry jewelers to congress: cut taxes, stimulate growth jewelers have a clear message for the new congress: reduce taxes, especially on capital gains, and stimulate business growth. that’s the consensus gleaned from a december poll of the jck retail jewelers panel, which comprises hundreds of jewelers throughou…

schwarzschild aims for growth a new president outlines his plans to raise the profile and expand the market of this venerable richmond, va., jeweler by william george shuster, senior editor the new president of schwarzschild jewelers is a jeweler well-versed in reviving and growing retail companies who envisions the four-store richmond, va.

what’s hot and not women’s wear daily recently reported how fall/winter fashion trends are selling at the retail level. the hottest sellers are schoolgirl looks, fake furs and fuzzy fabrics. next are shiny fabrics and menswear looks. significantly cooler were animal prints and bright colors. and at the bottom of the list, the so-called “new length” has left customers cold.

the 1995 directory: redesigned to serve how often do we see or hear the phrase, “new and improved”? almost daily, it seems. but it’s still a true thing to say about your 1995 jewelers’ directory issue, which came in the mail in january. after a publishing lifetime of more than 30 years, the directory has gone through some really radical changes – all of them designed to make it the most u…

the american gem trade association’s latest award winners spotlight emerging trends in colored stone jewelry design the 1995 spectrum award competition drew 400 entries, up 13% from last year. the group highlights popular looks to come in gemstone jewelry design; featured in many pieces were: · rainbows created with varying colors of tourmaline, garnet or sapphire.

24 karat club elects officers james lazarus was elected president of the 24 karat club of the city of new york. lazarus is chairman and chief executive of l&r manufacturing co., kearny, n.j. serving with him are bart j. “terry” d’elia iii of b. d’elia & son inc, new york, n.y., vice president; roger h.

more than most businesspeople, jewelers are aware that they are part of an international market. much of the product sold by jewelers comes from overseas. and jewelers are a traveling lot, both for business and for pleasure. it seems that someone you know is forever just back from some exotic location or just about to board a plane and fly there.

should jewelers appraise? this appraiser says `no’ at the beginning of his column appraisal q&a in the november issue, mr. rosen asks the question: “how do you accommodate a customer who wants an appraisal?” you don’t need to go beyond this question and read his lengthy dissertation, which avoids the main point.

spratford, nassau retire from gia board kansas jeweler robert e. spratford and bell laboratories scientist dr. kurt nassau retired from the gemological institute of america board of governors nov. 7. spratford, 75, reached the mandatory retirement age for service on the board. he received a 50-year service pin from gia president william e.

new diamond firm offers russian polished stones russia diamond house opened at 580 fifth ave., new york, n.y., specializing in imported diamonds polished in russia. the company is a joint venture of mark satir, a russian-born diamond trader who recently worked in toronto, and eli izhakoff, president of the diamond dealers club of new york.

mirage jewelry show scheduled in las vegas the mirage fine jewelry show will be held march 5-9 at the mirage hotel in las vegas, nev. the delivery show is owned and presented by asd/amd national trade shows, which has organized variety/general merchandise shows in las vegas since 1961. the trade-only shows first featured army surplus merchandise, but now offer everything from clothing to gifts …

this really is a story for the 21st century. but if you plan to be around after we hit the 2000s, it’s probably a good idea to think about what’s coming. what’s coming is a world jewelry market in which china is the no. 1 player, the nation where demand for gold, diamonds, cultured pearls and a variety of colored gemstones will dictate prices in all markets.

dps offers new self-study course a new self-study version of the diamond rules ii marketing program is available from the diamond promotion service. “a self-study course on product knowledge & selling skills” is designed to give sales associates everything they need to know about selling diamond jewelry.

brazilian gemstones are poised for a comeback. new production and exciting discoveries are breaking a decade-long slump in brazil’s gem-rich state of minas gerais. the finds have substantially increased the availability and diversity of such classic colored gems as emerald, aquamarine, alexandrite and bicolored tourmaline.