retailers also hit by off-premises robberies a jeweler is robbed at gunpoint of $50,000 in goods while returning a rental car at los angeles international airport. another jeweler is hit for $250,000 in loose stones in a mall parking lot. a third is choked and robbed in an underground garage. just typical cases of traveling jewelry salespeople and gem dealers being robbed on the road? no, the v…

the u.s. jewelry industry, like so many others, has witnessed a remarkable growth in imports in the past two decades. we are now part of the global marketplace, with more than 50% of the jewelry sold here of foreign origin. it’s important to note, however, where this growth has been. the manufacturing of promotional jewelry has gone overseas because of lower labor costs.

gems with an american pedigree smaller retailers on the lookout for something unique to give them an edge over the cookie-cutter gemstones featured by mass-market competition might well examine the artistry of some of america’s foremost cutters and carvers. american gem cutting combines rough-hewn knowledge with self-made mastery.

pearl design contest to mark 25th year the international pearl design contest will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. created to encourage the use of cultured pearls in modern jewelry design, the contest is sponsored by the japan pearl promotion society, the world gold council ltd. and the platinum guild international.

like bootleg pants, skinny shirts and double-knits, neckwires were hugely popular in the 1970s. and like bootleg pants, skinny shirts and double-knits, neckwires are back in vogue for the 1990s. these delicate circlets of gold, silver and platinum never went out of style completely. but like pearls and cashmere twin sets, they enjoy periods of being particularly fashionable.

ija tp honor friedman’s executive the united jewish appeal-federation of jewish philanthropies of new york will honor bradley j. stinn, chairman and chief executive officer of friedman’s and crescent jewelers, in new york city april 2. stinn will be honored for his professional achievements and his commitment to civic causes, as well the stores’ help in the uja-federation&#821…

the lo wu crossing station between hong kong & china is the busiest along the chinese border. thousands stride daily over the double-decker concrete walkway. whatever their reasons for travel and whatever their thoughts, all are reminded by two large signs – one on each side – of the most important event facing hong kong and southeast asia.

the winning designs in this year’s contest show skillful combinations of colors and metals the 1997 spectrum awards serve up a palette of vibrant colored gemstones in spectacular designer jewelry. if the results of the american gem trade association’s annual competition is a harbinger of things to come, you can expect this year to be robust for saturated, vibrant colored gems.

(pdonahue@chilton.net) looking over the list of articles for the february issue, i feel inspired to sing the praises of jck’s editorial staff, with whom i collaborate on each issue. i feel lucky as an editor, and you should feel lucky as readers. take our fashion forecast in this issue. senior fashion editor hedda schupak asked the cultured pearl information center to photograph models w…

photo studio planned at ja las vegas! tps visual communications will operate an on-site studio for buyers and exhibitors at the ja las vegas! show feb. 2-4. the company will photograph and return merchandise in as little as two hours, saving the expense, inconvenience and security problems involved in leaving the show.

for jewelers who wonder how diamonds became the most prominent gemstone sought by u.s. consumers today, diamonds, a century of spectacular jewels by marion fasel and penny proddow is the book to read. the new coffee table-size tome, published by harry abrams, new york city, shows how an extraordinary confluence of circumstances – mainly the discovery of diamonds in south africa, an emergi…

a jewel of a yule for ’96 jewelry was a strong seller this christmas season, though overall sales were softer than most retailers expected. u.s. retailers across all product categories expected christmas ’96 to be a success, based on a generally strong economy and high consumer confidence levels.

sakin & co. acquires august corp. name morris star, president of sakin & co., and jesse august, president of august corp., announced that sakin & co. bought the august corp. name. the new company is known as august pearl, with star as president, august as a full-time consultant for two years and betty starr as vice president of marketing.

deep in the lush hills of west virginia, the spectacular centuries-old greenbrier resort has welcomed u.s. presidents, world leaders, dignitaries and countless celebrities through the years. in keeping with such company, the greenbrier will exclusively host members of the independent jewelers organization during their spring seminar and buying show feb.

jewelry is back spring’s overall fashion direction remains similar to fall’s: the silhouette is slim and close to the body; the pants suit is the working woman’s wardrobe staple, especially with an elongated jacket; and the long, lean look is important for evening. new elements include an emphasis on knits, such as matte jersey; asymmetrical details, such as one-shouldered d…

friedman’s inc. posts 39.7% revenue gain friedman’s inc., the fourth-largest u.s. jewelry retailer, reported record earnings for the fiscal year ended sept. 30. revenue totaled $192.2 million (up 40%) and net income totaled $15.5 million (up 49%) on net sales of $169.4 (up 39%). comparable-store sales grew just 3%.

by george, i think they’ve got it! marks & spencer, a classic english purveyor of everything from cashmere to carrots, now sells karats too. m&s, in keeping with a general shift to a more upscale image, recently launched a fine jewelry department. the quintessential english emporium populi recognized a basic concept of selling gold jewelry sooner than its u.

vendome group buys vacheron constantin the vendome luxury group – owner of cartier, piaget and baume & mercier – has added swiss watchmaker vacheron constantin to its stable of luxury product brands. vendome bought the ma- jority-stake shares of the 242-year-old company from sheik ahmed yamani, the former saudi oil minister.

business services jewelry technology consultants will review jewelry manufacturing facilities to improve productivity. the company’s expertise covers problems in porosity-free castings, platinum castings, trouble-free castings, casting with diamonds in wax, metal mold making, reducing manufacturing costs, high-speed mass media finishing, quality control and administrative procedures.

cartier’s 150th anniversarybibliography not long after joining his father alfred in 1898 at the helm of cartier, louis cartier made his first innovation: he ordered his workshops to forego silver and use platinum instead. he had seen the greater purity of platinum being created in a few workshops, and he did not hesitate to embrace the possibilities of the stronger, non-corrosive metal.

one of the most-often-asked questions about antique and period jewelry is its age. part of the “job description” for someone who studies, buys and/or sells old jewelry is the ability to contextualize a jewel with the period in which it was made. history may not have been your favorite subject in school.

le smoking … it was only a matter of time before the cigar craze hit the jewelry industry as a design theme, not just an accompaniment to one’s after-dinner port. suddenly, jewelry designers are creating everything from tiny jeweled stogies to cigar bands made of precious metal and, of course, the requisite luxury smoking implements.

“the glitter and the gold: fashioning america’s jewelry” is the title of a new exhibit that will examine the evolution of the jewelry industry in newark, n.j., from 1850 to 1950. the exhibit will be featured in the newark museum from may 7 to aug. 17. the exhibit and its accompanying catalog will look specifically at the design, production and sociological significance of newa…

13 designers win spectrum platinum honors winners represent the best in platinumand colored stone jewelry designthirteen designers received 1997 agta spectrum platinum honors. the competition is sponsored by the platinum guild international usa jewelry inc. and the american gem trade association and held as part of the agta spectrum award competition.

yen growing more popular the japanese yen is becoming more widely used in international transactions. this growth is due to its stable purchasing power and japan’s increasing importance in the world economy. however, contrary to speculation, a recently released economic report says there is no indication the yen will replace the u.