internet advertising increasing swiftly internet advertising is skyrocketing, and the engines show no sign of a burnout. spending for online ads will soar to $23 billion annually in north america by 2004, up from $3.3 billion now, according to forrester research inc., a cambridge, mass., firm that analyzes the impact of technology.

colibri consolidates its shiman operations the most important event for colored stone sales is actually more than 20 events. the tucson gem and mineral shows, which take place every february, provide a preview of trends that influence the industry for the entire year. tucson is the place to view innovations, discover what’s selling, and stock up on color.

diamond mine jewelers has released a six-page color mini-catalog illustrating the flowing diamonds collection of invisibly set diamonds in platinum and 18k white gold. featured are symmetrically set rings, semimounts, bracelets, and necklaces. suggested keystone prices range from $2,000 to $25,000. the laminated consumer brochure is available customized with retail store logo.

the much-heralded new year has arrived, and once everyone gets used to the big calendar change, the hype will go away. what’s likely not to go away are several burning issues that continue to confound the jewelry industry and undoubtedly have entered the consciousness of some savvy customers. there is no easy way to resolve these questions, but one good way to start is by reading what follows.

diamonds may be called “ice,” but the vast majority look more like pieces of a rainbow than chips of frozen rain. although most contain only slight traces of color—usually yellows, browns, or grays—diamonds span a wide range of hues, varying in intensity from faintly tinted to extremely saturated and from very light to deep dark—even black.

new millennium etched in stone just in time for the new millennium, the international gemmological institute, a grading lab and appraising firm in new york city, is offering to laser-inscribe a store logo alongside a millennium or personal message on the girdle of a diamond submitted for a laboratory report.

jules jürgensen returns to its roots the jules jürgensen watch brand, once found mainly in the cases of mass merchandisers, has become a timepiece exclusively for jewelers. to mark the change, the company has created an upmarket swiss-made line named for its founder, restructured and expanded its concept collections with watches priced up to $6,000, and widened its “every-wear…

it’s high time to give jvc its due on oscar night, all eyes are riveted on beautiful actresses in designer gowns, their jewels glittering in the spotlights. famous beauties like demi moore and gwyneth paltrow follow the tradition of stars such as marlene dietrich and jean harlow, who blinded the cameras with their high-carat flash.

diamonds and pearls walk the runway at the spring/summer 2000 ready-to-wear shows last fall in new york, several leading fashion designers chose real jewelry to accent their new collections. among the more dramatic pieces were rings combining tahitian pearls and colored resins, wire and pearl necklaces, diamond masks, a diamond belly chain, and a pair of shoulder-brushing diamond dangle earrings.

tiffany & co., one of the world’s leading luxury jewelers, will build a $10 million, 100,000-sq.-ft. jewelry manufacturing facility in cumberland, r.i. the new plant will primarily produce silver jewelry but also make some gold and platinum jewelry. it will open in spring 2001 and employ about 450 people.

ags announces appointments paul klecka, r.s., has been named american gem society marketing committee chairman. klecka, founder and president of paul klecka inc. of chicago, a specialty manufacturer of 18k and platinum jewelry, has chaired the supplier committee and has served on the conclave and marketing committees.

ratio workout for the new year before you meet with your banker to request a loan or a line of credit, you’d be smart to master the six key financial ratios the banker will use to analyze your creditworthiness. you should know how your ratios compare with national averages and be able to explain how and whether your store’s financial performance can be brought into line with them.

just as surely as a diamond is forever, it’s inevitable that you will encounter a customer who describes a competitor’s 50%-off sale and asks if you can match the deal. how you respond depends on your business philosophy. you can refuse to alter your price, instead explaining why your store provides greater value for the money.

colibri consolidates its shiman operations the colibri group, providence, r.i., closed its century-old shiman religious jewelry factory in newark, n.j., on nov. 12 and merged its operations with its headquarters plant. the providence facility had been making 50% of the shiman line since 1998. at the time of closing, there were fewer than 40 people left in the newark facility.

retirement figures disputed bobby wilkerson’s comments in your interview were a bit self-serving and not entirely accurate (“mistakes jewelers make when they retire,” jck, october 1999, p. 142). no doubt mr. wilkerson has a pretty good take on the industry, what with all the time and effort he’s put into it.

a visitor to brinsmaids in new canaan, conn., finds jewelry and fine gifts in creative gallery presentations as well as traditional island-type showcases. that blend of display styles complements the merchandise mix, which includes high-end non-branded goods and collections from top designers. the store, situated on the main thoroughfare of an affluent suburban community, employs eight people a…

the 2-in. metal flex arm removes harmful fumes from individual workstations. the compact arm is static-safe, features high airflow capacity with minimal pressure loss, and is suitable for workbenches with limited space. the stainless-steel arm operates with a range of static-safe nozzles and end pieces.

year 2000 is finally here, and the next 12 months offer jewelers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build traffic and boost business with millennium-themed products. to help you get off to a good start, we’ve selected some of the most impressive 2000 products on the market. whether it’s a simple charm or an elaborate diamond necklace—or the world’s most expensive pen—each product r…

the year of the dragon as chinese carvers move from ivory to hard stone, many of the finest have begun working in jadeite. jade expert don kay, president of mason-kay inc. in denver, says he’s seeing more fine-quality jadeite carvings than ever before. that might not be a coincidence—jadeite claims a strong connection to the year 2000.

corundum expert joins pala ruby and sapphire expert richard w. hughes has joined pala international, importers and exporters of colored gemstones based in fallbrook, calif. hughes will develop pala inernational’s sales on its web site, www.palagems.com. hughes spent nearly a decade as executive vice president of bangkok’s asian institute of gemological sciences.

jewelry sales in the first decade of the new millennium will nearly double, growing at least 7% annually during the next five years and reaching a cumulative growth rate of 197% by 2010. that’s the upbeat prediction of ken gassman jr., a retail stock analyst with davenport & co., richmond, va.

in fashion, color has always been a matter of regional preference, based on climate and lifestyle. as new yorkers warily consider a bright accessory to wear with their traditional black, women in dallas, atlanta, and santa fe are saying, “color is back? when did it go away?” sociologists have observed that clothes become darker and more subdued as one heads north and brighter and se…

jck’s trendz™: a new kind of jewelry publication retail jewelers with a zest to explore trend-setting directions in design have a new resource. twice a year, jck will be published as a two-part issue incorporating jck’s trendz, an oversized, high-quality, new-product magazine. appearing each fall and spring, trendz will help retailers identify the best jewelry to complement the clothes th…

mark vadon liked buying a diamond on the internet so much, it changed his life. “i was out shopping for an engagement ring a year ago,” he recalls. “i went on the internet trying to get information and ran across internetdiamonds.com. i got a fantastic ring, and it was just a very good customer experience, and i was intrigued with the model.

on leadership “to command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less.” —andré malraux, man’s hope the beginning of a new year is an appropriate time to reflect on where you’ve been, how you got there, and where you’re going. it’s also a time for measuring performance, setting new goals, and analyzing what you’ve done well and what you need to do better.