twenty outstanding women in six industry categories have been nominated by the women’s jewelry association membership for their 21st awards for excellence gala to be held on july 25, 2004, at pier sixty, chelsea piers, in new york city. the wja awards for excellence recognize the accomplishments and milestones of women in the jewelry industry, and winners are selected by member ballots.

platinum supply and demand are expected to be more or less in balance in 2004, ending a run of five successive years of supply deficit, according to johnson matthey’s platinum 2004 , released may 17. in 2003 the platinum market was 280,000 ounces (8.7 tons) in deficit, as supply of the precious metal fell short of expectations, according to the annual report.

attention, designers and lapidary artists! the american gem trade association has officially launched its search for the most inspiring, innovative, and creative designs. this october, agta will host the 21st annual spectrum awards competition, created two decades ago to inspire excellence in design and lapidary arts.

when it’s time to plan your promotional strategy for the fall/holiday season, look to the groups that promote the diamonds, gold, platinum, gemstones, and pearls you sell. they’ve got plenty of ideas, advice, co-op programs, and more. the industry’s major product promotion associations—diamond promotion service (dps), world gold council (wgc), platinum guild international (pgi), american …

on oct. 30, the american museum of natural history in new york city will open “totems to turquoise: native north american jewelry arts of the northwest and southwest.” the exhibit will include some 500 pieces of historic and contemporary jewelry and artifacts. according to steve reichl, senior publicity manager for the museum, the exhibit will celebrate “the beauty, power, and symbolism of the …

the american watch association (awa) on may 10 elected walter fischer, chairman of rolex watch u.s.a, as its new chairman of the board. he succeeds ronald luino, elected last september to a two-year term as chairman, who left the post when his position as chief financial officer of seiko corp. of america was eliminated in april.

the vnu couture diamond leadership conference, to be held at the plaza hotel in new york city oct. 13-14, 2004, will kick off with one of the biggest brand names in the world of international business and luxury real estate. donald j. trump, chairman and president of the trump organization, will be the opening keynote speaker at the by-invitation-only conference, which is designed to address th…

the first jck show ~ las vegas occurred during a recession. the announcement by jck magazine that it would sponsor a trade show for the jewelry industry in early june 1992 was a radical departure from tradition. many industry insiders predicted the new show would fail. it was too early. jewelers could not or would not plan their christmas business in june.

daniel k’s new uternity band enhances a traditional eternity ring by using a shared-prong mount in a “u” shape. the resulting design minimizes the metal used and maximizes the visible surface area of the diamonds in the band. uternity is crafted in platinum and features yellow or white diamonds. to take advantage of the strong market for anniversary gifts, daniel k plans to expand the line into…

guess watches has chosen not one but two young women to be the new “face of guess watches.” the pair will serve as spokespersons and “faces” for the brand’s global advertising and marketing efforts. the popular fashion watch brand is sold in 70 countries and 30,000 retail outlets. the april 16 selection of amber chen from malaysia and marvy rieder from the netherlands capped a yearlong global “…

platinum guild international’s new advertising campaign is achieving desired results, according to the organization, and reinforcing platinum as a bride’s must-have metal. the campaign focuses on a tagline—”pure, rare, eternal”—and uses soft, pale blue to link platinum’s qualities with that of a loving relationship.

the traditional open-to-buy (otb) process examines each department by projecting sales and cost of goods sold (cogs) and comparing that with on-hand inventory, resulting in an “open-to-buy” amount available for new inventory. in many cases, however, otb is actually a negative number, as the on-hand inventory exceeds the available otb budget.

the southern jewelry travelers association (sjta) and the savannah college of art and design (scad) recognized winners of a new design competition for the school’s metals and jewelry students in an awards presentation held during the atlanta jewelry show. scad and sjta partnered in the fall of 2003 to launch the competition as a way to recognize outstanding work in a host of mediums and to give…

synthetic diamonds scored their biggest public relations coup yet in may with a story on cbs tv’s 60 minutes ii. considering that 60 minutes has done several negative reports on the diamond industry—one scathingly so—some felt relieved that the show largely pulled its punches. but like other media coverage, the 60 minutes ii story played up the threat synthetics pose to natural …

as mentioned last month, dr. henry hänni of the swiss gemmological institute (ssef) is now offering inexpensive identification of beryllium-diffused corundum. this breakthrough was the result of hänni’s adapting a qualitative laser spectrometer for a process called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, or libs.

jewelers international showcase (jis) launched a totally new jewelry tradeshow in april to complement their october and january annual miami beach shows. the show had approximately 200 booths and those exhibitors saw a total attendance of over 2,800 buyers. approximately 25% of the buyers in attendance were from caribbean and latin america countries with the balance coming primarily from florida.

the antwerp diamond district heightened security after a muslim group said terrorist attacks there are “almost unpreventable.” ahmed azzuz, the leader of the arab european league, a militant group, told a european publication that “the jewish community in antwerp [should] cease its support of, and distance itself from, the state of israel.

sii marketing international, a division of the seiko group, has signed a license agreement with perry ellis international to make and distribute its men’s and women’s watches. the line, called perry ellis chronology, will be sold under the perry ellis, perry ellis portfolio, and perry ellis america brands.

the internet delivers an endless stream of information—much of it complex and confusing—on every topic imaginable, and its growth appears infinite. for example, a quick search for “jewelry” using the google search engine will produce nearly 34 million results. jewelers who want to attract more customers or sell items through a web site have an enormous number of options available a…

the diamond council of america (dca) has selected fruchtman marketing, toledo, ohio, to develop and implement its new marketing and promotional campaign. fruchtman marketing will handle all creative and media placement for dca. for information, call ellen fruchtman at (800) 481-3520.

levinson jewelers, one of the top independent jewelry retailers in the country, is partnering with clear channel radio to create the levinson jewelers theatre. the 200-seat theater is housed within clear channel’s miramar studios and offers guests a chance to relive a time in radio when performers and their audience were in close proximity.

though new york may be the country’s fashion capital, los angeles runs a close second, and l.a. fashion week is increasingly important for press and buyers. less serious than the east coast version—with notably smaller names on the bill—l.a. fashion week for fall 2004 focused on fun and flirty designs accessorized with diamonds.

elizabeth ritzcovan has been named luxury sales director of house & garden magazine effective immediately. ritzcovan will be responsible for luxury goods advertising including jewelry, watches, retail, and select fashion accounts. ritzcovan was most recently international sales director at where magazine international, where she handled 48 markets worldwide with a specialty in luxury ret…

matthew j. space has joined omas as vice president. he most recently served as vice president of brand development for ghurka new york. shreve, crump & low president and ceo merritt w. mayher has been appointed to the jewelers vigilance committee (jvc) board of directors. she has served as president and ceo of shreve, crump & low and schwarzschild jewelers since march 2003, and is t…

actresses debra winger and tatum o’neal made special appearances at the 15th edition of the annual fashion accessories benefit ball (fabb) fund-raising gala held in may. winger and o’neal took the stage to accept fabb’s charitable contributions to the cystic fibrosis foundation and the children’s therapy center, respectively.

hugh glenn, president of hugh glenn corporation in new york city, and carl j. rudolph, an insurance executive, recently were elected to jewelers mutual insurance company’s board of directors. hugh glenn corporation, formed in 1984, is the american distributor for the cyma swiss luxury watch brand.

a semi-annual meeting was held in sarasota, fla., in march by the leading jewelers guild to discuss the future of family-owned independent jewelers. the meeting covered topics from location and store design to branding and diamond buying. a seminar was presented on superstores and a half-day was devoted to discussions on solitaire and loose diamond sourcing

the missouri jewelers and watchmakers association recently honored the winners of their annual design contest. taking honors this year were leo anglo, vincent’s jewelers, first place for the under $1,000 category; dale hurt, gold n designs, first place in the over $3,000 category and best of show honors; and greg pfleger, vincent’s jewelers, first place in the $1,000 to $3,000 category.

fossil inc., whose watches are sold in more than 90 countries, has acquired tempus international corp. for about us$50 million in cash. tempus manufactures, markets, and distributes the mw and mw michele watch brands. the deal was completed in april. jack barouh remains president of tempus, which he founded and which has offices in miami, fla.

a jeweler who a police official said had been indicted in an international money-laundering case was shot in the back of the head and killed as he walked along a crowded midtown manhattan street near the diamond district. the man was walking north on the avenue of the americas between 47th and 48th streets at about 7:20 p.

thinking of hosting a bridal event or show? three experts with a combined 50 years of experience in the bridal arena offered their advice recently at the third annual national bridal market conference in new york, hosted by the national tabletop & giftware association. here are some of the tips offered by panelists kim havrilla, noritake; roseanna robinson, pfaltzgraff; and sandy taylor, wi…

the american gem society (ags) has announced new members of its board of directors. members filling new roles on the board include president bill sites, cga, of sites jewelers and vice president/president-elect craig underwood, cga, of underwood’s jewelers. newly elected members include secretary mark moeller, cga, of r.

the women’s jewelry association board of directors recently announced its selection of mary l. forté as its 2004 “hall of fame” honoree. she will be honored during the wja 21st annual awards for excellence dinner at pier sixty in new york city on july 25. forté, who is president and chief executive officer of zale corporation, also serves on the company’s board of directors.

if there was any doubt that the economy is in recovery and that the jewelry industry is back, all one had to do was attend the jck show ~ las vegas. the event, held june 4-8 at the sands expo & convention center, was crowded with jewelers eager to buy. in nearly all cases, exhibitors reported strong to extremely strong sales.

chippenhook corporation has moved into a new 15,900-sq.-ft. facility located at 1825 lakeway drive, suite 400, lewisville, tx 75057. the new facility will serve as the firm’s administrative hub complemented by its u.s. and asian manufacturing, warehousing, and logistical support operations. contact chippenhook at (800) 527-5866 or visit www@chippenhook.

the world gold council has appointed john calnon as managing director, united states. he succeeds michael c. barlerin, who has retired from his position of managing director, americas. as part of the changes in the new york office, rick bannerot, vice president, u.s. jewelry advertising, has left the organization after four years.

the annual international watch fairs held each spring in basel and geneva, switzerland, are not only stages for new products but also spotlight developing watch trends and provide forums to celebrate watchmakers’ achievements. here’s a closer look at a couple of trends—the developing market in mechanical watches for women and the wave of new diver’s watches—plus a compilation of som…

efforts have been made this spring to resolve the fierce dispute between co-founders of the innovative and popular swiss luxury watch brand, franck muller, headquartered outside geneva. didier decker, administrative director and cfo of franck muller watchland, told jck that franck muller, who left the company in anger last year, met two weeks ago with former partner vartan sirmakes.

david w. richardson, csp, jewelry sales and management trainer and columnist for instore magazine, was the keynote speaker at the annual congress of master valuer professionals of korea. he also delivered the commencement address to the graduates of the master valuer professional school of management and design.

hearts on fire recently acquired memoire, a manufacturer of diamond wedding bands and luxury jewelry based in skaneateles, n.y. memoire will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary under co-owners doug and nancy mcdowell. hearts on fire is partly owned by belgian sightholder eurostar, which owns 49% of the company.

sidney korinsky, who spent his working life in the jewelry industry, died may 5, 2004. he was a manufacturer’s representative for haggai-goldarama co. in new york for the past 25 years. in the late 1990s, korinsky also was the proprietor of korinsky galleries in santa fe, n.m. he was buried in his hometown of farmington hills, mich.

that’s its trade name, of course. known to marine biologists as melithaea ochracea (say that five times fast!), sponge coral really has nothing to do with sponges. it just looks like a sponge. gem corals are hard, underwater, organically produced tree-like structures usually found attached to sea floors.

applications for the 2005 niche awards are now available online at www.americancraft.com. a revamped web page provides updated information about the 2005 niche awards ceremony and special display as well as application and winner notification information. the niche awards, sponsored by niche magazine, recognize the outstanding creative achievements of american craft artists who produce work f…

the american gem society will host its fifth annual circle of distinction dinner on july 27 at the rainbow room in new york city. the event will honor individuals who have demonstrated impeccable service and made a lasting contribution to the jewelry industry. ags will honor matthew a. runci, president and ceo of jewelers of america as the 2004 ags lifetime achievement award winner for his cont…

has it really been only a few years since the taboo against marrying silver and diamonds was broken, when a handful of designers realized the lower price points would appeal to a generation that had already rejected fashion mandates and stereotypes? today, the trend started by the likes of david yurman and john hardy has become one of the strongest, hottest trends in jewelry.

returning to the cobb galleria centre in atlanta aug. 7-9, 2004, the atlanta jewelry show will include the “buy more. fly more” buyer loyalty program, the southeast debut of the south sea cultured pearl exhibit, and a keynote address from the world’s first and only “disillusionist.” sjta has expanded the “you buy.

the international partnership between damiani and brad pitt may be one of the smartest jewelry marketing ventures in recent history. proof came in tokyo recently, when an impeccably timed event by damiani—just a week after the launch of the film troy—featured pitt as the guest of honor. in addition to the crowds of fans screaming for the attention of the superstar (who stood before …

the revere academy is incorporating an independent design project into its eight-week jewelry technician intensive in october. each student, guided by director alan revere, will create his or her own unique design. this new project aims to teach problem solving and real-life skill application. the jti coursework also covers all material from the academy’s 11 jewelry technician classes, along wi…

sterling jewelers inc. recently made a $100,000 donation to the gemological institute of america’s (gia) endowment fund. terry burman, chairman and ceo of sterling jewelers inc., will be inducted into the gia league of honor in new york city in october in recognition of his company’s generous gift. gia’s research on gemstone simulants and treatments is a particular reason burman felt compelled …

we recently asked members of the jck retail panel about their margins on various products. what’s the difference between margins and markup? “the difference is that gross profit margin is figured as a percentage of the selling price, while markup is figured as a percentage of the seller’s cost.” (selling price — cost to produce)/cost to produce = markup percentage gross profit/sales = g…

the de beers retail stores have lost their “style icon.” iman, the african supermodel who for two years was the public face of the chain, no longer will represent it in public appearances and advertisements. de beers lv spokeswoman joan parker says the two sides are parting because the chain no longer plans to use celebrities in its advertisements.

new york city and carlsbad, calif., will be the host cities for the gem and jewelry industry’s largest recruiting event of the year—the gemological institute of america’s (gia) jewelry career fair. the career fair will be held july 23 in new york, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the jacob k. javits convention center, and oct.

the international society of appraisers (isa) recently presented patricia thompson of tupelo, miss., with the 2004 lamp of knowledge award. this annual award honors a singular outstanding education work product pertaining to the appraisal profession as a whole or in a specialty area. this year’s award was given for thompson’s article, “wrestling with watch appraisals,” which appeared in the jun…

the american gem trade association (agta) has announced the move of its dallas office to a new location at 3030 lbj freeway, suite #840, dallas, tx 75234. current phone number, (214) 742-4367, fax (214) 742-7334, and toll-free (800) 972-1162 remain the same.

the american gem trade association is offering industry professionals an affordable resource to enhance their marketing and promotional campaigns. the agta birthstone collection offers 20 royalty-free photographic images, including garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, emerald, cultured pearl, cultured pearl strands, ruby, peridot, blue and pink sapphire, black and fire opal, citrine, yellow topaz, blu…

students in the greater los angeles area no longer have to travel to downtown l.a. or down the coast to carlsbad (a 90-minute drive from l.a.), now that the gemological institute of america’s los angeles branch for gemology and jewelry design has relocated to a new 7,051-sq.-ft. facility at 600 corporate pointe in culver city.

there was surprising consensus on the sometimes divisive issue of cut at a first-ever conference on the topic held recently in moscow. the purpose of the conference, organizer gerry holloway says, was to look beyond the technical issues and make sure cut controversies don’t hurt consumer confidence. “we don’t want this conflict situation where consumers get five different stories on cut from fi…

galaxy diamond’s recent move has substantially increased the size of the company’s facilities. the new 6,000-plus-sq.-ft. space is located on the 44th floor of the landmark 707 wilshire blvd. building in downtown los angeles. founded in 1984, galaxy diamond is an established supplier of certified, non-certified, ideal, and near-ideal cut diamonds, serving upscale jewelry retailers nationwide.

don’t get your hopes up too high (remember the colormaster and gemset?), but gem e-wizard inc., a developer of gemstone color software, is working with the gemological institute of america (gia) on adapting a custom color communication module that might be used in gia’s colored stone grading classes.

if all goes as planned, newly engaged women everywhere will no longer have to awkwardly poise their hands to catch the proper light when showing off their diamond rings. the louisiana-based re’volve recently launched a jewels-in-motion gemstone-rotating device at the basel fair and the jck show ~ las vegas.

say you’re preparing for a road trip. before packing your suitcase and filling your tank, you have to know where you want to go. you’ll begin by reading up on places you want to visit and consulting a map. the first thing you’ll do with the map is identify where you are, because you can’t determine how to get where you want to go if you don’t know where you’re standing.

manufacturing jewelers & suppliers of america has released a new publication as part of its “safe & secure” outreach program. safety solutions, the organization’s latest training manual, is set to become the industry standard for safety compliance issues. it covers the most common types of violations found in jewelry shops and offers advice on correcting hazards and providing safe worki…

courtney a. walker has rejoined the gemological institute of america as director of new york operations for the gia gem laboratory. in this role, he will oversee the new york facility and develop additional support for the laboratory’s operational needs. walker served as gia’s vice president and chief financial officer at the institute’s former santa monica headquarters from 1986 to 1996.

this month sees the second annual antwerp diamond sailing race, a sailing competition at that belgian port city designed to publicize the diamond industry. but the most interesting part of this event may be the company organizing it—mainly because it’s not a company. it’s better defined as a corporation, or perhaps an “alliance.

first, there were timex watches, then timex sunglasses. soon, there may be timex cell phones, smoke detectors, luggage, and even tire gauges. that’s because timex, america’s best-selling watch brand, has signed with img licensing to handle “select licensing and merchandising arrangements” for the “timex” and timex “indiglo” trademarks.

the 19th international jewelery, silver, watch and equipments fair, istanbul 2004, was held in march with an attendance of 30,358 total trade visitors, buyers from 88 different countries, and exhibitors from 26 different countries. istanbul 2004, the gate to the international markets for the turkish jewelry industry, increased the number of exhibition halls from two to four this year and extend…

the american craft council will present its annual san francisco wholesale show aug. 4-5 at fort mason center. as part of the council’s stepped-up efforts to meet the changing needs of the crafts industry, buyers will get the chance to see new artists and fine crafts. one of the largest wholesale shows in the west, the san francisco event will feature more than 300 of the nation’s premier craft…

the new york stock exchange has delisted friedman’s inc.’s class a common stock. the savannah-based specialty retailer, which is under federal investigation for alleged fraud, said it is evaluating an appeal of the decision. the company said that while it is disappointed with the nyse’s decision, the delisting from the nyse does not affect friedman’s day-to-day business operations.

champagne on april fool’s day? it may not be a tradition, but corks were popping on april 1, 2004—the day the revere academy of jewelry arts celebrated its 25th anniversary. the school that began as a single private class taught by founder and master goldsmith alan revere has evolved into an internationally recognized training facility for jewelers, offering dozens of classes and three di…

christie romero, a nationally recognized antique jewelry historian, gemologist, instructor, and author, opened the 2004 gemological institute of america (gia) museum lecture series in march with “gems and jewelry: a timeline of discoveries and techniques.” romero presented a detailed timeline of gem discoveries and their influence on jewelry dating from as early as the 13th century b.

vivid collection acted as a partner for the 7th annual russian economic forum held in london in april. the forum serves as a venue for international ceos, investors, journalists, and other leaders to discuss political, economic, and social developments in the interest of russian economic growth and success.

the new venue for the m.i.d.a.s. shows reflects a vision of show organizers to reestablish the southwest as an important part of the fine-jewelry industry. in addition, exhibiting in the m.i.d.a.s. fine jewelry show can keep traveling salespeople in a safe environment. in attendance at the show will be qualified retailers: jbt listed/rated, jewelers of america members, and retail members of the…

the kimberley process is working well in the united states, officials from the united states kimberley process authority told a recent news conference at the diamond dealers club. “we have spent a lot of time and energy designing a system that is effective, practical, and robust,” says cecilia gardner, the uskpa’s vice president and general counsel.

the right-hand ring and three-stone jewelry will be the stars of this year’s diamond trading company (dtc) u.s. ad campaign. the dtc’s decision to devote most of its energies to its two newest products is a sign that it still sees considerable potential in both of them. by contrast, this year’s advertising largely omits veteran products—such as engagement rings—that were heavily pro…

sally morrison, director of the diamond information center, was honored at the concerned parents for aids research spring luncheon at the mandarin oriental hotel in new york city. fellow honoree sharon stone also was on hand as longtime friend harvey weinstein presented morrison with her award. cpfa is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to secure an aids-free future for all children by f…

french actress marion cotillard (big fish), and brazilian actor rodrigo santoro (love, actually) received the chopard trophy this year at the cannes film festival. the trophy, awarded in conjunction with studio magazine, honors new talent in the international film industry. the trophy is awarded to new male and female actors of the year who have displayed exceptional talent in their field.

concerned with the problems traveling jewelry reps are having with security while making road trips to reach their “mom-and-pop” customers, the north carolina jewelers association (ncja) will host the new south jewelers market at the suites at market square in high point, n.c., aug. 21-22. this brand-new show will be central to north and south carolina and easily accessible from virginia.

sept. 3-6, 2004, is the date for the next edition of macef, the “italian way of life.”this major international show is dedicated to tableware, general housewares, kitchenware, household textiles, home decoration, jewelry, and gift objects, and is organized by fiera milano international. the autumn edition expresses again the new macef lifestyle: a concept of living that strictly connects the ho…