the world gold council (wgc) launched an all new point-of-sale and sales training package for independent retailers entitled “how to speak gold: retail power tools for year-round gold jewelry profits.” debuting at the jck show ~ las vegas, the package includes training materials as well as in-case displays and signage.

the american gem trade association (agta) has donated $125,000 to the gemological institute of america’s (gia) endowment fund for colored gemstone research. in recognition of the gift, douglas k. hucker, agta’s executive director, will be inducted into gia’s league of honor on oct. 12, during the annual dinner in new york city.

the head of the diamond bourse of the southeast united states has filed a $3 billion class action lawsuit against de beers, charging that its supplier of choice policy deprives american dealers of their livelihood. the suit, launched by bourse president derek parsons and his miami-based british diamond import co.

pearls remain popular, especially in south sea, tahitian, and chinese freshwater varieties. except for akoyas, there are plentiful quantities at more affordable prices, and fall fashion trends favor increased demand. south sea. these include large whites and goldens from burma, thailand, indonesia, the philippines, and australia.

export results for 2004’s first half were “very good” for swiss watchmakers, says the federation of the swiss watch industry (fh), representing more than 90% of swiss watch firms. the value of exports of swiss watches, parts, and clocks was just over $3.9 billion, an increase of 10% compared with figures from january-june 2003.

movado group inc. announced on july 28 that it had reached a settlement in its november 2001 civil lawsuit against swiss army brands inc. and two former movado employees. the two were identified in the suit as susanne rechner, former movado vice president of national accounts until 2000, and todd cozzolino, formerly in movado sales, said a movado spokesperson.

diamond council of america president/ceo terry w. chandler announced that the dca board of directors had adopted the vote of the dca membership and approved all nominees to the 2004-2005 board of directors during its semiannual meeting at the jck show ~ las vegas. the dca board is a volunteer group of industry leaders, educators, executives, and retailers who will serve terms of varying lengths.

during its annual membership meeting in las vegas at the jck show in june, the contemporary design group installed a new executive board. aaron furlong of aaron henry designs succeeds stuart j. adelman of artelle designs as president, and glen j. englebrecht of gj designs, is the new vice president.

one of the most important auctions of timepieces in recent years was scheduled for oct. 13-15, when sotheby’s in new york city planned to sell more than 1,250 items from the time museum. these are “treasures from the greatest private american collection of timepieces ever formed,” said daryn schnipper, director of sotheby’s worldwide watches and clocks department.

every business owner periodically must ask and answer three key questions relating to his or her business: where am i? where am i going? how do i get there? the answers are basic to the success of every business—and they’re especially important to every retail jewelry business owner. why single out retail jewelers? during the ags conclave in april, industry analyst ken gassman made an im…

making a great first impression can go a long way toward establishing a long-term relationship, and saying hello to a potential customer as he or she enters your store is the first step. when you greet a customer, don’t run right up to her and start selling. say hello and acknowledge her presence, but give her some space.

for the first time ever, the gemological institute of america (gia) will teach its accredited jewelry professional (a.j.p.) diploma program in st. thomas, u.s. virgin islands. the program, which takes place oct. 25–29, will be conducted in conjunction with the university of the virgin islands community engagement and lifelong learning (uvicell) center, and those who enroll will receive a …

the gemological institute of america (gia) opened a new education center in mumbai (bombay), india, in july. the institute selected deepak bagai, who holds a master’s degree in geology and has completed gia training in diamonds and diamond grading, as director of gia india. located on the ninth floor at maker chambers vi, nariman point, in mumbai’s financial district, the new education center h…

tom cushman, gem importer for allerton cushman & co., sun valley, idaho, and an official international colored gemstone association (ica) ambassador in madagascar, reports that the gem business in madagascar is slow, but the new gemology school there is open for business. at press time madagascar was in the midst of its rainy season, which makes travel and communications difficult, so exper…

the winning entries for this year’s world titanium council (wtc) titanium jewelry design competition were unveiled at the jck show ~ las vegas in june. the annual event features designs from both professional jewelers and students of design. this year’s entries were judged on originality, artistic merit, and for demonstrating the positive attributes of titanium in the design.

the antique jewelry, watch and fine silver show taking place at the miami beach convention center on oct. 22 will host hundreds of dealers in estate jewelry, fine and elegant silver, beautiful colored gemstones, one-of-a-kind jewelry creations, designer label wristwatches, and pocket watches. the show runs through sunday, oct.

july was a big month for high-profile celebrity weddings, and most couples chose platinum, which continues to be the precious metal of choice for the bridal category. among the celebrity marriages solemnized with platinum were those of actress tori spelling to charlie shanian, actor dennis quaid to kimberly buffington, and the bachelor’s bob guiney to all my children actress rebecca budig.

jck show consultant charlotte preston, president of charlotte preston catalysts inc., was named by the national women’s jewelry association (wja) as the recipient of the wja award for excellence, which recognizes outstanding women professionals in six different categories. preston’s was the award for excellence in special services to the industry.

diamond trading company managing director gareth penny has announced a new executive team: des cavanagh, former managing director of diamdel, is now the dtc’s purchasing director. israeli-born varda shine is the new sales director. she first came to the dtc in 1997 after 14 years at de beers subsidiary diamdel israel.

swatch group chairman nicolas hayek said in august that last year, prior to the war in iraq, he refused to let the company provide essential quartz components for u.s. weapons used in the war, according to aug. 17 swiss press reports. his comments confirm statements by u.s. government officials published in summer 2003.

davenport & company’s “jewelry industry advisor” is back in print after a three-year hiatus. the jewelry-specific newsletter tracks valuation, merger and acquisition, and capital-raising activity related to retailers, distributors, and manufacturers of jewelry, as well as miners. according to joe oliver iii, director, mergers & acquisitions group, richmond, va.

diamond manufacturing and trading group dimexon diamonds ltd. (mumbai) and eurostar diamond traders n.v. (antwerp) has become one of gia india’s founding benefactors with a $1 million gift to the institute’s endowment for education in india. ensuring the indian diamond industry’s continued growth through increased educational opportunities was the driving force behind the gift, said pankaj k.

forget putting jewelry on the runways: this fall, tiffany itself is the runway. for the first time, the jeweler’s fifth avenue flagship store will host a fashion week spectacle—the runway collection of behnaz sarafpour. the runway will be on the main floor, and jewelry will be worn by models as well as displayed in the space during the show.

while the variety name “ice” jade won’t be found in gem books on jadeite jade, you soon will be hearing it in professional circles in china, says don kay, jade expert and owner of mason-kay in denver. “a few years ago, before very fine material was available, jade that was essentially colorless, as well as translucent, was called ‘water’ jade and was relatively cheap—about the same price…

the california jewelers association (cja) recently presented its 2004 robert b. westover gia scholarship to katie stam of country club jewelers in fullerton. this annual scholarship is named in honor of former cja executive vice president robert b. westover. stam, who is completing her bachelor’s degree in the entrepreneurship program at california state university, fullerton, will enroll this…

fruchtman marketing has announced the addition of nine new jewelers to its client roster. the new clients include: goodman & sons, williamsburg, va.; jewelry creations, dover, n.h.; jeweler’s touch, placentia, calif.; murray’s jewelers, detroit; roman jewelers, flemington, n.j.; meig’s jewelers, tahlequah, okla.

phillip pitts of parris jewelers was elected president of the mississippi jewelers association at its annual convention, held in june in hattiesburg. pitts, an award-winning jewelry designer, bench jeweler, and watchmaker, has been active in the mississippi jewelers association for many years. the association recently honored him with the ace award for creative excellence, its highest jewelry …

jewelers from across kentucky attended the kentucky jewelers association’s annual convention in june and had the opportunity to attend valuable educational seminars, view products and services, and confer with industry experts and other jewelers. several jewelers at the event took jewelers of america certification exams.

john c. nash, the third generation owner of nash jewellers in london, ont., has been inducted into the canadian jeweller hall of fame and was honored at a special reception in august. the award, instituted in 1999 and presented every five years by canadian jeweller magazine, recognizes an individual’s contribution toward the promotion of ethics, education, and standards of professionalism in …

ronald friedman, the new president of the diamond manufacturers and importers of america (dmia), says he wants to reunify the splintered group. last year the group split over how to respond to supplier of choice, with some pushing an aggressive stance but sightholders urging a less confrontational approach.

because earrings account for 20% of all moissanite finished-jewelry sales, knowing how to work with these pieces can help your store capitalize on this growing jewelry category. to help you decide what type of earrings to include in your store’s selection, take a look at the statistics for moissanite jewelry sales.

the national association of jewelry appraisers (naja) met in philadelphia in august for its 22nd annual mid-year conference, the first under the watch of gail levine, newly appointed executive director of the group. the conference highlighted 14 presentations ranging from mogul jewelry (presented by peter shemonsky of bonhams and butterfields auction house in san francisco) to rolex watches (ex…

with the surrounding unattractive host rock removed, crystallized gold specimens—like this one (facing page, top left) courtesy of wayne and dona light, kristalle, in long beach, calif.—are magnificent and stunning. but for jewelry, as in the remaining pieces seen here, you’ll want to keep the quartz.

jewelers of america (ja) has approved the diamond council of america’s diamond and colored gemstone courses for ja’s 2004 scholarship program. the approval allows ja members to apply to the scholarship program for funding of their associate’s enrollment in both dca courses. dca’s diamond and colored gemstone courses use practice modules and exercises to allow students to develops skills along…

one of the world’s largest cutters and polishers of diamonds, lev leviev, will be a guest speaker at the couture diamond leadership conference on oct. 14. leviev’s holdings include interest in several diamond mines in angola and mining licenses in the urals and in namibia, where he recently opened a state-of-the-art cutting factory.

four new york diamond dealers pled guilty recently to various conspiracy and bank fraud charges stemming from check kiting. among them was jacob haas, whose default several years ago scandalized 47th street. haas pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of bribing bank officials.

on tuesday, july 27, jewelry industry leaders met with leaders of the gemological institute of america at the plaza hotel in new york. during the meeting, gia president william boyajian reviewed its accomplishments of 2004 to date and shared the organization’s goals for 2005. highlights of his remarks focused on stretching to achieve gia’s potential; investing in gia’s core functions; and maint…

the institute for scientific information (isi) has selected the gemological institute of america’s web site, www.gia.edu, as an important resource for researchers, scientists, and scholars. isi will include the site in its current web contents. according to isa, gia’s web site was selected through “careful evaluation criteria,” and judged on such factors as authority, accuracy, currency, navig…

in an unusual partnership, a nongovernmental organization, an antwerp diamond group, and a worker’s union are joining forces in a project designed to give consumers extra confidence when buying diamonds. the three groups—global witness, the icem union, and a usually low-profile antwerp group, the federation of dealers in diamonds and colored stones—have unveiled a plan to create a …

after 45 years in the jewelry trade, diamond buyer arnie auerbach has retired from stuller inc. auerbach began his career as a diamond sorter in 1958. his career included 24 years with harry winston company prior to joining the stuller team as chief diamond buyer. eric goldstein, director of stuller israel diamonds ltd.

the kimberley process has just blackballed its first member. the republic of congo, also known as congo-brazzaville, has received the dubious honor of being the first country suspended from the kimberley process certification scheme (kpcs). that means it cannot legally ship diamonds to any kimberley process participant country.

j-bar course needs fuller explanation regarding ms. gardner’s response to jck’s september article on the “j-barroom brawl,” please be aware that my comments were made after repeated readings of the course material, as well as the final exam, all which i found to be inadequate. the importance of valuation theory is not properly addressed and the mention given to purpose and function only barely …

the women’s jewelry association (wja) held its 21st annual awards for excellence in new york in july. more than 600 wja members and guests were in attendance to recognize accomplished women in the industry. nominees and awardees are chosen by the national membership. the gala event raises funds for wja’s scholarship program.

in what many have dubbed the most important election in a lifetime, what more tasteful way to express your political views than with a sweet but statement-making charm? aaron basha, a designer known best for his baby shoe collection, has introduced a line of 18k gold and diamond french enamel elephant and donkey charms just in time for the heated election season.

since we introduced the road map, a tool that helps pinpoint the causes of financial distress in a company, we’ve been traveling through the map and stopping at key locations, including low gross margin and poor inventory control. this month, we take a trip to one of the more costly locations, “bookkeeping errors.

porte marketing group has developed a new marketing program called work perk. it provides jewelers with a low-cost marketing program that targets the employees and employers of local businesses. the program comes with a strategic workbook that has information including a list of companies to target, telemarketing scripts, marketing and cross promotion strategies, e-mail ads, and copyrighted pro…

jewelry manufacturer jordan meryl has partnered with jewelry designer joyce pessel to create a new line for jewelry connoisseurs whose pets hold a precious place in their lives. the inspiration for the line came from meryl’s own passion for animals. for the past 25 years, many of her champion dogs have competed in westminster kennel club shows and served as cover “models” for popular dog public…

the web site www.rdidiamonds.com has enhanced its “contact us” page to allow jewelers to see who their sales representative is. on the contact us page a jeweler can view a photo of the sales rep and send them an e-mail.

it’s a question that’s been asked in canada and russia, and now, increasingly, in africa: why can’t countries that mine diamonds also manufacture them? “for many years, [diamond manufacturing in africa] was thought to be impossible,” abbey chikane, director of the south african government’s diamond board, noted at the recent israeli rough diamond seminar.

when it comes to jewelry, you can’t get more traditional than pearls. from european royalty to american icons (need we even say, “jackie o?”), pearls have long represented classic elegance and traditional luxury. along with the rest of the industry, however, designers of pearl jewelry have recognized the changing nature of fine-jewelry customers and are creating versatile, wearable, fashion-for…

jewelry designer link wachler, of david wachler and sons, birmingham, mich., teamed with a local radio station to turn one of his creations into a fund-raiser. the 4 in. x 6 in. sterling silver sculpture—featuring the likenesses of jimi hendrix, janice joplin, john lennon, and jim morrison—has been dubbed “mount rockmore.

mds prestige company inc. has named gift industry veteran cécile r. marquette to the position of executive vice president, sales and marketing. the newly established company, headquartered in sun valley, calif., is owned and operated by several italian manufacturers of fine wooden inlay jewelry boxes and high-end furniture.

retail executive jeffrey comment of helzberg diamonds shared his insights on brand building and other highlights of his career with an audience of students, faculty, and staff at the gemological institute of america’s (gia) world headquarters in carlsbad, calif. titled “building a moat around your brand,” comment’s lecture focused on the necessity of brand protection.

the uk jewellery awards event, organized by retail jeweller magazine, was held at london’s grosvenor house in july. among the winners were shaun leane, designer of the year, and bunz, manufacturer of the year.

wise choice software now offers payment options for its popular rightclick diamond and jewelry software solution. retailers and wholesalers can make payments as low a $95 per month, which includes a software license and telephone technical support. for more information and a demo of rightclick, contact wise choice software at (800) 406-8366.

reuge sa, a swiss manufacturer of high-quality, handcrafted luxury music boxes and musical objets d’art, closed its culver city, calif., office in april and has appointed chronotime inc. its new u.s. distributor. for more information, call (41-24) 455 2222 or visit www.reugemusic.com.

the society of north american goldsmiths (snag) has published the second installment of its recommended “professional guidelines” on its web site at www.snagmetalsmith.org/infocentral/professionalguidelines.asp (downloadable pdf files). the two new topics are open studios and fundraising auctions. the first installment of the “professional guidelines” was published two years ago.

sir elton john’s annual white tie & tiara ball, which benefits the elton john aids foundation, was sponsored this year by chopard. the event raised more than £4 million for the charity. mary j. blige and bryan adams, along with sir elton, provided the entertainment. celebrity onlookers included elizabeth hurley, eva herzigova, kylie minogue, sting, elle macpherson, the osbourne family…

b.a. ballou has purchased alrin manufacturing co. inc., a manufacturer of snap-in settings. alrin’s manufacturing and customer service will move to ballou’s headquarters in east providence, r.i. the alrin line includes squares, triangles, hearts, ovals, navettes, emeralds, and more in both four- and six-prong configurations in karat gold, sterling, gold filled, and base metal.

lazare kaplan has promoted marcee feinberg to the position of vice president of marketing. feinberg has worked for the company since 1974. lki president leon tempelsman said that “marcee has exceptional talents. she is energetic and greatly liked and respected in the industry.”

it’s that time again: it’s been about five years since the first internet bubble burst, and now there’s another push to move commerce online. and of course the jewelry industry is getting into the mix. this past year, blue nile had a successful public offering, and amazon.com opened an online jewelry portal.

the women’s jewelry association (wja) 20th annual student scholarship program awarded $14,000 to nine jewelry students in 2004. the annual awards are based on slides of three finished pieces submitted by each student, who must be enrolled in a jewelry or watch design study program in the united states.

norman j. diamond, principal of the n.e.i. group in hackensack, n.j., passed away on july 27. he is survived by his wife, annette, and children david, elizabeth, matthew, and adam.

the international school of gemology (isg) has announced the establishment of its online gemological teaching center located at www.schoolofgemology.com. the project is intended to bring comprehensive, low-cost gemological training to students worldwide. the course materials are based on the teaching curriculums of the major gemological institutes.

the craft show committee and the women’s committee of the philadelphia museum of art will present the 28th annual craft show nov. 4-7. this premier exhibition and sale of contemporary american craft, held at the pennsylvania convention center in philadelphia, includes 195 of the best craft artists in the united states, selected from more than 1,500 applicants.

u.s. consumer confidence dropped in august to its lowest point since may, according to the conference board, a business research group in new york. the group’s consumer confidence index fell to 98.2, down from 105.7 in july. the conference board report followed employment reports for june and july that were weaker than expected.

the latest lauren scherr handbags collection can best be described as “jewelry for your arm.” taking the idea of precious materials for accessories to a new fashion-forward level, the designer mixes feathers with semiprecious gems on satin purses. feathers are available in bright red, deep burgundy and shades of purple, plum, fuchsia, midnight teal, and black, accented with complementary gemsto…

the prix golay is now open to participants from countries besides switzerland. entrants must follow a public training program that is comparable to that of their swiss counterparts, and provide proof of it. they are eligible to obtain a special mention or the special prize of the jury. the number of foreign entrants is limited to two per country; the first two who fulfill the conditions and hav…

ray digiovanni remembers the moment it hit home just how much diamond prices have risen. he was appraising a 1-ct. stone much like one he’d bought last year for approximately $4,500. this year, he found a similar stone wholesaling for $5,600—only slightly less than what his stone is retailing for.

samuel aaron international of long island city, n.y., and qvc uk announced that cindy lee of new york city has been named “up-and-coming jewelry designer.” the contest was open to all jewelry design students at the new york fashion institute of technology. more than 30 applicants submitted their top jewelry designs along with writing samples detailing their inspirations.

the manufacturing jewelers & suppliers of america (mjsa) education foundation awarded a total of $5,000 in scholarships to four student designers, all of whom exhibited outstanding creativity, technical expertise, and commitment to the jewelry industry. tzu-ju-chen received the top award of $2,000.

rightclick atlas software now offers a way of reporting to the jewelers board of trade’s interchange program, a retailer credit analysis system. wholesalers and manufacturers depend on jbt’s credit reports to determine a retailer’s creditworthiness. wholesalers and manufacturers that use rightclick atlas can obtain a new interface to jbt interchange by contacting wise choice software at (800) 4…

the american watch guild has unveiled a project to raise $1 million for cancer research. the effort is expected to take about two years. the money will go to the memorial sloan-kettering cancer center in new york city for research in four categories of cancer—breast, lung, prostate, and colon. the project was announced july 27 in new york city by ralph destino, awg chairman and former cha…

the jewelry information center has for the first time recognized a member of the trade press as “trade press editor of the year.” the award was presented to hedda schupak, editor-in-chief of jewelers’ circular keystone magazine, during jic’s special luncheon for the trade press. “hedda personifies this award,” said john green of lux, bond and green, chairman of the board of jic.

platinum guild international (pgi) launched its new platinum online catalog and marketing tool kit this fall on its trade-only web site, www.platinumguild.com. the kit will allow designers and manufacturers to showcase their creations while enabling retailers to develop customized marketing materials featuring platinum jewelry available to them.

as part of its semiannual career forum, the jewelry design professionals’ network (jdpn) will present an evening of learning and inspiration with guest speakers shaye strager and duvall o’steen. it will be held oct. 19 at 6:00 p.m. in the katie murphy amphitheatre at the fashion institute of technology (new york city), building d, off the lobby.

leslie’s has redesigned and updated its web site at www.leslies.com. according to company president andy ban, jewelers visiting the site can browse the company’s catalog, request contact with sales representataives, and review and download new product images. additional refinements, such as online ordering, are under development and will be available soon.

jeff e. pfeffer, former diamond and jewelry specialist at bank leumi, has joined hsbc as senior vice president in charge of the company’s diamond and jewelry division. pfeffer had been with bank leumi since 1985 and also has worked at citibank, national bank of north america, and manufacturers hanover trust company.

keith brown, former chief operating officer of breitling u.s.a., has joined the marketing management group inc. (mmg). prior to his tenure with breitling, brown worked with the swatch group. nissay (sy) hak joined shreve, crump & low as manager of corporate sales. prior to joining shreve’s, hak served as lead sales manager and regional account coordinator for the cambridge, mass.

national bridal service is offering retailers multimedia advertising through its web site, www.nationalbridal.com. when a bride enters her zip code on the site, stores and services nbs recommends in her area will appear. clicking on a store will launch an ad for that store. brides can also receive e-mails with contact information about stores, which will receive the bride’s contact information.

paljoue collection, a japanese custom designer jeweler, has opened its new office at 10 w. 46th st. in new york city. the company plans to sell its products in the united states through selected jewelers and department stores. for more information, call (914) 320-2587 or e-mail: yasuiida@hotmail.com.

wolf designs, a leather accessories design house, has settled its dispute with target corporation over what it says is impermissible use of its patented product. the litigation centered on the company’s patented lizard textured leather jewelry case with two removable trays and traveler jewelry box design from its south molton collection that typically retails for $135.

ten years ago, many jewelers said the internet wouldn’t impact retailing for several decades. a few years—not decades—later it became clear that the internet as a means of commerce was a force to be reckoned with. industry pundits shook their heads and said, “but people will never buy fine jewelry over the internet” .

gemworld international has released the newest edition of the reference manual, the companion to the guide. with more than 200 pages, the manual serves as a field guide, working gemological reference, and training tool, among other uses. sections in the manual include: appraisal, diamonds, grading color, color systems, treatments, origin, pearls, opals, jade, reference data, and photo gallery.

like many jewelers, sissy jones, ceo, sissy’s log cabin, pine bluff, ark., attends the jck show ~ las vegas every year. but unlike many jewelers, jones lets her customers know about the trip. by way of a color postcard mailing—while jones is cruising the show floor—some 3,000 customers receive a handwritten message from the store owner noting that some of the “sissy’s log cabin fam…