editorial integrity any publication that gains a position of leadership does so primarily because of its editorial integrity. trade publications face a unique challenge in this regard, since a portion of their revenue comes from advertising. in cases in which the circulation is “controlled”—that is, free to qualified readers—all the revenue comes from advertisers.

s.a. kitsinian opens new office s.a. kitsinian, manufacturers and importers of karat gold jewelry, has opened an east coast showroom. the office is located on philadelphia’s jewelers row at 811-813 sansom st., philadelphia, pa 19107; (888) 821-2371 or (215) 629-5520. harry hochman, vice president of marketing, will be based at the new showroom.

why does giftware play a relatively minor role in the merchandise mix of the typical jeweler? giftware consistently accounts for less than 4% of jewelers’ sales, according to the annual jewelers of america cost of doing business survey. a recent jck poll found that many jewelers expect their already-small giftware business to decline further in the coming years.

this was the first symposium since 1991, and it was supposed to be about a wide variety of subjects. it was, but attention seem focused mainly on one. jck’s three on-site editors brought back these reports. hould jewelers start warning customers that the diamond they’re buying could be treated for color, but that there’s no way of knowing for sure? that troubling question nearly upstaged the ge…

omega web site honors moon landing omega, the only watch worn on the moon, marked the 30th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing july 20 with the launch of “spacewatch” (www.spacewatch.com), an interactive web site devoted to space education, and a limited edition of its speedmaster professional, the original “moon watch.

it’s a persistent problem: wholesalers’ and jewelers’ items “disappearing” in the mail. here are tips on how to stay ahead of the thieves.

nomenclature controversy after years of arguing over nomenclature issues and spending millions of dollars in advertising to remedy negative impressions, i have concluded that the biggest problem the created gemstone producers have in this industry are journalists who refuse to report in an accurate and unbiased manner.

a highly motivated staff is the principal en-gine powering retail success. motivation derives from numerous avenues, ranging from praise to flexible hours, but when you get right down to it, perhaps nothing in the mix works better than the opportunity to make money. with the unemployment rate hovering at 4.

facing a life sentence, jewelry wholesaler flees authorities have launched a worldwide search for a houston jewelry wholesaler, convicted of stealing $560,000 in memo goods, who may have fled the country. israeli citizen yov hassan, who ran global gold jewelry inc., is being sought by houston police.

hiring the wrong person can damage a store’s reputation, lower morale, stunt business growth, and even result in the theft of money and merchandise. background checks increase your odds of hiring the right person. thanks to the internet, conducting a background check is no longer a time-consuming and expensive process.

tourneau, one of the nation’s largest watch retailers, is about to get bigger. the new york company, which operates nine luxury stores across the country, is launching a new retail format this month. the concept, called “watch gear,” will concentrate on moderately priced products like swatch, longines, and movado.

those who appreciate the history and the quality of hand-fabricated, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry art will enjoy buying and selling estate jewelry. an estate jewelry department can be very rewarding, both professionally and economically. if you have an estate department or wish to create one, here are six dealers who offer extensive selections of merchandise plus the expertise to help you un…

silver, glass featured in newark “vitali & dinardo: a collaboration in silver and glass” at the newark museum, newark, n.j., through jan. 2 features major works by silversmith ubaldo vitali and glassblower leonard dinardo, including the results of a joint effort commissioned by movado.

six ways to improve retailer-supplier relationships your dealings with suppliers should of course be as cordial as possible, but you also need to protect your interests. here are some useful tips for avoiding misunderstandings and improving your relationships at the same time. quality checklist for jewelry orders most suppliers require returns associated with defects, shortages, or errors withi…

at some point in your career, you’re bound to encounter a gem that demands greater investigation than you can do comfortably on your own. you may come across a diamond of high color—possibly even fancy color—or an important diamond with a borderline call on the clarity grade. you’re then faced with the question of which lab to send the gem to.

tanzanite lookalike a new synthetic produced for laser applications imitates tanzanite, according to research gemologist martin haske, owner of adamas gemological laboratories in brookline, mass. synthetic forsterite, whose additional cobalt content imparts the tanzanite-like blue/purple color, has been on the market six months.

the most important factor is not what tests you perform, but how you inform the client about what you did. you have a piece of diamond jewelry to appraise, but you don’t know the weight or grade of the diamond and can’t be sure of the metal quality. should you perform a scratch test to confirm metal content and remove the diamond to determine weight and grade? or, if you decide to g…

new ad touts diamonds for the millennium hoping consumers will mark the millennium with diamonds, de beers this month begins airing one of the most expensive and elaborate commercials in its history. dubbed “crowds,” the commercial shows a couple at a massive new year’s celebration.

lfrederick@cahners.com if you’re going to introduce something as easily misused as an undetectable diamond treatment, you should do so in a carefully thought-out manner that will cause the least disruption to the jewelry industry. unfortunately, that didn’t happen in the case of general electric’s secret new decolorizing treatment for brown and yellow diamonds.

jic’s ‘luxury of time’ exhibit spotlights trends in fine watches the latest trends in fine timepieces for the year 2000 were displayed in “luxury of time,” an exhibition in june in new york city sponsored by the jewelry information center (jic). more than 150 of the world’s finest watches, valued at $3.

bag lady carie avery of michigan has joined the ranks of judith leiber, kathrine baumann, and vivian alexander as a designer “bag lady.” avery’s one-of-a-kind bags are handcrafted from infertile ostrich eggs and trimmed with solid gold and genuine gemstones. this bag, titled “vineyard serpent,” has grape vines, stems, and leaves of 22k yellow gold, six marquise dia…

jck veteran to be roasted bill furman, group sales director at jck magazine and a longtime industry veteran, will be roasted by the golden circle club of new york, a business and social network founded in 1946 by returning war veterans. the event will take place at the sky club, on top of the metropolitan life building, on sept.

technological innovations over the past century have changed almost every product you sell. how these changes came about, and their impact on jewelers, is the subject of this, our third article in a special series looking back over the 20th century. continuing his father’s interests, robert shipley jr.

the very thing that has strengthened the jewelry business—a robust economy—has created perhaps the industry’s most pressing problem: a persistent shortage of qualified employees. nearly half (49.4%) of the retail jewelers responding to a recent jck survey said 1999 has been the most difficult year ever for finding sales associates.

golden circle club sets industry benefit the golden circle club of new york, a business and social club for retailers and suppliers in new york state and the northeast corridor, will sponsor an industry-wide gala dinner dance to benefit two industry nonprofit associations. the event, called ?the jewelers millennial,? will be held dec.