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 gia’s web site in its premium collection of evaluated scholarly web sites, “current web contents.

one of britain’s oldest and most respected manufacturers of luxury writing instruments has struck a deal with american distributor luxury brands to build sales and establish its brand in north america. conway stewart was established in england in 1905 and has built a reputation for producing luxurious yet functional pens.

once upon a time, a typical kmart customer might have lost the jackpot if a game show host asked her to name three couture designers. or, an affluent yuppie might have elected to drive an american car rather than be caught shopping at a discount store. not anymore. the rise of the branded department store and success of cross-over designers heralded the beginning of the end for those days.

luxury china 2004, the second international exhibition for jewellery and watches, will be held sept. 26-29 in shanghai. the hong kong watch trades & industries federation sees luxury china as the best presentation opportunity for its members in the up-and-coming chinese watch market. more and more chinese jewelry manufacturers and retailers see the fair as an ideal platform to get to know n…

jewelers’ security alliance (jsa) recently published its 137-page second edition manual of jewelry security. the book contains the security and crime prevention information every jeweler should know and provides clear recommendations on all major security topics. jsa members receive one copy free as part of their jsa member benefits.

the colibri group has announced the acquisition of certain assets of princess pride company. the acquisition includes the princess pride factory located in johnston, r.i., with more than 70 employees. gary solomon, currently president and owner of princess pride, will become an executive vice president of the colibri group.

the couture diamond leadership conference announced its closing keynote speakers for the two-day conference to be held oct. 13-14, 2004, at the plaza hotel in new york city. steve forbes, president and ceo of forbes inc. and editor-in-chief of forbes magazine, and maurice tempelsman, chairman of the board of lazare kaplan international inc.

this bench jeweler’s guide covers working with jewelry featuring charles & colvard created moissanite (hereafter referred to as “moissanite”). part one covered identification, general service, and repair considerations for moissanite jewelry. this article covers general moissanite setting considerations.

rdi diamonds has added gemscope capabilities to its web site, allowing jewelers who do business with rdi diamonds to see a diamond online at www.rdidiamonds.com. gemscope takes in-depth pictures of diamonds, which allows jewelers to see any inclusions as well as inscriptions on a diamond. in addition, jewelers with rdi diamonds live inventory link can show their customers a photo of the diamond…

business at the 2004 jewelers of america summer show (july 25-28, javits center, new york) was satisfactory but rarely outstanding, said many exhibitors. some cited heavy buying at the jck show ~ las vegas in june as a reason for the slow traffic; others speculated that the ja show has become a regional event.

egl usa has introduced a diamond registry for retailers to offer customers who buy egl usa-certified diamonds. the program provides laser inscription, permanent recordkeeping, updated replacement value reports and diamond reports, and complimentary cleaning. consumers can sign up for the program by returning a registration card that will accompany all egl usa reports, or they can register onlin…

“diamond divas,” a limited-edition collection of photographic portraits of five of hollywood’s most glamorous screen legends—each fashioned with more than 550 cts. of diamonds—is now on display at the gemological institute of america (gia). the exhibit, placed in the student lobby of the institute’s robert mouawad campus in carlsbad, calif.

being a retail jeweler isn’t what it used to be. many of the factors that have already transformed most of the retail industry are now affecting the jewelry business. among them: individually, any one of these factors could be absorbed by the industry. but taken together, these and other changes are transforming the jewelry business.

the international gemological institute (igi) in new york plans to open an identification and grading laboratory in central hong kong in november. according to igi president jerry ehrenwald, the institute is hiring local hong kong graduate gemologists and fellows of the british gemological association as diamond graders.

the gemological institute of america’s career fair will be held friday, oct. 15 at gia’s robert mouawad campus in carlsbad, calif. the event will again offer firms an opportunity to recruit and hire some of the industry’s most talented candidates. employers participating in the career fair will meet face to face with hundreds of qualified and highly motivated jewelry industry job hunters, many …

the gemological institute of america (gia) recently released the spring 2004 issue of gems & gemology. this edition marks g&g’s 70th anniversary. in the lead article, “identification of synthetic diamond grown using chemical vapor deposition (cvd),” dr. philip martineau and a team of colleagues from the de beers dtc research centre present the results of their study of more than a thous…

award-winning jewelry designer ziad noshie of houston, texas, has created a specially designed piece for the gemological institute of america’s (gia) signature collection. titled “quetzál,” the piece honors the national bird of guatemala with a life-size replica made with more than 1,100 gemstones.

there is no evidence that the al qaeda terrorist network used diamonds to fund its activities prior to the sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a highly publicized report released in july by the national commission on terrorist attacks. in the document titled “the 9/11 commission report,” the independent commission assigned by congress and president bush to prepare a full account of…

the winning entries for this year’s world titanium council titanium jewelry design competition show continued innovation in the use of fine-jewelry’s hottest new metal. the annual competition drew unique designs from around the world, from both professional jewelers and students of design. this year’s entries were judged on originality, artistic merit, and for demonstrating the positive attrib…

top management appointments were announced at two leading swiss-made watch brands in june.

seiko corporation of america (sca) is expanding its seiko watch market upward into the $500 to $800 range, reducing the large retailer base for its seiko and pulsar watches and seiko clocks by more than 10% each, and focusing more attention on “key retail partnerships.” details of the changes and how they will affect jewelers were discussed in company statements and a jck interview with les…

san francisco’s revere academy of jewelry arts is teaming up with the learning annex for the second time this year to present a day-long seminar for jewelry designers. the event, titled “how to start your own jewelry line,” will be held in downtown san francisco on sept. 19. the learning annex offers continuing education seminars nationwide and collaborated with revere this spring to present a …

in april, designers by the bay, a wholesale jewelry design show, was held at shreve & co. with more than 100 jewelry professionals turning out to celebrate its eighth year. considered by the san francisco membership to be the chapter’s premiere event, designers by the bay annually showcases the work of new and established talent in the bay area.

the second annual bench jewelers conference and expo will take place april 22-24, 2005, in atlanta. it’s the only show devoted exclusively to the bench jeweler in retail stores and small trade shops. an all-day educational conference on friday will begin the weekend events. this will include seminars, workshops, and a panel discussion.

the society of north american goldsmiths (snag) recently announced the election of three new members to its board: sam shaw, president-elect, a studio jeweler, designer, and owner of shaw contemporary jewelry gallery/store; john cogswell, a studio goldsmith, silversmith, and educator, currently teaching at suny new paltz; and kiwon wang, a studio jeweler, exhibiting artist in national juried c…

the california institute of jewelry training is accepting applications for its full-time residence fga diploma course in gemmology, scheduled to start on sept. 13 and nov. 1. gregory e. sherman, fga, dga, g.g., a well known industry educator, directs the program at the sacramento, calif., school, which offers courses in gemology, jewelry appraising, jewelry manufacturing arts, and jewelry design.

platinum guild international usa (pgi-usa) lent operation smile a helping hand by adding the finishing touches to this year’s “smile collection 2004 couture event.” pgi-usa’s michael o’connor and antonia caamaño styled each couture gown with platinum jewelry for the models of operation smile’s fashion event, held may 17 at new york’s whitney museum of art.

there is no evidence that terrorists use diamonds to launder money, the bipartisan sept. 11 commission concluded recently. the diamond-terrorism link has been the subject of articles, reports, and, most recently, a book—blood from stones, by washington post reporter douglas farah. but the commission concluded it had “no persuasive evidence” that al qaeda stored wealth in gemstones.

gemvision corporation will hold its third annual matrix release weekend oct. 2-3 in chicago at the sheraton chicago northwest hotel, located near o’hare airport. this weekend event will unveil the newest version of matrix 3d jewelry design software in a free cad/cam seminar on saturday, oct. 2 from 9 a.

recently, i had to get my jewelry reappraised for a new insurance carrier. my most recent appraisals were two years old, so i couldn’t add a rider on the spot. the agent told me to “just run over to the mall at lunch and pop into any jewelry store and get them to do an appraisal while you wait.” my diamond ring—the piece i was most concerned about losing—has a pear-shape center sto…

david e. connolly inc. better basics purchased engel brothers on may 17. the two businesses now will be manufacturing cooperatively in marbledale, conn. engel brothers has been in operation for more than 74 years. the company’s favorites will continue to be featured while retired styles will be revived and news ones created.

some of most significant watch news at this year’s trade shows didn’t concern watch sales or leading watch brands. rather, it’s the news that many jewelry designers and manufacturers are adding watch brands—and not simply as accessories to their jewelry, but as stand-alone lines, often designed to fill voids in the watch market.

chippenhook corp. and ch. dahlinger have announced an alliance that will allow the two organizations to share each other’s products, designs, and selling and manufacturing resources in the united states, europe, and asia. chippenhook is a leading provider in the united states of visual merchandising and packaging products.

it seems that women’s love for fashion accessories has trickled into the fine jewelry world, with designers offering tiny, precious versions of their beloved shoes and bags. it all started, of course, with aaron basha and the famous baby shoe. as basha’s shoe line continues to thrive, others have joined in on the trend.

“catwomen of the world, raise your right hand!” this summer, de beers’ diamond trading company tied its right-hand ring advertising to warner brothers’ catwoman. the execution pictured here ran in heavy rotation during the summer, and the movie returned the plug by showing a scene in which catwoman tries on a right-hand ring.

the second international, gold & silver jewelry, watch and equipment fair, goldistanbul 2004, will be held at tuyap fair, convention and congress center in beylikdüzü, sept. 18-22, 2004. the show is managed by tuyap fairs and exhibitions organisation inc. in cooperation with iko, the istanbul chamber of jewelry.

calling all graphic designers and gemstone lovers! the deadline to enter the third international colored gemstone association (ica) international poster competition is dec. 31. this year’s competition coincides with ica’s 20th anniversary. according to the organizing committee—jaquie grande (usa), constantine wild, (germany), and yehuda kassif (israel)—the posters should be colorful…

to increase diamond sales, jewelers must become “dream-makers, not deal makers,” diamond promotion service executive director s. lynn diamond told a standing-room only seminar at the jck show ~ las vegas. “women want diamonds that match their dreams,” she said. “diamonds are about romance and fairy-tale endings.

two upscale swiss watches have added sports sponsorships to their marketing:

recently, i spent time with a friend who has been a jewelry manufacturer’s representative for 20 years. the conversation turned to business and how the rep’s job has become more difficult. it’s more dangerous and also subject to unrealistic expectations from many in the manufacturing community who use the services of these road warriors.

de beers has settled its decade-old american antitrust indictment, paving the way for it to do business in the united states for the first time in over half a century. the company pled guilty to a 1994 indictment for fixing industrial diamond prices with competitor general electric. in the settlement, de beers agreed to recognize the court’s jurisdiction—something it did not do when the c…

lazare kaplan international inc. has promoted marcee feinberg to the position of vice president, marketing. feinberg joined lki in 1974. susan korb has been appointed chief marketing officer for harry winston inc. she previously worked as president of assouline, the international publishing house.

manuel cojuangco and jacques branellec, principals of jewelmer international corporation, recently were honored with awards. cojuangco received the alumni achievement award from the asian institute of management (aim) as the “most outstanding businessman of the year.” the award is bestowed on aim graduates who exemplify and realize the institute’s goals of sustaining asian societies.

the texas institute of jewelry technology (tijt), a division of paris junior college, held spring graduation ceremonies for jewelry and horology technology students. james f. marquart, cae, president and ceo of manufacturing jewelers and suppliers of america inc. was the keynote speaker. marquart urged the graduates to become competent in their communications skills to further their careers.

one of the more important gem topics found in print lately has been the diffusion treatment of sapphire. to that end, author and laboratory gemologist ted themelis, owner of gemlab inc. in bangkok, thailand, has produced his second book on the topic, which received—in the same review—both a recommendation for purchase and a condemnation for its lack of accurate scientific analysis.

expo new york, the flagship trade show of manufacturing jewelers & suppliers of america (mjsa), will debut the mjsa gems & jewelry showcase in 2005. connected to the expo’s traditional halls at the jacob k. javits convention center, the showcase will provide premium space and, with its soft-walled booths, an elegant atmosphere for finished jewelry manufacturers and gem dealers (includin…

the design gallery, hosted on the internet luxury goods site adiamondisforever.com, added seven new diamond jewelry collections from new participating manufacturers in june. the new manufacturer participants are andrew meyer, oxygen design, chad allison couture, the stuckey company, hq woman, vassi inc.

this year’s winners of the fourth annual saul bell design competition, sponsored by rio grande, albuquerque, n.m., were honored during the jck show ~ las vegas. designed to “challenge designers to unleash their imagination and create innovative designs,” according to rio grande, the contest honored 10 winners across five categories—gold/platinum, silver, beads, precious metal clay, and ho…

following the resignation of simon teakle as u.s. head of jewelry to join an established jeweler on the east coast, rahul kadakia has been appointed as the new head of christie’s jewelry in the americas. now a senior specialist at christie’s geneva, kadakia will assume his position on oct. 4, 2004. kadakia was born in bombay into a family of jewelers and began his career at christie’s london i…

rio tinto diamonds, owner of australia’s argyle and canada’s diavik mines, is presenting consumers with its “business excellence model.” “consumers expect us to look beyond our own company and ensure that the standards are extended all the way down the value chain,” says keith johnson, ceo of rio tinto diamonds.

copenhagen is a town full of jewelry. its proximity to the baltic sea means amber is everywhere—carved into sculptures and set into silver and gold jewelry designs that are popular with tourists. and one of the city’s top sightseeing stops is the underground treasury at rosenborg palace, where the glorious—and heavily guarded—crown jewels of denmark are on view.

the 2004 hublot prize of the mdm foundation has been awarded to fernande and paco cagigao for their work with achalay, a peruvian organization they founded in 1971 that houses, rehabilitates, cares for, and educates poverty-stricken children and adolescents and handicapped adults. educators and residents live together in the achalay community complex like an extended family, “in a spirit of sol…

the briolette takes its name from an 1860s french alteration of brignolette (“little dried plum”). today, it’s as popular a cutting design as it has ever been—and it’s been around for centuries. commonly defined in merriam-webster’s unabridged dictionary of the english language as “any pear-shape gem having its entire surface cut with tiny triangular facets,” the briolette is actually…

jewelers mutual insurance company, neenah, wis., has implemented a management restructuring. mike maley, vice president of underwriting, will assume expanded responsibility for personal and commercial lines underwriting, uniting these areas into one functional division. david sexton, vice president of loss prevention, will establish a loss prevention department.

the issue of heat-treatment is not just about disclosure. it’s also about value. a gemstone’s value depends on three factors: rarity, beauty, and durability. how much is based on rarity? if you think you know, you can probably answer this: “should the price of a high-pressure/high-temperature-treated d, e, or f color diamond be the same or nearly the same as that of a natural colorless diamond?…

goldistanbul 2004, the second international gold and silver jewelry, watch, and equipment fair, will be held at tuyap fair, convention, and congress center in beylikduzu, istanbul, turkey, sept. 18-22. on display will be gold, silver, and gemstone jewelry, watches, pearls, gifts, packaging, equipment, and industry services from approximately 300 exhibitors from turkey and around the world.

effective immediately, scott kay platinum has changed its name to scott kay bridal. this move comes as a result of experimentation by the self-proclaimed “king of platinum” with yet another metal—gold. (kay branched into silver a year ago.) the name change also is designed to help disconnect association of his jewelry with platinum as a commodity.

rio grande offers a new line of fine silver bezel cups that can be set in place with any type of precious metal clay (pmc), and then safely fired in a kiln. bezel cups are filled with pmc and set in cabochons or any other kiln-safe component. (gemstones can be set in after the pmc is fired.) the cups come in a wide range of sizes and are available in round and oval styles with plain, serrated, …

reller jewelry, gainesville, fla., celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. company founder marcus reller earned his certificate of mastercraftsmanship from the vienna, austria, goldsmith’s guild 75 years ago and opened his own jewelry business in the basement of his apartment building in a working class district of the city.

service merchandise is reinventing itself as an online merchant with a business model that allows manufacturers and other vendors to act as partners. the company offers a wide selection of jewelry as well as home and garden products, toys, and small appliances on its web site, www.servicemerchandise.

a thailand heat-treating firm, the orange sapphire company, claims that the gem and jewellery institute of thailand (git) laboratory has “damaged the value of the company’s products and caused confusion among consumers as to whether its orange sapphires are natural or synthetic.” according to an article in the may 15 edition of the bangkok post the firm is suing the lab for 50 million baht, rou…

when cecilia gardner, general counsel and executive director of the jewelers vigilance committee, requested a grant from the jck industry fund in october of 2000, she proposed “that jvc undertake to create a ‘bar association’ (we propose the name the jewelers board of appraisal review, or ‘j-bar’) for appraisers which would act as a central clearinghouse for qualified appraisers, provide a ce…

the national association of jewelry appraisers has launched a web site at www.najaappraisers.com. the initial content of the informational site contains a “brief history of naja” as well as a section detailing the benefits of membership. a “link” section will offer naja members and vendors the opportunity to feature their goods and services.

for years, pricescope.com has been a quiet, under-the-radar web site that lets consumers comparison-shop diamond vendors by price. but since jewelers on the polygon network began complaining about it, it’s become the site retailers love to hate. at a forum held during the jck show ~ las vegas, celia feder of jay feder jewelers in denver touted jewelersnetwork.

croton watch co., a 125-year-old family-owned u.s. watchmaker, has added a line “specifically designed with jewelry stores in mind,” says croton chief executive officer david mermelstein. croton’s reserve collection incorporates a variety of timepieces, many with swiss movements, with exotic straps and unusual styles reflecting popular fashion trends.

platinum guild international usa, the u.s. marketing arm for the worldwide platinum industry, has opened a new office in new york city. the new york office will house all marketing, advertising, and public relations. it also will support the west coast office by providing supplementary trade relations support for the east coast trade.

there’s more to gemstones than color and birthstone information. at the major gem and jewelry shows, for example, many jewelry designers are focused on price and size. they know that by using less popular gem materials, they can make both big and relatively inexpensive jewelry. consider chalcedony. it’s the ornamental translucent-to-opaque quartz that retailers see most often as black onyx, sar…

things haven’t looked good for diamond industry middlemen for the last decade or so. but they have rarely seemed as bleak as they do now. diamond industry middlemen complain that certain goods are impossible to get, and the ones they find are so highly priced that they produce only minimal margins. some big retailers are starting to favor big suppliers because they’re worried smaller ones may …

ajm: the authority on jewelry manufacturing, the monthly magazine of manufacturing jewelers & suppliers of america (mjsa), recently received two awards recognizing its efforts to keep the jewelry industry informed of the latest production techniques and technologies. the american society of business publication editors (asbpe) honored ajm with a regional award in the technical articles ca…