Jewelers Circular Keystone articles from April 2007

Jewelers Circular Keystone archives from April 2007

PGI's Three-Ring Program Takes Back the Wedding.
April 1, 2007... By Hedda T. Schupak, Editor-in-Chief A year after PGI's retailer/manufacturer partnership program began, members are seeing huge success at the cash register and encouraging bridal couples to buy their wedding bands early-while their...

A South African Platinum Odyssey.
April 1, 2007... By Hedda T. Schupak, Editor-in-Chief Platinum Guild International took a group of lucky jewelers to South Africa for the trip of a lifetime. In October 2006, Platinum Guild International's U.S. office organized a special trip for...

U.S. Remains World's Top Platinum Watch Market.
April 1, 2007... By William George Shuster, Senior Editor The platinum watch market is thriving, but platinum's high price may be starting to have an effect. Platinum watch sales continue to grow worldwide and remain strong in the U.S. market despite...

Blood Diamond Fallout.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... By Rob Bates, Senior Editor Thanks to the movie Blood Diamond , the conflict diamond issue received more publicitythis past December than it has in years. But did the movie andthe media hype surrounding it make an impact on sales of...

The Retail Impact.
April 1, 2007... By Rob Bates, Senior Editor The movie that everyone in the jewelry industry feared had scant impact on holiday sales. Randy McCullough, president and chief executive officer of Samuels, remembers going to a charity auction shortly...

The Trade Tells Its Side.
April 1, 2007... By Rob Bates, Senior Editor The diamond industry was prepared for a showdown, but the hype and buzz made a bigger impression than the film itself. When it became clear that Blood Diamond would be made, diamond industry public relations...

Faberge Travels to Tennessee.
April 1, 2007... By Monica Clare McLaughlin, Heritage Editor An important Faberge collection is moving to Nashville's Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art for a five-year stay. The United States lost one of its greatest Faberge collections to...

Best-Selling Author to Headline AGS Conference.
April 1, 2007... By Staff Five groundbreaking speakers will present programs throughout the American Gem Society's International Conclave, to be held in Denver April 25-28, at the Denver Marriott City Center. Jim Collins will serve as keynote speaker....

WJA Calls for Scholarship Entries.
April 1, 2007... By Staff The Women's Jewelry Association has announced its 2007 Student Scholarship Program. The deadline for receipt of applications and required materials is May 1. Student Scholarships funds are raised from the WJA Silent Auction...

WJA Names Anna Martin to Hall of Fame.(Anna Martin is selected for the 2007 Hall of Fame inductee)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... By Staff Women's Jewelry Association board of directors announced their selection of Anna Martin as the 2007 Hall of Fame inductee. She will be honored at the WJA 24th Annual Awards for Excellence gala, at Pier 60 in New York on July 29....

Who Are You? A Guide to the New You, Part 1.
April 1, 2007... By Rick Bannerot Listen to The Who's prescient 1978 rock 'n' roll anthem 'Who Are You?' and you'll be struck by Pete Townshend's lyrics as they relate to key issues facing today's jewelry retailers. In addition to the song's title...

Trading Slows as Prices Rise.
April 1, 2007... By Staff Dealers report slower trading in the U.S. market. Resistance to higher diamond prices is a contributing factor. Availability of better-quality 3.00 ct. and larger goods is still a concern. In the New York diamond market, demand...

How Can I Make Best Use of the Telephone?
April 1, 2007... By Brad Huisken In an age when telemarketers, credit card solicitors, political candidates, pollsters, mortgage bankers, college alma maters, and others are annoying customers with a flood of calls-and more households are using caller...

Jewelry Wardrobe Basics.(Excerpt)
April 1, 2007... By Caroline Stanley and Cynthia Sliwa In an excerpt from their book Jewelry Savvy: The Ultimate Guide to the Selection, Care and Creative Recycling of Jewelry, the authors offer advice on building a jewelry wardrobe and choosing earrings...

Measure Your Way to Sales and Profitability.
April 1, 2007... By Martin C. Shanker If you decided to spend one day a month working to improve your selling techniques, would you know what to work on? Knowing can mean the difference between zero and a 10 to 20 percent improvement in sales, but many...

Disparate Things That Connect.(view of Frank Dallahan)
April 1, 2007... By Frank Dallahan The value of attending an industry conference is the opportunity to see, hear, and experience-in person-the wisdom of interesting, intelligent people. Recently I heard the director of Blood Diamond , Ed Zwick, speak at...

Why Does Design Matter?(view of Hedda Schupak about jewels design)
April 1, 2007... By Hedda Schupak During the Centurion Jewelry show, I had the opportunity to interview Juliet Polcsa, the costume designer for HBO's popular mobster soap opera, The Sopranos . (See p. 62.) Polcsa brought up an interesting point about...

Is the End Game in Sight?
April 1, 2007... By Ben Janowski In February I wrote about the Fabrikant bankruptcy and touched on a subject I would like to explore further-the domination of the mall diamond business by Indian suppliers. In some ways the growth of large mall chains...

A Winter Journey.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... By Mark Smelzer So, there I was in São Paulo, Brazil, when Hedda says to me, 'You should really think about rescheduling your Presidents' Day weekend flight to Palm Springs. There's a big storm coming.' 'Not to worry,' I reply....

Journey Looks Like a Hit.
April 1, 2007... By Rob Bates Journey-the newest product concept from JWT, De Beers' U.S. marketing firm-looks like a hit after its first Christmas at retail. 'Journey was a very strong category for us,' says David Sternblitz, director of investor...

New IDI Managing Director: Asia Is Our Future.(Israeli Diamond Institute)(dialogue with Eli Avidar)(Interview)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... By Laura Finkelstein The Israeli Diamond Institute's new managing director, Eli Avidar, recently replaced Efraim Raviv, who served in the role for 20 years. Most of Avidar's experience is in government, including a stint as senior...

European Commission Closes Book on Supplier of Choice.
April 1, 2007... By Rob Bates The European Commission has ended its investigation of De Beers' Supplier of Choice policy, based on what it calls the 'increased transparency in De Beers' distribution arrangements.' The EC says it recently had De Beers...

Top Trends From the Jewelry Shows.
April 1, 2007... By Laura Finkelstein and Jennifer Heebner A trio of recent trade fairs-VicenzaOro1 in Vicenza, Italy; the Jewelers of America Show in New York; and Centurion in Tucson, Ariz.-ushered in a busy season for the jewelry industry. The hot...

Wisteria Lane Looks.
April 1, 2007... By Hedda Schupak JCK caught up with Karo Vartanian, costume supervisor for the ABC mega-hit Desperate Housewives , during the Centurion Jewelry Show in January. JCK asked him to reveal the secrets to choosing a wardrobe-and picking...

Jewelry, Jersey-Style.
April 1, 2007... By Hedda Schupak If a queen wears a crown, and a princess a tiara, what does the wife of New Jersey's most famous mobster wear? For an answer, JCK spoke with Juliet Polcsa, costume designer for The Sopranos , HBO's award-winning drama...

A Bill of Rights for Appraisal Clients.
April 1, 2007... By Gary Roskin The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers has distributed to more than 700 members a client's bill of rights that's suitable for framing and display in appraisal offices or gem labs. A member-only benefit, the document...

Banking on a Ruby Appraisal.
April 1, 2007... By Gary Roskin When an officer of an overseas bank called Stuart Robertson and asked him to appraise several large ruby crystals, Robertson could tell from the description that they weren't gem quality. Robertson, research director and...

Lawyers: Industry Can Claim De Beers Settlement Jackpot.
April 1, 2007... By Rob Bates The diamond industry-including retailers-will soon be entitled to claim a share of the $300 million class-action settlement against De Beers for antitrust violations, the lawyers who brought the suit announced at a packed...

JCK Invitational Speakers Discuss Salesmanship, Security, and Hugs.
April 1, 2007... By Anthony DeMarco Service, emotional appeals, and product knowledge will bring Internet customers into your jewelry store, sales trainer and consultant Shane Decker said during a keynote presentation at the JCK Invitational show in...

Online Retailers Say Sales Rose Last Holiday.
April 1, 2007... By Staff Blue Nile and Amazon said sales were strong at Christmas. Seattle-based Blue Nile reported fourth-quarter net sales of $90.7 million, a 23.9 percent increase over 2005. The company also named its chief financial officer, Diane...

Newswire.
April 1, 2007... By Staff Senate Votes Minimum Wage Hike Staff The Senate voted overwhelmingly to boost the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour recently. The bill also provides small-business tax cuts to help offset the cost of the wage...

Shigley Gets New GIA Role.(Gemological Institute of America)(James Shigley)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... By Gary Roskin James Shigley, the longtime director of research at the Gemological Institute of America, has been given the new role of GIA Distinguished Research Fellow, the institute said in an internal memo acquired by JCK . 'Jim...

Retail Thoughts.
April 1, 2007... By Jennifer Heebner Al Molina, of Molina in Phoenix, is confident, and with good reason. He converted his small, 20-year-old, by-appointment-only business into a well-recognized brand known for rare and exquisite jewels. He's not concerned...

Timex Group Launches Sequel.
April 1, 2007... By William George Shuster The Timex Group B.V. has reorganized its Callanen International division and added a new worldwide company called Sequel to take over from Callanen the global marketing and distribution of the strong-selling...

Antiquorum Buys TimeZone.com.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... By William George Shuster Antiquorum, a leading horological auction house, has acquired TimeZone.com, the largest English-language community Web site for wristwatch enthusiasts and those seeking information about fine timepieces. TimeZone...

TAG Heuer's Jack Heuer Honored by JIC.
April 1, 2007... By William George Shuster Jack Heuer-watch innovator and marketer; great-grandson of Heuer watch founder Edouard Heuer; and honorary chairman of TAG Heuer, the Swiss luxury sport watch brand-in January received the Jewelry Infor-mation...

William Devine Is New CEO of Bedat & Co.
April 1, 2007... By William George Shuster William Devine, 40, has been appointed by the Gucci Group N.V. as chief executive officer of its Swiss luxury watch company Bedat & Co. He replaces Christian Bedat, who, with his mother, started the company in...

Swatch Group Posts 'Best Results of All Time'.(Financial report)
April 1, 2007... By William George Shuster Swatch Group, the world's largest watchmaker, posted a 12.3 percent gain in gross sales for 2006, totaling about $4.04 billion. A Jan. 22 announcement from the Swiss watchmaker called the results its best 'of all...