Jewelers Circular Keystone articles from April 2008

Jewelers Circular Keystone archives from April 2008

The Quest for Fair Trade Diamonds.
April 1, 2008... By Rob Bates, Senior Editor There is still no agreement about what constitutes an ethical diamond, but the industry is struggling to find an answer. Say you're an ethical consumer. You don't want to own diamonds associated with the...

Clear-Conscience Color.
April 1, 2008... By Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA, Senior Editor Fair-trade gems and protecting coral reefs are among the top human rights and environmental issues facing the colored gemstone industry. Retail jewelers who can document where their colored...

Cleaning the Green Charge Up the Mines.
April 1, 2008... By William George Shuster, Senior Editor Jewelry trade groups are raising awareness of mining's environmental impact. For centuries, mining for precious metals and gems has often caused harm to the local people, wildlife, and...

Retailers Learn to Go Green.
April 1, 2008... By Jennifer Heebner, Senior Editor Retail jewelers aim to be more socially responsible through easy-to-implement green business practices. Green is the undisputed buzzword of the moment. Businesses from automotive to plumbing to, of...

Watchmakers Lead the Green Charge.
April 1, 2008... By William George Shuster, Senior Editor From their products to their operations, watch companies have made enormous strides to protect the environment. Want a good example of an eco-friendly product? Look at your watch. The watch...

Beyond Survival.
April 1, 2008... By Hedda T. Schupak, Editor-in-Chief The Israeli diamond industry knows what it takes to thrive. Israel's diamond industry offers an outstanding example of how to flourish in the face of potentially devastating change. Jewelers who...

Maurice Lacroix's Upscale Makeover.
April 1, 2008... By William George Shuster, Senior Editor The watchmaker has a five-year plan to reposition itself as a leading luxury brand by focusing on mechanicals, in-house production, distribution, brand identity, and value. Maurice Lacroix S.A.,...

Village Jewelers.
April 1, 2008... By Glen A. Beres While most jewelers look to increase business through expansion, Dean Thomas has found that bigger isn't always better. Thomas, owner of Village Jewelers in Du Quoin, Ill., recently sold his building and moved to a smaller...

Don't Let the Vote Rock You This Year.
April 1, 2008... By Rick Bannerot While it may come as no surprise, it's an election year, and that has several direct effects on your jewelry business that you need to accept, work around, and take advantage of. Or you can sit on the sidelines moaning...

Perfect Phrases Can Help Jewelers Hire Perfect Candidates.
April 1, 2008... By Glen A. Beres From recruiting to interviewing to making an offer, preparing the right phrases and questions during the hiring process is essential to attracting good candidates and gaining the information you need to ensure their...

Gem Pricing Report.
April 1, 2008... Staff The jewelry industry continues to feel pressure from a slow economy. Jewelers say the slow market combined with high prices for gold and platinum have opened opportunities for buying used jewelry and gemstones over the counter....

Employee Training Is Crucial.
April 1, 2008... By Wayne Levy Training is the key factor that sets apart major retailers like Sterling and Zales from independent retailers. Large retail jewelry companies prefer to hire people that have retail experience but not retail jewelry...

Principles of Sales Management, Part 2.
April 1, 2008... By Brad Huisken This month I detail the second half of the 16 principles of sales management. Remember, the sales manager's job is to give his or her people the help they need to be successful. A strong sales staff equals a successful...

Yes, You Can Sell Platinum!
April 1, 2008... By Hedda T. Schupak, Editor-in-Chief With the price of platinum topping $1,900 an ounce, designers and manufacturers have turned to clever reengineering to keep prices down at the counter. I just can't sell platinum right now. It's too...

Things That Keep You Awake at Night.
April 1, 2008... By Frank Dallahan This month's Counterpoint will touch on two topics. One is a personal mea culpa. The other is a topic discussed at the Plumb Club Forum. Mea culpa is Latin for 'through my fault.' I use it to acknowledge an error I...

For the Earth's Sake.
April 1, 2008... By Hedda Schupak Back in September, the JCK editorial staff began discussing the concept of a 'green' issue; i.e., one devoted to environmental concerns in the jewelry industry. Getting it right took some debate. JCK has covered...

Fading Independents?
April 1, 2008... By Ben Janowski The year 2007 ended with retailing generally reporting mixed results, with many saying it was a poor year. Mall stores did not do nearly as well as last year. We also know that, according to the Jewelers Board of Trade, the...

Mr. Bates Wins a Neal!
April 1, 2008... By Mark Smelzer I've just returned from the Waldorf-Astoria ballroom, where I had the pleasure of seeing our diamond editor, Rob Bates, win a Jesse H. Neal award for excellence in business-to-business editorial! The awards, often...

Cultural Revolution.
April 1, 2008... By Charles A. Meyer Rob Bates's article on laboratory-grown diamonds, 'The Cultured Club' (JCK , January 2008, p. 76), is an informative and balanced status report on the state of the industry. As one who has had a role with most of the...

BHP Makes Second Bid for Rio Tinto.
April 1, 2008... By Rob Bates Mega-miner BHP has made a second unsolicited offer for rival Rio Tinto, but the offer again has been rejected. BHP offered 3.4 shares of its stock for one share of Rio Tinto, up from its previous 3-for-1 proposal. Rio said...

Diamond Dealers Club Retains Term Limits.
April 1, 2008... By Rob Bates After a meeting described as 'raucous,' 'contentious,' and a 'near riot,' the Diamond Dealers Club decided to retain its term limits for elected positions. The proposal was part of a package of bylaws changes, which...

DTC Lifts Sightholder Suspensions.
April 1, 2008... By Rob Bates It was considered the first big test of De Beers' Best Practice Principles ethical code, but it ended with a puzzling about-face. At the beginning of the year, De Beers suspended six sightholders, all Indian-owned firms...

Diamdel Holds E-Auctions.
April 1, 2008... By Rob Bates De Beers subsidiary Diamdel recently auctioned rough diamonds from its Web site, Diamdel.com , and said it was 'delighted' with the results. 'Participation and results all exceed[ed] expectations,' a statement said....

Zale to Close 105 Stores, Cut 225 Positions.
April 1, 2008... By Rob Bates Zale will close 105 stores-more than previously announced-and cut 225 staff positions, the company announced recently. By the end of fiscal year 2008, it will have approximately 2,145 retail locations. The closings will...

Lord & Taylor Buys Fortunoff.
April 1, 2008... Staff Lord & Taylor reportedly has received court approval for its purchase of Fortunoff, the famed furnishings and jewelry retailer that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January. Lord & Taylor, owned by hedge fund NRDC...

Friedman's Gets Auction Approval.
April 1, 2008... Staff Friedman's Jewelers, currently in Chapter 11, has won bankruptcy court approval to sell off its assets, according to wire reports. At press time, an auction was scheduled for March 6. In early March, Friedman's had not yet named...

Stuller Dismisses 45.
April 1, 2008... By Rob Bates Jewelry manufacturer and distributor Stuller, Lafayette, La., is reducing its workforce by 45 employees in a realignment of its management team. JCK has learned that among the dismissed were Joseph Buttross, Stuller's...

Ginger Dick Dies.
April 1, 2008... Staff Longtime gem and jewelry writer Ginger Dick died Feb. 10 at the age of 62, from heart-related issues. Born Beverly Barnes, she is best known in the industry by her pen name, Ginger Dick. Her byline regularly appeared in American...

Citizen Completes Acquisition of Bulova.
April 1, 2008... By William George Shuster Citizen Watch Co. Ltd. in January completed the $250 million acquisition of global timekeeping company Bulova Corp. from Loews Corp. Bulova, founded in 1875, and headquartered in Woodside, N.Y., has offices in...

Franck Muller Stops More Gray Marketers.
April 1, 2008... By William George Shuster The last of several court judgments barring gray market trafficking in watches with the Franck Muller trademark was issued in December 2007. The ruling affected 11 retailers and owners that operate in Manhattan's...

Roger Dubuis S.A., Former Distributor End Dispute.
April 1, 2008... By William George Shuster Swiss luxury watchmaker Roger Dubuis S.A. and former U.S. distributor Helvetia Time Corp. (which did business as Roger Dubuis North America Inc.) in January dropped legal actions against each other, which began...