Jewelers Circular Keystone articles from April 2009

Jewelers Circular Keystone archives from April 2009

Batteries = Bucks.
April 1, 2009... By Gary Roskin, G.G. FGA, Contributing Editor Watch batteries can help keep your business ticking. Think there's no money in watch batteries? Wal-Mart Supercenters changed 18 million batteries last year, sources say. At a wholesale...

Tips For Struggling Businesses.
April 1, 2009... Frank Dallahan No question, the current environment in the jewelry industry is one of struggle. In conversations with retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers, the word struggle may be an understatement. Some time ago, I clipped a...

Open Hearts and Diamond Necklaces.
April 1, 2009... Hedda T. Schupak For the record, it was a coincidence that both Mark Smelzer and I wrote about Facebook on our pages last month. Honest, we didn't plan it that way! But the fact that we each chose the topic says something. It not only...

Gem Pricing Report.
April 1, 2009... Staff Mining operations in major producing nations remain at a standstill. Key markets are seeing few foreign buyers. Colored stone markets across the globe report sparse trading activity. Prices are stable for most loose gem products,...

Heavy Metal.
April 1, 2009... By William George Shuster, Senior Editor As if the global recession weren't bad enough, the jewelry industry is also dealing with record high gold prices. High-price gold is here to stay for awhile, and jewelry retailers,...

210 Days.
April 1, 2009... Staff This is the current legal deadline for retailers in Chapter 11 to decide which stores to close and which to keep open. The limit was one of several changes made to the U.S. Bankruptcy code in 2005. According to a report on...

Hit the Reset Button.
April 1, 2009... Ben Janowski When Steve Ballmer of Microsoft talks about "reset" in the software business, a term used by others in TV interviews, we know that business managers are seeing far more than a short-term recession. They expect the level of...

The Past is Past...
April 1, 2009... Mark Smelzer I've just completed a week's sales calls in Los Angeles. It's always a pleasure to get a West Coast perspective on things. One of our most casual meetings was with our dear friend Linda Garrido at MK Diamonds. Although we...

I Hate To Be Sold!
April 1, 2009... Brad Huisken Some people hate to feel that they're being sold. Maybe they believe all salespeople are pushy and aggressive. Maybe they've had a bad experience with a salesperson in the past. Or maybe they really do want to look around and...

11 Ways to Reduce Product Returns.
April 1, 2009... Tim Malone Fashion products like jewelry have always suffered a higher rate of return than other products, yet the vast majority of returned jewelry has nothing wrong with it. Here are 11 tips to help reduce the number of products returned...

Be Ready for New Career Opportunities.
April 1, 2009... Suzanne DeVries While the severity of the current downturn has been a surprise, equally surprising is the state of denial we see from many people about how tough it really is and how much tougher it will get before the economy improves....

Finlay Ceasing its Leasing.
April 1, 2009... Rob Bates In a much anticipated reorganization, Finlay Enterprises is exiting its long-standing business running leased jewelry counters in department stores and will focus on the specialty jewelry store business. The company's...

Cuts Continue.
April 1, 2009... Staff Jewelry businesses continued to cut staff as 2009 progressed The Gemological Institue of Americain February cut 9 percentof its staff (103 employees), froze its pension plan, and slashed managerial salaries--after laying off...

Obama Election Commemorated.
April 1, 2009... Staff A commemorative bronze medallion honoring Barack Obama as the first African-American president has been created by veteran jewelry and accessories designer Deborah LaPearl Clark , who endured segregation as a child in the 1960s...

From the JCKonline.com Blogs.
April 1, 2009... Cynthia Sliwa, Jewels on Jewels, Jan. 20, 2009 A Few Jewelry-Related Observations on This Historical Inauguration Day About our new President: He wears a watch, even with formal wear, making watch-wearing cool. He wears a wedding ring....

JA Fights Looming Luxury Levies.(Jewelers of America )(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Staff New luxury taxes on jewelry are possible in New York and Illinois, and Jewelers of America is organizing the industry to stop them. The New York state and Illinois measures would, if passed, add a 5 percent luxury tax to jewelry...

De Beers' Doldrums.
April 1, 2009... Staff Diamond giant De Beers is not immune from the current crisis. Among its recent actions: Will continue its U.S. generic advertising for "beacons" (e.g., three-stone rings, Journey products), but only if sightholders and retailers...

Diamond Dealers Club Election Challenged in Court.
April 1, 2009... Rob Bates The fractious intramural politics at the New York Diamond Dealers Club have spilled over to the courts. The club's former vice president, David Abraham, has asked the New York State Supreme Court to prevent four-term...

Zale Closes 105 Stores.
April 1, 2009... Rob Bates Zale Corp. is closing 105 underperforming stores and eliminating 245 positions. Most of those positions were in its home office; 70 were open. The changes accompanied financial results that showed Zale's fourth quarter...

Tiffany Shuts Irridese.(Tiffany and Co.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Rob Bates Tiffany and Co. plans to close Iridesse, the 16-store pearl-only chain it launched in 2004. The closings will occur "as we make agreements with the landlords and sell off the inventory," said company spokeswoman Linda Buckley....

Warren Buffett's Little Blue Bonds.
April 1, 2009... Rob Bates Berkshire Hathaway, the company headed by legendary investor Warren Buffett, has loaned $250 million to Tiffany. The new loans are due in 2017 and 2019 and have a hefty 10 percent annual interest rate, although that's less...

Noted Retailer Liquidates: Fortunoff: The End.
April 1, 2009... Rob Bates After filing for Chapter 11 twice in little over a year, and being up for sale three times in the last five years, the 87-year-old 20-store chain Fortunoff in February became the latest jewelry chain to liquidate. Fortunoff,...

JCKonline.com Comment of the Month.(Penny Proddow, fine jeweler )(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Staff Lynn Ramsey, on the story 'Penny Proddow Dies': [Jewelry historian and author] Penny Proddow was one of the most knowledgeable, articulate, and inspiring jewelry enthusiasts I have ever had the privilege of knowing and working with....

Newswire.
April 1, 2009... Staff Guzzi 's , a Stratford, Conn., jewelry store for more than 37 years, is closing its doors, according to local station WTNH. The owner still owns Diamond Designs in Orange, Conn. Jewelers of America has named Robert Headley its...

Suppliers.
April 1, 2009... Staff You Be The Judge! Retail jewelers had their opportunity to vote for their favorite pieces earlier this year, and now suppliers have their chance to vote for their favorite retailer! A call for nominations went out to suppliers...

Collectors Universe Leaves Jewelry Business.
April 1, 2009... Staff Collectors Universe is leaving the jewelry grading business and will no longer own the two labs it spent millions on in 2005 and 2006--GCAL (Gem Certification and Appraisal Lab) for diamonds, and AGL (American Gemological Laboratory)...

AGS @ 75.
April 1, 2009... By William George Shuster, Senior Editor Creation of the American Gem Society defined a profession and brought ethics to the jewelry trade. The American Gem Society, the jewelry and gem trades' professional guild, celebrates its 75th...

Spotlight on the Retailer.(top retail jewelers)
April 1, 2009... Staff JCK recently asked jewelry suppliers to name some of their favorite retail jewelers. Here are 10 of the best. Barmakian Locations Boston and Framingham, Mass., and Nashua, N.H. Principals Ara Barmakian and Vahan...