Jewelers Circular Keystone articles from February 2006

Jewelers Circular Keystone archives from February 2006

This new year ...(from the publisher)(Editorial)
February 1, 2006... I'm writing this letter while on holiday break (publishing timelines being what they are), so the year ahead is looming large. 2006 will be a year of challenge, opportunity, and, hopefully, success. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This year...

Calendar.
February 1, 2006... U.S. SHOWS AND EVENTS FEBRUARY Jan. 31-Feb. 5 28th Annual Tucson Gem & Jewelry Show, Tucson, Ariz.; (520) 792-9431, fax (520) 882-2836, info@glda.com, www.glda.com, lasvegasgemshowguide.com, tucsongemshowguide.com. Jan. 31-Feb. 6...

Excitement is building for March's first-ever JCK NYC Invitational.(Jewelers Circular Keystone plans its jewelry show)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2006... New for 2006, JCK is planning the first annual JCK NYC Invitational, taking place March 5-7, 2006, at the Hilton Hotel New York. An impressive roster of speakers, coupled with a showcase of 300 hand-selected exhibiting manufacturers, perfectly...

Week before Christmas cited as busiest: holiday Jewelry sales get mixed reviews.(jewelry retailers Christmas business survey)
February 1, 2006... For many jewelers, holiday 2005 was a merry time, but for others, it was disappointing. At press time, a JCK survey of retailers produced reports ranging from moderate to overwhelming holiday sales increases in the South and Midwest to...

Expects to close 51 stores: Friedman's exits Chapter 11.(SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2006... Less than a year after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, jewelry retailer Friedman's has emerged as a private company two-thirds its former size. The new chain will have 424 stores. Some 51 underperforming units were slated to...

Chicago store sued for 'cyber-squatting'.(SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2006... Jewelry store Chicago Diamonds has been sued by the Illinois attorney general for "cybersquatting." The lawsuit charges Chicago Diamonds registered several Web addresses that were almost identical to its competitors', a practice known as...

Argyle Mine will stay open.(Rio Tinto Ltd. plans to continue operations at Argyle Mine )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Argyle Mine in Australia will not shut down, which is good news for the Indian diamond industry and companies that sell small diamonds. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rio Tinto announced plans to develop a $760 million underground project...

Fred Levinger remains as non-executive chairman: The Colibri Group gets new chief executive officer.(Thomas Bendheim appointed)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... There has been a major management change at The Colibri Group. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thomas Bendheim has been appointed Colibri's president and chief executive officer. Frederick N. Levinger, who built the company into one of the most...

Is Sterling angling for a sight?(SPOTLIGHT)(Sterling Jewelers Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Signet, owner of Sterling Jewelers, the nation's No. 2 chain, has retained noted diamond broker 1. Hennig in an effort to attain more direct rough diamond sourcing--which many took as a sign it was going for a De Beers sight. [ILLUSTRATION...

Whitehall board urges rejection of takeover offer.(Newcastle Partners bids to acquire Whitehall Jewellers Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The directors of Chicago-based Whitehall Jewellers are urging shareholders to reject a takeover offer from one of its shareholders, Newcastle Partners, for all of the outstanding shares of the company's common stock for $1.20 per share. ...

Jeweler doubles as deejay.(Dave Rogoway's split personality)(Biography)
February 1, 2006... Dave Rogoway lives a double life. During the week, he's one of the owners of a three-store Oregon jewelry chain, La Rog Jewelers. But every weekend he morphs into Dave Stone, jive-spouting, oldie-spinning deejay on local station KICN. The...

Helene Fortunoff becomes new chair of GIA board.(Gemological Institute of America)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Helene Fortunoff has been appointed chairwoman of the Gemological Institute of America's board of governors. She replaces former board of governors chairman Ralph Destino, who was recently appointed chairman of GIA. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Media take notice of GIA problems.(Gemological Institute of America)
February 1, 2006... As many feared, the GIA money-for-grades scandal finally made it to the consumer press in December--with stories in the New York Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal ran back-to-back articles over two days,...

Must abide by U.S. antitrust laws: De Beers settles some suits, still has others.(DIAMONDS)
February 1, 2006... De Beers recently agreed to pay $250 million to settle a group of consumer-driven class-action antitrust lawsuits. In the suits, a group of consumers alleged that De Beers owed them money for keeping diamond prices high in violation of...

Getting money from De Beers may not be easy: W.B. David wins suit, loses business.(DIAMONDS)
February 1, 2006... W.B. David has won its lawsuit against De Beers, but in a bitter irony, the company is no longer operating. W.B. David was a longtime sightholder that lost its sight after De Beers eliminated about a third of its clients when it launched...

Theft fear closes London exhibit.(British Museum of Natural History closes its diamond exhibition)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... It was billed as the largest exhibition of famous diamonds ever and featured such block-buster rocks as the 203 ct. D Flawless De Beers Millennium Star and the 407.48 ct. Incomparable. But after police warned that criminals could be...

DTC appoints new marketing director.(Diamond Trading Co. appoints David Lamb)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... De Beers' Diamond Trading Company has named David Lamb, currently a director for De Beers' ad agency J. Walter Thompson, as its new worldwide marketing director. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lamb has developed many DTC marketing campaigns,...

Counterfeit GIA reports spotted in Antwerp.(Gemological Institute of America, counterfeit diamond investigations )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Two counterfeit grading reports recently were discovered in Antwerp, Belgium, the Gemological Institute of America said. The two reports were purportedly for D Flawless stones. The buyer became suspicious and had one of the diamonds tested. "It...

Big diamonds sold on 'Net.(diamond shopping on internet)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable shopping on the Internet, as evidenced by the growth in sales of big-ticket diamonds. In November, Internet jewelry retailer bluenile.com sold a $170,000 5 ct. diamond solitaire, and on "Cyber...

Appearing in Tucson: fly like a gemstone.(gem artist Erik Martinez to show his designs at Gem and Jewelry Exchange)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Erik Martinez, a gem artist from The Lion's Den in Salmon, Idaho, sent us some flying gem objects before winging his way to Tucson, Ariz., where he'll exhibit at the GJX (Gem & Jewelry Exchange) Hotel Arizona and the Riverpark Inn tent. ...

Tulips and tourmalines.(Gem artist Stephen Avery's to show his designs )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Gem artist Stephen Avery of Lakewood, Colo., offers a glimpse at what he'll be taking to Tucson, Ariz., in February. Of note are his signature tulips, a pair of gem leaf designs, created for the imaginative jewelry designer. Avery is an...

Variquoise veins.(High Desert Gems and Minerals teams up Out of Our Mines)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Christopher Rose at High Desert Gems and Minerals teamed up with Helen Constantine-Shull and Richard Shull from Out of Our Mines to uncover what they believe to be a historic lode of turquoise, variscite, chalcosiderite, faustite, and...

And the stone is ...(GEMS)(Worldwide Diamond Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... November's gemological quiz elicited a number of responses. (See "Bright Gem, Big Question," JCK, November 2005, p. 50.) The quiz was based on a situation that happened to Bob Wiener of Worldwide Diamond Co., Los Angeles, when he was presented...

Dyber captures honors in Idar competition.(gem artist Michael Dyber receives German Award for Jewellery and Precious Stones Idar-Ober-stein)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Michael Dyber, famed gem artist from Rumney, N.H., took Honorable Mention in the 36th German Award for Jewellery and Precious Stones Idar-Ober-stein 2005 competition. It's the fourth time Dyber has won at Idar. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Catalogs that teach.(GEMS)
February 1, 2006... The second volume of "The Stuller & Paspaley Pearl Book" offers more than an order form. The catalog highlights not only Stuller's relationship with Australian South Sea pearl grower Paspaley Pearling Co. but also provides pearl-grading...

An invitation to the world of opportunities.(Istanbul Jewelry Show)
February 1, 2006... Istanbul Jewelry Show is a perfect match between the needs of Trade Buyers and the offerings of manufacturers/suppliers from all over the world. Not only the leading event of its region encompassing 55 countries, it is also amongst the top five...

Program adds 'diffusion' lines to appeal to American tastes: Gold Expressions' third collection debuts.(Italian design in gold jewelry)
February 1, 2006... Gold Expressions, the product development initiative launched in 2004 by the World Gold Council and the Vicenza Fair, has a new twist this year that aims to bring high-end Italian design concepts to a broader audience. The Gold Expressions...

Industry ad agency goes 'Out of Africa'.(FASHION)
February 1, 2006... RLA Creative Inc., a Cresskill, N.J., advertising agency serving the jewelry industry, recently went halfway around the world--literally--for one of its clients. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] South African Diamonds (distributed in the United...

Get to know ... MaeVona.(designer Maeve Gillies' jewelry design analysis)(Biography)
February 1, 2006... Maeve Gillies has an unusual way of introducing herself and her jewelry. Designers' press kits usually come in a folder with photographs, but hers came in a square white cardboard box that plays music of her own composition, performed by the...

From red carpet to reality.(RED CARPET)
February 1, 2006... As celebrities develop and drive fashion trends, it isn't enough for jewelers merely to understand these styles; they also must know how to interpret them for real-life budgets. Here, JCK shows how to deliver one trend--diamond...

Will also take over SIHH: new organization aims to promote luxury watches.(Audemars Piguet and Girard Perregaux and the Richemont S.A. forms new organization Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie)
February 1, 2006... Three leaders in Swiss luxury watchmaking--the brands Audemars Piguet and Girard Perregaux and the Richemont luxury goods group--have formed an organization to boost global awareness and sales of luxury timepieces, unify the fine-watch...

Vacheron Constantin, Breguet awarded top 2005 honors.(watch industry's Year's Best Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve awards)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... "Year's Best" honors were awarded in the Swiss watch industry at the end of 2005. * Vacheron Constantin's dual-faced Tour de l'Ile, the world's most complicated wristwatch, won the L'Aiguille d'Or, top prize in the 2005 Grand Prix...

Dressing the movies.(Timeless Style Awards honors costume designers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Costume designers' impact on film was honored at the recent annual Timeless Style Awards gala in Los Angeles, sponsored by Hamilton and Premiere magazine. The honorees included (from left) Betsy Heimann (Vanilla Sky), Deena Appel (Miss...

Patek Philippe timepieces set records in two auctions.(watches sold at record price in an auction)
February 1, 2006... World records were set by Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe in two different year-end watch auctions, both held in Geneva, Switzerland. * A unique gold complications pocket watch sold on Nov. 14 for a record $1.98 million in an auction by...

Hilton time.(WATCHES)
February 1, 2006... TV personality Paris Hilton shows off her limited-edition watch line at its launch at Tourneau TimeMachine in New York City. One watch was auctioned to Oscar Rodriguez, CEO of Abazias.com, a discounter of diamonds and jewelry. He paid $125,000...

Swiss Watch by JCK adds advisory board.(trade shows)(Jewelers Circular Keystone )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Organizers of the fourth annual Swiss Watch by JCK 2006 luxury trade fair announced in late 2005 that its slots for vendors is sold out. The appointment-only event takes place June 3-7 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Participating brands...

Doing good [watch] works.(new charity advertising campaign )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... As part of its new charity advertising campaign "Baume & Mercier & Me," the Swiss luxury watch brand took part in Esquire magazine's November charity event to support several organizations, among them the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Youth...

Watching a legend.(marketing of watch)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Festina, the upscale sport watch from Spain, recently sponsored. "An Evening with Eddy Merckx" at the Tourneau Time Dome in Las Vegas giving cycling enthusiasts attending the InterBike trade show a rare chance to see the sport's living legend....

Movado will make Juicy Couture watch lines.(WATCHES)(Movado Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Movado Group in November announced it has an exclusive long-term, worldwide licensing agreement with Juicy Couture to design, produce, and market a collection of watches under the Juicy Couture and Couture Couture brand names. Financial...

Ebel's newest 'architect'.(WATCHES)
February 1, 2006... International supermodel Gisele Bundchen will represent luxury watch brand Ebel in its newest Architects of Time global ad campaign, which was launched in 2004. She "perfectly embodies Ebel's vision of feminine confidence, sophisticated...

Indian exports, imports post double-digit increases.(INTERNATIONAL)
February 1, 2006... The value of cut and polished diamonds exported from India rose 18.67 percent from approximately $6.8 billion in the April to November period of 2004, to just over $8.1 billion from April to November 2005. Gemstone (non-diamond) jewelry exports...

Vicenza Fair to launch new pavilion at the JCK Show ~ Las Vegas.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The JCK Show and the Vicenza Fair are cooperatively launching a luxury hall for Italian exhibitors from the Vicenza Fair to present their collections in Las Vegas. The pavilion, themed "Imagine" and shown in this artist's rendering, will debut...

India show changes dates.(INTERNATIONAL)(The India International Jewellery Show )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The India International Jewellery Show has announced a date change for the 2006 event. It will be held May 4 to May 8, 2006, in Mumbai, India--three days later than its original dates of April 27 to May 1. The show remains at the NSE Grounds at...

Good news, bad news.(diamond grading)
February 1, 2006... It was only a matter of time before the national media picked up the GIA lab story. First, the New York Times broke the story, and then the Wall Street Journal followed up, in its Dec. 20, 2005, issue The fact that both stories appeared a few...

Lessons (still) to be learned.(University of Antwerp Management School offering courses on diamond management)(Column)
February 1, 2006... I'm pleased to begin my new monthly column for JCK in this issue. My column will be a commentary on some of the macro issues our industry is confronting these days. There are certainly enough of them. My goal is to help you take a new view...

Dream suite wins AGTA 'Best in Show': presenting the winners of the annual AGTA Spectrum Awards for colored gemstone jewelry.(American Gem Trade Association)
February 1, 2006... "Best in show" usually conjures up images of perfectly fluffed and blow-dried pooches prancing around a judging ring, but for designer and private jewler Samuel Getz of Coral Gables, Fla., there are no sweeter words. No dogs here--Getz's...

Color rising: women, fashion, and the gemstone jewelry market; Women want fashion that's colorful, unique, and affordable. The colored-gemstone jewelry market is giving them just that.
February 1, 2006... "It used to be all about one color," says Laurie Harris, fine jewelry buyer for Tapper's Diamonds and Fine Jewelry in West Bloomfield, Mich. "But women today love color the way they love clothing." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's all...

'Pro-business' Congress gets mixed grades: Congress's 'business scorecard' hasn't been as good as expected, but action this year on business health insurance could change that.
February 1, 2006... The 109th Congress, which many expected to be the most pro-business Congress in decades, gets mixed grades from business lobbyists on how well it lived up to that title in 2005. But action this year on issues affecting small...

Analysis: De Beers bends the pipeline; "Downstream" companies like Tiffany and Stuller are now sightholders. Here's why many find that significant--and worrisome.(Diamond Trading Company)
February 1, 2006... When it launched Supplier of Choice, De Beers listed eight criteria for becoming a sightholder. Among them was manufacturing skills. To many this was a no-brainer: If you're going to pick candidates for the premier position in diamond...

Going platinum: the Platinum Guild International kicks off its new bridal advertising campaign and thinks the results will "go platinum.".(Platinum Guild International consumer research on Platinum)
February 1, 2006... Becoming engaged isn't a single moment in time, but rather one part of a series of moments that make up a couple's relationship. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] So says recent consumer research conducted by Platinum Guild International. This...

Taking care of business: as the producer of educational programs for major industry trade shows, Charlotte Preston helps jewelers develop their business skills and learn from others.(Charlotte Preston Catalysts)(Charlotte Preston Catalysts)(Interview)
February 1, 2006... With a passion for people and for nurturing professionals willing to share their business and personal success stories, Charlotte Preston is perfectly suited for her job as education conference consultant. Preston is the president and...

Crisis planning, Part 2: recovering from disaster; Recovering from a disaster depends on what you do to prepare now.
February 1, 2006... At the 2005 Florida Jewelers Association convention in October, speaker Jeff Mills, vice president of claims for Jewelers Mutual Insurance, asked how many attendees had a living will. Almost 80 percent raised their hands. When he asked how many...

2006 JCK's event dates.(exhibition of diamond and jwelery)(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... Jewelry Marketplace by JCK At MAGIC Marketplace Tuesday, February 21-Friday, February 24, 2006 The Hilton Hotel Las Vegas, NV, USA www.jckgroup.com NEW! The JCK NYC Invitational Sunday, March 5-Tuesday,...

6 ways to handle objections.(IAS Training)
February 1, 2006... There are two kinds of objections: stalls, which may or may not be true, and specifics, which probably are true. If you get a specific objection, ask more questions and then demonstrate again and re-close. A price objection may be to the...

The retail advantage: planning your marketing budget.(JEWELER'S NOTEBOOK)
February 1, 2006... This month we focus on budgeting, timing, and prioritization of your marketing. To build a functional marketing budget, look at several key statistical elements. You need to quantify your prior 12 month's gross sales and know your gross...

At what cost?(human ethics)(Editorial)
February 1, 2006... There's a joke being circulated among those of us d'un certain age, showing how by today's standards, anyone over age 35 should rightfully be dead. After all, our mothers smoked and drank while they were pregnant, we rode bikes without wearing...