Jewelers Circular Keystone articles from January 2008

Jewelers Circular Keystone archives from January 2008

How Does Your Garden Grow?
January 1, 2008... By Rick Bannerot Running a jewelry business is not unlike tending a garden. It's a work in progress, and you'll face many challenges as you labor to make it a thing of beauty. It takes years to bring a garden to resplendent glory, and so...

Bridal by the Numbers.(american bridal jewelry market)
January 1, 2008... By Jennifer Heebner, Senior Editor Here are all the statistics you need to know about the American bridal jewelry market. This year's analysis of the U.S. bridal jewelry business offers a snapshot of sales, brand recognition,...

Candidates Questioned About Diamonds.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates At the Democratic candidate debate in Las Vegas, the closing question came from a young woman who asked Senator Hillary Clinton: "Do you prefer diamonds or pearls?" Clinton replied: "Now, I know I'm sometimes accused of...

IDI Inks Deals With Liberia.(Israel Diamond Institute )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates The Israel Diamond Institute recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Liberia at a ceremony in Tel Aviv, Israel. The MoU says that in "establishing a firm and stable diamond infrastructure in Liberia, the...

Aber, Now Harry Winston, Interested in Canadian Mine.(Aber Resources Ltd.)(Diavik Diamond Mines Inc.)(Rio Tinto Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates With rumors rampant that Canada's Diavik Mine will be sold as a result of the possible Rio Tinto-BHP merger, the mine's junior partner says it's interested in buying the whole thing. "If it were for sale, yes, of course we...

Botswana Adds 16 Sightholders.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates DTC Botswana's list of domestic sightholders includes 16 clients. Every client that set up a factory in the world's largest diamond-producing nation had its application approved, in contrast to the situation in neighboring...

De Beers Sells Cullinan Mine.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates De Beers recently sold its Cullinan Diamond Mine in South Africa to the Petra Diamonds Cullinan Consortium for $150 million. Named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who discovered the kimberlite deposit in 1898, the Cullinan...

Rough Importers Must Fax Extra Cert.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates Importers of rough diamonds now must fax to the U.S. Census Bureau a copy of the Kimberley Process certificate that arrives with the imported diamonds, Jewelers Vigilance Committee says. JVC notes that the Census Bureau is...

GIA Investigation--Closed?(Gemological Institute of America)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates The Gemological Institute of America bribery scandal, which consumed the trade for a year and led to a change in the institute's top management, may no longer be under investigation by federal authorities, according to a...

The Real Cost of $800.
January 1, 2008... By Hedda T. Schupak With the price of gold over $800 an ounce, and platinum topping $1,000 an ounce, it's no surprise the jewelry industry fears the sky is falling. After all, few in the industry can say "1981" without a shudder. But...

Get to Know ... Ileana Makri.
January 1, 2008... By Jennifer Heebner Athens, Greece-based Ileana Makri makes jewelry that people immediately understand. For example, superstitious inhabitants of Mediterranean countries recognize the evil eye as a symbol that wards off negative energy....

New Jewelry Collections to Covet.
January 1, 2008... By Jennifer Heebner Leslie's is now the exclusive U.S. distributor for Italian jewelry maker Zoccai . Pieces from Zoccai's line were well received by attendees of the 2007 LUXURY by JCK show held in Las Vegas. Zoccai is known for its bold...

For a Good Cause.(Diana Vincent donated two custom-made brooches to agencies that assist victims of breast cancer)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... By Staff Jewelry designer Diana Vincent recently donated two custom-made brooches, including an 18k gold, diamond, and pink tourmaline piece, to agencies that assist victims of breast cancer. Benefactors include the Comprehensive Breast...

India Woos the U.S.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates, Senior Editor At a recent conference in India, U.S. retailers came face-to-face with the people who make their jewelry. It was overwhelming: the spicy food, the poverty, the crowded cities, the splendor of the Taj Mahal....

The Mental State of the Industry.
January 1, 2008... By James Porte Many jewelers I talk to are burned out, fed up, and frustrated with the jewelry business. I predict an explosion of store closings in the next few years, not because of shrinking margins, not because of the Internet, and...

Gem Pricing Report.
January 1, 2008... By Staff While record per-carat gem prices are being paid in East Asia, the U.S. market remains cautious because of concerns about an economic slowdown. The weakened U.S. dollar is contributing to the higher prices U.S. buyers are finding...

Argyle Pink Prices Skyrocket.
January 1, 2008... By Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA The 23rd annual Rio Tinto Diamonds Argyle Pink Diamond Tender held last September in Hong Kong, New York, and Perth, Australia, was, as usual, exciting and unpredictable. Sixty-five diamonds-64 saturated pinks and...

Sotheby's Sets Records.
January 1, 2008... By Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels sale on Dec. 4, 2007, generated $49.8 million, 32 percent more than the high estimate of $37.4 million and the highest total ever for a jewelry sale at Sotheby's New York. "We are...

How Can I Motivate My Staff?
January 1, 2008... By Brad Huisken It's unlikely that a staff will ever care as much or work as hard as the owner or manager. That's why you have to create an environment in which people can have their own "business" within your business. That will encourage...

Branding: Where to Now?
January 1, 2008... By Ben Janowski There is little doubt that the Diamond Trading Company has given up pushing marketing as the central theme of its Supplier of Choice program. That caused too much pain among its clients. It's hard enough to create a brand...

Four Ways to Boost Business.
January 1, 2008... By Steven Kaiser Retailers across the country should ask themselves two questions: "How can I increase my transaction amount?" and "How can I drive more traffic into my store?" There are a multitude of answers to these questions, and four...

11,052 Votes!
January 1, 2008... By Mark Smelzer We are thrilled with the response to our first annual JCK Jewelers Choice Awards! As you may know, the awards were launched to celebrate design and create retailer awareness of participants' pieces. The competition drew 430...

The JCK 2008 It List.
January 1, 2008... By JCK Staff Our annual honor roll of upcoming trends plus tips to help you profit from them. Fashion Crossover We've been talking and talking (and talking) about the merging of fine jewelry into the fashion world, and recent...

950 Palladium: A Seamless Operation for Bridal Products.
January 1, 2008... By Mark B. and Lainie Mann The John C. Nordt group supplies raw materials and components as well as finished bridal products. This article features their process for manufacturing 950 palladium seamless tubing, referred to as pipe. ...

Unintended Consequences.(Discussion)
January 1, 2008... Frank Dallahan The recent decision of Jewelers of America, Tiffany, Cartier, and others in the jewelry community to urge a ban on importation of rubies from Myanmar (Burma) brings back an interesting point-counterpoint discussion that took...

Strengthen Your Brand to Increase Traffic and Sales.
January 1, 2008... By Martin C. Shanker What would it mean to your business if your customers always thought about your store first whenever they considered buying jewelry? Growth in competition-together with declines in customer loyalty-make always...

Gitanjali Group Acquires Rogers Jewelers.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates Indian sightholder Gitanjali Group recently acquired Rogers Jewelers, one of the oldest family-run jewelry chains in the United States. The company purchased Samuels Jewelers last year. Rogers operates 46 stores in 11...

Buffett Bags Prime Time.
January 1, 2008... By Staff The Richline Group, owned by Warren Buffett's holding company Berkshire Hathaway, recently acquired gold jewelry company Prime Time. It was Richline's second acquisition in a matter of weeks, following its purchase of another gold...

Arthur Gleim Dies.
January 1, 2008... By Hedda T. Schupak Famed California jeweler Arthur Gleim, of Palo Alto, Calif., died Nov. 26, 2007. He was 91. Gleim, whose father Frederick founded Gleim the Jeweler in 1931, was a well-known fixture in the jewelry industry, just as...

Tiffany-EBay Case Goes to Court.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates The Tiffany vs. eBay counterfeit suit has gone to trial, and if eBay loses it could open the door for more suits and possibly hurt eBay as a business, some experts say. Tiffany is suing the auction site for hosting...

De Beers Settlement Could Mean Consumer Queries.
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates Jewelers could be hit with questions stemming from the De Beers class-action settlement, Jewelers of America said recently. The suit will return money to any consumer who bought a diamond between Jan. 1, 1994, and March...

JA's Talking Points.
January 1, 2008... By Staff Here is how Jewelers of America recommends handling consumer queries about the De Beers class-action settlement: Customer: I saw in some magazine that I might be eligible to get cash back on my diamond jewelry purchases...

The Cultured Club.(cultured diamonds)
January 1, 2008... By Rob Bates, Senior Editor Manufacturers of lab-grown diamonds have proven they can grow diamonds. Now they have to cultivate acceptance. In 2003, Wired magazine heralded "the new diamond age," noting that factories now can produce...

Valentine's Day Tips.
January 1, 2008... By Staff Valentine's Day is next month, which means it's time to prepare your special events and promotions. Below, courtesy of the JCK Retail Panel, are 15 tips and ideas to help your customers honor their valentines. Team up...

'Wall Street Journal' Auction Story Called 'Misleading'.
January 1, 2008... By William George Shuster A Wall Street Journal article's allegations of collusion between some luxury watchmakers and Antiquorum auctioneers to boost the brands' auction prices, prestige, and consumer demand are unfounded and misleading,...

Timex Group Names Hoejsgaard New President.
January 1, 2008... By William George Shuster Timex Group B.V. has named Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard president and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 11. He replaces Joe Santana, who had been president and CEO since 1999 and left, said the company, for...

Breitling USA Has New President.(Philippe Bonay is replacing Marie Bodman )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... By William George Shuster Breitling USA, the luxury Swiss watch brand best known for its pilot's watches, has had a change at the top. Longtime president Marie Bodman is returning to Breitling's world headquarters in Grenchen,...

Swatch Group and Tiffany Form New Watch Company.
January 1, 2008... By William George Shuster The Swatch Group and Tiffany & Co. have formed a watch company to "further the development, production, and worldwide distribution of Tiffany brand watches." The 20-year strategic alliance (renewable for another...