The New Face of Partnerships

By Carrie Soucy, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, 8/1/2002 2:00:00 AM

Relationships have forever been important in the sale of fine jewelry. Both vendor/retailer and retailer/customer partnerships have been the focus of much of the industry's business-building initiatives. At least two fine jewelry suppliers, however, are branching out in some unusual directions.

Aaron Basha, perhaps best known for the popular Baby Shoe line of jewelry, has joined forces with the Principality of Monaco in a co-branding campaign. The initiative was launched with ads in magazines like Departures, Town & Country, and The Robb Report. In the fall, the team will promote Basha's new Monaco emerald-cut diamond collection.

According to the Monaco Government Tourist Office, the collaboration likely will include in-store events and promotions, charity galas, and appearances by Monaco's royal family.

Prime Art & Jewel, meanwhile, is hoping to capitalize on the rising tide of fine-jewelry exposure in consumer magazines. PAJ has teamed with publishing giant Hachette Filipacchi Media, the publisher of Elle magazine, to design and produce jewelry under the Elle brand name.

While little has been announced yet about the style of the jewelry, PAJ has said that it will have a signature element: a ruby incorporated into the design or hidden within the piece.