Diamond Shavings: Your Friday Web Roundup
As I mentioned last week, I have been doing this blog for a year now, and so I have some mawkish stuff to say at the bottom of the post. First, the news …
Retail Roundup:
- Fortunoff gets new CEO. Sale to Lord and Taylor finalized.
- Finlay extends Macy’s contract.
- Zale $100 m. stock buyback.
- Zale debated: Gassman: A real merchant!. GLG: Beware hedge funds.
Gold hits $1,000 an ounce.
- Will it hit $1400?
Chaim on certifigate: Was J Lo’s pink punked?. I can only reiterate to the authorites, please! Investigate this case! (By the way, the Southern District that just busted Spitzer is the same one that seems to have dropped Certificagate. Hmmm.)
Blue Nile CFO resigns.
- Has it peaked?
Photoscribe wins LKI patent suit.
India, China hit turbulence.
Mining Watch:
- Canada: “Diamond jackpot?”
- Purple micro-diamonds found.
- India’s feeling prospective.
- African producer summit next year.
New AML guidance from Feds.
NC jeweler charged with embezzlement.
And, of course, being a New Yorker, I should mention that the now-famous Emperors Club rated its “merchandise” in diamonds (Elliot Spitzer went, I believe, for the four diamond selection.) Embarrassing associaton or great product placement? You be the judge!
Media Watch:
- Reuters on diamond price speculation.
- South Africa’s Financial Mail on the State Diamond Trader and its new CEO.
From the blog:
Finally, right after I write this, I am going to a luncheon, where this blog is a finalist (PDF) for an American Business Media “Neal” award. The Neals are sometimes referred to as the “Pulitzer Prizes” for business journalism (actually they are only really called that by American Business Media.) If you are reading this, that means I didn’t get back in time for an update, so I don’t know if I’ve won or not. (Hint: If there’s a big story on JCKonline, I’ve won.) But as they say in Tinseltown, it’s honor, after all these years, just to be nominated. Or something.
Anyway, I want to thank all you out there who take the time to read this blog. I especially want to thank my commenters; I get pathetically happy at each time I see a comment, and I’m especially pleased at how (for the most part) civil, informative and on-the-ball they are. I particularly want to thank my most frequent commenters, “Homer” and “Mall Jewelry Boy.” I have no idea who you guys are, but I am in awe of how much you add to this forum, and how you can be so smart on so many different topics. Anyway, doing this has made my job a lot more fun, and I thank you all for reading and participating …
Rob
Virginia Halevi commented:
Well Done Rob. I'm sure I'm no different from so many others that
use your blog as our authorative news update. It's good to know
your great reporting is recognized and rewarded not only inside but
outside the diamond/jewelry world.
Edahn Golan commented:
Well deserved!
Mall Jewelry Boy commented:
Congrats Rob! Keep up the excellent work and don't give up! And
don't be dissapointed if there's a week without comments, we get
too busy sometimes...:)
Steven Adler commented:
Rob, Congratulations....you inspire all of us to share our
thoughts....Steve
Lynn Diamond commented:
Rob, congratulations on winning the Neal. Your blog is really
one-stop shopping for what's going on in the diamond world. Lynn
Vinod Kuriyan commented:
Congratulations Rob! This is a great blog and the award is well
deserved! Vinod
Jennifer Heebner commented:
Rob's contributions to JCK have long been valued and respected by
his colleagues and industry friends, and it's fantastic to see him
honored with such a prestigious award. Congrats.
Hedda Schupak commented:
And, dear readers, we will of course have the story on
JCKOnline--and publisher Mark Smelzer writes about it in his
monthly letter in April JCK, but you heard it here first: ROB WON
THE NEAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations and of course we're so VERY
proud of him around the magazine! Rob has a cartoon from the New
Yorker on the wall of his office. In it, one dog says to another,
"I used to have my own blog but now I've gone back to pointless,
incessant barking." Rob, I am happy to say, has not gone back to
pointless, incessant barking. Well done, Rob!
Homer commented:
Rob, it's a pleasure to participate--I may not comment every time,
but I'm here checking for new posts a couple of times a day. Your
blog is entertaining and a great source of information, especially
for those of us who don't have time to follow all the various news
outlets. As for who I am, well, I'd use my real name if I could
(draw what conclusions you like from that...).
