B.K. Mookim Donates 1,401 Carat Aquamarine to the Smithsonian

Jeweler Bhupendra K. Mookim has made a donation to the Mineral and Gem Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C., in the form of a natural, no-heat, 1,401 ct. aquamarine.

The stone, which is estimated to have been cut and polished roughly 100 years ago, is now the largest aquamarine in the Smithsonian’s collection.

Mookim belongs to a family of jewelers, whose history in the business dates back 17 generations, even serving as the jeweler for the royal family of Jaipur. Today, Mookim strives to be an ethical gem merchant, sourcing materials from conflict-free mines.

For more on Mookim’s business, visit spbgems.com.

A New Webinar Offering From the Plumb Club

The Plumb Club announced that it plans to host a new webinar to help retailers understand today’s self-purchasing female consumers.

Hosted by Stephanie Holland of Sheconomy and Andrea Hill of Hill Management Group, the webinar will be held Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2–2:45 p.m. ET.

The presentation will cover topics such as understanding how to market to and communicate with savvy female shoppers and what retail jewelers need to understand about women as consumers and purchase influencers. It also seeks to answer the questions: “What needs to happen on the retail level to meet the needs of today’s female consumers?” and “How do women buy jewelry?”

“We are excited to present this timely and relevant webinar to the retail jeweler community as part of our commitment to provide more education within our industry,” said Lawrence Hess, executive director of the Plumb Club, in a statement. “Stephanie and Andrea are experts on this topic and highly sought after for their insights both within and outside of the jewelry marketplace.”

For more information on the webinar, visit plumbclub.com/events.

Schofer Germany Gets COP Recertification

Chain manufacturer Schofer Germany announced it has been recertified in accordance with the Responsible Jewellery Council Code of Practices, a designation that sets the standards for responsible, ethical, human rights, social, and environmental practices for jewelry-making.

“Upholding all relevant ethical, human rights, social and environmental topics, guaranteeing a responsible acting supply chain is crucial for the trustworthy cooperation with our partners worldwide,” said managing director Mathias Kohlhammer in a statement. “Our next goal: certification in accordance with the RJC Chain of Custody.”

For more information, visit schofer.com.

VicenzaOro Celebrates 10 Years in Partnership With CIBJO

The VicenzaOro September jewelry show, which runs Sept. 7–11, will celebrate its partnership with CIBJO World Jewellery Confederation. CIBJO has been the organizer for the Italian Exhibition Group’s (IEG) main events for a decade.

“Our now-historic collaboration is proof of CIBJO and IEG’s joint efforts in spreading the main points of CSR, transparency, and sustainability to the maximum by offering case histories and direct experiences of enormous caliber at VicenzaOro,” said CIBJO president, Gaetano Cavalieri, in a statement. “The activities we promote provide concrete added value for sector insiders attending IEG’s international events, a B2B platform able to act as a reference for the entire industry.”

The theme for the September edition of the show is “Spreading Sustainability.” For more information, visit vicenzaoro.com/en/september

 

Top: This aquamarine, donated by B.K. Mookim, is the largest ever to be gifted to the Smithsonian’s National Mineral and Gem Collection. 

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