Le Vian Wins JNA Industry Innovation of the Year Award

Le Vian was awarded with the JNA Award for Industry Innovation of the Year, during a virtual livestreaming awards ceremony held in Hong Kong on October 27. It is the only American company to have been honored at this year’s awards. “Le Vian is deeply invested in innovation,” said CEO Eddie LeVian in a statement. “Le Vian TV’s entertaining online shopping shows, our Style Bar, which allows customers to reserve pieces on the spot from our comprehensive virtual vault of thousands of one-off pieces, and our appointment-only virtual trunk shows demonstrate how we consistently incorporate state-of-the-art technology into our sales strategies.” LeVian noted that the company’s omnichannel migration during the pandemic has increased appointment show-up rates to nearly 100%—with buyers making purchases at almost every appointment—while its retail partner Signet referenced Le Vian on investor calls when going over the success of its own digital transformation. “We are committed to paving the path for the future,” continued LeVian. “On behalf of the LeVian family, we are thrilled that as a company which has been making jewelry for centuries and which has withstood the test of time, we are being recognized for our enduring commitment to innovation.” For more information on the company, visit levian.com.

Muzo Wins JNA Sustainability Award

At the same awards ceremony, the Muzo Companies was honored with the JNA Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year. The award recognized Muzo for its mine-to-market business model, in which each of its emeralds is ethically extracted from the company’s mine in Colombia; Muzo makes the stones’ journey traceable from extraction to transportation and throughout the preform, polishing, cutting, exporting, and commercializing processes. “This is a major milestone for Colombia and for Colombian emeralds,” said Charles Burgess, president and founder of Muzo. “This is the first time that a Colombian or Latin American company participants and wins. This is a huge honor considering how far we have come.” In addition to coming away with the award in sustainability, Muzo was a runner-up in the Innovation category. For more information, visit muzo.co, and visit jnaawards.com for more on the awards.

GSI Offering First-Ever Lab Grown Diamond Course

Gemological Science International (GIS) is now offering a new online education course, Laboratory-Grown Diamond Essentials, reportedly the industry’s first-ever education course dedicated to lab-grown diamonds. “It is imperative that the jewelry industry has the ability to communicate about laboratory-grown diamonds confidently and with transparency,” said Alethea Inns, chief learning officer for GSI, in a press release. “GSI as an expert laboratory in testing and detecting laboratory-grown diamonds is happy to share our knowledge with the industry. We’re excited that we can offer an online resource that any member of the industry will find value in referencing.” For more information on the new course and to sign up, email edu@gemscience.net.

Mia Katrin Introduces The Jewelers Marketer Agency

Mia Katrin, founder and designer for Jewel Couture, has announced the introduction of the Jewelers Marketer, a social media marketing and e-commerce agency aimed at helping jewelers propel their online marketing and sales. The agency is offering a free initial evaluation, beginning with a comprehensive review of jewelers’ current marketing profiles, including social media marketing and e-commerce strategies. For more information, visit thejewelersmarketer.com.

Top: Eddie LeVian accepting the award for Le Vian at the 2020 virtual JNA Awards ceremony

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor