Industry & People



OPENINGS

>> ?Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co. launched its first Watch Salon in France in April, located on Paris’ historic Boulevard Saint-Germain.

Two views: Mamari Jewelers’ interior and exterior

>> ?Mamari Jewelers opened a new flagship store on South Middletown Road in Nanuet, N.Y.

CLOSINGS

>> ?John P. Kuehn Jewelers closed its doors after 40 years of business in Morgantown, W. Va.

MOVING

>> ?Schwarzschild Jewelers moved its Short Pump Town Center mall store in Richmond, Va., to a more central location in the mall.

CRIME

>> ?DeMares Jewelers in Vallejo, Calif., was robbed in May by two men armed and wearing ski masks. No one was injured, but the robbers escaped with an unspecified amount of jewelry and cash.

>> ?Mehmood Ghaznavi, owner of Java Gold jewelry store in Houston, was assaulted by two men during a robbery in April, according to local TV station KIAH. The men escaped with thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry; at press time, they were still at large.

LEGAL

William Sites>> ?Ronald Adolf, owner/operator of Ronnie’s Dezyns in Huntington, N.Y., was charged with second-degree grand larceny after allegedly collecting more than $50,000 in sales tax and not remitting the money to New York state.

HONORED

>> ?The American Gem Society awarded ­William Sites, owner of Sites ­Jewelers in Clarksville, Tenn., its highest honor, the Robert M. Shipley Award, at its conclave in Boston. The award was in recognition of his service to AGS, including stints on the board and as chairman.

“This is the highlight of my career,” said Sites. “If you cut me, I bleed American Gem Society. It has some of the nicest jewelers I’ve ever met. It is like a professional family. I never expected to win this, and I am very humbled.”

Sites’ children and grandchildren traveled to Boston to see him receive the award, leading him to joke, “I wonder who is minding the store.”

COMINGS & GOINGS

Nancy Robey

>> ?JCK Events has added industry veterans Nancy Robey and Lars Parker-Myers as show consultants.

Robert L. Grant

>> ?Robert L. Grant has been named VP of merchandising and marketing for Buxbaum Jewelry Advisors. A member of the industry for more than 40 years, Grant, based in West Bloomfield, Mich., will handle projects in areas east of the Rocky Mountains.

Barend Petersen

>> ?De Beers appointed ­Barend Petersen CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines, its South African division. Petersen follows David Noko, who stepped down at the end of March.

>> ?Wendy W. Rosen, publisher of AmericanStyle magazine and president of the Rosen Group, was appointed U.S. representative to the World Crafts Council and a board member of the council’s North America region.

>> ?Signet Jewelers named ­Ronald Ristau its chief financial officer. He succeeds the retiring Walker Boyd. Ristau spent 10 years with New York & Company, most recently as president, CFO, and director.

>> ?Royal Asscher of America has appointed Keith Topal its new North America sales manager. Topal has 27 years of experience in the jewelry industry.

>> ?A. Jaffe has named James McArdle its new CEO. Most recently, he was managing director of Scotland-based luxury cashmere mill Todd & Duncan. Sam Sandberg continues as A. Jaffe’s principal and partner, focusing on sales and product development.

>> ?Jack M. Lanning has joined ­Martin Flyer as sales representative responsible for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Boston-based Lanning has 22 years of industry experience.

>> ?Fred Meyer Jewelers promoted Kirsten ­Darrow to VP of jewelry marketing. Darrow will oversee marketing strategies and e-commerce.

>> ?Slane & Slane appointed Alexander Vreeland president and chief operating officer. Vreeland most recently served as CEO of the luxury French linen house D. Porthault.

>> ?Sophia Chabbott, jewelry business reporter for Women’s Wear Daily for the past six years, is the new associate VP/senior public relations manager for contemporary art at Christie’s.

>> ?Scott Garozzo has joined ShopNBC as director of jewelry. Garozzo previously served as senior vice president of merchandising and product development at SHR & ­Simmons Jewelry Group.

ACQUISITIONS

Terry Burman

>> ?Signet Jewelers—owner of Kay and Jared, among others—will build another chain only through acquisition, CEO Terry Burman told the audience at the Telsey Ad­visory Group conference in April. The comment caused much speculation in the industry about possible purchases; but a rep for the company said: “It is important to note our demanding operating and return criteria that any form of investment has to meet.”

CHAINS

>> ?Zale Corp. and 12 other firms recently pledged they will not buy gold from the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska. (See also The Vault.)

LABS

First Lady of Diamond World Award winner Varda Shine

>> ?International Gemological Institute opened a new lab in Surat, India. Varda Shine, managing director of Diamond Trading Company, joined the celebration on April 14 and was honored with IGI’s First Lady of Diamond World Award.

>> ?Gemological Science International will donate a portion of the proceeds from its VirtualVault service to ­Jewelers for Children, which provides money to sick, abused, or neglected children.

ANNIVERSARY

>> ?ArtCarved is celebrating its 160th anniversary.

The company was founded in 1850, and by 1909 couples were able to choose from hundreds of wedding ring styles in the comfort of their own homes, thanks to a richly illustrated catalog, the first of its kind in the industry. In 1938, ArtCarved became the first company to guarantee 24-hour delivery.

During World War II, ArtCarved championed the idea of “dual ring” marriage ­ ceremonies, beginning a tradition that most couples still follow today.

In April 2000, Frederick Goldman acquired ArtCarved’s bridal division. It was named “the most recognized engagement ring and wedding ring brand in jewelry stores” in 2008 by a JCK–Harrison Group survey.

EDUCATION

>> ?Gem-A, the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, is bringing its Gemmology Foundation Lab Class to New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. The class will be presented by gemological expert/former JCK editor Gary Roskin.

AWARDS

>>? More than 4,000 entries were submitted to the Design Zentrum Nordrhein ­Westfalen in Essen, Germany, for its Red Dot: Jewelry Product Design 2010 Award. A square ring made with 18k yellow gold and silver by ­evelynH. ­Jewelry was the winner. The ring, available in customized special editions (retail: $2,800–$18,800), will be displayed in a special exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum from July 6 to Aug. 1.

ASSOCIATIONS

>> ?The Jewelers Vigilance Commit­tee launched eBusiness Center, an online resource where jewelers can identify JVC member service providers on its website, jvclegal.org, and the group’s Facebook page.

>> ?HRD Antwerp and Chopard have become members of the Responsible Jewellery Council.

>> ?Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America introduced a new “Artisan” membership category, a cost-effective way for smaller jewelry makers to join the group.

>> ?Robert C. Lieber, Michael Bloom­berg’s deputy mayor for economic development, recently visited the Diamond Dealers Club to pledge New York City’s support to keep 47th Street thriving.

COMPANIES

>> ?Moissanite maker Charles & Colvard signed an agreement with Frederick Goldman, which gives Goldman the exclusive right to distribute and sell finished jewelry featuring moissanite to high-volume customers.

>> ?After failing to file a financial report for the quarter ending Feb. 28, Lazare Kaplan International received a deficiency letter from the New York Stock Exchange.

>> ?JewelryandWatchJobs.com has launched a redesigned website with an upgraded job-search engine.

Log Out

Are you sure you want to log out?

CancelLog out