CRAIG DRAKE ADDS TO COLLECTION
Fine jewelry designer Craig Drake of Philadelphia has released several new additions to his Secret Collection.
The original Secret Ring is a wide band of 18k white (or white and rose) gold with two hearts of gold or gold accented with pavé diamonds that unlock and open to reveal an inner band inscribed with the secret message, “I Love You.” Newly introduced are rings that come together in a delicate band of white gold that wraps around the finger; the design features two hearts that meet at the top of the ring’s symbolic circle of love. The two meeting hearts are available either in pavé-set diamonds or as one pavé-set and one rose gold. The design variations are available in half-sizes from 4 1/2 to 9. Other sizes may be special-ordered.
Also added to the collection are a pair of pavé-set diamond earrings and five delicate bracelets, each with the hidden “I Love You” message. Retail prices for the complete collection range from $600 to $5,400. The rings are priced from $1,000 to $2,500. The collection is copyrighted, internationally trademarked, and patented.
SUPPLIERS HONORED BY MUNICIPALITIES
Frederick Goldman Inc., manufacturers of Keepsake diamond jewelry, has received a Local Award of Recognition from the New York Regional Work Force Alliance for its efforts to aid employees with disabilities. Last year, the company embarked on an effort to hire the disabled. Working with Fast Track, a nonprofit organization, the company trained people with disabilities for employment in areas such as customer service.
Precious Metals West/Fine Gold of Los Angeles and Ontario, Calif., refiners and fabricators of jewelry products and supplies, received the 1999 Environmental Excellence Award from the San Bernardino County Fire District. The award is given annually to businesses that distinguish themselves in the areas of waste management, toxin control, abatement, community safety, and activism.
COMPANY OWNER HELPS SICK KIDS
Mark Malucci, owner of Colorado Casting & Design in Denver, spearheaded the “Malucci Movie Drive” at The Children’s Hospital in Denver for the second year this past holiday season. The initiative donates videos for children undergoing chemotherapy and dialysis treatments to watch.
The idea for the video drive came to Malucci when his daughter Emily was a patient at the hospital. Noting the dearth of new videos for his daughter to watch, Malucci bought several tapes and donated them to the hospital. He expanded the effort into a drive to collect new or used movies, Nintendo or Playstation games, and cash to purchase movies and storage cabinets. For 1999, the drive also benefited the Denver General Hospital and Children’s outreach clinics throughout the state. In 1998, about 1,000 videos were donated; this year’s drive yielded more than 2,000 tapes, which were delivered by Denver fire trucks and police cars. This year, Malucci also collected gifts for children in the hospital on Christmas.
Next year, Malucci hopes to expand the drive to other U.S. states.
GOLAY EXPANDS ITS PEARL NETWORK
The Istituto Europeo per la Promozione della Perla has joined the Golay Buchel Group, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Istituto, based in Vicenza, Italy, supplies retailers with cultured pearls and finished pearl jewelry. The Golay Group now includes pearl farms in Asia and 13 pearl trading centers worldwide.
LESLIE’S CHANGES ITS C.O.D. POLICY
Leslie’s, a gold jewelry company in Greenwich, Conn., now accepts MasterCard and Visa for payment on cash-on-delivery orders.
The new policy was instituted in response to requests from retailers who purchased items on a C.O.D. basis. It eliminates the expense of carriers’ C.O.D. charges and enables orders to be expedited.
For more information, call (877) 221-4653 and touch 2 at the prompt.
IGI OPENS BOMBAY LAB
The International Gemmological Institute recently opened a facility in Mumbai, India. The new lab was established in partnership with I. Hennig, a De Beers broker. IGI India also provides gemological training.
The Mumbai facility is the fourth IGI laboratory. The others are based in Antwerp, Belgium (established in 1975), New York (1980), and Bangkok, Thailand (1997).