The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks cast an inevitable shadow on the Hong Kong Jewellery and Watch Fair, held in mid-September. "Whatever we talk about here is much tinier and less important than the terrible events in the USA," stated fair manager Peter Sutton at the start of the fair's press conference, before calling for a moment of silence for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. While business was down at the fair, some were surprised that it was down less than they had expected. "We were less disappointed than we thought we would be," said Avram Eshad of Gemstar in Ramat-Gan. "There are people here." The big problem was a lack of U.S. attendees. Approximately 20 exhibitors, mostly from New York, backed out at the last minute. But Sutton noted this only amounts to 2% of the fair's 1,700-plus exhibitors. "Some American exhibitors are said to be very stressed and upset and worried, and t