June 1, 1996

'Better, Faster, Cheaper' Automation Brings Diamonds To Market

New Faces To Watch

100% swiss-made at a lower price dynamic time international is introducing joss watches of switzerland to the u.s. and canada. dynamic is an ontario, canada-based subsidiary of global syntek, charlotte, n. c., which owns a wide range of technological firms. joss made a name for itself last year when it introduced 100%-swiss-made fine watches created with advanced production techniques that lowe…

Supplier News

rado reaches execs via bloomberg rado has made it simpler for business executives to learn about rado swiss watches. the firm, a division of smh (us), has placed pictures, product information and retailer locations on the financial news network system operated by bloomberg financial markets, new york.

Retailer News

barry’s names three, plans superstores barry’s jewelers, the nation’s fourth largest jeweler, formally installed a new top management team in april. it was one of several important announcements in april by or about the modesto, cal.-based firm, which has 161 stores in 17 states. it also: top team: barry’s board of directors named robert w.

Directions

the profit picture guild operations achieved markedly higher sales gains than other types of jewelry stores in 1994, based on the latest jewelers of america “cost of doing business survey.” but profitability was virtually the same for all types of jewelers. the 1995 survey, conducted for ja by industry insights inc.

Basel’96: Watches Take Back The Spotlight

with the swiss franc less threatening, designers return to classic looks while engineers take off with a full assault on the battery. during a full week of unabated sunshine, a rare phenomenon in april in basel, switzerland, the annual world watch, clock and jewellery show left no doubt that the world’s watchmakers are not allowing economic uncertainties to stand in the way of technical inn…

GemNotes

jewelry’s caribbean crusader loves to play the good cop role robert james got mad and decided he wasn’t going to take it any more. he got mad at jewelers who sold gray market goods. he got mad at phony pricing. and he got mad at jewelers who didn’t know the difference between a tourmaline and a topaz.

Letters

another look at diamond profits glenn rothman’s editorial (jck, april 1996, page 30) blaming the rapaport list for declining profits in the diamond trade raises important issues. is there “little or no profit at every level of polished diamond trading?” if so, why have profits declined? can we simply blame the rapaport list or is there more to the story of declining profits.

Publisher’s Notes

jck’s show advisory board: your advocates at work advisory boards often are little more than rubber-stamp groups whose names on official stationery add a glow of prestige to some event or cause. this is far from the case with the jck show advisory board. this 22-member group of suppliers, retailers and association executives is a working board which has a direct say in almost every aspect of th…

‘Better, Faster, Cheaper’ Automation Brings Diamonds To Market

technology now gets diamonds to the market faster and tells us how well they are made. but it also makes selling even more competitive – and threatens the gem expert’s value new diamond polishing technology, largely in israel but increasingly worldwide, has revolutionized the tradition-bound diamond trade in just the past five years.

Selling Gifts of Love For Gays and Lesbians

if you are in the business of selling gifts of love, you can’t afford to be blinded about who loves whom in today’s world “you want two rings that are the same?” the saleswoman said with a frown. “why do you want two of them?” i think of her sales technique now as “subtracting,” the opposite of adding-on.

Trade Shows

show directory available the second edition of showpro, the directory of gem & jewelry shows, is now available from gems et cetera. the directory lists more than 500 shows worldwide. it includes information about the previous year’s shows (exhibitors’ comments and ratings) as well as current and future shows by date, location and promoter name.

Book Reviews

the lapidary business master keys for making profits on lapidary, by gerald l. wykoff. 1993. 198 pages. 63 black/white illustrations. $39.95. (jck data center jr-006) to order call (717) 741-2469. this book focuses on how to profit from your lapidary talents. though written for hobbyists and professional lapidaries, the business concepts are for beginners.

Diamond Sales Hit Record; De Beers Looks For More

an emphasis on quality and an effort to find the “new tennis bracelet” mark the 1996 effort to boost diamond jewelry sales. u.s. consumers bought $13.7 billion worth of diamond jewelry in 1995, up 6% from 1994, according to j. walter thompson, de beers’ advertising agency. “consumers are continuing to show a marked interest in high-quality goods that have lasting value instead of disposable …

UpFront

hsn agrees to settle class-action lawsuit the home shopping network has agreed to post $2.5 million in cash and coupons to settle a 1991 class-action lawsuit by three pennsylvania residents who claimed the network inflated the appraised value of its diamond and cubic zirconia jewelry to sell at an apparent discount.

In Search Of Kashmir Ruby

the following narrative recounts a 1995 journey to the ruby mines of azad kashmir in northern pakistan by a group of nine americans, one italian and one briton. the trip was organized by gemcore, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of gemological knowledge through research and education.

Classes

craft business institute to be held in baltimore the third annual craft business institute will be held sept. 20-22 in the mt. washington conference center, baltimore, md. designed to help craftspeople, students and recent graduates hone their business skills, the conference is designed to arm participants with the tools they need to create successful careers.

Faberge In America

though pre-french revolutionary jewelry inspired his art and the russian revolution destroyed much of his work, it is perhaps the american revolution which figures most in the story of peter carl faberge. for it was his american admirers who most assiduously glorified the surviving work of faberge and pushed his already fabled oeuvre into the frenzied hands of collectors everywhere.

Business Forecast: Jewelers Remain Cautions About The Road Ahead

more independent jewelers seem to be slipping back to the caution and uncertainty that characterized the early 1990s, according to the 1996 edition of jck’s midyear business outlook poll. two out of three retail jewelers expect higher sales and half expect higher profits. but that’s down about 10% from the two previous years.

Associations

ags conclave draws well; gia’s koivula wins shipley the 677 jewelers who attended the 1996 american gem society conclave in washington, d.c., were treated to a trio of eloquent speakers – guy kawasaki (who talked about beating the competition), maurice tempelsman (who spoke about new competition) and gabi tolkowsky (who waxed lyrical about diamonds in general and the centenary diamond in partic…

Upcoming Contests

the champagne pommery grand prix award will be presented for the most outstanding entry in the 1996 australian jewellery design awards. the prestigious french champagne maker will sponsor the contest and present the winner with a monetary prize and a trip for two to paris, reims and pommery, france. the award will be presented aug.

The Mystery Designers For Georg Jensen USA

ginger moro is an author, lecturer and dealer in antiques and vintage jewelry and early 20th century works on paper. she is based in los angeles, cal. her most recent book, european designer jewelry, explores jewelry in 13 countries in europe and scandinavia. twentieth century silver jewelry is hot. whether it’s american arts and crafts or post-modern, mexican, american indian, european or scan…

Industry Education: Meeting The Needs Of Jewelers

training programs help jewelers to compete more effectively by keeping up with advances in the industry these are good times in jewelry and watch education. advances in gemology and technology have created a host of new courses for schools to teach. and a growing professionalism in the industry has created a body of students willing and eager to learn from these courses.

Fashion Facets

blossoms to beat breast cancer mikimoto’s new limited-edition cherry blossom collection of pearl jewelry commemorates the friendship between japan and the united states. it debuted march 25 at mikimoto’s fifth ave. store in new york. the evening was a benefit for breast cancer research, a cause to which mikimoto is committed.

People

fritsch receives french mineralological prize dr. emmanuel fritsch, a professor of physics at nantes university in france and formerly a research scientist at the gemological institute of america, recently won the jean rose prize. the prize honors young french scientists who develop certain aspects of mineralogy.

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