RAPAPORT... The International Gemological Institute (IGI) has been officially recognized as a CIBJO registered laboratory. President of CIBJO Gaetano Cavalieri announced the registration of IGI at the recent CIBJO lab committee meeting in Vancouver. Laboratories registered with CIBJO must be independent of any commercial or private enterprise, or groups of such enterprises; should always be managed under competent professional direction; must abide by all CIBJO rules without exception and should work in accordance with the following CIBJO publications: The Diamond Book, The Gemstone Book, and The Pearl Book; and may only issue diamond, gemstone and/or pearl reports, which are prepared in accordance with the CIBJO rules. The French acronym CIBJO stands for International Confederation of Jewellery, Silverware, Diamonds and Stones.
The Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP) has finalized its Code of Practices (COP) and last month launched it at the Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fair. The 16-page COP sets out responsible ethical, social, human rights and environmental practices for businesses in the diamond and gold jewelry supply chain and is intended as a base code applicable to all CRJP members throughout the entire supply chain, from mine to retail. Additional modules for specific sectors will be developed in coming months. The COP went through several reviews by CRJP’s stakeholders, as well as by governments, nongovernmental organizations, and host communities. To view the complete COP, visit www.responsiblejewellery.com or email info@responsiblejewellery.com to request a copy. It builds on the CRJP’s Principles, promulgated in May 2006. Together these will constitute the foundation for the CRJP’s Responsible Practices Framework and monitoring system, which is designed to permit independent third parties to monitor the performance of members and is planned to be implemented in January 2008.
In addition, CRJP recently admitted 15 new members, including additional trade associations; diamond trading, cutting and polishing companies; jewelry manufacturing or wholesale distributors; and retail businesses. The new members are Aurafin LLC; Boucheron; Brown Goldsmiths & Company Inc.; Bulgari S.p.A; Cendres et Metaux SA; Colormasters Gem Corp.; Cunningham Fine Jewelry Inc.; DN Gems Corp.; Goodmans Jewelers Inc.; Helzberg Diamonds; Lazare Kaplan International Inc.; Leber Jeweler Inc.; Lux Bond & Green; Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America Inc., and Reis-Nichols Inc. This brings the total number of companies and organizations who are members of CRJP to 54.
Leading Jewelers of the World (LJW) has introduced a rough diamond purchase program, tentatively named the “Mine to Market Diamond Alliance,” that will give its members the opportunity to deal directly with mines and buy Canadian rough that is cut and polished into preselected sizes, colors and clarities. The alliance is expected to purchase $40 million to $50 million in rough within the next two years, LJW estimated. It added that the initiative has been made possible because of Jewelry Marketing Company’s (JMC) ownership of LJW. The JMC is the U.S. division of sightholder Digico Holdings.
Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company advises that its clients can save 5 percent to 20 percent when sending insured high-value shipments through Parcel Pro, Inc., which tracks shipments and provides secured delivery to the New York City and Los Angeles jewelry districts and insures international shipments. Within the United States, the Parcel Pro discount applies to shipping and insurance for packages sent via United Parcel Service (UPS), Parcel Pro’s preferred provider for high-value parcels, and within Canada and for international shipments, the discount applies to only the insurance portion and is available for Federal Express as well as UPS shipments.
Sotheby’s will auction a selection of Revivalist Jewels by Castellani & Giuliano from the Judith H. Siegel Collection December 6 in New York City. The offering, comprising more than 150 pieces designed in Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance-revival styles, is described as one of the most significant by the nineteenth century Italian jewelers to come onto the market in decades.
One of the most famous diamond collections in the world, the Aurora Collection is now on exhibition at the Natural History Museum of London. It previously resided at the American Museum of Natural History in New York for 16 years and was featured in the traveling exhibition “The Nature of Diamond” that toured in Japan, Canada, San Diego and Michigan. The Aurora Collection consists of 296 natural color diamonds weighing a total of 267 carats. Every color of the spectrum is represented including red, green, purple, orange, violet, pink, blue, and yellow.
California-based Collectors Universe, Inc. has recruited Nancy Robey, who will take up the post of chief marketing officer effective November 1, 2006. She will focus initially on helping facilitate Collectors’ near-term growth plans in domestic and international jewelry markets through its diamond authentication and grading service, Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL), and colored gemstone authentication and grading service, American Gemological Laboratories (AGL). Robey has over 25 years experience in marketing fine jewelry and luxury goods, most recently with VNU Expositions Jewelry Group as group vice president of global new business. During her 12 years at VNU she created luxury and fine jewelry trade show events such as Couture Jewelry Collection & Conference (CJCC), Signature Salons, Couture Diamond Leadership Conference, and the Fine Jewelry CEO Summit (FJCS). Robey will continue to serve on the advisory boards of both Couture (the new name for the merged CJCC and Signature Salons show) and FJCS.
Meantime, VNU Expositions has hired Cindy Edelstein, founder and president of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau (JRB), as special projects director of VNU’s Jewelry Group division. Edelstein will be working on the Signature Designs section of the Couture 2007 show, which is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas next May 30 through June 4. Signature Designs, the rebranded name for Design Atelier beginning next year, will highlight and showcase new designers and the latest developments in jewelry design. The JRB specializes in the designer niche of the jewelry industry. Edelstein has created many events including the Design Center pavilions at the JCK shows, globalDESIGNTM, the international showcase of studio jewelers, and the Designer Day business conferences produced with Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) each year in New York. She says Signature Designs will be “the center of the designer universe” during market week in Las Vegas.
Platinum Guild International USA (PGI-USA) has made Kevin Reilly its manager of industry relations. Reilly, previously Taché USA’s vice president of sales and marketing, brings 25 years of brand-building, merchandising and sales experience. While at Taché USA, he launched the luxury brand Nikos, Taché USA’s first-ever brand devoted to men’s fine jewelry. As PGI-USA’s manager of industry relations, Reilly will be responsible for building and maintaining strategic relationships within the industry, primarily among the East Coast trade, as well as for addressing industry challenges at all stages of the supply chain, from bench jewelers to retailers, and communicating PGI-USA’s integrated marketing programs to the industry.
Long time members of Dallas-based American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Benjamin Hackman and Eric Schwotzer have become directors of the AGTA board. The positions were filled after other directors were elected to officer positions. Hackman, of Intercolor, Inc., had previously served two terms on the AGTA board and has been a member of the association since 1982. Schwotzer, of Penn Gem International, has been a member of AGTA since 1983.
Luxury watch brand TAG Heuer has appointed Rachel Branch its director of public relations, strategic partnerships and events. Branch was formerly senior director, corporate communications, at Sony BMG Music Entertainment. TAG Heuer is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Andin International, the parent company of Jewelry.com, recently received top supplier honors from two of its national retail partners: “Fine Jewelry Division Supplier of the Year” from J.C. Penney and the “2005 Partners In Progress” award from Sears Holding Corporation. Founded in 1981 by Ofer Azrielant, Andin is one of the largest fine jewelry manufacturers in the United States, producing thousands of styles each year in a variety of categories — in 10-karat, 14-karat and 18-karat gold, featuring settings in diamonds, precious and semiprecious stones. Jewelry.com was launched in 2001 and connects jewelry consumers with national, multichannel jewelry retailers, including Helzberg, J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Sears and Zales.
Seymour Rosenthal, an honorary president and former president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), has passed away at age 89. Born in New York City, Rosenthal was a first generation diamantaire who entered the diamond business at 18 and worked his way up from cutting and polishing diamonds to manufacturing rough and trading polished goods. In the 1980s, Rosenthal served two terms as president for both the Diamond Trade and Precious Stone Association of America in New York and the WFDB. He was also a member of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York. He is survived by his wife Lillian and daughter Ilyse.
Jewelers of America recently celebrated its 100th anniversary during the JANY Summer Show in New York City. It shared the centennial milestone celebration with seven of its regional affiliates.
Manufacturer and refiner Hoover & Strong (H&S) has unveiled two new catalogs. Jewelry Products & Services, a wholesale catalog, includes a new diamonds section, new findings and mill products, a new custom casting service, and new palladium refining services with low fees. The Bridal Jewelry Collection is a countertop catalog that shows finished bridal jewelry, semimounts and mountings with triple key pricing. In addition, H&S has released a palladium jewelry Bridal Starter Kit incorporating its best selling rings for jewelers to try out and compare with other precious metals.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2006. To subscribe click here.