Take Note

• Stuller Inc. announced that Jay Jackson was promoted to chief executive officer (CEO) and president. Jackson has more than 15 years experience managing Stuller’s sales, supply chain and manufacturing operations and was most recently the chief operating officer (COO). “Jay’s vision, passion and leadership over the last couple of years are a sign of great things to come,” said Matt Stuller, the company chairman.
  
  The company also announced the promotion of Stanley Zale to merchandise vice president of diamonds and gemstones. Zale is a 30-year industry veteran. In other company news, Harold Dupuy, Danny Clark and Coby Blanchard were named vice presidents and Grady Quebedeaux was promoted to executive director of information technology (IT). 

  
  
• Firestone Diamonds appointed Tim Wilkes as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Wilkes, who has served as the company’s chief operating officer since 2005, replaces Phillip Kenny, who assumes the role of executive chairman. “Tom Wilkes has been instrumental in developing Firestone’s mining operations in Lesotho and Botswana,” Kenny remarked.
  
  
• Shear Diamonds Ltd. appointed David Prince and Gregory Rieveley to its board of directors. Prince is president and founder of Harbinger Capital Markets, an independent research firm. His appointment follows the resignation of Tanuja De Silva Skerlec, who will serve on Shear Diamonds’ advisory board. Rieveley is currently the chief financial officer (CFO) of Noront Resources Ltd. He previously served as vice president of internal audit and business development at Harry Winston Diamond Corporation. He will be a member of Shear’s audit committee and compensation committee.
  
  
• Duvall O’Steen has joined Yvel in the U.S. and will be responsible for marketing, communication and strategic growth in the U.S. and Canada. O’Steen has been active in the jewelry industry for over a decade. She previously served as director of jewelry public relations and promotion at the World Gold Council (WGC) and was on the advisory board of the Jewelry Information Center (JIC). 
  
  
• Frederick Goldman Inc. appointed Suzanne Della Pella as brand manager and Charly Michelle as the company’s marketing and creative service manager. Della Pella will manage the ArtCarved, Triton, Diana and Goldman brands, while Michelle will oversee marketing and communications for all three business units at the company and will be responsible for developing social marketing programs for the various brands.
  
  Jonathan Goldman, chief executive officer (CEO) of Frederick Goldman, explained, “The way consumers purchase jewelry is changing and, as a leading jewelry manufacturer, we need to stay ahead of the curve and remain innovative.”
  
  
• Annette Repasch has been appointed vice president of Shop NBC, the main subsidiary of ValueVision Media. She will oversee merchandising strategy and product development for the categories of jewelry and watches, health and beauty, and fashion and accessories. Repasch had previously worked at Stages Stores Inc. and QVC.
  
  
• Phyllis M. Bergman, president of Mercury Ring Corporation, has been elected to a third year as chairperson of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York. Bergman, is the first woman to serve as chairperson in the 109-year history of the organization. Todd Wolleman, president of Leo Wolleman Inc. and Color Craft, was elected to serve as president. Other officers elected included club vice president Brian D. Fleming of Carla Corp/Nancy B., club treasurer Alan F. Kleinberg of Eloquence Corporation and club secretary John Kennedy of Jewelers’ Security Alliance. Peter C. Fuller, Richard Greenwood, Fredric Hammerle, Harvey O’Conor, Aron L. Suna, Thomas A. Tanury, Michael J. Toback and Robert A. Wueste will all continue as board members.
  
  
• The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) unanimously granted honorary memberships to the Beurs voor Diamanthandel’s president, the late Artur Beller, and the former president of the Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC), Jackie Roth. The honorary memberships recognize their many years of promoting the Israeli diamond industry and developing strong trade relations between the Israel and Belgian diamond centers. Both Beller and Roth began their careers as diamond merchants.
  
  
“They have contributed significantly to the development of the industry and its prosperity and we are proud to give them this title that expresses how much appreciation we have for them,” said Avi Paz, the IDE’s president.

  
  
• The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will offer diamond- grading lab classes in Gaborone, Botswana in September. These classes will offer a practical, hands-on approach to learning to help students in Botswana improve their chances for employment and career development within the diamond production industry. The next sessions will be held in September; two earlier sessions were held in April.
  
  The diamond-grading lab classes will teach students to grade diamonds in the D-Z color range, as well as how to detect synthetics, treatments, simulants and fracture-filled diamonds. Students will also learn to use the GIA International Diamond Grading System™ and the 4Cs.
  
  
The GIA Education programs in Botswana will be accredited by the government. The education reimbursement initiative was determined by the Botswana Training Authority (BOTA), a regulatory body of the government that coordinates and monitors the training provided by vocational training institutions. For more information, visit www.gia.edu.
  
  
• The American Society of Appraisers will hold a three-day, hands-on instruction in advanced gemology from June 6 to 8 after the JCK Show in Las Vegas. The course, the most comprehensive gems and jewelry appraising course in a short format, will also include a USPAP update and the MGA qualifying examination. For more information, contact education chair Mark Sandler at 713.623.6996 or go to www.asi-gj.org.
  
  
• Jewelers That Care, a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging jewelry industry professionals to engage in cause-related marketing, will host the second annual Jewelers That Care Awards on Saturday, June 4 at JCK Las Vegas. The nonprofit organization supports infrastructure projects and local community efforts in the developing world. Award recipients will include Jeff Corey of Days Jewelers in Maine, Lisa Linhardt of Linhardt Designs in New York, Alfredo J. Molina of Molina Fine Jewelers in Arizona and Donna Distefano of Donna Distefano Ltd. in New York. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.jewelersthatcare.org.
  
  
• The International Gemological Institute (IGI) added Spanish language to its website, www.igiworldwide.com, in addition to English and Chinese options. IGI explained that the addition of Spanish to the site also supports its efforts to extend educational initiatives and laboratory resources across South America. The IGI recently conducted a polished diamond class in Mexico and plans to hold courses in Bogota, Colombia in the future.
  
  
• The International Diamond Council (IDC) announced the completion of the German translation of the “IDC Rules for Grading Diamonds” that has been uploaded to the IDC’s website. IDC chairman Stephane Fischler said “German is spoken as a native language by around 90 million people in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other European countries, making it the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union.” Fischler praised Dieter Hahn, a founding member of the IDC and treasurer of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) who was the driving force behind the German transation. Currently, the IDC Rules are available for downloading from the IDC website in English, Russian, Chinese and German.
  
  
• AV10 became the second manufacturer to receive certification from the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). The Paris-based jeweler achieved certification based on the ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards established by the RJC’s Member Certification System.  The verification was conducted by Deloitte France, one of the independent third-party auditing firms accredited to assign certification. AV10 is also the fifth French member to be certified. “We believe that the entire jewelry industry should be united and commit to responsible business practices in order to cultivate future generations of ethical business leaders,” said Noel Temelsiz, the director general of AV10.
  
  
• Nizam Peters, a master diamond cutter and director of the American Institute of Diamond Cutting Inc. has written and published the book Diamond Inclusions, devoted entirely to understanding the variety, typical features and identifying characteristics of inclusions. The just-released book tracks inclusions from rough to polished and explains their impact on a diamond’s integrity. There is also a section on the relationship of inclusions to the diamond manufacturing process. Diamond Inclusions is a resource for diamond industry professionals, including gemologists, diamond graders, cutters, dealers and retailers.
  
  
• The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a trademark logo with special wording to Fine Jewelers Inc. of New York City. The trademark “FJC FineJewelers.com – Quality. Integrity. Value.” was issued on March 22, 2011.
  
  The USPTO also issued the trademark “P” with a star design to The Sporn Company Inc. of Vermont. The “P” is used by the company’s Perrywinkle’s Fine Jewelry brand and rewards program. The trademark application, serial number 85106993, was filed on August 13, 2010 and registered on April 12, 2011.
  
  
• World Diamond Tower will contribute to Japanese relief efforts through a Facebook initiative. Management will donate $1 for every “like” on its 580 Fifth Avenue fan page, up to $5,000, with all proceeds going directly to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Fund via the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.
  
  
• Sarin Technologies Ltd. opened a new service center in Moscow, its fourth worldwide, to serve rough diamond trade and diamond manufacturers in Russia. The service center will be operated by SRN Import Russia, Sarin’s local agent. The company will utilize its Galaxy 1000 system to the site to allow for the scanning and mapping of rough diamonds’ internal inclusions. Uzi Levami, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Sarin, noted that the company expects to open additional new service centers in southern Africa to address demand there.
  
  
• The 34th annual Antique Jewelry & Art Conference, also known as “Jewelry Camp,” will be held from July 15 to July 17 at Tarrytown House Estate in Tarrytown, New York. This year’s speakers will include jewelry consultant and appraiser Elizabeth Irvine Bray and Paula Bixel, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Gilt Vintage and Artisan Jewelry, a vintage and antique jewelry company. Cathy Calhoun, the owner of Calhoun Jewelers and president of the Society’s Board of Directors, will be a panelist.
  
  Jewelry Camp also established a new scholarship fund to commemorate Christie Romero, an “Antique Roadshow” jewelry appraiser, who passed away in 2009.
  
  
• Freddy Hager, World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) deputy treasurer general and the president of the London Diamond Bourse, died suddenly at his home in London on April 7. Colleagues and friends mourned his death. “The loss of Freddy is immense for so many of us,’’ said Avi Paz, president of the WFDB. “He was a friend, a mentor, a visionary and a person who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for the WFDB, his bourse’s own members, his community, and of course his family,” Paz added.
  
  Martin Rapaport, chairman of the Rapaport Group, said, “Freddy’s great love for the people of the diamond trade was reflected by his unstinting commitment and significant contributions of time and energy to the diamond community. He was always passionate about doing the right thing. A really good man and a true diamantaire.”

  
  Hager entered the diamond business in 1974 in London, after earning a degree in economics at University College, London. In 1991, Hager was elected president of the London Diamond Bourse and three years later, oversaw the merger of the London Diamond Bourse and the London Diamond Club. He was elected to the WFDB’s executive committee at the 29th World Diamond Congress in Antwerp in the year 2000. A founding member of the World Diamond Council (WDC), Hager is considered the spiritual father of the federation’s better business symbol, the WFDB Mark.
  
  The London Diamond Bourse announced that their next annual general meeting (AGM) will be dedicated to Freddy Hager. The meeting will be held on May 11, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.  Anyone wishing to attend is welcome. The London Diamond Bourse requests that people RSVP to Maxine@londondiamondbourse.com.
  
  
• Artur Beller, president of Beurs voor Diamanthandel, passed away at age 77 in Antwerp. He also served as the president of the Belgian Federation of Diamond Bourses. Beller worked in the diamond industry for almost 60 years, starting as a diamond sorter and moved on to head Diamex Manufacturing. “Arthur’s passing leaves a real void in the diamond trade, at his bourse, in Antwerp and in our federation,” noted Avi Paz, president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB). “As a member of the generation that rebuilt the Antwerp diamond sector after World War II, he served among its leadership for almost 30 years, playing an absolutely critical role. He was a true intellect, with a deep understanding not only of our industry, but of the business world in general. We have lost a mentor, advisor and friend,” Paz added.
  
  
• Mort Abelson, former director of JA International Jewelry Shows, passed away on March 28 at age 87. Born into a jewelry industry family, Abelson sold his business to Zale Corp in the early 1970s. Abelson served on the board of Retail Jewelers of America (now Jewelers of America). He became director of the JA International Jewelry show in 1973 and in 1977, he introduced the New Designer Gallery showcase at the shows. He also assisted in the development of the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA). 
  
  
• Michael Ellis of T. Gluck & Co. Inc. passed away on April 26. He served the diamond and fine jewelry industry for almost 60 years.

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - May 2011. To subscribe click here.