RAPAPORT...
Lazare Kaplan
International Inc. (LKI) announced the appointment of David Wessel as director
of jewelry. Wessel, who will be based in New York, has experience in
operations, manufacturing, forecasting, inventory control, production and
training.
LKI also announced the appointment of John Hyla as the
regional sales manager for the southeast region of the U.S. Hyla has both
wholesale and retail diamond industry experience.
The Diamond
Empowerment Fund (DEF) appointed Nancy Orem Lyman as the group’s executive
director and vice president. Lyman’s background includes strategic
planning, marketing, communications, corporate social responsibility,
fundraising and sustainable development. While working at JWT, she served as
the director of consumer confidence for the De Beers Group marketing team. She
has also worked with the United Nations (UN) on various programs geared toward
attaining the UN Millennium Development Goals and has first-hand program
experience in Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone, South Africa and Botswana.
Jewelers of America
(JA) elected Georgie Gleim as its new board chair, succeeding Terry Burman.
Gleim, the president of Gleim The Jeweler in Palo Alto, California, is a
third-generation jeweler. Her father, Arthur Gleim, served as JA’s president
from 1981 to 1983. JA also announced newly elected officers to its executive
committee, including chair-elect William Farmer Jr., Farmer’s Jewelry; vice
chairs Ryan Berg, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Scot Congress, Congress Jewelers
and Peter Engel, Fred Meyer/Littman Jewelers; treasurer Thomas Andruskevich,
Birks & Mayors Inc. and secretary Michael J. Kowalski, Tiffany & Co.
The Jewelers’ Security
Alliance (JSA) elected two new members to its board of directors. The new directors are Stewart E.B. Wicht,
the president of Rolex Watch U.S.A. Inc. and Humphrey Valenbreder, the regional
head of Americas and Canada for ABN AMRO’s international diamond and jewelry
group.
The Cultured Pearl
Association of America (CPAA) reelected its current president Fran Mastoloni of
Mastoloni Pearls, New York to another two-year term. Mastoloni’s father,
Frank Mastoloni, was also president of the CPAA. Also reelected to the
governing board were Peter Bazar, the president of Imperial Pearl, Rhode Island
as vice president and Aziz Basalely, the president of Eliko Pearl, New York as treasurer. Jack Lynch, the president of
Sea Hunt Pearls, California is the CPAA’s newly elected secretary.
The Canadian Jewellers
Association (CJA) appointed Chris Knight as its chairman for the 2011 and 2012
cycle. Knight is a founding partner of Platinum Unlimited
and serves as its director of commercial activities, including marketing, sales
and business development. Knight also created the Volunteer Builders
organization that constructs buildings for charitable children’s camps.
Eira Thomas resigned
as a director of Stornoway Diamond Corporation and as chairman of the board to
pursue other interests and was replaced by Tony Walsh. Thomas played a key
role in Stornoway’s acquistion of the Renard diamond project. Walsh, a
chartered accountant, is the president of Sabina Gold & Silver Corporation
and has served as a director of Stornoway since 2003.
Ron Hodgetts retired
from the Birmingham Assay Office after 50 years of service. Hodgetts, who joined the Assay office on his 15th
birthday, helped to pioneer hallmarking by laser.
The International
Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) reported an increased interest by members in
participating in ICA pavilions at major trade fairs worldwide. Demand is highest for shows in Asia, where, over
the last 18 months, ICA has launched new pavilions in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong
Kong (June), Hangzhou and Mumbai. ICA plans to expand ICA Pavilions into other
trade shows.
The National
Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) will award an ACE© It Appraisal
Conference Scholarship to a deserving gemology student. The
scholarship will be awarded at NAJA’s 37th Annual ACE© It Winter Educational
Conference, scheduled for January 29 to 30, 2012 in Tucson, Arizona.
Applications must be submitted by November 1, 2011 and the final selection by
the NAJA Scholarship Advisory Board will be announced December 1, 2011.
Applications can be obtained through the NAJA website, www.NAJAappraisers.com,
or by a faxed request to NAJA at 718.997.9057.
Watchmaker MODUS has
partnered with American Soldier Network (ASN) and will donate a portion of its
proceeds and offer special customer incentives to support the funding of ASN’s
programs. MODUS will also take part in raising awareness for the
nonpolitical group, which is dedicated to helping troops. More information on
the program, including a 30 percent discount to the network’s “friends and
fans,” is available at http://americansoldiernetwork.com/.
Jewelers Mutual
donated more than 500 carats of rough diamonds to the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington D.C. The larger diamonds
will be added to the Smithsonian’s
public diamond exhibit and will be featured on the museum’s mineral
website.
The U.S. Patent &
Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the trademark “VC VICTORIAN CUT” to ABA Diamond
Corporation of New York City. VC
Victorian Cut trademark was granted on July 26, 2011 with the registration
number of 4002382. The trademark consists of the stylized letter “V,” along
with the letter “C” facing down and overlapping the letter V, and the wording “Victorian Cut” to the
right.
The USPTO also issued the
trademark “A DIAMOND IS A LEGACY” to
Hacker Jewelers, Designers & Goldsmiths Inc. of Tecumseh, Michigan. The trademark, registration number 4002293,
was granted on July 26, 2011 and covers various pieces of jewelry, such as
rings, pendants and earrings, along with loose polished diamonds and gemstones.
Tractech System
developed a radio frequency identification (RFID) inventory system for manufacturers.
The system, which includes a reader box, a tag printer and special
ID tags with computer chips and antennas, is customized for each client, while
a third-party software company adapts the program to the client’s specific
technical requirements. The RFID system can be written to include control and
discrepancy reports, enabling companies to check who accessed their inventory
and keep track of each item. Both a hand-held version of the RFID system and a
system for retailers are in development.
Adwar Casting Co. Ltd.
filed suit against Unique Settings of New York for copyright infringement of 89
of its jewelry casting designs. Adwar,
which seeks a minimum of $13.35 million in compensation, alleged that Unique
Settings began manufacturing and selling their designs shortly before May of
2007, at which time Adwar Casting terminated its eight-year contract with
Unique Settings and forbade it to sell any more of its jewelry castings.
Adwar Casting also alleged that in 2008, Unique Settings
obtained the account number and password given to one of Adwar’s customers to
permit access to a portion of the company’s website that contained Adwar’s
newest designs in an attempt to copy them. According to the court documents,
this happened on at least 14 different occasions.
Unique Settings was accused
of displaying the jewelry designs at
trade shows, creating unauthorized photographic reproductions of the jewelry
for advertising and website purposes, and creating inexpensive samples of the designs for their retailer customers
to publicly display in their stores.
The Responsible
Jewellery Council (RJC) awarded certification to Kiran Exports BVBA, an
Antwerp-based diamond trader. Certification is awarded to companies that
meet the ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards established by the RJC Member
Certification System.
Diamond industry
groups from across the world praised the late Gerald Rothschild, who passed
away at age 86. Rothschild was celebrated for
his many contributions to the industry over a six-decade career. He started his
business in the 1940s and served for many years as a senior executive at I.
Hennig & Co., including a lengthy stint as managing director. At age 70, he
set up his own brokerage house. Soon afterward, his company was successful in
obtaining one of the first Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sights for the developing
diamond industry in China.
Moti Ganz, president of
the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), said, “One cannot
underestimate the role that Gerald has played in our industry since the late 1940s and in particular in
the establishment of diamond cutting centers in Israel, India and China. The
part he played in establishing a steady rough diamond supply for industries
that were just getting their feet on the ground was absolutely critical for
their eventual success. His place in these centers’ history books is absolutely
assured.”
From New York, Moshe Mosbacher, the president of the Diamond
Dealers Club (DDC), paid his respects on behalf of the community. “Gerald
Rothschild played a remarkable role in the worldwide development of our
industry, having been instrumental in the growth of most of the major centers
that were established following World War II. For many of the veterans of our
diamond community in New York, he was not only a broker, but also a friend,” he
said.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - September 2011. To subscribe click here.