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Saturday, June 11, 2016

Andrey Polyakov Succeeds Edward Asscher as World Diamond Council President


Andrey Polyakov Succeeds Edward Asscher 
as World Diamond Council President

The World Diamond Council (WDC) today announced that Mr. Andrey Polyakov has assumed the elected position of President of the WDC. Mr. Polyakov served as Vice President of the WDC since 2015 and now succeeds Mr. Edward Asscher whose two-year term as President concluded on May 22, 2016. 

The WDC is a collective of members representing the entire international diamond industry supply chain, from mining through retail. The group represents the diamond industry in the development and implementation of regulatory and voluntary systems developed by the United Nations and the Kimberley Process to eradicate the trade of conflict diamonds. 

Displaying Andrey Polyakov Head Shot.jpg


“I am honored to have been elected by my peers to this important position,” stated Mr. Polyakov. “I look forward to working closely with the Board of Directors and the membership of the WDC, on behalf of our great industry, through the WDC’s critical role of representing the industry at the Kimberley Process. I am confident that joint efforts and a willingness to dialogue among all parties will enable us to achieve success in strengthening our industry’s reputation.”

The WDC represents the diamond industry at the UN-mandated Kimberley Process forum, the body created to eradicate conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate diamond supply chain. Conflict diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) imposes extensive requirements on its members - diamond producing and trading countries - to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate trade.

As the most senior executive officer of the WDC, Mr. Polyakov’s role will be to continue the mission of the organization and to further protect the integrity and reputation of the Kimberley Process. His management and leadership approach is shaped by a belief in the responsible and ethical growth of the industry by reinstating the diamond as an emotional and uniquely symbolic brand.

Mr. Polyakov added, “The diamond’s value and worth is measured in its symbolism. It invokes a sense of permanence, obligation, passion and loyalty. These are the same values that we as Council members bring to the task at hand and I look forward to upholding the integrity of these values as the steward for positive change during my term as President.”

Mr. Polyakov has earned a well-respected reputation from his 12-year tenure at ALROSA, the largest diamond producer in the world, and a member company of the WDC since 2000. Since January 2013 he has served as ALROSA’s Vice President responsible for client policy and by international cooperation. He joined the firm in 2004, first being responsible for ALROSA’s public communications policy, building up the company's image. In 2013, he led the informational support of the company’s IPO. Later he started the work on the development of ALROSA international relations, strengthening the company’s cooperation with industry organizations, and participating in the preparation for contract periods. Mr. Polyakov also acted as one of the initiators of the creation of the Diamond Producers Association (DPA), and is now a founding member of the DPA Board.

Edward asscher

“Much was accomplished these past two years, including the passing of the first Strategic Plan in the history of the WDC,” stated Mr. Asscher. “The role of the WDC in defending and upholding the KP is invaluable to the industry. I’m sure I speak for the full Board of Directors of the WDC when I say that we look forward to Andrey’s leadership and continuation of the progress made within the WDC and its enhanced engagement with the KP. Personally, I am looking forward to devoting all my time again to our 162-year-old family company, Royal Asscher Diamond Company, in Amsterdam.”

Mr. Polyakov thanked Mr. Asscher for his significant efforts on behalf of the WDC these past two years. "I want to thank Mr. Edward Asscher as the outgoing WDC President, for his hard work and dedication to the WDC and the Kimberley Process (KP). I highly appreciate his efforts in the development of our industry. Under Edward’s leadership, the WDC made huge progress in enhancing and improving its role in supporting and developing the KP”.

About the World Diamond Council

The primary objective of the WDC is to represent the diamond industry in the development and implementation of the regulatory and voluntary systems to control the trade in diamonds embargoed by the United Nations or covered by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. 

Visit http://www.worlddiamondcouncil.org to learn more.




Friday, June 10, 2016

PGI Sponsors the Platinum Honors™ Categories in the 2016 Summer AGTA Spectrum Awards™





PGI Sponsors the 
Platinum Honors™ Categories 
in the 2016 Summer AGTA Spectrum Awards™

AGTA is ecstatic to announce another year of sponsorship from the Platinum Guild International in the 2016 Summer AGTA Spectrum Awards™. Have your platinum entries shine by checking the Platinum Honors™ category on your Spectrum Awards entry form!

June 17, 2016 - Mail-In Entry Deadline
June 28, 2016 - New York Drop Off 





Platinum Honors™ recognizes the outstanding use of platinum in colored gemstone and/or cultured pearl jewelry as follows:

Bridal Wear Platinum Honors & Platinum Honors Innovation

Platinum Innovation is pieces under $2,500 (semi-mount only)

Business Day Wear Platinum Honors & Platinum Honors Innovation

Business Day Wear Platinum Innovation - piece under $2,000 (semi-mount only)

Classical Platinum Honors & Platinum Honors Innovation

Classical Platinum Honors Innovation - piece under $3,500 (semi-mount only)

Evening Wear Platinum Honors

Men's Wear Platinum Honors

Best Use of Platinum and Color



2016 AGTA Spectrum Awards™ Platinum Honors Evening Wear
Eddie Sakamoto for Somewhere in the Rainbow

To enter the upcoming 2016 Summer AGTA Spectrum Awards™ visit: www.agta.org/awards

2016 Rising Star - Martha Seely in JCK Design Center


2016 Rising Star Exhibitor Martha Seely in JCK Design Center 

Among an elite group of 21 up-and-coming designers exhibiting fresh looks, 
Seely will be displayed her newest designs from June 3-6

Martha Seely Fine Jewelry exhibited at JCK Las Vegas, June 3-6, in the show's newly reimagined Design Center, as one of 21 Rising Star exhibitors. This year's Design Center has relocated to a new spot, near the new grand entrance to the show, at Bayside, Level 1 of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center (shuttle bus drop offs are here, too). The new JCK Design Center space features an open concept, non-linear floorplan, and chalkboard-style booths meant to inspire new ideas and spark conversation about design. 

Martha Seely NEBULA Galaxy Evening Earrings can be made in silver or gold with sparkling stones /stars
that gracefully sway from the ears. The post earrings, with interlocking spirals, hold the larger galaxies with simple wire.
This allows the earrings to move gently as you do. This is a modern and sleek design covered in bling. 

"I’m honored to be among the Rising Star designers, who JCK has dubbed 'up-and-coming,'" says Seely, a Massachusetts-based designer whose Scandinavian aesthetic is of the moment. "My designs embrace the minimalist, spare look recently cited by InStylemagazine as a trend to watch, and I'm looking forward to meeting retailers who want to capitalize on it."

Seely's designs also pick up on two other trends, seen recently at spring fashion shows: a panoply of pearls, as well as celebration of all things celestial, gray, and black. Her Sequence Collection "stories" bear names such as Shooting Stars, Nebula, and Cirrus. Seely's designs have been featured in a number of spring trend stories appearing at JCK Online, National Jeweler, and Jewelers of America's trends reports.



New for Seely in Las Vegas are a number of design additions to her Shooting Stars line, which debuted at JCK Tucson in February. Capitalizing on the trend towards shorter necklaces, and a continuing emphasis on layering necklaces with attached charms, the designer is featuring several with vertical charms that dangle, a station necklace, and dangling earrings to match. Skinny cuffs, another trend, will also make an appearance in the Shooting Stars series, accented with karat gold, diamonds, or sapphires.

Seely's Inspiro line features a new selection of delicate earrings with faceted briolettes in aquamarine, amazonite, rose quartz, or honey quartz, with a variety of posts, and all displaying the spiral galaxy motif, with a central diamond star, for which Inspiro is known. This is Seely's first foray into colored gemstone looks, also in style this year.

Martha Seely INSPIRO Delicate Spiral Earrings feature blue-grey Akoya pearl posts.
Each earring has a tiny galaxy with a central 1.5mm diamond (or cubic zirconia) “star.”
Dainty aquamarine briolettes dangle. Pearls are set into 14K posts (unless specified).
Length of earrings is 1 inch. Available with Argentium silver galaxies. Priced here with diamonds.

In the Nebula line, a stunning new earring design, Nebula Galaxy Evening Earrings, symbolizes the Milky Way in sterling silver or white gold, with glittering diamonds representing the stars.

Seely, who was recently asked to become a Silver Promotion Service Savor Silver Style Partner, can offer a significant number of her designs in various forms of tarnish-resistant silver. The designer also offers the option of diamonds or cubic zirconia – to keep the prices of her jewels affordable.

Martha Seely SHOOTING STARS Silver Stacking Narrow Bracelet is a solid, 3mm cuff,
pierced with signature interlocking spirals. Shown here in slow-tarnish sterling silver with 50 cornflower blue sapphires.
Available using diamonds, CZs, or ornamented with a central, twisted 14k gold wire. Finishes available include satin,
high polish, or sandblast.  This bracelet can also be made in 14k yellow, white, or rose gold.

For jewelers selling a more affluent audience, however, most designs are also available in various colors and karats of gold, and employ the kind of openwork designs that capitalize on the renewed popularity of yellow and rose gold. "My aim is to be flexible to the needs of retail jewelers in a changing marketplace," says Seely.

Learn more about Martha Seely Modern Jewelry, visit http://www.marthaseely.com/ 


#JewelryThatGivesBack Color Story's "LovePendants" Partners With The Foundation for Gender Equality Creates “Women’s Empowerment” Jewelry



Grammy Nominated Performer Jewel, 

Golden Globe Nominated Actress Maria Bello 
and Academy Award Winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy 
First Recipients of LovePendants “Women’s Empowerment” Jewelry 

LovePendants Named Official Jeweler for 
The Foundation for Gender Equality





LovePendants, the recently launched engraved gemstone division of Color Story founded by award-winning fine jewelry designer and jewelry industry veteran, Robert Leser, has been chosen by The Foundation for Gender Equality to create “Women’s Empowerment” jewelry for the charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money to fund gender equality and women’s empowerment social programs. Fifty percent of sales from all LovePendants “Women’s Empowerment” jewelry will be donated to The Foundation to aid in their fundraising goals. 


The jewelry is available through both websites for LovePendants (www.lovependants.com) and The Foundation for Gender Equality (www.genderequalityfoundation.org).


The relationship between LovePendants and The Foundation for Gender Equality was publicly unveiled during The Foundation’s first annual fundraising day, “A Spectacular Day for Gender Equality,” held in the Delegates Dining Room of the United Nations on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.

During the lunch portion of the day, Ravi Karkara, Senior Advisor Strategic Partnership and Advocacy to the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of United Nations Women presented a LovePendants “Women’s Empowerment” necklace to two-time Golden Globe-nominated actress Maria Bello, the luncheon keynote speaker. 

Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, later presented four-time Grammy-nominated performer, Jewel, and two-time Academy Award-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy each with a gold and diamonds LovePendants’ “Women’s Empowerment” necklace during the evening fundraising gala.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to work with The Foundation for Gender Equality to achieve their fundraising goals in supporting women’s empowerment initiatives,” said Robert Leser. “As a father to my own beautiful daughter, I’m happy such organizations like The Foundation exists to help put gender equality in the forefront and empower women like my daughter to achieve their goals without limitations.”





To make the “Women’s Empowerment” pendants, Leser engraves The Foundation’s signature logo of a woman with upraised arms into his new cut of semi-precious gemstones. The stone is then set into a charm, necklace or bracelet in a choice of silver, vermeil or yellow, rose or white 14k gold, with an option to accent with diamonds.

The “Women’s Empowerment” logo is just one of hundreds of logos, designs, letters and symbols that can be custom engraved into a LovePendants’ gemstone. See a complete collection of options -- including options for sororities, bridesmaid gifts, corporate gifts, and birthday and holiday gifts – on the LovePendants’ website at www.lovependants.com.

The Foundation for Gender Equality marks the second charitable nonprofit organization for whom LovePendants now produces jewelry. LovePendants also produces jewelry for the Cancer Research Institute, a leader in Immunotherapy, where 20 percent of proceeds benefit the organization.

ABOUT LOVE PENDANTS
Launched by Color Story’s award-winning fine jewelry designer and jewelry industry veteran, Robert Leser, LovePendants is a new jewelry brand that allows customers to uniquely personalize their jewelry by engraving topaz, amethyst, green quartz or citrine with a symbol, letter or word that holds special significance. Gemstones are then set in a necklace, bracelet or charm in the customer’s metal choice of vermeil, silver or 14k gold.

To create LovePendants’ signature engraved gemstones, Leser invented a 12mm round gemstone cut with reversible flat surfaces; both sides of the stone have tables surrounded by crown facets closely aligned to each other. Leser’s concept to engrave in reverse on one side and then view the engraving from the other side was realized using sophisticated laser technology.



For more information, please visit www.lovependants.com.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

#NAJA 46th Annual Mid Year ACE© It Education Conference to be held in Newport Beach, CA


ACE© It Conferences by NAJA


The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) announces its 46th Annual Mid Year ACE© It Education Conference to be held in Newport Beach, CA on August 13 - August 16, 2016. 


The appraisal organization dedicated exclusively to gems and jewelry presents an outstanding program to assist the professional appraiser’s continuing education and an unparalleled networking experience. 


NAJA welcomes your attendance to the Mid-Year ACE© It Conference. NAJA’s Conference is designed for the professional gem and jewelry appraiser and likeminded professionals with similar goals and related business challenges. Attendance at NAJA’s ACE© It Educational Conferences is a perfect opportunity to increase your skills, learn new information, and experience a peerless networking opportunity. Experts from the trade share their areas of expertise to further your understanding. 




An extremely well developed program is planned:

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Muzo Emeralds; Gemology, Mining and a Future Perspective -Ronald Ringsrud
The Challenges of Creating a Gemstone Brand - Patrick Coughlin, GIA GG
How To Identify A Luxury Counterfeit Watch - Joe Akar
The Old Euro Revisited - Michael Goldstein
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Treatments and Synthetics: A Visual Review - John I. Koivula, GIA GG
Digital Photomicrography for Gemologists - Nathan Renfro, GIA GG
Evaluations in a Millennial World - Anne Dale, FGA
Bird on a Rock: An Insider's Guide to Preparing a Blue Box Appraisal -
Lauren Kalman Abramowitz, GIA GG
Monday, August 15, 2016
Training Your Eye - Karen Lorene
Appraiser Challenges of a Lifetime - Richard Drucker, GIA GG & Stuart Robertson, GIA GG
The 1950s and 1960s: Change and Innovation: A Jewel for Every Taste and Every Person - Duncan Parker, FGA
Into the Depths of French Hallmarking... Come Out Singing La Marseillaise! -
Danusia Niklewicz, GIA GG and William Whetstone
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Appraising - From the Essentials into the Nonsense - Dave Atlas, GIA GG
The Appraisal Challenge - How Will Yours Hold Up? - Martin Fuller, GIA GG
Conflict Management: Tales from the Dark Side - Deborah Finleon, GIA GG

...and....




National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) was founded in 1981 on the premise that the specialized field of gem and jewelry appraising was an area that was long overdue for representation on a professional basis.  Also, there was a need for an appraisal organization specializing in only gems and jewelry, one which would not be subject to the confusion of diverse appraisal disciplines such as real estate, machinery & equipment, art, household contents, etc.  The NAJA was formed as a response to this need.  

The Association’s primary purpose is to recognize, and make available, the services of highly qualified, informed, experienced, independent, and professional appraisers of gems and jewelry to those members of the public requiring such expertise.  In addition, NAJA seeks to promote the trademark and professional designations earned by our members and to make available continuing educational materials in order to ensure that they are among the best informed appraisers in our industry.  

Finally, it is our goal to promote professionalism among our members as well as the industry as a whole.  All of the above should provide reasonable assurance to the public of the professional skill, integrity, and responsibility of our members.

The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers is the only appraisal association in the United States that devotes itself solely to the appraisal of gems and jewelry and silver flatware and holloware.  All of our energies focus on these, and only these, subjects which are updated with new information as it becomes available.
http://najaappraisers.com/

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