H. Stern Takes a Trip Down The Rabbit Hole...

With all the hype surrounding the new Tim Burton version of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice In Wonderland, I don't think I ever expected this partnership!

The designers at H. Stern collaborated with the folks at Disney and have launched a truly wonderful and slightly bizarre line of jewelry based on the film.

From the H. Stern website:

After a detailed study, H.Stern designers decided that the underworld of Tim Burton’s film would be their source of inspiration. Moving away from the obvious and from the well known characters of the story, they chose natural elements and spectacular creatures from Wonderland to give shape to five rings – pieces of art – that follow the intrinsic organic forms to the creative DNA of the brand.

Talking roses, colored mushrooms, a bird from the topiary garden, the Cheshire cat and the Jabberwocky dragon were the elements chosen by the Jeweler’s creative team. The pieces were developed starting from the natural elements, brought to the jewels with tremendous detail. It is intricate workmanship and demands incredible patience. The texture of the branches from the trees served as inspiration for the engraving of microscopic streaks in the gold branches. Faces, as of the cat and the monster, were sculptured in different materials until the goldsmiths managed to represent their traces and expressions in gold. Dozens of versions were made before reaching the final result.

The collection consists of five pieces that are so individual and unique that, while I would like to show them to you here, I feel that they are so well presented at the H. Stern website that I will just tease you with a couple and send you there for more...

Mushroom Forest: The Forest of mushrooms through which Alice wanders in the film inspired the creation of enameled gold ring in colors and textures carefully chosen to represent the natural forms. In order to reproduce the tones used in the film, dozens of colors were tested until the ideal tone for each piece was achieved. The texture of the real toadstools is seen not only on the outside of the ring but on the inside also. Some are covered with diamonds.

MJSA - Vision Award Winners 2010!

The Vision Awards recognize excellence among both professional and student designers, and the Thinking Ahead Awards recognize products that, through "the introduction of new technology or the improvement of existing technologies," are advancing the way in which jewelry is made and sold. Two products won the Thinking Ahead Awards, Speedwire (a laser welding wire dispenser) and the SpeckFINDER HD (an optical workstation for gem inspection and analysis). The Winner of the Professional Vision Award for Design Excellence: Jennifer Jordan Park Wear Ever Custom Jewelry Budd Lake, New Jersey "Splash." A cloisonné enamel box ring made with fine silver, 24k gold cloisonné wire, 18k and 22k gold, and various colors of opaque and transparent leaded enamel. The Winner of the Vision Award for Future of the Industry (Student) category: Davina Rae Romansky GIA Student Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio "Cascading." Necklace in sterling silver Vision Awards are also given for Gold and Laser Distinction as well as - my favorite - Technical Solutions! To view the other winners and for more info on the 2011 Awards check the MJSA Website.

Spinel - A Misunderstood Jewel

"Have you seen her all in gold
Like a queen in days of old
She shoots colors all around
Like a sunset going down
Have you seen the lady fairer…..

She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors “

Jagger/Richards

A completely misunderstood gem...in ancient days Spinel was thought to be Ruby...Boomers tend to remember it as a synthetic stone for class rings....in today's terms, we need to work on this stone's "brand".

Spinel is found in many locals worldwide - and in some of the most exotic, gem-rich countries. Today due to a new find in Tanzania this rich and beautiful jewel is finally taking its place beside the finest of gems and doing it with its real name intact!

The name Spinel comes from "spina" the Latin for thorn which is thought to refer to the pointed octahedral shaped crystals. It is the magnesium aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals, with the formula MgAl₂O₄.

As with most gems, Spinel in it's purest form is a clear colorless stone - trace elements in the areas where the deposits are found are responsible for the rainbow of colors that this up and comer can be found in. From the palest of pastel lavenders, pinks and blues, warm coffee browns to the most vivid red and gleaming black.

The Crown Jewels of Iran include what are thought to be the finest collection of Spinel, the largest of which is a 500 carat stone. This collection was plundered from India when the Mogul Empire fell. Yet the most famous Spinels, or should I say infamous are the 170 carat "Black Star Ruby" and 361 carat "Timur Ruby" found in the British Crown Jewels.

According to the Color-n-Ice blog by Gemologist and Author, Diana Jarrett:

Only 150 years ago was this gem identified as a separate species from its look-a-like corundum, or ruby. And by 1910 using the Verneuil method of synthesizing, spinel was successfully created in the laboratory.

Today gorgeous gems are coming out of Tanzania and the gem rich Mogok Valley. It's color and hardness make it a great option for jewelry.

Lustre: Vitreous

Crystal: Isometric

Morphology: Usually Octohedral

Hardness (Mohs): 7 1/2 to 8

I want to take a few lines to thank GemCal - Purveyors of Fine Spinel, a company that has been based in the Far East since the 80's, for the stunning gem photos. Their website is a wealth of information, gorgeous gems and for the adventurer the stories and photos of the mine sites.

MJSA Expo New York - Resources for Designers

Days for Designers!

Designers coming to MJSA Expo New York can make the most of their trip by taking advantage of all the design-related events scheduled around the show.

On Sunday, March 14, the MJSA Expo will open its doors at 10 a.m.. It will feature not only the latest tools, supplies, and technologies that can easily take a design from concept to creation, but also free seminars focusing on how to navigate in this changing environment. (Click here for a full lineup of Sunday's seminars.) In addition, there are two special events on Sunday and Tuesday you'll want to attend.

Designer CEO Summit

Also on Sunday, jewelry designers will have access to some of the best advice available on how to grow their businesses at the Designer CEO Summit, a full-daybusiness conference presented by Cindy Edelstein of the Jewelers Resource Bureau. Sessions will be geared to taking a designer's sales and marketing to the next level, regardless of where they are currently.

The conference, which will take place at the Fashion Institute of Technology, centers around four key speakers and a luncheon panel in which experts give 75 tips in 75 minutes. The first presenter will be Andrea Hill, former CEO of Rio Grande, who will explain in detail how designers of all size companies can add CEO-level strategy for growth. The day will also feature:

· Meeling Wong, who has been an insider at several wildly successful designer brands; she will explain how to create and implement a branding campaign.

· Lisa Jenks, a designer who grew her business for more than 20 years before dropping out to focus on other design projects, only to decide three years later that she wanted to get back to jewelry design. She will explain how she managed to keep growing for so many years, and how she stage-managed her return with an immediate success.

· Kate Peterson, a widely respected expert on retailing, will wind up the day's presentations with a unique twist to her usual approach to retailing. Instead of telling retailers how to improve their businesses, she will tell designers how retailers think and make choices, and how designers can influence those processes to their benefit.

The cost for the day, including lunch, is $319, although an early-bird discount is in effect until midnight of Sunday, March 7. The discounted price is $287. Other discounts are available, including one for MJSA members. Type "MJSA" in the discount portion of the registration page at www.DesignerCEOsummit.com. All sales must be in advance of the conference, since no tickets can be sold on site.

MJSA and AJDC: Profiting by Design

Another special day for designers will be Tuesday, March 15, when MJSA and theAmerican Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) team up for the special two-hourProfiting by Design session. A panel of AJDC members -- Jose Hess (moderator),Michael Bondanza, Barbara Heinrich, William Schraft, and Diana Vincent -- will share how they've overcome design challenges, responded to market trends, and achieved business success. Additional advice and insights will be offered byMarlene Richey, Cindy Edelstein, and Philip Crangi.

The free session will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Expo presentation area on the show floor. Just prior to the session, the MJSA Vision Award winners will be honored.

After the session, Marlene Richey will sign copies of her award-winning MJSA Press book, Profiting by Design: A Jewelry Maker's Guide to Success.

Click here for more information about MJSA Expo New York, including a full schedule of all seminars and special events.

GIA Unveils Gem Project Based on the Edward J. Gübelin Collection

New online resource provides easy access to colored stone data

CARLSBAD, Calif. – March 4, 2010 – The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) recently launched the Gem Project. Comprised of data collected from gemstones in the Edward J. Gübelin collection, which the Institute acquired in 2005, the online resource includes a photo, description and gemological properties for each sample.

The GIA Gem Project is free to the trade and public at any time from anywhere in the world. The gemological information on these gemstones is also available in PDF format.

For the complete article see the GIA Website here.

2010 MJSA Expo New York

Sunday: Not Just Surviving, but Winning. If you want to walk away from Expo with a notebook full of applicable business and marketing strategies, don’t miss this day. "Surviving the Great Recession: Proven Ways to Deal with Challenging Times" (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and "What You Can Do Now: Winning Strategies for a Changed World" (2:30 to 4 pm.) will each be moderated by one of the industry’s leading consultants: Ben Janowski, president of The Janos Group Ltd. and Andrea Hill of Hill Management Consulting. Janowski has spent more than 20 years working with such prominent organizations as Golay-Buchel, Frederick Goldman, and De Beers. Hill is the former CEO of The Bell Group/Rio Grande, where she integrated strategic planning and designed organization and control systems to align the company. Janowski and Hill will lead a cross-section of industry executives, from major suppliers to designers to banks and financiers.

Monday: Focus on the Future. If you still don’t know the benefits of "tweeting" and "friending" on social media sites, or you want to tap into the trends of customized design and virtual inventory, you’ll want to attend the Monday sessions. "From Old Media to Social Media: Promoting Product in the 21^st Century" (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) will feature Peggy Jo Donahue, MJSA’s director of public affairs; Carrie Soucy, a veteran journalist and current owner of Miamore Communications; and experienced marketers Ann Arnold of Lieberfarb, Veronica Wei Sopherof Ben Bridge Jeweler, and Michael Schechter of Honora. Later, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., hear from some of the industry’s leading CAD suppliers and custom jewelers-including Doug Kern of Gemvision and noted designers Lee Krombholz, Jim Tuttle, and Lisa Krikawa-as they take you into the world of "Future Stock: Putting the ’Custom’ in Customer."

Tuesday: Profiting by Design. To put it bluntly: If you want to meet world-class designers, you need to be here. Presented in partnership with the American Jewelry Design Council, the presentation features a partial "who’s who" of the jewelry design world: Consultant Marlene Richey (author of the MJSA Press book Profiting by Design), Cindy Edelstein of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau, and AJDC members Jose Hess (moderator), Michael Bondanza, Barbara Heinrich, William Schraft, and Diana Vincent. (Yes, it’s name dropping, but they’re good names.)

MJSA’s At the Bench Live: The association’s signature hands-on demonstrations return to Expo with sessions by JCK Rising Star Chris Ploof ("Working with Alternative Metals," Sunday) and the award-winning Krombholz ("Creating Custom Finishes," Monday). Both sessions start at 1 p.m. The Bench and Tool Sponsor is Stuller.

Press Release available at from MJSA

Full Seminar Schedule available here

JCK Industry Fund Awards Diamond Development Initiative

Diamond Development Initiative, Jewelers of America, Womens Jewelry Association, American Gem Society, Jewelers Vigilance Committee and the Jewelers Security Alliance received part of the $400,000 that is granted every year to individuals, groups, or associations who work towards the betterment of the overall industry.

The JCK Industry Fund aims to address problems and challenges facing the jewelry industry, and to assist organizations and associations in developing training materials for its membership and the industry at large.

"We are thrilled that the JCK Fund has supported the initiative. The positive impact at the source of the diamond pipeline will, in time, be enormous." said DDII Board Chair Ian Smillie following the announcement that they have been awarded a grant from the JCK Industry Fund.

The JCK award will assist DDII in its effort to develop and create ‘Development Diamond Standards’, a verifiable certification system for artisanally mined diamonds. DDS will be a tool for addressing development issues and formalizing the artisanal diamond mining sector, and will be a foundation for enhancing the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process regulatory mechanism.

The standards will enable artisanal diamond miners to play an active role as change agents in their own communities, changing a legacy of chaos and victimization with a proactive tool for positive development. The grant will also help DDII tell the development diamond story to the wider jewelry industry.

Dorothee Gizenga, DDII’s Executive Director, said, "The confidence that the JCK Fund is showing in DDII is an important signal to the people we work with at the grass roots, that the industry is concerned about them. It is also an important signal to the governments and civil society organizations that we work with – and the others we hope to attract to our aims and objectives – that the industry is a valued and necessary player in this joint approach to some of the most basic problems in the alluvial diamond fields of Africa and South America."

There are an estimated 1.3 million artisanal diamond diggers across Africa, serving as the primary breadwinner for families that total as many as 10 million people. These diggers earn, on average, about a dollar a day, and there are tens of thousands like them in South America. Historically, governments have treated them as criminals and have attempted to drive them away. After 75 years, this is clearly not the solution.

Regulation and the rule of law are important, but DDII believes that economic problems and the poverty that lures people to the diamond fields also require economic and development solutions. The creation of verifiable standards for ‘development diamonds’ is one step in this direction.

Diamond Development Initiative International

Mission Statement

To gather all interested parties into a process that will address, in a comprehensive way, the political, social and economic challenges facing the artisanal diamond mining sector in order to optimize the beneficial development impact of artisanal diamond mining to miners and their communities within the countries in which the diamonds are mined.