Learn To Sell Handmade - Halstead Scholarship Available!

HALSTEAD SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE for JEWELRY ARTISTS

LEARN to SELL YOUR HANDMADE CREATIONS to GALLERIES and STORES

Through a generous gift from Halstead Bead Inc., scholarships are available for jewelry artists who want to receive business training in the Visiting Artist Program of the Buyers Market of American Craft.

     The Visiting Artist Program, coming to Philadelphia February 19-20, 2011, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, will provide one- and two-day workshops teaching craft entrepreneurship — how to launch a business, develop and promote product lines and price artwork for wholesale and retail sales.

     Participants will tour the Buyers Market of American Craft, the nation’s largest wholesale tradeshow where artists from the U.S. and Canadian studios sell their work to galleries, boutiques, museum shops and catalogs.  In addition, participants will receive a portfolio or product critique from retailers and tradeshow managers.

     Offered twice a year, the Visiting Artist Program is tailored for studio-based artists   who make and sell jewelry, fashion accessories and designer products for home or office such as tile, pottery, glass art and other fine crafts.  The non-profit Arts Business Institute runs the program with a faculty of experienced retailers and artists. The Visiting Artist Program will also be offered this summer in Baltimore, Md., on July 11, 2011.

     Family-owned Halstead Bead Inc., www.halsteadbead.com, of Prescott, Ariz., has been a supplier of findings, chain, beads, wire and tools for jewelry artists since 1973.

    A scholarship donation presented to the Arts Business Institute by Halstead Bead will cover admission fees for several jewelry artists to attend the Visiting Artist Program in 2011. The company’s own Halstead Grant is presented each year to a new jewelry designer.

     To register online for the upcoming Visiting Artist Program, please visit www.artsbusinessinstitute.org. Registration is $75 for a one-day workshop and $130 for a two-day workshop. To receive a scholarship application contact Erin Hartz at erinh@rosengrp.com. The application deadline for scholarships to the Philadelphia program is February 4, 201l.  For information call 800.432.7238, ext. 206.

What Influences Me...

James Miller - the master at work from Orchid Galleries

I am always getting the question - where do you find all this great inspiration?  How do you find something new to write?    Aside from being on every mailing list in the Industry...these are the Influencers in my life and my go - to websites.

...for the Jewelry Designer and Learner in me:
       Ganoksin  - this is so much more than the Ganoksin Library of Archived Design Articles.  Their latest addition is a section called BenchTube - if you learn easier by seeing it - this is for you!  Videos on everything from beginning soldering to hinges to stone setting. Or draw inspiration and find new Designer talent in the Orchid Galleries. Blog posts from hundreds of voices in the Artisan, Lapidary and Retail Jeweler arenas are available on the Orchid Blogs.  The Orchid Forum gives you the ear of close to 10,000 working Jewelers and Lapidaries around the world. Have you ever wondered how other Bench Jewelers work?  you have to check out the BenchExchange project!  BTW - this amazing knowledge base in offered without fees and operates on donation and advertising ONLY.  So donate today or purchase from Advertisers on the site (and let them know you found them on Ganoksin)

Carol Holaday from Orchid Galleries

      Jewelry Making Daily - the new daily newsletter from Interweave - this pulls together all the best from their publications and tutorials - jewelry making techniques from Beads to Wire and, my favorite, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist.



...for the Tool and Equipement need in me:
      MJSA - from their new products announcements to their coverage and clear instructions for implementing new Government Requirements - to the always informational techniques covered in their magazine.  BTW - did you know that MJSA has an "Artisan Jeweler" level of membership?

...to feed my need for Beautiful Shiny Objects:
      JCKOnline - this magazine sets the standard for the Jewelry Industry, with news and marketing information for the Retail Jeweler.  But, what I draw from are the great Cutting Remarks blog by Rob Bates (this whole Kimberley Process thing has me confused and Rob helps me sort out the details).  My latest favorite at JCKOnline is the great behind the scenes posts by Jennifer Heebner on her Style 360 blog.  Whether it is a pictorial of outtakes from a cover shoot, shots of submissions for articles or her great coverage of venues like the recent Jewelry Show in India...she feeds my need for something gorgeous everyday.

Adrean Bloomard from Orchid Galleries 

...for the Gem Geek in me:
     AGTA - the American Gem Trade Assoc. - the website is filled with information for professionals and for customers alike...and their new e-Prism Newsletter collects some of the best information from the Internet and provides it to subscribers.

I get great information from Industry contacts, blogs (yep your blog may be influential), Google Alerts (for those of you who can't figure out how I found you) and press releases - if you want to inspire me - email me !

Golden Globes: Hollywood SHINES in Platinum Jewels...

So tonight was the Golden Globe Awards and I got together with Fashionistas and Jewelry Industry people for a Live Tweet Fest.

Take aways?  Same Black - Same gigantic earrings - Same stacks of bracelets...but...there were a few surprises.  The occasional pop of color was brilliant...in addition to the ones pictured below, there was...

Katey Sagal in the most exotic shade of coral-orange (I would love to know who made her earrings) had a surprise win for Sons of  Anarchy -  see LATimes story

Angelina Jolie shimmered in a fresh grass green...see the stunner on the Jewelry Insider blog

The adorable Lea Michele from Glee was sweet in Pantone's latest "hot color"....Honeysuckle.

In varying shades of soft coral pink were Clare Danes (love her stunning cuff - any idea who made this one?),  Emma Stone and in a vibrant coral red, the vivacious Sofia Vergara and the elegant Elizabeth Chambers on the arm of hubby Armie Hammer.



The Blues: Jane Krakowski showed her "Baby Bump" in soft Cornflower Blue and the girls in midnight blues...Amy Adams, Tina Fey

Eva Longoria decided to wear her jewels at her waistline...

Thanks to the Platinum Guild and Niki Ostin at PRLAB for the following:

• Natalie Portman: Platinum and diamond necklace, and platinum and diamond stud earrings by Tiffany & Co.
• Halle Berry: Platinum and diamond stud earrings (3.03 carats), and 5 platinum and diamond bracelets by Harry Winston.
• Jennifer Lopez: Platinum and diamond cluster earrings, platinum and diamond hair pin, platinum and diamond cuff, and a platinum and diamond ring (7.06 carats) by Harry Winston.
• Scarlett Johansson: Platinum and diamond bracelet from 1920 (22.48 carats), platinum and diamond bracelet from 1930, platinum and diamond hair clips from 1934, and platinum and diamond stud earrings by Van Cleef & Arpels.
• Catherine Zeta Jones: Platinum and diamond earrings (26.8 carats), platinum and diamond bracelet (14.87 carats), and a platinum and diamond ring (7.2 carats) by Van Cleef & Arpels.

• Michelle Williams: Vintage platinum and diamond stud earrings by Fred Leighton.
• Claire Danes: Platinum and diamond drop earrings (3 carats) by Fred Leighton.
• Amy Adams: Platinum and diamond ring by Cartier.
• Camilla Belle: Platinum and diamond bracelet from 1924 (12.50 carats) by Cartier.
• Christina Hendricks: Platinum and diamond earrings (20 carats), and 2 platinum and diamond bracelets (200 carats) by Chopard.
• Helen Mirren: Platinum and diamond necklace (55.08 carats), and a platinum and diamond bracelet by Cartier.

• Jennifer Lawrence: Platinum and emerald drop earrings (23 carats) with diamonds, and a platinum and diamond bracelet (21 carats) by Chopard.
• Julianna Margulies: Platinum and diamond cuff, and platinum and diamond stud earrings (8.07 carats) by Cartier.
• Edie Falco: Platinum earrings from the 1930’s with diamonds and onyx, 2 platinum and diamond bracelets, and a platinum and diamond ring by Fred Leighton.

• Tilda Swinton: Platinum and diamond chain necklace (100 carats) by Fred Leighton. 
• Lea Michele: Platinum earrings, bracelets and ring by Lorraine Schwartz.
• Megan Fox: Platinum earrings and ring by Lorraine Schwartz.
• Annette Bening: Platinum earrings and bracelet by Lorraine Schwartz.
• Tina Fey:  platinum earrings, bracelet and ring by Lorraine Schwartz.
• Christina Aguilera: Platinum rings and earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.

• Jane Krakowski: Platinum earrings and platinum cuffs by Lorraine Schwartz.
• Julia Ormond: Platinum jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz.
• Elisabeth Moss: Platinum earrings, and platinum ring by Lorraine Schwartz.
• Eva Longoria: Platinum and diamond brooches, and platinum and diamond stud earrings (5 carats) by Neil Lane.
• January Jones: Platinum and diamond earrings (7 carats), and platinum and diamond bracelets by Neil Lane.
• Jenna Ushkowitz: Platinum and diamond ring, platinum and diamond earrings, and a platinum cuff with white and pink diamonds by Neil Lane.

STYLELAB’S JEWELRY BRANDS ARE SELECTED BY A-LISTERS

STYLELAB’S JEWELRY BRANDS ARE SELECTED BY A-LISTERS FOR
THE 68TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

Los Angeles, CA (January 16, 2011) – StyleLab’s Jewelry Suite for the Golden Globe Awards resulted in huge success for participating brands including Platinum Guild International, American Gem Trade Association, Dena Kemp, and Georland, among others. Brands received an exclusive opportunity to showcase their best red carpet pieces to the hottest celebrities and their wardrobe stylists. From platinum and diamonds to rubies and sapphires, over 150 pieces worth $14 million dollars were available for loan.

Celebrities who visited the Suite included: Minnie Driver (“Conviction”), Adrienne Maloof (“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”), Elizabeth Rohm (“Heroes”), Emily Bergl (“Desperate Housewives”), Kathleen Robertson (“CSI: Miami”), Steve Carell (“The Office”), Kate Flannery (“The Office”), Brit Morgan (“True Blood”), Mayim Bialik (“Big Bang Theory”), Candice Wiggins (WNBA player), Lee Unkrich (nominated Director “Toy Story 3”), Bonnie Arnold (nominated Producer “How To Train Your Dragon”), Alison Owen (nominated Executive Producer “Temple Grandin”), Gale Anne Hurd (nominated Executive Producer “The Walking Dead”), Janie Bryant (Costume Designer “Mad Men”), Mary Hart (“Entertainment Tonight”), and Marc Istook (TV Guide Network).

Celebrity stylist Michael O’Connor helped guests make their jewelry selection. “Celebrities are choosing one piece of statement jewelry – either bold earrings, a bracelet with classic white diamonds, or a ring with colorful gemstones,” says O’Connor.

The following celebrities and red carpet reporters selected jewelry from StyleLab’s Golden Globe Awards Suite for the show and parties:

Minnie Driver·      Diamond bracelet (14 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Diamond earrings (10 carats) by DENA KEMP

Elizabeth Rohmvarious parties
·      Diamond bracelets by DENA KEMP

Brit MorganInStyle Party
·      Platinum and diamond ring by ERICA COURTNEY
·      Cuff with diamonds and tourmaline by GEORLAND
·      Large hoop earrings with diamonds by GEORLAND

Emily Bergl·      Ring with peridot (120 carats), yellow diamonds, pink sapphires, and tsavorite garnets by GEORLAND
·      Large hoop earrings with sapphires by GEORLAND

Kate Flannery·      Two platinum and diamond cuffs by CHAD ALLISON
·      Earrings with blue sapphires and diamonds by DALLAS PRICE FOR THE AGTA COLLECTION          

Kathleen Robertson·      Diamond drop earrings (50 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Diamond bracelet (44 carats) by DENA KEMP

Mayim BialikInStyle Party
·      Platinum and diamond bracelet (25 carats) by UNEEK FINE JEWELRY COLLECTIONS
·      Platinum and diamond earrings by ERICA COURTNEY

Mary Hart·      Platinum bracelet with sapphires (14 carats) and diamonds (9 carats) by OMI GEMS FOR THE AGTA COLLECTION
·      Diamond ring (11 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Diamond earrings (12 carats) by DENA KEMP

Deborah Norville·      Bracelet with yellow and white diamonds (23 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Earrings with pink morganite (17 carats), rubylite (5 carats) and diamonds by YAEL DESIGNS FOR THE AGTA COLLECTION

Steve Carell + wife·      Onyx cufflinks from MICHAEL O’CONNOR PERSONAL COLLECTION
·      Butterfly pin with diamonds (6 carats) and tsavorite (21 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Ring with emerald (20 carats) and diamonds (11 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Earrings with mint tourmaline (17 carats) and diamond accents by  ADELER JEWELERS FOR THE AGTA COLLECTION

Alison Owen·      6 row diamond bracelet by GEORLAND
·      Platinum and diamond earrings (7 carats) by UNEEK FINE JEWELRY COLLECTIONS          

Gale Anne Hurd·      Necklace with blue sapphire (8 carats) and diamonds (15 carats) by SHAFTEL DIAMOND CO. FOR THE AGTA COLLECTION
·      Platinum earrings with sapphires and diamonds by MICHAEL C. FINA

Bonnie Arnold·      Earrings with tanzanite (9 carats) and diamonds by YAEL DESIGNS FOR THE AGTA COLLECTION
·      Platinum and diamond bracelet by J. BIRNBACH

Janie Bryant·      Diamond ring (27 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Diamond earrings (14 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Diamond bracelet (20 carats) by DENA KEMP

Candice Wigginsviewing party
·      Ring with diamonds and green tourmaline by ERICA COURTNEY
·      Earrings with green beryl and diamonds by ERICA COURTNEY

Lee Unkrich & wife·      Black and white diamond tie accent by CLIQ JEWELRY
·      Diamond bracelet (14 carats) by DENA KEMP
·      Black and white diamond earrings (53 carats) by DENA KEMP

Mark Istook·      Cufflinks with aquamarine by ROBIN ROTENIER

Guests attending the Suite also received a yoga gift card from Passport to Prana, and luxury beauty products from DermStore.

StyleLab's Jewelry Suite...

Celeb Stylist Michael O'Connor in the StyleLab Jewelry Suite...for the Golden Globe Awards

Demystifying Websites for Jewelers

GUEST POST:  We are lucky enough to have one of the writers I admire most in this Industry, Diana Jarrett, GG RMV, share this special interview she conducted with Marlene Murphy of Jewelry Website Designers.  So if your New Year Resolution was to update your website...this should be right up your alley.

______________________________________________

Over-scheduled and over-stressed consumers claim that time is the new luxury. And savvy jewelers aim at providing a rich 24-hour shopping experience so jewelry lovers can shop when they want. Plenty of jewelers are wildly successful at e-commerce. Yet many designers and merchants secretly suspect they aren’t using this technology to its best advantage.


Lingering questions persist. Are we getting it right? Are we really reaching the market we intend and how can we increase market share via the internet? Scariest of all----how can we keep up with the runaway train of technology? It is evolving before we can process and utilize last month’s hot new app.


In a candid conversation with Marlene Murphy, the techno wizard behind Jewelry Website Designers she offers helpful insight from an insider’s vantage point.


Q: What are the most common mistakes that jewelers stumble over when building a website?


Marlene: In my opinion, jewelers, along with other businesses fail to think through their unique selling position. What gives them a leg up over the competition and sets them apart from other merchants selling the same product? They must focus their website message on promoting those strengths and unique traits. Countless merchants seem to display online catalogs with every possible item they have to sell in hopes that
something will attract shoppers instead of first hooking the consumer and then guiding them to the right purchase.


Finding the right web developer is key. Oodles of high school kids and fresh-out-of-college computer geeks can handle the technical aspects of website creation very cheaply. Yet they lack training and experience in sales, search engine optimization and marketing. So that’s where it all begins to unravel. In particular, it’s crucial to create engaging web content that sells and contains the right combination of targeted search
phrases to achieve top search engine rankings. A good web developer possesses multiple skills, or has a team of specialists who create the entire package.


Q: What are the most common misperceptions that jewelers have about their website—like how it should perform, or what their expectations are?



Marlene: Online Retailers often think that all they need is a website which will automatically drive their products to the top of search engine results, and thousands will flock to buy their goods. Voila--another success story. But let’s look a little further.


Use Google to search for any product you like. You'll see millions of results matching your search term. Now ask yourself--what makes your site or products warrant a top ten placement?


Web marketing only begins with a website - web owners must budget for aggressively marketing and promotion of their site; via social media marketing, pay-per-click, or print advertising.


Q: For merchants starting from scratch, what advice do you have to get going in the right direction?


Marlene: It boils down to why- what- who-how. Decide why you want a website, what you want to accomplish, who your target market is and how you will measure success. Be clear about your specific goals. Refrain from generalities like "I want to sell jewelry online." Be very specific, "I want to sell 10 of my custom designed charms to teenagers in the Midwest every day." By clarifying your goals, you and your web developer will have concise marching orders for how to achieve those goals.


Q: For those who’ve had an underperforming website producing less than expected, what should they consider as trouble spots?


Marlene: Just like the jewelry industry, the web is changing almost daily. New technologies, laws and regulations track in tandem with increased competition. What worked five or even three years ago is now woefully passé. Websites need to be fresh and contemporary, offering current and engaging content for customers who will come to rely on the site for valuable resources and return often.


Q: What use of technology do you find jewelers using that are not delivering results or driving traffic their way?


Marlene: Jewelry designers are essentially artists aren’t they? So they tend to create ethereal designs in Flash technology, with fading artistic pages and background music – much as if they were producing a foreign film. While it may please the jeweler-artist, it often leaves the visitor confused as to the real purpose of the site. The bewildered visitor quickly hops off site and the jeweler forfeits a sale.



Flash movies have utility in web design, but a complete site built from Flash, can dissuade visitors. More importantly, it derails Search Engines which see the site as one movie with no critical textual content. On the web, “content is King.” If your content can't be read by Search Engines, there's no chance of being recognized - no matter how charming and well written your content was. It will never achieve the rankings you
need for visitors to find you.


Q: What advice do you have for those wanting more visitors to find their site?


Marlene: Google recently launched "Google Places" which was originally tested as "Google Local". This new technology assumes that if you are searching for a jewelry store you prefer results in your own geographical area-- not sites that are thousands of miles away. So at the top of the search results they display the top 7 jewelry stores in the searcher’s area, with links to more. Brick and mortar stores should strive to rank
in this "seven-pack" rather than trying to compete with millions for top placement in generic search results. There are companies that specialize in this ranking service.


Non-brick and mortar stores seeking top generic search engine rankings will benefit from valid coding. That’s tech jargon for the invisible stuff that makes a web page display, and the well-written targeted content that's updated frequently. Right now Social Media like Facebook and Twitter are enjoying popularity, but mobile sites are the next big deal. 


Q: This is as good example as it gets of technology today. What exactly are mobile sites?


Marlene: Mobile sites are scaled down versions of regular websites, and are created to accommodate the growing number of consumers who use their mobile phones to connect and shop via the internet. Most mobile phones nowadays access the internet with limited navigational functionality. Without a mouse, mobile phone users must to rely on arrow keys to advance from page to page.


Even the smartphones like iPhone and Droid have problems downloading large web pages with lots of images. Traditional websites are way too slow in displaying on a mobile phone. Practically none of today's phones can handle Flash technology. Until mobile phone capabilities are on par with laptop computers, special mobile sites will serve this demanding sector.


Q: Technology is moving so fast, it's hard for even 'insiders' to keep up with the advances being made--especially in regards to applications that jewelers could benefit from. What are some of the hottest apps and technology that jewelers should consider using in their websites?



Marlene: Technology is advancing so rapidly but one of my faves are jQuery which does amazing things with interactive web pages --like updating and changing page content. 


Rotating images without refreshing the web page will probably be in its next evolution.


Look at the diamond on the Jewelry Website Designer site, on the Portfolio page-- which revolves from a
diamond crystal rough to a brilliant cut diamond. That’s an entertaining and visually informative application!


HTML 5, the latest web page presentation technology currently under development will be widely available soon, is designed to improve the inclusion and handling of multimedia (video and audio) and graphic content; offering web surfers a better user experience.


Wildly popular YouTube makes internet users expect video content like how-to instructions. Search Google for "How to Build a Pandora Bracelet" and discover numerous of videos on this topic. Well done videos draw visitors to your site and transform them into customers. They might establish you as the authority on a topic
resulting in lots of incoming links and higher page ranking.


Static web pages with blinking images and irritating popup windows are dinosaurs.


Today's web users want inter-activity and real time response to questions with applications like "Live Chat" or "Online Help" where they converse with a live person –rather than filling out a form and waiting days for a response. The Internet is all about now. 





Diana Jarrett GG RMV Member NAJA

Gemologist-Journalist to the Trade & Consumers 

Info@dianajarrett.com

www.dianajarrett.com

http://tinyurl.com/color-n-ice

Industry: PGI Welcomes FTC Guidance

PLATINUM GUILD INTERNATIONAL WELCOMES FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION GUIDANCE

New York, NY (December 20, 2010) -- The Platinum Guild International-USA (“PGI USA”) welcomes the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC” or “Commission”) publication of final amendments to the Commission’s Jewelry Guides for the marketing of platinum jewelry. In its final amendments, the FTC requires marketers of platinum/base metal alloys (which are products consisting of 50-85 percent platinum along with other non-precious base metals) to clearly disclose the content of these products, and explicitly prohibits the use of abbreviations in such disclosures. The FTC also recognizes that platinum/base metal alloys may not contain the same characteristics as traditional platinum products with respect to their durability, luster, density, scratch resistance, tarnish resistance, hypoallergenicity, ability to be resized or repaired, retention of precious metal over time, and other material attributes and properties. In that regard, PGI commends the FTC for requiring additional consumer disclosures, absent competent and reliable testing, that such alloys may differ from traditional platinum products.

“The FTC’s revisions to the Jewelry Guides are of significant benefit to consumers,” said Huw Daniel, President of PGI USA. “We have worked with the FTC for the last five years to ensure that consumers get the best information possible about what they are buying; the FTC’s decision will go a long way to ensure that consumers can make confident choices when purchasing platinum jewelry, while also benefitting members of the platinum jewelry industry on the manufacturing and retail sides.”

The revised Jewelry Guides will significantly enhance the consumer education and disclosure requirements for platinum/base metal alloys, and eliminate any existing perceived ambiguities. Under the new Jewelry Guides, the word “platinum,” or any abbreviation accompanied by a number or percentage indicating the parts per thousand of pure platinum contained in the product, may not be used to describe a platinum/base metal alloy unless the product contains a clear and conspicuous disclosure, immediately following the name or description of such product of: (i) the full composition of the product (by name and not abbreviation) and percentage of each metal; and (ii) that the product may not have the same attributes or properties as traditional platinum products (unless the marketer has competent and reliable scientific evidence that there is no material difference in each of the platinum characteristics material to consumers). The FTC’s amendments to the Jewelry Guides are expected to be published in the coming week, and will take place immediately upon publication.

PGI USA also welcomes the FTC’s publication of “Going Platinum: What to Look for When Buying Platinum Jewelry,” alerting consumers about platinum purchases, and of a companion Industry Guide for retailers and others. The FTC Consumer Alert can be found at:http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt180.shtm. The FTC Industry Alert can be found at: http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus74-advertising-platinum-jewelry. The FTC Press Release can be found at: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/12/platinemguides.shtm, and the FTC Final Rule can be found at: http://www.ftc.gov/os/fedreg/2010/december/101216jewelryguidesfrn.pdf.