Eli Izhakoff announces he will conclude term as WDC President

NEW YORK: JANUARY 30, 2012 - Eli Izhakoff has announced that he will conclude his term as President of the World Diamond Council on June 30, 2013, after 13 consecutive years at the head of the diamond and jewelry organization.

Mr. Izhakoff's decision was not sudden and was entirely personal. He had informed the WDC Board of Directors about his intention at the WDC Annual Meeting in Vicenza, Italy, already in May of last year, and had said then that he would allow ample time for a successor to be elected and a smooth transition to take place.

"It has been an often challenging, but always inspiring period of my career," said Mr. Izhakoff, "and one of which I am immensely proud. The World Diamond Council, which was created in response to one of the gravest crises to face our industry, not only was instrumental in creating the system that blocked the flow of conflict diamonds into the legitimate trade, but it also changed the way in which we see our role as a business community in a greater society. It also changed way in which are regarded by our stakeholders and our consumers."

"I was privileged to serve as president from the very beginning, but it is now time for me and the World Diamond Council to move on," said Mr. Izhakoff. "After 13 years the WDC is preparing for the future. A Steering Committee that I appointed last year is working on reforms that will strengthen our organization, and I plan to have them adopted and implemented before June 30.  The WDC is evolving and adapting for the years ahead, and it with that same spirit of renewal I believe a new president should assume responsibility."

Mr. Izhakoff said that he plans to remain involved in the life of the diamond and jewelry industries, and will continue to support the mission and principles of the World Diamond Council.  

SAG Awards Spark New Trends and Some We Hope Don't Catch On...

SAG Awards Spark New Trends and Some We Hope Don't Catch On...

Depending on who you follow the reports of trends change...I love to gather those trends and add a few of my own...

Jewelry Trend #1 - My friend Nikki Ostin over at the Platinum Guild sent a Trend Alert for Platinum Statement Necklaces...

Marion Cotillard, Jessica Chastain, Helen Hunt, and Jennifer Lawrence were spotted wearing major statement necklaces set in PLATINUM at the "19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards" tonight in Los Angeles.

Hollywood’s leading actresses choose to showcase their jewels in naturally white platinum settings that truly enhance the brilliance of diamonds and colored gemstones. Platinum is the ideal choice for life’s most unforgettable moments. 

Jennifer Lawrence in Chopard; Helen Hunt in Neil Lane; Jessica Chastain in Harry Winston and Marion Cotillard in Chopard

I want to call out another Platinum Necklace - Amanda Seyfried looked amazing in her long platinum pendant necklace by Lorraine Schwartz.  

I would call this a statement necklace...what do you think? 

BRAVA to Amanda and/or her Stylist for proving that long works with strapless!!!

...and of course we are all hoping for the Necklace Trend to continue!


Jewelry Trend #2 -  Jade - this one was called out by Cheryl Kremkow of Citrine Media, you may know her as @Kremkow...

Fashion Trend - The Fashion Editors are talking about the subtle shift from Black to Midnight Blue important to Jewelers - just think about all the Sapphire opportunities...

...other Fashion Trends like the high leg slit and corseted bodices continue - but this is not a Fashion blog.

So - are you wondering about the Trend "We Hope Doesn't Catch On"?   take a good look at Jessica Chastain and Morena Baccarin, two of my favorite looks...almost.   Only one piece of jewelry?  SERIOUSLY?  ...OK Morena did rock a great brooch in her hair but no earrings, bracelets, necklaces or rings?

Strong start to Fourth Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair

Strong start to Fourth Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair,

as buyers arrive from China, Europe, 

Middle East, Russia and USA

Antwerp, Belgium - January 27, 2013:The fourth edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair opened today in Antwerp, Belgium. With scores of visitors waiting in line to collect their badges at the registration desk, foot traffic in the corridors of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse and the Diamond Club of Antwerp was strong, turning the exhibition booths of the 83 participating companies into beehives of activity. 

"We knew that this year's fair would be busy since we have invited close to 300 buyers," said Raphael Rubin, a senior member of the ADTF Organizing Committee. "When you add in those buyers who were invited in previous years, and choose to come back to visit the ADTF, you have a full house. This year, we're also welcoming buyers' delegations from Greater China, Europe, the Middle East, and other regions," he added.

For Oscar Garcia Escamilla from Barcelona, the fair is a perfect fit. "I have just struck out on my own as an independent diamond buyer, after working in wholesale and retail for more than a decade. This fair is an excellent introduction to a great number of suppliers. This certainly will not be my last visit to Antwerp," he said.

Katy Frevre-Biache, of Emmanuel Esch Company of Luxembourg, said the fair was a great opportunity to find a rich selection of goods. "Antwerp is relatively close to us, and we come to the city quite often on business trips. But this fair's formula enables us to see a lot of companies, inspect an enormous selection of goods, and all in a very short time span which is the perfect mix for busy businesses. Just great!"

Looks like the Registration area was the place to be - crowded with eager guests!

Meanwhile, Jorge A Lievano, a high-end jeweller from Bogota, Colombia, said he was very impressed with the concept and its execution. "It's a very elegant event, and well organized," he stated. Lievano said the invitation to participate in the fair had come at the right moment as he is looking to broaden his diamond inventory, and hoping to forge relationships with a number of Antwerp suppliers.

The ADTF will close on Tuesday, January 30.

Rapaport Chinese Buyers Group Attends Antwerp Diamond Fair

Final touches going on the Entrance to the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair

A Rapaport Buyers Group (RBG) consisting of nine Chinese companies are attending this year’s Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair. The event will host 80 exhibitors at the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, Belgium, from January 27-29. 

Rapaport has invited premium members of RAPNET – The Rapaport Diamond Trading Network – to attend various trade events in India and the U.S. This will be the RBG’s first appearance at a European event. “We are excited to give our members the opportunity to expand their geographic scope and meet Belgian suppliers. As RapNet members, our buyers group already has a global reach and the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair will enable them to interact and reinforce existing relationships with clients,” said Julius Zheng, general manager of Rapaport China. 

International: Shira Topiol +1-702-425-9088 <> Belgium: Lea Retter +32-3-232-3300 <>

Rapaport Shanghai Ltd. is fully owned and operated by the Rapaport Group. It is a Chinese registered company with premises and membership in the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE). Foreign suppliers have sold millions of dollars of loose diamonds to Chinese companies through Rapaport China Diamond Import Service since 2008. In this service, Rapaport guarantees payments to the supplier and delivery of diamonds to the buyer, and takes full responsibility for all import procedures, including the processing and payment of customs and taxation fees. (The fee for the service is 1 percent.) Rapaport Shanghai also provides other marketing and sales support to qualified firms seeking to penetrate the Chinese market. These services include advertising campaigns, pre-import inspection at Rapaport facilities in the SDE and direct import services.

About the Rapaport Group: The Rapaport Group is an international network of companies providing added ‎value services that support the development of free, fair, efficient and competitive global diamond markets. ‎Established in 1978, the Rapaport Diamond Report is the primary source of diamond prices and market ‎information. Group activities include publishing, research and marketing services, internet information and ‎diamond trading networks, global rough and polished diamond tenders, diamond certification, quality ‎control, compliance, shipping, and financial services. Major activities of the group include the development ‎of markets for Fair Trade Diamonds and Jewelry. ‎Additional information is available at www.Rapaport.com.‎

DEF'S 2nd ANNUAL GOOD AWARDS SALUTING INDUSTRY LEADERS

DIAMOND EMPOWERMENT FUND’S

 SECOND ANNUAL GOOD AWARDS SALUTES GLOBAL LEADERS

New York, NY; January 11, 2013 – Last night at the ultra-hip nightclub LAVO, the Diamond Empowerment Fund joined with the international diamond industry to honor leaders committed to corporate social responsibility and promoting education empowerment and prosperity in Africa, where the majority of diamonds are mined.

Check Presentation: Members of the DEF board pose with five students who graduated from two of three DEF-beneficiary schools (the Botwsana Top Achievers Program or African Leadership Academy) and who now are enrolled in various universities in the United States. L to R: student Tebogo Maruping, student Gomolemo Modise, DEF board member Ed Hrabak, DEF president Phyllis Bergman, DEF co-founder Russell Simmons, student Dhavni Tombush, student Joseph Munyambanza, DEF board member Ellen Haddigan, and student Kabo Kula.

DEF’s GOOD Awards were given to diamond industry legends Tiffany & Co. and Leo Schachter Diamonds (creator of the Leo Diamond), and to international model and humanitarian Noella Coursaris Musunka.

Russell Simmons, music mogul/entrepreneur and co-founder of the Diamond Empowerment Fund, emphasized the importance of the diamond industry to give back and empower the communities where their precious resources are found. “A strong Africa is an educated Africa. For the diamond industry to be sustainable in the future, empowerment of youth through education is essential.” 

A distinguished and varied audience convened for the GOOD Awards, including celebrities from the music, film, and fashion worlds. Along with Simmons, the event drew celebrities Estelle, Jeffrey Wright, and Selita Ebanks; global industry leaders Varda Shine and Stephen Lussier of De Beers, Mike Kowalski of Tiffany & Co., Mark Light and Mike Barnes of Signet (parent company of the Kay and Jared retail brands); and African ambassadors from the diamond producing countries of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.  

Varda Shine, Executive Vice President of Global Sightholder Sales, De Beers Group and another co-founder of DEF, added, “Education and the incubation of leaders of the future must always be our social priority, as it is this that leads to sustained progress, economic growth, and prosperity. Providing unrestricted access to schooling is the first step in creating a virtuous circle of development.”

Good Awards Party: New York’s hip nightclub LAVO was the site of the second annual GOOD Awards, a successful event honoring Tiffany & Co., Leo Schachter Diamonds, and African model/humanitarian Noella Coursaris Musunka.

Phyllis Bergman, DEF board president, said, “We are encouraged by the fabulous success of the 2013 GOOD Awards. This bodes well for the industry’s future.”

The event was kicked off with an African ceremonial dance by native Botswana dancers. The festivities continued after the Awards presentation by a passionate performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Estelle, and music continued throughout the evening with famed DJ M.O.S.

GOOD Awards sponsors for the evening included Tiffany & Co., Exelco and JCK, and Empowerment Circle inaugural sponsors, the Dalumi Group, Malca-Amit, Sterling Jewelers, and Leo Schachter Diamonds. The Empowerment Circle is DEF’s new annual partnership program.

About the Diamond Empowerment Fund

The Diamond Empowerment Fund is a New York based global non-profit organization (EIN# 20-5967103) that raises money to fund education initiatives in African diamond-producing nations. Its beneficiaries include: CIDA City Campus, South Africa’s first non-profit university to offer a four-year business degree.  CIDA has an 80% employment rate among graduates; the African Leadership Academy, a university preparatory school in Johannesburg, South Africa, founded on the belief that ethical leadership is the key to sustainable development on the continent and drawing students from all 54 countries in Africa, and the Botswana Top Achievers program that provides the top high school students countrywide the opportunity to study at a university of their choice worldwide. Graduates then return to Botswana to contribute to its economic, social and political development.  www.diamondempowerment.org.

Introducing...Madstone - Give In To The Dark!

Madstone fine jewelry delves into designer Kerri Halpern’s dark side. From her black minimalist uniform to her residence above a cemetery, Halpern’s fascination for skulls, superheroes, cowboys and rock & roll culminate in her first jewelry collection. 

Mysteriously eccentric and imaginatively gothic, Madstone mixes cool colors, unusual stone setting and master metalsmithing to create an edgy and evocative collection fit for any wardrobe.

Madstone’s signature Bubble collection boasts hand-cut gemstones that mirror a magnum of champagne and other effervescent cocktails while the designs of the La Cage collection mimic that of a champagne bottle cork encasement. 

Playing with unusual angles and contours, the Octagon collection revisits bangles, hoops and stackable rings through hard angles and octagonal shapes. The Carre collection carefully crafts pieces to mimic the square-shaped parks nestled in New York City’s urban jungle through an array of custom-cut gemstones including amethyst, quartz, citrine and fire opal.

Tongue-in-check sister collections, MadAnimals and MadSkulls, channel Madestone’s sinister side. 

Covet thy gemstone with ruby, tsavorite, blue topaz, amethyst, citrine, garnet and diamond-encrusted skulls, spiders, beetles and bats set in blackened, rose or yellow gold.

PLATINUM PARTNER JEFF COOPER NAMES MATT BROERMAN AS SALES DIRECTOR

PLATINUM PARTNER JEFF COOPER NAMES MATT BROERMAN 

AS NORTHEAST REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

NEW YORK, January 11, 2013 – Leading Platinum bridal design house Jeff Cooper Designs (www.jeffcooperdesigns.com) has named industry veteran Matt Broerman as the company’s Northeast Regional Sales Director.

Company President David Cooper stated, “With over twenty-five years of industry experience, we believe that Matt will not only grow the business of existing Jeff Cooper customers, but will also successfully form new relationships throughout the Northeast region.” Cooper added, “We are thrilled to have him on the team and excited to see what 2013 will bring with his presence.”

Broerman, who has represented brands such as Christian Bauer and Raymond Weil in his extensive career, said, “I could not be happier, and look forward to working with everyone involved with the Jeff Cooper brand.”

About Jeff Cooper Designs

In 1976, after honing his craft working with his hands at a jeweler's bench in Manhattan's Bowery District, Jeff Cooper founded Jeff Cooper Designs. In 2000, Jeff's eldest son, David Cooper, joined the company full time, bringing with him a wealth of gemological experience and creativity. By creating each ring by hand and under one roof here in the United States, Jeff and David have total control over quality and precision, and are able to create anything a client desires. Jeff and David draw their inspiration from their daily lives and love of family, as well as the excitement they understand can be achieved with the right ring for the right person. For more information or to open an account, please email info@jeffcooperdesigns.com.