#WJANorCal - Designers By The Bay - Space Available to Exhibitors or Sponsors - Save The Date

Invitations will be going out shortly but there is still time to sign up as an Exhibitor or as a Sponsor for this year's Designers By The Bay.  Web links to the forms are below - you can email them back,   Issues or Questions? Andrea at andrea@andreastiassni.com (970-274-2048) or  Rada at wja.norcal@gmail.com (650-814-6817)

Exhibitor Form - Click Here   Sponsorship Form - Click Here *Correction - $1000 Sponsorship Includes Standard Exhibit Space* Photos - 2013 Designers By The Bay Attendee Form - Click Here

SAVE THE DATE!         Designers By The Bay Wednesday October 29, 2014 7 to 9 PM    Shreve & Co        200 Post Street    San Francisco, CA 94108

WJA Northern California Chapter 970-274-2048 wja.norcal@gmail.com www.womensjewelryassociation.com

IDE members about Hong Kong Fair: the market is back!

Press Release Submitted By Israel Diamond Exchange

IDE members about Hong Kong Fair: the market is back! Asia's largest jewelry fair inspires optimism toward holiday sales season and Israel Diamond Week in New York, November 10-13, 2014

Ramat Gan, Israel - September 22 2014: The September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair gave the overwhelming majority of Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) members optimism ahead of the holiday sales season. Buyers, arriving in droves, returned to the market, inspected the polished diamonds for sale, negotiating and reportedly driving hard bargains and buying considerable amounts of goods. "I come away from this show with mixed feelings," said IDE member Eli Sadeh of the eponymous firm. "The first days were very busy, and it was obvious that the buyers - who came in large numbers - were making the rounds, taking in prices and comparing them. While they did come back and buy, overall price resistance was considerable," Sadeh reported. He continued and said that across the board, good sales were made because Israeli companies "needed to adapt themselves to the circumstances. This, of course, affected our price points, but I think that, overall, Israeli diamond firms came away with a good feeling from this fair." Shimshowitz Shlomo of Dov Diamonds, who is also an IDE board member, said the Fair had been satisfying for most of close to 100 members who had exhibited in the Israel Diamond pavilion. "Of course, anyone you talk to will tell you we came with rather low expectations. But I do think that the sales levels achieved have inspired all of us with optimism ahead of the year-end holiday sales season, he stated." Shimshowitz added he was confident that the upbeat feedback out of Hong Kong would be reflected in the other markets and would positively affect the upcoming Israel Diamond Week in New York in early November. Nir Scolnic of LN Diamonds, agreed. "The market, so we felt, is back. We saw buyers we had not seen in past years, from the smaller Asian Tiger economies, such as Vietnam, and, importantly, also from Korea." Scolnik said that LN Diamonds is a diamond manufacturing firm and a Rio Tinto and Alrosa core client. "Our clients appreciate our services, and they came back in good numbers. But we also made quite a few new, significantly successful contacts. Of course, the buyers showed resistance to prices, but as the market goes, ultimately demand will always be met by supply." Traffic in the Israel Diamond Pavilion was strong and buyers lauded the services offered by the Israel Diamond Institute's staff at the pavilion. "The Israeli pavilion is always a good place to visit as the services offered here, such as the diamond inventory search programs, are a great, and make it so easy to find what you are looking for, " a Hong Kong based buyer said. With the upcoming Israel Diamond Week in New York just six weeks away, American diamond buyers are encouraged to register for the event.

#DesignerSpotlight - Anabel Higgins Jewelry

A 5th-generation California girl, Anabel "Annie" Higgins began designing jewelry as a way to heal during her recovery from breast cancer. She turned her energy and focus towards reinventing vintage pieces with a modern twist, specifically focusing on British sporting metals.

The collection is fabricated in Los Angeles, each piece crafted in 18K Gold and/or fine silver. Many pieces are embellished with diamonds, and customers are encouraged to add their monogram, a special date or personal message on each piece to make it their own. A portion of proceeds from the collection are donated to breast cancer charities. 

Find more at: http://anabelhiggins.com/

Some Fun With Sotheby's Important Jewels Auction - the Results

OVERVIEW

The ‘Oiseau de Paradis’ Brooch: Fall Jewels Speak Volumes

RESULTS

Sotheby's 23 September auction of Important Jewels totaled an impressive 16,081,065 USD.

AUCTION DETAILS

From a ‘Oiseau de Paradis’ brooch by Schlumberger boasting fantastical colored stone plumage to an Art Deco inspired pair of David Webb diamond earrings framed by swirling enamelwork, the Important Jewels sale this September deftly guides collectors from day to night.  Modern classics are mixed among exquisite period jewels including a rare Belle Époque garland design bracelet by Cartier.  The sale also offers a superb array of top quality colored gemstones and diamonds, many of which are set in signed mountings.  Highlights include a 9.13 carat D color, Internally Flawless marquise-shaped diamond and a beautiful Colombian emerald presented in a vintage J.E. Caldwell setting.

BUT have you ever thought about shopping the auction for a special piece?  ...maybe and engagement ring?  ...she is a fan of the purest white diamonds?  the assortment at auction is amazing!  Priced from the thousands to the hundreds of thousands and everything in between...

OR even Colored Diamond Engagement Rings...and some have a storied past!

OR maybe she is your princess  - and you know just how to tell her...or she might like the sunny yellow sapphire like Jenny McCarthy or maybe the Heart Shaped Emerald from the collection of Romance Writer Danielle Steel - my personal favorite?  the Paraiba Tourmaline!

Kiran Gems Receives The JNA Manufacturer of the Year 2014

From a Press Release provided by the Kiran Gems

Kiran Gems Receives 

The JNA Manufacturer of the Year 2014 

Kiran Gems Private Limited, the world’s largest manufacturer of diamonds, has been recognized in JNA Awards 2014 for the title award category “Manufacturer of the Year – Diamond Cutting & Polishing”. The award was given on Tuesday evening, 16 September 2014 during the gala event organised by JNA and the whole industry was invited. Mr. Rajesh Lakhani – Director, Kiran Gems & Mr. Gautam Gopani - Director Kiran Export received the award on behalf of the company.

Kiran Gems won this award for its excellence in business performance through demonstrating strong financial performance, raising the existing high product quality standards even further, innovative management practices, best HR practices and state of the art manufacturing. The major challenge had been the coordination of this wide spread group and direct the focus toward the ultimate goal of “being a preffered supplier for our customers”. The company had significant growth in production, reach and foot print, customer base and made export to more than 30 countries in the said period.

Kiran Gems maintained its technology and market leadership position through the above said activities. The company has cut through a tough competition to achieve this prestigious award. Mr. Rajesh Lakhani – Director, Kiran Gems ascribed the award to the whole team of Kiran Gems saying “This is the recognition of hard work of all employees of Kiran and I congratulate them all.”

www.kirangems.com

CENTURION 2015 EMERGING DESIGNER COMPETITION DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30TH!

Press Release via Centurion

CENTURION 2015 EMERGING DESIGNER COMPETITION IS OPEN!

Fine jewelry designers have a chance to show their work to the most desired luxury retail jewelry stores in the U.S. market

Merrick, NY—Entries are now being accepted for the Seventh Annual Centurion Emerging Design Competition. Two lucky winners will receive a showcase and exhibit space at the Centurion Scottsdale show in Arizona, slated for February 3-7, 2015.

The competition, sponsored again by Stuller, is open to any jewelry designer who has never before exhibited in a U.S. fine jewelry trade show. The competition is open to all designers, regardless of experience, formal training, or background in jewelry design, but entrants must show lines or one-of-a-kind designs that are suitable for a luxury jewelry store environment and be capable of both exhibiting at a trade show and fulfilling any wholesale orders received at the show.

“The Centurion Emerging Design Competition is an excellent opportunity for up-and-coming and international designers to break into the U.S. luxury fine jewelry market, by getting their line in front of the most premiere audience of carefully selected prestige jewelers,” said Howard Hauben, president of Centurion. “For jewelers, the Centurion Emerging Design winners offer an opportunity to discover new talent to set your store apart,” he added.

“We are pleased to continue our sponsorship of the Emerging Designer Competition,” says Stuller executive director of marketing and public relations, Ashley Brown. "Through their beautiful, innovative designs, past winners have formed valuable partnerships with top retail jewelers and suppliers. Ultimately, these designers' successes become all of our successes."

Deadline for entry is September 30, 2014. Entrants are required to submit up to three images of finished jewelry; no renderings or CAD drawings will be accepted. Entries will be judged by a vote from Centurion’s retail attendees.

For complete information and an entry form, click here.

#LabGrownDiamonds Are We (As An Industry) Really THAT Afraid Of Them?

Have you seen the gorgeous new line of jewelry by award winning designer Reena Ahluwalia featuring Lab Grown Diamonds?

Let me set the stage a little...in the world of bespoke jewelry Reena is the major diamond company's choice for a designer when they are looking for elegant luxury...so this lady is the diamond whisperer!

Lets look at the CANOE Canadian Diamond Necklace by Reena Ahluwalia. 28.96 carats Canadian diamonds. 18K white gold. International winner - Canadian Diamonds Master Craftsman, Rio Tinto Diamonds Global Design Competition 2011-2012.

"Necklace is inspired by the poetic image of a magical Canadian landscape and its pristine white winters. Snow covered Canoe in a frozen, crystalline lake. The necklace comes together with two diamond-studded links embracing the neck that represent the fluidity of a lake. Irregular intersecting lines, studded with ideal square-cut diamonds characterizes chunks of floating ice. The necklace culminates into a canoe-shaped element with an angled faceted interior."

However, today we have a generation growing up that isn't interested in the "mystique" of a diamond - mostly for ethical and environmental reasons.  

Nurture by Reena is an "I could wear this for the rest of my life!" collection that was designed to fill a need.  It has everything that a fine Engagement line has plus something else, something that the "Social" generation responds to...it ties in to their "social" lives...she "gets" them.

Yet when the term Lab Grown Diamonds is whispered, some Diamond Brokers become hostile and challenging...a lot like each time Mark Zuckerberg decides to make a change on Facebook and everyone starts bitching.

In the same way that Mark Zuckerberg doesn't need your permission to change his product...the Millennials aren't asking your permission to think for themselves.  This isn't an issue of cost - it is a matter of personal belief, and in much the same way that you aren't going tempt a Vegan with a juicy steak - you aren't going to talk this customer into a diamond engagement ring.

Rather than tearing down people and worrying about loosing a customer you don't have and probably won't get, why not embrace this new opportunity, this isn't lab diamonds getting mixed into packets of melee - this is fully disclosed, beautifully produced heirloom pieces for a new generation.

So - please stop trying to bait me on Twitter - I never said I don't like diamonds, in fact I am a sucker for the caramely cognac color and copper light in a top grade Brown Diamond and at the same time, I love the scintillating beauty of Lab Grown Diamonds.  

Think about this - when you denigrate these sparkling lovelies, you are sending a really rude message to the young woman who is choosing them...and loosing any chance of making her a client later.

"Nature is what we are born to. Nurture is what molds what nature gave us and makes us who we are. Nurture is what shapes us through experience and time, very much like my own design journey. Hence, “Nurture By Reena.” I thought the name of the brand should reflect our core values and aspirations – to nurture love, dreams, earth and humanity. Something that keeps us focused on creating meaningful and romantic jewelry."                                                     Reena on why Nurture

As always - please take a minute to Educate your staff and customers Nurture by Reena offers a fabulous little booklet that can be downloaded here:  http://www.websitedemo.in/nurture/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Nurture-By-Reena_OL-Diamond-reference-Guide.pdf