Sex Trafficking Survivors Prove Their Metal

Made By Survivors...From their Facebook Page:

According to United States State Department data, an "estimated 600,000 to 820,000 men, women, and children [are] trafficked across international borders each year, approximately 70 percent are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors. The data also illustrates that the majority of transnational victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation." To me, the rapidly growing trade of women and girls, known as sex trafficking, is one of the most tragic and upsetting issues of our time. In India, a major destination country for trafficked women and girls, "As many as 200,000 Nepali girls, many under 14, have been sold into sexual slavery.

The Emancipation Network (T.E.N.) is a unique and powerful organization that is supported not only by donations, but also by the efforts of sexual slavery survivors themselves, who design and create unique fair trade jewelry, bags and gifts. 100% of profits are donated to survivors and shelters.

One of the training programs that not only teaches a trade, but develops self esteem and helps to provide income for the programs is their new Made By Survivors Pan/Indian Jewelry Design Program.

Their Beaded Jewelry Program is already a big success and this new Metalsmithing Program is being Developed and Run by Dianna Badalament. In the photo to the right you see Dianna teaching with the assistance of an Interpreter.

There is nothing quite like the enthusiasm of a person working "in the trenches"...so, in Dianna's own words:

"i'm the international jewelry program manager at MBS and plan and execute programs and train at jewelry facilities as well as report on progress and various situations. i also facilitate the flow of information and resources from the jewelry community to MBS as well as consult on all matters jewelry.

it is really a privilege to be able to call work that makes such an impact "my job". i truly enjoy training the survivors of human trafficking and sex slavery (a.k.a amazing girls). i've always wanted to do field work on an important issue and i feel so fortunate to be able to use the skills i've learned and pass them on to women to whom it can make a difference that affects the rest of their life.

i've always been involved in human rights groups and to able to meld all these different components from my life together and have this outcome, still makes me shake my head in disbelief at times. it is very difficult to do this work on a lot of levels including, the sacrifices that my family and I make and the psychological impact of the subject matter, to name a couple. however, when you are right in front of the survivors and you get a smile, or a hug, or see some kind of break through, either in your relationship with them or with their vocational work, it is undoubtedly life changing. to see someone so wronged and so abused still persevere and have hope for a good future, it really leaves you no other choice but to follow their stellar example."

This is Dianna with Soma...one of their first success stories is Soma Seal. Soma started out with the program as a translator but was recently promoted to jewelry trainer after proving she had the passion and the talent.

I don't have the space on this blog to share as many photos as I would like of this program...but as Jewelers, take a moment to go to the Made By Survivors Facebook Page and just look at the determined faces of these women as they learn. The women working on the floor, the young woman with her tongue clenched in the corner of her mouth as she concentrates...it brings smiles and tears.

If you have any last minute Holiday shopping to do - why not do it with Fair Trade Goods from the MBS Store...do good while giving great gifts!

Give Back to the #One Giver - Ganoksin!

The total prizes value is $10,000 worth of gift certificate prizes towards an exciting SHOPPING SPREE throughout the extensive Rio Grande tools & supplies catalog!

http://www.ganoksin.com/listing/ecom-catshow/ebook.html

Support Orchid! Buy a ticket, or increase your chances, buy a few!

Your chances of winning are realistic! Yes, You CAN WIN the tools and equipment you really need!

All raffle proceeds go directly to support Ganoksin Project and The Orchid list, which supports the exchange of free information for all.

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Greetings!

Each year at this time, we reach out to ask you and the Orchid community to help sustain the Ganoksin project by purchasing ebooks and participating in the annual Orchid Raffle.

The Ganoksin Project goal is to build a strong pool of information, freely accessible, for the benefit of the trade and the general public.

If you believe and enjoy our efforts you can help!

Please act now and participate in the Orchid raffle !

For each purchase of an eBook you have one entry into our random draw for total prizes of 10,000$ from our friends at Rio Grande!!!

http://www.ganoksin.com/listing/ecom-catshow/ebook.html

All raffle proceeds go directly to support Ganoksin Project and The Orchid list, which supports the exchange of free information for all.

Without your dedicated support and continued generosity The Ganoksin Project would not exist.

Best Regards,
hanuman

Ganoksin is Orchid...

Orchid is both a reservoir of content and network of active relationships for the benefit of the gem and jewelry industries. Through Orchid, participants may resolve their questions about virtually any subject relevant to the broad spectrum of involvement surrounding the gem and jewelry industries.

Of course there exist on the Net a variety of mailing lists that address certain aspects of these industries, but Orchid is plainly unique. Conceived and maintained free of charge by jewelers, for jewelers, both the experienced professional and the beginner - Orchid is dedicated to the exchange of substantive technical content, covering the full range of information requirements. With list members from all over the world, speaking from a wide range of technical and aesthetic experiences, this lively forum addresses questions about every aspect of jewelry making today.

Orchid is more than this however.... Orchid is a comprehensive technical archive, containing more than 250,000 articles.

Honora.com Offers Offline Ecommerce For Retail Partners

Honora is thrilled to unveil a new website just in time for the holidays. In addition to a sleek, simplified look and feel, the new website offers a unique feature that will benefit both the consumer and local retail partners alike.

The new Honora.com introduces “Offline Ecommerce” which allows a pearl jewelry consumer to quickly find the HONORA design(s) of their choice and seamlessly send product information, a full wish list or an advertisement, along with their contact information to the local HONORA Authorized retailer of their choice.

After only being live for a few hours, this new feature helped a HONORA.com consumer to quickly contact Tappers Diamond and Fine Jewelry, a local Honora jewelry partner in Michigan, to close Honora’s first “Offline Ecommerce” sale. According to CEO Joel Schechter, “we wanted to empower our customers to quickly browse our designs and then easily contact the retailer of their choice to buy in-store. This is a great way to enable visitors of our site to get a hold of our pearl jewelry while maintaining our relationships with our long standing retail partners.”

This feature is only one of several new additions to the new Honora.com, including a new, robust, easy to navigate catalog as well as an improved education section and an entire area of the site dedicated to fans of HONORA Pearls. “We wanted to create a web based platform that reflects our brand, was easy to use and gives us the capability to grow as the web continues to mature,” says HONORA President Ralph Rossini.

You can find out more about the new features on Honora.com by clicking here.

About Honora

With a history of over 60 years in the jewelry industry, Honora now stands as the largest Freshwater Pearl Jewelry company in the United States. Honora’s focus on creating colorful and affordable pearl jewelry has helped open pearls up to the largest audience in the 100+ years of cultured pearls. The Honora brand is available at fine jewelry locations worldwide and select e-commerce platforms.

For more information, please visit us at:

Honora.com - www.Honora.com

Facebook – www.Honora.com/Facebook

Twitter – www.Honora.com/Twitter

PGI: Let the "2011 Trend" Predictions Begin!

I don't know if I am just on the right (hmmm, wrong?) mailing lists or what, but at this time of year I get Trend Predictions from every company, publication and organization in the Industry.

This one caught my eye because I have always been partial to Horizontal or East-West settings in Rings. I like the stone intensive look of the horizontal setting and since I was not graced with long lean fingers, it is a flattering look for my short pudgy fingers.

I am in love with the MaeVona mounting for a Marquise center Stone...the side cut out detail makes it simply elegant!

If you click on the photo you will see a larger view....

Are you familiar with PGI? Their website has a wealth of information for the consumer and info that you can use to educate your sales staff.

Platinum Guild International (PGI) is an organization dedicated to inspiring a passion for platinum that ensures it is the precious jewelry of choice. We supply information, practical advice and expertise to help jewelry buyers make informed and inspired decisions. We also offer the jewelry trade specialist knowledge and resources, with the aim of providing customers a high level of help and advice in store.

TODAY! Bonham's Natural History Auction

All I can say is WOW!

Right now there is a room in Los Angeles filled with people bidding on some of Earth's Treasures...ancient creatures caught in time along with works of art formed of natural crystal's from the crust (by talented gem carvers from the US & Idar -Oberstein).

Take a moment to flip through the catalog and envision yourself in room looking at these beautiful items....BTW - they have added about 5 pages of stunning gems and jewelry to the end of this catalog.

As the winning bids come in keep an eye on the pieces you love...some may not sell today...call the auction house for more info.

Lot No: 1240

Multi-color Tourmaline Rough and Cut

Nigeria
A large, cutting-grade rough of slightly tapering form graduating from bottle green at the base to rubellite at the top,weighing approximately 1700 carats; together with an emerald-cut bi-color tourmaline from the same locality, weighing approximately 12.47 carats and measuring 17.0 x 7.0 x 7.0mm. (2)

Estimate: $3,000 - 4,000

For more info, go to: http://www.bonhams.com/usa/auction/18406/

Items include:

Sale 18406 - Natural History
Los Angeles, 12 Dec 2010 at 10:00

Natural History - Pearls

Lots 1000 to 1092 Natural History - Fossils

Lots 1093 to 1122 Natural History - Meteorites

Lots 1123 to 1182 Natural History - Curiosities

Lots 1184 to 1204 Natural History - Amber

Lots 1202 to 1555 Natural History - Jewelry

Lots 1205 to 1228 Natural History - Native Metals

Lots 1229 to 1308 Natural History - Minerals

Lots 1309 to 1344 Natural History - Decor

Lots 1345 to 1369 Natural History - Lapidary Works of Art Lot No: 1121 Fukang Meteorite Rectangular Section Stony-Iron - Pallasite Fukang, Xinjiang Uygar, China Coveted by collectors worldwide, Fukang is famous for its marvelous, especially large olivine crystals. Only a single mass of Fukang was discovered. Meteorites typically explode after entering the Earth's atmosphere, often blasting the original body into tiny pieces. Impact with Earth sometimes vaporizes the main mass of a meteorite completely. Yet, this amazing survivor endured tremendous atmospheric and impact forces to transport its bounty of rare olivine crystals to Earth. Weighing approximately 930.3 grams and measuring 2 ¾ x 2 ¾ x1 ¾ in Estimate: $8,000 - 10,000 Lot No: 1355 Watermelon Tourmaline, Rock Crystal Quartz and Silver-gilt Box By Manfred Wild Idar-Oberstein, Germany Of hexagonal outline, carved from a single huge rough of rock crystal quartz, centering on two huge cross-section slices of rare watermelon tourmaline from Madagascar, set into the rock crystal frame of the lid and base and silver border to lid. With hinged silver-gilt mount. Measures 7 ½ x 6 ½ x 3 ¾ in. Estimate: $2,500 - 3,500 Lot No: 1346 Carved Blue Chalcedony Scent Bottle Designed and Carved by Sherris Cottier Shank Part of the vanguard of American lapidary artists, the exceptional quality of Sherris' work is demonstrated through this fine, unique scent bottle. The shapely, gem-quality natural blue chalcedony bottle was carved from a single boulder of Turkish rough. Intricately sculpted all around it display both polished and matte areas, weighing approximately 816.26 carats. The Bolivian ametrine finial, weighing 102.65 carats, completes the elegant form and and is set atop a Brazilian frosted rock crystal quartz stopper, weighing 24.75 carats. The entire stopper fits into the bottle with the aid of a rubber o-ring that creates a secure seal. Height overall: 5in. Estimate: $5,500 - 7,500 Request Condition Report Footnote: This sculpture won an honorable mention in the 3rd Annual Engraving Competition held in Idar Oberstein, Germany.