#DailyJewel - The Red Carpet Edition: Lorraine Schwartz

It is Awards Season - so I thought it might be fun to take a look at some of our amazing Red Carpet Jewelers...

Lorraine SchwartzLorraine Schwartz is the go-to jeweler for red carpet glamour. Beginning her career as a third-generation diamond dealer, Lorraine was attracted to bold and unique stones. Designing for herself, she caught the eye of celebrities who commissioned her to create one-of-a-kind pieces, as well as build them a unique diamond collection. Beyonce, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Streisand, Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Pharrell Williams, P. Diddy and Jay-Z are among her loyal clients.

Beyonce at the recent Grammy Awards show...

This shot was posted to Lorraine's Instagram:

Lorraine captivates audiences with her innovative designs and fresh approach to fashion. Using superb craftsmanship, dramatic styles, exceptional diamonds, colorful jades and precious gems, Lorraine creates iconic statements and trend-setting movements. 

Lorraine credits her style to her mother who is her inspiration and was a fashionista herself.

Lorraine Schwartz Jewelry is available to clients by private appointment at her midtown Manhattan showroom and at Bergdorf Goodman.

#DailyJewel - Atelier Leseine's Carved Pearls

Atelier Leseine

http://atelierleseine.com

http://atelierleseine.com/blogs

https://www.facebook.com/AtelierLeseine

You may know Atelier Leseine for their stunning Perle Captive Collection which garnered much commendation at the International Pearl Design Competition held by the Culture Pearl Association of America...but today we are going back to the roots of Atelier Leseine, her carved pearls.

"Every carefully hand-selected pearl is given a master's touch by the skillful Tahitian artisans who hand-carve their traditional Polynesian motifs to convey a culture rich with powerful images.

These treasured jewels are as unique as the wearer -- you are truly the sole owner of these original pearls."

Leseine's carved pearls are offered in three distinctly unique collections...

Moana Chic - confidently chic strung with the shimmering tones from black spinel or pyrite. 

Moana Mode - clean, contemporary perfect with black or silver wire chokers.

Moana Trend - simple with a touch of edge - clasp allows you to personalize this look

#DailyJewel - Thanks for the Recognition - GemWorld

l would like to take a brief break from posting gorgeous jewels to send a BIG Thank You to Susan Drucker at GemWorld, the creators of the GemGuide (have you downloaded the mobile app)?

GemWorld is all about education, both for the Trade and for the Consumer.  Susan wanted to help her readers cut through the seemly endless number of "gem & jewelry" blogs available on the internet, these are the one she recommends! 

Susan wrote to her readers, "Just recently I wrote an article on the Top 40 Gem blogs (http://gemguide.com/learning/gem-blogs/). I wanted to provide my readers with a curated list of what I believe are the top blogs in the Gem Stone space."

...and about The Daily Jewel she said, "The blog provides you with a daily jewelry "morsel" to satisfy your hunger for beautiful gems and jewels. This is a source of daily jewelry inspiration from artist and celebrity jewels that catch the eye."

Thanks again, Susan we love the GemWorld website!

If you happen to be taking a trip to the Desert to catch the fabulous shows of the Tucson Gem Show - check out the GemWorld Courses being offered:

Emerald Treatments & Pricing
Cultured Pearls & Pricing
Corundum Treatments & Pricing




  About GemWorld:  Gemworld is the leader in market information, appraisal software solutions, and practical educational offerings for the jewelry industry.

• The GemGuide since 1982
• GemGuide Appraisal Software since 1999
• Hands on practical workshops since 2011

We are also consultants to the industry, expert witnesses, and appraisers. Our expert staff has lectured worldwide and Gemworld has been the host of biannual international conferences since 2008. For consumers we offer full appraisal services with our credentialed gemologists on staff.

Panamanian President Honored at Panama Gem & Jewelry Center

Panamanian President Guest of Honor at Launch of Latin America's 

First Diamond, Jewelry and Colored Stones Trading Center

President Ricardo Martinelli, Panama's head of state, will be the guest of honor at the the launch the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center in Panama in March. He will join leaders of the international and Latin American diamond, jewelry and precious stones industries, who will gather in Panama City on March 17 and 18. It will be the first dedicated facility for the diamond, jewelry and colored stones trades in the region that includes South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. 

Anchoring the new center will be the Panama Diamond Exchange (PDE), which was established as the first and only diamond bourse in all of Latin America, and which is recognized by the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. 

Among the industry leaders that have thus far confirmed their participation are Eli Izhakoff, Hon. President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the World Diamond Council; Ernest Blom, President of the World Federation of the Diamond Bourses; Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation; Avi Paz, President of the World Diamond Council; Shmuel Schnitzer, President of the Israel Diamond Exchange; Reuven Kaufman, President of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York; Moti Ganz, Chairman of the Israel Diamond Institute, and Ronnie Vanderlinden, President of the Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of the United States.

"This is a real milestone event for the global diamond, jewelry and colored stone industries, and one that ranks in order of importance with the establishment of the trading centers in Shanghai and Dubai," said Eli Izhakoff. "Just as they were catalysts for the dramatic growth of massive new markets, I am confident that the same will the case for Panama and Latin America."

"Visitors to Panama will most definitely have their eyes opened," stated Erez Akerman, PDE President. "This is a country that is experiencing a substantial economic boom, largely as result of it serving as a hub and world access point for Latin America, which likewise has grown into a major world market force. The facts that the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center has the support of the Panamanian government and parliament, which view it as a strategic asset, makes the whole project even more exciting."

Construction has already begun on the first stage of the more than $200 million project, which involves a structure that will house the trading floor and offices of the diamond bourse, as well as extensive office space for companies. It is scheduled for completion and occupation by the fourth quarter of this year. 

The second phase of the project will include the development of a high-rise tower, where the lower floors will include the offices and trading floor of PDE and a jewelry mall, and the upper floors will include offices of diamond, jewelry, colored gemstone, pearl and precious metals companies, as well as service providers.

Designed by Ignacio Mallol, one of Latin America's most celebrated architects, the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center is being developed by Grupo Verde Azul and Grupo Los Pueblos, two of the region's leading property development and management companies.

"This is world-class project, which will include an iconic building and state-of-the-art facilities, which will place both Panama and Latin America at the forefront of the world's diamond, jewelry and colored stone industry," said Alberto Vallarino Clement, head of Grupo Verde Azul and a previous Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Panama. "We are delighted to be part of this enterprise, which is consistent with our national strategy to make Panama the trading and business hub of the Americas."

The Panama Gem & Jewelry Center has received the strong support of the Panamanian government and parliament, which regard it as an economic project on national importance. Together with President Martinelli, who will be the guest of honor at the launch event, other ministers and political leaders will attend the event.

To promote the establishment of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center as the Latin American industry's primary trading hub, the Panamanian parliament recently passed legislation that recognizes the area of the PDE facility to be a Free Zone, where residents do not incur customs duties on goods traded within the center and they are exempt from paying corporate taxes. Panama also joined the Kimberley Process in 2013.

The preferential tax and customs environment will provide the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center with one of the most attractive financial environments globally, and with the added advantage that the Panamanian facility will function as the primary gateway to one of the world's largest untapped markets for diamonds, jewelry and colored stones. 

Latin America's diamond, jewelry and colored stone sector is currently estimated to be worth $8 billion in sales per annum, and its industry includes more than 11,500 jewelry outlets, more than 320 mining companies and almost 750 wholesalers of diamond, jewelry and colored stones.

Seminar Examines Challenges Created By Conflict Mineral Legistration at Vicenza

               Seminar in Vicenza examines the intricacies and challenges 
      created by conflict minerals legislation in the United States and Europe

  

Matteo Marzotto, President, Fiera di Vicenza, welcomes participants to conflict minerals seminar in Vicenza.

A blue-ribbon panel of experts has discussed what may be a gathering storm for the gold jewellery industry, brought upon by legislative processes targeting minerals from conflict areas in the Great Lakes region of Africa. They were participating in a seminar at the VICENZAORO Winter trade fair, entitled "Conflict mineral legislation in the Europe and the United States: How it impacts upon both the domestic and export jewellery business." It was hosted by Fiera di Vicenza; CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation; the Responsible Jewellery Council; and Confindustria Federorafi.

Presented by Corrado Facco, Managing Director of Fiera di Vicenza, and Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, the seminar panelists included Marieke van der Mijn, Standards Coordinator at the Responsible Jewellery Council; Michael Allchin, Chief Executive and Assay Master at the Birmingham Assay Office and the President of the CIBJO Precious Metals Commission;  Philip Olden, who is responsible for managing the development and implementation of responsible sourcing protocols for gold at Signet, the world's largest specialty jewellery retailer; Marco Falezza, Jewellery Operations Director of Gucci Group, who represented Confindustria Federorafi; and Maria Benedetta Francesconi of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. The moderator was Simon Brooke, a British journalist.

The first of the two specific pieces of legislation under the spotlight was Section 1502 of Dodd-Frank Act in the United States. Signed into law in 2010, it is a disclosure requirement that requires publicly traded companies to determine whether their products contain conflict minerals and conduct inquiries into country of origin of those minerals. Starting, this year, they need to make formal disclosures to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Similar legislation is pending in the European Union. In Brussels, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade is currently putting the final touches to a legislative proposal on conflict minerals that may parallel Dodd-Frank, though it intends to build on international initiatives like the OECD Due Diligence Guidance.

"What this means is that quite a significant percentage of the jewellery traded in the United States will end up in the display cases of publicly traded companies, who according to Dodd-Frank need to monitor their supply chain. In other words, if you export or are looking to export to the United States, it is more than likely that, ultimately, Dodd-Frank will matter to you," noted Corrado Facco, in his opening address to the seminar.

The pervasiveness of Dodd-Frank was confirmed by Philip Olden, who noted that as a publicly traded company, Signet is obliged to ensure that any company from which it buys jewellery has itself introduced a due diligence system by which it can accurately trace the origin of the gold. Signet, he noted, has developed a detailed set of protocols according which its clients are obliged to operate. "If you are not able to demonstrate that you can meet our requirements, we will not be able to buy from you," he said.

The critical juncture for due diligence in the supply chain is the gold refineries, said Marieke van der Mijn.  She noted that RJC has been working collaboratively to institute an internationally acceptable due diligence system that demonstrates that the refined gold they produce is conflict-free. She also disputed the notion that supply chain assurance was a luxury available only to only larger companies, noting that 40 percent of RJC's members are small and medium-sized enterprises.

While having been consulted by both the British government and the European Union during the process of developing a EU conflict minerals legislation, Michael Allchin still questioned whether a legislative initiative was justified, and whether voluntary systems being adopted by industry, like the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, would be more efficient. "The truth is that easiest route to compliance today is not to buy gold from Africa's Great Lakes region, but the damage that is being done to local communities, many of which do not have alternative means of a livelihood, is devastating and often counterproductive," he stated.

In its efforts to ensure that its supply chain remains free of conflict minerals, Gucci took a somewhat different approach to companies like Signet, recounted Marco Falezza. Instead of requiring that its clients demonstrate that they had shown due diligence in ensuring the origin of the gold, Gucci acquired the gold itself, after examining the sources of the material, and then provided the materials to those companies that produce jewellery for it. 

Speaking on behalf of the Italian government, Maria Benedetta Francesconi addressed the difficulties faced by the small and medium sized enterprises that make up the bulk of the local jewellery sector. There are real cost factors involved, she stated, and the task of verifying the movement of gold through the pipeline is certainly not a simple one.

"My concern, which is one that I feel strongly needs to be addressed, is that by placing another substantial burden upon the industry we are again raising the bar of entry.  We have to develop systems by which all participants in this industry are reasonably able to meet the requirements of due diligence. It is already difficult enough for young entrepreneurs to gain a foothold in the business. We do not want to create artificial obstacles that are too high to climb, or prevent less established companies from gaining entry into certain markets or market sectors."

"Above all we need to consider the commitment we have as members of a responsible business community to society," stated Gaetano Cavalieri, in an address that concluded the seminar. "If the end result of conflict minerals legislation is that, as a rule of thumb, companies avoid trading with the central African gold producers because it is the easiest way to achieve compliance, then we may have avoided doing the wrong thing, but we certainly did not do the right thing."

The seminar was opened by Fiera di Vicenza's new president Matteo Marzotto, who noted his organisation commitment to serving both the Italian and international jewellery sectors.

Award Winning Yael Designs Has NEW Digs In The Bay Area

Yael Designs Opens Fine Jewelry Gallery 

in San Francisco’s Union Square Neighborhood

San Francisco’s famed art gallery building adds first jewelry showroom

Award-winning fine jewelry house Yael Designs opened the first jewelry showroom in San Francisco's popular Union Square neighborhood.

The showroom is the first of its kind to open at the famed art gallery building at 49 Geary Street, which houses more than a dozen fine art and photography galleries. Yael Designs’ 1,400-square-foot showroom offers local jewelry lovers and art patrons an opportunity to view and learn about the art of fine jewelry design through Yael Designs’ fashion and bridal collections.

Located across the street from boutiques by Paul Smith and Alexander McQueen, Yael Designs makes the perfect addition to the high fashion neighborhood of Union Square. Placing the jewelry showroom alongside art galleries was also a dream of Yael Designs’ CEO Yehouda Saketkhou, who is an avid art collector and a long-time San Francisco resident.

“We’re very excited to bring Yael Designs to San Francisco’s prime fashion neighborhood,” said Saketkhou. “Our position among high fashion boutiques and art galleries gives us a chance to bridge the gap between art, jewelry and fashion, expanding the public’s appreciation of jewelry as an art form.”

"Hart of Dixie" Actress Claudia Lee

Founded in 2001, Yael Designs is one of a small handful of fine jewelry houses headquartered in San Francisco. The brand has received attention from top media for its precious gemstone collection, unique engagement rings and yellow diamond jewelry. The new jewelry gallery is positioned to be the premier stop for customers looking for engagement rings and fashion luxury jewelry.

“We’re very excited to open our doors to the public,” said Yael Designs’ marketing director Stefan Patashvili. “Fine jewelry cannot be truly appreciated until seen up close and we feel that our new showroom will give San Franciscans a chance to experience jewelry alongside great art.”

The jewelry showroom by Yael Designs can be visited by appointment only.

About Yael Designs

Founded in San Francisco in 2001, Yael Designs is an award-winning design house for cutting edge, elegant and expressive fine jewelry. Yael Designs fashion and bridal jewelry collections have been featured in top fashion and bridal media and worn by celebrities on the red carpet. In its support of sustainability, Yael Designs uses conflict-free diamonds and recycled gold in all its collections and supports social and environmental organizations like Oceana, Junior League of San Francisco, FACE and Schools for Salone. More information can be found on www.yaeldesigns.com.

WFDB President and WDMF Chair To Conduct Seminar at ADTF

World Diamond Mark Foundation to hold seminar at ADTF, to be conducted jointly by WFDB president and WDMF chair

Ernest Blom, president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), and Alex Popov, chair of the World Diamond Mark Foundation (WDMF) will conduct a breakfast seminar during the fifth edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF) to present the core messages of the WDM's generic diamond marketing campaign. The seminar will be held on January 28, from 08:30 a.m. to 09:45 a.m., at the Radisson Blu Astrid, the ADTF's venue hotel. At the event, the two industry leaders will provide a detailed update on the WDMF's work toward the introduction and implementation of the World Diamond Mark's programs for the generic promotion and advertising of diamonds and diamond jewelry. "The World Diamond Mark has been founded by the WFDB to address the core issues of consumer desirability through generic marketing, consumer and media confidence in the integrity in polished diamonds, consistent high quality educational programs and a commitment to ethical standards throughout the supply chain. So far, it has made strong progress and has succeeded in gaining the support of the industry's key players," Blom said. "In Antwerp, we'll demonstrate how the WDM's programs will be beneficial to all players in the diamond supply pipeline, from diamond manufacturers, through jewelry retailers, down to the end-consumer," Popov added.    About the WDM The WDM's global objective is to ensure the health and future growth of the diamond and jewelry industry in the luxury market sector. It is based on three fundamental principles: the education of jewelry retailers about diamonds; confidence building among consumers with the WDM accreditation program; and the creation of a generic marketing program to promote diamonds and diamond jewelry, based on the Authorized Diamond Dealer® concept The World Diamond Mark® is a not-for-profit foundation, incorporated in Hong Kong.

#Call4Entry - Ganoksin's 4th Annual Exhibition: Color Embraced by Metalsmiths

Call for Entries: Ganoksin's 4th Annual Exhibition: 

"Color Embraced by Metalsmiths" 

• Dhiscentia [Brooche] by Theresa Capell

Ganoksin is pleased to announce its fourth annual International Online Jewelry Exhibition. Entries will be accepted from now until February 15, 2014 http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/changinghues'

This year's theme will be "Changing Hues: Color Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World." The exhibition is open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner, around the world. 

The exhibition is seeking works whose primary theme is color, whether that be using colored materials, exploring creating colored surfaces, or encasing the object in color. Works should be about COLOR- not color as an accent or focal point, but with color embraced as their primary visual focus.

Works where color is not the primary visual element will be rejected. 

As this is an online exhibition the work will only be seen via the photographs metalsmiths submit. It is therefore vital that these be in focus, on a neutral background (preferably not textured), and do an excellent job allowing the viewer to really see the piece and the workmanship involved.

JeffreyAppling's Award Winning "Surfer Rings"

Any photographs not meeting exhibition standards will not be used, and the submitting metalsmith will be asked to re-submit the entry with a higher quality of photograph. 

Works will be juried by the curator and director. 

The exhibition will be curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina, USA. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world's largest internet jewelry site. 

Entries will be accepted from now until February 15, 2014 

Details and entry information is available at http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/changinghues 

Please contact Beth Wicker at http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/contact with any questions.

#Diamond - Successful Opening Day For Fifth Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair

Fifth Antwerp Diamond Fair opens to acclaim from visitors, buyers praise variety of goods available

The fifth edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF) opened on Sunday January 26, with buyers from all over the world streaming into the trading halls of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, the Diamond Club of Antwerp and the Antwerp Diamond Kring exchanges. The diamond trading floors, which have been converted into three elegantly designed exhibition spaces, host close to 90 of Antwerp's leading diamond manufacturing and trading firms, displaying the widest possible variety of polished diamonds.   Pilar Bonson Lopez, of Tiramisu with Diamond company of Barcelona, Spain, said she was impressed with the choice within the narrow niche of goods she was sourcing for her company. "I am looking for diamonds up to a carat, but mostly for smaller goods, in commercial clarities and colours," she said. "These goods are usually in high demand and therefore difficult to find. At this unique fair, I have a good selection of goods to choose from!" Fei Liu, a Chinese-born jeweller based in Birmingham, but with additional retail jewellery operations in China, said he was looking for larger goods, in round, fancy shapes and also in fancy colours. "This is a fantastic experience, to find not only a lot of goods on the floor, but also so many goods that can be compared to each other," he said. "I have bought lots of diamonds in my career, and Antwerp definitely is demonstrating its competitive edge with this fair and its exclusive format." Rafif Tarabishi, general manager of Al Masaood Jewellery in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, is a regular visitor to Antwerp. "But this my first time at the ADTF and the format is brilliant, as it enables me not only to meet my trusted suppliers, but also make many more new contacts. This show will certainly serve both exhibitors and buyers well, as I get to see, find and source more goods than during a regular business trip here. Keep up the good work!" he concluded.   The Antwerp Diamond Bourse, Diamond Club of Antwerp and the Antwerp Diamond Kring are happy that the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair is powered by the AWDC.

Sotheby's Important Jewels Heart Heavy Auction for Your Valentine

Hearts At Auction

209

SILVER, GOLD, RUBY AND DIAMOND RING

The crowned heart centering a heart-shaped ruby measuring approximately 7.3 by 6.7 mm, framed by old mine-cut diamonds weighing approximately .35 carat, accented by round rubies, size 6; circa 1890-1900.

Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 USD 

345

PAIR OF PLATINUM AND DIAMOND EARSTUDS

Set with two heart-shaped diamonds weighing 2.03 and 2.01 carats.

379

PLATINUM, 

18 KARAT ROSE GOLD, PINK DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RING

Set with a heart-shaped Very Light Pink diamond weighing 5.20 carats, framed and accented by small round near colorless diamonds weighing approximately .40 carat, size 5¾.

22

PROPERTY OF A MIDWESTERN GENTLEMAN

18 KARAT GOLD, RUBY DIAMOND EARCLIPS

The heart-shaped earclips set with round rubies weighing approximately 6.70 carats, framed by round diamonds weighing approximately 1.55 carats; fitted with retractable posts.

Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 USD

173

PAIR OF 18 KARAT WHITE GOLD AND DIAMOND EARSTUDS

Centering heart-shaped diamonds weighing .96 and .87 carat, framed by small round diamonds weighing .23 carat.

Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 USD 

162

PAIR OF PLATINUM, 

18 KARAT GOLD AND DIAMOND EARRINGS

Centered by two heart-shaped diamonds weighing 2.28 and 2.21 carats, framed by round diamonds weighing 2.06 carats.

Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 USD 

178

PAIR OF PLATINUM, RUBY AND DIAMOND EARCLIPS, GRAFF

Centering two heart-shaped rubies weighing 3.09 and 3.03 carats, framed by round diamonds weighing approximately 4.00 carats, signed Graff, numbered 6571.

Estimate 70,000 — 90,000 USD 

157

18 KARAT WHITE GOLD, SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING

Set with a heart-shaped sapphire weighing 8.34 carats, the mounting set with round diamonds weighing approximately .75 carat, size 5½.

Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 USD 

These stunning heart shaped pieces are available at auction on Feb. 6th - perfect for Valentine's Day gifting!

...don't miss Sotheby's Important Jewels Auction, February 6th, 2014


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