MJSA Expo NY Announces Seminars, Workshops and NEW MJSA Journal LIVE

MJSA Expo NY Announces Seminars, Workshops for 2014

New this year: MJSA Journal LIVE: 

Two days of demos, 1-on-1 consultations, and more

MJSA, the trade association dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, announced its full slate of speakers for MJSA Expo New York, its flagship trade show at Hilton New York from March 9-11, 2014. Along with traditional seminars in its presentation area, the association has also planned a new, MJSA Journal LIVE—A two-day series of demonstrations, one-on-one consultations, and presentations, by some of the most distinguished industry business leaders, authors, and master jewelers who have appeared in the pages of MJSA’s flagship publication.

“If you ever read MJSA Journal and wished you could sit with its expert contributors over a long coffee, MJSA Journal LIVE will meet that wish, and more,” says MJSA CEO and President David W. Cochran. The series will feature insights into common (and uncommon) tools and techniques, from the newest low-cost additive manufacturing systems to innovative stone-setting methods to business, inventory, and marketing management made easy.

Bringing the pages of the magazine to the Expo show floor, MJSA Journal LIVE features:

* Joel McFadden of Joel McFadden Designs, who will conduct a three-part series of Jewelry Making 101 demonstrations on stone setting, sponsored by the MJSA Education Foundation with bench and tool sponsor, Stuller, Inc.

* Jewelry makers and designers Elizabeth Garvin and Gary Dawson will also coach attendees on bench business tips and repairing/repurposing jewelry.

* Business coaches Andrea Hill of StrategyWerx, consultant Marlene Richey, Ann Arnold of Arnold Advisory Group LLC, Matthew Perosi of JewelerWebsites.com, Eugene Brill of Jewelry.com, and Cindy Edelstein of Jeweler’s Resource Bureau, will speak one-on-one concerning basic business operations issues, as well as online marketing, photography and merchandising a designer line.

* CAD/CAM experts Steve Adler of A3DM, Charlie Herner of Green Lake Jewelry Works, and Zsombor Antal of Best Cast.

* Casting experts J. Tyler Teague of JETT Research, Teresa Fryé of Techform, Linus Drogs of Au Enterprises; and Ted Doudak of Riva Precision Manufacturing.

On Monday in MJSA Expo’s Presentation Area, Swarovski will also sponsor a full-day program of hands-on workshops, focusing on techniques for creating crystal jewelry and accessories. They feature Nick Regine, star of the "Professor of Crystal" educational series running on YouTube and in MJSA Journal.

MJSA’s Seminar Series, which takes places on Sunday, March 9, includes:

* Fashion Trends 2014 and Beyond. Barbara Raleigh of International Design Source Ltd., a popular speaker making a return appearance, will show fashion trends influencing jewelry for 2014 and 2015, in a lively, visual presentation.

* "Made in USA” Made Simple will explain the laws and regulations controlling "Made in USA" statements, and also present MJSA’s submission to the FTC requesting changes in the "Made in USA" rules. Speakers include: Mark Hanna of Richline Group; Peggy Jo Donahue of MJSA; and Suzan Flamm of Jewelers Vigilance Committee.

* Fair Trade & Ethical Practices: What You Need to Know. A panel of speakers will discuss the adoption of responsible business practices by companies throughout jewelry supply chain, and the surge of interest in fairly mined and fairly traded gems and metals. This panel will include panelists David Bouffard of Signet Jewelers Ltd., Torry Hoover of Hoover & Strong; Anna Bario of Bario-Neal; and Suzan Flamm of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee.

For more information about MJSA Expo New York, and for free online registration, click here:

http://www.mjsa.org/events_and_programs/mjsa_expo_new_york/

ABOUT MJSA EXPO NEW YORK

Held every March at the Hilton New York, MJSA Expo New York is the show dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design. It features the latest bench tools, laser welders, casting machines, alloys, CAD/CAM systems, gemstones and beads, component parts, stamping equipment, jewelry making subcontractors, and business services.

MJSA Announces Winners of Vision Awards

MJSA Announces Winners of Vision Awards

Winners were recognized at ceremonies during MJSA Expo New York

 

ATTLEBORO FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS--MJSA, the association for jewelry makers and designers, announced the winners of its annual Vision Awards, which honor excellence injewelry design as well as technical skill. The winners were presented with their awards at a ceremony during MJSA Expo New York at the Hilton New York on March 14, and the winning entries were on display for thousands of buyers and exhibitors during the show.

Gregoré Morin of Gregoré Joailliers, Santa Barbara, California, and Julie Buckareff of JJ Buckar, Toronto, took honors in the Professional Design Excellence category--Morin for anobjet d'art depiciting Hiruko, one of the seven lucky gods of Japan, and Buckar for "Bird's Nest," a locket brooch made of 18k rose gold wire and 19k white gold leaves. Both entries also received honors in the Laser Distinction category, sponsored by LaserStar Technologies Corp.

The competition also recognized entries in four additional categories: Visionary Technical Solution, for designs that overcame technical challenges or explored the use of new materials; Gold Distinction, sponsored by Hoover & Strong; Custom Design Distinction, sponsored by Gemvision; and the Future of the Industry awards for students, sponsored by the MJSA Education Foundation. Rio Grande was the general sponsor of this year's competition, and Instore and Metalsmith magazines were the media sponsors.

The winners of the 2011 MJSA Vision Awards are:

First Place, Design Excellence, and First Place, Laser Distinction

Gregoré Morin of Gregoré Joailliers, Santa Barbara, California, for"Hiruko." an 18k white and yellow gold objet d'art measuring 43 mm tall and 62 mm wide. The diminutive sculpture of Hiruko, one of the seven lucky gods of Japan, features a Mexican fire opal body and a round white gold head that are joined by hidden magnets. The figure's yellow gold traditional hat is topped by a Paraiba tourmaline and accented with diamonds along the rim and the bolo tie.

Second Place, Design Excellence; Second Place, Laser Distinction; andSecond Place, Gold Distinction

Julie Buckareff of JJ Buckar, Toronto, for "Bird's Nest," an 18k rose gold and 19k white gold locket brooch featuring a Torré del Greco Italian hand-carved cameo shell. The leaves are set with 830 diamonds totaling 5.10 carats. The underside reveals two double-sided picture frames accented with pink and blue sapphires.

First Place, Visionary Technical Solution

Adam Neeley of Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry Inc., Laguna Beach, California, for "Captivate," a pin/pendant hand-fabricated in "Iris Gold." Featuring a seamless gradient created by fusion, the gold gradually transitions in color from 24k yellow gold through seven colors of gold to 9k white gold. The pin is accented with an 11.1 mm Tahitian peacock pearl.

Second Place, Visionary Technical Solution

Edward Rosenberg and Mirella Connor of Edward Mirell, Deerfield Beach,Florida, for "Wave," a women's black titanium signet ring featuring an insert of sterling silver set with diamonds. Modeled in Matrix software, this ring was milled in wax, finessed, and cast in black titanium (Black Ti). The resulting ring was polished in some areas and sandblasted in others to accentuate the delicate wave pattern. Last, the insert was cold-connected after polishing and the setting of the diamonds.

First Place, Gold Distinction

Barbara Heinrich of Barbara Heinrich Studio, Pittsford, New York, for"Blossom," an 18k yellow gold brooch. The piece features 14 diamonds totaling 0.21ct.

First Place, Custom Design Distinction

Cynthia Zava of Cynthia Renée Inc., Carrboro, North Carolina, for "Torres del Paine," a ringfeaturing a 5.69 carat ice-blue tourmaline from Afghanistan. Zava made the ring for a client who, with her family, had visited Torres del Paine National Park at the mountainous southern tip of Patagonia in Chile. The stone mirrors the color of the glacial lakes of Patagonia. Zava hand-carved the rose gold portions of the ring to echo the mountains of Torres del Paine, and used the horns of the ridges as prongs. She placed white gold "glaciers" between the ring's peaks. The glaciers' roughened surfaces were formed in wax from the combined fingerprints of each family member on the trip.

Second Place, Custom Design Distinction

Doreen K. Sanborn, DKS Designs Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, for "Art Deco/Art Nouveau," a 14k gold necklace featuring a 38.60 carat aquamarine carved by Michael Dyber and a 13 mm Eyris blue abalone pearl from New Zealand. The gem is carved on one side in an Art Deco style, and the other side in an Art Nouveau style. Sanborn's client had several specific requirements: she wanted to be able to wear either side of the gem as the front, to accompany the gem with an accent gemstone that could be added or removed, and to have the changes easy to make, yet the mechanics nearly invisible when the necklace was worn. Sanborn designed a removable and movable bar stockade setting for the pearl, and a stirrup attachment for the chain to attach to and detach from the aquamarine.

First Place, Future of the Industry Award for Students

Young-eun Han, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, for"Industrial Ring," a layered ring. The inner layer is a band of stainless steel. The outside layer was made by carving the shape out of wax, making a silicone mold of the model, and then casting it with a mixture of cement and resin. The result is a piece that combines industrial materials yet is still light and comforting to the hand.

Second Place, Future of the Industry Award for Students

Natalia Davidich, Kharkiv State Academy of Design & Arts, Ukraine, for "Brooklyn," a yellow gold ring with a white insertion in the center. Gold filaments are passed through special rounded loops to imitate the cables of a bridge. The reflection from the inside of the ring creates a unique visual effect. The edges of the ring are decorated in diamonds.

MJSA recognizes Vision Award winners through both publicity and advertising in industry publications, which in 2011 will include full-page ads in Instore, Metalsmith, and the association's own MJSA Journal. Prizes included gift certificates of up to $500 (courtesy of Rio Grande), cash awards, book libraries, and, for student winners, scholarships of up to $1,000.

Piece reprinted from: http://www.mjsa.org/about_us/media_resources/mjsa_news/detail/mjsa_honors_vision_award_winners_172

MJSA Announces "The Candy Store Is Open!"

I don't know if you are like me - maybe a little since you are reading this blog - but I love a great tradeshow!   ...and a show that MJSA is involved in is always a GREAT Trade Show!  Remember this is a "Trade Only!" show so proper Business Information will be required.

What more can I say - I love the theme - I identify totally with it - I think I have learned as much "At The Bench - Live" as I have in paid workshops.  Can you imagine being able to touch - use - discuss a piece of equipment prior to a major purchase?  YEP - like a kid in a Candy Store...I have sat down to a desktop laser welder...seen the works of high tech etching machines and watched a printer create a wax mold (OK so I simplify ;p).

From the MJSA website: Remember when you were a kid, and a visit to the candy store wasn’t just a trip, but an adventure—one that usually ended with a reward? Choosing from among all of the chocolates, caramels, gum balls, cinnamon drops, and other sweets wasn’t easy, but, boy, was it fun.

You’ll feel just like that kid again as you walk through the aisles of MJSA Expo New York. The largest and oldest trade show dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, Expo is chock full of the latest bench tools, laser welders, casting machines, alloys, CAD/CAM systems, gemstones and beads, component parts, stamping equipment—whatever you need to make and sell exceptional jewelry, Expo has it. It also features premier contract service providers and business services, to help you take your ideas from concept to completion, and ensure your business remains profitable.

Maybe that’s why thousands of qualified buyers walk the aisles to see, touch, and try out the tried and true and the innovative and new, just like kids in a ... well, you know.

Your New Candy Store

Expo New York - Don't Forget to Register!  MJSA Expo New York Hilton New York  ●  March 13-15, 2011  ●  New York City     The Expo New York show, March 13-15 at the Hilton New York, is calling your name!  Find the one new product or service that could change your business and make your year. Register Here Now!  If you haven't done so yet. Expo New York brings together a cross section of the jewelry industry like no other show. And it's the unique mix of energy, points-of-view, and perspective you find at Expo from which you derive your best ideas. Need another reason to come? How about our impressive seminar program, which will address ALL the hot topics you and your colleagues are discussing, including... - Practical Business Advice - Promoting Product Today - Custom Design and Future Stock  - Success Strategies and - Profiting by Design: "It Takes Two" Tuesday: One-on-One Sessions with the Experts This is your chance to have specific questions answered by experts on marketing, public relations, strategic planning, and other key areas vital to success. Sign-up sheets available starting at 9:00am on Tuesday in the show presentations area. Experts to include: ·         Andrea Hill, president of StrategyWerx, which specializes in driving profitable growth in small to mid-sized companies; ·         Cindy Edelstein, president of the Jeweler's Resource Bureau, which offers business support, marketing intelligence, and industry insights for jewelry designers; ·         Eugene Brill, marketing manager for Rio Grande, who specializes in digital marketing strategies; ·         Chris Ploof, award-winning designer/goldsmith, owner of Chris Ploof Studios and technical consultant for the Palladium Alliance International; ·         Kate Peterson, president of Performance Concepts, which was founded to meet the education, training, and business development needs of specialty retailers and their suppliers; ·         Linus Drogs, owner of AU Enterprises, which provides precious metal manufacturing services such as casting, mold making, and CAD/CAM, and casting consultant for Palladium Alliance International. Click here for a complete Expo NY Seminar Schedule. And New For 2011:  It's Going to be a Green Expo: Constellation Energy, the endorsed supplier to the new MJSA Energy Program, will supply Green-e Energy certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) from wind energy facilities in the United States. That means 100 percent of the electricity used at the MJSA Expo New York will help to support the demand for new, clean wind power. To learn more about Constellation and our Energy Program stop by the MJSA booth (2122), or visit Constellation Energy at Booth 325. Swarovski ELEMENTS Workshop Workshops to include "Make Your Own Crystal Mesh Bracelet", "Jewelry Making With Epoxy Putty", and "Riveted Crystal Findings". You are also invited to to visit the Swarovski ELEMENTS Worskhop area to view Spring/Summer 2012 products, trends, and more! Click here for a complete workshop schedule.

MJSA - Vision Award Winners 2010!

The Vision Awards recognize excellence among both professional and student designers, and the Thinking Ahead Awards recognize products that, through "the introduction of new technology or the improvement of existing technologies," are advancing the way in which jewelry is made and sold. Two products won the Thinking Ahead Awards, Speedwire (a laser welding wire dispenser) and the SpeckFINDER HD (an optical workstation for gem inspection and analysis). The Winner of the Professional Vision Award for Design Excellence: Jennifer Jordan Park Wear Ever Custom Jewelry Budd Lake, New Jersey "Splash." A cloisonné enamel box ring made with fine silver, 24k gold cloisonné wire, 18k and 22k gold, and various colors of opaque and transparent leaded enamel. The Winner of the Vision Award for Future of the Industry (Student) category: Davina Rae Romansky GIA Student Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio "Cascading." Necklace in sterling silver Vision Awards are also given for Gold and Laser Distinction as well as - my favorite - Technical Solutions! To view the other winners and for more info on the 2011 Awards check the MJSA Website.

MJSA Expo New York - Resources for Designers

Days for Designers!

Designers coming to MJSA Expo New York can make the most of their trip by taking advantage of all the design-related events scheduled around the show.

On Sunday, March 14, the MJSA Expo will open its doors at 10 a.m.. It will feature not only the latest tools, supplies, and technologies that can easily take a design from concept to creation, but also free seminars focusing on how to navigate in this changing environment. (Click here for a full lineup of Sunday's seminars.) In addition, there are two special events on Sunday and Tuesday you'll want to attend.

Designer CEO Summit

Also on Sunday, jewelry designers will have access to some of the best advice available on how to grow their businesses at the Designer CEO Summit, a full-daybusiness conference presented by Cindy Edelstein of the Jewelers Resource Bureau. Sessions will be geared to taking a designer's sales and marketing to the next level, regardless of where they are currently.

The conference, which will take place at the Fashion Institute of Technology, centers around four key speakers and a luncheon panel in which experts give 75 tips in 75 minutes. The first presenter will be Andrea Hill, former CEO of Rio Grande, who will explain in detail how designers of all size companies can add CEO-level strategy for growth. The day will also feature:

· Meeling Wong, who has been an insider at several wildly successful designer brands; she will explain how to create and implement a branding campaign.

· Lisa Jenks, a designer who grew her business for more than 20 years before dropping out to focus on other design projects, only to decide three years later that she wanted to get back to jewelry design. She will explain how she managed to keep growing for so many years, and how she stage-managed her return with an immediate success.

· Kate Peterson, a widely respected expert on retailing, will wind up the day's presentations with a unique twist to her usual approach to retailing. Instead of telling retailers how to improve their businesses, she will tell designers how retailers think and make choices, and how designers can influence those processes to their benefit.

The cost for the day, including lunch, is $319, although an early-bird discount is in effect until midnight of Sunday, March 7. The discounted price is $287. Other discounts are available, including one for MJSA members. Type "MJSA" in the discount portion of the registration page at www.DesignerCEOsummit.com. All sales must be in advance of the conference, since no tickets can be sold on site.

MJSA and AJDC: Profiting by Design

Another special day for designers will be Tuesday, March 15, when MJSA and theAmerican Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) team up for the special two-hourProfiting by Design session. A panel of AJDC members -- Jose Hess (moderator),Michael Bondanza, Barbara Heinrich, William Schraft, and Diana Vincent -- will share how they've overcome design challenges, responded to market trends, and achieved business success. Additional advice and insights will be offered byMarlene Richey, Cindy Edelstein, and Philip Crangi.

The free session will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Expo presentation area on the show floor. Just prior to the session, the MJSA Vision Award winners will be honored.

After the session, Marlene Richey will sign copies of her award-winning MJSA Press book, Profiting by Design: A Jewelry Maker's Guide to Success.

Click here for more information about MJSA Expo New York, including a full schedule of all seminars and special events.