The Future of Design Business Incubator Contest for Jewelry Designers

ANNOUNCING: The Future of Design Business

Incubator Contest for Jewelry Designers

Produced by

Jeweler’s Resource Bureau & StrategyWerx

Are you the worlds next greatest jewelry design'preneur? 
For the first time, a competition evaluating both

your designs and business plan

offers you the opportunity to win a prize package valued at over $250K!

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THE COMPETITION:

Described as a game changer, the Future of Design Business competition seeks to discover, promote and catapult the next great jewelry designer into the market.

Applications begin Sept 7th and the winner will be selected during a “Shark Tank”-like live presentation at MJSA Expo New York in NYC on March 13, 2012. 

Submissions include our business plan-like application, marketing materials and visuals of your jewelry line. The application includes an in-depth questionnaire that teaches you about strategy and marketing planning along the way -- and gives you plenty of time to compose your answers.

Applicants will be judged on their business concept, market feasibility, saleability and aesthetic impact. The winner will be the "total package" destined for greatness.

This is an unprecedented competition with a vast level of industry participation, unique judging process and a dream prize package.

Do you have what it takes?

Read more and learn about the application process at:www.FutureofDesignContest.com

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Prizes:  

Every entrant gets feedback and advice from the judges

     Six semi-finalists win:

• a mentoring date (by phone if in-person isn't possible) with one of our Dream Team designers
• a feature on NationalJeweler.com

     Three finalists also win:

• trip to NYC to participate in the finale

The winner also receives:

•  a year of manufacturing services by Fusion Jewelry
•  a year of sales representation by Viewpoint
•  sales training and retail introductions by Performance Concepts
•  consulting on strategy, financials and technology by StrategyWerx
•  a booth in globalDESIGN
•  premium membership on JewelryDesignerFinder.com
•  a suite of marketing products from Jeweler's Resource
•  a booth in the Designer Showcase at the JA NY Show
•  an ad campaign in INDESIGN magazine
•  photography and ad campaign creation by RSP Media
•  inclusion in three celebrity award suites with Michael O'Connor
•  mentorship by all the judges
•  promotion and publicity throughout the process
•  more prizes to be added as new sponsors are secured!

DATES:

• Application process opens Wed. Sept. 7th
• Application deadline is midnight PST Dec. 1st
• You can work on your online application in a stop-and-start fashion till Dec. 1
• Winner selected March 13, 2012

DETAILS:

• www.FutureofDesignContest.com 

• It's a business contest, not just a design contest
• The application process walks you through critical business strategies
• Every applicant gets a professional critique of/advice on his/her business plans
• Winner gets more than $250,000 worth of goods and services
• Six semi-finalists get prizes and mentoring with a Dream Team member
• Three finalists are flown to New York for final judging
• Live finale, “Shark Tank”-style, at MJSA Expo New York in NYC on March 13, 2012
• All are welcome to attend by registering for an MJSA EXPO show badge

• Unique judging process:

• Business plan submitted as well as designs 
• In-depth business questionnaire akin to a marketing plan 
• Judges interview six semi-finalists live via conference video 
• Three finalists make live pitch in front of judges & audience in NYC 
• Vast level of industry participation, probably unprecedented

JUDGES:

• Cindy Edelstein - Jewelers Resource Bureau /  cindy@jewelersresource.com
• Andrea Hill – StrategyWerx /  andrea.hill@strategywerx.com
• Kate Peterson - Performance Concepts
• Mendel Rotenberg - Fusion Jewelry 
• Jim DeMattei - ViewPoint  

Mentoring Dream Team are: 

• Gurhan
•  Erica Courtney
•  Todd Reed
•  Penny Preville
•  Lisa Jenks
•  Robert Lee Morris

Sponsors:  

•    Jeweler's Resource Bureau
•    StrategyWerx
•    Performance Concepts
•    Fusion Jewelry
•    ViewPoint
•    MJSA
•    JA NY Show
•    National Jeweler
•    INDESIGN magazine
•    RSP Media
•    Michael O’Connor / Style&Substance

                                     ...... and more coming!

See website for eligibility and to sign-up for future information from

The Future of Design

www.FutureOfDesignContest.com

keep checking back to the site -- and subscribe to our newsletter --

  for more advice, tips and possible prizes! 

GIA Florence - School Closed...GIA Assisting in Transition

So sad to hear - please pass the information on - GIA is trying to step up and assist students currently enrolled in the Florence school!

Sept. 7, 2011   Dear GIA Alumni and Students,   As part of our GIA family, we strive to keep you informed and to seek your ongoing assistance in furthering education. As such, I want to make you aware that GIA has terminated its agreement with the owners of the licensee school in Florence, Italy. The outside party that owns the school provided GIA educational programs through its license agreement with GIA. The Institute has been informed that the owners of the licensee school intend to file for bankruptcy.   Our commitment is to the students who are enrolled in the Florence school. We are trying to locate and contact those currently enrolled there so we can help them with their transitional plans. We are requesting your assistance in locating them.   Students enrolled at GIA Florence will be offered options to continue their education: Transitional assistance to another GIA campus, such as in London, which is in close proximity to Florence, or to Distance Education Full refund for fees paid for those electing not to continue their GIA education GIA is stepping in to offer alternatives to all enrolled students who contact us. Although the school in Florence is not owned nor controlled by GIA, we are deeply concerned about the students and want to ensure they receive the finest gemological education.   If you have any information regarding students currently enrolled at GIA Florence, please emailGIAFlorenceHelp@gia.edu or call (760) 603-4001.   As GIA Alumni and students, you understand the importance of education and how fostering new talent in gemology helps the industry.   Thank you for your time and consideration.   Sincerely,   Donna Baker President and CEO GIA

Close to $7,000 in Scholarships from MJSA

MJSA Education Foundation Awards Nearly $7,000 in Student Scholarships

 

ATTLEBORO FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS--The MJSA Education Foundation has awarded scholarships to six students who are currently pursuing degrees in jewelry making and design, and who all show exceptional talent and promise for successful professional careers. They are:

Tamara Allison ($1,500 scholarship) of Wichita Falls, Texas, who is completing a BFA in Metals and Jewelry at Midwestern State University, also in Wichita Falls. She plans to graduate in December of this year.

Leslie Boyd ($1,500 scholarship) of Brooklyn, New York, who is working toward an MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. She expects to graduate in 2013.

Carol Salisbury ($1,500 scholarship) of Lawrence, Kansas, who is pursuing an MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry at the University of Kansas, also in Lawrence. The recipient of three previous Foundation scholarships, she expects to graduate in May 2012.

Nicole D'Entremont ($800 scholarship) of Medford, Massachusetts, who is pursuing a BFA in Fine Arts at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She plans to graduate in May 2012.

Maresha Robinson ($800 scholarship) of Oakland, California, who is seeking a Graduate Bench Jeweler Diploma from the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. She expects to complete her diploma requirements by the summer of 2012.

Shalena White ($800 scholarship) of Austin, Texas, who is working toward an MFA in Studio Art: Metals/Jewelry at the University of Texas at Austin. She expects to graduate in 2014.

Since 1997, the MJSA Education Foundation, a 501(c) 3 subsidiary of MJSA, has awarded nearly $160,000 in scholarships to students enrolled in jewelry design, jewelry making, or other jewelry-related degree programs at colleges, universities, and technical schools throughout the United States. Funds for the scholarships are generated through the MJSA Education Foundation Scholarship Group, which consists of six permanent endowment funds managed by the Rhode Island Community Foundation on behalf of MJSA and the MJSA Education Foundation.

Any student enrolled in a jewelry program, who intends to pursue a career in the jewelry industry, and who can demonstrate financial need is eligible to apply for an MJSA Education Foundation scholarship. Applicants are assessed on the basis of course of study, academics, career plans, recommendations, and industry experience. Students must be U.S. citizens.

To learn more, visit the MJSA Career Center at mjsa.org.

About MJSA 

MJSA is the U.S. trade association for jewelry makers, designers, and related suppliers. It provides the resources to achieve professional excellence and maintain a competitive edge. For more information, call MJSA at 1-800-444-6572 or visit www.mjsa.org.

Sotheby's Important Jewels - September 20th!

Take a few minutes to flip through the catalog online at:   http://www.sothebys.com

Palladium Alliance is "Over Heavy Metal"

What's Hot In Tucson 2011 - Gems & Jewelry!

Normally I would write this up in my Tucson Gem Show blog but this is something really exciting for the Jewelry & Gem Industries that you might have missed!

People ask why I make the annual trek to the Tucson desert - this video will explain everything!

BlueCap Productions has been filming What's Hot In Tucson for the last five years - prior to 2010 they only covered the Mineral shows.  In 2010 they premiered the first What's Hot in Tucson - Gems & Jewelry!

One of the WHIT claims to fame is the level of the Hosts...Dave Wilbur and Bob Jones need no introduction in the Mineral field - their reputations are legend.  BlueCap has chosen well for their Gems & Jewelry product.   Hostess Delphine LeBlanc is lovely, knowledgeable and has the most exotic accent!

The AGTA GemFair is THE most exclusive show in Tucson and it is Trade only!  This video offers you THE ONLY Insider's view of the show...the video below will show you some of the highlights of the 2011 show.

•      the 104 carat Sugar Loaf cut Tanzanite from InterColor
•      Pala International's amazing collection of Spinel
•      pearls of every kind from American Pearl Company
•      Gem Treatment updates from the American Gemological Laboratories
•      a conversation with Todd Reed on raw diamonds
•      and a wonderful conversation with Jeffrey Bilgore on how he designs (this is worth the price of the      video alone!) 

Speaking of the price of the video - BlueCap Productions is offering a special 15% off the price of your total purchase from now until Sept. 12, 2011!  

There is a 15% off coupon set up for your readers at our online store. The special code they will need to enter at checkout to receive the 15% discount is FLYONWALL. 

This code is good for two weeks from tomorrow, Monday, August 29 through Monday, September 12. It can be used once per order and will be 15% off the total order, no matter how many DVDs are in the order.

So don't forget to get your copy while they last...special checkout code FLYONWALL - while you're there pick up the 2010 video too!

MTV's Video Music Awards (VMA) - Expect the Unexpected!

When you hear that the VMA's are coming you can almost hear the high heeled stampede of Fashion & Jewelry reporters rushing to cover the stunning and the bizarre.  This show is never a let down in either category!


From the radiant Beyonce (with a special announcement) who dazzled in Lorraine Schwartz:

Platinum and diamond tassel earrings

Platinum ring with emerald and diamonds

Her own platinum and diamond wedding ring

Platinum cuff with jade and diamonds gifted to her by husband Jay-Z

To the amazing British Songstress Adele in Platinum & Diamond Earrings from Harry Winston - if you haven't heard her before take a minute to listen below:

The artist that struck the happy medium for me was Katy Perry - her Red Carpet look was a little Naughty and a little Nice - her Atelier Versace dress and Jimmy Choo shoes are exactly what I expect from the VMA's!   


While I LOVE her Lorraine Schwartz jewels - I would have liked something a little more over the top like the dress...maybe some crazy yellow diamond or sapphire chandelier earrings or pink sapphire bracelets...just a little more!

...and on to the bizarre...Nicki Minaj - Lady GaGa (what a surprise) and two of Katy Perry's Costume Changes (the Tom Ford gown was lovely - but seriously Katy?):

For full coverage of the VMA's along with several videos of the live performances, check out my favorite Celebrity website Just Jared...