De Beers To Start Diamond Sorting In Botswana

De Beers CEO Philippe Mellier (L), Bank of Botswana Gov. Linah Mohohlo (C)
and Diamond Trading Company CEO Varda Shine (AFP, Monirul Bhuiyan)

GABORONE — The world's leading producer of diamonds De Beers on Tuesday began rough stone sorting in Botswana, a first step in its transfer from London to Gaborone.

Rough stone sorting or aggregation operations have been based in London for nearly 80 years.

De Beers chief executive officer Philippe Mellier told reporters here it was the first step in a process that should be complete by the end of 2013.

Mellier said the move would transform Botswana into a leading international centre, with about $6 billion worth of diamonds expected to flow through the country.

He added that the diamond market remained challenging in the short term, but was nonetheless an exciting time for Botswana to build on its rightful position as a leading diamond producing country.

Botswana and De Beers in September 2011 signed a 10-year deal to move its rough stone sorting and trading division from London to Gaborone.

"By shifting the center of gravity of the diamond world here, we are bringing in more economic activity, more skills and more broad-based business opportunities to the country," said Ponatshego Kedikilwe, vice president and minister of minerals, energy and water resources for Botswana."   via FOX Business

Since it started mining diamonds in the early 1970s, Debswana -- a company equally owned by Botswana's government and De Beers -- has been selling its diamonds exclusively to De Beers, who in turn shipped the diamonds to London for sale to customers.

Under the deal, Botswana will for the first time directly sell 10 percent of gem stones manufactured locally while De Beers will also increase the value of diamonds it makes available to manufacturing companies in the country to $800 million a year from the current $550 million.

For more on this story go to:  http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jwTHJnki0poI-l2tw-vCX0YG_WHA?docId=CNG.0138cf07e03569d8ad546125417823e6.d01

JCK TORONTO OPENS WITH SOLID ATTENDANCE - UPBEAT ATMOSPHERE

JCK TORONTO OPENS WITH SOLID ATTENDANCE AND UPBEAT ATMOSPHERE

Networking, Education and Social Events Are Focus

JCK Toronto 2012, Canada's premier jewellery event, opened yesterday with a healthy start. The Show, organized by JCK Events and supported by the Canadian Jewellers Association, features over 150 jewellery brands and manufacturers and primarily serves retailers from the Ontario region of Canada.

JCK Events, along with supporter CJA, orchestrates JCK Toronto, providing the Canadian jewellery market with its largest buying event. Day 1 of JCK Toronto 2012 illustrated this with heavy foot traffic, strong interest in buying and attendance at the Show's various networking and educational events.

Sunday's educational program included a diamond mining exposé, an informed discussion on the advantages of selling palladium and a session dedicated to hiring practices and tips. Future seminars will feature important topics such as social media and crafting with palladium.

The Show's industry event this evening will welcome retailers and exhibitors, amid a myriad of activities: recipients of the CJA Chairman's Award will be honored, an 'Athlete Meet & Greet' will feature important players in Canadian sports and ELLE Jewelry will sponsor a fashion show highlighting their newest jewellery looks.

"Creating a dynamic show experience is becoming increasingly more important in our industry," said John Tierney of JCK Events. "It is our goal to provide value and an atmosphere of learning and socializing alongside the business transactions. The feedback from show-goers on Sunday was a positive affirmation of that initiative and we are looking forward to a great industry event tonight and a strong finish to the show."

Raffi D. from Adler Jewelry Wholesale, Toronto, ON, commenting on the experience of exhibiting for the first time, expressed an appreciation for such efforts, "We are new to the show this year and could not be happier at the end of Day 1. We met new contacts and wrote orders in addition to attending the seminar on mining and are gearing up for a fun night of socializing and networking. There is clearly no shortage of opportunities to take advantage of, so we feel great about the investment."

JCK Toronto will run through August 14th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada.

ABOUT JCK EVENTS:

JCK is a trusted partner connecting jewelry retailers and manufacturers/suppliers with trends, news, products, education and partners to build business. Whether attending face-to-face events, building inventory with online and onsite sourcing or obtaining authoritative news and insights from JCK, the leading industry magazine in print & online, JCK offers a suite of tools, events and information to deliver sound solutions, innovative opportunities and essential information. Mark your calendars as JCK Events presents its portfolio of upcoming buying opportunities:

-	JCK Toronto: August 12 - 14 - Toronto, Canada, Metro Toronto Convention Centre - South Hall
-	LUXURY Privé Panama: October 22 - 24 - Panama City, Panama, Westin Playa Bonita
-	LUXURY and Elite Enclave: May 28 - 30, by invitation only, and then continues as the events open their doors to all JCK retailers Friday, May 31 - Monday, June 3 - Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel
-	Swiss Watch: May 31 - June 3 - Mandalay Bay, THEhotel, Mandarin Oriental
-	JCK Las Vegas: May 31 - June 3 - Mandalay Bay Convention Center
-	LUXURY Privé New York: July 29 - July 31 - New York, The Pierre Hotel - Fifth Avenue Photo Credit: JCK Events Facbook Page

Fall 2012 - Pantone Predicts...for Jewelers

Fall 2012: The Magic of Color

“By playing to consumers' practical side with versatile neutrals, and boosting their confidence with bold, spirited hues, this skillfully balanced palette has something for everyone.” — Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute^®

YES - Tangerine Tango was HUGE this Summer and the good news is...it is carrying into Fall - so wear your Spessartite Mandarin Garnets and Fire Opals or  color block your Tangerine blouse with one of the new Jewel Tones or Versatile Neutrals!

The versatility of the new palette is fabulous with a couple stand outs - If you look at the group at the end - Titanium, Rhapsody, Rose Smoke:

•  think Amethyst and Rose Quartz in Silver (or Titanium, or Platinum)
•  or Tahitian Pearls with a Platinum or Purple hue in any white metal!

A range of Platinum Pearls from Kamoka Pearls

Blue Gems are always a winner when paired with White Metals.

Lots of opportunities for Tourmalines with Pink Flambe', Ultramarine Green, and Bright Chartruese!

Photo via GIA

On another note - I saw some gorgeous Coffee Brown Gold at Jewelry Week this year - I can see a stunning Andalusite in Brown Gold flashing coffee browns, goldens and chartreuse!

...looking for a fashion MUST HAVE?  a grey pant, skirt or grey jeans to pair with all the fabulous new colors!

Take a look at this stunning video from the High Jewellery Line of De Grisogono of Geneva for an artistic display of all of the Fall Color Trends!

Court Rules Harout R Can Compete In Bridal Market

Court ruling grants designer Harout R freedom to compete in the bridal jewelry market

By HAROUT R

Published: Monday, Aug. 13, 2012 - 5:08 am

NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 13, 2012 --/PRNewswire/ - A U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York has denied Ritani LLC an application for a preliminary injunction against Harout R to allow the world-acclaimed jewelry designer freedom to compete fairly in the bridal jewelry market.

The court decision affirms the right of Harout R to continue to design and sell its signature collections of diamond engagement and wedding rings.  The Court also dismissed claims of copyright infringement and permitted the use of the "Harout R" name.  Judge Sweet dismissed all state law claims for "false advertising."  The Court found that, as of December 2010, Aghjayan (and Harout R) were free to sell to and solicit business from Ritani's customers, as the contract "placed no restrictions on Aghjayan's solicitation of potential customers." Ritani LLC is owned byCantor Fitzgerald and the Julius Klein Group Company, a DTC De Beers sightholder.

"We are gratified that the judge has ruled favorably in this case as we have always maintained that the claim for an injunction was without merit and this court decision is proof of that," stated Harout Aghjayan, founder of Harout R. "Our position as a trusted source in the bridal jewelry industry today remains unchallenged and we look forward to offering our customers our finest bridal collections leading into this next holiday season."

Harout R will continue to provide its exclusive bridal diamond designs to authorized jewelry retailers across the country with the same commitment to innovation, uncompromising quality and craftsmanship that has been the trademark of the premier jewelry designer for over 25 years.

About Harout R A world renowned and prodigal jewelry designer, Harout R has been creating timeless designs of exquisite diamond and platinum  jewelry for over 25 years. Harout Aghjayan began his career in the jewelry industry at the age of 17 as a bench jeweler and diamond setter.  In 1996, he founded his own designer manufacturing facility, producing jewelry collections primarily for Tiffany & Co.  In 2011, Aghjayan launched his new brand of signature designs, HAROUT R.  The modern collections of diamond engagement and wedding rings are available exclusively at select retailers across the United States.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/13/4720783/court-ruling-grants-designer-harout.html#storylink=cpy

Costis - Fine Jewelry In Motion!

When it comes to the hottest jewelry trends, Costis fine jewelry is right on point! 

Following their successful introduction in Las Vegas during Jewelry Week - Costis has been on the lips of many retailers!

This upcoming fall season is all about bold statement jewelry and dramatic designs that show off your personal style. Also known as “Power” pieces, these items include extraordinary necklaces, bracelets with large stones, oversized rings, and long and dangling earrings in an array of daring colors.  

Jewelry connoisseurs everywhere can tell you that their favorite pieces have movement and the ability to "catch the light".   With focal gems that move, Costis has that DOWN!  

Costis’ Frame in Motion Collection will not allow you to go unnoticed. With a jewelry collection this stunning, you are sure to make an outstanding and luxurious statement this fall!

ABOUT COSTIS:

“Creativity has no limits, and dynamic design is our power.” These are the principles under which fine jewelry designer Costis Chamamtzis founded his prestigious, signature jewelry brand. A true artist, Costis has curated his collection of fine jewelry combining the synergy of innovative design and impeccable craftsmanship to produce fascinating works of wearable, timeless art. His designs appeal to the modern, dynamic woman who desires a unique, special piece of jewelry.


Costis cites nature as his main inspiration; for him, nature is a research tool from which he discovers forms that both fascinate and illuminate. He sees life all around him, including in a city landscape, buildings and design. He combines mechanics and form in his creations under the belief that jewelry should be as “alive as the person wearing it,” and thus become a part of the wearer. These small, handmade masterpieces represent an idea and can mark the most special moments. A fundamental belief in Costis’ work is to elevate ordinary, everyday objects so that they may take on a new, greater meaning. He achieves this through experimentation, ingenious design and attention to every detail—characteristics which have become synonymous with “Costis” throughout Greece and Italy where he is a member if the Italian Industrial Design Association (the ADI).

Cindy Edelstein Named a Community Choice Honoree

Cindy Edelstein, aka the JewelryBizGuru, 

Named a Community Choice Honoree

in the 2012 Small Business Influencer Awards

Cindy Edelstein has been voted a Community Choice honoree in the 2012 Small Business Influencer Awards. Edelstein achieved the designation as the result of receiving top votes in the popular voting segment of the Awards, from the small business community. Edelstein was one of the top five popular vote getters, out of more than 300 nominees, in the category of Experts.

The Small Business Influencer Awards honor those who are influential to small businesses in North America, through the products, services, knowledge, information or support they provide to the small business market.

Edelstein was the only person from the fine jewelry industry nominated and was among a wide field that included New York Times best-selling authors and other seven-figure experts who come from much broader business fields than Cindy who specializes in the designer sector of the fine jewelry business. This makes her win even more impressive considering the width and depth of the competition.

The Awards are designed to recognize the unsung heroes of small businesses - those who support and encourage entrepreneurs and small business owners, and help them achieve success and stay successful, said the event organizers.

The Community Choice designation recognizes those whose communities have supported them with top votes.

Says Anita Campbell, CEO of Small Business Trends and one of the co-founders of the Awards, "Influencers are those who play crucial roles in the small business ecosystem, but who often are in the background. Many of the Community Choice honorees are themselves small business owners, entrepreneurs or small businesses."

There were more than 2000 votes for Edelstein, who's social media handle is JewelryBizGuru, during the contest and she also racked up one of the highest amount of Facebook likes, tweets, comments and testimonials. Here is a sampling of what her community had to say:

Robert Lee Morris, designer: “Cindy is a natural born leader and enabler. Her emotional intelligence soars off the charts as witnessed by how many people have been supported by her alone, on a gut personal level. She has already won this accolade many times over as far as I am concerned.”

Peggy Jo Donahue, Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America: “Cindy is, by far, the most passionate advocate for jewelry designers working in the U.S. market today. Her commitment is real, enduring, and long standing. I have been an admirer for as long as she has been in business. She deserves this award, and many others.”

Jennifer Dawes of Dawes Design: “Cindy has been a champion of jewelry designers in every capacity. The large household names to the small indy designers. Her passion has helped our industry in innumerable ways. She has my vote and support for anything she believes in!” 

Laurie Cavanaugh, designer:  “Cindy is doing a great job at demystifying the business of designer jewelry and encouraging new designers and "designpreneurs.” The industry is a better place for her participation!”

Robert May, previous Director of the Natural Colored Diamond Association: “Cindy’s devotion and passion to help designers new and old grow their business is nothing short of inspirational.”

 

About  Cindy  

Cindy Edelstein is an award-winning entrepreneur who has made it her mission to support the growth of designer fine jewelry as a retail category, an art form, and a community. It is a micro-niche but one she has dedicated her whole career to supporting.

Cindy is an author, speaker, consultant and owner of Jeweler's Resource Bureau, an umbrella marketing firm specializing in helping designers grow and prosper with unique trade events, publications, seminars and the industry's first Project Runway-like Business Incubator Contest called Future of Design.

She works with big organizations, as well, helping them understand the designer community. She helps trade shows, membership organizations and even foreign export entities work with the design world. Her social media profile (often under the JewelryBizGuru twitter and blog name) spans the worlds of design, manufacturing and retail across the fine jewelry, fine accessory and fine craft industries.

She is the co-author with her husband Frank Stankus, of the book "Brilliance: The Art of the American Jewelry Design Council" and together they produce an annual designer business conference, a series of a specialty trade show called globalDESIGN and an online marketing intelligence community for designers.

Cindy often addresses design schools, industry gatherings and networking events to help design professionals understand more about entrepreneurship. She is a passionate communicator and creative problem solver and many in the jewelry world avail themselves of her expertise every day. As a business coach she offers insights not found anywhere else to a population rarely addressed in larger venues. She's a champion of the entrepreneurial artist which she has dubbed design’preneurs.

 

About the Small Business Influencer Awards

The Small Business Influencer Awards, now in their second year, enable the small business community to nominate and show their support for those that influence and support them. The Awards have an open nomination period, followed by community voting, and then a judging period by a group of industry-knowledgeable judges.

The Small Business Influencer Awards initiative is produced by Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication, serving over 4,000,000 small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually, and SmallBizTechnology.com, a media company that produces online content and live events educating small and mid-sized companies on how to strategically use technology as a tool to grow their businesses. The Awards can be found on the Web at: SMBInfluencers.com.

800 Job Seekers At GIA’s New York Jewelry Career Fair

GIA’s New York Jewelry Career Fair 

Draws 800 Job Seekers

Recruiters from 44 companies show the business of bling is alive and well

The timeless appeal of jewelry, along with 44 companies recruiting hundreds of professionals, drew a crowd of more than 800 and some on-the-spot interviews at GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) New York Jewelry Career Fair on July 30^th at the Javits Center in Manhattan. This year marked the return of the event to the East Coast for the first time since 2008, and job seekers as well as recruiters proved that jobs in this ‘gem’ of an industry are in high demand.

“I’m happy to report that our industry is wide and diverse – valued at over $160 billion last year; growing even through difficult times,” said Donna Baker, GIA’s president and CEO, during her opening remarks. “And the U.S. is only one market. China, India and the Middle East are expanding rapidly, and so are opportunities.”

People speak with recruiters from jewelry and gem companies during the
 Gemological Institute Of America 's Jewelry Career Fair in New York July 30, 2012.
REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton 

The event kicked off with “Job Success in Today’s Market,” a special panel presentation moderated by Baker. Panelists David Yurman, founder of David Yurman Inc.; Ann Arnold, CEO of Lieberfarb; Lex Graham, a recent GIA graduate and retail jeweler at Betteridge; and Rahul Kadakia, jewelry department head of Christie’s New York, shared their experiences in the gem and jewelry business and offered advice for newcomers. Alba Cappellieri, dean of the Fashion Design Degree at the Politecnico of Milan, and author of "Jewellery of the XX Century: from Art Nouveau to Contemporary Design," was sponsored by Fiera di Vicenza and spoke on the innovation and creativity in jewelry design and its effect on future trends. 

A man speaks with a recruiter from a jewelry and gem company
 during the Gemological Institute Of America 's Jewelry Career Fair
 in New York July 30, 2012.

There was no shortage of opportunity for job seekers at the event, with 44 recruiters on-site looking to fill hundreds of positions – from retail sales and jewelry design to diamond grading and production. Companies recruiting included Harry Winston, Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, Montblanc, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co. and Zale Corporation. The Jewelers for Veterans Foundation was also on-hand to meet with and assist U.S. military veterans in their job search.

GIA hosted its first Jewelry Career Fair in 1991 in Santa Monica, Calif. Since then, the event has expanded and linked recruiters with future employees at more than 40 events worldwide in Bangalore, Las Vegas, Mumbai, New York and the current GIA world headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. This year’s New York event was sponsored by JA New York. 

The next career fair will take place at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad on Oct. 5, 2012.  For more information, please contact careerfair@gia.edu. 

About GIA

An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.

Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. Visit www.gia.edu.