Publish Year: - Title: Retail Jewelry Sales Up in US, But Wage Gains Drag Abstract: The 1,109 carat gem quality, Type IIa, Lesedi la Rona diamond, which originated from Lucara's Karowe Mine in Botswana, is the world's second largest gem quality diamond ever recovered. It recently sold to Laurence Graff for $53 million. Photo by Lucian Coman/© Lucara Diamond.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that retail jewelry and watch sales from all outlets have been running about 5.6% ahead of last year, with August significantly higher at 6.8%.
The National Retail Federation believes the year will finish strongly with sales increases of all merchandise up 3.2% to 3.8%. Employment numbers have been good but wages still lag, limiting the disposable income available for consumer products. This has been a drag on retail sales all year.
De Beers October cycle (sight) sales were $370 million, the lowest sight in nearly a decade. This was also well below September’s total of $505 million, which was well below earlier cycle sales.
In addition, Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond producer by volume (but well behind De Beers by value,) sold $305.8 million worth of rough diamonds in September. The volume was similar to the previous month, but the value was higher because the company sold a number of “specials” – diamonds larger than 10.8 cts.
After starting this year with several large allocations, the company reduced its sales volumes during the second half of the year. Rough sales have totaled $3.29 billion for the first nine months of 2017, similar to last year.
The short term reason for the reduced sales by De Beers and Alrosa is the Indian holiday of Diwali that began Oct. 19, which is about 10 days earlier than usual. Typically, diamond firms close their operations for two weeks during and after the holiday, but diamond manufacturers often delay their return to work if orders have been slow and they have sufficient inventory.
For the longer term, inventories of polished have been mounting – rising by an estimated 30% to 35% this year – while credit lines shrink and polished prices soften. The $50 million-plus bankruptcy of Exelco, an Antwerp diamond company, is the latest incident in diamond industry banks pulling back from the industry.
Analysts believe more bankruptcies may follow. The key worry, of course, is that these companies have tens of millions of dollars in outstanding trade debts and a default could send other companies into bankruptcy.
THE BIG DIAMOND
The 1,109 ct Lesedi la Rona went to London mega-jeweler Laurence Graff for $53 million, or $47,800 per carat, which is significantly less than its owner, Lucara Mining, wanted for the stone. It is the second largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found.
At this price, the stone will be economical to cut – the polished will bring about $100,000 per carat, assuming a 40% to 50% yield. Very large D-E color, flawless diamonds have been selling for $140,000 to $180,000 per carat at auctions.
Lucara tried to sell the diamond at an auction in Sotheby’s London salesroom, but bidding fell way short of the $70 to $75 million the company was reportedly seeking. (Sotheby’s 12.5% buyers’ commission plus VAT of 5% to 15% would have pushed the price past $80 million). This made the diamond uneconomical to cut, pushing the price of the resulting polished past $150,000 per carat. @topic:7


Publish Year: - Title: Special Jewelry Collection Showcases Innovative Designs, Techniques Abstract: This mokume gane pendant, made of patinaed copper and 14K yellow, red and grey gold, hangs on a black tourmaline crystal bead and 22K gold rondell necklace. Mokume gane is a technique of layering metals. Created by George Sawyer.

                      Members of the American Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) donated a collection of 29 contemporary jewelry pieces to the GIA Museum in 2004 − the first formal collection of jewelry to the Institute.

“This was a nice injection of new, all American-made, contemporary jewelry,” said McKenzie Santimer, manager of exhibit designs for the GIA Museum. “It was a significant donation to GIA because the jewelry collection is not as comprehensive compared to the gem and mineral collection.”

The AJDC, like GIA, is a nonprofit educational organization, and is composed of highly respected American jewelry designers, including GIA graduates, who focus on raising awareness of the artistry of fine jewelry.

Jose Hess, one of the founding members of the AJDC, was very grateful so many members created pieces for this special collection for GIA. “It’s a great advantage to be able to talk about design and demonstrate what it is in GIA’s home,” he said.

Many of the designers who donated pieces are award-winning, innovative jewelry designers, according to Santimer. The collection consists of classic signature pieces that capture the designer’s aesthetics and techniques, including unusual pioneering techniques, such as a mokume gane (which looks like a layer cake of metal) piece, a Steven Kretchmer tension-set diamond and a faceted Tahitian pearl, which was a new technique at the time.

“There are some unusual, eclectic gems,” she said. “Although the AJDC is more known for metalsmithing and the craftsmanship of their work, there are significant gemstones contained in this collection, such as a large Ukranian helidor, drusy quartz, a variety of fancy-cut tourmalines, rough schorl tourmalines and a brown diamond.”

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Santimer said the pieces represent very creative and out-of-the-box thinking − a life-like orchid brooch, a convertible brooch/pendant and an adjustable ring − and are often taken into the Jewelry Design and Technology classrooms to show students real-life work.

“I think it is a great opportunity for students to see unusual designs. On days when they are trying to create something that is paved or tension-set, they’re actually getting to physically see it. It helps them understand the techniques and engineering of the pieces,” she said. “Plus, well-known designer names, including Alan Revere, George Sawyer and Michael Bondanza, resonate with the students.”

Susan Helmich, member and former president of the AJDC, said the AJDC Collection at GIA was the ultimate opportunity to educate and inspire others about jewelry design as an art form. “It’s like a dream come true,” she said.

The collection, which will be on exhibit at GIA in Carlsbad through June 2016, is also a treat for visitors.

“I think these jewelry pieces will stretch their understanding of what jewelry can be,” Santimer said. “It goes beyond what you would normally see in their local jewelry store. “They’re all designers who are trying to make it in the jewelry world, so we’re lucky to have them donated. It’s a special collection of a really important jewelry group in the United States.”

She said the eye-catching collection is sure to appeal to a variety of visitors.

“It is a nice selection of unusual metal techniques, advanced stone setting and an assortment of gemstones that will appeal to the gem geek and jewelry-loving public.” @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Jewelry Sales Stay Flat for Season; High End Beats Trend Abstract: Retail jewelers underperformed against retail as a whole this past holiday season. Courtesy of Traditional Jewelers Newport Beach. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA

	Overall, retail sales showed a reasonable upturn during the holiday season − but sales of jewelry failed to grow. The National Retail Federation (NRF) announced that retail sales from all channels climbed 4% from the previous year. Not surprisingly, the rise in online sales was much greater at 13%.

	Retail jewelry sales, however, were “flat to modestly down” compared to last year, according to Mark Light, CEO of Signet Group, the parent company of Kay Jewelers, Zales and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry. Signet reported that its same-store seasonal sales were down 4.6%. Light said these results were “in line with the jewelry market” (as a whole). The company said its ecommerce platform was beset by technical problems resulting in a 2.6% sales decline.

	Tiffany & Co., reported a 2% same-store sales decline. Its North American same-store sales fell 4%, while they were up 7% in Asia and the Far East. The company noted that protests outside the Trump Tower in New York City, which restricted access to its flagship store next door, resulted in a 14% sales decline at that location.

	Michael Hill, an Australian-based retail jewelry chain with 10 stores in the U.S., reported that sales fell 5.6% during the holiday period.

	The one bright spot was the higher-end independents. Some 63% of respondents to the Centurion Holiday Sales Success Index reported that this year’s holiday season was much stronger than last year − and 68% of respondents reported that their total year sales were up as well.

	The survey broke down the responses:

		32.5% said holiday season sales grew substantially − more than 10% over last year’s figures

		12.5% reported sales gains of 6% to 10%

		17.5% reported modest holiday gains of 1% to 5%

	There were some negatives in the Centurion poll: 20% of respondents saw sales fall off more than 10%, while 15% reported that sales were down anywhere from 1% to 10% from last year’s figures.

	In general, various surveys showed that brick and mortar store sales fell between 7% and 10%, while online gained. This was in line with the NRF report, which showed that department stores sales eroded an average of 7% this season.

	Department stores are facing deeper issues than declining middle class purchasing power. Most department stores anchor shopping malls. However, an estimated 15% of U.S. malls will fail or be changed into non-retail space within the next 10 years, according to a report by Green Street Advisors, a real estate analytics firm.

	Despite a trend toward online sales, Blue Nile was registering weak numbers through the year before announcing its sale to an investment group in the fall. The company typically reports its holiday sales in early March.

	De Beers’ CEO Bruce Cleaver, in an interview with the Associated Press, said that demand was running toward smaller diamond pieces because millennials are less affluent than previous generations were at the same age. He did say, however, that the percentage of self-purchased diamond jewelry is on the rise.

	Cleaver reported that a De Beers analysis found that the U.S. comprises 45% of global diamond jewelry demand. It also showed that China, including Hong Kong, is about 16%, India is about 8% and Japan is about 5%.

	In a New Year address to clients, Cleaver said De Beers remained committed to maintaining marketing efforts for diamond and jewelry, and to technological developments to identify synthetic diamonds entering the market.

	While the latest numbers from China’s largest retail jewelry chain, Chow Tai Fook, sound encouraging − a 4% same-store sales increase on the mainland − they don’t help the diamond trade that much. All of the sales increases came from gold jewelry, while “gem set” jewelry continued its two-year slide, down 4% on the mainland and 17% in Hong Kong.

	MINING

	Alrosa reported a 26% increase in rough sales to $4.49 billion for 2016. The results reflect a recovery in the rough market from the chaos of 2015, when clients refused to take goods from major suppliers because prices had climbed well above the cost of the resulting polished. Alrosa cut rough prices an average of 15% during the year.

	Alrosa plans to increase production 5% across the board this year by expanding operations of its Internatsionalny mine and its new Zarya pipe, a relatively low yielding resource. Both are in the western part of the Russian republic of Yakutia. The company also plans to step up its marketing in Asia through its new sales facility in Vladivostok. Alrosa produced an estimated 38 million carats in 2016.

	De Beers will likely post strong sales gains (+35%) for the year for the same reason: clients bought very few goods in the final quarter of 2015. De Beers trimmed prices as well.

	The new reality − that diamond demand and prices will not rise exponentially over the long term, as predicted during the previous decade − has hit diamond mining companies' projects that were on tap for development based on such predictions.

	De Beers will soon flood the Snap Lake mine in Canada. The company spent $1 billion developing it, but the mine never turned a profit because demand and prices remained well below expectations. Rio Tinto also walked away from the Bunder project in India last year. @topic:7


Publish Year: - Title: Designer’s Inventive, ‘Outrageous’ Jewelry Wins Industry Awards Abstract: “The best part about being a designer is seeing my ideas come to life,” says Trishala Ashok, a member of GIA’s first graduating Jewelry Design and Technology class. “The whole process of sketching my idea on paper, designing it on CAD and sending it out for production – it’s exciting!” Here, a bride wears a spaceship-inspired cocktail ring from Ashok’s WANSH Fine Jewelry on her wedding day. Courtesy Priyanka Mayur

	It’s easy to imagine that an emerging artist like Trishala Ashok – whose work has won multiple design awards in just a few years’ time – might have been first inspired by a fantastic, high-end jewelry display or glittering ring on the red carpet.

	In truth, the Bangalore-based jewelry designer was first motivated by the craft bins she found as a child at a Marshalls department store. That’s what Ashok, as an 8-year-old girl on vacation with her family, remembers about her first trip to the United States.

	“I picked up a lot of beads, Sculpey polymer clay, Shrinky Dinks and wires,” she says, noting that she began making “junk” jewelry for family and friends. “As I got older I would sell jewelry to boys who wanted to gift something to their girlfriends.”

	“When I introduce myself, I feel so proud to say that I graduated from GIA,” says Trishala Ashok, GIA JDT. “I went there as a student, and came out as a confident jewelry designer. People know that if you graduated from GIA, you were trained by the best.” Photo by Sunder S.A.

	Ashok, an alumna of GIA’s first Jewelry Design and Technology (JDT) graduating class in 2013, eventually collected a large assortment of stones at home, gathered from aquariums, sand piles – even the street.

	“I used to think every stone was a precious gem if you cut it and gave it facets,” she says.

	She dreamed of starting her own jewelry label, so when Ashok read about GIA in the newspaper as a teenager, she “instantly fell in love with the place.” She earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies from the Center for Management Studies in Bangalore, then worked as a social media manager for a luxury boutique in Bangalore while waiting for her GIA application to process.

	Ashok was thrilled to get accepted to the Institute’s brand-new, six-month JDT program on campus in Carlsbad, though she was nervous about the technology students used.

	“The only thing I would do on my computer was check emails, so learning Rhino and Matrix 7.0 design software was really new for me,” she says. “Initially I found it challenging, but after practicing every day, I got better. Now if I even open the software, my hands do all the work. I know where every tool is and what all of the keys are for. It’s like riding a bike – you can never forget it.”

	In addition to gaining gem knowledge and software skills, Ashok discovered that she loved the design challenges that GIA instructors would announce. “I loved to compete and to be challenged,” she says.

Trishala Ashok’s diamond engagement ring was a final submission project for her JDT diploma for GIA. “Whenever I feel like giving up, I look at that design,” she says. The ring reminds her of how far she has progressed. Matrix rendering by Trishala Ashok

	Ashok says her final submission as a GIA student, a bridal engagement ring, still inspires her work.

	“It’s a very simple ring, but it took me by surprise because I was still a student and I got a taste of what I was capable of doing,” she says. “I sat for hours trying to get it right. And now, whenever I feel like giving up, I look at that design. It reminds me of how far I’ve come in this industry since I made it.”

	Ashok – newly confident and ready to start her label and career back home – graduated in 2013.

	“I am who I am because of my experience at GIA. I knew nothing about jewelry before GIA – all I knew was how to put a fancy bead on a string on a bracelet,” she says. “At the end of my JDT course, I surprised myself. I was happy to see what I’d learned and achieved in those six months.”

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	Ashok started her new label, WANSH, which is a combination of her parents’ names, and almost immediately began winning design awards, including from direct-to-consumer fine jewelry brand Mejuri and Gem Privé, a design contest platform.

	The “heart” of WANSH, she says, is the notion of “inspirational design.” Ashok’s ability to look through the mundane, the unexpected, the minutiae of daily life and create something beautiful is a skill she consciously cultivates. She points to Vogue creative director Grace Coddington, who once said, “Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you see can inspire you.”

	“It’s one of my favorite quotes because it describes me as a designer,” Ashok says. “I’ve made pieces inspired by outrageous things – shark jaws, jelly fish tentacles, spaceships. My favorite ring was inspired by a vase that I came across while watching the show ‘Modern Family.’”

	Ashok acknowledges that the challenges to a young designer are many: Competition is fierce and designs don’t always turn out the way she intended. She learns from her mistakes and allows them to help “make room for improvement.”

	“The best thing to do is to be true to yourself as a designer,” she says. “Your brand and your designs should reflect your personality.” @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Design Inspiration: Historic Jewelry Abstract: All that was old is new once more – at least when exploring historic trend-setting jewelry styles of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today’s jewelry designs often reflect the same gems, shapes, and motifs of bygone eras, according to GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the leading authority in gemology. This review of eras illustrates remarkable resemblances between the epochs.

Victorian, 1837-1901
During the reign of England’s Queen Victoria, a variety of distinct styles were popular – the Early Victorian period (1837-1861) was characterized by romantic, natural pieces; the Mid-Victorian period (1861-1880), following the death of Prince Albert, brought about mourning jewelry with black stones like jet; and the Late Victorian period (1880-1901) saw lighter, more delicate jewelry. Cameos were customary. Some Victorian jewelry was a revival of past cultures, and was inspired by ancient Assyrian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Egyptian, Gothic and Renaissance themes.

Art Nouveau, 1890-1914
French for “new art,” Art Nouveau was a radical departure from historic revival styles. Inspired by the natural world, it was characterized by imaginative and sinuous artistic expressions. Flowers, animals, butterflies and insects were common, along with fantasy figures, such as fairies and mermaids. Themes of women being transformed into exotic creatures prevailed, characterizing the beginning of women’s liberation. Actress Sarah Bernhardt was a patron of Art Nouveau. René Lalique’s jewelry designs are also a prime example of this genre.

Edwardian, 1900-1915
Also known as the “Garland” style, Edwardian jewelry typically featured garlands of flowers tied with ribbons and bows. It was luxuriously flaunted among the affluent to purposely display wealth. Prominent society women, such as Princess Alexandra of Wales, wore jewelry in this decorative fashion, derived from 18th century ornamentation. Platinum often replaced silver – a result of technological advancements allowing jewelers to work better with the metal. The greater availability of diamonds, in addition to improvements in faceting, placed new emphasis on gem quality. Phenomenal gemstones – opals, moonstones and alexandrites – were favored, along with exceptionally fine diamonds and pearls. Rare and expensive fancy colored diamonds in platinum mountings of exceptional workmanship distinguished the Edwardian theme.

Art Deco, 1920s and 30s
Emerging after World War I, Art Deco jewelry demonstrated a strong reaction against the ethereal sensuality of Art Nouveau and the delicate elegance of the Garland style. Strong geometric patterns in bold, contrasting colors [especially white (diamonds) and black (onyx), or white with blue (sapphire), red (ruby) and/or green (emerald)] reflected post-war pragmatism. Platinum was a popular metal during this period. Abstract features in sleek, streamlined designs were the trend until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Designs of the time were also influenced by Mughal carved gems.

Retro, 1940s
Marked by a short supply of gems, and with platinum conscripted for military use, Retro jewelry was typically fashioned in gold, or rose gold, in the early 1940s. Bold, sculpted curves were often featured with sparingly set small diamonds and rubies (often synthetic) or less expensive larger gems such as citrine, amethyst and garnet. The late 1940s reflected the post-war return of prosperity, and more opulent uses of colored stones were seen. Designs were inspired by mechanical objects such as bicycle chains and padlocks. In contrast, floral and bow motifs expressed the feminine side.

New Millennium, Present
Today’s jewelry incorporates many of these historic themes all over again. Exceptional gemstone carvings, such as the superb works of Idar-Oberstein, are still appreciated. In fact, a number of modern artists specialize in using gemstones as a medium for abstract art, similar to the imaginative Art Nouveau era.

Prosperity in the 1990s, similar to that of the Edwardian period, renewed the fascination for rare diamonds and unusual gemstones. New high-tech cuts such as the princess and radiant cuts were introduced, and a revived interest in antique cuts – briolette, rose cuts, and old mine cuts – emerged. The 1990s also ushered in new techniques for mounting gemstones, such as invisible and tension settings for diamonds. A unique mixture of gemstones in pavé settings was introduced in the late 1980s. Motifs of butterflies and dragons, and a slightly less-fantastical version of Art Nouveau, returned. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Conversation with Jewelry Designer Martin Katz Abstract: Martin Katz. © Martin Katz, Ltd.

	From micro-pave to mega-watt glam, jeweler Martin Katz dazzles Hollywood stars and titans of industry alike. The award-winning designer shares his love of flying, why puka shells matter, and the blue diamond he’ll never forget.

The Martin Katz Microband ring consists of collection quality diamonds (D, E & F) and vibrant colored stones such as sapphire, topaz and tsavorite garnet; set in 18kt white, yellow, antiqued or rose gold.  © Martin Katz, Ltd.

Q: Essentially, you are pretty quiet about dressing actresses during awards season. Yet, you are the #1 choice for many. Why do you think that is?

	A: We’ve developed a relationship with both celebrities and stylists so have not missed a red carpet in 24 years.

	You know, how we got on to the red carpet was quite by accident. A client of mine who was also an actress called. “My co-star loves your jewelry and when I told her I knew you she said, “’Get him down to the set!’”

	So I get there and introduce myself, “Hi I’m Martin Katz.” And she says “Hi, I’m Sharon Stone.” She fell in love with a few pieces saying she’d let me know the next day what she wants. The next day my client called, “Sharon wants to borrow the choker and the earrings for the premier of her new film ‘Basic Instinct’.” I said, “I guess I misunderstood, I thought she wanted to buy them. I’m very sorry please apologize to her, but I don’t loan jewelry.” Of course, my client was incredulous. I said, “Unless she’s wearing a sandwich board with my name on it, no one will know the jewels came from me. God forbid she loses something. I have everything to lose and nothing to gain, so please express my apologies.”

	Later, I get a phone call from the head of Paramount – who happened to be my client’s husband - asking why I wouldn’t loan Sharon jewelry. I explained and he said, “She insists on wearing your jewelry, so I’m in a bit of a bind. I have to ask if you’ll do it as a favor to me.” Of course, I couldn’t say no to a client, but I asked for a favor in return. “Will she be willing to wear my jewelry for the press shoots? Then at least I’ll get a byline.”

Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone on the Red Carpet at the premier of Basic Instinct in 1992. © Martin Katz, Ltd.

	Of course it was a huge hit, she was on every cover in the world and I was right by her side giving her jewelry. Then the phones rang off the hook.

Q: Tell us your favorite “saved-the-day” red carpet story! There’s always one…

	A: One year Salma Hayek and I worked out what she was going to wear to the Oscars about three weeks ahead. It was the longest lead-time I ever had. She was going to wear beautiful blue diamonds, something I was saving for an important event.

Q: What’s the usual lead-time?

	A: Three days or less. Ten years ago, eight years ago it was a few weeks, but now it’s literally two days or one day before.

	Well, now it’s the day of the Oscars, and I get a frantic call from the stylist that they’ve busted the zipper on Salma’s dress and she needs an entire wardrobe change. Two hours before she’s supposed to leave. I gathered up all new selections, ran up to their house and was literally securing the clasps as she was getting into the limo!

	Another year Minnie Driver had a beautiful ruby bead bracelet on with a 30 ct. cabochon emerald – it had about ten strands of beads so it was about 2 inches wide. She managed to snag it on a chair and the beads went flying in the middle of the show. I learned later that she was on all fours and so was director James Cameron picking up the beads. They got ‘em all!

Q: How old were you when a diamond first caught your eye?

	A: Ten. I was in Chicago with my mother in a jewelry store sitting around bored and my sister said, “Look at that! It’s a four carat diamond!” I do remember staring into that stone and being mesmerized, but I couldn’t wrap my head around what “carat” meant. Fast forward, I’m in college trying to think of an idea for something I could sell all these students. When I told my roommate, he said, “My brother sells puka shells, and turquoise in Colorado, we could probably get him to send us some.”

Sapphire Teardrop Briolette and Diamond Earrings Briolette teardrop shape sapphires, 30.37 carats; 2 bullet shape diamonds of 1.43 carats surrounded by a border of 80 round diamonds with 4 diamond beads encircled by 152 blue sapphires. © Martin Katz, Ltd.

Q: Ok, puka shells???

	A: We would put them in a shoebox and I’d find a willing accomplice who’d invite all her girlfriends in the dorm and I’d sell stuff for $6, $10, $20 - it was big money. When I graduated, I moved to California thinking I’d use my college sales “experience”, but no one would hire me. I think I was asking for $5 an hour. But you would have had to be very experienced for $5 an hour in 1979.

Q: Didn’t your aunt work at Laykin et Cie in Chicago?

	A: Right. So after everybody turned me down, I thought maybe I should call my aunt. She made an appointment with Laykin in Beverly Hills and he hired me for 5 bucks.

	He understood I knew nothing, but he was all about hiring people he could train if they had a background he could trust. And I’m the same way to this day; if I can trust somebody, we can train them.

Q: Certainly finding people thru GIA’s Career Fair cuts the learning phase.

	A: Yes, I’d prefer that they have GIA training rather than start from complete scratch about stones. But, trust is critical.

	GIA holds tremendous value for me and I am proud to have my name on the gallery that displays The Bahia crystal at the Carlsbad campus.

Q: After holding some of the world’s most extraordinary Edwardian to Art Deco to Retro style jewels in your hands, which design era really gives you goose bumps?

	A: Art Deco. I love it. I love the colors; I love the whole Egyptian Revival period. I love the buff top stones, the geometry. It’s what I love about the New York skyline – the deco elements of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at the Chrysler Building and said, “I have to come up with something.” I just created a new collection which is very deco oriented that I arrived to by designing the NY Palace penthouse suite. Looking out at the skyline from that vantage point, I was fascinated by all the shapes and colors.

Q: Similar to the view you’d enjoy as a pilot, which you are, right?

	A: Yes. I don’t practice so much anymore, but it was just the greatest. When I was flying alone and I’d get out of the air control space, I’d put it on autopilot and just look around at the view. Very peaceful. No cellphones. No one can find you. It was great. But, I’ve started taking helicopter lessons just for fun.

Q: The inspiration of that skyline is clear in much of your work. So, let’s talk about what draws you to a stone.

	A: It’s richness of color, the depth of color.

		I like weird and unusual. I always ask stone dealers to show me what they can’t sell. Something out of the ordinary that allows me to add something very artistic to it. That’s when it becomes a piece of jewelry.

Q: Has a stone ever brought you to your knees?

	A: Oh sure. A blue diamond. It was an asscher cut 8 ct. vivid flawless that we bought from Prince Jefri Bolkiah when he had to purge his stones during the trouble with his brother the Sultan of Brunei. We bought and sold that stone three times.

Q: What stone do you think is totally unsung?

	A: Good question. Well for me, it’s a Paraíba tourmaline.
	I have one now that I originally bought 13 years ago, sold it 12 years ago and I just bought it back last year for three and a half times what I sold it for. I think it’s currently worth two and a half times what I paid for it!

Q: Isn’t the original mine in Brazil exhausted?

	A: Yes, so the future is in Mozambique where they’re finding this tourmaline with the copper in it, but it’s just not the same intensity. They’re calling it another name, because technically if it’s not from Paraíba Brazil, it’s not a Paraíba.

Q: Your micro-set stackable bands were a game-changer and are now widely imitated.

	A: Instantly. And so imitated that it burned out.

	One of our biggest clients with this ring was Cindy Crawford. I used to make micro-micro-set rings for her – they were so small, they were like diamond dental floss. It was just fantastic. We would use like .06 - they were really quite something.

	We still have clients who collect them. Those bands have never been out of my window since the first day I opened the Beverly Hills store.

Topaz, White Diamond, and Sapphire Stackable Rings 2 blue topaz microbands in 18K white gold, 1 blue sapphire microband in 18K antiqued white gold, and 2 white diamond microbands set in 18K yellow gold. © Martin Katz, Ltd.

Q: You have said, “If I could match up all the husbands who want to spend with all the wives who want to wear, my business would be incredible.”

	A: Yes, it’s weird. When a man loves jewelry, that’s when you’re really going to sell the most important pieces. I was just talking with a client of mine who about 11 years ago wanted to buy a blue diamond for his wife – a $1.5 million purchase at the time. That’s a $12 million diamond now! And his wife said, “I wouldn’t wear it. I’d rather have a pick up truck.” Can you believe it? Those were her words!

Q: That was painful. You’ve kept your business discreet and exclusive for over 30 years. Strategy?

	A: Well that’s a good question. Lately people have been inquiring about investing and I’m evaluating whether I want to become beholden to anyone. There are a few things we’ve been doing in collaboration. Victoria’s Secret, The New York Palace “Jewel Suite,” DKNY “Golden Delicious” million-dollar perfume bottle and Ray Bans. I just got back from Paris and have the 5 fragrance samples for a candle and then maybe on to an actual fragrance.

Q: And when you get that done, you’re going to fly off in your helicopter to…

	A: Napa Valley.

Q: Great place to create your own boutique inn!

	A: Now you’re sounding like my wife. When she comes up with these things I tell her, “This would be a perfect time to tell me you’ve been a billionaire all along and you’ve just been hiding it from me!” @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Grad's Career, Jewelry Line Celebrate Modern Women Abstract: Noëlle Vieillard-Jordi on one of her annual trips to Vicenza, Italy to select Venetian glass cameos for Bahina Jewels’ designs. Courtesy Bahina Jewels

                      Noëlle Vieillard-Jordi watched her new boss, a respected antique gem and jewelry dealer, inspect the Burmese ruby a dealer brought to their Geneva offices.

She worked up her courage and asked if she, too, could have a look.

Vieillard-Jordi, a recent GIA graduate only a few months into her first job in the jewelry industry, got a knot in her stomach when she got a close look at the stone. Her extensive laboratory class training told her something was off.

The “Burmese ruby” looked to Vieillard-Jordi like a synthetic stone, and her boss agreed. They asked the dealer to have the stone identified in a local gem lab, which confirmed two days later that the ruby was a synthetic.

“I was so proud,” says Vieillard-Jordi, the managing partner of Bahina Jewels. “Not only because we had seen stones like it during our GIA lab classes and I recognized it, but also because I had the courage to tell my boss.”

Vieillard-Jordi, born and raised in Berne, Switzerland, is the daughter of an architect and art history aficionado, and was raised to appreciate beauty and design. She speaks several languages (German, Swiss German, English, French and Spanish) and first pursued studies at the Hotel Management School in Lausanne, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in international hospitality management.

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Once she completed her studies, she accepted a position as operations manager of Christie’s Geneva, where she organized all Swiss auctions and daily operations, as well as managed human resources for the firm’s Geneva and Zurich offices. She left Christie’s for a year-and-a-half-long stint as product manager for L’Oreal’s luxury brand, Kerastase, but found herself missing the incredible gems and jewelry she used to see in the auction rooms.

Two friends – an expert at Christie’s and a director from a renowned jewelry company – strongly recommended she look into GIA, saying it would be nearly impossible for her to break into the gem and jewelry industry otherwise.

“When I decide to do something or to undertake something, I choose the best, whether it’s a school or employer,” Vieillard-Jordi says. “Even if it means that I have to study in a language I do not speak fluently, or live far away from my husband and family.”

So Vieillard-Jordi enrolled in GIA and moved to New York City, where she lived and immersed herself in all things gemological. She loved the city, her studies at GIA and having near-instant access to the diamond district and auction houses.

“I was one of the oldest students, and one of the most serious,” she says. “I was absolutely sure that the gem industry was my future and wanted to absorb all the knowledge the teachers were willing to share with us.”

	Vieillard-Jordi and her sister, Annick Jordi, design jewelry that celebrates the independence of modern women. Courtesy Bahina Jewels
She finished her studies in 2004, earning her Graduate Gemologist and Accredited Jewelry Professional diplomas. Vieillard-Jordi found a job – with the antique dealer in Geneva – almost immediately. Working in the small office meant she was able to learn nearly every aspect of the industry, from international trade show organization and the Swiss import/export process, to inventory and jewelry evaluation.

Vieillard-Jordi’s sister, Annick Jordi, studied design in Paris and earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) in New York, as well as her master’s degree in political science from the University of Geneva. The two realized how complementary their skill sets were, and started to dream up a line of jewelry that would celebrate the independence of the modern woman – the one who finds joy, beauty and fun in everyday life, and who is buying her own jewelry that’s not just reserved for “special occasions.”

	Sisters and Bahina Jewels owners Noëlle Vieillard-Jordi, left, and Annick Jordi, right, with a few of their designs. “Bahina” is a Hindi term meaning “two sisters.” Photo by Guy Perrenoud, courtesy Bahina Jewels
The sisters’ dream became a reality in 2007, when they established Bahina Jewels. “Bahina,” a Hindi term for “two sisters,” captures the spirit of their venture, Vieillard-Jordi says.

Vieillard-Jordi manages stone purchases, importing and exporting, and inventory, while Jordi handles design and marketing. They work closely together, traveling to trade shows around the world, and making trips to Italy for Venetian glass cameos and to India to inspect and buy loose stones for their designs, which are set in 18K gold. Bahina’s designs are available through private viewings in Switzerland, as well as high-end boutiques in Berne and Zurich, international trade shows like JCK and the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair, and through the company’s website.
Vieilliard-Jordi, who lives in Geneva with her husband of 14 years, Stephane, and their 8- and 6-year-old children, says her GIA education was “a door-opener” and gave her the right skills to build her ideal career.

“At GIA, I learned skills like identifying high-quality stones and good cutting,” she says. “But even the small details – like knowing how to correctly use a loupe – changes the way dealers look at you.”

	Vieillard-Jordi manages stone purchases and inventory for Bahina Jewels.
	Courtesy Bahina Jewels @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Jewelry Sales Slowed for Holidays: U.S. Department of Commerce Abstract: The Zoe Diamond, a 9.75 ct. pear-shaped Fancy Vivid blue diamond, set a record for the highest per-carat price of any gemstone sold at auction. Photo courtesy Sotheby's

                      The U.S. Department of Commerce made the disappointing holiday sales results official: Total sales for jewelry and watches declined 1.4% by value from the previous November and December. Some of this decline, however, must take into account the decrease in gold and diamond prices that occurred in 2014. In addition, many jewelry manufacturers and retailers in the U.S. have retooled their lines toward less expensive materials to further lower price points as many consumers remain resistant to luxury prices.

The news was expected. Tiffany & Co. reported seasonal sales declines for its North American stores and Signet Corp, which operates Jared, Kay Jewelers and Zales, saw much lower growth this past season. Anecdotally, the U.S. market saw good growth at the high end, while middle market customers traded down.

Blue Nile, the largest e-commerce jeweler, also noted that fourth quarter sales were below its expectations, clocking an increase of 7.9% and yearly sales growth of 5.2%. In 2013, the company saw its seasonal sales rise 7.2%, but recorded a 12.5% increase for the year. They have just announced plans to open their first brick and mortar store in a significant retail mall in the U.S.

AUCTIONS: The two major auction houses had a successful year, again set many price records for top diamonds, gemstones and signed jewelry pieces last year. Combined, Sotheby’s and Christies’ reported jewelry sales of $1.34 billion in 2014, about 5% over a record-breaking 2013.

Sotheby’s, which recorded sales of $602 million, achieved the highest per-carat price of any gemstone sold at auction at a New York October sale: $3.35 million for the 9.75 carat (ct.) Fancy Vivid blue “Zoe Diamond,” which went to a Hong Kong buyer. At the house’s Hong Kong auction in October, the record pre-carat price for a Kashmir sapphire was broken twice; the second time within minutes of the first.

The first sapphire was a 12.0 ct. step cut mounted by Cartier, which drew a final price of $2.32 million or $193,975 per carat, beating the record set last year by just over $13,000. A few lots later, however, an Asian collector paid $4.01 million for the 17.16 ct. “Imperial Sapphire.” At $236,404 per carat, it easily topped the price mark that had just been set. . A month later in Geneva, Sotheby’s sold the Graff Ruby for $8.6 million or $997,727 per carat – a record price both overall and per carat for a ruby.

Also in Hong Kong, Christie’s, which sold $740 million in jewelry last year, auctioned a 2.09 ct. Fancy red heart shape diamond, graded by GIA, for $5.09 million or $2.44 million per carat. It was the highest price ever paid for a red diamond at auction and the second highest per-carat price ever paid for a gemstone.

DIAMONDS: The industry will be carefully watching the Feb. 23-27 De Beers sight. January sights are usually among the largest of the year, but the company’s Jan. 19-23 sight was the smallest in some two years – $450 million – and the smallest January sight since the economic crisis. In addition, De Beers reportedly lowered prices an average of 4% and gave clients the option to defer up to 25% of their allocations to future sights.

Manufacturers claim the price reductions still have not made some goods – notably those polishing to half- to one-carat diamonds and lower color small stones – profitable to work and estimate that 20% of the sight goods were deferred. Post-Christmas orders have been slow, reflecting high inventory levels in all but the most popular sizes and qualities. The diamond industry is also still coping with liquidity issues stemming from deep credit cutbacks by the banks that finance the industry.

While many manufacturers would like to see even lower prices – rough prices declined an average of 7% last year –De Beers is treading a thin line. If it reduces prices too quickly, its largest clients will find their inventory values suddenly reduced – along with the available bank credit, which already has been significantly curtailed. Further price reductions would certainly guarantee that clients would defer their full allowance of 25% in hopes of getting cheaper goods down the line.

In times of falling prices and stagnant demand, mining companies usually shift their operations to lower grade portions of their deposits and direct more of their operations towards maintenance.

Accordingly, Dominion Resources, a partner with Rio Tinto in Canada’s Diavik Mine, reported that fourth quarter production dropped 25% compared to the year before. The company plans to ramp up production later in the year to bring its yearly output close to its average of 7 million carats per year. Production at Australia’s Argyle Mine fell 43% to 1.813 million carats during the quarter. The company’s 78% share of output at the much smaller Murowa mine in Zimbabwe fell 4% to 101,000 carats.

The one producer that does not appear to be cutting back is Russia’s Alrosa which recently announced record sales for 2014 (just over $5 billion) and a plan to sell more this year, including two million carats it had kept in inventory. Of course, the move is prompted by Russia’s dire economic straits following sanctions from the U.S. and E.U., coupled with falling oil and natural gas prices. The $5 billion-plus in diamond sales will help break the free fall its currency, the ruble, has seen in recent months. Alrosa announced that it produced 36.2 million carats during the year and sold 39 million carats into the market. The inventoried goods were mainly industrials and very low quality goods for the mass jewelry market. This year, it plans to sell 40 million carats.

	The 8.62 ct. Graff Ruby sold at a Sotheby's Geneva auction on Nov. 12, 2014. The sale achieved a record price for a ruby. Photo courtesy Sotheby's @topic:7


Publish Year: - Title: Jewelry Industry Experts Inspire Job Seekers Abstract: From left: Moderator Susan Jacques, GIA president and CEO (January 2014); Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association; Lex Graham, GIA Graduate Gemologist for Betteridge Jewelers; and Dione Kenyon, president of the Jewelers Board of Trade, share advice during the opening panel "Job Success in Today's Market" at GIA's 2013 Jewelry Career Fair in Carlsbad, California.

	Students, job seekers and jewelry industry veterans gathered at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad, California on Oct. 11, 2013 for GIA’s annual Jewelry Career Fair. The free event is an opportunity for attendees to network and connect with companies through recruiting sessions, one-on-one career coaching and panel discussions that feature down-to-earth advice.

	The panelists of “Job Success in Today’s Market,” “From Design to Finish” and “Creative Careers” have various professional backgrounds – from long-time industry veterans to a recent GIA graduate a few years into his career – with a common goal to give back by sharing what they’ve learned.

	Here is some of their best advice:

Susan Jacques, GIA president and CEO (January 2014), shared the unlikely path that led to her career in the jewelry industry: “Don’t lose opportunities that come your way in life because you believe you already know what your destiny is. Leap out of your comfort zone, take some chances – and you will be pleasantly surprised with what your life might bring for you.”

	She also spoke about the importance of honesty: “Be loyal. Lead your life and your career with passion, ethics, integrity and trustworthiness. In our industry it’s all about your word. It’s who you are and what you say.”

Dione D. Kenyon, president of Jewelers Board of Trade, challenged job seekers to become lifelong learners: “Invest in yourself. Don’t give-up. Be persistent. Show up. Have a strong work ethic. Look the part. Take risks. Have a global perspective.”

Lex Graham, a GIA Graduate Gemologist for Betteridge Jewelers: “If you face bumps in an interview, work through them. Remember, an interview is your chance to show off your greatest strength – yourself.” He also encouraged attendees to challenge themselves: “If you don’t keep moving forward in this industry, you stop.”

Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, on the importance of networking and stepping out of your comfort zone: “Get in people’s faces. Sit in the front row and take your sunglasses off. If you’re going to get into this business you’ve got to meet people.”

Charlie Herner, CAD/CAM director of Green Lake Jewelry Works, on trying new things: “You learn from your failures. Fail as often as you can – you won’t make those mistakes again. Don’t turn down a project. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn from each one.”

Jewelry designer Alishan Halebian said it’s important for designers to determine their niche: “Figure out where you fit. What makes your business (different)?”

Jewelry designer Erik Stewart encouraged aspiring designers to enter as many contests as possible because it can help you gain exposure in the jewelry industry:  “Talk to anybody and everybody… especially editors and writers, because it’s free publicity.”

Designer Erica Courtney on how to start a jewelry line: “Be patient. Start little by little. Keep trying. Always push yourself to make it better.”

Yancy Weinrich, group vice president of JCK Portfolio, on joining industry associations: "Get involved in the industry. Build those relationships. Understand how you can help people and how they can help you."

Au-Co Mai, president and CEO of Emitations.com, said when starting a new business, instead of focusing on the obstacles, look at what is accessible to you and be creative.

Hutton Wilkinson, president and creative director of Tony Duquette, Inc., on designing jewelry: “Don’t second-guess yourself and don’t let others second-guess you. Just go for it. Do what makes you happy.”

Rebecca Boyajian, director of communications for Bill Boyajian & Associates Inc.: “When opportunities come your way, say yes and figure it out later. I’m always looking for new opportunities – because I don't know everything and I want to know more.” @topic:12


Publish Year: - Title: Students Eager to Learn New Jewelry Design and Technology Techniques Abstract: Students Amanda Street, background, and Tyler Abe, use dual screens to simultaneously perform CAD rendering (left) and modeling (right).

                      It can be challenging to learn to design in three dimensions when you’ve only previously worked in two, but that’s exactly what students in the computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) component of GIA’s newly updated Jewelry Design & Technology (JDT) course  do.

“It’s trying to figure out how to retrain your brain to think in three dimensions,” said Hannah Becker, who started the course a month ago and has experience working in two-dimension as a photography and art history major in college. “We learn the basics – like making a square into a cube – and as we learn different tools and how they move, it’s been really intriguing to wrap your brain around.”

“There’s a lot of problem solving, so it does seem like a game sometimes. When I look at a form, I think ‘how would I create this shape, what type of movement would I have to envision to make this into an object.’ It’s kind of like a fun puzzle to solve for me,” she said.

Becker, who graduated from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York with a degree in art history, wrote her thesis on glitter in contemporary art and was looking for a medium to channel her passion for sparkly things into a tangible career. She discovered the “concept of connoisseurship within the field of sparkly things” when she helped her brother shop for an engagement ring and learned about GIA.

She said she is enjoying the work in the JDT class because she is using both sides of her brain. “It’s like math, there is a right and a wrong answer, but we also have the creativity of it being design,” she said.

And that is the point of the six-month JDT course, said Mark Mann, GIA’s director of Global Jewelry Manufacturing Arts. Students learn all of the hands-on, practical tools they need to know to bring their artistic visions to life.

“The course not only offers CAD modeling techniques, they’re also learning jewelry design, engineering and manufacturing essentials. This jewelry manufacturing overview will assist them in successfully building functional products,” he said.

The redesigned jewelry arts classrooms in Carlsbad are outfitted with high-tech manufacturing and learning tools for efficient, visual and interactive education geared to today’s jewelry industry, he said.

“By incorporating the latest technologies, like rapid prototyping of designs using wax mills and 3-D printers, we prepare students for how the industry works today, which saves future employers time and money,” Mann said. “Graduates will enter the jewelry industry with up-to-date skills and unsurpassed learning experience.”

	Instructor Michael Magee, left, teaches students how to use the Digital Wax 028 Rapid Prototype machine. Students, from left, are Tyler Abe, Amanda Street and Hannah Becker.
That includes the latest adult learning techniques that incorporate project-based, self-directed, experiential and action-oriented learning criteria. With these learning features in mind, each lesson contains a mix of tutorials on CAD design and modeling techniques, small group assignments, related development of personal design idea guidance, as well as footage from actual production facilities making products. Instructors lead them through the lessons and provide one-on-one help when needed.

“We mix up the content to keep it more interesting, but it’s all related,” Mann said. The lessons build upon one another and include mandatory and practice homework. Students need to keep pace in developing their skills or they will fall behind, he said.

Tyler Abe, a former engineering student from Seattle, said the video tutorials are easier to follow than the print-based ones he used in his engineering classes.

“I took a CAD course for engineering and it took me about three months to learn probably what I learned in three weeks here,” he said. “Seeing how far we’ve come in one month and knowing that we have another five months to go, I have a feeling we’re going to be very proficient at this by the end of the class.”

Product spec sheets are a very important element of the class, Abe said, because that’s what the real world works with.

“I find it really enjoyable when they give us a spec sheet and ask us to create it,” Becker said. “They talk about CAD-think – training your brain so that when you see an object, you break it down into the steps: what is the start and what is the finish and at what point in the process you should be focusing on specific details.”

Amanda Street, from Fallbrook, California was searching for a career that would give her an opportunity to fulfill her art and design aspirations when she decided to attend GIA. The CAD/CAM lessons are fun because they are “like playing a video game,” she said, but “they are really preparing us” to work in the real world.

Becker couldn’t agree more.

“I feel confident that when I go to get a job, I will be really competent and proficient at doing things in a work-type environment,” Becker said. “It makes me feel like I will be able to create something that someone asks me to and I won’t have to worry about it being off. I’d like to know that if I’m asked to make something that will be cast in platinum that I’m not going to mess it up.”

The next JDT course will be offered Sept. 26 in Carlsbad and there are plans to make this program available at the Institute’s New York campus in 2014. Students can apply now.

	Instructor Steve Roehl, right, reviews a prototype model of a ring with student Scott Sokolowski. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Mourning Jewelry: A Somber Remembrance Abstract: A selection on mourning jewelry from a display at the Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library at GIA in Carlsbad. Curated by librarians Chris Rogers and Cathy Jonathan. Photo by Emily Lane/GIA

                      Mourning jewelry is worn to memorialize a lost loved one and is usually black or dark-colored and reflects a somber tone. Although the practice began in the Middle Ages, it is most frequently associated with the Victorian Era, when it was common to wear mourning jewelry after a death.

A display case created by GIA librarians includes three strands of mourning jewelry made out of faceted onyx beads, magnesite and bone carved into skulls, in addition to library books and an article on the subject:

		“Fashionable Mourning Jewelry, Clothing & Customs” by Mary Brett

		“Mourning Art & Jewelry” by Maureen Delorme

		“Mourning and Memory: Queen Victoria's Jewellery in the ‘Albert Room’” by Helen Ritchie, Jewellery History Today Winter (2014)

The Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library in Carlsbad is home to thousands of books, journals, videos and images on gems and jewelry. GIA librarians often use those resources to create displays on a specific theme to encourage students, staff and visitors to learn more about the topic. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Professional Jewelry Designers Offer Tips to Students Abstract: Paul Klecka encouraged students to focus on what they do best. “You can always hire out the rest,” he said. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA

                      Learn as much as you can. Understand that you’re probably going to have to start at the bottom. Follow your passion. And most importantly, believe in yourself.

This is just some of the advice members of the American Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) shared with GIA students when they visited the Carlsbad campus last week. The designers were in California for their annual meeting and took the opportunity to tour the campus and participate in a panel discussion on how to succeed as a designer. Here are more of their tips:

DON'T STOP LEARNING

Get as much education as you can in all aspects of the jewelry business. -- Mark Schneider

Learn as much as possible about what you’re interested in. “Learn through academic classes -- stone setting, rubber mold making, design, fabrications -- so you can speak the language. Then you can speak to your customers, vendors, suppliers or people who are going to work for you, and fully understand this medium. The more knowledge you have, the broader base you have and the more appealing you’ll be to somebody else. Then, if an opportunity comes up, you’ll be able to fill it.” -- Alan Revere

Figure out what your strengths are and focus on them. Get other people to help you with the other aspects of your business (managing, selling, etc.). “It’s hard to have (and use) the left brain and the right brain in the same person.” -- Scott Keating

Learn how to render your designs digitally. “There are jobs out there, but they want you to know Photoshop and Rhino on the computer.” -- Diana Vincent

GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE

Use Facebook and Twitter. “You can do a lot and get your name out there and get exposure for very little money.” -- Keating

Send your portfolios to jewelry magazines. “You’ll be surprised how much they use them; they’re looking for things to talk and to write about.” -- Susan Sadler

Get your jewelry on people. “If that means giving it away, give it away. If it means selling it, sell it. It doesn’t do any good to be in your drawer, so try and spread it around.” -- Revere

Go to every trade show you can. “Have your resumes ready -- it’s face-to-face-contact and exposure.” -- Schneider

Connect and network at conferences. (Two suggestions: Society of North American Goldsmiths, American Craft Council). “Go and see what everyone else is doing and you’ll meet an enormous number of people who have the same questions and problems, but they share their solutions.”  -- George Sawyer

Wear your own jewelry. “Everybody should be wearing their jewelry -- it attracts people’s attention … and they’ll ask about it.” -- Revere

	Students hung on every tip the designers offered. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA
BECOME BUSINESS-SAVVY

You will have to pay your dues. “No one here is an overnight success. Keep your faith and plan on working extremely hard. Take entry-level jobs. They may not pay very well, but it’s the best information and you’ll learn more from on-the-job experience than anything else.” -- Schneider

Don’t try to chase the market – chase your own ideas. “Always reserve a portion of your life for the reason you probably started out, and that is to make things that you like to make. Don’t try to chase the market to see what’s selling … it’s a mistake a lot of people make and you can never catch up. To make yourself be original is more fun.” -- Sawyer

There is no specific formula for success. “There is no specific data that will tell you: you do one, and then after one, you do the second, third, fourth and fifth steps and you’ll become a successful designer or businessman.” -- Alishan Halebian

Make the leap from artist to business negotiator. “If a buyer is wowed by your work, approach [the negotiations] from a reality base and say ‘Look I’m a young artist, I’m just starting out, you love what I did, so you need to buy it because I can’t afford to finance your store. You need to pay me up front or you need to pay me half now so I can make the pieces, then pay me half on delivery. If you cannot do that, I’ll take my fabulous piece and market it elsewhere.’ And believe me, if it’s that fabulous, someone will want it and go on those terms. Don’t be afraid to explain that you're small and starting out or don’t have the ability to financially make the deal the way they might expect. Don’t undersell yourself and always base your negotiations on your own capabilities based on reality.”  -- Paul Klecka

Get it in writing. “You might want to have a consignment contract in place if you leave your work with the store. Talk to other artists about what the wording of a contract would be or ask the gallery or store if they have a contract.” -- Barbara Heinrich

Work within your ability to fulfill orders. “Grow within the abilities you have. If [the order] is going to be something that can’t be fulfilled or you can’t make it to the quality and controls you want, I would advise you to stay within your abilities to fulfill it. Then you’ll grow. Every sale you make you’ll learn something from.” -- Schneider

Jump in with both feet. “Don’t hold back. Don’t wait for anyone to come to you. It doesn’t matter what you do, but you have to be true to yourself and do it with a lot of enthusiasm and then it will come to you.” -- Sawyer

	Christoph Krahenmann acknowledged the difficulty of getting started in a down economy, but urged students to believe in themselves. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DESIGN

Design drives the planet. “It’s what makes people want to buy the new iPhone 3GS --they’re sleeping on the sidewalk to get it, right? Look at a company like Crocs that came out of nowhere with innovative rubber footwear … it’s great stuff and it’s for a lot of people. It’s not exclusive, it’s inclusive. Somewhere someone was inspired to do it, whether it’s a phone or shoes.” -- Klecka

Find your own style. “Look what’s out there so you know what not to do, then find your own truth and try to be original, then you’ll stand out.” -- Vincent

Brand your designs. “Put a design element in that is uniquely yours, you’ll develop a brand that will be recognizable for you.” -- Schneider

Spend your time on design pieces you love. “When you say, ‘Oh, I’m going to design something that’s going to sell in this price range,’ you’re starting from the bottom [of your ideas]. That energy comes out in the piece and I can guarantee nobody’s going to want it. You have to love that piece, and when you love it -- even when you’ve scaled it down [from your original idea] to meet the [market] criteria -- that energy will get across to the customer. They’ll feel it without even knowing it, and it will sell.” -- Vincent

Trust yourself and your message. “You matter and your unique vision of this world and what’s important and your values, matter. It’s important that you trust yourself and connect with yourself to bring your vision forward to make this world a more joyful, wonderful place. There is no right or wrong. ” -- Heinrich

Create an emotional response. “If what you do in your designing, or in your career, can create an emotional response with others, then you’ve succeeded.” -- Klecka @topic:6


Publish Year: 2013 Title: Multifacets: Style Yourself with Jewelry Abstract: Nathalie Cohn, creative director of Swarovski, shows the various ways jewelry can be worn to suit any occasion or setting: the workplace, cocktail hour, dining out, a night out, travel, or a wedding. Playful and irreverent, the book offers practical advice on adding touches of attitude, elegance, and personality to cultivate a highly personalized look. Each accessory’s color, texture, and shape can be used to achieve a “rich dialogue between jewelry, garment, and body.” Numerous images featuring Swarovski pieces offer strategy and inspiration for every woman who wears contemporary jewelry.

Reviewed by Stuart Overlin @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: From Elizabeth I to Elizabeth Taylor: Jewelry through the Ages Abstract: John Benjamin, left, spoke at a GIA Alumni Association London chapter meeting and shared the importance of looking at jewelry design in the context of its time. Photo © GIA

	John Benjamin, a long-time contributor of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, promised a “personal account of 450 years of jewelry in one hour and four minutes” when he visited a GIA Alumni Association’s London chapter meeting in December 2013. He delivered that and more as he treated over 50 alumni members and guests to a presentation full of passion, expertise and humor.

	Benjamin, an FGA and DGA with the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A), started his career in 1972 at Cameo Corner, the celebrated Bloomsbury jewelers originally located a stone’s throw from GIA’s London campus. He worked for Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers for 23 years until he established his eponymous independent jewelry consultancy in 1999.

	He began his presentation in the 16th century by describing the attitudes toward jewelry and why people wore it. Status, along with magical and religious associations, were strong factors in people’s choices for adornment, he said. Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558-1603, was the ultimate power dresser, according to Benjamin. He illustrated his point with a famous portrait of her bedecked in gold and gems, especially pearls.

	“She’s not just wearing jewelry, she’s groaning with it,” he said. “There’s so much on her, she might just fall over.”

	He reviewed the 17th century, when the first imitation gemstones made from paste were introduced, and the 18th century, which welcomed opportunities to show the glamour of diamonds ‒ especially when viewed by candlelight. Diamond bow jewelry, with the stones from India and Brazil mounted in silver, was fashionable during the period.

	Benjamin briefly touched on the sentimental, romantic look of the 1820s-30s; a period of nature and naturalism, such as a flower spray brooch, in the 1850s; and then tourist jewelry, created for Great Britain’s wealthy elite who started to travel, especially to Italy.

	“Jewelry needs to be seen in the context of its time,” Benjamin said, noting the lively, yet elegant, animal and insect jewelry that was popular in the 1880s-90s. The end of the 19th century heralded the introduction of mass jewelry production, exemplified by the prevalent “tatty silver brooches” in the U.K.

	The rise of the middle classes, Great Britain’s Empire and the discovery of diamonds in South Africa all contributed to a look that was all about diamonds from 1900 onward, he said. With the Kimberley discoveries democratizing diamond consumption, factories in northern cities, such as Birmingham and Chester, churned the goods out for an eager market. This led to the Arts and Crafts movement, a counterpart to commercialism. He cited brooches by the Gaskins as examples.

	Benjamin said the most important change in jewelry design at the start of the 20th century was the introduction of platinum – it gave rise to many great European jewelry houses, especially Cartier. The advent of World War I ushered in a change in buying habits and shifted the main jewelry buying market to the U.S., which remains the largest consumer globally. He called out the Hope diamond as a classic example of this change, saying he could not imagine what the Hope would sell for if put on the market today.

	The elegant jewelry of the 1920s and Art Deco in the 1930s gave way to very different and unusual designs in the 1940s-50s, with pieces that featured lots of colored gemstones, such as aquamarine, peridot, citrine and even zircon. Benjamin called this a defining era for women who were working and making their own jewelry purchases.

	“What did they want to wear? Everyday jewelry in 9k gold; inexpensive and hard-wearing to suit their new lifestyles,” he explained. Jewelers in London’s West End, such as Asprey and Hancock’s, satisfied the demand.

	Moving closer to the present day, Benjamin described the situation of the 1980s and 1990s as “What is real and what is not,” referencing the rise of synthetics and treatments that continue to escalate.

	Benjamin predicted that the next look will be defined by jewelry with an ethnic and indigenous look, reflecting the integrity, style and essence of the country in which it was made.

	Dennis Bellesort, GIA GG, a regular attendee and previous speaker, said he was pleased to hear Benjamin’s presentation. “He has a great eye for jewelry and possesses great words to express beauty,” he said.

	Benjamin thanked the GIA Alumni Association by saying the evening had been particularly invigorating for him since there were so many young people in the audience.

	“I wanted to excite you,” he said. “Jewelry and gemology is a lightning conductor into a fantastic career.” @topic:6


Publish Year: 1990 Title: Jewelry of the 1980s: A Retrospective Abstract: Fluctuations in the diamond market brought a new focus in jewelry on small diamonds and colored stones. The large quantities of blue topaz, amethyst, and citrine available made these gem materials especially popular. Cultured pearls saw a phenomenal rise, especially early in the decade. A broad mix of design trends included a return to older metal techniques such as granulation, as well as experimentation in new metals and metal-working techniques. While classical European houses were credited with some important new designs, exciting innovations emerged from elsewhere in Europe as well as Asia and the U.S. @topic:6


Publish Year: 1987 Title: Man-Made Jewelry Malachite Abstract: Jewelry-quality synthetic malachite is now being manufactured in the USSR. The texture, structure, and physical and physico-chemical properties of this synthetic malachite are reported. Three textural types have been identified: banded, silky, and budlike. The malachite is composed of closely adjacent spherulitic aggregates, the generation and growth of which are controlled by the crystallization conditions. In chemistry, color, density, hardness, optical properties, and X-ray diffraction, the synthetic malachite proved virtually identical to the natural material. Only in the thermograms were significant differences noted. Therefore, the manmade malachite holds much promise for use in stone cutting and the jewelry trade. @topic:8


Publish Year: 1987 Title: "Modern" Jewelry: Retro to Abstract Abstract: The period between the onset of World War II and the mid-1960s saw the development of several styles in fine jewelry. During the 1940s, Retro jewelry retained Art Deco's bold lines but gradually softened its colors and curved its sharp geometric shapes. These heavy settings were eventually replaced by fine, hand-made wire settings which produced flexible, three-dimensional jewelry shaped by the gemstones themselves. The designers and neo-Renaissance artists of the 1950s created colorful jewels overflowing with faceted gems as well as beads, cabochons, or rough-tumbled stones. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, gemstones became subordinate to the flow and shape of the overall design during a revival in individual craftsmanship that is still evident in contemporary jewelry. @topic:6


Publish Year: 1983 Title: Art Deco: The Period, the Jewelry Abstract: Although the Art Deco period extends roughly from 1910 to well into the 1930s, it was primarily a product of the "Roaring '20s." This was a wonderfully decadent era. It was an age of Prohibition and cocktail parties, of flappers and the Charleston, of racketeers and G-men, of nouveau riche and credit spending. These were merely some of the manifestations of the social turmoil that resulted from the extreme disillusionment that followed the "war to end all wars," a violent reaction to and rejection of the strict Victorian ideals that had prevailed. Eat, drink, and be merry! The gospel according to Freud! Sexual revolution! Women were emancipated - voting, smoking, and drinking. The "modern" woman saw herself as sophisticated, worldly, even jaded, with brazenly short skirts, plunging necklines, short hair, and the "flagrant" use of rouge, lipstick, and other cosmetics. These, then, were the times that stimulated the Art Deco movement, the period and the jewelry. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2014 Title: Books: Rings – Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty Abstract: By Diana Scarisbrick, 384 pp., illus., publ. by Thames and Hudson, London, 2014, $34.95.

              If you’ve ever uttered the words, “I think I’ll wait till it comes out in paperback,” your ship just came in. I’ve said it myself, numerous times, and then forgotten all about whatever book I was waiting for. Not this time.

Originally published as a hardcover in 2007, Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty is the real deal. It is brilliantly photographed, meticulously researched, and engagingly readable, with a high-quality paperback binding, sewn pages, and a double foldout cover. At $34.95, you can’t afford not to own this treasure.

Perhaps my favorite feature of this book is simply that it contains multiple images of many of the subjects. How often do you see the top view of a ring and wonder what a side detail looks like? Or you might have a perfectly acceptable perspective view, yet the text describes an engraving on the inside of the band that is not shown in the image. Kudos to Scarisbrick and the photographer for taking the time to include these creative angles. What a luxury.

The heart of the book is the Benjamin Zucker Family Collection, accompanied by pieces from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, London’s Freud Museum, the Cartier Collection, and a host of private collections.

The organization of information in Rings is a treat. It is arranged into eight thematic chapters, each explored chronologically from ancient times to the present. With this format, you can see the evolution of certain types of rings, and how art, fashion, politics, and social norms exerted their influences. Starting with 50 pages of signets in the first chapter, all of the sections provide insightful ways to associate and characterize the groupings of rings.

The remaining chapters parse the vast oeuvre of rings into what might be considered sociological subdivisions, such as “Love, Marriage, and Friendship Rings,” “Rings Associated with Illustrious People and Great Events,” “Decorative Rings,” and so on. I am fascinated to see how the ring, a relatively small item, can open up insights to so many different time periods and how the popularity of different types of rings waxed and waned.

Adding to the depth of information in each chapter is the use of drawings and paintings from various periods. Scholarly but not stuffy, the background text fleshes out the humanity behind the rings and adds insights about the people and the times. Equally impressive is the technical mastery of countless, mostly anonymous, jewelry makers. We see examples that may have been solo efforts, as well as numerous collaborations between designers, goldsmiths, lapidaries, stone setters, enamelists, and polishers. All come together to create a lasting, wearable work of art, the perennially popular ring. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Books: Rings – Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty Abstract: By Diana Scarisbrick, 384 pp., illus., publ. by Thames and Hudson, London, 2014, $34.95.

                      If you’ve ever uttered the words, “I think I’ll wait till it comes out in paperback,” your ship just came in. I’ve said it myself, numerous times, and then forgotten all about whatever book I was waiting for. Not this time.

Originally published as a hardcover in 2007, Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty is the real deal. It is brilliantly photographed, meticulously researched, and engagingly readable, with a high-quality paperback binding, sewn pages, and a double foldout cover. At $34.95, you can’t afford not to own this treasure.

Perhaps my favorite feature of this book is simply that it contains multiple images of many of the subjects. How often do you see the top view of a ring and wonder what a side detail looks like? Or you might have a perfectly acceptable perspective view, yet the text describes an engraving on the inside of the band that is not shown in the image. Kudos to Scarisbrick and the photographer for taking the time to include these creative angles. What a luxury.

The heart of the book is the Benjamin Zucker Family Collection, accompanied by pieces from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, London’s Freud Museum, the Cartier Collection, and a host of private collections.

The organization of information in Rings is a treat. It is arranged into eight thematic chapters, each explored chronologically from ancient times to the present. With this format, you can see the evolution of certain types of rings, and how art, fashion, politics, and social norms exerted their influences. Starting with 50 pages of signets in the first chapter, all of the sections provide insightful ways to associate and characterize the groupings of rings.

The remaining chapters parse the vast oeuvre of rings into what might be considered sociological subdivisions, such as “Love, Marriage, and Friendship Rings,” “Rings Associated with Illustrious People and Great Events,” “Decorative Rings,” and so on. I am fascinated to see how the ring, a relatively small item, can open up insights to so many different time periods and how the popularity of different types of rings waxed and waned.

Adding to the depth of information in each chapter is the use of drawings and paintings from various periods. Scholarly but not stuffy, the background text fleshes out the humanity behind the rings and adds insights about the people and the times. Equally impressive is the technical mastery of countless, mostly anonymous, jewelry makers. We see examples that may have been solo efforts, as well as numerous collaborations between designers, goldsmiths, lapidaries, stone setters, enamelists, and polishers. All come together to create a lasting, wearable work of art, the perennially popular ring. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Modern Men's Jewelry Abstract: With the cultural conversation of today’s well groomed, sophisticated, and cosmopolitan man – it’s no wonder that men’s jewelry is approaching center stage in the fashion world.

Jewelry design experts at the world renowned GIA (Gemological Institute of America) say men’s jewelry is not just a passing fad. In fact, designers and retailers are devoting more time, attention, and store space to men’s jewelry than ever before.

“Men today are demonstrating increasing fashion sophistication among themselves. They are undoubtedly more comfortable wearing jewelry – non-wedding rings, necklaces, and bracelets, for instance – than their fathers were,” says Stephen Roehl, product manager for GIA’s jewelry manufacturing arts department where students from all over the world learn to design and manufacture jewelry.

According to historians in GIA’s library, the emergence of men’s jewelry is not a recent phenomenon. Early monarchs and noblemen wore extravagantly bejeweled items—clothes lavished with diamonds, pearls, and gold buttons; fashionable pearl stickpins; ornamental timepieces; ornate diamond necklaces; and swords set with decorative gemstones.

Men today are showing the same desire to want to show their identity to the world, and they’re at ease and confident enough to complement a watch with a bracelet, necklace, or ring. But what kind of jewelry do modern men want? What catches their eye? What do they think catches the ladies’ eyes?

Roehl says old and new styles are merging. Recognizably masculine pieces are being paired with a fresh, feminine twist, and designers are taking advantage of the growing trend of genderless fashions. Soft and lustrous Tahitian pearls – a tradition in women’s pieces – are being incorporated with leather for a sensuous male touch. White gold and rubber is an emerging combination seen in bracelets and necklaces for men.

Cufflinks are more popular than ever. Classic designs in gold, silver or platinum are always a big hit for the conservative businessman. Integrating diamonds, black pearls, black onyx, malachite, garnets, rubies or sapphires represents a novel departure for the sophisticated man who likes to match accessories with his attire.

And, men don’t have to be professional athletes or rock stars to wear earrings these days. Handcrafted designer pieces in silver or platinum can create an elegant blend of contemporary masculinity. A diamond stud is perfect for a night out on the town.

The attractiveness of stainless steel, most prominently seen in the watch segment, has found its way into fine jewelry for men. It has the same high-polish appearance and durability of platinum – but is much more affordable. Stainless steel and other metals, such as silver and titanium, are gaining popularity in rings. Chain necklaces are designed for an industrial, manly look. Steel pendants can also be combined with a leather cord for a nouveau bracelet or necklace. Some designers are even setting diamonds into stainless steel pieces.

Any diamond purchased should come with a GIA grading report, which gives details of the quality of the diamond based on the 4Cs (Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight). @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Jadeite Whisperer: Shanghai Jewelry Designer Kaka Zhang Abstract: Jewelry designer Kaka Zhang’s unique designs are inspired by nature and her culture, and by memories of things she has seen in the past. Photo courtesy of Kaka Zhang

                      It’s rare to meet someone whose interests as well as talents encompass art, science, and business, but such was the case when we met successful jewelry designer Kaka Zhang in Shanghai, China. When she was three, her father—who wanted her to be an artist—taught her painting. In high school she acquired an interest in, and studied, science and technology. This led her to study gemology at the East China University of Science and Technology under the guidance of Prof. Shouguo Guo.

	Jadeite Buddha Goddess: Guanyin

	Gemology, Art, Science, and Business
Her gemology studies led Miss Zhang to a career that was the perfect combination of science, art, and business. Prof. Guo guided her to jewelry design and e-commerce based on her artistic talents and her interest in the future potential of the internet. Miss Zhang had also worked for an internet company and was convinced of the tremendous business potential of e-commerce.

	Miss Zhang is a rare combination: A passionate, inspired artist and an astute business
	woman. Photo courtesy of Kaka Zhang
Although Miss Zhang was not a jewelry design major, she was able to develop her artistic talents and expand on her painting background with daily practice. She came to the realization that jewelry design requires a combination of art, material selection, and manufacturing knowledge.

Most of Miss Zhang’s design inspirations come from nature and are meant to display nature’s beauty. When she was young, she spent time with her grandfather in the family garden. Those days led to her love of incorporating naturalistic themes into her designs. Also, she points out that nature, flowers, and trees are major themes of traditional Chinese paintings.

	A Tradition of Nature Themes

	Jadeite and Her Jewelry
Jadeite is the main gemstone used by Miss Zhang in her jewelry designs. She explains that it comes in a wealth of colors and patterns, and its luster and texture suit the tastes of the Chinese. In the interviews, she expresses her feelings about the unique bond between jadeite and the Chinese culture. She states that jadeite is varied and graceful and, like Buddhism and Chinese medicine, has deep meaning for the Chinese people that cannot be easily explained. She feels that jadeite jewelry design should reflect China’s history and cultural significance.

	Traditional Buddha Bead Chain

While Miss Zhang loves vivid, transparent jadeite, she also loves incorporating blue hues, both evenly colored and with mottled coloring that resembles floating clouds or flowing water. She says that the blue hues have a more conservative look preferred by many in her age group.

	Miss Zhang likes to use jadeite with a bluish color component. Photo courtesy of Kaka Zhang

	Creating the Design
When it comes to actually creating a design, Miss Zhang holds the piece of jadeite in her hands to feel its shape and quality. She considers what she can add to the piece and what impression it brings to mind. Miss Zhang says that every piece of jadeite is unique and always reminds her of something she has seen in the past.

She gets a great deal of inspiration directly from a piece of jadeite. It might remind her of a landscape. If a piece reminds her of a goldfish, she might design a jewelry piece to resemble a fish jumping out of the water. She often purchases jadeite carved into different shapes like leaves, flowers, and calabash—a gourd that symbolizes wealth and good luck to the Chinese.

	Cultural Themes

	Miss Zhang uses a wide range of jadeite qualities, including fine green material, in her jewelry creations. Photo courtesy of Kaka Zhang

	The Market for Her Pieces
Miss Zhang’s jewelry pieces fall into high end, moderate, and commercial price ranges. The high-end pieces are usually sold to her older clientele so she incorporates traditional designs into them. She designs pieces set with high-quality jadeite in a more natural state, following the jadeite’s essence and adding a few design elements as decoration. For lower-priced jewelry, her designs are more imaginative and she adds more elements. Most of the customers for moderate- to lower-priced pieces are younger and more open to imaginative designs with a variety of design elements.

	High-quality Jadeite Water Drop

Miss Zhang told us that traditional designs are safer and that a greater use of imagination is riskier and comes with some expectation of failure. But she likes being imaginative and trying different designs. When it comes to design, she prefers to follow her heart and not just the commercial market. This explains why she has become recognized for her work.

Many Chinese consumers place a lot of importance on jewelry’s intrinsic value, so the price range of the jewelry must reflect both the value of the materials and the design and workmanship. She says that although Western designers can demand high prices based on design and branding, Chinese designers must base price also on the value of the components. Her clients are often not as traditional as many Chinese consumers and will focus more on the design aspects of the piece and how it affects their feelings when buying.

Miss Zhang sees a direct correlation between her sales and the growth of the Chinese economy and the rise of China’s importance as an economic power. When discussing jadeite sales, she says the Chinese have an old saying: “Buy gold when society is not stable and buy jade when it is prosperous.” She says that China’s economic boom is the reason the country’s jade market has been so strong.

	Her Business and Customers
Women are the primary target market for her designs and materials, and make up 99 percent of her customer base. She does business primarily on the internet and her customers are mostly in their 20s to 40s. Even within that group, however, there are differences in taste.

While older customers have more discretionary income to buy jewelry, they do not buy from the internet as much as those in her customers’ age group. Because of her older customers’ higher spending capacity, they select jewelry pieces with higher-value jadeite. Higher jadeite quality levels are more accepted in their social circles and at the events they attend.

Customers in their 20s do not have as much of a budget for jewelry purchases. They often buy transparent, near-colorless jadeite that is extremely popular with their age group but not as accepted by customers in their 40s. Although the price point of this jadeite quality, called ice jade, is lower and better suited for customers in their 20s, the price has been going up due to its popularity and demand.

Ninety percent of Miss Zhang’s business is on the internet, and she has a loyal and enthusiastic customer following. She sells 80 percent of her pieces immediately after they’re posted on her website. She addresses concerns about buying expensive pieces online and builds trust by inviting customers to her studio and holding events to show special high-value pieces.

	Jadeite Bangle Bracelet

Customers often bring friends, so her customer base continues to grow. Ninety percent of her clients are in mainland China, with 10 percent from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and overseas.

In the interview, Miss Zhang describes her Small Office Home Office (SOHO) life to us. Her design studio and internet business are run from her home in Shanghai. Her jewelry is manufactured by a factory in Shenzhen. She visited numerous factories before selecting the master jewelers she felt comfortable communicating her designs to. She has a great relationship with them, and the jewelers skillfully translate her designs into finished jewelry. She describes their relationship this way: “I play the role of their eyes and they are my hands.”

One of the interesting aspects of her career is that over the years she has met many clients who share her passion and ideas. They have become more than customers—there are many that she considers friends. Her conversations with them are a great treasure to her. Many of them have supported her since the beginning of her career. In fact, many customers send their daughters to her to learn about jewelry design. Miss Zhang is happy to see their interest in becoming the future jewelry designers of China.

	Her Business Style
Miss Zhang firmly believes in educating her customers about jewelry design and materials. She has written articles on the subject and also explains it to customers in person. She says, “I think selling is not just pushing customers and telling them how low-priced the pieces are. You should be able to teach your customers and enrich their knowledge about gemstones. Then they will trust you and accept your brand. I am more like a consultant than a pure salesperson.” She also posts jadeite pieces for her customers and listens to their design ideas while educating them about design and manufacturing, allowing for the creation of customized pieces.

	Combining Materials

Her dream is to run a private jewelry club instead of a retail store. Miss Zhang feels that retail stores are too commercialized and formal for her. She prefers to create an easy and relaxed environment for her customers and treat them more as friends. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Report from Jewelry Camp 2013 Abstract: Auctioneer Joseph DuMouchelle shows a jewelry item to attendees during a session at Jewelry Camp.

                      If you were to wear more than three gold rings on your hand, you could be breaking the law—that is, if you were a woman during the Italian Renaissance. Sumptuary laws in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries dictated what finery people of certain classes could legally wear, said Jan Krulick-Belin in a presentation at the 2013 Antique Jewelry and Art Conference in Atlanta. An art and jewelry historian, she has studied paintings as a glimpse into jewelry of the past, since few pieces from before the 18th century have survived. Bridal portraits, for instance, show young women dressed in fine gowns and expensive jewelry, which they were only allowed to wear for a brief period without being considered immodest.

	Historians study the styles of the past from portraits like that of Lucina Brembati (left), whose hair, dress, and jewelry indicate a person of upper class. One of her rings bears the coat of arms of the Brembati family, another clue to her noble heritage. Painting by Lorenzo Lotto, circa 1518-1523, from the collection of the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo. The portrait on the right of Bianca Maria Sforza was painted at the request of her husband, Maximilian I, as a condition of marriage, prior to her appointment as Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. Painting by Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis, circa 1493, from the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
Krulick-Belin’s talk was one of many at the 36th annual conference known as “Jewelry Camp.” Held in Atlanta for the first time in 2013, the event was started in Maine by art nouveau jewelry expert Dr. Joseph Sataloff but later moved to New York and changed hands. Joyce Jonas ran the event until 2006, when jewelry appraiser and educator Edward Lewand took over with his wife, Sandy.

We had the opportunity to attend this year’s conference, which took place August 1–3 at the Cobb Galleria Centre, in conjunction with the Atlanta Jewelry Show. About 80 jewelry professionals and collectors attended three days of lectures on various aspects of antique jewelry.

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Among the experts presenting at this year’s conference were William Drucker of Drucker Antiques, who spoke on the Danish jewelry company Georg Jensen; author and museum consultant Janet Zapata, on Tiffany & Co. jewelry; Ezriel Rapaport of The Rapaport Group, on the secondary diamond market; Joseph DuMouchelle, on selling jewelry at auction; and Tina Joseff, on the costume jewelry designer Joseff of Hollywood. We also attended lectures on identifying Georgian and Victorian jewelry, famous women jewelers, Gothic Revival jewelry in France and England, 150 years of jewelry styles, and internet research for identification and pricing, as well as an accelerated, hands-on assessment of antique jewelry.

	George Jensen’s Rare Designs
Over its more than 100-year history, Georg Jensen jewelry has maintained value and is still handmade, said Drucker, a recognized authority on the company’s silver jewelry. Georg Jensen (1866–1935) was trained as a sculptor and began making jewelry in a small workshop in Copenhagen. He worked in art nouveau, a style that still influences the company’s designs. Other Jensen designers brought their own aesthetic and modern influences to their designs. One designer, Arno Malinowski, developed a metalsmithing technique using iron and silver during World War II, when metals were scarce. The product was similar to shakudo, a gold-copper alloy traditionally used in Japan to decorate sword fittings. Malinowski used this technique for only a short time, so these Georg Jensen pieces are rare and highly sought after.

	Diamond Recycling
Everything old is new again, and diamonds are no exception. Ezriel Rapaport, director of global trading at the Rapaport Group, pointed out that more diamonds are actually coming out of the U.S. than South Africa today, thanks to the secondary market. This is being driven by “diamond recycling” on the part of the baby boomer generation. The generation is either selling off its diamonds or trading up. About $1.5 billion in diamonds are recycled annually, offering jewelers excellent profit margins.

	Ezriel Rapaport, director of global trading at the Rapaport Group, talks about the state of the secondary diamond market. Photo courtesy of ASK Media/The Antique Jewelry and Art Conference.

	A Jeweler to the Stars
Tina Joseff, president and CEO of Joseff of Hollywood, gave an engrossing account of the company started by her father-in-law in 1928. Eugene Joseff worked in advertising in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles and starting a business designing and manufacturing jewelry for the burgeoning movie industry. He worked with famous costume designers, including Walter Plunkett (“Gone With the Wind” and “An American in Paris”) and Adrian Adolf Greenberg, also known as Adrian Gilbert (“The Wizard of Oz”). Joseff’s jewelry used silver, gold, platinum, plastic, wood and other materials, including natural gemstones. He also developed a secret plating technique so the jewelry wouldn’t reflect the camera lights.

Many of the big Hollywood stars were bejeweled in Joseff creations, both on screen and off. Some of the most memorable pieces include Vivien Leigh’s swag necklace in “Gone with the Wind” (1939), Shirley Temple’s crown and scepter in “The Little Princess” (1939), and Judy Garland’s lariat necklace in “Ziegfeld Follies” (1944). When Joseff died in a plane crash in 1948, his wife, Joan Castle Joseff, continued the business and created jewelry for the likes of Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953) and “Some Like It Hot” (1959), and Grace Kelly in “High Society” (1956).

	This still from the movie "Gone with the Wind," featuring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, is composited with the necklace worn by Leigh, which features Austrian amethysts and white sapphires set in sterling silver. Photo courtesy of Joseff-Hollywood.

Actress Grace Kelly (left) wore faux pearl earrings (right) for the movie “High Society.” The piece was designed by Joseff of Hollywood, known at one time as the “Jeweler to the Stars.” Photos courtesy of Joseff-Hollywood.
Today, Joseff-Hollywood mostly produces precision investment castings for the aerospace industry, but the company still manufactures a line of retail costume jewelry using original findings purchased in mass quantities shortly before Joseff’s death. The vintage retail costume jewelry and studio pieces are still highly sought after by collectors.

	Hands-On Purchasing Simulation
Another session was led by Louis Scholz, a gemologist and founder of Fine Jewelry by Louis, a wholesale antique jewelry company, and Brixton & Gill English-made cufflinks. This hands-on session involved the lightning-fast examination of 25 jewelry items. Using only a loupe, with one minute per piece, participants determined each item’s age and gem and metal content and assessed its marks. The experience was humbling but beneficial, as purchasing estate jewelry often requires quick evaluation, along with a keen eye, experience, and good instincts.

	A Jewelry Camp attendee examines a hat pin during the conference’s hands-on purchasing simulation, led by antique jeweler Louis Scholz. Photo courtesy of ASK Media/The Antique Jewelry and Art Conference. @topic:6