Archive for February 7th, 2006
Hawaiian Jewelry - Celebrity Bling Hawaiian Style
PR Web
(PRWEB) February 7, 2006 — Getting a bit of celebrity style for her wardrobe is something every woman aims for. Most women spend countless hours watching awards shows – not to see who wins – but to check the latest fashion trends. Says Mr. Yoshi of MyHawaiianJewelry.com, “We often get customers who want us to create Hawaiian jewelry that reflects what various celebrities wore at different Awards functions. It’s actually a great way to get some classy Hawaiian jewelry at affordable rates. We work hard to adapt the celebrity look and yet retain a Hawaiian flavor to the jewelry. The combination almost always results in stunning and unique pieces!â€
As seen by the trends followed at the 2006 Golden Globes and 77th Academy Awards, earrings are currently the most popular piece of jewelry favored by the stars. From chandeliers and diamond drops to studs and some outrageously funky pieces, they were all there. Here are some of the best designs in jewelry worn by celebrity stars to the different Awards functions and how the styles can be adapted Hawaiian style.
•   Reese Witherspoon’s triple drop diamond earrings at the 2006 Golden Globes have to be the most coveted piece of jewelry at the Awards. Now most women cannot afford triple globe diamond earrings that possibly cost six figures. However, despair not. Mr. Yoshi of MyHawaiianJewelry.com says women can easily cop Reese’s gorgeous style by choosing to buy triple drop earrings made with Tahitian pearls instead of diamonds. The look is elegant, chic and absolutely stunning and yet the cost a fraction of the original.
•   Ziyi Zihng’s of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ fame wore feminine and graceful long drop earrings at the 2006 Golden Globes. These are also a rage and can easily be created using black Tahitian pearls. They are perfect for petite women or to showoff stunning shoulders in a strapless dress. Black pearls with sparkling diamonds are a great look for a night of partying in Hawaii.
•   Christel Khalil from ‘The Young and the Restless’ and was nominated for an Emmy in 2004 for her role as Lily Winters. Christel loves wearing flowers and would in fact be a perfect model for Hawaiian jewelry. Hawaiian jewelry uses many flower motifs like plumerias, hibiscus and orchids. Christel’s playful and colorful flower necklaces could actually be inspired by Hawaiian jewelry!
•   Mischa Barton’s pearl danglers featured in the November 2005 issue of OK magazine are simply to die for. Long, elegant diamond earrings that end in a pearl drop. Hawaiian Tahitian pearls pairs with long braided platinum earrings are the perfect option to steal this celebrity look.
Chandelier earrings and long, drop earrings are definitely the latest trends in jewelry being worn by the stars. And Hawaiian Tahitian pearl jewelry is the easiest and most economical way for the regular hardworking woman to add some celebrity bling to her jewelry collection!
February 7th, 2006
More men are finding jewelry masculine
BY TANIKA WHITE
Baltimore Sun
First he raided your grooming products. Then he usurped your aesthetician. And now, ladies, not even your jewelry box is safe.
Men are buying themselves bracelets, rings and pendant necklaces with increasing frequency, and wearing their bling with a confidence and flair heretofore unseen in the Western world, according to fashion experts and industry observers.
“From an industry perspective, men’s jewelry has been one of the real stars of the last couple years,” says Brian Nohe, president and COO of Spectore Corp., a fine jewelry manufacturer. “Men are spending more time grooming themselves. That carries over into the men’s jewelry market.”
So much so that insiders estimate the industry has seen a 20 percent growth in men’s jewelry in the past few years. Designers such as David Yurman with existing pieces of men’s jewelry have started expanding their collections, and many manufacturers, most of whom have focused solely on women, have launched new lines aimed at men for the first time.
I.B. Goodman. Konstantino. Nikos. Triton. Fibo Steel. “In 2005, there must have been at least 20 new brands added in men’s jewelry,” says Jeff Prine, executive editor of Modern Jeweler magazine.
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons is the latest — and possibly one of the biggest names — to join the fray, launching the Simmons Jewelry Co. Men’s Collection in December.
The collection of bracelets, chains, pendants, rings and diamond earrings has an edgy, urban feel; pieces are made of alternative materials such as rubber and steel, and accented with hip-hop images, such as microphones and dice.
“It’s really affordable and it’s really cool and fun,” says Simmons, who is chairman of Simmons Jewelry Co., adding that the line is a natural counterpart to his wife Kimora Lee’s line of glamorous jewelry for women. “It really fits my masculine, male image.”
Already the brand is a favorite among the celebrity set. Sean “Diddy” Combs wears one of Simmons’ rubber bracelets in his latest music video, “Nasty Girl”; actor Adrien Brody wore one to the “King Kong” premiere.
Simmons says he knew the line — sold at Macy’s department stores for an average price of about $400 — would take off. All the men he knows, he says, are big fans of jewelry.
“I’m in the fashion business. That’s my job,” says Simmons, a collector of fine watches. “I hang out with a bunch of rappers and kids.”
But male-oriented jewelry isn’t strictly for the diamonds-in-both-ears hip-hoppers or the fashion-experimental young.
From the ball court to the boardroom, men of all ages, lifestyles and income levels are finding themselves more inclined to throw on a little something shiny.
“There are different segmentations of men (buying jewelry). Some men are more of the Ralph Lauren set, penny loafers and blue blazers,” says Nohe, whose company is behind the new and popular Edward Mirell brand of men’s jewelry. “Then you have the Wall Street business types. It has really taken hold in all segments of the market.”
Word-of-mouth has helped fuel this upswing, which industry insiders say is more the start of a new era in jewelry than a trend or fad.
Jewelry designer Barry Kieselstein-Cord said customers walk into one of his self-named boutiques and say, “‘I saw 50 Cent wearing a piece of your work on an album cover.’ Or, ‘I saw Wayne Gretsky’s wife with a beautiful necklace on. Gosh, I’d like to get that.’ ”
Kieselstein-Cord’s “Vero” collection of Mexican Day of the Dead-inspired jewelry has caught the attention of such celebrities as Spike Lee and Jamie Foxx. Athletes’ and celebrities’ obsession with “ice” and “bling-bling” filtered from the urban to the suburban market and created a demand for jewelry for the mainstream man, says Mary Moses Kinney, director of the Independent Jewelers Organization, which represents 850 independent jewelers in the United States and Canada.
“These super-masculine guys are saying, ‘Jewelry’s cool, and I’ll show you why, because I’ll wear it.’ So as a result, men are thinking, ‘Hey, it’s OK for me to wear this.’ ”
Even nontraditional jewelry manufacturers want in on the growth in this segment of the jewelry industry, they say.
Montblanc, for example, the renowned luxury pen maker, has recently expanded on the practical accessories it was offering for men (cufflinks, key chains, money clips) to items made purely for style.
“It really started maybe two or three years ago,” says Jan-Patrick Schmitz, president and chief executive of Montblanc, North America. “It really changed rather noticeably. The brand evolved from a functional brand to style — men’s bracelets, rings and these sorts of things. Full-fledged men’s jewelry.”
Interestingly, a lot of contemporary men’s jewelry is functional, in that it does something other than gleam or complement an outfit.
Many of Simmons’ pieces are movable. An abacus pendant has beads that slide back and forth. Dice pendants rotate.
A good portion of the new men’s jewelry is made of alternative materials, such as titanium, steel, rubber or tungsten. The materials scream masculinity, observers say.
“They’re used to dealing with those metals in eyewear and watches,” and sports equipment such as golf clubs and tennis rackets, says Prine.
And unlike women, who tend to be mainly interested in jewelry’s “pretty” factor, men, as a whole, like to understand the things they buy.
“I think that this will actually help women,” says Moses Kinney. “What I think will happen is that men will develop a better comfort level about purchasing jewelry and won’t feel so intimidated by the whole jewelry-buying experience.”
February 7th, 2006
Jewelry high on the list of preferred Valentine’s Day gifts
Nearly 30 percent of consumers plan to give jewelry as a gift for Valentine’s Day, according to a survey conducted by the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC.net).
Some 50 percent of JCOC.net panel members will give a Valentine’s Day gift this year – but less than a third of them will be giving jewelry, according to the Internet-based survey of jewelry consumers.
The results show that more shoppers plan to buy cards (64.4 percent) and candy (46.1 percent) than fine jewelry and watches (28.1 percent). Last year 12.2 percent of JCOC panel members gave jewelry as a Valentine’s Day gift.
“Valentine’s Day is about love and so is jewelry. We are a perfect match” says Elizabeth Chatelain, president of MVI Marketing Ltd., Paso Robles, Calif. MVI is the owner and creator of JCOC.net.
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The JCOC Valentine’s Day shoppers seem to be split on styles of fine jewelry they will buy this year. Nearly identical percentages preferred necklaces (34.3 percent), earrings (34.3 percent) and watches (32.2 percent). Significant percentages also cited bracelets (26.9 percent) and fashion rings (22.7 percent).
When asked to describe the jewelry they will be giving, again there was no clear favorite. Some 31.5 percent said “diamonds.” The same percentage said “precious metal with no diamonds or gemstones,” 31.2 percent said “precious gemstones,” and 29.95 percent said “watches.” When asked what metal the Valentine’s Day gift will be set in, there was more of a consensus, according to the survey results. More than half of JCOC panelists planned to purchase yellow gold for at least one of their fine jewelry gifts. Way behind: White gold (36.3 percent), sterling silver (29.2 percent), and platinum (15.3 percent). Chatelain said she isn’t surprised, “(In) our resent surveys consumers have been leaning toward yellow for fashion fine jewelry,” she said.
February 7th, 2006
Tiffany’s Sues eBay Over Fake Jewelry Sales
NBC 11
PALO ALTO, Calif.
— Some jewelers have an issue with an online auction Web site.
CNBC reported Tiffany and Co. filed suit against eBay in 2004 after it bought 200 Tiffany-listed items and deemed at least 150 of them as fakes. As a result, Tiffany claimed, eBay banked hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions from those illegal sales.
“If you’re getting something for $30 that’s supposed to go for $300, it’s probably not real,” Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Heath Terry said. “I think the odds for this hurting eBay are pretty slim.”
The Web site conceded that, at any given time, an average of 6,000 auctions for sale may be fraudulent.
While that may represent a small fraction of the 70 million items up for sale, many industry experts said eBay’s estimates may be conservative at best.
“Trust and safety is a huge division in the company. They have a number of safeguards in place, but it is a very diverse marketplace,” Pacific Growth Equities analyst Derek Brown said.
While eBay said its tough to police the 70 million items currently for sale, they said the site’s verified rights owner program offers counterfeit protection. If copyright or trademark holders discover a bogus item for sale, they can have the auction de-listed from the site by just filing a complaint.
February 7th, 2006
Trade of counterfeit jewelry lands eBay in legal trouble
By Katie Hafner
New York Times
SAN FRANCISCO · A year ago Jacqui Rogers, a retiree in southern Oregon who dabbles in vintage costume jewelry, went on eBay and bought 10 butterfly brooches made by Weiss, a well-known maker of high-quality costume jewelry in the 1950s and 1960s.
At first, Rogers thought she had snagged a great deal. But when the jewelry arrived from a seller in Rhode Island, her well-trained eye told her that all of the pieces were knockoffs.
Even though Rogers received a refund after she confronted the seller, eBay refused to remove hundreds of listings for identical “Weiss” pieces. It said it had no responsibility for the fakes because it was nothing more than a marketplace that links buyers and sellers.
That very stance, the heart of eBay’s business model, is now being challenged by eBay users like Rogers who are starting to notify other unsuspecting buyers of fakes on the site. And it is being tested by a jewelry seller with far greater resources than Rogers: Tiffany & Co., which has sued eBay for facilitating the trade of counterfeit Tiffany items on the site.
If Tiffany wins its case, not only would other lawsuits follow, but eBay’s very business model would be threatened because it would be almost impossible for the company to police a site that now has 180 million members and 60 million items for sale at any one time.
Of course, fakes are sold everywhere, but the anonymity and reach of the Internet make it perfect for selling knockoffs. And eBay, the biggest online marketplace, is the center of a new universe of counterfeit with virtually no policing.
EBay, based in San Jose, Calif., argues that it has no obligation to investigate counterfeiting claims unless the complaint comes from a “rights owner,” a party holding a trademark or copyright. A mere buyer who thinks an item is a fake has almost no recourse.
“We never take possession of the goods sold through eBay, and we don’t have any expertise,” said Hani Durzy, an eBay spokesman. “We’re not clothing experts. We’re not car experts, and we’re not jewelry experts. We’re experts at building a marketplace and bringing buyers and sellers together.”
Company officials say they do everything they can to stop fraud. The company says only a minute share of the items being sold at any given time — 6,000 or so — are fraudulent. But that estimate reflects only cases that are determined by eBay to be confirmed cases of fraud, like when an item is never delivered.
Experienced eBay users say the fraud goes well beyond eBay’s official numbers, and that counterfeiters easily pass off fakes in hundreds of categories.
“EBay makes a lot of money from a lot of small, unhappy transactions,” said Ina Steiner, the editor and publisher of AuctionBytes.com, an online newsletter. “If you’ve lost a few thousand dollars, you might go the extra mile to recover it. But if you’ve lost $50 or $20 you may never be able to prove your case, and in the meantime eBay has gotten the listing fee and the closing fee on that transaction.”
The Tiffany lawsuit, in addition to accusing eBay of facilitating counterfeiting, also contends that it “charges hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees” for counterfeit sales.
In 2004, Tiffany secretly purchased about 200 items from eBay in its investigation of how the company was dealing with the thousands of pieces of counterfeit Tiffany jewelry. The jeweler found that three out of four pieces were fakes.
The case will go to trial by the end of this year, said James B. Swire, an attorney with Arnold & Porter, a law firm representing Tiffany. The legal question of whether eBay is a facilitator of fraud is a critical issue that could affect not only eBay’s future but also Internet commerce generally, said Thomas Hemnes, a lawyer in Boston who specializes in intellectual property.
“If eBay lost, or even if they settled and word got out that they settled, it would mean they would have to begin policing things sold over eBay, which would directly affect their business model,” Hemnes said. “The cost implied is tremendous.”
But eBay members like Rogers have little desire to wait for court decisions; they say the uncontrolled flood of fakes is driving down the value of the authentic goods.
For the past few months, Rogers and three women she met on eBay who are also costume jewelry buffs have banded together to track the swindlers they say are operating in their jewelry sector. “People have faith that eBay will take care of them, but it doesn’t,” Rogers said. “EBay has done nothing.”
February 7th, 2006
Purchasing Jewelry for Valentine’s Day - How to Get It Right
By: PR Newswire /SYS-CON Media
CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ — If the thought of buying Valentine’s Day jewelry for your loved one this year leaves you feeling daunted, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) says that these five easy tips can help relieve your worries.
Tip 1: Capture a heart with diamonds and gems. Just about everyone, girl and guy, loves jewelry, and it’s a romantic sentiment that will strike the right chord on virtually any day of the year. But it’s important to know what your special interest likes and will happily wear. On Valentine’s Day, girls especially love carefully thought-out symbolism. Think outside the “jewelry” box, such as having a custom-made heart pendant with a red ruby to prove your passion.
Tip 2: Take two important web tutorials at http://www.gia.edu/. GIA helps educate the public on how to purchase gems and jewelry and has created two online tutorials that teach the basics of diamonds and gemstones.
Each site features an interactive guide — Lucy in the “How to Buy a Diamond” tutorial, and Ruby Tuesday in “How to Buy a Gemstone in 7 Simplified Steps.” Lucy and Ruby reveal some of the most important information needed to make the right buying decision, including the famous Four Cs of diamond value — color, clarity, cut, and carat weight — which GIA created in 1953.
Tip 3: Don’t wing it. Go to a trusted source. You’ll be an angel when you deliver a delicious box of chocolates, flowers, or football tickets, along with personally engraved jewelry this Valentine’s Day. “But the important thing is to ask a jeweler or store if its associates have been professionally trained,” says Brook Ellis, GIA’s Education vice president.
“Find a jeweler with Graduate Gemologist or Accredited Jewelry Professional credentials — two of the jewelry industry’s most well-known and respected titles. Choose your jeweler carefully — he or she will be of immense help to you throughout your jewelry buying career.”
Tip 4: Don’t buy a diamond without a GIA report. It’s the most trusted authentification in the worldwide jewelry industry, and you should always ask for one when you purchase a diamond. You can request a GIA report from your jeweler or send the diamond to the GIA Laboratory on your own. Visit http://www.gia.edu/gemtradelab/31505/services.cfm for more information about all of GIA’s Laboratory services.
Tip 5: Laser inscribe the diamond with a romantic message and get extra security. The GIA Laboratory will laser-inscribe any message on the gem’s girdle (outside edge) for a romantic touch. The diamond’s unique report number can even be inscribed and permanently recorded, which can later provide verification if the diamond is ever lost or stolen.
With laboratories in New York and California, research facilities in Geneva, Antwerp, and Bangkok, and 14 campuses worldwide, GIA is regarded as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. For more information about the GIA Laboratory, Research, or Education, visit http://www.gia.edu/, or call 800-421-7250.
An independent nonprofit organization, GIA is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism.
February 7th, 2006
Saline Business: Baker bringing fine jewelry to Bryant
Benton Courier
By Jillian McGehee
Courier Staff
Baker’s Fine Jewelry has been in operation since May. But Baker is no stranger to the practice, having operated the store for 24 years in Warren.
To expand her jewelry knowledge, she and co-worker Melody Brown recently attended a series of educational seminars, workshops and courses at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s buying conference in Boston.
Baker offers a variety of jewelry selections for women and men, including bridal sets; all types of stones set in rings, necklaces and earrings; bangle bracelets; watches; and the latest in trends such as the circle diamond necklace.
At the seminar, Baker and Brown had the opportunity to preview lines of more than 150 top manufacturers and jewelry designers, who exhibited their merchandise, some of which is exclusive to members of the jewelers organization. Baker’s Fine Jewelry is Bryant’s exclusive member.
While Baker acknowledges that more jewelry stores are bound for Bryant, she enjoys being the growing city’s first fine jeweler. At the conference, she and Baker “carefully selected many unique and exciting items for the fall season that are sure to delight customers.”
A certified jeweler who can make custom pieces is also part of Baker’s staff. She said he has been customizing selections for more than 20 years. Other services include wish lists that allow customers to mark items they would like to receive for holidays, birthdays or special occasions.
The store is located in Bryant Commons shopping center off Arkansas 5, a couple of doors down from Alisha’s Home Furnishings. Store hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. 5 p.m. each Saturday.
IJO is an international buying group and educational organization of independent retail jewelers with nearly 900 members globally, according to a news release. “Its group buying power enables members to offer customers the finest in high-quality jewelry and loose diamonds at tremendous savings while maintaining the reliability and integrity of an independent retail jeweler.”
February 7th, 2006
Select Jewelry, Inc. Wins Lawsuit
[Press Release] PR Newswire via Yahoo! FinanceÂ
Diamond Fascination(TM) Trademark Protected–
NEW YORK, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Ronny Seliktar, president of Select Jewelry, Inc. announced today the company has successfully reached a settlement with Marfo Group and Designs by FMC for infringing on Select’s trade dress with the Diamond Fascination(TM) product. “Creativity is America’s most valuable natural resource and must be protected,” Mr. Seliktar said. The company was granted an immediate injunction stopping the infringing activities of both Marfo Group and Designs by FMC and has since reached a permanent settlement with both companies. The details of the settlement are confidential.
The leader in diamond accent and 14kt gold jewelry in the United States, Diamond Fascination(TM) includes earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces. The Diamond Fascination(TM) Collection is available in the U.S. through department store and jewelry retailers, electronic retailers and catalogs. It is also available internationally in Japan, The United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.
February 7th, 2006
CAROL CAIN: Respected east-side jewelry business ends an era
Michigan business
While I’ve spent much time focusing on people entering the world of entrepreneurs, this column is about a seasoned small-business owner and his decision to throw in the towel after 50 years.
For the first time in his working life, Dick Schwenter isn’t sure what he’ll be doing today, as Whittier Jewelry at 22333 Kelly near 9 Mile in Eastpointe shut its doors for good last weekend.
Schwenter, 68, and his wife, Shirley Schwenter, 57, had spent decades at the family-run store, selling wedding rings, high school graduation gifts, baby presents and much more, mostly to folks from the east side.
It’s not exactly “Cheers” but it was the kind of store where the Schwenters knew many of their customers on a first-name basis.
It’s the sort of service-driven enterprise that often separates the independent business owner from the larger chains, at which frequent employee turnover is the norm and finding an employee who can tell you offhand at what location a certain product can be found is the equivalent of spinning your wheels in the sand.
On Detroit’s east side
Whittier Jewelry started in 1955 by Albert and Grace Schwenter and was at 11606 Whittier on Detroit’s east side for decades. Grace Schwenter is to celebrate her 90th birthday Feb. 21; the elder Schwenter died 17 years ago.
The couple had built a loyal following among residents in Detroit.
Dick Schwenter helped out at his parents’ store as a young man, leaving for two years to serve in the Army from 1960 to 1962. He then worked in the production control department at General Motors Corp. from 1962 to 1969 while continuing to work weekends at the family’s business.
He took over the store in 1970, and Albert Schwenter worked part time.
Shirley Schwenter joined him after they married in 1974. The couple have two sons, Eric, 28, who works as a computer engineer in Portland, Ore., and Jeffrey, 26, a marine biologist who is working on his master’s degree at Grice Marine Laboratory in Charleston, S.C.
Though the couple loved being on the east side, both having been raised in Detroit, the location did come to offer some challenges — the kind that caused them to move to Eastpointe in 1995.
Like the time they were robbed in 1977 (they got the merchandise back after someone turned the crooks in).
And there were other incidents through the years.
But Oct. 4, 1994, sticks out. It was the day they had a botched robbery attempt that ended up in a gunfight between three men and Dick Schwenter.
Three males came into their store. “They were wearing hoods. You just knew something was up,” Dick Schwenter recalls. As a small retailer, you learn to deal with, among other things, the constant threat of robberies.
The three, ages 16, 18 and 21, spread out throughout the store, and the robbery attempt unfolded, one having a gun. Schwenter quickly went for his loaded gun — “my .38 special” — he says.
He still has that gun and another .38, too, that he has kept in a drawer near the cash register at the Kelly Road store, though he never had cause to use it.
Schwenter ended up shooting three times at the thieves, hitting a wall and a jewelry case. He was shot in the chest and ended up in the hospital for five days.
He still has shrapnel in his liver.
The three males escaped unharmed but minus any jewelry.
As the story of the gunfight got out, the store’s business suffered because the regulars — many of them older people — were afraid. Even some of their employees wanted them to leave.
“Let’s move,” Shirley Schwenter recalls saying at the time, but her husband was undeterred.
He did hire a security guard for the front of the store.
“He only carried a billy club, no gun,” Schwenter says.
But Schwenter began to worry about the liability costs if someone did come in, and the guard hit him. He decided that was crazy, so they settled on the Kelly Road location, which was only a few miles away.
They did well in the new location.
Extended lease sought
About six months ago, their lease was up, and their landlord wanted them to sign an extended lease, something Dick Schwenter wasn’t prepared to do.
“I didn’t know if I’d want to be open five years from now,” he says.
After a lot of soul-searching, the Schwenters decided it was time to close.
Their two sons, who had worked at the store as teens, were not interested in running it.
“Times change,” says Eric Schwenter, who was at the store last week helping his parents close it.
Dick Schwenter admits surprise at the outpouring.
“I had little old ladies in here crying that we were closing,” he says. “They were people who knew us, my mom, my dad for 50 years.”
Indeed, their last day of business, last Saturday, was like an upbeat Mardi Gras celebration.
They were busy selling jewelry, and Grace Schwenter stopped by for a last look.
Shirley Schwenter plans to work somewhere, likely using her managerial and bookkeeping skills.
But Dick Schwenter isn’t so sure, adding that he’d like to work a few days a week.
He’ll be busy planning his mother’s 90th birthday party.
And he’s looking forward to dinner with Shirley at Coach Insignia restaurant in Detroit, which was a retirement gift from their sons.
“I have mixed emotions about closing,” Dick Schwenter says, looking away.
Once all the cleaning was done and merchandise gone, the last thing the family took out of the store was a framed picture of a younger Albert and Grace that adorned their shop for decades.
Harry Shorter, their brother-in-law, was there to snap a picture of Dick and Shirley holding it. They then turned off the lights and walked out.
February 7th, 2006
Tokyo thefts linked to 80s jewelry gang
The Asahi Shimbun
A Hong Kong-based crime syndicate blamed for a series of jewelry heists in Japan in the late 1980s and early 90s appears to have resurfaced, according to Tokyo police.
The gang goes by the name of Bakusetsudan (explosive theft group). It had a distinctive way of breaking into shops: Members used oil-pressure jacks or crow bars to create spaces in which to crawl through.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officials said that since June last year four jewelry shops in the Yuraku-cho district of Tokyo’s Chuo Ward had been broken into using the same method.
The latest incident occurred Jan. 14.
Investigators said a hole was made in a wall of a building that accommodated a jewelry shop.
The thieves, however, fled empty-handed.
Police believe footprints near the hole were from the gang members.
The following day, thieves broke the backdoor glass of a jewelry shop just 200 meters away in the Ginza district and made off with rings and other jewelry worth about 8 million yen.
Investigators said footprints left at the scene matched those in the Jan. 14 incident.
Meanwhile, similar cases have occurred in other prefectures, including Hiroshima, Hyogo and Fukuoka.
In most of the cases, the robbers gained access by bashing small holes in walls that faced narrow alleyways.
According to the MPD, footprints found at the scene in some of the Tokyo cases were similar to those left in an incident which took place in Hiroshima city in April, a well as the scene of a heist in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in August.
Of the Bakusetsudan members who escaped arrest in the 80s and 90s, some were believed to have returned to Hong Kong.
However, police say that at least one member recently returned to Japan. (IHT/Asahi: February 6,2006)
February 7th, 2006
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