Archive for February 9th, 2006
Look My Earings
www.kompas.com/wanita/news
Perhatikan telinga Anda, sudahkah mereka dihiasi sepasang anting-anting ? Yang sedang digandrungi saat ini adalah anting-anting panjang bergaya vintage atau klasik. Pasanglah anting-anting di telinga dan rasakan perubahan penampilan secara drastis, meski saat itu Anda ’hanya’ memakai jeans dan T-shirt. Fesyen bergaya bohemian atau victoria yang feminin, gaun hitam akan cocok dipadu dengan anting vintage dari batu-batuan berwarna seperti ini. Tips untuk Anda, agar penampilan tidak berkesan terlalu ramai, hindari menggunakan anting panjang bersama dengan kalung batu-batu besar. Sekarang berkacalah, telinga Anda akan berterima kasih karena Anda tidak lupa mempercantik mereka.
February 9th, 2006
Mann’s Jewelers Announces New Hires
Three Employees Hired
Business Strategies Magazine
Mann’s Jewelers, 2945 Monroe Avenue, announced the addition of three employees; Dawn McDonald, Luke Sterns, and Connie Walker. Dawn McDonald, of Fairport, joined Mann’s Jewelers as a customer service representative. McDonald is responsible for answering customer telephone inquiries, sales transaction processing, and customer notification. She spent the previous seven years as an office manager and executive assistant. Luke Sterns, of Rochester, has been hired as a goldsmith at Mann’s Jewelers, where he custom designs, engraves, fabricates, and repairs jewelry. Sterns’ past work experience includes managing a jewelry repair shop and work as a bench jeweler. Connie Walker, of Greece, joined Mann’s Jewelers as a sales associate. Walker is responsible for assisting customers with all areas of making jewelry purchase decisions and educating customers about their options. Walker has been in the jewelry business for 14 years, most recently as store manager elsewhere.
February 9th, 2006
Flowers, jewelry, candy dominate Valentine’s gifts
Republic
Valentine’s Day comes at a good time for consumers and retailers.
Consumers have the mid-winter, can’t-wait-for-spring blues, and retailers are enduring their annual post-Christmas sales slump.
What better way to perk everyone up than flowers, chocolates, diamonds, greeting cards and an assortment of whimsical Valentine’s Day gifts?
For those who can’t afford the higher-ticket items, smaller gifts are available in abundance at any grocery, department, craft or drug store.
The ideas are endless, from the traditional to the one-of-a-kind.
Chocolate galore
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is preparing for one of its busiest seasons of the year.
“It kind of builds up slowly,†said manager James Ellis, “then we get a lot of last-minute shoppers.â€
The shop at Edinburgh Premium Outlets offers a large selection of handmade chocolates, truffles, fudge, gourmet apples and cookies.
For $29, shoppers can buy a cut-glass vase filled with candy and holiday decorations.
Gourmet apples also are a popular treat that can be decoratively packaged to go or sliced to be eaten from a bowl.
The large Granny Smith apples, which cost less than $6, include ones dipped in chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, nuts and sprinkles.
Also available are chocolate-dipped cherries, raspberries and strawberries and heart-shaped cookies with custom messages.
Truffles come in an assortment of flavors, and dog bones covered in a confectionary coating are available for beloved family pets. Gifts also can be shipped.
Bling buys
Jewelry is a traditional favorite for Valentine’s Day gifts, although styles and trends change year to year.
Tim Banta, manager of Ultra Diamonds at Edinburgh Premium Outlets, said three-stone rings, “O†diamond necklaces (made popular by Oprah Winfrey) and jewelry with tanzanite (a blue to purple stone) are popular this year.
Red rubies sell well at Valentine’s Day, as do heart pendants and engagement rings.
February 9th, 2006
Earnings Recap: Online Jewelry
MSN MoneyCentral
NEW YORK (AP) - At the same time Blue Nile Inc., an online jewelry vendor, reduced its guidance for 2006 after its fourth-quarter results came in below Wall Street estimates, Amazon.com Inc. said its jewelry sales were up more than 100 percent during the period.
After the bell Tuesday, Blue Nile reported a profit of $5.3 million, a 16 percent increase from a year ago, but the results and the company’s 2006 outlook fell short of analyst expectations, causing shares to tumble Wednesday.
The Seattle-based company’s shares were down $5.05, or 13.5 percent, to $32.24 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq, and earlier in the session changed hands as low as $29.21.
The soft results prompted Merrill Lynch’s Mark A. Friedman to reduce his 2006 and 2007 earnings estimates, but the analyst was somewhat forgiving, noting that the company faced unusual challenges in the period.
During the quarter, Google increased its “click rates” by more than 50 percent, while top keyword costs were up about 80 percent from a year ago, boosting Blue Nile’s online marketing costs substantially, Friedman said in a note to clients.
“Competitors both big and small entered the online advertising market aggressively and perhaps irrationally during the holiday season pushing up the cost for search engines,” he wrote.
As a result, the retailer plans to be more conservative with its paid search advertising in 2006 and might chose to direct more of its advertising budget outside of the Internet, he said.
In addition, a larger number of online retailers chose to advertise through online search engines late in the holiday season, reducing Blue Nile’s exposure on sites such as Google, Friedman said.
Amazon.com, which did not provide specific jewelry sales figures, credited its strong sales to low prices and increased selection. Zale Corp., which operates zales.com and bailybanksandbiddle.com in addition to its brick-and-mortar stores, is scheduled to report results for the quarter on Feb. 17.
Overstock.com Inc. an online closeout retailer which includes a large selection of jewelry on its site, on Tuesday reported a loss for the fourth quarter, despite a 44 percent rise in sales, but did not break its revenue down by product category.
Friedman said Blue Nile needs to expand its offerings outside of engagement and diamond jewelry, which accounted for the bulk of its sales last year, in order give satisfied customers more reasons to come back.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
February 9th, 2006
Jewelry store opens downtown
Kodiak Daily Mirror
Not new to Kodiak and not new to the jewelry business, Dan Eubanks has a new store.
Daniel’s, at 414 Marine Way, next to Norman’s across from Ardinger’s, opened for business Feb. 1.
Eubanks has been working in a little shop in the Treasury for the past five years doing mostly repair with some retail.
Eubanks, who also works at the Kodiak Inn as a night dining manager, came to Kodiak in 1991 from Tallahassee, Fla., where he owned a jewelry store in the late 1980s.
Now expanding in Kodiak, he has more sales inventory, including custom-designed items, while maintaining his repair services.
He also works with his associate Jennifer Foster who brings a lot of experience to the store. Both create original work. Eubanks now has a display of silver barrettes in the shape of a fish recently crafted by Foster.
Eubanks said a good jeweler helps people find quality in jewelry and helps them match expectations with their budgets.
“There’s a lot of public ignorance about jewelry … a general lack of awareness in the industry,†he said. “For example determining a good diamond or gem in terms of clarity, color, carat and cut.â€
He advised, “If you don’t know your jewelry, know your jeweler.â€
Daniel’s is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. , Monday through Saturday.
February 9th, 2006
Jewelry made of birth control pills has a message
The Plain Dealer
Jesse Tinsley
Plain Dealer Reporter
Jewelry with a message crafted by Cleveland artist Christopher Sweiger is redefining “fashion statement.”
Sweiger, owner of Artifactual Creations, has teamed with Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland to produce UnderCover jewelry - a line of jewelry made with expired birth control pills.
The idea behind the stylish resin-encased pills dangling from ears and necks came about by accident for Sweiger - a lifelong artist who began making jewelry two years ago.
His roommate, a volunteer for Planned Parenthood, asked him to toss a handful of her expired birth control pills into a few pieces of jewelry for a raffle at the clinic’s fund-raiser.
Planned Parenthood liked the jewelry so much that it entered into a contract with Sweiger, who has now produced a line of 22 UnderCover styles that are selling nationwide.
“All of a sudden, people are calling us out of nowhere . . . from Alaska, Idaho and California,” said Emily Thome, development coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland.
Nearly 1,000 necklaces and earrings bearing the tiny colored pills have been sold at Planned Parenthood clinics here and through its Web site all over the country.
The jewelry makes a “quiet statement” and often inspires dialogue ranging from women’s access to healthcare to political and social questions about free choice and civil rights.
“There is a whole political side to our cause,” said Thome, who said she has received only positive reaction from others about UnderCover jewelry.
She said Planned Parenthood “decided it would be a unique way for people to make a statement about access to women’s health, specifically birth control.”
February 9th, 2006
Vintage jewelry designer and artist coming to Lincoln
Newport News-Times
Oregon artist and vintage jewelry designer, Vonda Martin, will bring her line of original vintage art jewelry to Sweet Bee Antiques on Saturday as a special guest to celebrate Antique Week in Lincoln City. A special reception for the artist will be held between noon and 5 p.m. Saturday, with light refreshments served.
Martin is well known for her large and vibrant abstract expressionist paintings and mixed - media sculptures. An artist/designer for more than 20 years, her work has been seen at The Art Gym at Marylhurst College, First Thursday Shows in the Pearl District in Portland and in the homes of discriminating clientele.
Her wide range of striking jewelry has been sold in upscale stores and establishments such as Nordstrom, Tutto Mio, Blazers on Broadway, Contemporary Crafts Gallery and Gango Gallery.
“I know that you will love this unique and original jewelry. Each piece is one-of-a-kind,” Sweet Bee owner Deborah Hertz says. “This is a great opportunity to meet this exciting artist and purchase an original piece of vintage artwork jewelry just in time to give to that special person for Valentine’s Day. This guest highlights what we love, bringing artists and artisans in for special events like Antiques Week. They are interesting and it is exciting what they bring to my shop.”
Hertz, who relocated to the Oregon coast eight years ago, says Sweet Bee is more than an antique shop. Although she had many years working with such retail giants as Nordstrom and Coach, she loves the relaxed atmosphere she has created in her own establishment.
Located at 6334 SE Hwy 101 in the Street Car Village just south of Lincoln City, Sweet Bee Antiques is a favorite destination of tourists and residents alike. It is known not only for a funky, eclectic décor and a range of items new and old but for a range of prices as well.
“There is a special emphasis on finding the unusual, and vintage linens and quilts new and old,” Hertz added.
Work began in 2005 to expand the shop and is currently in process. It should be finished this year, which will double the prior space from around 750 square feet to almost 1,500 square feet. When completed, this additional room will not only increase the capacity to carry much more inventory but will allow Sweet Bee Antiques to showcase artists with larger works for special events.
February 9th, 2006
I-TEAM: Jewelry Appraisals
WCCO 4
(WCCO) Minneapolis Jewelry can be one of the most expensive purchases people make and its value is measured by money and often emotion.
The I-TEAM discovered that finding out how much your jewelry is worth, may not be as clear cut as you think.
Bill and Rose Perpich have pretty much led a picture perfect life, always protecting prized possessions, but not realizing the importance until last year.
Rose Perpich’s ring, bracelet, necklace and earrings were stolen last year and the couple only received half of what the jewelry was insured for.
It made the I-TEAM wonder how much the priceless pieces are really worth. The I-TEAM took a princess cut, cathedral set diamond engagement ring to four different appraisers.
Yesteryears and Independent Gemological Appraisers are both independent. The ring was also taken to two jewelry stores, Badiner and Bockstruck. All were told an appraisal was wanted for insurance purposes.
The I-TEAM wanted to find out if the appraisals would be similar, but more importantly, if they would include enough information so the ring could be replaced with a similar ring if necessary. The I-TEAM found vast differences and a lack of information.
“As much disclosure as possible should be on the appraisal,” said Darin Kath, the chief operating officer of Jewelers Mutual. Jewelers Mutual is the oldest and largest jewelry insurance company, headquartered in Wisconsin.
“We insure over $1.7 billion of jewelry throughout the country,” Kath said.
Kath said a proper appraisal is key.
“If you didn’t have a very accurate description, you’re not going to get the identical piece,” Kath said.
The I-TEAM asked Kath to look at the appraisals the four jewelers gave. The names of the appraisers were removed beforehand, to ensure they were judged on content and not who performed the appraisal.
Immediately, Kath detected differences, after ensuring the appraisals were all for the same ring.
“There are some pretty flagrant differences on items like clarity and color, which would have a bearing on the retail value,” Kath said.
The appraisals included various color and clarity grades. Bockstruck graded the diamond an “F” on the color scale, which is nearly colorless. That would make the diamond more expensive.
Independent Gemological Appraisers graded it an “H”, which is two shades worse.
There were also big differences in the values. One appraiser thought the ring was worth more than $4,000, while another thought it was worth $2,700.
When asked if that bothered him, Kath replied, “The answer is yes. Obviously when we get a piece to insure, we get one appraisal.”
“It is interesting that you have a vast array of documentation, including the format, from some kind of memo to a very detailed appraisal,” Kath said.
Kath said two of the appraisals the I-TEAM received did not provide enough detail to guarantee the ring could be replaced with one of similar value.
Kath said he would ask for more information from Yesteryears and Badiner Jewelers.
The one from Yesteryears did not include the carat weight of the main diamond, which is key information from an insurance company standpoint.
The owner told the I-TEAM his office mistakenly sent out an incomplete appraisal and wanted to send a completed one. The new appraisal did include more information, but said the ring was approximately 3/4 of a carat, but did not include an exact carat weight.
Badiner did not include a description of what the ring looked like, saying nothing about the cathedral setting and the diamonds set alongside in a channel.
Yesteryears and Badiner also left off the depth measurements, saying it is tough to include those dimensions when a diamond is already mounted. The other two appraisers included the depth measurements.
It is true that it is tough to include depth measurements when a diamond is mounted, but Jewelers Mutual said in order to determine the carat weight, you have to take, or at least, estimate those measurements.
Bill and Rose Perpich’s appraisal papers helped them negotiate more money from their insurance company, allowing them to replace Rose Perpich’s ring. The couple recommends people do more work on the front end.
“I think the lesson is that you need to make sure that you not only have the appraisal but that you talk with your insurance company and find out what’s going to happen in this situation,” Bill Perpich said.
The two appraisals that were considered more complete contained the four Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight. The appraisals also included very detailed descriptions of the ring and its value.
Insurance experts said those items are key if you hope to replace your ring with a similar ring.
Anyone can be an appraiser. Insurance companies recommend places that are certified by the American Gem Society, because those appraisers have to pass a test every year to stay certified.
February 9th, 2006
Jewelry part of Carillo’s heritage
Vallejo shop owner followed relatives into gem business
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN. Times-Herald staff writer
If it’s possible to have jewelry in one’s blood, Cesar Carrillo does.
The American Canyon resident recently opened C & M Carrillo Jewelry in Vallejo. Though it’s the first store he has owned, it’s the latest in a long chain of such enterprises in the Carrillo family, he said.
“I started working with jewelry at age 9 with my family in Mexico,” Carrillo said. “They’re jewelers - my grandfather, uncles, aunts - going back three or four generations. There are many mines around there, and that’s where they get the raw materials.”
Carrillo said he took to the work like he was born to do it.
Though his father died before Carrillo’s first birthday, nearly all his relatives were already deeply in-volved in the trade, he said.
“My eight older brothers all dedicated their lives to the jewelry business, and I learned from them and my grandfather and uncles,” he said. “I grew up in it, in the shops of my brothers, my uncles and my grandfather.”
It was under his family’s tutelage that Carrillo learned all facets of the jewelry business, from design to casting to seating stones and repair, he said. But for good measure he also earned a degree from San Francisco’s Revere Academy. The 41-year-old married father of two said he’s been in the United States since 1987.
“Jewelry is part of my family, part of my life. I spent my life working in jewelry,” Carrillo said, though it took him seven years in the United States to save enough money to open his own store.
“The first job I got in the U.S. was in construction, and I started saving. And I started making contacts with jewelry stores, selling our designs,” he said, adding he maintains contracts with various jewelers in San Francisco’s Gift Center.
He always knew that eventually he’d have his own jewelry store, Carrillo said.
Carrillo said he chose to open C & M Jewelry, named for he and his wife, Marivel, on Broadway in Vallejo because the area boasts a large Hispanic community, but his clientele already includes members of many other ethnicities.
“Specializing in Hispanic - that was my original idea, but now I have all sorts of clients, because the other local jewelers are recommending their clients to us for jewelry and watch repair,” he said. He added that though he’s not especially worried about thieves, he did have window bars and a door cage installed as a deterrent when he remodeled the former Pluto’s Hot Dog shop.
One recent local customer said he likes having a convenient place to find nice jewelry.
“It’s good. It’s clean, and the merchandise
is nice,” said Fernando Espinoza of Vallejo.
Carrillo said his favorite part of the jewelry-making process is design.
“That’s exciting for me. When I see the face of the customer and they look happy. That’s the best part,” he said.
It’s that artistic component of the process that seems to have passed on to his 7-year-old daughter, Alexis.
“She’s really creative. She draws designs on paper. She draws mommy and poppy wearing charms. She tells me what she thinks of my de-signs. It’s really fun and easy for her to do,” Carrillo said.
Carrillo and his wife design rings, earrings, charms and pendants in several grades and shades of gold and platinum.
They also use diamonds and natural South and Central American stones such as rubies, emeralds, sapphires, opals, topaz and pearls, in their work. Examples include butterfly and dolphin pendants made of three colors of gold and a 14-karat gold flying eagle charm with a red ruby eye.
The store carries charms, necklaces, bracelets and medallions like one created from a Mexican coin and another inspired by the Aztec culture.
“I can design any kind of jewelry,” Carrillo said. “If you bring me a picture of Laura Bush and she has a nice pendent, I can recreate it.”
The Carrillos’ older daughter, Scarlett, 10, on the other hand, is more the technician. “She’s really fascinated with the soldering part of the process,” he said.
Prices for merchandise at C & M Carrillo Jewelry, which includes designer colognes and perfumes and the sale and repair of name-brand watches, start at about $9. Ear piercing can also be done at the store.
Carrillo said business is already better than he’d expected and he hopes to be able to open another location in a few years.
“My dream was always to find a way to open a jewelry store,” he said. “When you work seven years to do your dream, you feel really, really good to achieve it. A part of your life is complete. But once you do, your dream never stops.”
February 9th, 2006
WPT Brand Name Helps Poker Jewelry Shine
Online Poker News
If you’re searching for something to give your poker-playing partner for Valentine’s Day, one jewelry website may have just the thing. JewelryCrossings.com is offering bling lovers a vast array of glitzy poker-themed products. Some of the items you can purchase for your king or queen of hearts are gold earrings, silver charm bracelets, and diamond rings, all featuring various suits from a deck of cards. Furthermore, the World Poker Tour (WPT) has lent its brand name to the adornments, adding even more luster to the ornate trinkets.
For more serious poker players who would love to get their hands on a championship bracelet, the website is offering the next best thing, a diamond-studded WPT ID bracelet. Indeed, this piece of poker hardware is pricey at $2,200, but that’s still cheaper than a $10,000 main event entry fee. The poker jewelry is not just for those who’ve won big at the felt, however, as prices start at $50 for suited rings.
Susi Van Wickle, owner of the Jewelry Crossings Company and web site, described the benefits of her company’s products, saying that “WPT jewelry allows men and women to give a unique gift that incorporates love and love of poker on the most romantic day of the year,” and that “the WPT jewelry brings an element of fun to gift-giving for both men and women.”
February 9th, 2006
