Archive for March 22nd, 2006
India Sets Jewelry Export Growth 15% for Middle East
By THOMSON DIALOG: NewsEdge/ Diamonds.net
Posted: 3/21/2006 10:14 AMÂ
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(Rapaport…Al Nisr Publishing, ABU DHABI) India’s exports of gems and jewelry to the Middle East are expected to grow at least 15 percent annually as the UAE maintains its pole position as importer, an official of the export body said.
Shailesh Sangani, International Convenor of India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, said exports to the Middle East have touched $4 billion, accounting for 25 percent of India’s global exports of gems and jewelry
“We have seen a steep growth in exports of gems, jewellery, and precious stones to this region in the last three years. The average growth has been 15-17 percent and we are confident this growth will continue,” he told Gulf News.
High demand from a multicultural population and tourism is driving export growth in this region. “The UAE is the best market for Indian gems in this region. But it also serves as a re-export market,” he said. “Future growth looks stable for at least the next five years.”
After the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are promising markets.
Sangani is leading a delegation of Indian gems exporters who are visiting four cities in the region.
He said the Middle East forms an exciting market for Indian branded diamond jewelry and being the largest consumer of gold, India becomes an attractive market for this region. Indian brands such as Nakshatra and Asmi have established outlets in the Middle East and the Damas Group from the UAE has already made a successful foray into the Indian market. “As both markets show mature and individualistic growth trends, excellent opportunities can be further explored,” he said.
He said India is also the world leader in diamond processing with 11 out of 12 diamonds set in jewelry worldwide cut and polished in India. “Of the world polished diamond market, India’s share is 60 percent in terms of value, 85 percent in terms of volume and 92 percent in terms of pieces.”
The export council is the industry’s apex body representing 6,500 Indian jewelers and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce.
The India International Jewellery Show will be held from May 4-8, 2006, in Mumbai, he said.
March 22nd, 2006
Jewelry as art
By Theresa Freeman/ Daily News Staff
ASHLAND — A Brazilian seed pod revealing round, milky green aventurine crystals lays partially open, as if it just fell from an out-of-sight tree and into the new glass display case at the Public Library.
    Jewelry designer Martha Fletcher has loaned the pod, which dangles on a necklace of a leather strap with a sterling silver clasp, to the library as part of a collection of jewelry and minerals. A new 6-foot-tall glass case, set in the front section of the newly-renovated 66 Front St. building, will have regular displays highlighting local collections and artwork.
“I don’t want to go off the deep end and say I am an artist,” Fletcher, who studied silversmithing in school, said with a laugh. “I sell a lot of work right off my neck.”
    Library Director Paula Bonetti, Friends of the Library President Janet Eames, Cultural Council member Suzanne Meeker and volunteers Marlies Plaggenborg and Lawrence DeJong have been working recently to develop a policy and schedule for sharing collections like Fletcher’s.
    ”Eventually it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis,” said DeJong.
    Two-dimensional artwork, such as paintings, will be displayed regularly around the library’s lower level, said DeJong. More three-dimensional work, like Fletcher’s jewelry and DeJong and his wife Pamela’s pottery which was on display last month, will be found upstairs.
    ”It would be nice to see some pieces permanently installed in the main room of the library or on some of the main room’s walls,” said DeJong.
    Fletcher has been weaving jewelry out of beads for more than six years using materials to keep her items affordable, like silver, gold fill or vermeil, which is gold over silver.
    A set of earrings on display are clusters of silver antique French beads, which were imported in the 1920s or 1930s for clothing. Fletcher found the beads in the 1980s and held onto them ever since.
    ”I’m awash in beads,” said Fletcher, who has lived in town for nearly 20 years
he hopes many of her works have “shaman-istic” qualities, said Fletcher. She uses as many natural materials as possible, such as carnelian, an ancient stone Romans used to use to carve their signature rings.
    ”I’m definitely influenced by current styles,” said Fletcher. “But it’s definitely more than sticking beads on a string.”
    Fletcher also often uses Hill Tribe silver, a product that supports the economy of the Karen tribe of Thailand.
    A ceramic engineer focused on modeling human functions, Fletcher is a trained geologist. Her work is shown in the Library with mineral specimens from the collection of her husband, Bob Osborne, also a geologist.
    The Brazilian seed pod was a gift from her daughter Anne Fletcher, 19, who had been studying in the country. Her daughter is working in Brazil now as a street jeweler with “real talent,” Fletcher said.
    Fletcher said she would spend whole evenings with her daughter in the Ashland library while Anne was growing up. As a child, Anne once emptied out her piggy bank to donate the money to the library. The book “Make Way for Ducklings” was purchased with her gift, said Fletcher.
    For more information on Fletcher, visit www.earthlywealth.com. For more events and happenings at the library, visit www.ashlandmass.com/library.
    (Theresa Freeman can be reached at 508-626-3919 or tfreeman@cnc.com.)
March 22nd, 2006
JCCI Evinces Interest in Gem & Jewelry Institute Setup - Oman
Arab News - 22/03/2006
JEDDAH, 22 March 2006 — The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI) is keen on setting up an institution for gem and jewelry and the proposal is currently under discussion.
“We’re keen to setup a gem and jewelry institute here and this will be one of the proposals we’ll be discussing with a visiting Indian delegation,” JCCI’s Gem & Jewelry Committee President Jamil Farsi said on Monday night. “We’re aware of the Bombay-based Indian Institute of Gem & Jewelry and will discuss the possibility and feasibility of such an institute here,” he told Arab News on the sidelines of a presentation given to local businessmen by Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) team leader Shailesh Sangani at Radisson SAS Hotel.
“We’ll be discussing the institute proposal with Farsi and other members of the JCCI,” said Sangani, head of a seven-member India’s Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Council. The local institute will aim to train Saudis in skills like cutting, polishing and designing of precious stones and jewelry.
Sangani’s presentation focused on the rapid progress India has made in the gem and jewelry sector. The delegation is here to invite businessmen to participate in the India International Jewelry Show (IIJS) 2006 scheduled in Bombay from May 4-8. “The expo will showcase innovative design and fashion in a wide range of precious metal, studded and plain metal jewelry at the most competitive prices,” he said, adding that the strength of India’s gem and jewelry industry is its skilled, motivated and adaptive manpower.
It will also exhibit India’s prowess in technical expertise, design savvy craftsmanship, which is claimed to be among the best in the world.
India is acknowledged as the world’s largest consumer of gold and its gem and jewelry industry is one of the country’s leading foreign exchange earners and one of the fastest growing economic sectors accounting for 17 percent of total Indian exports during 2003-04.
The country’s gem and jewelry exports exceeded $15 billion in 2005-06, registering a growth of more than 29 percent over the previous year. The industry has set an export target of $20 billion for 2006-07.
“India is a leading player in cut and polished diamond sector and its share is 60 percent in terms of value, 85 percent in terms of volume and 92 percent in terms of pieces of the country’s total trade of gem and jewelry sector,” Sangani said. He also screened a film “India your first choice” for overseas gem and jewelry traders.
India’s export of cut and polished diamonds in 2005-06 (until February) stood at $10.62 billion, he said, adding that the country has also made a significant impact in the jewelry sector by emerging as one of the fastest growing jewelry exporters of the world.
India’s acting Consul General Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan and Ashok Kumar, Consul (commercial) also referred to the importance of the upcoming expo and urged Saudi businessmen to take advantage of the country’s vast progress in the gem and jewelry sector by attending the event .
March 22nd, 2006
USB Jewelry From Kingmax
READ MORE: Jewelry, Peripherals, Peripherals, TOP, USB Drives
In a move that’s certain to create a pet-rock-esque fad, Kingmax is showing off wearable USB thumb drive jewelry. Is it nothing more than a cheap gimmick? Sure, but then you’d lose the chance to be the belle of the ball whilst dangling 256MB to 1GB of flash memory from your ear. Pricing and availability details remain unknown, but expect there to be plenty of demand for USB jewelry. Besides, what better way to prove your elegance than by having flash memory fashioned in the form of an earring hanging precariously from your ear?
March 22nd, 2006
Do your homework when buying jewelry
Investors Business Daily
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Few purchases are more mystifying for first-time buyers than fine jewelry. There’s more information out there than ever — from jewelers’ Web sites and online forums to nearly ubiquitous grading reports from independent labs. But buying expensive gems and precious metals is still largely a matter of trust between you and the jeweler.
First, educate yourself on the basics. For diamonds, that means the four Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight. For gold, platinum and silver, it means purity.
You can find helpful information on these fundamentals from the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) and the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org). The Gemological Institute of America, the most prominent diamond grading agency, provides tutorials on buying diamonds and colored gems at (www.gia.edu).
“It’s less of a blind purchase than it used to be,” says Jay Mednikow, president of 115-year-old Mednikow Jewelers in Memphis and Atlanta. “But a jeweler who knows what he’s doing can take advantage of you if he wants to.”
Thus, there is still no substitute for a reliable dealer with an established reputation. Many jewelers are GIA-certified gemologists and display their credentials prominently.
For diamonds, Mednikow recommends buying only those with grading certificates from GIA, the American Gem Society or another independent laboratory. If a jeweler says he can offer you an uncertified diamond at a discount, tell him you’ll pay to have it analyzed since the cost should be only $50 to $300 depending on the size of the stone. Read warranty and return policies carefully and make sure all guarantees are written on your sales receipt — it’s your legal contract.
You may have a hard time distinguishing between slight variations in color and clarity, but still trust your own eyes.
Mednikow recommends holding diamonds with a pair of tweezers over your finger or against a white background and under lights of different types and varying brightness. With shapes other than round-cut, which has standard specifications, and with colored gems, you will have to rely much more on the jeweler’s expertise.
If you are buying a colored stone such as a ruby, sapphire or diamond, ask if it has been “treated” to enhance the color. Some processes are routine, like heating for sapphires and rubies and oiling for emeralds, but others are temporary or undesirable.
Up to half the gold jewelry sold in the U.S. bears a false karat rating, says Mednikow. Choosing a reliable merchant is your only insurance, although national retailers like Zales and Sears are diligent about the purity of their gold.
March 22nd, 2006
Kamera Digital Dengan Inisial Nama Berlian
Hollywood, Amerika Serikat - Seseorang yang dinominasikan di ajang Academy Award adalah tanda keberhasilan seseorang dalam memainkan sebuah peran. Seorang nominator pada penghargaan utama memungkinkan dirinya untuk mendapatkan fasilitas/hadiah yang bernilai ratusan ribu dolar seperti: hadiah liburan, menginap di hotel eksklusif, perhiasan, pakaian atau perangkat teknologi yang bernilai mahal.   Â
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Sebagai contoh, masing-masing calon aktris terbaik pada Academy Award ke-78 lalu yakni: Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Huffman, Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron dan Dame Judi Dench menerima sebuah Kamera Kodak Easyshare V570. Kamera digital pertama di dunia yang menggunakan 2 lensa sekaligus ini juga didesain bersama 75 berlian untuk membentuk nama inisial pemiliknya.
Harga normal, Kamera Digital V570 dijual seharga $400, tetapi yang membuat terkejut adalah harga berlian yang membentuk inisial nama masing-masing aktris, seharga lebih dari $20.000.
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Adalah perusahaan Kwiat Diamond dan Eastman Kodak Company yang membuat kamera tersebut. 2 perusahaan ini juga bekerja sama dalam penyelenggaraan ajang perfilman dunia, 78th Academy Awards di Hotel Four Seasons, wilayah Beverly Hills serta menghadiahi berlian yang didekorasikan di sebuah kamera sebagai hadiah khusus untuk nominator Aktris Terbaik.
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Kwiat adalah perusahaan perhiasan berlian yang sudah berumur 100 tahun yang berdiri di kota New York. Nama Kwiat adalah merek yang sudah sangat dikenal sejak dahulu dan memiliki berlian dengan kualitas yang sangat bagus. Selebritis yang pernah mengenakan perhiasan dari Kwiat Diamonds antara lain: Sharon Stone, Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Katie Couric, Queen Latifah, dan Claire Danes.(Sumber:detik.com)
March 22nd, 2006
Produksi Emas Antam Drop 18,92 Persen
Selasa, 21 Mar 2006,jawapos.com
JAKARTA - Produksi emas PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) tahun ini diperkirakan turun 18,92 persen akibat optimasi desain tambang emas Pongkor. Perseroan telah melakukan optimasi agar bisa menciptakan kondisi kerja yang aman, serta meningkatkan produktivitas. “Penambangan emas bawah tanah adalah kegiatan yang berbahaya dan sulit,” ujar Dirut Antam D. Aditya Sumanagara di Jakarta kemarin.
Antam saat ini tengah melakukan redesain untuk meningkatkan penguatan (reinforcement) dinding tambang yang lebih rapuh, serta memodifikasi urut-urutan penambangan. Langkah itu diharapkan dapat meningkatkan jumlah stope atau area penambangan bijih emas yang mengikuti arah urat emas dengan derajat kemiringan yang relatif datar
Aditya menjelaskan bahwa Antam juga akan mengkaji apakah deviasi (penyimpangan) kadar bijih yang ada disebabkan perubahan sifat geologis atau akibat adanya dilusi dari batuan samping (waste rock). Kajian ini akan ditindaklanjuti dengan implementasi antisipasinya di lapangan. Penambangan emas termasuk jenis pekerjaan yang berbahaya karena tidak pernah bisa diketahui apa yang akan dihadapi sampai kegiatan penambangan dilaksanakan. “Kami merasa perlu melakukan optimasi rencana yang ada untuk mengantisipasi kondisi dinding tambang yang lunak,” tukasnya.
Rencana tersebut diharapkan dapat meningkatkan tingkat produksi tanpa mengabaikan keselamatan karyawan. Redesain tersebut dilakukan untuk meningkatkan tingkat keselamatan kerja dalam pekerjaan di tambang. Dampaknya, terjadi penurunan jumlah stope yang menyebabkan penurunan produksi yang diperkirakan mencapai 18,92 persen. Pada 2005, produksi emas Antam turun 22 persen menjadi 2.911 kg. Sementara target produksi emas 2006 adalah 2.360 kg atau turun 18,92 persen
Untuk mengantisipasi penurunan penjualan emas, Antam berencana menaikkan volume penjualan bijih nikel saprolit dari 3,1 juta wmt menjadi 3,5 juta wmt, serta penjualan bijih bauksit dari 1,5 juta wmt menjadi 2 juta wmt. Pada 2006, Antam telah memperkirakan kenaikan pendapatan yang signifikan seiring meningkatnya penjualan nikel dengan beroperasinya pabrik FeNi III. Desain ulang tambang Pongkor merupakan salah satu langkah untuk mempertahankan emas dan perak sebagai komoditas utama Antam. “Strategi perusahaan untuk komoditas emas, di antaranya melalui peningkatan jumlah cadangan dan pendapatan melalui proyek patungan, akuisisi serta eksplorasi,” cetusnya. (wir)
March 22nd, 2006
