Archive for June, 2006
Canada Retail Sales Strong; Jewelry Demand Positive
IDEX Online, IsraelÂ
(June 29, ‘06, 10:06 Ken Gassman)
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Canadian retail sales, including fashion accessories such as jewelry, posted a solid gain in April, 2006. Fueled by low unemployment and strong economic growth, Canadian consumers continue their shopping spree, which began late last summer. The graph below illustrates total retail sales gains (ex-auto) as well as mall jewelry sales since mid-2005.
Sales by Sector: Automobile Sales Led the Way Six out of eight retail sectors experienced sales gains in April, with the automotive sector leading the way. “Miscellaneous retailers,†which include retailers such as office supply stores, sporting goods stores, and hobby, music and, book stores, also posted a very strong gain. The other sectors, including jewelry, posted gains, but modestly below the national average.
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Consumer spending on clothes and accessories – including jewelry – remains robust; this sector has posted solid gains in nine of the past 10 months. The graph below summarizes Canadians’ spending on jewelry and other fashion items.Â
Consumer spending in building and outdoor home supplies fell in April, ending a five-month streak of sales gains. The first three months of this year were exceptional for this retail sector, and the quarterly gain was the strongest in over two years. Despite being the fastest growing sector in Canadian retailing for the past four years, building and home supply stores have seen their annual rate of growth slow recently. In part, this is due to a series of interest rate increases that the Bank of Canada has recently delivered. Based on April’s sales, consumers are responding to these higher interest rates with slowing consumption of home-related goods as well as some other durable categories.
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Other Factors Affecting Retail Demand
Gasoline prices rose by 13.5 percent in April, the second largest gain in 23 years. So far, however, consumers seem to be shrugging off those elevated prices.
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The number of people employed increased by an estimated 97,000 in May, driving the unemployment rate down 300 basis points to 6.1 percent, the lowest level since December 1974. All of May’s employment progression was in full time jobs (+151,000), the largest increase on record.
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Housing starts continued their decline; they have been on a downward slope for the past four months. Housing activity is being dampened by higher interest rates.
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The average hourly wage in May was up 3.8 percent from the same period last year. This compares favorably to a 2.4 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index.
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Sales in the Provinces
The Prairie Provinces have been buoyed by the automotive sector. In Alberta, retail sales jumped by 17.4 percent versus April 2005. Employment growth in Alberta has outpaced the rest of the country over the past 12 months, as consumers have migrated toward the province’s hot labor market. Alberta’s net migration was over 16,000 in 2005, more than double British Columbia’s net migration of almost 7,500 people. All other provinces experienced negative net migration in 2005. Over the past 12 months, the provincial hourly wage growth was 6.8 percent in Alberta, driven by a tight labor market. Given these strong fundamentals, it is no surprise that consumers continued to spend their money on new cars as well as used autos and recreational vehicles.
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The growth of sales in neighboring Saskatchewan has generally followed Alberta’s lead.
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Growth in the Atlantic Provinces was mainly driven by retail consumption – especially new cars – in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Retail sales in Quebec and Ontario also were up moderately.
June 30th, 2006
Give Your Old Jewelry An Expensive New Look
CBS4Boston, BostonÂ
(CBS4) Give any woman the gift of jewelry and she’ll be a friend for life, but just like clothing, jewelry styles change.
These days many women are choosing silver, white gold and platinum over yellow gold. Instead of spending a fortune on new jewelry, there is a way you can give your old jewelry a makeover.”You can make a ring that’s a couple hundred dollars, look like several thousand dollars,” said John Dan’tonio. He has been rhodium plating jewelry for 32 years.
Rhodium is a form of platinum, and Dan’tonio says it give you that platinum look every time.
He demonstrated using three gold rings. First the rings are buffed and smoothed of any dings. Then they are placed in a degreaser and dipped for about 15 seconds in the rhodium solution.
Rhodium is safe for hard stones like diamonds and sapphires. For softer stones like pearls and opals, “We take the stone out, do our work and then replace the stone,” Dan’tonio said.
What do the customers think?
“I love it,†one said. “It looks so good. You know, the diamond does look bigger, and brighter. Wow, what a difference.â€
“I love it, brand new ring,†said another. “It looks better like this.”
You can expect your rhodium dipped jewelry to last up to a year and a half. Then it gradually starts to fade to its natural color. It costs about $25.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
June 30th, 2006
Report: Jewelry Market competition on rise as growth slows
National Jeweler, NY
JUNE 28, 2006 - Stevens, Pa. — After enjoying a 6 percent growth rate in 2004, the U.S. jewelry market grew just 3.87 percent to $59.4 billion in 2005, a slowdown that has led to a more heated rivalry among retail jewelers, a new Unity Marketing Study finds.
Signs are that the retail market for jewelry is going to get even more challenging in the immediate future as market saturation begins to set in, the report says.
“With the jewelry market slowing, consumers are going to be unforgiving if retailers fail to meet their expectations.
That is what happened this past Christmas season, when Zale Corp. attempted to move their flagship Zales Jewelers’ brand from a mid-market jewelry retailer to a higher-priced, more fashion-forward brand,” said Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, in a press release announcing the study.
Disappointing sales allowed Sterling Jewelers to step in and surpass Zale in U.S. sales last year, she said. (Sterling surpassed Zale Corp. for the No. 2 spot on NATIONAL JEWELER’s $100 Million Supersellers list this year.)
Contributing to “turmoil in the jewelry retail market,” the report says, are rising prices for gold and platinum, and consumers’ ongoing quest for bargains, which they readily find at discount outlets such as Costco and The Jewelry Exchange.
For more on the study, visit www.unitymarketingonline.com.
June 29th, 2006
Alef Bet Jewelry from Paula
EDGE Boston, MA
We found Paula when we were looking for fun, creative and reasonably priced jewelry for Mother’s Day and we love her designs! Her company is headed by a mother-daughter design team, and they make great silver, gold and whimsical jewelry for adults and kids alike.
Luckily, we convinced her to send us a few extra bracelets for some lucky EDGE readers!
June 28th, 2006
DNA from water bottle links man to Vernon jewelry heist
By Jason Rowe and Ethan Fry, Journal Inquirer
06/27/2006/Journal Inquirer, CT
VERNON - A discarded water bottle provided the key DNA link for police in connecting a federal convict to a five-year-old jewelry heist.
Fabian Roa, also known as Bayron Badillo, 28, an illegal immigrant, was arraigned on charges of first-degree robbery and first-degree larceny in connection with the holdup, which occurred in front of Charlie’s Restaurant in the Vernon Commons shopping plaza on Hartford Turnpike on March 22, 2001.
Judge Marcia Gleeson set bond for Roa at $250,000, an essentially academic figure since he is serving an eight-year federal prison sentence for several similar robberies in the Boston area.
Roa is accused of holding up two jewelry couriers from New York as they stopped for dinner in town.
The key to cracking the case came a day later when police found the men’s vehicle on Vernwood Drive.
As police processed the car, one of the officers, Detective Steven Sartor, discovered a discarded water bottle and “swabbed” the bottle’s top and cap, Collins said.
The swab was sent to the state’s forensic crime laboratory, which was successful in extracting DNA, Collins said.
About 30 months after the swabs were sent to the lab, the affidavit says, the sample was matched with Roa through a New York law enforcement DNA database.
At that point, Roa already had begun serving his federal prison sentence, so a federal search warrant was needed to obtain a sample of his DNA to confirm the match.
According to the affidavit, authorities obtained a warrant last December and were able to obtain the sample, which the state police lab confirmed in February matched the swab taken from the getaway car.
Police obtained a warrant for Roa’s arrest on March 13, nine days before the five-year statute of limitations was set to expire, Collins said.
Roa was extradited to Connecticut on June 24, Collins said.
Collins said Roa is known to use several identities, which can complicate an investigation of this nature.
“He uses different names, he uses different dates of birth,” Collins said. “We may not know the guy’s real name ever, but at least we know what his fingerprints and DNA are.”
Collins said one piece of the stolen jewelry was recovered.
“It would have been more satisfying had we recovered the jewels,” he said.
In December 2002, Roa and four other men were sentenced in federal court in Boston for attempting to rob an undercover FBI agent posing as a jewelry salesman in October 2001.
The five were netted after the FBI began an investigation into the robberies of several jewelry salesmen between 1999 and 2001, targeted while doing business in Boston’s jewelry district, according to the affidavit.
Roa is scheduled to return to court on July 14.
The March 2001 heist marked the second time in a roughly six-month period that Vernon saw a large-scale jewelry robbery.
In September 2000, a father and son were robbed of more than $2 million in germs as they were walking back to their car near Rein’s New York Style Deli Restaurant on Hartford Turnpike.
There were four men in that case, which remains unsolved.
Because the statute of limitations is expired, Collins said, the September 2000 case likely will remain unsolved unless some of the property stolen in the heist were to be found in someone’s possession.
June 28th, 2006
A Juliana Jewelry Contest
News-antique.com (press release), New York
We are having a Juliana jewelry contest to celebrate the Fourth of July! Enter your red, white and/or blue Juliana or D&E jewelry, a sizzling hot summer time set for a backyard party!
Our members and anyone who wishes to join the Discovering Juliana (D&E) Jewelry group can enter. We are looking for that special entry that says it all - Independence, Fun, Summertime and Family Get Togethers
The winning photo will be featured on our home page, with a link to the winner’s website (if applicable) and a small writeup about the winner or the winner’s shop.
What should you enter? Submit Juliana or D&E photos on a light or white background. Photos should be clear and large enough to edit in a graphics application. Photos should also belong to you. Sorry, we cannot accept linked photos to live or closed auctions or linked photos to an item for sale.
Photos are uploaded to our Yahoo!Groups contest album along with your name and shop name.
You can mix and match your Juliana for a great Fourth of July look, or a vibrant color combination for summer vacation or refreshing fruit colors for a family get together. Use your imagination. You can enter one piece of jewelry or a demi parure or full parure.
Let’s see what you have! Our contest starts June 25 and Ends July 1 for entry submission. Winner(s) will be posted in time for the 4th of July!
June 27th, 2006
Jovella 2006 jewelry exhibition set to open in Tel Aviv
Globes, Israel
Manufacturers, marketers, and designers will participate. Palestinian jewelers will also attend.
Hadas Manor 26 Jun 06 17:34
The Jovella 2nd International Jewelry Exhibition in Israel opens this week in Tel Aviv, at the same time as the World Diamond Congress. The World Diamond Congress will include diamond auctions, while Jovella will have $100 million worth of jewelry on display.
Hosted by the David Intercontinental Hotel, Jovella will be attended by manufacturers, marketers, and designers. Palestinian jewelry makers will also attend.
Jovella’s organizers, the Stier International Trade Fairs and Exhibitions Group, said there was especially high demand this year. Displays will include gold jewelry inlaid with diamonds and precious stones, silver jewelry, glass jewelry, and watches and men’s jewelry.
The most expensive piece on display is a $55,000 Keshi 18-karat gold pearl medley bracelet inlaid with diamonds made by Israeli designer Yvel . The gold-green pearls come from Indonesia.
June 27th, 2006
Sentral adakan pameran berlian
Solo (Espos)
Sentral Jewellery Yogyakarta mengadakan pameran berlian di Hotel Novotel Solo, Jumat-Senin (23-26/6). Pimpinan Sentra Jewellery, Haryadi dalam siaran pers yang diterima Espos, Rabu (21/6), mengatakan kegiatan tersebut terbuka untuk umum.
â€Dipilihnya Solo karena Solo merupakan salah satu barometer desain berlian di Indonesia. Selain menerima tukar tambah tanpa potongan harga, dalam pameran ini kami menampilkan produk-produk terbaru,†jelasnya. - rys/*
June 26th, 2006
ANDANG GUNAWAN:Kepincut Kemilau Berlian
www.suarakarya-online.com/Minggu, 4 Juni 2006
Dalam setiap penampilannya, kemilau berlian selalu menempel di raga Andang Widhawari Gunawan - pengusaha yang juga pelopor pola makan sehat Food Combining ini. Berlian sebesar biji jagung yang menghiasi telinga dan taburan berlian kecil di tubuh macan yang melingkar di jari tengahnya terlihat sangat pas dengan gaya busananya yang klasik. Kendati kepincut berat pada berlian, Andang mengaku tak pernah membeli dari kantongnya sendiri.
“Hampir semua koleksi berlian saya merupakan hadiah dari suami,” kata perempuan kelahiran Jakarta 8 September 1955 dalam percakapan dengan Suara Karya usai menjadi pembicara yang mengulas manfaat detoksifikasi terhadap kesehatan, di Jakarta, Sabtu (3/6).
Yang dimaksud Andang dengan suaminya itu, adalah pengusaha kondang Maxi Gunawan.
Andang menuturkan, kesukaannya pada berlian sebenarnya telah dilakoni sejak remaja. Selain suka akan kilaunya, berlian juga bisa menjadi investasi yang bagus. “Hitung-hitung nabung lah, kan nanti kalau butuh-butuh kita bisa dijual lagi,” tutur Andang yang lebih suka disebut sebagai ahli terapi nutrisi itu.
Kalaupun sekarang Andang kerap tampil dengan berlian dengan ukuran mendekati biji jagung, hal itu semata demi kemudahan di masa depan. Karena pengalaman sebelumnya, membeli berlian tanpa surat sertifikat, membuat harga jualnya jatuh. “Ini penting bagi pencinta berlian, kalau memang ingin menjadikan berlian sebagai investasi, beli yang memiliki sertifikat. Karena harga jualnya lebih pasti,” kata Andang yang menyukai berlian jenis solitaire.
Ditanya seberapa banyak koleksi berliannya, Andang mengaku jumlahnya tak banyak. “Saya kan bukan kolektor, jadi jumlahnya tidak banyaklah,” kata Andang yang tetap menyebut kata rahasia atas koleksi berliannya itu.
Ia mengaku bersyukur karena memiliki selera yang sama dengan suami, yaitu sama-sama suka berlian dengan desain unik. Karena hampir semua koleksinya adalah hadiah suami, Andang tak pernah menukar apalagi menjualnya. “Masak hadiah dari orang terkasih dijual, pamali,” katanya berseloroh.
Untuk keseharian, Andang senang tampil tak terlalu mencolok. Cukup giwang dan dua buah cincin menghiasi jari kiri dan kanannya. “Kecuali menghadiri acara undangan, saya biasanya mengeluarkan koleksi yang sedikit glamour dengan kalung, tetapi tetap menyesuaikan diri dengan tema acaranya. Diluar itu, biasanya cukup giwang dan cincin,” kata perempuan yang terlihat awet muda diusianya yang ke-51 itu.
Ditanya makna berlian baginya, Andang mengutip pernyataan banyak kaum perempuan yang menyatakan bahwa berlian adalah sahabat wanita. “Makna berlian bagi saya sama seperti kebanyakan wanita lain-lah,” kata penulis buku “Food Combining, Kombinasi Makanan Serasi” dan “Pola Makan untuk Langsing & Sehat” sambil tersenyum indah.
Pergulatannya dengan dunia kesehatan ilmiah, ibu dua anak yang sebelumnya tidak memiliki latar belakang kesehatan itu berawal ketika suaminya didiagnosis sakit hati. Sang suami saat itu diberi dokter obat yang sangat banyak.
Andang yang pernah mendengar bahwa obat-obatan itu pada akhirnya akan diolah di hati juga - hati adalah tempat semua makanan yang masuk ke tubuh disaring- tiba-tiba terinspirasi untuk memberikan diet bagi suaminya. Dia lalu menawari Maxi, apakah mau ambil risiko tidak usah memakan obat, tetapi diet mengikuti menu yang akan diatur oleh Andang.
Andang lalu membeli berbagai buku diet. Dari berbagai buku itu, entah mengapa dia selalu membawa ke mana-mana buku berukuran kecil seperti novel yang tampilannya tidak terlalu menarik, yang berisi mengenai food combining atau kombinasi makanan (sehat).
“Ketika saya membuka-buka halamannya sambil lalu, saya tiba-tiba membaca bagian Loving Relationship. Saya jadi tertarik membaca, kenapa di buku diet kok ada bagian loving relationship. Ternyata isinya adalah pengalaman si penulis dengan FC. Bahkan ada cerita tentang dokter yang kena gangguan jantung dan mengalami obesitas, lalu sembuh karena ikut FC,” tutur Andang yang mengaku ketika itu tidak memiliki pengetahuan tentang nutrisi dan kesehatan.
Dengan pengenalan terhadap kombinasi makanan atau FC seperti itu, Andang menyebut proses kenal dengan FC tersebut sebagai “spiritual”. “Food combining itu seperti spiritual,” ucap ibu dua anak dari Kara dan Abhi.
Tadinya, dengan diet rendah kalori yang diterapkan kepada suaminya, si suami kadang stres karena porsi makanan sangat dibatasi. Sementara mengikuti petunjuk FC, orang bisa makan kenyang tanpa dibatasi oleh porsi, tetapi kombinasinya harus sesuai dengan aturan FC.
FC adalah pola makan yang sudah dianut manusia dari sejak zaman kuno. Kemudian, pada awal abad ke-20, pola makan ini diperkenalkan kembali oleh Dr William Howard Hay. Prinsip pola makan ini adalah, beberapa makanan akan dicerna lebih baik jika mereka tidak dimakan bersamaan dengan makanan tertentu.
Menurut Andang, pola makan hendaknya memperhatikan keseimbangan asam dan basa di dalam tubuh. Keseimbangan yang dimaksud adalah pH darah dan organ ada pada kisaran 7,3-7,5 atau sedikit ke arah basa. “Jika faktor ini tidak diperhatikan, pencernaan tidak akan jalan,” tegasnya.
Ternyata usaha Andang berhasil. Maxi sembuh dan setelah dua minggu kembali kerja. Penampilannya pun dilukiskan Andang sebagai lebih segar.
Banyak teman bertanya-tanya, bagaimana Andang membantu Maxi sembuh dari penyakit hati dengan diet. Semakin lama, semakin banyak yang bertanya, dan media massa mulai menampilkan dirinya. Dia lalu berpikir, mengapa tidak membagi pengetahuannya ke dalam buku. “Itulah ihwal lahirnya buku Food Combining tadi,” kata Andang yang juga Pemred majalah kesehatan Nirmala dan majalah makanan Santap ini.
Seiring dengan naiknya usaha yang dilakukannya ke permukaan, kritik pun juga datang. Beberapa ahli gizi memberikan kritik, yang pada gilirannya membuat Andang berpikir untuk lebih memperdalam pengetahuannya. Ia bertekad untuk mempelajari ilmu nutrisi dengan serius, maka dia lalu mendaftar program belajar jarak jauh pada sebuah universitas di Australia.
Ulangan berkala dilakukan di tempat seorang dokter yang telah ditunjuk oleh universitas tersebut, sementara ujian akhir dilakukan di Australia. Setelah itu ia menambah lagi ilmunya dengan mempelajari antara lain ilmu gizi, akupuntur, herbal, dan homeopati.
“Kayaknya hidup saya ke sini sudah ada yang mengatur. Saya kan mulai sekolah lagi waktu umur saya sudah banyak, hampir 40 tahun. Tetapi saya senang sekali mempelajari ilmu ini, jadi tidak ada beban,” kata Andang.
Belajar di usia tua tidak menjadi beban bagi perempuan yang sangat hobi membaca ini. Karena itu, ruang yang paling diakrabinya selain ruang keluarga adalah ruang perpustakaan. Kesukaannya membaca itu kadang dibawanya ketika bepergian ke luar negeri atau ke luar kota.
Baginya, “Pengetahuan tidak akan ada habisnya. Dengan pengetahuan saya bisa melakukan apa saja yang bermanfaat,” bilang Andang dengan sorot berbinar. Tak aneh, koleksi bukunya saja sudah berjumlah ribuan, termasuk seri healing inspiration dan natural health yang teronggok di sebuah sudut baca. Semua didapat dari hadiah suami, anak, kolega atau beli sendiri.
Kendati kesuksesan dan popularitas dalam genggaman, Andang mengaku tak memiliki obsesi untuk membuat langkah sensasional selanjutnya. Membukukan pengalaman pribadinya saja sudah merupakan hal yang paling monumental dalam hidupnya. Pun dalam hal mengelola perusahaan. Sebagai Direktur Utama PT Narya Gunatra, Andang mengaku tidak terlalu ngoyo dalam hidup. “Untuk apa mengurus banyak-banyak, satu saja tapi jelas.”
Meski terkesan tidak ambisius, Andang tetaplah punya cita-cita yang harus direalisasikan. Apa itu? “Saya ingin mengajak masyarakat Indonesia memahami dengan benar pola hidup dan makan sehat. Termasuk memasyarakatkan konsumsi buah di pagi hari, yang selalu ditanggapi dengan ketakutan akan membuat sakit perut.” (Tri Wahyuni)
June 26th, 2006
Deer crashes through jewelry store window
WKYT, KY
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. A deer was apparently unharmed after crashing through a store window in Elizabethtown.
It happened on Friday morning at the now-vacant Marshall’s Jeweler’s Store. Police say the deer crossed the north and southbound lanes of U-S Highway 31-W and then crashed through the window.
It was last seen on the highway.
Police say it isn’t the first time a deer has gone through a window in Elizabethtown, but it doesn’t happen every day.
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Information from: The News-Enterprise, http://www.newsenterpriseonline.com
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
June 26th, 2006
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