Archive for July 25th, 2006
Gold-selling binge defies oil, Middle East uncertainties
The Japan Times, Japan
By ASAKO SAWANISHI
Capitalizing on soaring gold prices due to the worsening Middle East situation and high crude oil prices, people are increasingly selling their gold assets.
Gold attracts buyers as a safe asset in times of financial uncertainty, but now, people are selling gold as the economy recovers and as collapses of financial institutions drastically decrease, analysts said.
At dealer Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry K.K., the number of people selling not only gold bars but also coins, accessories and cups began increasing last September.
“In December, the number of customers selling gold became equal to that of purchasers, and this year, eight out of 10 people are selling their (gold) possessions,” said Hidekazu Yamada, a gold adviser at the firm’s head office in Tokyo’s Ginza.
An official in charge of precious metal sales at Mitsubishi Materials Corp. said sales have been increasing conspicuously since October.
Most people are selling gold they bought in 2002, when the blanket refund guarantee on bank deposits was removed.
According to Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K., the average standard buying price of a 500-gram gold bar four years ago was about 618,000 yen, excluding tax, but the price jumped about twofold to 1.19 million yen last May. Since then, there has been no major slump in price, the company said.
Gold prices began rising around last fall. Worried about soaring crude oil prices and inflation in Europe and the United States, oil money and funds in the Middle East, and European and U.S. pension funds have paid attention to gold.
In addition, demand for jewelry in the powerhouse economies of India and China has grown.
In May, as the Iran nuclear standoff grew in seriousness, gold was bought up by speculative funds, and the futures price of an ounce (about 31 grams) on the New York market topped the $ 700 mark, its highest level in about 26 years.
Individual sales of gold accelerated in May. Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo said its purchases of gold bullion from January to May increased nearly 3.6 times over the year before. Its sales of gold bullion meanwhile remained sluggish.
July 25th, 2006
Matthew Hoffmann Offers Unique Jewelry Designs
Xtvworld (press release), India
Matthew C. Hoffmann has been designing jewelry for more than thirty years. His original contemporary style and fine craftsmanship have given him an iron clad international reputation for his work.
St. Ann Arbor, MI, USA, July 24, 2006 (XTVWorld.Com) — Most of his jewelry is unique one-of-a-kind items, all individually handcrafted. His style changes daily, always evolving, and creating new designs that appeal to a wide range of clientele. Hoffmann works in all the precious metals and with a wide array of gemstones, making his jewelry extremely varied and desirable.
Matthew puts his work into proper perspective by saying “People come here because they want to get a little piece of something that’’s more magical than what they have.”
Hoffmann’s claim to fame around Ann Arbor is that he is an eccentric and gifted jewelry designer; it may be because he struggles with being bipolar and many folks may not realize that. He deals with a gift and curse simultaneously, which is not an easy task. He is very open about his problem and makes the point very clear that is not insane, noting his artistic genius may intimate that at times because its offbeat or out of the ordinary. He is an inspiration to all artists around the world that may be dealing with this debilitating disease. His choice is to create beauty in world of darkness and ebbing and flowing emotions that are difficult to control. Think of him as a Mozart meets Salvador Dali of the jewelry world.
Matthew Hoffman’s creations are intense meaningful journeys that progress into a high form of art and expression that play off each other beautifully. That in turn finds it own singular translation through an admirer’s eyes that eventually purchases something from his personal collection. There are few renaissance men left in this world and Matthew Hoffman may be the best-kept secret yet. A piece of the Hoffman legacy can become yours, visit his website, and start your own personal journey; if you are a lover of the arts and in particular jewelry, it will be one you will never forget.
Contact:
Matthew Hoffmann
Matthew Hoffmann Jewelry Design
340 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: 734-665-7692
Fax: 734-665-7854
PR Created and Distributed By MuzikReviews.com
July 25th, 2006
DTC to Hold Jewelry Contest in India
Diamonds.net, NY
Financial Times — The Diamond Trading Company (DTC,) the sales and marketing division of the De Beers Group, will launch its second diamond jewelry design contest in November 2006.
Following DTC’s success of the first contest in 2004, on the theme “Diamonds: Nature’s Miracle,” this year’s design theme is “Celebrating Diamonds: Timeless Myths and Magic.”
The award-winning collections will be premiered at a prestigious global diamond event to be held on November 16 in India as part of a spectacular diamond extravaganza, which will then tour the world in the following years.
The search for the ultimate celebration of diamonds will fall to an independent international panel consisting of the world’s leading authorities on diamonds from both a consumer and industry perspective. The panel will then select the designs or existing pieces that best embody the inspiration of this collection.
These will be put on display to a glittering guest list of international media and celebrities as they gather together in the place where diamonds were first discovered more than 4,000 years ago the Golconda region of India.
More than 1,500 collections applied for the 2004 contest and among them, 39 collections created by designers from 14 countries won awards. Two Hong Kong designers, two Taiwan designers and three from the Chinese mainland were among the winners.
According to Christine Cheung, head of Diamond Marketing Group for China, more Chinese designers will apply for this year’s contest.
“China’s diamond jewelry market is still in the early stages of development. Only about 10 percent women in the urban areas of the Chinese mainland own diamond jewelry, and of them, 80 percent wore just one piece. But our survey shows that diamond jewelry is the type of jewelry most desired by Chinese women, so we are very confident about the market in future,” she said.
Copyright 2006 Financial Times Information Limited
© 2006 Dialog, a Thomson business. All rights reserved.
July 25th, 2006
Local jewelry designer gives back on a global scale
WBIR-TV, TN
Diana Warner creates beautiful jewelry in her West Knoxville studio. The pieces she creates not only fuel her creative passion, but they also make lives better for people a half a world away.
About a year ago Diana began her own jewelry business, Diana Warner Studio. Now her work is being purchased by shoppers all over the world, including Hollywood.
Diana also gives back to various charities, especially ones helping the people of Africa. Visit her website for more on her charity work and her jewelry.
Caroline Lamar , Producer
Last updated: 7/24/2006 4:22:22 PM
July 25th, 2006
Melissa Borrell Jewelry
Cool Hunting, NY
Currently on display as part of Brooklyn store/gallery Spring’s show “Around the Flat,” Melissa Borrell’s jewelry translates topographic maps into wearable forms. The RISD-trained designer asks “How can I change the way someone views the world?” redefining jewelry as well in the process. Though Borrell’s work seems to point to the differences between urban and rural landscapes, the New York-based jewelry designer also makes” expanding jewelry” and introduced a pop-out stainless steel pendant at this year’s ICFF
July 25th, 2006
Women’s Board of Baptist Health Care Foundation $5 Jewelry Sale
PensacolaNewsJournal.com, FL
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28. A variety of jewelry including rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings will be sold for $5 to support The Women’s Board and its programs. Cash, checks and all major credit cards will be accepted. The sale will be in the Heritage Room at Baptist Hospital, 1000 W. Moreno St. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and in the Azalea Room at Baptist Medical Park, 9400 University Parkway on July 28. 469-2248.
July 25th, 2006
