Archive for October, 2006
WORLD JEWELRY CENTER PROJECT UNVEILED TO JEWELRY INDUSTRY LEADERS
Tacy, Israel
30 October 2006
City of Las Vegas Officials in conjunction with Probity International Corporation have unveiled plans for one of the largest jewelry projects in the world, the approximately one-million square foot mixed-use World Jewelry Center (WJC).
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman was present alongside developer Robert Zarnegin and Bill Boyajian, former President of the Gemological Institute of America and current Managing Director of the WJC, to formally announce the project to the jewelry industry.
The World Jewelry Center will combine the corporate offices of several hundred domestic and international gem and jewelry companies in a trade tower that will be one of the tallest office buildings in Las Vegas along with a separate, free-standing gallery of retail jewelry stores with broad middle-market appeal. The WJC is planned to open for business in late 2009 to mid 2010.
The World Jewelry Center is being designed by award-winning Altoon & Porter Architects and the cornerstone will be an iconic, state-of-the-art office tower. Tenants will own their own subdivided space in the tower, which will also include meeting and exhibition facilities, several international restaurants, a private club and a fitness center. The top floors of the tower will be dedicated to luxury residential condominiums with panoramic views. The adjacent three-story retail jewelry center will have a world-class gem and jewelry museum and exhibition space open to the public. The retail center will be designed to educate and excite the general public about gems and jewelry by building confidence in the products designed and manufactured from around the globe.
“We’re very excited about this global project coming to our city. The World Jewelry Center will revolutionize the jewelry industry as well as change the way people and businesses view Las Vegas. The entire concept of the World Jewelry Center is very progressive and will fit in well with all the other innovative, international business projects coming to our city. The tower itself will change the face of the Las Vegas skyline and become a key landmark for the city,†says Mayor Goodman.
The Center will be built with every amenity and service in mind to make the WJC the world’s premier fully integrated, service-oriented business hub catering to international and domestic retailers, manufacturers, dealers, and wholesalers in the gem, jewelry and pearl industries. The WJC will include: state-of-the-art security; secure shipping and receiving; gem grading labs and educational facilities; trade associations; and plans for a dedicated Foreign Trade Zone. The WJC will be located in Downtown Las Vegas within the prominent master-planned community of Union Park.
“We look at the World Jewelry Center as adding value and synergy to the industry as a whole. We are building this world-class facility so that industry professionals and other major global centers will have another marketplace with which to do business more effectively and in real-time. To be well connected, to build business, and to enhance commercial opportunities, industry leaders will want to have offices here. I am pleased to say that many of the world’s leaders in multiple sectors of the trade have already signed up to join us. The WJC has attracted key trade leaders who span all industry sectors and international boundaries, creating an environment that will bring about new ideas and best practices that will only make our industry better. Our goal for the retail center mirrors that of the trade tower. We are focused on quality, integrity and value in building and enhancing consumer confidence. Our emphasis will be on public education, security, convenience, product differentiation, and a great buying experience. Nothing will be spared in meeting these objectives,†says Boyajian.
“Many people within the industry have asked me, ‘Why Las Vegas?’. Las Vegas is a crossroads that is well-known around the world. People love to travel here for both business and pleasure. A key reason for building this industry hub in Las Vegas is that the environment here is truly progressive and pro-business,†adds Zarnegin.
Probity International Corporation’s compelling reasons for choosing to develop the WJC concept in Las Vegas include: no state corporate, inventory or personal income tax; the ability to create a Foreign Trade Zone facility within the WJC; superior telecomm and utility infrastructure; Las Vegas hosted 40 million visitors in 2005, nationally and internationally; Las Vegas is one of the largest convention markets in the U.S. including the annual JCK Show, the world’s largest gem and jewelry exhibition; excellent regional, national, and international access; the success of the World Market Center, located proximate to the WJC, as the U.S. business hub for the furniture industry; and Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. in terms of population and jobs, and, as the entertainment capital of the world, is one of the most exciting places to be.
October 31st, 2006
Fall Jewelry Salon 2006
Ottawa Start (press release), Canada
Mireille Eid, Miss Canada Int’l 2000, is launching her new, unique line of Fine Handcrafted Fashion Jewelry.
Mireille Eid, Miss Canada Int’l 2000, is launching her new, unique line of Fine Handcrafted Fashion Jewelry.
Come view her Jewelry Salon, where she will be displaying hundreds of gorgeous pieces to the Ottawa area.
Mireille Eid Designs are exquisite pieces of jewelry designed with Swarvoski crystals, Freshwater pearls, Sterling Silver and/or many other beautiful products – all for affordable prices!!!
Join us for this one-day sale where you will be entitled to 25% off the regular price!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
November 12, 2006
RA Centre – Clark Hall
2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Rita Seaibi
VP Operations / Sales
Mireille Eid Designs
rita@mireilleeid.com
www.mireilleeid.com
(613) 301-5331
October 30th, 2006
Costume jewelry set features Czech stones
Global Sources, Singapore
China (mainland) – Mainland China Yiwu Binglin Jewelry Fty has launched model NK0015, a jewelry set that consists of a necklace and pair of earrings.
The items are made of alloy and set with Czech or acrylic stones. They are electroplated in an antique bronze finish.
The butterfly motif measures 8cm. The necklace is 38cm long with an additional 5cm chain at the clasp. The earrings have a length of 5cm.
Various styles, colors and sizes are available
The model is marketed under the Binglin brand.
One set is packed in an OPP bag.
FOB Shanghai or Ningbo price is $3.36, with a minimum order of 600 sets. Delivery is within 10 days after receipt of payment via TT. A 50 percent deposit upon order confirmation is required.
Yiwu Binglin Jewelry Fty
Fax : (86) 579-5635236
Phone : (86) 579-5635236
URL : www.binglin.net
Contact Person : Jiling Li
Note: All price quotes in this report are in US dollars unless otherwise specified. FOB prices were provided by the companies interviewed only as reference prices at the time of interview and may have changed.
October 30th, 2006
JEWELRY SALES EXPECTED TO GROW 6.3 PERCENT IN 2006
Tacy, Israel
19 October 2006
The United States government’s Bureau of Economic Analysis predicts consumer sales of jewelry and watches to reach US$62.6 billion by year’s end, marking a 6.3 percent increase over the previous year, says a spokesman for Unity Marketing.
Jewelry stores are also reporting strong sales through the first half of 2006, with jewelry retailers’ sales growing 8.3 percent over 2005 mid-year results to reach US$14.7 billion from January to June 2006.
Unity Marketing plans a new consumer research initiative into the jewelry and watches industry research that will focus specifically on the needs, desires, passions of jewelry and watch consumers.
The research study will include research data and statistics about the jewelry market size and growth, demographics of the jewelry and watch market, including a special section devoted to the luxury segment of that market, the buying behavior of shoppers and their brand preferences, and a psychographic profile and segmentation of the jewelry and watch markets.
“The key to marketing success for companies that manufacture and retail jewelry and watches is to truly understand the consumer, their wants and needs. Unity Marketing will undertake a major new research study of jewelry and watch consumers to understand what jewelry and watch products they buy, how much they pay for the different types of products, where they shop and the factors that influence them to buy,†explains Pam Danziger of Unity.
October 20th, 2006
Jewelry company agrees to repay customers for insurance charges
KRIS-TV Corpus Christi
AUSTIN — A jewelry company that signed people up for credit insurance without their consent must stop the practice and repay their customers, according to an agreement reached Tuesday with the attorneys general of Texas and 17 other states.
Friedman’s Jewelers also must begin providing clear disclosures of extra insurance charges to customers who apply for credit, according to the settlement. Friedman’s, which is based in Addison, did not admit fault.
It is unclear how much the settlement will cost Friedman’s.
“We’ll only know the final amount based on how many consumers come forward,” said Paco Felici, a spokesman for Texas Attorney general Greg Abbott.
Friedman’s has about 40 stores in Texas and about 420 nationwide.
Abbott sued Friedman’s in December 2004 after finding that the company routinely sold credit, property and disability insurance to low-income customers who applied for credit to buy jewelry, according to a statement from his office. The charges sometimes exceeded $100, depending on the amount of credit offered.
Customers had to pay the charges even when they did not request or approve the coverage, according to the statement. Some customers were paying for credit insurance even though they hadn’t signed the section of the purchase contract that authorizes the coverage.
Customers who noticed the insurance charges and complained were falsely told the coverage was mandatory to get credit from the store, Abbott said.
“It’s patently unfair that consumers who bought jewelry to commemorate an important event or as a special gift were illegally steered into costly insurance coverage for those items, often without their consent or knowledge,” Abbott said. ”
Friedman’s Texas customers can apply for restitution through Abbott’s office, but must do so by Jan. 11. Customers in other states must contact the offices of their attorneys general, Felici said.
Other states included in the settlement were: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.
A spokeswoman for Friedman’s did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
October 18th, 2006
Making Money Selling Silver Jewelry On Ebay
Best Syndication, CA
Making money selling silver jewelry is simple. All you need is a computer with an internet connection and some basic computer skills, and a suppplier that provides you more than just jewelry.
You will be needing a supplier to caters to your specific needs. If you want to succeed selling jewelry on ebay you need to have a large variety of items, beautiful pictures, and new products consistently.
Since you would be starting a new business, it would not be easy for you to purchase from suppliers with minimum orders, even a minimum order of $100 is too high for newbies. Silver jewelry costs around $2 and above per piece; depending on the design/make. A $100 minimum would end you up with 50 pieces; and what if the items do not get sold? Most suppliers do guarantee their products, and will refund you for incorrect merchandise. Is there any supplier that would allow you to return products that are not sold within a certain period of time?
If your supplier provides pictures, it will save you a LOT of time, taking good pictures of jewelry requires a good camera, the correct lighting, and a lot of time.
Further more, if a supplier packages products individually; it would save you a lot of time to package the products. You should be receiving a shipment with all the products prepackged, in either plastic bags, or bubble wrap; so all you have to do is sort them out, insert them into envelopes/boxes and mail them to your clients.
You can easily profit up to 200-300% of your buying cost, ie. buying a ring for $3.00 and reselling it on ebay for $10. That is $7.00 profit, from just clicking your mouse.
If you list 10 rings a day, it would be $70 In 30 days, for a total of 30 days, that is $2100.00 ; minus 10% for ebay expenses and other costs; you would be left with approximately $1900.00 This is only the minimum, by selling 10 rings / day. You can list a lot more. There are other products too, such as earrings, bracelets, pendants…and more. All of this; and more are profitable items.
A supplier that allows you to return items that are unsold, is your guarantee to success. There is no real investment involved, if it does not work; just return the items. However if it works, build on from there.
By Apisith Chawla
October 17th, 2006
Istanbul Jewelry Show Dates Announced
IDEX Online, Israel
(October 15, ‘06, 6:52 Edahn Golan)
The Istanbul Jewelry Show – 1, the 24th bi-annual international jewelry, silver, watch and equipment fair, will be held March 21 – 25, 2007 at Istanbul’s CNR EXPO Center.
The fair is a trade only exhibition, showcasing gold and diamond jewelry, pearls, silver jewelry and household goods, watches and clocks, mountings, machinery, equipment, display units, security devices, and software.
Last March the fair attracted nearly 1,000 exhibitors, a third of them foreign exhibitors, over 28,000 visitors and 649 members of the press.
Entrance to the fair is free.
October 16th, 2006
Barkin’s Jewelry Fetches $20 Million
San Francisco Chronicle, USA
A collection of jewelry belonging to actress Ellen Barkin fetched $20.3 million at a New York City auction on Tuesday.
The 108 pieces for sale included Barkin’s wedding ring from her marriage to ex-husband Ron Perelman — which fetched $138,000 at Christie’s auction house — diamond rings, necklaces and earrings from jewellers including Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany and Van Cleef and Arpels.
A single 22.76-carat diamond ring was the most expensive lot, bought for $1.8 million by an American collector.
Rahul Kadakia, head of Christie’s jewelry department, says the $20.3 million haul “makes Ellen Barkin’s collection the highest single-owner jewelry sale of the past 15 years in the U.S. and also places it among the top four ever worldwide.”
The actress wed Perelman in 2000 and they divorced earlier this year.
October 13th, 2006
Jewelry retailer to open Internet diamonds site
The Providence Journal
Ross-Simons, which began retailing on the Internet in 1997, says the word diamonds is among the top search terms on the Web.
06:47 PM EDT on Wednesday, October 11, 2006
BY PAUL GRIMALDI
Journal Staff Writer
Jewelry retailer Ross-Simons, of Cranston, is pushing deeper into cyberspace today, launching a diamonds-only Web site to complement its other sales operations
The liftoff comes nearly a decade after the Rhode Island company started its original Internet site, www.ross-simons.com. Ross-Simons hopes to profit from consumers’ increasing comfort with buying expensive goods on the Internet.
“Diamonds” is among the top search terms on the Web, according to a company spokesman.
“The category is a perfect environment for [Ross-Simons],” said Dante Bellini, an executive vice president with RDW Group Inc., which is handling advertising for the Web site rollout.
The spade work for the latest effort was really done by Ross-Simons in the late 1990s.
The company learned early on that its long history in storefronts and its catalog-sales expertise would help it find customers on the Internet.
Ross-Simons started selling online in 1997.
Darrell Ross, Ross-Simons’ president, is traveling in Europe this week and couldn’t be reached for comment on the retailer’s latest push on the Web.
In a 2000 interview with The Providence Journal, Ross said his company “can sell diamond necklaces for $10,000” online, or by mail, because it has a solid-gold reputation.
“It takes a great leap of faith for a customer to buy from a company they’ve never heard of,” he said at the time.
Trust, Ross said, is one of the “invisible barriers to entry” in the jewelry businesses.
The company began advertising in magazines in the mid-’70s and published its first catalog in 1981.
Ross looked at the Internet as a more efficient way to sell direct.
“We got into it as much defensively as offensively,” he said in 2000.
The company now sells jewelry, gifts and collectibles in its 14 stores, on the Web and through mailing 60 million catalogs annually to people around the country.
Setting up a Web site exclusively for diamond sales is another way to battle competitors, Bellini said.
Americans’ comfort level with Web shopping extends to such pricey — and hard to gauge — products as diamonds, he said.
“The Web is where the business is going,” Bellini said.
Companies such as Diamonds.com and Blue Nile Inc. make their livings off Web-savvy, 25-º to 34-year-old males willing to shell out thousands for an engagement ring and single women looking to treat themselves to a sparkling accessory.
Blue Nile (NILE:NASDAQ) had sales of nearly $223 million last year.
“This is going head to head with Blue Nile,” Bellini said. “We might be David taking on Goliath.”
Controlled by a private company, Ross-Simons doesn’t disclose sales figures.
Regardless, Ross-Simons sees its five-plus decades of retail experience as an advantage over Blue Nile and other retail chains selling on the Internet.
“Bricks and mortar can be an advantage,” Bellini said. “Bricks and mortar will never go away. There are people who need to see, touch or smell the product.”
For those who don’t see what they want when they press a nose up to a Ross-Simons display case, company stores will have Internet kiosks where customers can order through a Ross-Simons Web site.
The company will promote its new site in its catalogs and through an advertising campaign that will roll out soon in select markets:
www.ross-simons.com/diamonds
www.ross-simons.com
pgrimald@projo.com / (401) 277-7356
October 12th, 2006
Kalungnya Senilai Rp 150 Juta
Pameran Perhiasan Diamond House
www.kaltimpost.web.id
EMAS putih bertatahkan berlian ternyata cukup diminati di Samarinda. Terbukti, ketika Diamond House Jewellery menggelar pameran di Hotel Bumi Senyiur Samarinda, sejak Sabtu (7/10) hingga kemarin (9/10) cukup diminati pengunjung.
“Sebelumnya kami sempat pameran di Banjarmasin, lalu ke Samarinda,†sebut Gatot Hermanto, supervisor pameran. Pameran selama tiga hari itu menampilkan produk perhiasan emas putih papan atas dengan desain asal Hongkong. “Ada juga emas kuning, tapi lebih didominasi emas putih,†sebutnya.
Sebagian besar perhiasan tersebut bertatahkan berlian asal Belgia yang terkenal berkualitas. Sedangkan untuk bahan baku emas, selain emas lokal juga ada produk perhiasan yang mempergunakan bahan baku emas asal Italia.
“Dibandingkan emas kuning, emas putih memang lebih mahal,†sebutnya. Tak heran jika berbagai perhiasan dari liontin, cincin, gelang, hingga kalung di pameran ini dilepas dengan harga Rp 1 juta hingga Rp 150 juta. “Harga disesuaikan dengan model. Makin bagus modelnya, makin mahal,†sambungnya.
Untuk harga jual kembali, ia juga menyebutkan masih menerima konsumen yang ingin menjual kembali perhiasannya namun dikenakan potongan harga 20 persen. Itu pun kondisi fisik beserta surat-suratnya harus lengkap. “Tapi ada juga produk yang tidak bisa dijual lagi,†tambahnya. Perhiasan yang tak bisa dijual kembali adalah emas yang tidak dihiasi berlian, atau hanya dihiasi berlian kelas dua.
Gatot menyebutkan, pihaknya sudah melakukan pameran di Samarinda enam kali. Dan rata-rata pengunjungnya membeludak. “Setiap hari rata-rata dikunjungi 200 sampai 300 orang,†sebutnya.
Dalam pameran itu juga diberikan layanan cuci perhiasan gratis, serta memberikan potongan harga khusus di hari terakhir pameran. (endro eff)
Â
October 11th, 2006
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