Archive for March, 2007
Silver Jewelry Trend Report
Jewelry Weblog, CA
According to Mine Web, the Silver Institute has just published a trend report on silver, especially targeting jewelry, and things look pretty good for silver jewelry. This is really not a huge surprise since, while the cost of silver has gone up a good deal over the last year or so, you still can’t beat silver as the most economical metal for jewelry these days. Really, everything has gone up, silver, gold, and platinum.< --more-->
From Silver Institute publishes GFMS global silver jewelry analysis report:
The Silver Institute Thursday released a detailed analysis on trends in the global silver jewelry market conducted by London precious metals consultants GFMS.
The study found that silver jewelry consumption is still heavily skewed towards western markets, which pushed fabrication higher in top jewelry manufacturing centers Thailand, Italy and China. In 2005 silver jewelry accounted for one-fifth of total jewelry fabrication and 19% of international silver demand.
Globally, twice as much silver as gold ends up in jewelry while demand for these two metals dwarfs platinum and palladium, according to the study. “Taking all four precious metals together, silver’s share of total precious metals jewelry volume increased from 60.5% in 1999 to 65.6% in 2005.”
However, GFMS’s research discovered large differences in the ratio of silver: gold jewelry consumption on an individual country basis.
While gold was by far the dominant precious metal on a value basis, GFMS suggested that “in reality, and in particular at the retail level, silver holds its own rather better in the value stakes due to the much higher markups on silver than on gold, platinum or palladium jewelry.
Permalink: Silver Jewelry Trend Report
Tags: jewelry silver gold platinum report silver+jewelry trend+report
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March 30th, 2007
Top Execs, Industry Gurus Meet at Fine Jewelry CEO Summit
Diamonds.net, NY
RAPAPORT… Nearly 200 top executives in the diamond and jewelry industry met at the Rio Tinto Diamonds sponsored and Nielson Jewelry Group produced 2nd Annual Fine Jewelry CEO Summit in Atlanta, February 20-22, 2007.
The event was designed specifically for executives from the “majors†– jewelry firms that command 38 percent of the market in the United States, making this very different from other jewelry tradeshows or conferences, said Nielsen Jewelry Group vice president Lee Arevian
Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, started the summit with a discussion of “artistry, empathy, and creativity,†the three elements vital of management in the jewelry industry. “Speakers like Daniel Pink help to introduce the jewelry industry to cutting-edge management best practices, and plant the seeds of forward-thinking ideas that will help our market segment as a whole,†said marketing manager Nirupa Bhatt, of Rio Tinto Diamonds.
Tom Peters, legendary management guru, was the next speaker, who urged attendees to innovate and “stop thinking so much.†He also expanded upon his four “laws†of business excellence: De-centralize; Execution; Accountability; Working Harder.
Collectors Universe companies GCAL and AGL also sponsored a “leadership chat†with Peters, where attendees had an opportunity to field questions and seek advice on difficult management challenges.
During the following two days panel presentations and roundtable discussions addressed retail case studies and encouraged executives to rethink and re-motivate the way they conduct business. Managing director Janie Curtis of Frank About Women lectured on how to speak the language that women speak in order to engender trust and long-term relationships. “Women love words of encouragement and a brand that speaks to them of empowerment,†she said, “It’s a two-way dynamic dialog.â€
Le Vian sponsored Internet strategy expert and author Jeffrey Rayport, who asked retailers to examine how their companies interact with customers, detailing new Internet trends in technology, as well as some of unintended consequences of it, such the acceleration of product lifestyles and downward price pressures that create overcapacity. “Your customers are wearing your store fronts in their shirt pockets.â€
The summit concluded with Apple co-founder and former vice-president of research and development Steve Wozniak, who in addition to creating the first personal computer is a collector of watches and gadgets. Wozniak talked about future trends on the Internet: Increased personalization, faster broadband, cooperation among online vendors, and more realism on the Internet in general, as influenced from video games. He told attendees that he prefers the shopping experience of brick and mortar retailers over the web. “You have much more help in the store,†he said.
Next year’s event promises to be bigger, and will be expanded to include a wider scope of jewelry executives, and was officially re-named “The Nielsen Fine Jewelry Leadership Summit†to reflect those changes.
“The Nielsen Jewelry Group is continuing to shape the model of the Fine Jewelry CEO Summit to produce an event that truly serves the educational needs of jewelry community,†Arevian said. “Our goal is to nurture the current and future leaders of our industry, connect our attendees with a variety of the best international suppliers, and to create collaboration and camaraderie among retail executives.â€
RAPAPORT
Information that means Business
March 29th, 2007
Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show Packs Them In
By Laura Beach
Antiques and the Arts Online, CT
West Palm Beach. Fla:Promising reports from the frontlines of the four-year-old Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show lured us to the capital of luxe over Presidents’ Day weekend. We’re glad we went.
Visitors who were not stranded by the ice storms that earlier in the week brought much of the country to a halt arrived in time for a glamorous opening night party benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County on Friday, February 16. In all, the clubs raised close to $100,000, organizers said.
We can confirm that the gate — officially put at 50,000 — was extremely good through the run of the five-day show. The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show intermittently gets so busy that valets stand in the street turning people away. In Florida these days, parking one’s own car is generally not done. For the fleet of foot, however, there was more parking across the street at the Kravis Center and a block away at City Place, a complex of upscale shops and restaurants.
The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show was open to the general public from Saturday, February 17, through Tuesday, February, 20. Organizers Kris Charamonde, Scott Diament and Robert Samuels, three certified gemologists with a background in the jewelry business, picked Presidents’ Day weekend because Monday is a national holiday and many students have the week off, so families travel.
The Palm Beach Show Group, as the organizers call themselves, are devoted marketers who set aside about $1 million to promote their fair.
“We call it integrated marketing,” Charamonde explains. “You get up in the morning and read the paper, which has something in it about our show. You get in your car and onto I-95, where you see us on a billboard. At the dentist or hairdresser, you pick up a magazine and read about us again. On your way home, you turn on National Public Radio and you hear about us. We have hundreds of banners around the city. You can’t not know about the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show.”
The fair sets up in the Palm Beach County Convention Center, a new, state-of-the-art facility with all the latest amenities. With 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 200 exhibitors, this is a very big show. The quality of exhibitors is generally quite high and, remarkably, there is little overlap in merchandise. Allow plenty of time to see the show and make sure that you have a map. It is easy to miss booths or even entire aisles.
Charamonde likes to compare the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show to Maastricht and Art Basel Miami, two high-quality megafairs. Some visitors say the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show resembles June Olympia in London in its elegant installation, size, diversity and the quality of its contents.
The promoters spend much of the year visiting other fairs in search of exhibitors they believe will make their show interesting. One of our particular favorites was Notus Gallery of New York. The husband and wife dealers Stephen Hurrell and Julie Sherlock specialize in Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century art and antiques from Portugal and its former colonies, especially Brazil. It is an area that very few other American dealers have tackled and one where some outstanding bargains still exist.
The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show was lucky this year to have leading Tiffany specialists Lillian Nassau LLC from New York. Owner and expert Arlie Sulka has been integral to the big Tiffany exhibitions in New York this spring and is helping to present “Designing Women: American Women in the Decorative Arts, 1875–1915″ on Saturday, March, 25, at the New-York Historical Society. Lillian Nassau LLC joined Macklowe Gallery of New York, ensuring that this year’s Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show was a serious venue for American Art Nouveau design.
Many leading dealers from the well-established trading grounds of the Northeast exhibit here. They say they are always surprised at how many of their customers from Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington either have homes in Palm Beach or are simply vacationing in the area. Even Winter Antiques Show chairman Arie Kopelman was spotted on the floor this year.
“There are lots of nice people here, old-time Palm Beach people who are very knowledgeable and love beautiful things,” said Boston dealer Stephen Score, who sees in Boston and Palm Beach a common love of traditional design.
Florida’s persistent warmth, light and abundant flora does influence the way people collect and decorate. Many exhibitors, including Score, chose lighter, brighter palettes than they would for their booths at home. A highlight of Score’s stand was “Sunset Sail,” a delicate pastel on paper by Theodore Wendel, who studied with Monet in Giverny.
The Palm Beach audience appreciates paintings. With that in mind, the organizers have worked assiduously to build the fine art of the component of the fair, which boasts a worthy contingent of American fine art specialists. There is no precise agreement on which paintings sell the best here, though light, loose palettes and marine themes are safe bets.
“Half of my sales have been to existing clients, half to new customers,” said Connecticut dealer Thomas Colville. “People like American Impressionist and Modern paintings here. They aren’t so keen on European and Hudson River School canvases.”
“I’ve sold a ton of paintings here over the past three years,” said New York dealer Alex Acevedo, in the midst of negotiations with a French client on a seven-figure equestrian canvas by Rosa Bonheur.
“I love this show. I’ve already signed next year’s contract,” said Maine dealer Tom Veillieux, who arrayed works by William Zorach, Rockwell Kent and Jamie Wyeth.
“It’s been a very good show for us,” said Roger Howlett of Childs Gallery. The Boston dealer sold colorful paintings by Sally Michael (1902–2003), wife of painter Milton Avery, and works by Henry Botkin, a Boston artist who was the cousin of George Gershwin. Childs Gallery’s centerpiece was a student work by Frank Stella from his Princeton days.
“We brought more traditional paintings than modern ones. We’ve sold a few things,” said New York dealer Vincent Vallarino, fresh from an excellent showing in Los Angeles.
The usual bell curve applied to sales, which seemed to be across the full range of specialties.
Hyland Granby Antiques of Hyannisport, Mass., sold a large, rare campaign sideboard early in the show, and silver dealers Spencer Gordon and Mark McHugh said that they had done very well, selling pieces in the $1,000 to $25,000 range and shipping to five states.
“This is our first time here,” said Leon Weiss of Gemini Antiques, who joined Americana specialists such as Diana Bittel, Jeff Bridgman and Roberto Freitas. “We’ve sold a painting, three sculptures, a weathervane and three mechanical banks.”
The Palm Beach Show Group, which acquired ShaDor Management a year and a half ago, is returning for a second time to the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, set for Labor Day weekend, August 30–September 2.
“We’ve expanded the Baltimore show. We have 250,000 square feet. Our goal is to get 600 dealers. Attendance was 30,000 last year. We hope it will be 50,000 this year,” said Charamonde, urging all Antiques and The Arts Weekly readers to visit.
Palm Beach Show Group is also contemplating a major show at Navy Pier in Chicago for 2008.
The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show will return to the Palm Beach County Convention Center February 15–19, 2008.
For information, 561-822-5440 or www.palmbeachshow.com.
March 28th, 2007
Having a Beautiful Mindset: uGOgirlz Launches Kazuri Bead Jewelry and New Shirt Designs at NAACP Image Awards uGOgirlz owner Chris Frueh launched her new jewelry line at the 38th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles.
RushPRnews.com (press release), Canada
Los Angeles, CA (rushprnews) March 26, 2007 — Jennifer Hudson, Raven Symone, Anika Noni Rose and Chandra Wilson helped Gilbert entrepreneur and uGOgirlz owner Chris Frueh launch her new jewelry line at the 38th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles.
Frueh met with the stars in the celebrity gift room and handed out samples of her products which included her newest line of Kazuri bead jewelry, which features hand-made, hand-painted, ceramic jewelry made from women in Nairobi, Kenya. The ceramic coop, which is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, has helped hundreds of women artisans earn fair wages, educate their families and greatly improve their standard of living.
Frueh also introduced three new shirt designs: Dreams Come True, a vintage tee with grinded collar and sleeves, Breathe Life Into Your Dreams, which features a Phoenix bird rising from the ashes and Butterfly Swarm. She has also expanded her line to include additional sizes and colors.
“All night I kept hearing, ‘This is a great message! What a great idea! We need more of this!’†said Frueh. “Singer, India Arie picked up a few items and immediately wore the necklace. They were so supportive. Not just because of the designs, which they loved, but what uGOgirlz merchandise represents - that every female should feel empowered to believe in themselves and their dreams.â€
The uGOgirlz company offers designs that promote peace, happiness and imagination. The Gilbert resident and former elementary school teacher said she believed clothing with inspirational messages would provide a constant reminder for women and girls to live the messages they wear. She hopes that when women and girls see their favorite actress in the motivational attire, they will be inspired to follow suit.
In addition to its creative T-shirt designs and Kazuri bead necklaces and bracelets, uGOgirlz provides visitors with a wide selection of resources that promote inspiration and motivation for conquering goals. Links to different articles and reading materials make it easy for females to learn the necessary strategies to achieve their dreams.
“I want our library of resources to be stepping stones to help women and girls spark the passion within and dare to be extraordinary,†said Frueh. “Every woman and girl is a star in their own right.â€
T-shirt prices range from $15 to $30 (plus shipping and tax) and a portion of the sale of each uGOgirlz product will go to Women for Women International, a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to the financial, educational and interpersonal support of women survivors of war, poverty and injustice.
For more information, visit www.ugogirlz.com
###
Rush PR News - press release services www.rushprnews.com
Anne Howard, writer and publicist at www.annehowardpublicist.com
March 27th, 2007
Shop patrons design, make jewelry
Hagerstown Morning Herald, MD
by MARIE GILBERT marieg@herald-mail.com
Allie Buchman has found her creative muse in jewelry.
It started when she was a little girl, fashioning necklaces from seashells and it continued through her high school and college years when she used her talent to make gifts for family and friends.
Today, Buchman has turned what was once a hobby into a lucrative business. Along with her husband, Nathan, she is the owner of The Potomac Bead Company.
While she has had a long love affair with jewelry, opening a jewelry-making shop wasn’t always one of Buchman’s goals.
“It just sort of happened,” she said. “When I graduated from Dickinson (College in Carlisle, Pa.) several years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do post-college. I thought I might continue my education or find a teaching job.”
Nathan, who at that time was her fianc, had graduated a year before her and returned to his native Williamsport with a business degree in hand.
“He had always wanted to be self-employed,” Buchman said. “So, following my graduation and marriage, we began looking for ways to make that a reality.”
That was when the idea for a bead shop began to take shape.
“We saw an opportunity for such a store in the Hagerstown area,” she said. “So we thought, ‘let’s see what happens.’”
The couple opened the doors to their new business at 109 S. Potomac St. in November 2005.
“It’s a decision we’ve never regretted,” Buchman said. “Our families thought we were insane. They couldn’t understand how anyone could make a living selling beads. But they supported us all the way. And we’ve never looked back.”
Buchman said the business has been a success since the first day - so successful, in fact, that it wasn’t long before the couple opened a second store on South Main Street in Chambersburg, Pa.
Both locations provide a wide array of materials for making one’s own jewelry, including gemstones, glass, sterling silver, wire, tools, books and more.
While the staff at The Potomac Bead Company will custom-design jewelry, Buchman said she is especially interested in teaching, educating and training people in how to make their own jewelry.
“We offer more than 35 different classes ranging from the beginner level through advanced,” she explained. “You can do a one-time class or participate in a series of classes. You can sign up for classes with the general public or you can schedule a private class for five or more people. But what we really want to do is share our love of jewelry-making with others.”
In addition to classes, the stores offer birthday parties, which have been a hit with all age groups.
“I’ve had 4-year-olds and, recently, a 68-year-old woman who had a party. And, regardless of age, everyone has fun.”
Buchman said she loves to see young children come into her store and develop an interest in making jewelry.
“I started at a young age and was inspired by an artistic mother and grandmother,” she said. “So I love it when parents come in with their children to make something together. It’s a real bonding experience.”
While the business has been well-received, Buchman said she and her husband continue to find ways to grow. Recently, they completed a large project bringing the store’s inventory to the Internet.
“We have a lot of customers who travel here from outside the area,” she said.
“Instead of making a two-hour trip, they can now buy their supplies from home.”
The Potomac Bead Company also has begun wholesale offers to smaller bead stores and designers.
Because the business has been so successful, Buchman said they have outgrown their current store on South Potomac Street.
By the end of March, they hope to have moved into their new location at 53 W. Washington St.
“It’s a much bigger store with more room to move around,” she said. “Our regular customers know not to come into the store on Saturdays because it’s such a madhouse. Our new location will give us much more space and more opportunities to serve our customers.”
Buchman said she and her husband are committed to staying in downtown Hagers-town and are excited about the revitalization that is taking place.
“We love it here and enjoy working with other downtown businesses,” she said. “Our decision to locate downtown is something we don’t regret.”
Buchman said there is another plus to having a thriving business.
“Our success has enabled us to give back to the community,” she said. “We offer free classes for various charities and are able to support causes that are dear to our hearts. That’s something we’ve always wanted to be able to do. We feel very fortunate.”
More information about the business is available at www.potomacbeads.com.
Cutline: By Kevin G. Gilbert/Staff Photographer
Allie Buchman is pictured with some of the wares at The Potomac Bead Company in downtown Hagerstown.
March 26th, 2007
Canada : Appelt’s Jewelry to close operation at Portage location
March 23, 2007
Fibre2fashion.com, India
Appelt’s Jewelry has decided to close down its operation at the Portage la Prairie Mall.
The mall has lost two biggies, Wal-Mart and Safeway, which used to attract people, and smaller retailers were reaping the benefits of this. But now the traffic coming to the mall is very less.
Bert Appelt, President of Appelt’s Jewellery said that Portage store would love to run its operation if the mall is able to attract the traffic to support it.
This closure would mean that all workers at the outlet will be unemployed.
Appelt’s opened its store at the Portage site in 1988 and has been a member of local chamber for last 18 years.
The company has three stores in Winnipeg and retail outlets in Steinbach and Morden.
March 23rd, 2007
Semi Precious Stone Jewelry
Business Portal 24 (press release), Germany
Besides the numerous professional products, Punto Accessori also makes it possible for haberdasher’s and crafts lovers to create jewelry on their own. In fact, more than 700 items are available in convenient pouches bearing our logo and containing small amounts.
Give free reign to your imagination and make your own personal jewelry accessory. You can choose only the best components and metal findings for jewelry or show off your own ethnic jewelry creations which are all the rage. The materials that can be used range from the classic metal components for jewelry to glass, from shell to wood,
from semi-precious stones to bone.
Businessportal24.com is a modern News and Press Release-Portal, where entrepreneurs and freelancers can publish their press releases -for free-. We think, there’s no better way for online advertising!
Thanks for your visit.
March 23rd, 2007
Semi Precious Stone Jewelry
Business Portal 24 (press release), Germany
Besides the numerous professional products, Punto Accessori also makes it possible for haberdasher’s and crafts lovers to create jewelry on their own. In fact, more than 700 items are available in convenient pouches bearing our logo and containing small amounts.
Give free reign to your imagination and make your own personal jewelry accessory. You can choose only the best components and metal findings for jewelry or show off your own ethnic jewelry creations which are all the rage. The materials that can be used range from the classic metal components for jewelry to glass, from shell to wood,
from semi-precious stones to bone.
Businessportal24.com is a modern News and Press Release-Portal, where entrepreneurs and freelancers can publish their press releases -for free-. We think, there’s no better way for online advertising!
Thanks for your visit.
March 23rd, 2007
Teen Jewelry Retailer Claire’s Acquired for $3.1 Billion
IDEX Online, Israel
(March 21, ‘07, 6:27 Edahn Golan)
Claire’s Stores, Inc. (NYSE: CLE), an international specialty retailer of low cost costume jewelry and accessories, has agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of Apollo Management, L.P., a New York based private equity firm The affiliate will pay $33 per share totaling approximately $3.1 billion.
“After reviewing the final bids, our board of directors unanimously concluded… that this transaction with Apollo is in the best interests of our shareholders,” said Claire’s Co-Chairs and Co-CEO’s Bonnie and Marla Schaefer.
The company was founded by their father.
The Schaefer family, which owns a significant percentage of the voting power of Claire’s equity, has entered into a separate agreement to vote its shares in favor of the merger.
Claire’s Stores sells jewelry and accessories to tweens, teens and young adult females through its two store concepts: Claire’s and Icing by Claire’s. While the latter operates only in North America, Claire’s operates internationally, with approximately 3,000 stores in North America, Europe, Japan and the Middle East. Claire’s items sell in the U.S. for under $15.
Apollo Management is a private investment partnership that manages capital on behalf of a group of institutional investors and the principals of Apollo. Since its inception in 1990, Apollo has invested in excess of $16 billion of equity capital in companies representing a wide variety of industries. Apollo is in the process of investing its sixth corporate fund.
Apollo has had partnerships with management teams operating retail and consumer-oriented businesses, including an investment in Zale Corporation.
March 22nd, 2007
Costume Jewelry Retailer Agrees to a Takeover
New York Times, NY
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla., March 20 (AP) — The costume jewelry retailer Claire’s Stores said Tuesday that it agreed to a $3.1 billion takeover proposal from the private equity firm Apollo Management.
Claire’s, which operates about 3,000 stores in the United States and around the world under the names Claire’s and Icing by Claire’s, sells low-cost costume jewelry and accessories to adolescents and young adults
Under terms of the agreement, Claire’s shareholders will receive $33 in cash for each share. The purchase price represents a 7.3 percent premium to the stock’s Monday closing price on the New York Stock Exchange. The company had about 94.6 million shares outstanding as of Oct. 28, 2006, according to its latest regulatory filing. The company is based in Pembroke Pines.
Bonnie and Marla Schaefer, Claire’s co-chairwomen and chief executives, issued a joint statement saying the Apollo offer was “in the best interests of our shareholders.â€
The Schaefer family, which owns a significant percentage of Claire’s equity, agreed separately to vote its shares in favor of the deal.
“We look forward to partnering with Claire’s management team and employees to build on the many strengths of the company,†said Peter P. Copses, a senior partner at Apollo.
He added: “We believe that the increased flexibility available to a private company will enable Claire’s to capitalize on the many opportunities before it, both here and abroad.â€
The deal is subject to regulatory review and the approval of Claire’s shareholders.
Shares of Claire’s gained $1.12, to $31.88, on the New York Stock Exchange.
March 21st, 2007
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