Archive for June, 2008
Bidz.com, the online jewelry auctioneer, expects international sales to increase by more than 50% in comparison to the second quarter of fiscal year 2007.
The company reported that the Spanish-language version of its website has seen positive results. Columbia, Mexico, Chile and Spain are among the top 10 countries for visitors during the past month.
Bidz.com CEO David Zinberg stated: “The Spanish translation of our website is yielding the desired results, and we are encouraged that future translations into foreign languages will be equally successful. We believe our jewelry offering at value prices and in a fun and exciting format is attractive to consumers all over the world and we look forward to tapping into new markets.”
The Arabic version of the jewelry site is scheduled to be launched during the third quarter of this year.
Bidz.com has reaffirmed its previous guidance for the second quarter with revenues ranging around $48 million-$50 million, and for the full fiscal year 2008 predicted revenues fall in the range of $225 million-$230 million.
By: Rachel Lieberman, Israel Diamond Industry Portal
Source: http://www.israelidiamond.co.il/
June 30th, 2008
Artist Merry Rosenfield has donated many of her one-of-a-kind jewelry designs to the ASPCA. For over 20 years she has been creating and selling her animal jewelry in both the USA and abroad.
Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) June 29, 2008 — A 57 year old grandmother has just designed her 4th piece of jewelry exclusively for the ASPCA online store.
Merry Rosenfield, who co-owns the internet business www.themagiczoo.com with her husband Ed, has been designing original animal themed jewelry for over 20 years.
“I’m an animal fanatic,” said Rosenfield, who lives in Florida surrounded by native lizards, raccoons, possums and a yard full of the neighbor’s cats.
In 2007 Rosenfield was approached by Stephen Dercole, director, ASPCA Merchandise, about creating a new line of logo jewelry. “I was delighted,” said Rosenfield.
She donated her design time, estimated at between 20 to 25 hours and created 3 initial designs. That was in 2007. This year she has added 2 more designs to their collection.
Merry’s newest logo design, a beautiful paw print in gleaming sterling silver, can be seen on the ASPCA website, alongside her earlier work.
“We’re always looking for ways to extend our brand and mission,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres, “and Merry’s whimsical and charming jewelry are a great way to do just that. Her love for animals clearly shines through in these signature pieces, and we are very fortunate that she has been so giving of her time and talents to the ASPCA.”
“I strongly believe that it’s the responsibility of artists to use their gifts to help this world,” says Rosenfield, echoing the words of her late daughter Cedar Bennett, a talented young artist who sadly passed away in 2001. “Cedar loved animals. She dedicated her life towards making this a better place for both people and animals.”
To learn more about Merry and her jewelry contact Merry Rosenfield or visit www.themagiczoo.com Merry’s numerous animal jewelry designs are available in her online store.
About The Magic Zoo:
Merry Rosenfield has been creating animal jewelry for her company The Magic Zoo since 1989. Her work includes designs in sterling silver, 14k gold, pewter and enamel.
She has created over a thousand designs of both wild and domestic animals.
Besides her work for the ASPCA, Merry has designed jewelry for other nonprofit organizations such as The Marshall Legacy Institute and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Contact: Merry Rosenfield
PO Box 1116
Clearwater, Fl. 33757
Phone: 800-670-3703
Or 727-447-4220
http://www.themagiczoo.com/
Source: http://www.prweb.com
June 30th, 2008
Jewelry is part of our daily lives. When two people get married, they exchange wedding rings, a perfect circle symbolizing unity and continuity. But jewelry can be offered on other occasions as well. And what if you could offer someone a gift bearing some special meaning and be a beautiful piece of jewelry at the same time? David Weitzman’s website is a great source for beautiful jewelry endowed with special energies. The spiritual gift section of the website will unveil beautiful designs based on symbols from major religions around the world and mystic concepts, which promote unity, harmony and love. Here are some examples of jewelry and their meanings.
The engravings on the ring of Tao are in Hebrew and can be translated like this: “The road is wiser than the one who walks in its path”. The symbol of Tao is placed in the middle of the ring. The word Tao means ‘road’ and the significance of it on the ring is the communion of the road and the walker. The communion takes place when the walker on the path feels the law according to which all things act. This law is the base of the Tao philosophy. The steps he makes along the path are in harmony with the universe. The ring of Tao is a spiritual gift that can be offered as a symbol of compassion, modesty and efficiency, which are the three basic principals of the Tao model of leadership.
Tibetan culture has always been fascinating. There are eight auspicious signs around which Tibetan Buddhism has evolved. One of them is the Lotus flower. At night the Lotus flower closes and sinks underwater so that at dawn it will rise and open again. This continuous cycle makes the Lotus flower a symbol of creation and rebirth and a symbol of the sun. It also symbolizes spiritual enfoldment, due to the way it grows. Its roots are in the earthly mud, its long stem struggles through the water so that it reaches the surface and opens into a beautiful flower that basks into the sunlight.
The ring of courage is a spiritual gift that can be offered to boost one’s self confidence. It has a long Hebrew text engraved on it that is meant to make the wearer understand that fear is a major cause of one’s suffering. Fear is believed to come from ignorance and twists your judgment. It is summoned by the person himself, because he is letting deceiving thoughts grow into his mind. It is also the reason why the person who fears becomes blind to the abundance and beauty of life.
The Egg of Life represents the third stage of the division of the human embryos. It is composed of eight spheres in such a way that if you would draw a line between their centers, you would obtain a perfectly aligned three dimensional Star of David. An Egg of Life pendant is a two dimensional representation of this shape. It is a symbol of balance, health and fertility. This piece of jewelry is the best spiritual gift that can be offered to a pregnant woman.
The Eye of Horus is a symbol made of six parts. Each part forms a different mathematical fracture and if we add those fractures we get closer to 1, but never reach it. This is the Egyptian belief that the soul will reach its perfection only in the next world. The eye is within a triangle, which is the strongest structure in the entire universe. This spiritual gift can be offered as a symbol of protection and health.
These are just some of the symbols bearing a powerful meaning. Be sure to visit ka-gold-jewelry.com. Here you are bound to find the right spiritual gift bearing the proper significance for the person you cherish. All gucci jewelry can be found in either gold or silver.
This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 7:25 am and is filed under Uncategorized, Parties, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Source: http://guccijewelry.indiainteracts.com/
June 27th, 2008
I was shopping 4 gifts @ my local Gucci store ” decided 2 check 4 more selections online. I decided 2 check Ebay just 2 look what was out there ” was skeptical on seeing silver jewelry sold on Ebay as Gucci 925. I know that real gucci @ like Neiman ” SFA look like this (cuff links ” tags are a good example w/out the 925 on it):
http://www.jewelrygucci.com
So when I did a search on EBay ” found the exact same gucci jewelry, but w/ the “925″ stamp on it. I know that means the grade 4 the sterling silver, but is it still authentic gucci jewelry or knock off?
I could be answering my own question, but I noticed from the retailers or original Gucci online store it never has the “925″ stamp on it..
My friend tell me .925 when it comes to silver means its sterling silver. It”s not pure … it;”s an alloy with other metals mixed in. If gucci uses pure silver, then it won”t be stamped with .92
This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 7:13 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Source: http://guccijewelry.indiainteracts.com/
June 27th, 2008
Submitted by Laura Briedis
There are not many places in town where residents can find items ranging from a dollar glass bead to a five thousand dollar gem-laden bracelet to a priceless million-year-old fossil all under one roof. For three days in July, these one-of-a-kind finds will be showcased at the GemStreet USA Show & Sale, July 18-20, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds “Pioneer our Land” building.
This national show that specializes in jewelry, beads, gemstones, crystals, minerals and fossils comes to Indiana featuring a host of international artists, as well as several local artists, who will showcase their jewelry.
Source: http://www.indystar.com/
June 26th, 2008
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone
Total fabrication demand for platinum rose 0.8 percent to 7.06 million ounces in 2007 year-over-year, according to the Platinum Group Metals Yearbook. High platinum prices affected demand in some sectors, such as jewelry and electronics, but were offset by relatively inelastic demand in other sectors, in particular the automotive industry.
In 2008, total fabrication demand could rise 3.2 percent to reach 7.28 million ounces, according to the annual report, which was released Tuesday by CPM Group, a commodities market research, consulting, asset management, and investment-banking firm. Demand for platinum in the auto industry, the largest sector of end-use, is projected to remain strong this year, due mostly to strong demand from developing nations. Jewelry demand could decline again this year, while demand in China and other uses are projected to increase slightly.
Platinum prices averaged a record $1,314.46 in 2007, surpassing the previous record average price of $1,146.94 in 2006 by 14.6 percent, according to the publication. During the first five months of this year, prices averaged $1,946.13. This was up 56.9 percent from the similar period in 2007. In early March prices reached a record intraday high of $2,308.80.
Total platinum supply declined to 7.42 million ounces in 2007, down 4.6 percent from a record 7.78 million ounces supplied in 2006, the publication reports. The bulk of the decline occurred in South African mine production. A series of labor disruptions, accidents, mechanical, and operational problems all led to reduced mine output from South Africa.
Power shortage problems this year in addition to the issues already facing platinum group metals operations in South Africa are expected to weigh on platinum mine output this year again, according to the publication. Total supply could decline 1.4 percent this year to 7.31 million ounces. Total mine output, including South Africa, declined 6.6 percent to 5.71 million ounces last year and could decline an additional 2.7 percent to 5.55 million ounces this year. Secondary supply increased for the 16th consecutive year in 2007 and is projected to expand again in 2008. Russian exports of platinum meanwhile are projected to decline slightly this year again.
The complete report can be purchased at www.cpmgroup.com.
Source: http://www.jckonline.com/
June 25th, 2008
The Baltimore City Health Department has issued a violation notice to a business prohibiting the sale of a children’s jewelry product that was identified with a lead level in metal components above 600 parts per million. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been alerted.
The Health Commissioner is deeming all products of the same style and manufacturer of this item to be a nuisance to public health. This product may not be offered for retail sale in Baltimore City.
Under a regulation adopted on December 7, 2006, children’s jewelry containing more than 1200 parts per million were not to be offered for retail sale in Baltimore City. As of September 1, 2007, children’s jewelry with metal components containing in excess of 600 parts per million of total lead are banned.
The item identified was sold at Clever Mart, 200-214 N. Highland Avenue and is Dora the Explorer ring – the ring contained 50,600 parts per million of lead.
Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause severe illness and even death at high doses and cognitive impairment and other neurological problems at lower doses. The standard for lead in paint is 600 parts per million of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is reviewing {the comment period ended} comments about a proposal to create a rule establishing a legal limit of 600 parts per million for lead in children’s jewelry. Such a standard is not in effect at the federal level.
The Health Department tested 7 items of children’s jewelry in June 2007. The above item was the only item found to be in excess of 600 parts per million.
Child Health and Safety
Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/
June 24th, 2008
Shop NBC is a multi-media retailer that sells jewelry and other products through their home shopping television network, the Internet, and direct mail. They are one of the nation’s leading home shopping channels. Shop NBC broadcasts live, every day of the year, into approximately 60 million households. In addition, ShopNBC.com offers the opportunity to purchase everything shown on their television network, plus a host of additional items available exclusively online.
Source: http://www.jewelry-weblog.com/
June 23rd, 2008
The costume jewelry of another era includes designs by Chanel, Gucci, Dior, Fendi, YSL, Nina Ricci, Kenneth Jay Lane, Judith Leiber and Miriam Haskell.
By Victoria Namkung, Special to The Times
CHANEL. Gucci. Dior. Fendi. No we’re not on Rodeo Drive, but a couple of blocks over on Canon Drive, where Jill Garland has opened V Vintage, a jewel box selling vintage costume jewelry and handbags.
The under-the-radar boutique is by appointment, not only because of its small size, but also so that Garland can pay attention to customers who may want to discuss a piece’s history, importance or even how to wear it.
The space may be diminutive, but its pale pink walls, white leather chairs and coffee-table books make you feel at home. “My customers love vintage so they seek me out,” says Garland, 38. “They know vintage is cool and makes them look different from everybody else.”
And now that statement jewelry has taken center stage on the runways, a great vintage piece is even more of a find. Highlights from Garland’s collection include a pair of Yves Saint Laurent sterling silver chandelier earrings ($1,200), an eye-catching Nina Ricci coral cabochon bracelet ($425) and a 1967 Christian Dior enamel cuff ($575).
But it’s not all high-priced designer items. There’s a ’60s Lucite rhinestone cocktail ring for $40, a pair of bright Bakelite bangles for $125 and sterling silver drop earrings for $155. The rotating selection also includes ’70s-era Gucci logo bags, ’60s-era Kenneth Jay Lane necklaces, Judith Leiber bejeweled belts and Miriam Haskell bib necklaces obtained from estate sales, auction houses and individuals.
Garland had worked in graphic and interior design. When she spied a “For Lease” sign across the street from Porto Via, the Canon Drive restaurant she co-owns with husband Peter Garland, her vintage dreams became a reality.
“The best way to wear this stuff is to do it really simple,” Garland says. “Wear it with jeans and a T-shirt. Let the piece be the focus.”
V Vintage, 427 Canon Drive, Suite 216, Beverly Hills. (310) 786-8277; vvintage90210.com
Source: http://www.latimes.com/features
June 23rd, 2008
Mehul Choksi took his family’s tiny Mumbai diamond business and turned it into a $1 billion international retailer. But he won’t be satisfied until Gitanjali Gems is much, much bigger Growing up, Mehul Choksi recalls, he often hunted for rough diamonds in his Mumbai home. His father, a diamond trader, would bring home diamonds for grading and sorting and often a loose stone or two would fall on the floor. The kids–six of them, with Mehul the youngest–would scour the floors for anything gleaming. And whenever he found a diamond–some were as thin as a hair strand–his father would reward him with a few rupees. “I realized that this was a lucrative business,” he chuckles.
But Choksi learned that the money wasn’t so easy after he started working for the family business just out of high school in 1977. Endless competitors meant razor-thin profit margins for this end of the diamond business. So after he took over the business in the 1980s, a company that had stuck to cutting and polishing rough diamonds for three generations started making and selling jewelry–and creating brands. Today Gitanjali Gems–named after two of his sisters, Gita and Anjali–has more than 20 branded jewelry lines, 1,250 retail outlets and 35 franchise stores. In the last few years it broke into the U.S. market, opened jewelry shops in China and began selling its brands in the Middle East. The company boasts a modern diamond processing plant and two jewelry manufacturing units in Mumbai. “I wasn’t interested in selling a commodity,” Choksi says. “I wanted to sell a brand.”
Gitanjali’s growth has been remarkable. In the mid-1980s it produced just $7 million in annual revenue. This year it will top $1 billion. Most of that growth has come since 2005, when revenue totaled $310 million. Profits were only $2 million that year, before the branding and retailing efforts really began paying off. But for the first nine months of the year that ended Mar. 31, profits reached $33 million. Full-year results will be announced near the end of June.
The company went public in 2006 at $4.74 a share and hit a high of $12.43 last December before tumbling along with much of the Indian market. Recently it traded at $6.50, giving it a market capitalization of $555 million. Choksi and his wife, Priti, own 46.4%. None of his siblings has a stake, though two sisters and a brother-in-law work in the U.S. operation. “Gitanjali is best poised to capture the growth in the gems and jewelry sector with its strong brand equity, robust retail network and an equally strong distribution franchise,” says Sanju Verma, executive director at HDFC Securities, in a report on Gitanjali last November.
Choksi, 49, who serves as chairman, is now expanding his retail business beyond jewelry. Backed by joint ventures with companies such as armo Netherlands Finance B.V. and Italy’s Mariella Burani Fashion Group, Gitanjali plans to open dozens of lifestyle retail stores across the country in the next few months, hawking everything from watches and leather handbags to haute haircuts. As disposable income and discretionary spending rise in India, the company expects a surge in sales of branded and luxury products. “This is action time,” says Gaurav Marya, managing director of Gitanjali Lifestyle. “The opportunity has just begun.”
The company’s move beyond diamond trading began in earnest in 1991, when it tied up with Continental Jewelry Manufacturing of Hong Kong and entered the mass-produced jewelry business. In 1994 it launched a branded jewelry line called Gili–a shortening of Gitanjali. Selling branded jewelry was novel in a country where jewelry is often purchased from the neighborhood family jeweler and mostly for investment. One innovation: It issued customers a certificate to authenticate the diamonds and a buyback guarantee. Gili didn’t catch on overnight, but Choksi went on to introduce more brands. Last December he bought the Nakshatra brand, which had been rolled out by diamond giant De Beers. “Gitanjali is a pioneer in branding,” says Prasad Kapre, business director at De Beers Group Marketing, which works to create a demand for diamonds in India. “They are very dynamic in terms of their approach to the market. They have different brands for different segments.”
Still, the competition is stiff. Using attractive merchandising and sophisticated marketing, Tata’s Titan Industries sells a range of high-end gold, diamond-studded and platinum jewelry under the brand name Tanishq. And it has a line of jewelry for semiurban and rural areas called GoldPlus. The company has 133 showrooms and plans to add 26 this year, including two in the U.S. In the year ended Mar. 31, it reported $507 million in jewelry sales, up 57% from the previous year. “Tanishq is a completely professional outfit,” says Kapre. “It has got reach and reliability. Since it is a Tata company, the name carries trust.”
But Tanishq focuses on gold jewelry while Gitanjali specializes in diamonds. And Choksi believes that he has a distinct edge with his mines-to-market approach. He buys diamonds directly from the Diamond Trading Co.–the rough-diamond trading arm of De Beers–and has the rest of the supply chain under his control. Titan buys diamonds that are already cut and polished.
Gitanjali also has been more aggressive than Titan in expanding overseas. It entered the U.S. market 18 months ago by buying a family-run jewelry chain in Texas, Samuels Jewelers. Started in 1891, the company had $100 million in annual revenue at the time of the purchase and nearly 100 outlets. Then last November it bought Rogers Jewelers, a Midwest chain with $80 million in revenue. That gave Gitanjali nearly 50 more outlets. At both Samuels and Rogers, Choksi has retained the U.S. management and staff, but the jewelry now comes from his diamond processing and design centers in India.
His long-incubating strategy of moving from low-margin diamond processing to upmarket retailing is paying dividends with higher profit margins. He expects to clear 10% to 12% in the U.S., before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Ebitda margins on diamond processing are only 2% to 3%. Diamond jewelry manufacturing and wholesaling aren’t much better: margins come in at only 4% to 5%.
The U.S. market is drawing Choksi because it accounts for half of the world’s diamond jewelry sales, and it’s growing at a steady clip. “Jewelry is expected to outpace [overall] retail sales growth between now and 2016, driven largely by an increase in the bridal business, and this is heavily diamond-dominated,” says Kenneth Gassman, president of the Jewelry Industry Research Institute in Virginia, who also cites increased marketing efforts by the industry.
One challenge for Gitanjali is competing with the plethora of jewelry retailers in the largely unconsolidated U.S. market. The top four jewelry chains account for only 12% of the market. The rest of the market is divided among 23,000 jewelers, mostly independent, family-owned operations. Choksi’s U.S. strategy is straightforward: He wants to build his business through acquisitions.
He’s also making a foray into China but not just with stores. He has a diamond-cutting factory in Qingdao and a diamond manufacturing plant in Panyu. China is also serving as a second hub for Gitanjali to design diamonds for the U.S. market and supply it.
Back home, Choksi is getting into the real estate business by developing a 170-acre special economic zone in Hyderabad for the jewelry industry. The government is offering 15-year tax breaks for companies that move in. Gitanjali will be first, with operations for diamond processing and jewelry manufacturing, and then will rent out the rest of the land to other jewelry companies. It also is buying casting, laser-cutting and refining equipment that these companies can rent. “This will help the [companies] avail themselves of the best manufacturing technologies without incurring a large capital investment,” says Prashant Rege, Gitanjali’s president.
Gitanjali is also focused on developing workers for the industry. It runs training programs in diamond processing and jewelry manufacturing and expects to be soon churning out 3,000 students every six months.
Analysts fret that Gitanjali is growing too fast, too soon with its multipronged business. “They need to manage growth,” says HDFC’s Verma. “Gitanjali’s task is all the more challenging, given the sheer nature of the business, which has high working capital requirements.”
But Choksi certainly doesn’t see any stops ahead. “I want to be the number one jewelry retailer in the world,” he declares.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/magazines
June 20th, 2008
Previous Posts
