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Industry News: Charles Wells Dies; GIA Extends Time To Confirm Grades; New AGS Sorting Service; More January 27, 2016 (0 comments)
In Memoriam: Charlie Wells, GG, Jeweler and Appraiser
Jacksonville, FL—Charles “Charlie” L. Wells Jr., (left) a former AGS retail jeweler who later became an independent appraiser, died January 21. He was 86.
Wells was a native of Jacksonville, where he lived his entire life except during his service in the U.S. Army in the early 1950s. He attended Jacksonville public schools and The Bolles School, then Oxford College and Jacksonville University. He was the president and proprietor of Charles L. Wells Jewelers and Wells Jewelers Inc., the latter of which ceased operations as a retail jeweler and became an independent gem lab, jewelry appraisal and consulting firm operating as GemServ and serving both the trade and the public.
Wells, who was very active in the jewelry industry until about 6 months ago, was a member of AGS since 1954. He served on its board of directors from 1979 to 1983, becoming a Certified Gemologist Appraiser in 1984 and ultimately pursuing gem appraisal as an exclusive career. Wells served as a former book reviewer for Jewelers’ Circular-Keystone magazine and the JCK Jewelers Book Club. He also was a member of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain since 1957, a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, and his firm was a member of Jewelers of America and the Florida Jewelers Association.
Predeceased by his wife, Inga, Wells is survived by his daughter, Kristina Bramlett, son-in-law Mark Bramlett, and son Charlie Wells III.
GIA Extends Diamond Confirmation Service Following Indian Data Hack
Carlsbad, CA—In response to concerns expressed by the trade, GIA has extended the submission date for the diamond confirmation service announced after the discovery of its compromised data. The service will be extended two more months to March 31, 2016.
Anyone with a GIA grading report originally issued between November 2014 and October 2015 who is concerned about the validity of the report due following the data breach uncovered in India last fall, involving unauthorized changes to grading reports, may submit the original report and the referenced diamond to any GIA location for the confirmation service at no charge until the March 31 deadline.
The investigation into the fraudulent alteration of GIA reports by outside parties continues. GIA has shared the client communications and information about these fraudulent changes with the Indian police. As a result of the cooperation between GIA, TCS and the Indian authorities, six additional people have been arrested, bringing the total arrested to eight.
To date only 297 invalidated reports have been returned to GIA. It is imperative that all of the diamonds and their reports be returned to GIA to remove the fraudulently altered reports from the market. GIA emphasizes the cooperation of the trade is vital as it works to fully address this fraud and hold those who commit fraud accountable for their actions. The organization will continue to focus on ensuring consumer confidence and trust by making public any effort by any individual, company or organization to defraud the trade or consumers.
Separately, gem and jewelry industry leaders and top government officials celebrated the opening of GIA’s expanded lab and education facility in Botswana on January 19. The expansion supports GIA’s continued beneficiation efforts by bringing value-added services to gem-producing countries. Present at the ceremonies were U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana Earl R. Miller, and Botswana’s Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Kitso Mokaila.
“Botswana plays a significant role in the diamond industry as one of the largest producing countries, both by value and volume,” said Susan Jacques, GIA president and CEO. “Much of the benefit of that diamond production comes from Botswana’s forward-thinking decision to participate in every possible step of the value chain. It is a great source of pride for me and for everyone at GIA that we have had the opportunity to support this ongoing effort.”
GIA established a diamond-grading laboratory in Botswana in 2008 to better serve clients and the trade near where they operate. Today, GIA employs 95 people in Gaborone, including 65 that have been trained by GIA as diamond graders.
With the expansion, which includes more classroom space, GIA is advancing its goal of making Gaborone the destination for gemological education in Africa.
From left: Botswana Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Kitso Mokaila; GIA president and CEO Susan Jacques; and U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana, Earl R. Miller.
AGS Laboratories Launches New Customized Diamond Sorting Services
Las Vegas, NV—AGS Laboratories announces new efficient, customized diamond sorting services for loose stones above 0.18 cts, based on client-specific grading criteria, such as minimum color or clarity. This cost-efficient, timesaving service is now available with no minimum quantity on cut grade sorting services for stones between 0.18 and 49.99 cts and/or a minimum quantity of 50 stones between 0.18 and 1.99 cts for standard diamond sorting services. This highly customized service provides diamond-grading reports on stones meeting the client’s specified sorting criteria.
“We are proud to offer the industry a way to save both time and money, while also ensuring accuracy and protecting consumer confidence,” says Ruth Batson, CEO of AGS and AGS Laboratories. “Efficiency in the supply chain should prove beneficial for our esteemed AGS member retailers, as well.”
To inquire about diamond sorting services, or to learn more about additional customized features such as “Rush” and “Priority” services, please contact AGS Labs Customer Service at (702)-233-6120. For more information on American Gem Society or AGS Laboratories, please visit: www.agslab.com or www.americangemsociety.org.
Separately, AGS announces a new strategic partnership with GemFind for AGS members to receive special pricing on GemFind’s web technology services, such as websites, social media marketing, web apps, and more.
“The American Gem Society is always seeking ways we can help our members enhance their businesses. A functional, well-laid out website is crucial to the health of jewelry retailers and suppliers, and we wanted to provide a solution for those members wishing to enhance their online presence,” said Batson.
“Our mission has always been to advance the jewelry industry to the next level with the latest technology and marketing solutions,” said Alex Fetanat, GemFind CEO. “We are thrilled to be partnering with AGS.”
GemFind currently manages hundreds of websites with their state-of-the-art apps like the DiamondLink, RingBuilder, StudBuilder, and PendantBuilder. GemFind also connects retailers to their vendors through their proprietary state of the art technology JewelCloud, allowing retailers to showcase their vendors’ product data, reducing time to manage the content on their websites in real-time.
Lieberherr Steps Down As Head Of Rio Tinto Diamonds
Perth, Australia—Jean-Marc Lieberherr, managing director of Rio Tinto’s diamond business since 2013, is leaving the company as part of a restructuring of its Diamonds & Minerals group. Lieberherr had spent a total of 10 years at the company, always in its diamond sector. In an article in National Jeweler, he declined to comment about future plans.
Jean-Marc Lieberherr. Image: National Jeweler
Industry-wise, he sits on the World Diamond Council board of directors and is the chairman of the newly-formed Diamond Producers Association, the group formed to work on increasing demand for mined diamonds among consumers, particularly Millennials.
Simon Trott, an 18-year mining veteran and managing director of Rio Tinto’s salt and uranium business, will add the diamond business to his portfolio.
2016 MJSA Expo Seminars To Feature Jewelry Making and Design Trends, Techniques
Attleboro, MA—An exploration into the future of jewelry design and manufacturing—from advancements in 3-D printing to designing in the "cloud"—will kick off the seminar program of the 2016 MJSA Expo, March 13-15 at the Javits Center in New York City.
The program will also feature sessions on freehand sketching, tracking digital advertising, and explaining and promoting the craft of custom design, along with a live "At the Bench" demonstration of setting side stones. In addition, MJSA’s popular Jewelry Making 101 series will return with Joel McFadden of Joel McFadden Designs in Red Bank, NJ demonstrating methods for setting both bezels and channels.
The seminars will run the first two days of the show; all are located on the show floor and free to attendees, with the exception of the Jewelry Making 101 sessions. The 101 sessions will take place in an adjacent meeting room and cost $45 for MJSA members, $65 for non-members. Sessions include:
Shop of Tomorrow, Part 1: The Future of Jewelry Design, Sunday, March 13, 10:30 a.m. to noon. Moderator: Andrea Hill, StrategyWerx; panelists: Kevin Abernathy, BISventures; Steven Adler, A3DM Technologies; and Michael Raphael, Direct Dimensions Inc. This panel discussion will focus on advancements in CAD and virtual "sculpting," the growing importance of cybersecurity, and "intelligent" software that could make recommendations for certain designs.
Shop of Tomorrow, Part 2: The Future of Jewelry Manufacturing, Sunday, March 13, 1 to 2:30 p.m. This follow-up session will focus on the future of jewelry manufacturing—advancements in 3-D printing, the future of Direct Metal Laser Sintering (in which jewelry is "grown" from metal), and the impending importance of the "cloud."
Quick Draw: Techniques for Freehand Sketching, Sunday, March 13, 3 to 4:30 p.m., presented by Rémy Rotenier, Rémy Design, who will show how the ability to create freehand sketches can prove invaluable to your business: retailers can bring a design to life before a customer’s eyes, and jewelry designers can provide visual guidance to a CAD artist or model maker.
Jewelry Making 101: Setting Techniques, Sunday, March 13, two sessions: 12 to 1:30 p.m. is Bezel Settings Made Easier and 2 to 3:30 p.m. is Channel Setting for Beginners, presented by Joel McFadden, Joel McFadden Designs, who will explain and demonstrate basic jewelry techniques in a clear, simple, and entertaining way. Sessions will take place in Meeting Room 2D02.
At the Bench Live: Setting Side Stones in an Engagement Ring, Monday, March 14, 10:30 a.m. to noon, presented by Lee Krombholz, Krombholz Jewelers/Just Like You Designs with Bench and Tool Sponsor Stuller. This session will break down the range of ways in which side stones can be used to create unique and durable designs, and it will demonstrate, in detail, how to set the stones to create practical, memorable styles.
Getting Personal: Defining, Explaining, and Promoting Custom Design, Monday, March 14, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Presented by McFadden and Krombholz, who will discuss the degrees of custom (from the simple selection of a gemstone and a mounting to a truly from-scratch design), the quality standards unique to custom work, and how to explain and promote custom design to ensure customers understand their options and get exactly what they want.
Tracking Your Digital Advertising, Monday, March 14, 3 to 4:30 p.m., presented by Matthew Perosi, chief thinker, Sapphire Collaborative, who will teach attendees how, through coding techniques and strategies, to track the traffic generated from all of their digital efforts to ensure they invest wisely and gain maximum value.