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Industry News: Luxury Retailers Get On Black Friday Bandwagon; AGS Launches New Search Tool; More November 22, 2016 (0 comments)

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Luxury Retailers Reconsider Black Friday

New York, NY—With its heavy emphasis on discounts and deals, Black Friday is normally a day most luxury retailers sit out. But an article in Luxury Daily says this year may be different. With a solid holiday season predicted and a new study from Deloitte saying nearly 79% of respondents plan to shop on Black Friday—69% of those in store and 55% online—luxury retailers want to be part of the mix. 42% of respondents plan to shop local on Small Business Saturday.

Research shows even affluent consumers love a bargain, and while it’s not likely to see prestige jewelers offering door-buster diamond necklaces, some tony luxury brands like Omega and Gucci are trying to lure lower-end shoppers with a few heavily discounted items offered online via Walmart.com.

Overall, luxury retailers are more likely to put their Black Friday emphasis online, says the article. Read the full article here.

 

AGS Launches New Consumer Search Tool: Find a Professional Jeweler

Las Vegas, NV—The American Gem Society (AGS) has launched a new addition to its Find a Jeweler search tool, called Find A Professional Jeweler. The new addition on the AGS website highlights credentialed industry professionals and reminds consumers of the importance of shopping with jewelers who are up to date on education and certification. The new tool is accessed from the home page of the AGS website or directly via its own url, www.americangemsociety.org/findapro.  

The tool provides information about the jeweler, including their AGS credentials, if they have completed their recent recertification, and whether or not they recently attended Conclave. Visitors can hover over the icons next to each qualification to read an explanation and understand its value.

“AGS is pleased to highlight our titleholders and promote the importance of continued education and recertification,” says Ruth Batson, CEO of the American Gem Society and AGS Laboratories. “If a consumer meets a jeweler, they now have an unbiased way to learn more about that jeweler’s commitment to education, ethics, and professionalism.”

AGS will continue its consumer advertising in both print and online throughout 2017, to drive traffic to its Find a Jeweler search function.

 

International Diamond Experts to Discuss Colored Diamonds and Fluorescence at 2017 Mediterranean Conference

Syracuse, Italy—Following two successful Mediterranean Gemmological and Jewellery Conferences—Greece in 2015 and Spain in 2016—a third will be held in Syracuse, Italy, on May 11-14, 2017. It is being organized by IGL Greece, CGL-GRS Canada, and CERTILINE Italy, and supported by NAJA USA.

The major theme of the 2017 Conference will be colored diamonds, with six presenters on the topic and four international speakers on gems, cutting and jewelry. 

Pre-conference Workshops will be held by Alan Hodkinson (Scotland), on “Visual Optics (Hodgkinson Method) Basic Practical Workshop,” and Claire Mitchel (Gem-A, UK): ”Use of Handheld Spectroscope in testing of Gems and Colored Diamonds.”

Gemologists, appraisers, and dealers will receive hands-on experience with diamonds at two NEW workshops, a half Day Intermediate Diamond Workshop on “Screening and Identification of Mounted Small and Melee Synthetic Diamonds” by Branko Deljanin (CGL-GRS) and George Spyromilios (IGL); and a one Day Advanced Diamond Workshop on “Identification and Grading of Treated and Natural Coloured Diamonds” by Branko Deljanin (CGL-GRS) and Thomas Gelb (Natural Colored Diamond Association).

Major sponsors of MGJC 2017 is Russian diamond mining company ALROSA and ANTORA Jeweller from Italy.

Other events include a roundtable on "Coloured Diamonds–Describing and Marketing” and “Fluorescence-Importance for ID and Value of Fluorescent Diamonds" moderated by John Chapman (Gemetrix) with experts from Aurora Gems (Alan Bronstein), CGL-GRS (Branko Deljanin), HRD (Katrien De Corte), NCDIA (Thomas Gelb), NAJA (Gail Brett Levine), Symmetry Jewellery Valuation (Kym Hughes) answering questions from the floor.

Other speakers natural gems, cutting and jewellery are Ilaria Adamo (Italian Gemmological Institute), Viktor Tuzlukov / Alicia Vildosola (independents from Russia / Spain) and Larry French (Buccellati).

For information, contact:

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