Articles and News
BRAND AND INDUSTRY NEWS: CIRCA CEO EXITS; GARNIER’S QUICK-SHIP PROGRAM; RAPAPORT GOES CONSUMER; MORE October 24, 2012 (0 comments)
Circa CEO Makes Abrupt Exit
New York, NY—Chris Del Gatto, CEO of jewelry buying company Circa, apparently has taken an indefinite leave of absence. His departure was first announced by the New York Post in August, but according to this report in National Jeweler, the company is still mum on the details. It still has neither disclosed the reason for Del Gatto’s sudden exit nor commented on any other staff changes, including model Veronica Webb, the brand’s director of special projects and reportedly Del Gatto’s girlfriend. Circa’s board of directors are managing the company on a daily basis.
Charles Garnier Announces Quick-Ship Program
Los Angeles, CA—Sterling silver fine jewelry designer Charles Garnier Paris has announced a new quick-ship program, effective immediately, for all customers. This will ensure they have the company's fast-sellers in stock for the holidays. The program is focused on best-sellers and trends within the company’s Constellation sterling silver and Couture silver fine jewelry collections. The program is being offered worldwide.
According to company spokespeople, the 100 items in the new Quick Ship program turn an average of four times or more. They are being stocked in the company’s warehouse for immediate shipment in pre-set assortments for qualified customers. For further information, visit www.charlesgarnier.com or call 213-892-0075.
Rapaport Magazine Now Available to Consumers
New York, NY--Rapaport Magazine has launched an iPad app, making the former trade-only publication available to consumers. The app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes Store. Along with the magazine’s main editorial features, a company statement said the app offers exclusive content not available in the print publication, covering topics that matter most to jewelry consumers. The October issue examines synthetic diamonds, profiles designer Donna DiStefano, and gets a look at the auction of Brooke Astor’s jewelry.
Stuller to Sell Tungsten Carbide; Quality Gold Will Not
Santa Cruz, CA—Trent West, owner of nine patents for tungsten carbide rings in the United States, has come to a settlement agreement with Stuller and Quality Gold. As part of the agreement, Lafayette, LA-based Stuller has obtained a license to sell the patent-protected rings to its customer base of independent retailers throughout the United States. Stuller is the fifth legally authorized seller of the rings, joining Frederick Goldman, Benchmark, Jewelry Innovations, and Fable Jewelry Company. Quality Gold of Fairfield, OH, will no longer sell the rings after March 7, 2013.
Plunging Israeli Export Figures Seen Leveling Off
Ramat Gan, Israel—Third quarter diamond trade figures here show signs of recovery. Although figures for the first three quarters of 2012 as a whole show a precipitous decline from the same period of 2011, Shmuel Mordechai, diamond controller of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, says the worst of the dramatic decrease occurred earlier in the year, and seems to have been stemmed with early signs of increased trade activity. Israel’s net polished diamond exports were $4.34 billion for the first three quarters of the year, compared to $5.83 billion for the same period last year, a decline of 25.6%.
Moti Ganz, Chairman of the Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies (IDI) said the Israeli industry was still affected by the world economic situation, but that judging by the last two important trade shows, in Mumbai and Hong Kong, is definitely seeing an upward movement in the diamond trade.