Articles and News
BRAND AND INDUSTRY NEWS: DE NATALE JEWELERS’ NEW DIGS, JBT LAUNCHES I-PHONE/I-PAD APP, MORE November 28, 2012 (0 comments)
DeNatale Jewelers Moves Into Historic, Majestic NYC Building
New York, NY—DeNatale Jewelers, has relocated to the Trinity Building located at 111 Broadway. The building has a long history as a downtown Manhattan landmark. It is well known as an architectural masterpiece that, with its 18-foot vaulted ceilings and ornate moulding and framework, originally housed a turn of the century bank. Erected in 1906—only two years before the founding of DeNatale Jewelers in 1908—this building stands next to the renowned Trinity Church, and its construction was observed by past generations of the DeNatale family, who lived in the area.
Now, the DeNatale jewelry showroom is located off the elaborately decorative lobby. Huge stained glass windows showcase the green and peaceful Trinity courtyard, which provides abundant sunlight to make gems glisten.
DeNatale Jewelers’ official grand opening party was held November 7. Its former store was located just steps from the World Trade Center site, and the company maintained its presence through the destruction and rebirth of the area following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Ten percent of sales from the event will be donated to the 9/11 Memorial Fund charity. Additionally, the partnership extends through the holiday season, with a donation 10% of sales from any customer who mentions the 9/11 Memorial Fund through December 31, 2012.
“We are very excited to be moving into such a beautiful, special place that is not just a part of New York’s history, but our family’s as well. We originally considered moving to a midtown location, but saw this space and simply fell in love. We felt like it was fate to find such a perfect space in the neighborhood that we have called home for so long. We are also honored to share the grand opening with the 9/11 Memorial Fund,” said co-owner Jim DeNatale, a third-generation family member who runs the company with his brothers, Robert and John.
JBT Releases iPhone/iPad Mobile App
Warwick, RI—The Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT), has added an iPhone/iPad version of the Sectional Red Book mobile app to its suite of Red Book products. This follows on the release of an Android version of the App earlier this year.
The JBT Sectional Red Book mobile app search engine calls up company names, addresses, and credit ratings for specified geographic territories searchable by name, zip code, city and proximity, and business type. Members can instantly view a company’s location on a map, phone via an instant “dial now” feature, and add customized notes for each company.
Sectional Red Book Mobile Apps can be customized by territory, including the 50 United States, Canada, Washington, D.C., New York City, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to Dione Kenyon, JBT president, “Our members need easy, instant access, especially when traveling, to identify and reach potential customers. Current users of the Android version of this App tell us they are very pleased with its capabilities, and we are pleased to now meet the needs of more of our members by adding the iPhone/iPad version.” It’s part of JBT’s continued efforts to better deliver its products and services to the jewelry industry, she added.
Sectional Red Books—subsets of the JBT Annual Reference Book—also remain available in printed form.
Greg Davis Joins House of Baguettes/Demarco Bridal
Los Angeles, CA—Greg Davis, a longtime veteran of the industry in the bridal jewelry sector, has joined the sales team of House of Baguettes and Demarco Bridal. Davis can be reached directly at (248) 760-7987 or bridalusa@comcast.net. The office contact for both brands is (800) 572-2279.
24 Karat Club Gears Up for Annual Banquet
New York, NY--Invitations are going out for The Twenty Four Karat Club of the City of New York's annual banquet, set for January 12, 2013 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The banquet, with its formal traditions and big-name entertainment, caps off a weekend filled with important meetings, celebrations, and a gathering of the top leaders and VIPs in the fine jewelry industry.
While the Club traditionally keeps the entertainment secret until the night of the event, members of the banquet planning committee promise it will be exciting. Room blocks are available at the Waldorf-Astoria ($309) and adjacent Waldorf Towers ($409), use code KAR, or for $229 at the Inter-Continental, 111 E. 48th Street at Lexington Avenue; use code KW7.
Three African Governments Pledge Support to DDI
Ottawa, Canada--The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) is very pleased to announce that three African governments have made financial contributions to its work.
The governments of Guinea, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have each made contributions to DDI's work in the artisanal diamond mining sector.
There are an estimated 1.5 million artisanal diamond miners—many of them children—in Africa. Most work on their own in the informal sector, in unsafe and difficult conditions, and most earn less than a dollar a day, but collectively they support an additional 7.5 million family members.
Artisanal mining areas are where conflict diamonds originated, and they remain volatile. DDI has programs aimed at ending child labor and bringing miners into the formal sector where working conditions and incomes can be improved. It is developing human rights training programs and a "development diamond" project that will use independent third party monitoring to track diamonds from ethical mine sites through to the retail jewelry counter.
"I believe that African governments must be partners in helping to solve the problems we are addressing," said Dorothée Gizenga, DDI's executive director. "I have long believed that funding for these projects should not come entirely from the North. To my very pleasant surprise, Angola, DRC and Guinea were the first to respond in a constructive and meaningful way. We hope and fully expect that others will join the lead that DRC and Angola have shown."