Articles and News

Thierry Chaunu To Head Damiani in The Americas

Milan, Italy--The Damiani Group announces Thierry Chaunu has been appointed the firm’s new CEO for the Americas.

Chaunu, a renowned executive in the jewelry and watch industry, will assume the responsibility for operations of Damiani Group in U.S. market as well as Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He will oversee sales, marketing, retail, and wholesale distribution, and he will be based out of the Damiani corporate offices in New York.

With Chaunu’s arrival, Damiani intends to expand further in the Americas. The brand currently operates flagship boutiques in Los Angeles, CA, on Rodeo Drive, and in Honolulu, HI, in Ala Moana. In Mexico, Damiani has recently inaugurated six shops-in-shops, thanks to a commercial agreement with the department store Palacio de Hierro; and the Group’s products are distributed in the Birks & Mayors chain in Canada as well as Georgia and Florida.

Said Chaunu,  "The challenge to take this multi-generational Italian jewelry house, renowned for design with vertically integrated operations and wholly owned factory production to new heights in the Americas was one I could not pass up", he continued. 

Chaunu began his jewelry career in 1985 at Cartier and became to vice president of marketing in North America, in charge of the global Cartier strategy in the United States. In 1991 he became president of French brand Christofle in North America, joined Chopard in 1999 as president of the U.S. company in charge of retail development plans, Oscar campaigns and network of Hollywood connections. In 2006 he became president and COO of Leviev diamonds, before his re-launch of the Marina B jewelry brand in 2010.

Julius Klein Becomes Sustaining Member of DDI

Ottawa, ON, Canada—Diamond Development International (DDI) announces support commitments from New York-based Julius Klein Group (JKG), a sustaining supporter, and Rubel & Ménasché, a well-known Paris-based diamond company that supplies stones to many of the jewelers of Place Vendome.

Said DDI’s executive director Dorothée Gizenga, “JKG, a Diamond Trading Company sightholder with numerous factories in southern Africa, has clearly demonstrated leadership throughout the years by supporting (via programs and monetarily) the people and countries in which it does business.” With its sustaining supporter status, Julius Klein will provide on-going support to DDI’s work with Africa’s artisanal diamond miners.

“The Julius Klein Group seeks to be a good corporate citizen throughout all aspects of our global operations and activities,” said Moshe Klein. “And that doesn’t mean at one end of the diamond pipeline alone. DDI International understands that artisanal diamond miners are part of the wider community in which the industry does business, and so do we. We are happy to add our name to the list of DDI supporters.”

More than one million African artisanal diamond diggers and their families live and work in poverty outside the formal economy in countries recently ravaged by war. DDI projects aim to bring diggers into the formal economy of their countries, allowing them to earn better incomes and produce diamonds that are developmentally and environmentally sound.

Separately, Gizenga added, “We are extremely pleased with the support and confidence that Rubel & Ménasché is showing in our work. This is an example of how an important member of the diamond industry can make a connection between the showroom and those at the production end of the pipeline.”

Scott Marshall Joins Erica Courtney

Los Angeles, CA—Erica Courtney announces the appointment of Scott Marshall as vice president of sales and marketing. Marshall’s experience in the jewelry industry includes almost 20 years with top brands such as Gurhan and Gucci.

Pundits: Will Holiday Collaboration Help Target, Hurt Neimans?

Dallas, TX—Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus and cheap-chic discounter Target this week announced a joint venture of 50 specially created, limited-edition designer products that will be available in both stores for the month of December 2012. Prices for the collection will range from $7.99 to $499.00, according to this report in Women’s Wear Daily. The items will cover a wide range of product categories from clothing and accessories to home or sporting goods and pet products, and the collection will be merchandised as a shop-in-shop concept in both stores and online.

Pundits agree the association will benefit Target, which is known for its designer collaborations, but according to this report in Luxury Daily, question if it will dilute the Neiman’s brand. While Neiman Marcus is known for innovative retailing ideas and its customers do cross-shop at Target, there is a concern that what those customers expect from both stores is vastly different, and the availability of Target products at Neiman’s will hurt its exclusive image.

Target’s many successful collaborations with luxury designers range from its kitchen wares designed by architect Michael Graves and fashions designed by Isaac Mizrahi, to last fall’s famed limited-edition Missoni collection that was so popular it crashed the retailer’s website. Other past successes include a line of handbags created by luxury English leather goods firm Mulberry, and beachwear done in conjunction with designer/boutique retailer Calypso St. Barth. The firm also has done limited edition fashion jewelry collections designed by renowned fine jewelry designers Temple St. Clair, Dana Kellin, and Dominique Cohen.

The key, say experts, is in the experience. Neiman’s must maintain the shopping experience its customers expect, and the products in this collection must maintain the quality standards the retailer is known for. Neiman’s executives told WWD they don’t share the pundits’ concerns, because the retailer traditionally has offered a very wide price spectrum, including low-ticket items, for holiday shopping. The Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection will have its own logo and advertising, and it will not be positioned as a door-buster.

Also, the perception that it’s for charity may help defray any concerns over dents to Neiman’s image. As part of the collaboration, the two retailers are donating $1 million to the Council of Fashion Designers of America. All 24 designers participating in the project are CFDA members.

Louis Vuitton Fine Jewelry Includes $11 Million Diamond

Paris, France—Louis Vuitton has thrown down the gauntlet in its push to enter the fine jewelry market. The famed leather goods maker, best known for its monogrammed laminated canvas bags, has been walking a fine line between mass and true luxury, but is hoping its entry into fine jewelry will both cement the brand at the highest levels of luxury and, in the process, tweak the nose of rival Cartier.

According to this article in Bloomberg Businessweek, one of the key items in its new Place Vendome jewelry shop is an $11 million diamond cut in the shape of Vuitton’s flower logo, and a diamond and ruby encrusted ring that, at 75,000 euros ($92,000), costs more than 140 times its entry-level “Neverfull” bag that retails for 540 euros, or approximately $650.

A July 1 article in the Financial Times suggested the move into fine jewelry by top luxury fashion brands spells trouble for unbranded family jewelers. But many in the jewelry industry believe that while this may be true in Asia, where consumers have a strong affinity for brands, in the United States the independent luxury jeweler with strong ties to the local community will remain strong.

Marvin Traub, Longtime Bloomingdale's Exec, Dies

New York, NY--Marvin Traub, the legendary retail visionary credited with turning Bloomingdale's around and making it a destination for tourists, society, and affluent New York singles, died Wednesday at his home. He was 87. According to this report in Women's Wear Daily, Traub had been suffering from cancer for some time, but continued to work in his own consulting firm up until last month. 

Vicenza Fair Honors Top Luxury Brands

Vicenza, Italy—Paris-based luxury brands Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels won two of the first annual Andrea Palladio International Jewellery Awards this spring, along with a host of other top international jewelry firms.

The awards, chosen by a panel of experts, honored excellence in communications, branding, and design, and were presented at the Vicenza Oro jewellery trade fair in May.

Cartier won the award for “Best Jewellery Communications Campaign” for a film showing its iconic panther traversing the globe. Van Cleef & Arpels won “Best International Jewellery Brand Collection,” against stiff competition from renowned brands such as H. Stern and Tiffany & Co.

Crivelli, specializing in colored gem jewelry, won “Best Italian Jewellery Brand Collection.” Amsterdam-based  Gijs Bakker won the award for “Best International Jewellery Designer.” His designs cover jewellery, home accessories, household appliances, furniture, interiors, public spaces and exhibitions.

Giampaolo Babetto won  “Best Italian Jewellery Designer;” and Norwegian silversmith Tone Vigeland won the “Andrea Palladio Special Career Award.” She is known internationally for both jewellery and metal-based clothing design.

Finally, Dodo, the Italian charm brand that’s part of the Pomellato group, won for “Best International Jewellery Flagship Store,” for its shop in Sloane Square in London. The brand already has three shops in the United States, in Miami, Los Angeles, and Short Hills, NJ, as well as 16 in Italy and one in Saudi Arabia.

A DoDo boutique.

Read more here.