Articles and News
Brand News: Forevermark’s New CEO; Memoire And Mastoloni Add To Sales Teams; GIA Support Materials April 24, 2019 (0 comments)
Forevermark Names New CEO; Lussier To Remain Chairman
London, UK—Nancy Liu (left), chief operating officer of De Beers’ diamond brand Forevermark, has been promoted to chief executive officer, taking over from Stephen Lussier, who has helmed the brand since 2009. Lussier will remain as chairman of Forevermark and continue to oversee the brand’s strategic direction, as well as focusing more on shaping the De Beers Group’s overall consumer strategy, but he will step away from day-to-day operations of the brand.
Liu has an impressive luxury pedigree, with stints at L’Oreal, Louis Vuitton, and the Boston Consulting Group before joining Forevermark 11 years ago as president of its Asia-Pacific division.
Lussier said, “This is a moment of great opportunity for diamonds. As symbols of nature, uniqueness, and positive social impact, they have huge potential to inspire consumers of all ages, and with a new CEO at the helm for Forevermark I will be able to spend more time ensuring we build even stronger consumer connections with these miracles of nature across all our activities. Fortunately, we have an outstanding candidate to take over as CEO of Forevermark. As the brand sees rapid growth in Asia, Nancy’s exceptional expertise and knowledge of the region provide us with excellent continuity as Forevermark goes from strength to strength.”
Liu said, “At Forevermark we’ve come a very long way in a very short space of time, yet we believe the future will be even more exciting. The brand has taken a number of bold steps in recent years, and the positive consumer response to these shows that there’s a real resonance with our approach. As we continue to develop consumer concepts, campaigns, products and designs, Forevermark will play a vital role in the diamond ecosystem for diamantaires, designers, jewelers, and consumers, and I’m delighted I’ll be leading the business as it writes its next chapter.”
Memoire Adds Two To Team
Boston, MA—Industry veterans Cathy Marsh and Kristen Scheibel have joined the Boston-based brand Memoire as territory managers in the midwest and northeast, respectively.
Marsh, based in the Chicago area, previously worked for renowned consumer brands John Hardy, Tacori, Scott Kay, and David Yurman. Scheibel, based in central New York, previously worked for notable industry companies Ostbye & Anderson and Simon Golub.
Cathy Marsh, left, and Kristen Scheibel, right.
“We are delighted to welcome Cathy and Kristen to the Memoire team,” said Peter Smith, president of the brand, which is owned by Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group. “They are both very talented professionals with strong resumes and long histories of accomplishment in sales and sales management. We are excited about what they will bring to our customers in their respective territories and to Memoire ongoing.”
Mastoloni Adds Maureen McIntyre To Executive Team
New York, NY—MASTOLONI has appointed Maureen McIntyre to the position of director of merchandising and sales for the firm’s Gifts of the Sea division. She brings extensive expertise in numerous sectors of fine jewelry, from retail to wholesale and as a senior merchandising executive, offers a unique skill set with vast knowledge.
"We feel fortunate to have Maureen join MASTOLONI in such a dynamic position", says Ray Mastoloni. "We are excited to learn from her experience and know that she will be instrumental in expanding the Gifts of the Sea division into new areas and creating new opportunities."
McIntrye takes over from Cathy Dressing, who will be retiring as director of sales in July after 30 years. "As we welcome Maureen to our business, we bid a fond farewell to Cathy and thank her for so many years of exceptional work and wish her a fruitful and much deserved retirement," says Fran Mastoloni.
GIA Retailer Support Program Celebrates Colored Gemstones
Carlsbad, CA—GIA s Retailer Support Program is offering an enhanced collection of colored stone materials for jewelers to tell the story of beautiful colored stones to customers at the counter. The materials—including brochures, counter displays, and a birthstone flipchart—further the program’s mission to help retailers educate consumers about diamonds, colored stones, and pearls, and the value of GIA grading and identification reports. Retailers who order before May 10 will receive a free copy of GIA’s new birthstone flipchart, and global shipping will be free during the promotional period that began April 1. Special promotion rules apply.
The program features new ruby and sapphire brochures, along with existing materials on emeralds and pearls, to help educate consumers about color, clarity characteristics, sources and treatments. All brochures are conveniently available from the program website as downloadable PDFs and printed handouts. Gemstone counter displays available in acrylic or cardboard let customers know that a retailer carries gems with GIA reports. The new birthstone flipchart celebrates each month’s birthstone with detailed information about the gemstone’s color, geographic sources, and mineral specifics.
“GIA provides retail jewelers with tools and resources backed by GIA’s decades of research and experience to help them educate consumers about diamonds, colored stones, and pearls, and the value of knowing what they are buying through a GIA report,” said Tali Nay, manager of the GIA Retailer Support Program. “These new tools will help retailers match their point-of-sale tools with their individual inventories and businesses.”
In addition to point-of-sale tools, the Retailer Support Program offers free videos, images, logos, and interactive downloads for use in advertising and on a retailer’s website and social media. The program also offers a series of staff training modules to help retailers educate their staff on topics including the 4Cs of diamond quality and GIA laboratory reports. Participants can also register for the Retailer Lookup – a free service that helps consumers find retail stores. Click here for more, or for more information about the retailer support program in general, click here or contact retailersupport@gia.edu.
New Âme Flagship Store Seeks To Redefine Jewelry Experience
Los Angeles, CA—Lab-grown diamond fashion jewelry brand Âme announces the opening of its flagship store at Westfield Century City Mall. The new boutique, which opened earlier this month, features sensory experiences in every aspect of its presentation. Âme collaborated with renowned retail designers, musicians, and fragrance creators to develop a retail environment that sets the tone for the brand’s planned expansion in the United States and globally.
Launched last year, Âme is a modern fine jewelry brand under the creative direction of Elinor Avni. The brand uses only lab-grown diamonds and pieces have been seen on celebrities such as Zendaya, Amber Heard, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
The boutique’s design comes from architecture firm Baranowitz+Kronenberg (B+K). Custom-made display pods and hanging capsules allow customers to walk through the space among the jewelry pieces, each of which is presented within a state-of-the-art glass cloche. The space is designed to project refined simplicity and evoke a passion for craft and hand-made objects. B+K also collaborated with Anne Kyyro Quinn to develop 3-D felt panels along the walls of the store, which are set against a reflective stainless-steel ceiling and mirrored back wall. The resulting experience is one of an illusionary depth and height.
Each display pod has its own uniquely designed sound, scored by world-renowned DJ and musician Mimi Xu, whose credits also include work for fashion brands Prada and Marni. Âme’s signature in-store scent was created by British perfume designer Azzi Glasser.
The store environment was designed to echo the emotional connection a person feels when purchasing a piece of jewelry. By connecting with the human senses in a different way, it allows consumers an emotional and sensory shopping experience.