Articles and News
Brand News: Sloane Street Brand Bows; Tips For Safe Travel; GIA Lowers Melee Screening Price; More October 01, 2014 (0 comments)
Frances Gadbois Announces Launch of Sloane Street Collection
Newport Beach, CA--Frances Gadbois, formerly half of the design duo JudeFrances, has teamed up with her daughter, Charlotte, and former knitwear executive Susan Bush of St. John, to launch a new line of jewelry called Sloane Street.
The three combined their mutual love for high-end fashion and jewelry to introduce a fresh, multi-generational brand whose style is, in their words, “edgy chic.”
The Sloane Street moniker is a nod to Gadbois’ English roots. At age 16, she was scouted by a renowned London modeling agency, and moved from her family home in the English countryside to a tiny apartment on London’s Sloane Street. At 18, she moved from Europe to New York to continue her successful modeling career, met her husband-to-be, and later moved to California.
With a knack for design at a young age, Gadbois found inspiration in ironwork, tapestries, and architecture. She channeled her eye for detail by starting an interior design company and, 13 years later, left the interior design world to start a new chapter in the jewelry industry as co-founder and designer of JudeFrances Jewelry for more than 12 years.
Morganite and other rings from the brand's spring line.
As Charlotte Gadbois watched her mother sketch and design, she grew eager to be part of the jewelry industry. The mother-daughter duo had long wanted to work together, so after spending six months studying and living in Paris, Charlotte came back hungry to design. She brings a fresh, trendy allure to Sloane Street through her collection, Sage by Sloane Street.
With the emotional loss of losing a mother and grandmother to Alzheimers in March of this year, it seemed like the opportune time to also create something in remembrance. As such, Sloane Street has created an exclusive collection from which all profits will be donated to the Alzheimer’s cause.
Jewelers UnBLOCKed Offers Safe Travel Tips For Jewelers
New York, NY—Recent jewelry crimes that took place during the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair and at an auction house in Australia are a reminder of the vulnerability of exhibitors and jewelry professionals during industry events, especially those in other countries. Jewelers unBLOCKed and ISPS, a global jewelry security training and risk prevention firm, reminds jewelry exhibitors of some safety and security tips for traveling and even within the confines of a secured environment like a tradeshow.
“Security needs to be front of mind at all times,” stresses Jewelers unBLOCKed president and CEO Patricia Low, “This is especially critical when traveling abroad, as jet-lag, fatigue and disorientation due to time changes, foreign customs and language can cause distraction.”
ISPS CEO Itay Hendel reminds exhibitors that even despite high levels of security at top international jewelry fairs, sophisticated criminals still may infiltrate the event posing as buyers. “Exhibitors must remain vigilant at all times. Practice safe sales techniques just as you would in a retail operation.” Exhibitors should only allow buyers in specified areas of the exhibit and keep all showcases locked at all times.
“Do not allow yourself to become distracted—maintain focus on the merchandise at all times,” Hendel warned. And as always, keep a low profile outside the secured areas of the event. “Remove your security badge as soon as you leave the show. Don’t advertise your profession in any way, and never carry goods with you or conduct business outside of your exhibit,” Low reiterated.
More tips:
- Discuss your international travel plans with your insurance professional in advance to ensure you have appropriate coverage.
- Familiarize yourself with local customs and typical business behaviors; if possible, travel and work with someone fluent in the local language.
- Limit your exposure on social media; never indicate your profession to strangers or use business cards to tag luggage or briefcases.
- Always have at least two employees on the trade show floor; when showing high-value jewelry, have a second employee stand nearby with a cell phone. Cell phones can be a great deterrent to a burglary.
- Pre-program cell phones with international emergency contacts and hotel/facility security numbers.
- Be sure to keep showcases locked at ALL times. Re-lock immediately after removing an item to show to a customer.
Jewelers unBLOCKed provides its exclusive jewelers block policy offered through the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. ISPS services include comprehensive security assessments, training and risk management recommendations to avoid crimes and related losses.
GIA Lowers Cost On Screening For Synthetics; Aids Beneficiation
Carlsbad, CA—Effective immediately, GIA has implemented a new, lower-cost fee structure for its Quality Assurance (QA) services. The service is specifically designed to screen parcels of D-to-Z diamonds and colored diamonds up to 0.20 carats, for synthetics or treatments. The new fee structure reduces the existing per-stone fee from $12 to $10 for diamonds between 0.06 and 0.20 carats, and to $5 for diamonds 0.05 carats and smaller, creating a more affordable screening option for clients.
For more details including service descriptions and the full price list, please refer to the new fee schedules now posted on www.gia.edu.
Separately, in an effort to further the gem and jewelry industry’s beneficiation initiatives, GIA (Gemological Institute of America) debuted its Rough Diamond Evaluation course in French in Côte d'Ivoire, Africa. The class, held in Abidjan from Sept. 15-19, consisted of six government officials from the Ministry of Mines, Customs and the Ivorian mining development organization SODEMI, as well as two representatives of artisanal mining cooperatives and one field staffer from the Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development II project of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“The rough diamond course brings practical and relevant education to this gem producing region. By working with Ivorian officials and others in the industry, we can directly support artisanal miners and the development of the diamond sector as a whole. This is an essential step for a country that is now working hard to re-establish and grow the industry following its recent integration into the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme,” said Brad Brooks-Rubin, GIA’s global director of development and beneficiation.
GIA also hosted the country’s first-ever Junior Gemologist Program workshop on Sept. 18 in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan. 18 students, ages 14-18, from the Lycee Blaise Pascal School, discovered the world of gemology through hands-on practical training. The program has taken place in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, to date.
GIA has two full-time laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa and offers classes in Gaborone, Botswana, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Today, there are more than 900 alumni and in Africa and GIA Alumni Chapters in South Africa and Botswana.
Calgaro Introduces New “Brillio” Jewelry Collection
Los Angeles, CA—Italian jeweler CALGARO has introduced its new sterling silver “Brillio” Collection for fall, announced Michael Pucci, president of the Abbiamo Group, which handles the brand’s global marketing. The Brillio Collection is comprised of 33 different SKU’s including bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earrings ranging from $325 - $1,500 suggested retail. Sparkling diamond-cut .925 sterling silver beads are the focal point of multiple strand necklace and bracelet combinations. Some designs feature brown or black enamel expertly infused into the silver that won’t discolor or fade. CALGARO chains are made from thin strands of .925 silver woven into durable, pliant, featherlike threads.
CALGARO was the first to weave sterling silver into fabric. Bracelets and necklaces that once were rigid now are fluid and free flowing, made from woven silver. The woven silver thread is colorized in the infinite range of the enamel chromatic palette through a highly innovative, internationally patented, industrial technique. The colored fiber is then woven into fanciful textile patterns that form a surprisingly versatile colored texture that feels extremely soft to the touch. CALGARO has won many awards for its innovation, including two Gold Virtuosi International Jewelry Awards for Design, a Bulgari Award of Excellence and the Couture Award in Design for the Gold category.
