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Industry News: AGS Presents Parker With Shipley Award; In Memory Of Alan Swieck; More April 30, 2014 (0 comments)

Doug Parker Receives AGS’ Famed Shipley Award at 2014 Conclave

San Diego, CA—Doug Parker, CG, co-owner of Balanced Diamonds in New York, is the 2014 recipient of the American Gem Society’s Robert M. Shipley award. AGS members presented him with the award April 25 at their annual Conclave.

Parker received the award based on his expertise and commitment to his community, personal business, the jewelry industry, and because of his outstanding service to both AGS and AGS Laboratories.

“Doug is well-deserving of this honor. He has demonstrated his dedication to the ethical standards of the American Gem Society through his professional career and his volunteer service,” said Ruth Batson, executive director and CEO of the American Gem Society.

Parker is a member of the 24 Karat Club of The City of New York, the Plumb Club, American Gem Society, and has served on both the AGS and AGS Laboratories boards. Most recently, he served as chairman of AGS Laboratories’ board of managers.  

Parker began his career in the jewelry industry as an instructor at GIA. Since 2011, he has worked as a co-founder of Balanced Diamonds, along with his business partner, Richard “Dick” Greenwood.

 

In Memoriam: Alan Swierk, Watch Executive

Montclair, NJ—Alan Swierk, longtime watch and jewelry industry veteran, died in September 2013 after a lengthy illness. He was 68. He served as vice president of luxury firm Cartier before becoming an independent watch distributor for a variety of well-known brands.

He is survived by Celest, his wife of 46 years; two children, Jeffrey (Liane) Swierk and Ashley (Robert) DiGeronimo, a brother, Sterling, and three grandchildren.

Said Celeste Swierk, “Alan fought his illness with the same determination he had in business. He was a very charismatic man who endeared himself to a lot of people in the industry. He was always honest and straightforward. I am proud of his reputation and he always made me proud of his high moral standards.”

Memorial contributions may be made to Livestrong,com.

 

SEC Issues Guidance in Conflict Minerals Litigation; Dodd-Frank Requirements Essentially Unchanged

New York, NY--The Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday issued guidance in response to a Court of Appeals decision concerning the conflict minerals provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, and the SEC rules implementing those provisions.  The court upheld Dodd-Frank, but declared one provision forcing particular language to be a violation of the First Amendment. The Court rejected the many other challenges to the SEC rules made by the appellants in the case.   

In its guidance, the SEC stated that it expects covered companies to file forms and reports required by its conflict minerals rules on or before June 2, 2014, as previously mandated by the SEC rules.  Companies that are covered by Dodd-Frank are those that are listed with the SEC and file reports with that agency.  

The guidance also made clear that the conflict minerals filings should comply with all aspects of the SEC rules, other than the specific obligation found to violate the First Amendment.  Thus, covered companies must still inquire about the country of origin of conflict minerals – tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold.  They must also report on their supply chain due diligence regarding any conflict minerals that originated, or may have originated, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country. 

Cecilia Gardner, JVC’s CEO, president and general counsel, stated: “the SEC’s guidance makes clear that companies in our industry covered by Dodd-Frank must be ready to submit filings by June 2, 2014.  This will require cooperation from every business in their gold and tungsten supply chains.  Suppliers should take steps now to implement supply chain assurance systems.” 

JVC’s recently published Supply Chain Assurance Kit, a do-it-yourself kit to help suppliers of gold and tungsten implement assurance systems, is available on its website at www.jvclegal.org.  For information, call JVC, (212) 997-2002.

Click here for the full SEC guidance.

 

Peggy Jo Donahue Named Director of the MJSA Education Foundation

Attleboro Falls, MA—MJSA, the U.S. trade association for jewelry making and design, has announced that Peggy Jo Donahue has been named director of the non-profit MJSA Education Foundation. 

Donahue formerly served as director of public affairs at MJSA, a position she held since joining the association in 2009. She is also the former editor in chief of both JCK and Professional Jeweler magazines, and her honors include two Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards and the Women's Jewelry Association Award for editorial excellence.

The Foundation, a 501(c)3 subsidiary of MJSA, supports educational programs and initiatives to help ensure the industry maintains a qualified, competitive workforce. It sponsors several seminar series and conferences, including the "At the Bench" demonstrations at AGTA GemFair Tucson; the seminar program at MJSA Expo New York; and the MJSA ConFab conference in New York City, which focuses on "profit lessons" for designers.

In addition, the MJSA Education Foundation Scholarship Group has, since 1997, generated nearly $165,000 to support U.S. students enrolled in jewelry-design and jewelry-making programs. 

"Peggy Jo's contacts, energy, and knowledge of the industry are exactly what the Foundation needs to further its educational outreach," said Dave Meleski, president of the Richline Group and chair of the MJSA Education Foundation. "We look forward to having her lead the Foundation to its next level of success."

 

WDC Elects Balanced Board Of Directors

Antwerp, Belgium--The World Diamond Council has elected a new Board of Directors. The new board has 20 members, equally distributed among five diamond industry sectors, and reflects the geographical diversity of the supply chain. They are:  

Mining Sector:

• Andrew Bone, De Beers Group
• Andrey Polyakov, ALROSA Group
• James R.W. Pounds, Dominion Diamonds Corporation
• Jean-Marc Lieberherr, Rio Tinto Diamonds NV

Retail Sector:

• Kent Wong, Chow Tai Fook
• Roberto Coin, Roberto Coin SpA
• Mark Jenkins, Signet Jewelers Limited
• Ronnie VanderLinden, U.S. Coalition

Wholesale Trading Sector:

• Stephane Fischler, Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC)
• Anoop Mehta, Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB)
• Shmuel Schnitzer, Israel Diamond Exchange Ltd. (IsDE)
• Ernie Blom, World Federation of Diamond Bourse (WFDB) - permanent member

Manufacturing Sector:

• Mervin Lifshitz, Botswana Diamond Manufacturers Association (BDMA)
• Vipul Shah, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council-India (GJEPC)
• Avi Paz, Israel Diamond Institute (IDI)
• Elliot Tannenbaum, Leo Schachter Diamonds

At-Large:

• Gaetano Cavalieri, The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) - permanent member
• Maxim Shkadov, International Diamond Manufacturers Assoc. (IDMA) - permanent member
• Nigel Paxman, Malca-Amit Group of Companies
• Edward Asscher, Royal Asscher Diamond Company Ltd.

Officers will be elected May 12.   

"I believe that we can all be proud of what has been achieved, not only this past week, but throughout the reform process. The WDC is today more representative of our industry, more transparent in its operation, and better positioned, both financially and structurally, to face the challenges of the future. This is an important milestone for the entire diamond and jewelry sector," said Avi Paz.