Articles and News

New York, NY—Aston Luxury Group (ALG) announces the appointment of Michael Barlerin to the newly created position of executive vice president of marketing. ALG is the new identity for the U.S. division of Gitanjali, the Mumbai based global conglomerate of diamonds, jewelry (pictured left), and lifestyle brands.

ALG president Jon Mitchell highlighted Barlerin’s marketing experience and industry track record at Zale Corporation, World Gold Council, and his own firm, Michael Barlerin Associates (MBA), founded in 2005. Barlerin also will continue in his position as executive director of Leading Jewelers of the World, an affiliated Aston Luxury Group company. He will manage LJW as an independent operating division.

Barlerin sees the Aston Luxury Group as a unique opportunity. “Their current brands have significant upside potential, and I am certain there are marketing synergies that can be capitalized upon. The addition and development of future brands is also a strategic objective for our group.” Current ALG offerings include PassionStone, REVV, Canadia Diamonds, and the recently launched Love Universe Collection.

New York, NY—Richline Group Inc. has completed negotiations for certain exclusive licensing combinations with Aya Azrielant, a New York-based company that designs luxury fine jewelry for leading retailers. Working Woman magazine referred to Azrielant as “good as gold” when she was honored as one of its top 50 American women business owners.

Azrielant’s commitment to creativity and quality, combined with Richline’s consumer research and marketing acumen, ensures the commercial relevance of the new designs, said a Richline company statement. Richline Group’s other major jewelry brands include Alarama, Andin, Aurafin, AuraGem, Bel-Oro, Finecraft, Michael Anthony, Sardelli, and Tru-Kay.

Milan, Italy—Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO, recently presented a report to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) about the World Jewellery Confederation's progress in the area of corporate social responsibility education. In particular, he discussed the establishment of the UN-recognized Centre of Excellence for CSR Education for the jewelry and diamond industries, based in Antwerp, Belgium. ECOSOC serves as the central UN forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations. CIBJO has been the international jewelry sector's first and only representative in the body since 2006, and consequently is the only jewelry industry organization formally allowed to address the UN forum.

"The Centre aims at stimulating businesses around the world to embrace corporate social responsibility and adopt the principles of the UN Global Compact as a way to increase their contribution to the [U.N’s] Millennium Development Goals," he told the assembly. The Centre’s program will cover human rights, labor and environmental issues, business codes of ethics, corporate social investment, and corporate sustainability and governance issues most relevant to the complete pipeline of the jewelry industry.

The full text of Dr. Cavalieri's report to the High Level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council is available on the CIBJO website at www.cibjo.org.