Articles and News
INDUSTRY NEWS: BATSON TO BE HONORED, TWO HOW-TO DIGITAL WEBINARS THIS WEEK; MORE May 15, 2013 (0 comments)
Ruth Batson to Be Honored By IDCA
Las Vegas, NV--Ruth Batson, left, executive director and CEO of the American Gem Society and AGS Labs, will be honored by the Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association, during the JCK Las Vegas Show. She will be presented with the organization’s Doyenne of the Year Award at a cocktail networking event on Saturday, June 1, at the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom. That evening, IDCA also will honor Thomas Moses, senior vice president of GIA (Gemological Institute of America), who will receive the Excellence in Research Award.
All retailers with valid show attendance badges may attend the event. For information, click here or call (212) 921-4488 or email office@idcany.org.
JA Chair Gleim, AGS President-Elect Smith Join DEF’s Diamonds For Good Program
New York, NY—Gleim The Jeweler and Smithworks Fine Jewelry have signed on to the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s Diamonds for Good Membership Program. Both Georgie Gleim, chair of Jewelers of America, and Louis Smith, president-elect of the American Gem Society, signed up during the recent AGS Conclave.
The Diamonds for Good Membership Program is designed to highlight a company's commitment to giving back and supporting DEF’s mission of empowerment through education in diamond-producing nations. Studies have shown that more than 80% of consumers care that the companies they do business with give back to the community in some way.
Left, retailer and JA leader Georgie Gleim signs on to the DEF Diamonds For Good program. At right, DEF's Dr. Ben Chavis with Carter (center) and Louis (right) Smith. Smith is president-elect of AGS.
Not only retailers see the importance of this program from a social and business perspective. Rubel & Ménasché, part of the Dali Diamond Group, based in Paris and a supplier of specialty high-end small goods also recently signed on, “…because we believe in supporting programs which impact communities where our most precious gems originate” says Elodie Daguzan, head of ccommunications for the firm.
DEF will be at JCK Las Vegas, booth L-11. DEF will present a special seminar, “Doing Good is Good Business,” at the JCK Show, Friday, May 31, from 11:30am to 12:30pm in Tradewinds EF ballroom at the Mandalay Bay. Click here to download a membership form or contact DEF executive director, Nancy Orem Lyman, (212) 359-4219; n.lyman@diamondempowerment.org.
Plumb Club Giving Away 40 Tickets to Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV—The Plumb Club is giving away 40 pairs of tickets to see Cirque du Soleil’s new show “Michael Jackson ONE,” Saturday, June 1 at 9:30 p.m. in Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
To enter, click here. Fill out the online form and answer a few questions. 40 winners will be notified via email on May 21; tickets must be picked up by the winner in the Plumb Club Pavilion at the 2013 JCK Las Vegas show on Friday, May 31, between 11am – 5pm. Valid photo ID and retailer badge with winner’s name will be required. Only registered retailers attending the 2013 JCK Las Vegas show may enter the drawing.
Two Webinars of Interest: Online Marketing; and How To Use Pinterest
Merrick, NY—Jewelers Resource Bureau is offering a webinar about how to use Pinterest, geared to both retailers and manufacturers. Part of the monthly DesignerbizTalk series of webinars, it’s scheduled live for today, Thursday, May 16 at 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT, and will be archived for later viewing. It will be presented by Cindy Edelstein, president of the Jewelers Resource Bureau, and Danny Maloney, a Pinterest expert who is co-founder and CEO of Pinleague, a leading Pinterest marketing platform. They will explain how the jewelry industry can harness the power of what is now the third largest social network in the United States. The webinar will cover everything from basics like how to get started to more advanced aspects like how to integrate it into an existing marketing plan.
To participate in the webinar live, with the ability to ask questions, click here. The fee is $29. Those who cannot attend the webinar live have the option of viewing it in a recorded format afterward. They also need to sign up here. For more information, contact Cindy Edelstein or Frank Stankus, (914) 738-8485 or visit here.
Separately, GemFind on Wednesday hosted a one-hour webinar titled “Get Social With GemFind: Online Marketing Webinar, Part I,” with the company’s chief online marketing officer Suereea Mathews. Topics covered included online advertising, blogging, web analytics, search engine optimization, and various social media platforms. For information about listening to an archived version, contact Alex Fetanat, (800) 373-4373 or email info@gemfind.com.
American Jewelry Design Council Members Support DDI
Ottawa, Canada—The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) is pleased to announce that members of the American Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) have joined the Friends of DDI program.
Todd Reed made a leading contribution at the Millennium Star level. Other AJDC members that have become Friends of DDI to date include Alishan, Barbara Heinrich Studio, Diana Vincent, George Sawyer, Jane Bohan, John Iverson, Mark Patterson, Mark Schneider, Michael Bondanza, Pascal Lacroix, Susan Helmich, and Susan Sadler.
"Ethical sourcing of diamonds is of utmost importance to top designers in the U.S. and around the world," says Dorothée Gizenga, executive director of DDI. "As artisanally mined diamonds grow as a percentage of global production, so does DDI's work to enhance socioeconomic development opportunities in the communities where diamonds are mined artisanally. We are greatly encouraged by the designers' support and the example that they set for others in the industry."
"I am very impressed with the work the DDI is doing in the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo]," says Reed. "I am proud to support them and their efforts, and to feel good about this call to action. It is fantastic to have so many members of the AJDC supporting the DDI."