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Industry News: Consumers And Sustainability Headline LV Session; JVC Webinars; More May 08, 2019 (0 comments)
GIA Panel To Address Sustainability and Consumer Expectations
Carlsbad, CA—Consumers are demanding both more responsibility and transparency from the brands they buy and the companies that produce those products. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) will bring together experts for a panel discussion titled, “Embracing Sustainability Amid New Consumer Expectations,” at the JCK Las Vegas Show on Friday, May 31, at 12:00 p.m.
Moderated by Susan Jacques (left), GIA president and CEO, the panel of experienced experts will speak to the critical need for sustainability in day-to-day operations of both small and large companies in the gem and jewelry industry.
“Corporate social responsibility is a growing consumer expectation, and companies need to account for it,” said Kathryn Kimmel, GIA senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “Our industry can benefit from amplifying sustainability efforts of retailers, manufacturers and suppliers.”
The panel will include:
- Dr. Saleem Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware, will provide an overview of the environmental and social impact of the gemstone industry.
- Lisa Bridge, president and CEO of Ben Bridge Jeweler, will discuss how you communicate social responsibility to employees as well as the consumer and how they have received it.
- Marcus ter Haar, managing director of Okavango Diamond Company, will share an overview of how natural diamond is contributing to the economic development and employment in mining communities where few other options for livelihood exist.
- Claire Piroddi, sustainability manager for watches and jewelry at luxury conglomerate Kering, will share how their brands early adoption of sustainability transformed the brands perception.
- Nadja Swarovski, member of the Swarovski Executive Board, will speak about the sustainability initiatives that Swarovski does on the manufacturing level, including laboratory-grown diamonds.
Box lunches will be provided. Click here to register.
JVC 2019 Webinar Series Launches In June; Contains Essential Information Jewelers Need
New York, NY—The Jewelers Vigilance Committee will commence an important live webinar series beginning next month. The series is designed to help members of our industry mitigate legal risks and implement legally compliant business practices. Here is the schedule of these informative sessions:
Undetected Lab Grown Diamonds In The Pipeline, Thursday, June 20, 2019, 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm (EDT); presented by JVC president and CEO Tiffany Stevens. This webinar will provide an overview of what jewelers need to understand about laboratory-grown diamonds. Use this webinar to inform your business decisions around when, how, and if to carry laboratory-grown diamond products, as well as your responsibilities and options around detecting undisclosed laboratory- grown diamonds in your inventory. Learn about your responsibilities when it comes to advertising these products in different mediums (e.g., print, online, social media), how to ensure your suppliers are giving you the disclosures you need to conduct your business ethically, options around machine testing, and how to talk to customers about these products. We will discuss practical steps you can take to protect yourself and your customers.
IP For Designers, Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm (EDT); presented by JVC senior counsel Sara Yood. Designers create. Intellectual property law protects. But how can designers best use intellectual property law to protect their creative output? What benefits does registration of a copyright or trademark bring for designers? How can they know what kinds of designs are capable of gaining registration? This webinar will walk designers through the differences between copyrights, trademarks, and patents, and explain how registration of their work can protect their designs. We’ll also touch on trade secrets, the right of publicity, and other things designers need to know as they protect, advertise, and sell their creative output.
Legal Updates For Jewelers With JVC, Thursday, October 17, 2019, 2:00 pm to 2:45 PM (EDT).What’s keeping the JVC lawyers up at night? Attend this webinar to discover new developments in the laws and regulations that apply to the jewelry industry at large. We’ll cover updates from the Federal Trade Commission, international developments, advertising regulations, anti-money laundering requirements, and anything else new that has percolated in the past few months. Come armed with your questions for the jewelry industry’s legal experts.
GDPR: Understanding And Working With The EU’s Data Privacy Law, Tuesday, November 12, 2019, 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm (EST); presented by JVC assistant general counsel Miya Owens. With the EU’s groundbreaking data privacy law – the GDPR – in effect for over a year and a half, this webinar will provide members with an overview of the regulation, how it has been enforced so far and what to expect in the coming year.
Each of these webinars is free to JVC members; the non-member fee is $25. Click here for registration and details or call JVC at (212) 997-2002.
Government Shutdown Puts Lid On Q1 Gold Demand
London, UK—Gold jewelry sales in the United States rose a meager 1% in the first quarter of 2019, compared to a 4% rise in the final quarter of 2018. The World Gold Council’s latest Gold Demand Trends report attributes the weakened demand to the prolonged U.S. government shutdown, which hit demand in January.
Even with the shutdown and the anemic increase, Q1 2019 still marked the ninth consecutive quarter for increased gold sales.
Worldwide, gold demand also inched up 1%, driven mainly by a 5% increase in India—and offset by a 2% drop in China. Read the full report here.