Articles and News
Industry News: Consumers See How Diamonds Do Good; AGS Calls For Speakers; MJSA Vision Awards; More May 24, 2017 (0 comments)
D.E.F. ‘Diamonds Do Good’ Consumer Campaign Reaches Over 3 Million Millennials
New York, NY—The Diamond Empowerment Fund’s efforts to communicate a positive narrative surrounding diamonds to consumers are achieving a tremendous response, the organization announced Wednesday. Its ‘Diamonds Do Good’ campaign, with particular emphasis on Millennial consumers, is hitting outstanding metrics. (Left: Diamonds have been transformative in lifting Botswana out of poverty. Here, women cut and polish diamonds in the Steinmetz factory.)
Through a targeted media plan including Hulu, Pandora, YouTube, and an online influencer strategy, the message that Diamonds Do Good is resonating with consumers. On Hulu alone, the Diamonds Do Good campaign video performed 100% better than the average campaign in number of completed views, and 300% better in number of viewers clicking to the website. Similar metrics are being tallied on the other sites.
A recent updated look to the DiamondsDoGood.com website keeps current with Millennial trends and likes. New sections include celebrities who are championing the message to ‘do good,’ and a dedicated section titled ‘Neighborhood Jewelers Strengthening Community Ties’ that tells the stories of independent jewelers giving back to their own communities.
To help retailers communicate this powerful message to their existing and new customers, the Diamond Empowerment Fund will give a seminar titled “What Your Customers Want – and Need – To Know: How Diamonds Do Good’ at the JCK Show on Monday, June 5, at 2 p.m. in Tradewinds C/D. A simple, but comprehensive toolkit will be discussed, including tips on how to engage customers in store and online, and how individual retailers can get their stories uploaded to the global DiamondsDoGood.com site. D.E.F. will be exhibiting at booth L11, Bayside.
Separately, a few seats are still available for D.E.F.'s annual Diamonds Do Good Awards gala Sunday, June 4, at the Four Seasons Ballroom in Las Vegas. Among the honorees are actor David Oyelowo, who starred in A United Kingdom, a film about the growth of the diamond industry in Botswana. Click here for tickets and information and click here to read The Huffington Post's interview with Oyelowo, which was published yesterday.
AGS Calling For RFPs for Breakout Speakers at 2018 Conclave
Las Vegas, NV—The American Gem Society (AGS) is now accepting Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to present at its 84th annual Conclave, April 23-26, 2018 in Nashville, TN. The 2018 Conclave will have a new date pattern—Monday through Thursday—giving AGS retail members a chance to return to their stores in time for the weekend.
The AGS is looking for presenters on a variety of topics:
- Appraising
- Business management
- Ethics
- Gemology
- Human resources
- In-store events
- Leadership
- Marketing and sales
- Security
- Sourcing
- Succession planning
- Sustainability
- Technology
- Watches
The AGS wishes to incorporate panel discussions, insider insights, sessions for varying educational levels (i.e. beginner, intermediate, advanced), and hands-on classes into its program.
“It’s the mix that matters. The collective diversity among our speakers is one of the great strengths of our Conclave program and has helped make it the most trusted source of information on gemology and business in our industry,” said Katherine Bodoh,” CEO of AGS and AGS Laboratories. “The variety of topics gives our members actionable insight that they can take back to their businesses.”
RFPs can be completed online here.
Speaker RFPs must be submitted by July 15, 2017. Each submission will be reviewed and potential speakers will be notified by November 30, 2017, on the status of their submission. For information, contact Alethea Inns, CGA, director of gemology and education; ainns@ags.org.
MJSA Announces 2017 Vision Awards Winners
Attleboro, MA—MJSA announces the winners of 2017 MJSA Vision Awards design competition. Celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and technological prowess, the awards recognize both professional and student achievements in seven categories. The 2017 winners are:
Professional Excellence, 4+ Years in Business: First place, Orsolya Ráski Nagy and Daniel Nagy of Splendor Jewellery in Budakeszi, Hungary, for their nature-inspired 18k yellow gold Garden Ring featuring a cushion-cut green prasiolite. Smaller, brilliant cut diamonds and green-toned tsavorites and peridots, which symbolize fruit and dewdrops, surround the center stone. Second place, Patrick Nelson and Mary Kay Mohs of Patrick Mohs Jewelry in Wayzata, MN, for their Night Sky Necklace (below) featuring 18k yellow gold and fluorescent diamonds in a reversible design comprising 17 skipping stones, each representing a constellation.
Professional Excellence, 1-3 Years in Business, first place: Zoe Zong of ZoeZong LLC in McKinney, TX, for her Supernova earrings in platinum-plated silver with an electroplated black section with inlaid blue zircon that contrasts with an electroplated white one with inlaid colorless zircon. Zong also took second place for her futuristic silver Contrast Brooch with inlaid zircon and topaz that represent rising skyscrapers.
CAD/CAM Distinction went to Ricardo Basta of Ricardo Basta Fine Jewelry, Los Angeles, CA, for his 18k yellow gold Bat Ring. It features gray 18k palladium bats, diamond appliques, and a pink tourmaline center stone.
Laser Distinction went to Adam Neeley of Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry in Laguna Beach, CA, for his “Rouge Moderne” earrings with red zircons set in rose, white, and yellow gold, accented with kite-shaped diamonds.
Custom Design Distinction was awarded to Brenda Smith of Brenda Smith Jewelry LLC, Woodstock, GA, for her “In the Garden” pearl necklace, hand-fabricated in 18k gold wire with leaves, flower buds, and “dewdrops” of pearls, diamonds, and sapphires.
Responsible Practices Distinction went to Leo Fried of Blue Heron Jewelry Co. in Poulsbo, WA, for his Tanzanite and diamond white gold ring. The center stone was purchased from a co-op of Masi Miners; the white gold was sourced from Hoover & Strong's Harmony metals; and the accent diamonds were either recycled or purchased from dealers who adhere to the Kimberley Process.
In the student division, the first place “Future of the Industry Award” went to Kwan Cheuk Ying of Hong Kong Design Institute in Hong Kong, for Sun and Moon earrings featuring 14k yellow gold, orange moonstone, and blue moonstone, inspired by two Chinese characters representing sun and moon, reflecting Chinese philosophy that events in the sky directly echo events on earth. The second place Future of the Industry Award went to Maneli Sarmadi of Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, GA, for her Sweet Spell necklace. Inspired by nature, it was created using a combination of hand-making skills, latest technology, and innovative processes.
In addition to cash awards, gift certificates for tools and supplies, and (for the students) scholarship funds, the winners will be profiled in the August issue of MJSA Journal and promoted through ads in both Instore and Metalsmith (the competition's media sponsors). All winning entries will be on display at the 2018 MJSA Expo at the Javits Center in New York City.
For more information and to view the winning pieces, go to MJSA.org.
Jewelers of America To Host Legislative Forum On Capitol Hill; Accepting GEM Nominations
New York, NY--Jewelers of America (JA will host a dinner and legislative forum on Tuesday, June 20, at the prestigious Army & Navy Club in Washington, DC. The event, open to both JA members and non-members alike, will offer an insider’s perspective on the laws and regulations that affect jewelry businesses. Jewelers of America’s DC-based legislative counsel, Haake Fetzer will host the Town Hall-style format on hot topics including sales tax fairness—with legislation recently reintroduced in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate—jewelry-related regulations, and the proposed 20% tax hike on imports that could be part of comprehensive tax reform.
“For more than two decades, JA has been the jewelry industry’s voice in DC, fighting for sales tax fairness and other important key legislative issues,” says JA president and CEO David J. Bonaparte. “We’re inviting jewelers to hear first-hand about our efforts, ask questions and share their own experiences. Now is an essential time to be active and aware of the regulations that directly impact our industry.”
The dinner and legislative forum, sponsored by Richline Group and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co., is part of JA’s annual advocacy visit to DC, now in its seventh year. Tickets, which include dinner, cocktails, and the forum, are $100 before May 26 and $150 after.
For more information or to purchase tickets to the Dinner & Legislative Forum, click here.
Separately, JA announces that submissions are being accepted in four categories for the 16th Annual GEM Awards gala, set for January 19, 2018, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. The GEM Awards Committee is now seeking suggestions for nominees in four categories: Jewelry Design, Marketing & Communications, Media Excellence and, new for 2018, Retail Innovation. Companies and individuals can submit themselves or others for consideration through June 30, 2017, at www.jewelers.org/gemawards.
Israel Diamond Exchange Opens Internet Marketing Wing
Ramat Gan, Israel—The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) opened a new wing dedicated to promoting Internet marketing among its members. This is one of several e-commerce initiatives the Israeli diamond industry has introduced, signaling a new direction for the industry.
IDE together with the Israel Diamond Institute launched GET-DIAMONDS, the Israeli Diamond Industry's official diamond trading platform. It offers international and local buyers free access to all Israeli diamonds via an advanced yet user-friendly B2B trading platform, free of charge, and accessible any time and from anywhere.
The new Internet marketing facility, open for use by bourse members, is manned by staff to instruct diamantaires how to join e-commerce platforms and how to upload their goods. It is equipped with computers and 360-degree cameras for photographing diamonds to upload on e-commerce websites.
Yoram Dvash, IDE president, said, "We are making great efforts to provide new marketing channels to our members, and to encourage them to use the internet as a selling tool. I believe that this will give our industry a relative advantage. We need to look ahead, and this is the direction of the future."