Articles and News
Industry News: Diamond Panel, Career Fair At JA; JBT Red Book Goes Mobile, AGS On Video; More July 24, 2013 (0 comments)
DEF and JA Present “Living Up To Diamonds” Panel Seminar At NY Show
New York, NY—With today’s consumers, especially Millennials, globally aware and requiring social responsibility from the companies they do business with, it is essential for jewelry industry members to connect with them through their social outreach programs.
On Monday, July 29, from 1-2pm during the JA New York Show, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, co-founder and senior strategic advisor to The Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), will discuss how jewelers can accomplish this. The seminar will be held in the JA Seminar Room at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
“These young, globally connected consumers are researching and rewarding companies who have a social purpose,” says Chavis. “It just makes good business sense to show them that when they celebrate life’s special moments with the purchase of a diamond, they are contributing to the communities where diamonds are found. Programs such as the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s Diamonds for Good membership program allows theses businesses to share in DEF’s mission of empowering the next generation of leaders in diamond producing countries through access to higher education.”
Chavis will be joined by industry leaders Cecilia Gardner, president, CEO, and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee; David J. Bonaparte, president and CEO of Jewelers of America; Ngomesia Mayer-Kechom, manager for international program of the Diamond Development Initiative; and Martin Rapaport, chairman of the Rapaport Group. Special guest speaker will be Jose W. Fernandez, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Economics and Business Affairs.
DEF will also showcase its new line of Empowerment Jewelry at its booth, #2276, throughout the show. The DEF booth is located opposite the JA Seminar Room. Included in this new line are Donna Distefano’s “Illumination” bracelets and pendants depicting symbolic African designs in sterling silver with diamonds, Royal Asscher’s new green tsavorite and diamond pendant, part of its Shining Stars of Africa Collection, and Benjamin Banneker’s new watches made with natural ebony and mahogany wood.
More Than 35 Renowned Companies Hiring at GIA New York Jewelry Career Fair
New York, NY—More than 35 gem and jewelry companies, including David Yurman, De Beers Diamond Jewellery, Gemvara, and Helzberg Diamonds, will be recruiting for professional positions during GIA’s New York Jewelry Career Fair, Monday, July 20 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Opportunities range from design and manufacturing to marketing and sales.
GIA’s New York Jewelry Career Fair will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 29 at the Javits Center. Recruiters will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public; anyone interested in attending is encouraged to RSVP. JA New York is a major sponsor of the event.
In addition to meeting with recruiters and one-on-one career coaches, attendees can hear from prominent industry figures during the opening panel discussion “Job Success in Today’s Market,” which begins at 8:30 a.m.
Panelists include Alan Bronstein of Aurora Gems; David Gardner of David Gardner's Jewelers and president of the American Gem Society; Daria de Koning of Daria de Koning, fine jewelry; Martin Rapaport, chairman of Rapaport; and Joel Schechter, CEO of HONORA, who will discuss their careers in the jewelry business and offer practical advice for those starting a new or second career in the industry.
“GIA’s Jewelry Career Fair is an excellent opportunity to network with representatives from some of the world’s most illustrious gem and jewelry companies,” said Kathryn Kimmel, GIA vice president and chief marketing officer, and founder of the GIA Jewelry Career Fair. “Whether you’re an experienced professional looking for a career change or a newcomer to the industry, we encourage everyone interested to attend.”
For a full list of companies participating, visit GIA’s website at www.gia.edu, and follow @GIANews #JewelryJobs for updates.
JBT Full Red Book Now Available As Mobile App
Warwick, RI—The Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) has added the full Red Book to its mobile app options. Previously, it was limited to geographic sectional editions only. The app, available on both Android and Apple platforms, allows sales teams and business owners access to the Red Book “on the go,” making critical business intelligence information available in real time from anywhere.
The Red Book mobile app’s search engines allow users to call up company names, addresses, and credit ratings for specific geographic territories. Information is searchable by name, zip code, city and proximity, and business type. JBT members using the app can view a company’s location on a map, phone the company with an instant “dial now” feature, add customized notes for each company and create a list of “favorites.”
Says Dione Kenyon, JBT president, “Our members need easy, instant access, especially when traveling, to identify and reach potential customers. Current users tell us it has greatly enhanced their effectiveness in the field. We are pleased to now meet the needs of more of our members by making the full Red Book available as part of JBT’s continued efforts to better deliver its products and services to the jewelry industry."
Red Book Mobile Apps (full and sectional) can be customized by territory, including the 50 U.S. states, and Washington, DC, Canada, New York City, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Sectional and Full Red Books also remain available in printed form. JBT Red Books contain over 30,000 jewelry retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
AGS Offers Non-Members Videos of Conclave Keynote and Featured Speakers
Las Vegas, NV—The American Gem Society is offering non-members an exclusive peek into Conclave, its private annual education event. For the next 60 days, AGS will post full-length videos online for the industry to view at no cost.
Ruth Batson, a 20-year veteran and CEO of both the Society and AGS Laboratories, says this rare look inside Conclave will show the top-notch talent that is attracted to it every year.
“Everyone knows it is an educational event, but not everyone is aware of the high quality of top rated speakers who present at Conclave. We want our industry colleagues to learn from the knowledge that is dispensed at Conclave, but at the same time, be sensitive to the fact that this event is a benefit for our members. We felt this was a good opportunity for the industry to take a peek inside one of the most talked-about educational forums in gemology and jewelry,” she said.
Two presentations are currently available. Jim Stengel, author of Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies, gives a keynote based on his best-selling book, using 10 years of empirical research of 50,000 companies to show how the world’s 50 best businesses have a cause-and-effect relationship between financial performance and their ability to connect with fundamental human emotions, hopes, values and greater purposes.
The second presentation features speaker Dave Mitchell. In “The Power of Understanding People,” he shows how understanding the various interactive styles of individuals can help industry professionals be more insightful communicators, leaders, sales professionals and customer service providers.
To view the videos, please visit americangemsociety.org/trademedia/conclave and click on either presentation.
NYSJA Golf Outing Set For September 30; Benefits JFC
New York, NY—There’s still time to sign up for the New York State Jewelers Association’s fourth annual golf outing event, set for Monday, September 30, at Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, NY. A portion of proceeds raised at the event will be donated to Jewelers for Children.
The event begins with brunch at 11:30 a.m., and a shotgun start to the tournament at 12:30 p.m. Following the golf, a cocktail hour, auction, and awards ceremony will begin at 5:45 and dinner at 6:45 p.m.
A single golfer registration is $450; a regular foursome package is $1,700, and a corporate foursome is $2,000, which includes company name on all press materials, signage at the event, website acknowledgement and link to the company’s website, e-newsletter press, post-event press release and listing as a scholarship sponsor on the NYSJA website. All ticket prices cover greens fees, golf carts, brunch, barbecue grill lunch, snacks and beverages on course, cocktails and dinner. For non-golfers, dinner-only tickets are available for $175.
Call Barbara Keefe, executive director, at (212) 290-1555, or email info@newyorkjewelers.org.