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Industry News: GIA Career Fair, New Diamond Mine Opens; Burma Ruby Ban To End; More September 21, 2016 (0 comments)
GIA’s Jewelry Career Fair Set For Oct. 7 in Carlsbad
Carlsbad, CA—GIA’s annual Jewelry Career Fair and Open House will take place Oct. 7 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Institute’s headquarters Robert Mouawad campus. Panel discussions begin at 8:30 a.m.; nearly 40 industry job recruiters will be available starting at 10 a.m.
Well-known global gem and jewelry brands, start-up companies and family-owned businesses are among the companies looking to fill hundreds of open positions at the event. A list of companies recruiting, including Diamonds Direct, Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers, Shane Co., Signet Jewelers, The RealReal and Tiffany & Co., can be found here.
The free event marks the only time each year that the coastal 30-acre Carlsbad campus is open to the public without an appointment. Job seekers will have the opportunity to participate in one-on-one career coaching with industry veterans specializing in their field of interest; attend two inspiring panel presentations featuring notable personalities; and partake in education demonstrations.
Panel discussion presentations are:
8:30-10 a.m.: “Job Success in Today’s Market,” moderated by Susan M. Jacques, president and CEO of GIA. Panelists include Melanie Goldfiner of Rahaminov Diamonds Inc.; Martin Katz, founder and CEO of Martin Katz, Ltd.; Mark Smelzer, publisher of JCK magazine and JCKonline.com; and Mary Todd-McGinnis, vice president of sales for Ben Bridge Jeweler.
10:30 a.m. – Noon: “Creative Careers,” moderated by Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief of JCK magazine. Panelists are Jen Cullen-Williams, managing director of the Luxury Brand Group; Danielle Miele, jewelry blogger and creator of Gem Gossip; Mark Schneider, designer and owner of Mark Schneider Design; and Jordan Tabach-Bank, owner and CEO of Beverly Loan Company and New York Loan Company.
Career Fair attracts hundreds of jewelry job-seekers each year.
Visitors also will have a chance to enjoy the more than 1,000 eye-catching gems and jewelry designs on view at the GIA museum. Guests will have the opportunity to experience a finely-curated selection of nearly 200 works of jewelry and objet d’art by 40 members of the American Jewelry Design Council (AJDC), visit the world’s largest library dedicated to the study of gems and jewelry and much more.
Anyone interested in attending is urged to register prior to the event. For more details, visit gia.edu/career-fair, email careerfair@gia.edu or call (800) 421-7250 ext 4100. Follow @GIANews #JewelryJobs for updates.
Burmese Rubies And Synthetic Diamonds In The News
Washington, DC—It may soon be legal to import Burmese rubies and jade into the United States again. According to this report in National Jeweler, the White House announced the potential lifting of the 2008 ban after President Barack Obama’s recent meeting with Myanmar (Burma) State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss human rights, safety, and environmental progress in that country.
The original ban expired in 2013, but Obama signed an executive order reinstating the prohibition, which covers both stones mined in Myanmar and any articles of jewelry containing them.
The ban won’t officially be lifted until Obama signs an executive order, but AGTA CEO Douglas Hucker told NJ he fully expects that to happen. Read more here.
Separately, New Diamond Technology (NDT) has produced a 10.07-carat blue diamond. According to this article in JCK, it’s more than double the size of the 5.03-carat blue the Russian company produced earlier. Company president Tamazi Khikhinashvili said a natural blue of that size would likely fetch millions and end up in someone’s safe as an investment, but the synthetics, while expensive, still remain within the scope of what “someone can wear.”
The company has also produced a 6.07 ct. H VVS1 white round and a 10.2 ct. colorless emerald cut. Read more here.
FCRF Unveils First Fancy Color Diamond Rarity Evaluator
New York, NY—Following five years of data collection, analysis and platform development, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) is launching the first industry Fancy Color Rarity Evaluator (FCRE). The FCRE provides proprietary rarity estimates to all yellow, pink and blue fancy color diamonds, based on the diamond’s carat weight, color, color intensity, clarity and shape. The FCRE will provide a range estimate for the number of such diamonds unearthed in mines each year and will allocate them a rarity level from “common” to “super-stone.”
Fancy color diamonds typically are sold with a lab report such as GIA, but while those reports detail the diamond’s physical traits they don’t provide information about rarity. Collectors and investors have depended on qualitative information from miners, auctions houses, retailers and wholesalers to gauge rarity. The FCRE documents, analyzes and processes this significant factor.
Partnering with select high-end jewelers, the FCRF is planning to introduce Rarity Certificates that will accompany select diamond jewelry pieces in Q4 2016. The FCRF believes that the transparency and information will enhance consumer appreciation of the fancy color diamond segment, and promote further adoption.
Response from the trade has been very positive. Nicole Snitman, vice president of Guildhall Diamonds said, “We really like the rarity tool on the FCRF site. It has been quite beneficial for us when we are selling a diamond because we can visibly quantify to our clients just how valuable these diamonds are. An ‘exceptionally rare’ rating on a report is so rewarding to see from such a trusted industry source as the FCRF. The rarity tool is the missing piece of the equation.”
FCRE can be accessed at www.fcresearch.org/rarity. Once logged in, the user can either input a GIA grading certificate number or manually enter the diamond’s carat weight, color, color strength, shape and clarity. The FCRE will process the data and provide a detailed output to save or share, highlighted by the diamond’s Rarity Level.
FCRF is allowing free access for five days to celebrate the launch of the program. For complimentary access, contact Kim Levy, kim@fcresearch.org. Access beyond that point will be limited to FCRF annual members.
Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine Opens; Brings Jobs To Canada
Northwest Territories, Canada—Gahcho Kué, the world’s largest new diamond mine in the last 13 years, officially opened on Tuesday. The mine, a joint venture with The De Beers Group of Companies (51%) and Mountain Province Diamonds (49%), is expected to produce approximately 54 million carats of rough diamonds over its lifetime.
A fly-in/fly-out remote mine site situated approximately 280km northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories (NWT) of Canada, Gahcho Kué remains on track to reach full commercial operation in the first quarter of 2017. Comprised of three open pits, the mine will employ 530 people full-time, with the majority working a two-week in/two-week out rotation.
The mine was opened officially by De Beers Group Chairman and Anglo American Chief Executive Mark Cutifani, De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver, De Beers Canada CEO Kim Truter, Mountain Province Diamonds CEO Patrick Evans, and representatives of First Nations and Metis communities in the Northwest Territories, at an event that included 150 guests from across Canada and around the world.
Canada is the world’s third largest diamond producer by value and the fifth largest by volume. Underpinned by a US$1 billion capital investment, the development of Gahcho Kué between 2006 and 2015 has already provided a C$440 million boost to the NWT economy, according to a recent socio-economic impact study conducted by EY for The De Beers Group of Companies. More than 90% of Gahcho Kué’s economic impact will be delivered once the mine becomes fully operational, equivalent to a further C$5.3 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the NWT. Including its supply chain impacts, the mine supported more than 2,700 jobs in 2015, with employment at the site representing more than 10 per cent of employment in the NWT’s extractive industries.
De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver said, “As millions of new consumers enter the middle classes in the coming years, consumer demand for diamond jewelry is set to see continued medium- to long-term growth. I’m therefore delighted with the official opening of Gahcho Kué, our largest ever mine outside of southern Africa, as it will help to meet this increasing demand.”
Gem-A Announces 2016 Gem Empathy Award Winner
London, United Kingdom—Designer Susan Blackler of Sonkai Ltd. is the winner of Gem-A's newly-revamped Gem Empathy Award 2016. Her winning piece was titled “Supernova.”
In previous years the award was presented to the IJL Show exhibitor displaying, in the opinion of the judges, a single piece or collection of jewelry that makes captivating use of one or more gemstones. This year Gem-A revamped the creative initiative, requesting that designers featured in the IJL Design Gallery produce a design based around a 10.46-carat fantasy cut heliodor (also known as golden beryl), sourced from award-winning gem cutter John Dyer.
The judges included Gem-A CEO Alan Hart and teaching manager Claire Mitchell; former multiple winner Chris Sellors, and IJL event director Sam Willoughby.
The winning piece, a cuff formed from textured sterling silver with an oxidized finish, prominently features the stone in a central 'double walled' bezel setting in 18k yellow gold. Echoing the theme of the sun and stars, ('helios' is the personification of the sun in Greek mythology), the design features additional detailing of radiating bands of pavé and flush-set small diamonds, along with 18k vermeil detailing.
Blackler said, “I wanted to create a striking, futuristic design featuring bold geometric shapes that echo the radiating facets of the 'Star Brite' fantasy cut heliodor. Folds of oxidized silver arranged around the centrally placed stone act as a continuation of the gemstone cut and serve to focus attention on the gem. Bands of pavé-set diamonds and polished yellow gold detailing suggest rays of light and I had in mind constellations of stars set against the dark night sky when I added these details.”
Designs were evaluated on the relationship between stone and design; the practicality of the design; and the style and beauty of the overall design.