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Industry News: JIS Announces Additions; California 24K Club Members To Be Honored; More August 15, 2018 (0 comments)
JIS October Announces New Additions For 2018
Norwalk, CT—The combined presentation of the 2018 JIS October Show and Centurion South Beach Show, set for October 19-22, 2018, will be hosted in the brand new, state-of-the-art Miami Beach Convention Center (left), which just completed a $620 million renovation and upgrade project.
The inaugural event combining JIS with the curated Centurion South Beach Show brings an expanded group of nearly 100 high-end luxury brands, including a new pavilion of Forevermark suppliers, inside the Miami Beach Convention Center alongside JIS. The combined event will present new partnerships, brands, and show features that will provide for a unique show experience, and attendees will be able to shop both events with a single badge, issued by either JIS or Centurion South Beach Show. Product will be available for immediate purchase or order during the show.
JIS Show organizers report a 30% increase in exhibitor numbers over last year and say attendee registration is pacing ahead as well. Buyers will find an expanded floor plan featuring dedicated pavilions that include the return of all the prior segments from last year but expanded for 2018. This includes a 50% larger Italian Pavilion, a 40% larger upscale Galleria Pavilion with a relaxing lounge area, the Hong Kong Pavilion, Brands Pavilion, the Plumb Club, Fine Jewelry, and Sterling Silver and Affordable Fashion, this year newly split into two separate areas at the request of attendees.
JIS also has launched an all-new segment in the show this year, called the ETS (Equipment, Technology, and Services) Pavilion, modeled after the ETS neighborhood at JCK Las Vegas. These exhibitors’ products and services play critical supporting roles for the modern jeweler, including software, packaging, tooling, refining, insurance, and more. Some of the well-known brands that have signed on for the new ETS section are United Precious Metals, Gesswein & Co., Laserstar, Artco, Jewelers Mutual Insurance, and Kassoy.
Visit jisshow.com/October or call (+1 800) 840-5612 to register to attend or apply to exhibit.
Carats.Io, IDEX To Develop Data Analysis, Financial And Investment Vehicles For Diamond Industry
LONDON/ANTWERP—Fintech startup Carats.io and online diamond-trading platform IDEX (International Diamond Exchange), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), according to which the two will cooperate in the areas of data analysis and the development of new financial vehicles for both the diamond industry and general public. These will be based on Carats.io's Diamond Financial index (DFX) and its CARAT coin, which is the world's first cryptocurrency fully backed by real diamonds.
As part of the MOU, the two parties agreed that IDEX will serve as an escrow company, supporting Carats.io in its acquisition of diamonds to back the digital CARAT coins that it issues, providing diamond-buying and logistics services from sourcing to vaulting. The diamonds will be acquired from international companies operating on its platform in jurisdictions where cryptocurrency-based diamond trading is sanctioned by law, up to U.S. $120 million worth in the initial stage of the agreement.
In finalizing the MOU, the heads of the Carats.io and IDEX emphasized that together they are uniquely positioned to energize and engage with the international diamond sector. IDEX brings a global B2B diamond trading platform with more than 1,500 suppliers and 7,000 professional traders, an online pool of 750,000 diamonds, and a wealth of financial data gleaned from up-to-the-minute records of actual transactions. The value of Carats.io's cryptocurrency is linked to daily movements in the DFX index, which is generated by a sophisticated proprietary algorithm developed by the company, fed by real-time market data and without human involvement. The diamonds held by the Carats.io to back the CARAT coin, as well as the algorithm, are independently audited by the international accounting firm Ernst & Young.
"We are delighted to announce our cooperation with IDEX," said Eli Avidar, president of Carats.io. "Its worldwide reach, excellent international position, and its exceptional strength in Antwerp will enhance our business operations, especially since Carats.io is UK registered. Carats.io was built to bridge the traditional economy with the digital economy, and in so doing provide access to funding and investors that have not been part of the diamond and Jewelry business."
"We are pleased to be cooperating with Carats.io, and to be able take advantage, on behalf of the diamond industry, of the synergies created by our two organizations working together," said Ehud D. Cohen, IDEX chairman. "IDEX - International Diamond Exchange represents the new economic and technological order, which not only has changed the diamond industry's business environment since the year 2000, but also is the place from which new solutions can be found. And it is innovating and delivering those solutions that we are committed to doing."
Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California Announces 2018 Honorees
Beverly Hills, CA—The Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California has announced the Club’s 2018 honorees to be recognized during its 74th Annual Dinner Dance and Gala on October 6 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
This year’s Excellence in Service honorees are Thomas Blumenthal and David Marcus. Blumenthal is the CEO of Geary’s Beverly Hills, and has been at the helm of the luxury store since 2003. He is the grandson of Fred and Ruth Meyers, who took over the business in 1953 to create a true landmark in Beverly Hills. Marcus is the owner of Marcus Diamonds, Los Angeles. He was instrumental in the creation of the Diamond Club West Coast and served as president for many years. He still sits on its board of directors.
Thomas Blumenthal, left, and David Marcus, right.
“Tom and David have both made a tremendous impact on our industry, and exemplify a high standard of professionalism, business ethic and a commitment to excellence, true to the 24 Karat Club’s mission,” said Karen Signorino, the 24 Karat Club’s president.
Additionally, the 24 Karat Club will honor Dave Bindra of B&B Fine Gems with the 24 Karat Club’s Rising Star Award.
Dave Bindra
“The Rising Star Award was created to honor a young leader that has shown passion and commitment towards the betterment of our industry,” said Signorino. “Dave is very deserving of this honor as in the 10 years since he joined, he has helped to grow B&B Fine Gems, the colored stone wholesale business his father and mother built, and has created a niche, boutique house that specializes in very fine quality materials. Dave is currently the president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association and sits on the board of directors for the Jewelers Vigilance Committee. He is a gifted professional with a proven dedication to this industry, truly worthy of this honor and recognition.”
For tickets, sponsorship and more information on the honorees, please contact Marlowe Sutton at info@jewelers24kclub.comor call 310-375-6300. Dress for the event is black tie optional.
WJA Chapters Gear Up For Jewelry Night Out, September 13
New York, NY—Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) chapters nationwide are planning events for their annual Jewelry Night Out on September 13.
WJA was founded in 1983, when a femalejewelry sales rep in Boston suffered an injustice that would today be called out as discrimination. Barred from the leading all-male jewelry networking organizations until the late 1980s, and without a professional female network to turn to, a group of New England and New York-based women in the jewelry industry formed the Women’s Jewelry Association. Today, the organization has 31 chapters around the world, and helps women in the jewelry industry advance their careers with scholarships and grants.
WJA will celebrate 35 years of connections with its annual Jewelry Night Out at chapters across the United States. Both the Colorado and New York Metro chapters have announced events so far. The Colorado chapter event is open to both members and the general public, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Blue Moon Brewery Company, 3750 Chestnut Place, Denver. Registration is now open on the WJA events page. The evening will feature a Q&A session with Boulder jewelry designer Linda Kozloff-Turner, who will share details of her much-anticipated book “The Women of Jewelry.” It also will includea silent auction, with fine jewelry pieces donated by women designers featured in Kozloff-Turner’s book, to benefit the WJA scholarship and grant fund for continuing education and event planning for the jewelry community in the state of Colorado.RSVP at Women's Jewelry Association Colorado, call Diane Ferraro at (626) 222-9388, or email coloradochapter@womensjewelryassociation.com.
The New York Metro WJA chapter will host a conversation with Julie Zerbo, founder and editor-in-chief of The Fashion Law, a publication dedicated to both fashion law and the business of fashion. Her work has been profiled by the Wall Street Journal, MTV, NBC, and Reuters, and is regularly cited by major news outlets worldwide. The event will be held September 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. at God’s Love We Deliver, 166 Sixth Avenue at Spring Street, New York City. Click here for more details and to register.
The Philadelphia WJA chapter also has announced it will host an event but details were not available at press time.
JA Taps Two Industry Veterans As Consultants
New York, NY—Jewelers of America (JA) has hired two industry consultants to address core priorities of membership and consumer marketing. Elizabeth Brewer will assist JA’s membership department to enhance membership engagement with its robust retail membership base, and Mark Smelzer will assist in the strategic development of a consumer marketing initiative to launch in early 2019.
“The addition of Elizabeth and Mark in consultant roles will play a big part in our continued commitment to membership growth and consumer marketing, which are essential to our mission to improve confidence in the jewelry industry,” says JA president and CEO David J. Bonaparte.
Brewer has nearly two decades of diverse experience in the jewelry industry, at Brown+Partners, deBoulle Jewelers, the American Gem Trade Association, and Diamond Council of America (DCA). She holds a BS degree in advertising and PR from the University of Mississippi and has also studied at the Gemological Institute of America.
Smelzer is the principal of Mark Smelzer LLC, a jewelry industry consultancy, and a 27-year veteran of the publishing industry. His career experience includes magazine and website publishing, sales and marketing, content marketing, and “native” advertising and brand ambassadorship. He has been publisher of JCK and JCKonline since 2004.