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INDUSTRY NEWS: NEW BUSINESS GROUP FOR INDEPENDENTS; DEF OFFERS WAY TO SHOW GIVING BACK, MORE March 26, 2013 (0 comments)
DEF Announces New ‘Diamonds For Good’ Membership Program
New York, NY—The Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) has launched a global annual membership program designed to highlight diamond and jewelry companies who support DEF’s mission of youth education and leadership development in diamond producing nations.
With research showing that 80% of global consumers believe corporate social responsibility is important, consumers connect with DEF’s positive message. During a recent survey of DEF’s followers on social media, one respondent affirmed “the fact that major retailers and the diamond industry are supporting DEF means they are creating social change and awareness, and that has a huge impact on how I view the diamond industry more positively.”
A key element to the Diamonds for Good Membership Program is a seal created for members to use across all lines of communication. The seal positions a green diamond in the center of a circle created with diamonds and the words ‘Diamond Empowerment Fund, Diamonds for Good Member’. A higher level of support, the Empowerment Circle, includes this same seal, and an added ring of diamonds with the words Empowerment Circle in the center. Inaugural members of the Empowerment Circle include the Dalumi Group, Malca-Amit, Sterling Jewelers, and Leo Schachter Diamonds.
Phyllis Bergman, DEF board president, believes that DEF’s Membership Program “will enable industry members to show their customers the importance they place on an initiative that gives back to the communities where their diamonds are sourced. Developing the next generation of leaders through education in diamond producing countries speaks to this commitment."
Visit the DEF website to download a membership form or contact executive director Nancy Orem Lyman at (212)359-4219, n.lyman@diamondempowerment.org.
CBG Heads Debut New Retail Jewelers’ Business Organization
Miami, FL—Preferred Jewelers International, a new membership-only business organization for independent jewelers, hosted its first conference of retail partners February 1-2 in Dallas. It is headed by Continental Buying Group owners Andie Weinman and Joe Murphy.
The recent conference included a variety of educational seminars focusing on social media, search engine optimization, public relations, and more. At the event, the organization also unveiled its new website, discussed plans for growth and member benefits, and introduced online training tools for store managers and employees.
Like CBG, Preferred Jewelers International is designed to leverage the power of group membership to give independent retailers a better advantage in a highly competitive market. Where CBG focuses on product, helping give independent jewelers the kind of buying power typically limited to high-volume national chains or large online retailers, Preferred Jewelers International will not only give member jewelers the benefit of a nationwide network of stores sharing best practices, but also has introduced the Preferred Nationwide Warranty Program, a consumer-facing network of jewelers that will guarantee each other’s product warranties.
The group originally began in 2009 and was limited to CBG members only, but Murphy views the recent Dallas event as its real kickoff. CBG membership is no longer a requirement, but CBG members will get a discounted rate to join.
“We currently have 79 retail members with over 150 storefronts that now have a voice, a voice that will only get stronger as we continue to grow,” Murphy said. Although there are territorial restrictions, I truly feel that this number can double or even triple within the next year due to all the benefits we are offering the independent jeweler. Preferred Jewelers International will ultimately shape the future of the entire jewelry industry.”
Part of the Preferred Jewelers International homepage. Member stores rotate through the top right in a slide show, with each store's image linking to its own website. A customer testimonial appears below the store image. Consumers can find a member store via the site.
"This conference was the first step," said Andie Weinman, co-founder and CEO. "With this program, the independent retailer can surpass national chains and internet sites. We are a network of independent retailers that want consumers to have and share Experiences That Last A Lifetime.™ We want consumers to know an owner operator when making one of the most important purchases of their life.”
The organization also is in the process of testing and marketing a “Preferred Diamond,” a special cut exclusively for member retailers.
The group’s next event will be a cruise, slated for September 27-30 on the Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas. That conference will focus on speakers and educators from outside the jewelry industry.
Preferred Jewelers International is accepting applications from independent jewelers across the United States and Canada. For information, click here or call (888) 998-8874.
Read more in this report in National Jeweler.
JBT Elects Board and Officers
Warwick, RI—The Jewelers Board of Trade announces the election of its officers and board of directors at its annual meeting February 13. The following officers and directors were elected to serve a one-year term:
Chairman: Phyllis Bergman, Mercury Ring (Div. of Interjewel USA, Inc.), New York, NY; first vice chairman: Richard Weisenfeld, Pranda North America, Inc., Cranston, RI; second vice chairman: Todd Wolleman, Leo Wolleman, Inc., New York, NY. President is Dione D. Kenyon; secretary is Brenda M. Pimentel, and treasurer is Alisa D. Dumond, all of JBT.
Elected to the board for a two-year term were: Richard LeStage, LeStage Manufacturing Co., Attleboro Falls, MA; Phyllis Bergman; Brian D. Fleming, Carla Corporation, E. Providence, RI; Kevin Green, Seiko Corporation of America, Mahwah, NJ; Michael L. Kaplan, Rocket Jewelry Box, Inc., Bronx, NY; Richard Katz, Samuel Aaron, Inc., Long Island City, NY; Joel R. Matthies, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co. Inc., Neenah, WI; Avi Raz, A & Z Pearls, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; and Pinny Rubin, Quality Gold Inc., Fairfield, OH.
Board members continuing to serve their existing terms are: Ann S. Arnold, Lieberfarb, Inc., Rahway, NJ; Anthony J. Capuano, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Rehoboth, MA; Edward N. DeCristofaro, LDC, Inc., Providence, RI; Richard Greenwood, A. F. Greenwood Co., Inc., New York, NY; Philip Holden, The Gordon Company, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Basant Johari, Kuber Manufacturing, Inc., New York, NY; Roderick H. Lichtenfels, W. R. Cobb Company, E. Providence, RI; Richard Weisenfeld; and Todd Wolleman. F. Daniel Pharr, Pharr Valuation & Business Services, LLC, Richmond, VA, continues to serve as an advisory board member.
JBT provides credit information and collection services to the jewelry industry and related sectors.
Special CIBJO Report: Corporate Environmental Impact New Benchmark
Milan, Italy—With six week to go to the opening of the 2013 CIBJO Congress in Tel Aviv on May 7, the first of its commissions' special reports has been released. The Marketing & Education Commission report says that corporate environmental impact will be a key concern of consumers in coming years, and one which the jewelry industry has to take to heart.
"We only have to look at the headlines in 2012—pollution in Beijing and Hong Kong, massive storms in the United States, and the droughts in India and Africa—to understand that consumers recognize and care about major issues related to the environment," says the report. "No one can deny [it] has become a hot topic in the world today, especially in the minds of 15- to 35-year-old women, a key group of purchasers in the jewelry industry."
Separately, the forecasts positive growth of 5% or more for the global jewelry industry, driven by greater political stability in China, reasonable growth in United States, and potentially a more positive year in India.
To download a full copy of the report, click here.