Articles and News
INDUSTRY NEWS: NEW GIA APP, NEW JBT FAST-SEARCH CAPABILITIES, JFC GETS INTO SOCIAL MEDIA January 26, 2012 (1 comment)
GIA Launches Consumer, Retailer Apps for iPad
Carlsbad, CA—GIA (Gemological Institute of America)’s new iPad applications (apps) for consumers and retailers are downloadable for free. The consumer version of the app is intended to help educate and engage consumers on the Four C’s, and is available on iTunes. The retailer version is designed to be used at point of sale and may be downloaded by retailers from GIA’s support site, www.retailer.gia.edu.
Both versions of the app feature video and interactive tools that teach consumers how GIA grades diamonds using the 4Cs. It explains the GIA grading scales for color, clarity, and cut, and how diamond grades can affect value. The app also explains the origins of the carat system, and provides information about fluorescence, diamond treatments, and synthetics.
Using interactive tools, consumers can explore:
- ·How diamond color changes across the GIA D-to-Z color scale
- ·Typical inclusions and blemishes at various points in the GIA clarity scale
- ·How a diamond’s size changes by carat weight, and compare the sizes of different diamonds
- A diamond’s anatomy and how various parameters influence a diamond’s cut grade
- A GIA Grading Report Anatomy to understand the different elements of a GIA report
A special feature on the consumer version, “My Diamond Wish List, allows a consumer to keep a record of diamonds they’ve seen and considered. Consumers enter and store a diamond’s relevant statistics and the retailer’s address and contact information. If the diamond comes with a GIA report, the grading information will populate automatically from the GIA Report Check. The app also features direct access to GIA Report Check, a secure online database of GIA grading reports. Consumers can verify the contents of a GIA report and view a PDF version of that report directly from their iPads, simply by entering a GIA report number and carat weight. This feature also provides retailers the benefit of using reports as selling tools in a quick and convenient method.
“Our goal is to provide the public with the knowledge they need to make informed buying decisions,” said Kathryn Kimmel, GIA vice president and chief marketing officer. The app in iPhone format will be coming soon on iTunes. A Simplified Chinese version has also just been released.
JBT Site Introduces Easier Search
Warwick, RI—The Jewelers Board of Trade has enhanced its website, improving search navigation to be faster and easier. In addition to improved search capabilities on its home page, the website also now features real-time daily news feeds, an online member directory, and JBT member designation on individual credit reports and Company Details pages.
JBT Credit Watch subscribers also will receive a new notification category (posts to CreditShare). In addition, both members and non-members (public page) can now submit supplier references electronically to JBT, expediting the rating update process.
Says JBT president Dione Kenyon, "Members are pressed for time and need to quickly locate companies for prospecting or to review credit information."
JFC Goes Social
New York—Goldstein Communications, a public relations and marketing firm serving the jewelry and fashion industries, will be joining forces with Jewelers for Children (JFC). This new partnership marks the beginning of a new initiative to extend JFC’s reach via social media.
Goldstein will manage JFC’s presence on Facebook and Twitter, along with content-sharing and blogging platforms such as YouTube and Tumblr, as part of a strategic social media campaign.
JFC executive director David Rocha said, “Goldstein Communications’ support will truly make a difference for Jewelers for Children. Social media has limitless benefits especially for charities but unfortunately, until now, we haven’t had the ability to really engage on these platforms. With Goldstein Communications’ help, I hope to spread the word about our work even further.”
Ari Goldstein, CEO of the eponymous firm, says, “Handling newsworthy content on behalf of clients must be done mindfully and with a strategy, in order to reap the maximum amount of attention. We are thrilled for the opportunity to apply our expertise to this deserving charity.”