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INDUSTRY NEWS: PGI TEAMS WITH CELEBRITY EVENT PLANNER SIMON COWIE; AGS WELCOMES STUDENTS, MORE April 17, 2013 (0 comments)
PGI Partners With Wedding Event Planner And Style Expert Colin Cowie
New York, NY—Platinum Guild International USA (PGI-USA) announces a partnership with iconic wedding and event planner, design consultant, and television personality Colin Cowie, to promote the enduring qualities of platinum jewelry.
Cowie will illustrate the qualities of platinum as they relate to bridal jewelry, through activities including a curated gallery of handpicked platinum jewelry designs, social media engagement, and branded event appearances. Additionally, Cowie will share his appreciation for platinum jewelry in broadcast interviews and offer commentary on celebrity and everyday bridal style.
“As a major influencer in the bridal realm and an overall style specialist with a strong following, Mr. Cowie is perfectly positioned to speak to today’s bridal consumer about platinum,” says PGI-USA president Huw Daniel. “He not only understands design, but also recognizes the significance of engagements and weddings in people’s lives. As one of the industry’s most renowned wedding planners, he will show brides and grooms how they can commit to each other with the platinum rings of their dreams, while respecting their budgets.”
“I am thrilled to develop this relationship with Platinum Guild International,” says Cowie. “My partnership with platinum jewelry will serve as the perfect adjunct to my commitment to the bridal space. From engagement rings, wedding bands and beautiful fashion jewelry, platinum bridal jewelry is elegant and timeless. I am excited to share my favorite pieces, and demonstrate the value of platinum jewelry that will last a lifetime and more.”
AGS Introduces Student Memberships
Las Vegas, NV—The American Gem Society, as part of its 80th anniversary celebration in 2014, has launched a Student Associate membership, which taps gemological students into the Society.
To help with the initiative, AGS tapped a cousin: GIA (Gemological Institute of America), both of which were founded by Robert M. Shipley and have a shared mission of education and ethics.
On March 27, GIA’s Carlsbad, CA campus held AGS Day at GIA. The program, “Faces of the American Gem Society,” featured an AGS-hosted luncheon for the students, as well as a panel discussion moderated by the Society’s CEO, Ruth Batson. David Gardner, CG, President of the AGS Board of Directors, John Carter, CGA (Jack Lewis Jewelers) and Lisa Bridge, CG (Ben Bridge Jeweler) rounded out the panel, each discussing life after being a GIA student, and each representing very different types of retailers. Gardner founded his own store, David Gardner’s Jewelers; Carter bought his from a retiring AGS retailer, and Bridge is a fifth generation jeweler.
“The day was a complete success,” says Gardner. “We signed up nearly 80 new Student Associate members. Who knows, someone we met that day may be a future leader of the American Gem Society.”
Says Batson, “We appreciate the GIA greatly, and all they have done to support this program. We look forward to working with them more in this manner, and building this exciting new aspect of our membership.” The Society plans to work together with GIA on future student events, as well.
ICA Joins UN Initiative to Certify Colored Gemstone Origin
Hong Kong—The International Colored Gemstone Association has joined the UNICRI (United Nations Research Institute on Crime and Justice) to develop a mechanism to certify and track colored gemstones from their countries of origin. The initiative, developed with the assistance of the VIJI (Vienna International Justice Institute) was announced at a meeting April 9-10 at UNICIRI headquarters in Turin, Italy.
Participants included representatives of governments of Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, as well as from various luxury jewelry brands and the gem lab sector. Representatives from Brazil and South Africa presented case studies on issues related to the colored gem and precious metal supply chain, from mine to export and beyond.
ICA President Wilson Yuen said, “Tracking gemstones from their geographical origin with a realistic approach is an opportunity for the public sector, the gem and jewelry industry, and civil society to address together social, technical, and environmental issues as well as illicit and criminal practices threatening our sector. This will undoubtedly enhance the transparency of the distribution chain and benefit all the stakeholders from mine to market and build up consumer confidence.”