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Retail News: Borsheims’ Own New Zoo Revue; Retired AGS Leader Phil Minsky Dies July 24, 2013 (0 comments)
It’s A Real Zoo At Borsheims!
Omaha, NE–Arachnophobes would have given Borsheims wide berth last week. The Omaha jeweler hosted a trunk show July 18 to benefit the city’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, and among the more than 100 guests in attendance—both two- and four-footed—was one with eight feet: a tarantula that crawled over the jewelry cases, while a leash-trained Komodo dragon strolled among the guests. The event was part of the zoo’s biennial “Zoofari” fundraising campaign.
A black-footed penguin and a porcupine played near the cultured pearl collection, two of 12 animals from the zoo that greeted Borsheims customers during the event, which served as the kick-off to Zoofari. Customers could interact with and touch all the animals except the porcupine, says Borsheims’ Adrienne Fay.
Tarantulas, like the one inspecting Borsheims’ showcases, are the biggest members of the spider kingdom. Perhaps it’s the ick factor, but their reputation far exceeds their real menace. Though venomous, a tarantula bite is no more dangerous to a human than a bee sting; mildly annoying to most and dangerous only to those who are allergic.
Still, a four-inch spider is enough to give people pause. “It was big! And hairy. The kids had no fear but the adults mainly stayed away from the tarantula and the komodo dragon,” Fay laughed.
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The 2013 Zoofari campaign is raising money to build a new elephant exhibit at the zoo, to be called “Giants of the African Savannah.” Customers browsed cases of elephant and animal-themed jewelry and gifts, brought in specifically for the event. A percentage of all sales of animal-themed jewelry and gifts at Borsheims purchased between last week’s trunk show and a gala Zoofari event on September 7 will be donated to the zoo. In addition, Borsheims has donated a piece of animal-theme jewelry and a custom Pandora bracelet for the zoo’s Super Silent Auction to be held then.
Borsheims' CEO Susan Jacques, left, dresses in the spirit of the evening. Here, she poses with Gerry and Bruce Lauritzen, chairs of the Zoofari event.
Borsheims has a long history of supporting Omaha’s zoo. “We believe so strongly in giving back to the community,” says Susan Jacques, Borsheims president & CEO. “The zoo is such a big part of Omaha. We love hosting this event that is great fun for our customers and their children.” And this particular fundraiser focusing on African wildlife is especially dear to Jacques, a native of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
The event was a huge success, says Fay, with an increase in the number of guests attending the 2013 event vs. the last one in 2011. “It made for terrific memories for customers who attended!” she told The Centurion.
"Good boy!" Zoo handlers praise a Komodo dragon walking around Borsheims while customers look on.
In Memoriam: Philip Minsky, Wyman Jewelers, and former AGS President
Stoughton, MA—Phil Minsky, the retired owner of Wyman Jewelers and a familiar face at AGS Conclave for many years, has died. Reports say he was 90.
Minsky, a winner of the American Gem Society’s prestigious Robert M. Shipley Award, was very active in the association and served as its president from 1989 to 1991. He and his wife Francey were fixtures at every Conclave event for years, even after he retired from active business. He still liked to stay involved and in touch, he would tell everyone who greeted him and asked why he wasn’t out playing golf.
Minsky’s affable nature didn’t stop him from standing up for the ethics he believed in, and his longtime service to the industry also included his local JA affiliate in Massachusetts-Rhode Island. (Editor's note: On a personal level, having met Minsky when he became president of AGS and I was still a junior editor, he was always willing to stop and give his time, a kind word, and a good interview.)
Read more here, here, and sign an online guest book tribute here.