December 2007
Oceanaut Debuts at Nordstrom
— JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 12/12/2007 5:48:00 PM
Southern California watch manufacturer, Oceanaut, launched its 2008 collection of men and womens timepieces at Nordstrom stores.
The company’s latest collection of fine watches made their official debut at select Nordstrom stores before Thanksgiving. The Oceanaut timepieces range in price from $1,095 to $14,500 retail.
The gents and ladies collections for 2008 have Latin names that include Acquatico, Baltica, Baccara, Cortez Limited Edition, Carrero, and Conquistador. It features classic chronographs and unique divers with precision movements from Switzerland, Swiss manufacturing, conflict-free diamonds from Africa, hand stitched leather straps from Italy, French alligator straps, and precious metals from the United States. Oceanaut’s designer and co-founder, Danny Blair, inspired by Russian pilot watches, created a 52 mm case on their new sought-after Baltica.
In July, Oceanaut supplied custom engraved matching "His" and "Hers" Oceanaut Pacha Cobra diamond watches to a number of Hollywood newlyweds—most notably “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria and professional basketball ace, Tony Parker, whose marriage has been billed as “the celebrity wedding of the year.”
Since then, the privately held watch company has attained celebrity following that includes Kevin Connolly, Teri Hatcher, Maria Menounos, Vanessa Minillo, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, Diddy, Sugarland, Keith Urban, Serena and Venus Williams, Jason Taylor, and Wolfgang Puck.
Dalumi to Fund Children’s Village in Botswana
— JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 12/5/2007 8:00:00 AM
The Dalumi Group diamond company said it will support the social development organization SOS Children’s Villages by donating to SOS Children’s Village Tlokweng in Gaborone, Botswana.
The children’s village of Tlokweng includes 16 family houses. Dalumi said it will fund the yearly purchases of food, clothes, medications, and school materials for a family house that accommodates 12 children.
The move by Dalumi followed its of Dalumi as one of 16 sightholders by DTC Botswana.
The charity initiative was officially announced on Nov. 28 when Hang Van Den Broeck, acting general manager of Dalumi Botswana, Derek James, national director of SOS Children’s Village Association in Botswana, met the children’s village staff and visited the family house in the Tlokweng village.
“Being part of this project enables Dalumi to be really close to the local population, supporting their needs and continuing the ethical and responsible way in which we conduct our business” says Yuval Kemp, director of Marketing and BD at the Dalumi Group. “I’m proud to highlight that our commitment is a long lasting one. At the end of the first year of this project we will meet again with SOS Children’s Villages Botswana and discuss ways to develop our support to this project based on the feedback we’ll receive."
Brittany Murphy Gets Every Woman’s Dream…Twice!
Brittany Murphy has managed to surprise us all by pulling off a secret wedding to screenwriter Simon Monjack. The two were married in their Los Angeles home several weeks ago in an intimate ceremony surrounded by their families, her rep says. As if that werent shocking enough Brittany actually settling down with someone this one ought to turn heads. She ended up with two engagement rings because she couldnt make her mind up! According to the jeweler who helped them, the couple couldnt decide which ring they liked best, so they bought both. She got two big platinum and diamond cushion-cut whoppers one big white and one big yellow. This has only left people wondering, who exactly paid for the diamonds? But according to Simon they are very much in love and enjoying every minute of married life. Guess thats all that matters then. - written by Sarah Baltic -
Q and A with H. Marvin Beasley
Q and A with H. Marvin Beasley
December 01, 2007
Staying fixed on diamonds keeps Helzberg in fast lane
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| H. Marvin Beasley, chairman and chief executive officer of Missouri-based jewelry chain Helzberg Diamonds. |
By Glen A. Beres
North Kansas City, Mo.—H. Marvin Beasley is chairman and chief executive officer of Helzberg Diamonds, a North Kansas City, Mo.-based jewelry chain of approximately 275 stores owned by holding company Berkshire Hathaway.
In an exclusive interview with National Jeweler, Beasley discussed key industry trends, how Helzberg has leveraged technology and branding to get ahead, and the growth opportunities he sees for the company going forward.
National Jeweler: Which factors have made Helzberg Diamonds successful?
H. Marvin Beasley: Helzberg Diamonds has a longstanding tradition of service excellence, quality and integrity, and these elements of our business philosophy are major contributors to our long-term success.
We strive to provide our customers with an outstanding experience that extends from the time they first enter our store through the years that they own their fine jewelry. In this way, we develop long-lasting relationships with our customers that continue through the generations.
NJ: Where are the best growth opportunities for your jewelry business?
HB: Diamonds, and bridal and fashion offerings, in particular, have been and continue to be the foundation of the Helzberg Diamonds assortment.
We supplement this core inventory with selections in colored gemstones, pearls, karat gold and watches. Exclusive brands have become important to our business as well.
We market our product through a variety of media, with emphasis on print and outdoor advertising, supported by radio and television in key markets. We also strategically utilize electronic media to target customers who are accustomed to receiving information via this channel.
NJ: Which major trends do you see shaping the jewelry industry right now?
HB: One of the most prevalent trends has been customers demanding social and environmental responsibility from retailers. It is becoming increasingly important for fine-jewelry retailers to be accountable to customers, demonstrating that the company operates in a way that meets the highest standards for human rights, social responsibility and environmental stewardship.
NJ: How has online retailing affected the jewelry business?
HB: Online retailing in general, and in the jewelry industry in particular, has created an environment in which consumers have access to vast information and purchasing options. As a result, customers are more likely to have done preliminary research and to have developed a level of knowledge about jewelry prior to entering a retail store. In addition, exposure to a wider selection of styles and price points has the potential to influence customers’ ideas about what they wish to purchase.
This vast amount of information and selection available online also has caused customers to be more comfortable purchasing jewelry online, and online sales are increasing. All of these factors combine to create a highly competitive retail landscape in which multichannel selling opportunities must be leveraged, and in which integrity, excellence and a reputation for quality are critical.
IDL appoints chief quality officer
IDL appoints chief quality officer
December 06, 2007
Dubai, United Arab Emirates—International Diamond Laboratories (IDL) has appointed Peter Borgmans as chief quality officer of its global lab operations.
He will serve as a liaison between customers and the lab, and will secure consistent diamond-grading results.
Borgmans’ background certainly makes him ready for his task.
He was recently involved in quality management for Polygon, one of the leading online marketplaces for diamonds and jewelry. Prior to that, he served for 27 years as HRD’s quality manager in the Certificates Department, where he was responsible for initiating accreditation of diamond labs in accordance with ISO standards.
He has also worked as the secretary of the International Diamond Council, a working group of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses that standardizes grading systems of all diamond laboratories.
IDL Chief Executive Officer Peter Meeus said Borgmans’ expertise in the field of ISO standards and quality management supplements IDL’s strategy of consistent diamond grading.
“We are convinced the trade will appreciate having a dedicated and independent expert as the single point of contact regarding all grading results,” he said in a media release.
IDL believes that having a single quality officer through which to channel all discussions on grading results will avoid any direct contact with or influencing of the graders.
EXCLUSIVE: Majors execs walk the high-volume wire
EXCLUSIVE: Majors execs walk the high-volume wire
December 01, 2007
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| Terry Burman, CEO of Signet Group, the parent of Sterling Jewelers. |
New York—As part of our Who’s Who in the Majors supplement, National Jeweler interviewed some of the top names in the high-volume retail jewelry business.
These executives spoke frankly about growth opportunities, challenges, the impacts of the Internet and how doing business in the jewelry industry these days also means doing good.
In an exclusive interview, Terry Burman, chief executive officer of Signet Group, explains how executing the basics, such as merchandising and customer service, as well as paying attention to what will happen in the long-term versus the short-term, has helped make Sterling Jewelers the top specialty retailer in the United States.
In an era of diminishing returns on diamonds, H. Marvin Beasley, chairman and chief executive officer of Helzberg Diamonds, explains how the retailer has continued to make the most of the category through tradition, service and quality.
Peter Engel, president of Fred Meyer Jewelers, gives insight on how to offer consumers value, the challenges and advantages of being in malls or shopping centers, and how the Internet has become an ally for the chain.
Fortunoff Fine Jewelry Executive Vice President Esther Fortunoff discusses the retailer’s growth plans, its success in promoting new designers and how jewelers are coming under increased scrutiny when it comes to social responsibility and ethical issues.
Robert Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Honolulu-based Maui Divers, speaks of how the island-themed jeweler is looking at growth on the U.S. mainland and beyond, as well as in cyberspace.
Editor’s note: For the complete Who’s Who in the Majors supplement, see the December issue of National Jeweler.
Tiffany Marks Success of Sierra Leone Project
Rob Bates, Senior Editor — JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 12/5/2007 3:53:00 PM
Tiffany and Co. held an event Dec. 3 at its flagship store in New York to “celebrate the success” of the Tiffany and Co. Foundation’s support for FESS, The Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability, a governmental organization that reclaims land in Sierra Leone previously used for mining.
The project has put into motion a process to empower communities in Sierra Leone to reclaim land, develop alternative land use, increase food and livelihood security, and reduce the potential for conflict, a Tiffany statement said.
“By reclaiming mined-out diamond areas, we’re helping heal the scars of Sierra Leone and creating a new future for the people of Sierra Leone,” said Darci Glass-Royal, chairman of FESS, “Formerly pitted, unusable land now yields jobs, stability and food for the country.”
The event was attended by officials from Sierra Leone, including its U.S. ambassador, the Paramount Chief of the Kono Region, Paul Ngaba Saquee V, and singer-songwriter Ben Jelen who is known for his commitment to environmental causes..
The event premiered a short film documentary, which showed how the communities in Sierra Leone have reclaimed their land at three project sites, and put it to agricultural use.
“When land reclamation takes place and is followed by agriculture, artisanal mining begins to lose its character as the employment of last resort for all-too-numerous jobless youths,” said Daniel Gbondo, FESS field representative in Sierra Leone. “Artisanal mining will continue for some time to come, but with land reclamation, the serious hazards posed by mining pits are significantly reduced, and artisanal mining can continue as part of a balanced transition for the region.”
D.E.F. Launches Interactive Web Site
— JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 12/10/2007 8:09:00 AM
The Diamond Empowerment Fund has launched an interactive Web site that is designed to empower and connect with those who support the African cause founded by Russell Simmons.
Launched Dec 6, D.E.F.’s new web, social network, and mobile presence, will allow users to upload their personal stories about those who inspire them and send them to their friends. The site is operated by Web designers Orange 32 and tech company Web host Treemo
Because many young people in Africa have greater access to mobile phone technology than the internet via a computer, Treemo has made it possible for users to have the same functionality on their mobile phones as on a computer, according to a D.E.F. statement.
Those who are passionate about D.E.F.’s mission can pick and choose elements from the site and put them on their own MySpace or Facebook page, and on their blogs, thus creating a sense of ownership of the cause. One of the powerful parts of the site will be devoted to The D.E.F. Profiles Series. While in South Africa and Botswana documenting Russell Simmons’ fact-finding mission in the fall of 2006, filmmaker Selwyn Hinds and his team met several young Africans with compelling real-life stories. The D.E.F. Profiles Series of six short video clips focus on their perspectives, combined with Russell1s experience as a first-time visitor to Africa. The D.E.F. Profiles follow the video, "Journey: Russell Simmons in Southern Africa."
The series is broken down into the following profiles:
Part 1: The Rappers
Part 2: The Come Up
Part 3: The Survivor
Part 4: The Intern
Part 5: CIDA Poets
Part 6: The Freedom Fighter
Some of the profile subjects will be dialoguing on the site about their thoughts and experiences.
"We have great hopes this tool will impact our ability to spread the word and help us gather support for our mission to empower young Africans through education," said D.E.F. executive director, Ellen Haddigan.
Gold/silver combos popular in New Zealand jewelry scene
These days precious metals and diamond jewelry can make as much of a fashion statement as ones clothing. Top fashion designers in New Zealand, including Karen Walker and the Stolen Girlfriends Club, have expanded their fashion lines to include jewelry.
Many local jewelry designers in New Zealand are assembling stunning pieces of jewelry that are rivaling renowned international designers.
Right now, gold and silver together are very popular. A necklace could combine elements of these two metals, such as rose gold and sterling silver. And a bracelet in silber could feature charms of gold.
Also popular in New Zealand is to wear layered necklaces of different lengths. Different weights and lengths together are cool right now. Most popular is to use three different lengths of necklace together. One should be just below ones neck, the next on the breastbone and the longest piece below the bra line.
Top celebs new face of Baume and Mercier
Top celebs new face of Baume and Mercier
December 20, 2007
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| Actress Teri Hatcher in Baume and Mercier’s new ad campaign. |
New York—Teri Hatcher and Ashton Kutcher are the newest celebrities to represent luxury watchmaker Baume and Mercier.
As with the brand’s two previous campaigns, all royalties due to the ambassadors and their photographers—Robert Erdmann for Terri Hatcher and Jim Wright for Ashton Kutcher—will be donated to charities jointly chosen by the Hollywood stars and the watch brand.
The new campaign will support the fight against cancer, underprivileged women and the promotion of child education.
The ads featuring Teri Hatcher and Ashton Kutcher will launch on Jan. 1 and April 1, respectively.
Previous Baume and Mercier celebrity ambassadors have been Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger and Gary Sinise.