Jewelry Industry News

News stories and events from around the jewelry industry.


Is It Really Raining Diamonds on Neptune or Uranus?

diamond rain

Ever hear the expression – it’s raining cats and dogs? Well, did you ever think that one day it might actually be raining diamonds somewhere in the solar system? Scientists seem to think this is a possibility!

Recently featured by The Washington Post, scientists forecast rain storms of solid diamonds on Uranus and Neptune.

By now you might be thinking – how can this be? The answer is a little complicated. But that’s why there are highly educated people in this world that study these possibilities.

Consider this your daily reminder that the solar system is even more amazing than you realized!

Here’s how it might rain diamonds:

The gems form in the hydrocarbon-rich oceans of slush that swath the gas giants’ solid cores. Scientists have long speculated that the extreme pressures in this region might split those molecules into atoms of hydrogen and carbon, the latter of which then crystallize to form diamonds. These diamonds were thought to sink like rain through the ocean until they hit the solid core.

But no one could prove that this would really work — until now. In a study published this week in the journal Nature Astrophysics, researchers say they were able to produce this “diamond rain” using fancy plastic and high-powered lasers.

“Previously, researchers could only assume that the diamonds had formed,” lead author Dominik Kraus, a physicist at the Helmholtz Dresden-Rossendorf research center in Germany, told the magazine Cosmos. “When I saw the results of this latest experiment, it was one of the best moments of my scientific career.”

Read the whole story – It rains solid diamonds on Uranus and Neptune.


Want the Scoop on Women’s Watches?

Ladies watch featured on WhatsOnHerWrist.com

If you find yourself being drawn to the world of watches, or even jewelry in general, then you’ll want to follow WhatsOnHerWrist.com. Industry pro Barbara Palumbo puts together her very unique and not-very-shy perspective on the world of ladies’ watches.

Guys – do you often wonder what a lady may think of a certain watch brand or style? WhatsOnHerWrist.com also offers opinions on men’s watches as well.

Happy reading!


Novell Wedding Bands This Weekend at Diamonds Direct Austin

DIamond Direct in Austin, Texas

This weekend! Austin area brides and grooms-to-be can browse all of Novell’s bestselling wedding bands at the Diamonds Direct 2nd Annual Jewelry Showcase. Saturday evening shoppers will be treated to hors d’oeuvres and cocktails provided by McCormick and Schmick’s (from 5-7PM). This special wedding jewelry event takes place on Friday, April 11 (10AM – 8PM), Saturday, April 12 (10AM – 8PM) and Sunday, April 13 (12 – 6PM).

Diamonds Direct Austin
11104 Domain Drive
Austin, TX, 78758
(512) 691-9950


America: Accept Nothing Less than Great!

Customer service in America

As a society, we sometimes forget that what our money pays for – whether it be a service, product or experience – should always meet our expectations. In fact, our expectations should often be exceeded. For nearly twenty-five years, Novell has built its reputation by creating quality hand-crafted wedding bands that are made in America. The outstanding quality of our wedding bands and customer service s have been setting Novell apart from other “cookie cutter” companies in the industry, and we continue to raise the bar every day. In theory, our customers are only getting married once, and the wedding bands that they buy are a constant reminder of that day, so it should be an outstanding product. A commitment to quality is also why Novell has been dedicated to educating future brides and grooms about platinum. Platinum is the premium metal for bridal jewelry; it is naturally white and holds your diamond secure. Whether you choose platinum, palladium or gold for your wedding band, be sure to educate yourself about all of the metals and make the choice that is right for you.

Platinum wedding bands

Why Accept or Provide Something Less than Great?

If providing or receiving a great customer experience is a priority, then please read  The Settlers: Why We Should Stop Accepting Anything Less Than Great Product. The article illustrates how we as consumers sometimes settle for less than great, and also how sometimes service providers do the same to just get by. It’s sad but true.


The Wedding Ring Book offers free eBook.

The Wedding Ring Book

Buying a wedding ring can be tough, and knowing where to start can be quite the battle. If you are in a bit of a bind, and need assistance, then a great place to start is The Wedding Ring Book, which is available online as a free download.

Did I say “free?” That’s right, it’s free!

The Wedding Ring Book is the destination for all of your wedding ring designs and information. They have created a gorgeous eBook to educate and showcase the latest and best wedding ring designs in the bridal industry. All the prospective bride and groom need do is to click on an image or ad and be directed to that designer’s website.

Featured designers include:

Asscher Cut Princess, Benchmark, Charles Krypell, Coast Diamond, Gem Platinum, Gumuchian, Jack Abraham, Jack Kelege, JB Star, John Buechner, Katharine James, Memoire, Norman Silverman, Novell, Platinum Guild, Precision Set, Rudolf Friedmann, and Sholdt Designs.

Please also visit www.theweddingringbook.com to see additional wedding ring brands and styles as well.

Download The Wedding Ring Book today.


Jewelry Weblog highlights Novell’s Great American Metal Exchange.

Jewelry weblog

Leading online jewelry authority The Jewelry Weblog recently featured Novell’s new initiative to put affordable platinum bridal jewelry into jewelry store showcases – The Great American Metal Exchange (GAME). The premise of GAME is simple; jewelry stores can exchange precious metals from merchandise that is unwanted, broken or just not selling for a platinum engagement ring collection with a substantial retail value. GAME answers questions that many jewelry stores have in a tough economy – what can retailer do with old jewelry that’s not moving? And how can a jeweler actually increase their inventory without spending a lot of money?

Read Novell’s GAME Puts Affordable Platinum in Jewelry Stores.

GAME has also been featured in Yahoo! News.


New silver wedding bands at LarsonJewelers.com.

New wedding bands at LarsonJewelers.com.

Authorized Novell wedding band retailer LarsonJewelers.com, a leading online source of men’s wedding bands, is proud to announce the introduction of their new silver wedding bands line – and just in time for Valentine’s Day! Their new silver wedding bands collection include some of Novell Design Studio‘s best selling styles, and are an affordable precious metal choice for young couples who don’t have a huge budget for their wedding bands, yet would still like bridal jewelry created from material that has intrinsic value.

Novell’s silver wedding bands are specially created with Argentium Silver, which is a non-tarnishing silver metal. Traditionally, silver jewelry’s downside has been that it needed to be cleaned frequently as it tarnished easily due to the fact that it is typically alloyed with copper. The Argentium Silver that Novell uses is alloyed with germanium to avoid this tarnishing problem.

Read – Larson Jewelers Introduces Silver Wedding Bands Line.

And see more Novell wedding bands at LarsonJewelers.com.


The Jewelry Book is available as a free PDF download.

Read The Jewelry Book for the latest jewelry trends and information.

 

The latest issue of The Jewelry Book is now available online. Visit www.thejewelrybook.com to check it out! The Jewelry Book is an excellent resource for the latest jewelry designers and jewelry articles.

You can also view this issue in flip book format.

If you are looking for wedding bands, see our latest and greatest wedding band styles at NovellDesignStudio.com.


More about Novell Wedding Bands

Thirty-one years of award winning wedding band designs – trending and changing like the people who wear them.

Novell Select represents the very best and most popular work we’ve done by combining bands from our Max Patrick, Z*ART, NQP, and core Novell Collections.

With over 20,000 wedding band designs in our catalogue of work, we’ve streamlined the selection process by cherry picking styles and creating groups.

They are:

INSIDE OUT bands are one color on the inside and another on the outside. For example, signature designs for men are typically rose gold on the inside and white gold or platinum on the outside. This ever-expanding category is one of our most popular and offers designs from uncomplicated to intricate. For manufacturing and plating reasons, INSIDE OUT bands are only available in precious metal.

COLORS is a blend of designs that are popular in yellow, rose, two- or three-tone gold. Everyday jewelry is being redefined in bursts of color. And wedding bands are no exception. This is our fastest growing category!

DIAMOND bands bring stone to precious metal. Whether understated or serious-statement designs, somewhere in this collection is a band for that distinctive men’s diamond band customer. Many of the DIAMOND designs are available as alloy or silver samples.

ORGANICS are hand-forged-background textures that can be put on Novell precious-metal bands. From sand to lava, tree bark to ravine, supple to severe, organics speaks to those who identify with one of the many moods of Mother Earth

CIRCLES bands are stackable in groups or used as spacers. Shapes and textures are made by machine and by hand with over thirty choices and so many combinations that you – or your customer – will never really have to make up their mind. Diversity is a state of jewelry.

• Our TOP 20 wedding band designs literally never go out of style. See a design but want it in a different width? How about a different finish? Or maybe even add diamonds, change them or take them away? Just ask! Almost all wedding band designs can be made in platinum, palladium or gold.

TRENDING are the top selling designs in the SELECT Collection. As real-world trending of styles changes, so does this collection, although a lot of our most popular designs stand the test of time. Excellence is always in fashion.

ALTROm is a special alternative metal collection and the result of our affiliation with HEAVY STONE RINGS in Utah. It includes bands made from diverse materials such as wood, cobalt, carbon fiber, titanium, etc., often combined with precious metal.

What is Novell’s Custom Shop?

Novell is extremely excited to introduce our new Custom Shop division, where our state of the art manufacturing facility brings the independent retail jeweler an easy way to say – “Yes, I can custom make that for you.”

Custom Shop offers 3D printing, so your customers can try on their jewelry before it’s put into production. Here are more Custom Shop capabilities:

• We provide price quotes and CAD renderings within forty-eight hours for customer approval.
• Finished pieces are delivered within three to four weeks.
• Every creation is 100% made in America, so there’s no waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
• Our domestic manufacturing muscle, with casting facilities, an extensive machine shop, and a skilled hand fabricating staff, gives our authorized retailers a clear path to market advantage.
• Some of our other technologies include casting, mold making, machine fabricating, finishing, setting, jewelry work, restoration, engraving, braiding and plating.

Interested retailers can call 888-668-3551 for more information.

Are you a consumer wanting to have a piece of jewelry custom made? Please contact one of our authorized retailers and tell them you want Custom Shop to make your jewelry dream come true.

Make it easy on your jeweler, and give them a copy of our informative brochure.

Below are actual designs specially created by Custom Shop.




Bay Hill Jewelers holiday jewelry shopping event.

Bay Hill Jewelers.

Authorized Novell wedding band retailer Bay Hill Jewelers invites their area’s preferred jewelry clients to a special holiday shopping event!! The Bay Hill Jewelers shopping event takes place on December 18th and December 19th, 2010. Guests buying jewelry may qualify for the following perks:
 
~Purchase 1 piece of  jewelry and receive 10% off.
~Purchase 2 pieces of jewelry and receive 20% off.
~Purchase 3 pieces of jewelry and receive 30% off.

Please note: This offer excludes custom or special order pieces. Contact Bay Hill Jewelers directly if you have any questions or to be sure that you qualify for this offer.
 
Be sure to mention this special holiday jewelry shopping invitation when you visit, and private appointments are available upon request.

Bay Hill Jewelers
7782 West Sand Lake Road
Orlando, FL 32819
407-226-6882
www.bayhilljewelers.com


Better economy = better jewelry sales this holiday.

Tapper's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers.

Think that the economy is still down and out and jewelry is just sitting on the shelves of the leading jewelry stores across America? Well, think again. The November, 5, 2010 edition of USA Today features Tapper’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry owner Mark Tapper putting a $65,000 Judith Ripka diamond heart necklace on shopper Rosemary Stepanski. Ms. Stepanski has been a Tapper’s customer since 1977. The retailer expects holiday sales will be good this year. “We believe in this economy,” says Mr. Tapper.

Tapper’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry is an authorized Novell wedding band dealer. The jewelry store has locations in West Bloomfield, Novi and Troy, Michigan.

Read Holiday shoppers expected to be less cheap this year.


See Novell on The Jewelry Industry Facebook page.

A new Facebook page entitled The Jewelry Industry has recently been launched. The Jewelry Industry will cover the latest jewelry products and news. Highlighted on this page are some of Novell’s best selling wedding bands, links to the Top 200 jewelry Internet retailers, authorized Novell retailers, ‘til Death .925 sterling silver jewelry and much more. This Facebook page is brand new and growing daily.

Join The Jewelry Industry Facebook page.

The Jewelry Industry Facebook page.


Thoughts about choosing a tungsten wedding band.

Top online retailer Amazon.com, the extremely popular website that sells everything from books to jewelry and beyond, regularly highlights best selling items in each of it most popular categories. And as jewelry industry expert Cheryl Kremkow recently pointed out on Twitter, “…only two of twenty five items on Amazon’s bestseller jewelry list are above $50, [with the] top price [being] $59.99 for small gold hoops.” So with today’s economic condition, consumers for Amazon.com are looking to purchase moderately priced jewelry items.

An interesting item to notice is a featured tungsten carbide wedding band that is selling for just $49.99. The highlighted design is 8mm wide and has a carbon inlayed center. There is a similar design with a beveled edge selling on Amazon.com for even less – $39.99. However, TungstenWorld.com has a very similar design priced at $179.00.

So maybe the question is this – what is the true value of similar tungsten wedding band products? If all of these items are truly similar (i.e. the same weight, millimeter and features), why does the price range from $39.99 to $179.00? And at first glance, weight and thickness difference do not seem to vary with the common tungsten wedding band styles being featured online today.

Precious metal wedding bands can certainly be sold at different weights or thicknesses with varying prices but not with the disparity in prices of Tungsten.


MJSA features promotion of a new wedding song.

This article was originally posted on Novell’s wedding ring blog:

The October 2009 issue of MJSA Journal highlights Novell’s promotion of a new wedding song by folk-pop artist Jacqui Naylor. “Celebrate Early and Often” is featured in the Inspired Thinking-Success Strategies column:

To help raise Internet awareness of Rahway, New Jersey–based Novell as a bridal brand, the company’s marketing director Rick Mulholland turned to music. Instead of competing head-to head with other jewelry manufacturers and e-tailers populating search engine results with key jewelry terms such as “wedding bands” and “engagement rings,” Mulholland decided to promote the song “Celebrate Early and Often” by Jacqui Naylor. It’s featured on Novell’s website as a perfect wedding song for couples looking for something a little non-traditional and unique.

“We really needed a way to stand out to consumers that are planning their weddings, and to do so without spending any money,” says Mulholland. “Thanks to our online press releases (www.novelldesignstudio.com/new_wedding_song.php), I was able to earn high-ranking organic search engine results.”

“People looking for song ideas may not have purchased their wedding bands yet. So if they come across the song on our website, there’s a good chance that they’ll be curious about Novell’s prod¬ucts and start to look around.”

And Mulholland’s prediction has proven itself: He reports that web traf¬fic spiked earlier this year to the tune of about 20,000 unique visitors reading the press releases and/or visiting the webpage featuring the song, with “a nice overall click-through.” And that’s music to Novell’s ears.

Please visit www.novelldesignstudio.com/newweddingsong.php to hear a sample and download “Celebrate Early and Often.”

MJSA featured an article about a new wedding song for a new wedding generation.

MJSA featured an article about a new wedding song for a new wedding generation.

Learn more about the album  You Don’t Know Jacq.


Novell and The Jewelry Book start the “Jewelry Made in America” initiative.

American wedding ring manufacturer Novell Design Studio, in co-operation with jewelry industry trade publication The Jewelry Book, announces a new and forward-thinking initiative – “Jewelry Made in America.” The focus of “Jewelry Made in America” is to help promote designers and manufacturers that can proudly claim that their products are fabricated in the United States, and not imported as finished goods from abroad.

Read more in “The ‘Jewelry Made in America’ Initiative.”


Wedding band retailer named one of 2009’s Coolest Stores in America!

This article was originally posted on Novell’s wedding ring blog:

One of Novell’s authorized wedding  band  retailers, Patronik Designs Jewelry in Burlingame, CA, has been named one of trade publication In Store Magazine’s Coolest Stores in America for 2009. Featured in the “Coolest of ‘Em All – Small Store Category,” Patronik Designs Jewelry first opened in 1996 and underwent extensive renovation in 2003, combining intriguing interior design with an exterior jewelry “factory” motif to reinforce the fact that they do a lot of custom jewelry work on premise.

An authorized Novell wedding band retailer earns award as one of America's coolest stores.

An authorized Novell wedding band retailer earns award as one of America's coolest stores.

Novell would like to congratulate Patronik Designs Jewelry for their selection as one of America’s coolest jewelry stores.

Here’s what a few of the judges said about Patronik Designs Jewelry:

“This is a store about visual excitement.” – Tim Malone (The Malone Resource Group)

“…the owners are an inspiration in their commitment and dedication to meeting and servicing their customers.” – Steve Samaras (owner of 2008’s Coolest Store in America winner Zachary’s Jewelers [small store category])


PGI re-launches PreciousPlatinum.com – Novell wedding bands are featured.

This article was originally posted on Novell’s wedding ring blog:


Platinum Guild International, the jewelry industry’s leading authority on platinum wedding bands, wedding rings and engagement rings, has recently re-launched their consumer website – PreciousPlatinum.com. The newly redesigned site not only features cutting-edge updates to many of PreciousPlatinum.com’s most popular online components such as the Design Gallery, but now also features brand new innovative tools to help retailers and designers reach their target consumer and ultimately grow their businesses.


PreciousPlatinum.com highlights several of Novell’s wedding band and engagement ring styles that have been included in recent consumer advertisements for platinum. They are:

PGI re-launches new platinum website and feature platinum wedding bands from Novell.

PGI re-launches new platinum website and feature platinum wedding bands from Novell.

Please visit an authorized Novell wedding band retailer to learn more about our platinum designs.


Jewelry industry – meet Facebook! Facebook – meet the jewelry industry!

This article was originally posted on Novell’s wedding ring blog:

Facebook_logo JCK Magazine’s Mark Smelzer wrote about the jewelry industry beginning to embrace Facebook. Since I have a pretty strong opinion on this subject, I have a lot to say and posted a response to the online article. However, my comments formatted into one giant blob-of-a-paragraph. The message is there, but it’s not easy to follow.

So, in case anyone is interested, below are the relevant parts of Mark’s article, and my response – formatted so it’s easier to read.

The Facebook Era Arrives
By Mark Smelzer — JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 3/1/2009
I’ve just returned from Tucson, Ariz., where I attended the Centurion show and the AGTA show. As always, the warmth of Tucson (figuratively and literally) was a terrific escape and the trip was a chance to see our friends in the industry. Topic No. 1, of course, was the economy and its continuing negative impact on the jewelry industry.

Amid the concerns, there were several fascinating topics of conversation, the most interesting being the rise of Facebook. Suddenly, everyone in the industry is talking about the hugely successful networking site and its impact on their personal and professional lives.
For an industry that once lagged behind the population as a whole with regard to the Internet, it seems we’re finally catching up. JCKonline.com’s traffic numbers continue to boom, with 162,000 unique visitors (individual persons) visiting our site in the month of January alone, our highest monthly traffic ever!

There is a particular sense of a watershed moment with regard to Facebook. It’s one thing for members of our industry to recognize the strategic importance of the Web. It’s quite another for them to incorporate the Internet into their daily personal lives. Through the use of this site and others, we’re finally realizing the role that the Internet plays for millions.

What does this mean to you, the retailer or manufacturer? It means that once again the paradigm has shifted (recall the shift from weekly magazines like Life to television), and once again you need to position yourselves where the traffic is.

Step 1 should be creating personal and business Facebook pages. Once you have a personal page, you can create a page for your business as well. As your network of friends grows on your personal page (you’ll be astonished at how quickly the numbers add up), you can invite them to become a “fan” of your business page as well. As your business fans grow, you’ll have a ready-made list of persons to e-mail on a continuing basis, to inform them of events, charity involvements, trunk shows, new product arrivals, etc.

None of this takes the place of your store or business’s actual Web site. In fact, you want to place as many links (and reasons to link) to your Web site as possible on your business Facebook page. Think of a Facebook page as plopping yourself in the middle of a busy freeway, in the hope of diverting traffic to your site. Go where the traffic is!

Read more at http://www.jckonline.com/article/CA6640742.html.

My response:
The Facebook era not only has begun, but it probably can be said that it started a while ago, and it’s pretty much just now starting to be talked about in the jewelry industry. This is a good thing. Maybe even a great thing!

In an age where people like me are asked to either greatly reduce, reserve or even eliminate budgets, tools like Facebook are very valuable. Yes – it’s where the traffic certainly is. However, it should be noted that connecting with the right audience may take quite a bit of work. One page alone may not attract customers to your door automatically.

Novell put up a Facebook page about three weeks ago (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Novell-Design-Studio/45691939078). Over the next few months, I anticipate that I will have to put in a decent amount of time to really get it noticed. In fact, I may even say that promoting Novell wedding rings through a variety of social media channels (blogs, message boards, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Digg, Flickr and many other news and linking websites) will be a big – if not the biggest – part of my job. If you wanna catch a lot of fish, then you definitely have to put your boat where the most fish are. And, of course, have the right bait. 

I am very happy to be hearing buzz within the jewelry industry about Facebook and social media in general. I look forward to the day when more manufacturers and retailers make an active presence known to existing and future customers alike. Personally, I want to be next to my competitors on many platforms. That way, consumers can easily compare and choose the manufacturer, product or even metal that’s right for them.

People like to use the term “branding,” but often I wonder if many of those who throw the term into conversations really truly know what “branding” is. At least with Facebook, your message needs to be clear and focused for it to have a chance to work. Even with my page, I know that I have a lot of tweaking to do as well. It looks to be a fun – and educating – journey to take.

“Good-bye” to relying on print ads and glossy brochures alone. “Hello” to more focused and multi-channeled messages.

####


Bride endorses new wedding song.

SImnger Jacqui NaylorOver on TheKnot.com’s bridal message boards, future brides have been chatting about new wedding songs and making suggestions. And one gives “Celebrate Early and Often” – a new wedding song for a new wedding generation – a ringing endorsement.

She writes (as of March 4, 2009):
“Hello Everyone! I heard this song and fell in love with it – “Celebrate Early and Often.”
 I thought it was cool that the artist wrote it for her own wedding! It kicks into the perfect feeling after about a minute into the song and I can picture myself dancing to it with my soon to be hubby. 7 months to go! …Michelle

Read more about, listen to and/or buy the song “Celebrate Early and Often.”


Platinum Emboldens Inspiration: Discussing the state of platinum in today’s challenging economy.

The_Jewelry_Book

“In This Challenging Economy,
Jewelers Want To Sell Products
That Capture The Consumer’s Jewelry Budget.”
– Bruce Pucciarello

This article first appeared in the jewelry industry trade publicationThe Jewelry Book:

There’s no metal that better signifies love and commitment—or strength, purity, luxury and longevity. Since 1975, Platinum Guild International (PGI) has recreated a passion for platinum jewelry by supplying information, practical advice, support and expertise to educate jewelry manufacturers, retailers and consumers about the superior qualities of this metal. As PGI evaluates the market, they get the word out about platinum and help businesses tap the endless power of the platinum brand. PGI-USA has chosen to highlight some of the leading manufacturers of platinum jewelry. For the first in a series about the industry’s most inspired leaders, The Jewelry Book spoke with Bruce Pucciarello of Novell Design Studio.

by Jessica Teisch for The Jewelry Book

Platinum has captivated Bruce Pucciarello, owner of Novell Design Studio, since he was eighteen years old. At that time, he was working at a big New Jersey manufacturer working in the precious stone cutting department, crafting bridal products on the precision-engineered, Swiss machinery. “I liked the designing and technical expertise that go into the manufacture of a quality product,” says Bruce. “It’s a wonderful combination of art and engineering, with always something new to learn.” In 1986, after gaining further experience as a designer and machinist (and following a side career as a professional musician), Bruce joined forces with Victor Novogrodsky and founded Novell Design Studio in New Jersey. Today, Novell, a high quality, made in America jewelry manufacturer specializing in bridal jewelry and bands, is renowned for its flexible customization capabilities.   
 
Novell started to specialize in platinum in 1988—and this metal soon defined the company’s core. Novell first designed some 18 karat gold rings with platinum inserts, which increased the average men’s band profit. “Our retailers liked that and so did we,” says Bruce. “Once we started making jewelry in platinum,” he continues, “there was never a good reason for us to stop.” After two decades of experience, platinum has become the hallmark of Novell’s manufacturing facility. “As we became more adept at working in platinum,” Bruce explains, “we realized that any time we develop a new design or concept, we had to make sure that it works in platinum.” Novell works platinum into every style and discipline, from machine-made to hand crafting and casting. Novell has distinguished itself so greatly in platinum that its craftspeople prefer to work with this metal over any other.

Because of the superior qualities of platinum and its success using it, Novell remains firmly committed to this metal—not only for its purity, durability and strength, but also for the market it continues to generate. “Technology makes platinum more viable than ever,” Bruce explains. “It doesn’t matter whether platinum costs $800 or $2300 an ounce; there’s a strong market for platinum jewelry, especially bridal.” When important retailers respond to consumer’s desire to purchase platinum, they sell more and increase profitability. “In this challenging economy,” Bruce stresses, “retail jewelers need to sell products that capture every penny from a consumer’s jewelry budget.” Platinum, unlike other metals, “helps smart stores get at that profit.” Manufacturers also benefit from platinum sales: they become better manufacturing facilities because they have to improve their overall level of expertise in order to craft finer platinum jewelry.
 
Bruce finds that with platinum, success and customer satisfaction go hand-in-hand. “As long as we can make available almost any piece of jewelry in any kind of metal, we will continue to lead with platinum,” says Bruce. In this economy, that’s no mean feat. With its cutting-edge technologies and ingenuity, Novell “wrote a new list of rules, Bruce explains, which dispelled many myths about platinum, such as its difficulty to work with and its high cost. All our rules start with the words – we can. . .”
 
That attitude, Bruce stresses, is key to succeeding in this difficult economy—as are other factors. The new economy will demand better customer service, quality products and a price that makes sense.  Bruce sees creating jewelry in platinum as a great foundation for the successful manufacturer in this new business world. Unfortunately, Bruce laments, “there will be no rescue plan for the jewelry industry. We need to work it out”—that is, we must strengthen local American companies and communities, with fair work and fair pay—“and not a bail out.” Instead of the Golden Rule (“he, who makes the gold, makes the rules”), Bruce posits the Platinum Rule as a guiding principle: “He who works effectively, and labors to make a durable product that is also an object of beauty, will thrive. That is the future of American jewelry manufacturing, so he makes the rules. He, who has the platinum, has the tools!” For the jewelry industry, there’s no greater truth for the New Year.

####


Jewelry news – Huge diamond hailed as record breaker.

Big_diamond_2From CNN.com:   
A diamond unearthed in the southern African nation of Lesotho could yield one of the largest and highest quality round polished diamonds, according to a statement from company that found it. A mining company unearthed this 478-carat diamond in the southern African nation of Lesotho.

Experts in Antwerp, Belgium who analyzed the 478-carat stone determined it to be of the highest color grading available for a white diamond, said a statement from Gem Diamonds Ltd., the company that found the stone.

“What makes it more remarkable is the color and quality of this stone,” said diamond consultant Neil Buxton.

“It’s a D color, which is the highest possible graded color you can get, and we believe there is a chance — a very good chance — of getting a 100-carat plus” round stone with the highest color and clarity rankings.

Read more of “Huge diamond hailed as record breaker“…


Report: Bridal market to reach $9.2 billion by 2013

Platinum_wedding_ring_2From National Jeweler Network:

Tucson, Ariz.—A new report by a market research Web site for the wedding industry shows that engagement and wedding ring sales are slated to increase 13.4 percent over the next five years.

According to TheWeddingReport.com, engagement ring spending will total $6.1 billion in the United States in 2008, with another $2 billion in spending on wedding rings for brides and grooms.

This $8.1 billion bridal market will increase to $9.2 billion by 2013, a growth of 13.4 percent over five years.

The vast majority of both engagement and wedding rings will contain diamonds, and more than two-thirds will be white gold.

The report also sheds some light on the habits of those popping the question.

According to the report, December is the most popular month for engagements, and Saturday is the most popular day for popping the question.

Couples typically begin their bridal ring research more than six months before their wedding, with style and cost the top two factors influencing their purchasing decision.

Read more about the bridal market 9.2 billion dollar forecast


The platinum mining experience.

Platinum_wedding_rings1Have you ever wondered how platinum is mined? Or how the mining industry may have an impact on the local community that surrounds it? Or what happens when you go into a mine? Novell’s Bruce Pucciarello writes about his 2006 journey to the platinum mines of South Africa:

“If I am counting correctly, this is the 14th trade magazine article that I have written. It has been the most difficult one to start and the most difficult to finish. In past articles I have reflected my passion for jewelry and my insatiable hunger to communicate with my peers in an effort to make what we do better and stronger. The times that I have written of my personal experiences, it was usually tongue-in-cheek, poking a little fun, and trying to make sure that the reader understood I do not take myself too seriously.”

“This time is different. I am still sharing a personal experience, but it is an adventure that will remain one of the defining moments in my long journey up through the ranks of the jewelry industry. It truly was a platinum experience.”

“I devote a lot of time to developing and promoting platinum. In my mind, part of my motivation is a personal quest. My goal is Novell’s constant and successful evolution. Making platinum jewelry gives us the opportunity to challenge, grow, and showcase our design and manufacturing abilities. Platinum is the catalyst for many jewelry designers and smart marketers to get away from an environment that minimizes the value of mid-market bridal jewelry sales. With platinum, better retailers present the very best to the consumer. Because platinum challenges us, it makes us a stronger industry.”

“When explaining how rare platinum is, jewelry insiders often say, ‘In order to make one ounce of platinum, they have to mine ten tons of ore.’ That’s a powerful statement, and it has more meaning now that I understand what ten tons of ore look like, how difficult it is to get out of the ground, and exactly who ‘they’ in that statement are.”

“In October of 2006, my wife, Marion, and I joined an amazing group of people on a trip to South Africa. Platinum Guild International and their sponsors invited us to spend a week talking about platinum, marketing, and South Africa. What we learned, and what we saw, will play an important part in how we work together to provide guidance to our industry in the future.”

“The small group, comprised of American jewelry manufacturers and retailers, was weary from the long journey to Johannesburg (J-berg, if you want to sound like you are an insider). On our first full day in South Africa, we boarded a bus at 5:30am and embarked on a two-hour drive to the Rustenburg Platinum Mine. We turned into the location of Frank 1 and Frank 2, mines owned and operated by Anglo Platinum.”

“It is important to note that 75 percent of the world’s platinum comes from South Africa and Anglo Platinum is the largest platinum mining company in that country. Anglo Platinum mines about 38 percent of the world’s supply of platinum. If you give it some thought, this helps to explain Platinum’s rarity. Three quarters of the world’s platinum is located in one medium-sized country and one company mines half of that supply. Also, Anglo is the largest financer of PGI’s effort to promote platinum at a global level.”

“Next, we all dressed in the official uniform of the miners-batteries clipped onto belts and miner’s hard hats in place. We boarded a metal cage elevator for our descent, one-and-a-half miles below the surface. The elevator dropped at about 35 miles per hour into pitch-black darkness. Once we reached the main shaft, we began our trek, starting at a point where large conveyor belts bring the freshly mined ore to the elevators for transport to the surface. As we walked (and we did walk for a long time) we understood the necessity of the uniform and the equipment. I inadvertently banged my head on the ceiling rock, and into the large bolt ends that held rock in place, at least 20 times, every time the miner’s hard hat preventing skull damage. The heavy batteries clipped to my belt lit the light on my hard hat, which guided me through the darkness.”

“We stopped at a safe room; this was a “more secure area” that the miners would report to in case of a collapse. It did not seem so safe when the crew chief told us this room would only provide four hours of oxygen. Then we continued our hike to the end of the main shaft. Along the way, we passed abandoned side shafts-the tunnels that the miners make to remove the PGM (Platinum Group Metals). As mined-out old shafts are closed, new ones spider out, so the length of the main shaft gets longer. The miners locate the richer veins in the walls of the main shaft and chase them into the solid rock, exploding out a little more each day.”

Read more about the platinum mining experience