RAPAPORT... • Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine is showcasing its first-ever collection of rare blue and violet diamonds in a closed tender billed the “Once in a Blue Moon Collection.” Josephine Archer, sales and marketing manager for Argyle Pink Diamonds, stated that the sale items have been sourced from several years of production at the mine. The collection, comprising a range of premium and commercial diamonds, features single cuts, a number of matching pairs and a selection of smaller diamonds. The tender will take place in Perth, Australia, Hong Kong and Tokyo prior to bids closing on April 8.
• The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) will host its 2009 congress in Istanbul, Turkey from May 3 to 5 at the Çiraan Palace Kempinski hotel. This year, the congress will focus on the impact of the global financial crisis. CIBJO also plans to roll out the World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF), a body created by CIBJO and the United Nations (UN) to provide corporate social responsibility (CSR) training programs for the jewelry industry. The World Jewellery Confederation’s General Assembly, the group’s primary decision-making body, meets annually at the CIBJO Congress. For more information or to register, visit http://congress2009.cibjo.org.
• Canada launched its first diamond exchange, the Diamond Bourse of Canada, in Toronto. The bourse was established by ten founding-member companies: Accudiam Inc., Artinian Diamonds Inc., Brilliant C Diamonds Corp., Diaco Inc., HRA Investments Ltd., Gem Star Inc., Libman & Company Ltd., Louis Frankian Jewellers Inc., Vandan Associates Inc. and Northam Diamond Manufacturing and Trading Inc. Bhushan Vora, co-owner of Gem Star Inc., was appointed president of the bourse and Greg Jacobson of Northam Diamond Manufacturing and Trading Inc. will serve as vice president.
The organizers of the Diamond Bourse of Canada met with key officials to set up the bourse, including the federal government, the government of the Northwest Territories (NWT), the country’s various mining and development authorities and industry organizations, such as the Canadian Jewelers Association (CJA). Avi Paz, president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), welcomed the launch, calling on the bourse’s leaders to apply for membership in the WFDB. To contact the bourse, call 416.663.3262 or email info@diamondbourse.ca.
• The Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association’s (IDCA) board of directors announced a plan designed to increase its programs and services. The board will also seek ways to enhance the association’s annual awards programs and internal and external communications activities. The IDCA board retained Jerry Buckley, president of the Buckley Consulting Group, to assist with planning and implementation.
• Salon Privé Haute Joaillerie Dubai formed a strategic alliance with About J. The invitation-only Salon Privé event, to be held from October 18 to 21, 2009, will offer 80 to 90 luxury jewelers, timepiece designers and manufacturers new retail business opportunities in the emerging markets of India, China, Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, southeast Asia and the Middle East, according to the organizers. At the event, the About J designer community will be grouped in the center of the jewelry collections.
ImaGem introduced a worldwide diamond-grading certificate that it describes as the first to guarantee accuracy, precision and repeatability on color, fluorescence, gauging and clarity. In the event that rechecking is necessary, ImaGem will review the disputed stone and may reprocess it at no charge.
The certificate provides grades on the 4Cs and fluorescence, proportion analysis, cut grade, polish and symmetry analysis. It also includes a proportion diagram and an image of the diamond’s table and girdle. Color, fluorescence and inclusions are measured, while the proportions are derived from direct measurements based on the table, shape and profile of the diamond. Imagem’s fee is $21 for diamonds up to 1.01 carats. For more information and pricing on larger stones, call 215.477.9920 or email
info@imageminc.com.
• HRD Antwerp, a subsidiary of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), plans to launch the Certified Diamond Grader course and the Diamond Rough Sorting Basic course in Hong Kong in cooperation with the Hong Kong Institute of Gemmology. The courses will be conducted by an HRD Antwerp instructor. More information on HRD Antwerp’s services will be available at the HK International Jewellery Show in the Antwerp Diamond Pavilion.
• Dr. Serge Vézina and Dr. Matt Manson joined Stornoway Diamond Corporation’s board of directors, which now consists of eight members. Vézina is an engineer with over 40 years of experience in the mining industry. He is currently an adjunct professor at McGill University in Montreal and Laval University in Quebec City, as well as a director for Osisko Mining Corporation.
Manson has been serving as Stornoway Diamond’s president and chief executive officer (CEO) since January 1, 2009 and has worked for Stornoway through Contact Diamond Corporation since March 2005. He is also a director at Karmin Exploration.
Jewelers of America (JA) tapped Robert Headley as its first chief operating officer (COO). The position was established as part of the trade association’s three-year strategic plan, which was adopted by its board of directors in 2008. Headley serves as JA’s internal leader and is responsible for developing the association’s overall vision along with Matthew A. Runci, JA’s president and chief executive officer (CEO). Headley came to JA after 20 years with Tiffany & Co., where he oversaw the brand’s quality control standards.
• Phyllis M. Bergman was elected 2009 chairperson of the 24 Karat Club of New York. Bergman, president of Mercury Ring Corporation, is the first woman to be elected chairperson in the 107-year history of the club. Her husband, Ira, and her son, Jeffrey, are also members.
The 24 Karat Club elected Michael Toback, president of Myron Toback Inc., the club’s president. He has been a member of the club for 12 years; his father, Myron, is a member, as well. The club also elected Harvey O’Conor, president of Findings, club vice president; Alan F. Kleinberg of Michael Werdiger Inc. treasurer; and John Kennedy of the Jewelers Security Alliance (JSA) club secretary. Todd Wolleman, president of Leo Wolleman Inc., was voted in as a new board member. Continuing as board members are Peter C. Fuller, Richard Greenwood, Alan M. Kaufman, Dione D. Kenyon, Curtis A. Ley, Aron L. Suna, Thomas A. Tanury and Robert A. Wueste.
• The Diamond Empowerment Fund™ (D.E.F.) elected two new governing board co-presidents, Neal Goldberg, Zale Corporation’s chief executive officer (CEO), and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president and CEO of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. The outgoing president of the governing board is Sally Morrison, director of the Diamond Information Center. D.E.F. is an independent organization founded by Russell Simmons — the cofounder of the Def Jam music label and co-chairman of Simmons Jewelry Co. — and members of the jewelry industry. The group funds educational programs in countries where diamonds are a natural resource.
Israeli diamond leaders gathered with the family and friends of Moshe Schnitzer in Tel Aviv, Israel to celebrate the publication of his biography, The Diamantaire — Moshe Schnitzer, Founding Father of the Israeli Diamond Industry, and view an exhibition of photos from the book. The Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies (IDI) published the book, written in Hebrew by Merav Halperin. The book can be purchased online at
http://steimatzky.co.il.
• Tara, a New York-based Tahitian pearl and diamond jewelry company, appointed Akash Sethi vice president of marketing. Sethi’s father is Sonny Sethi, the company’s chief executive. Akash Sethi’s previous experience includes business management analysis for JP Morgan.
In other company news, Tara’s website was redesigned and now features a customer service representative to personally assist each consumer via live chat.
• Charles & Colvard, the North Carolina-based firm that creates moissanite, named Kenneth Beltran its director of operations and technology. Beltran joined Charles & Colvard in October 2006, supporting quality assurance and process development engineering. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
• Platinum Guild International (PGI) announced the winners of its 2008 national “Platinum Sellers Contest,” which honors the retail sales associates who sold the highest number of platinum units from October 1 through December 21, 2008 as participants in the Guild’s 4P program. Richard Wubnig of Michael C. Fina in New York was named top sales associate — the third consecutive year he took the top prize.
The second-, third- and fourth-place winners all hailed from Mervis Diamond Importers in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Lisa Binder came in second for her third consecutive year, Becky Hubbard won third place and Gail Gamma earned fourth place. Together, the top four winners increased their platinum sales by more than 25 percent compared with 2007, according to PGI. All four were awarded a five-day, all-expense-paid trip to the Greek Isles provided by Modern Bride and Elegant Bride magazines.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2009. To subscribe click here.