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Will we see you in Chicago? The Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference is back for its 2024 edition! Principal Consultant, Stanley Zale, will be there, will you? Mark these dates on your calendar: August 9-10 at the Donald E. Stephen's Convention Center in Rosemont IL. Highlights of this year's event include: -Insights from the US Department of Labor on the new National Action Plan for Responsible Business Conduct. -Mejuri's discussion on sustainable gold sourcing with RESOLVE. -Discussions on integrating ASM diamond sectors into US markets by Kimberley Process Civil Society representatives. -Fair payment structures in gemstone mines with global miners and US companies. -Practical insights shared by jewelry designers, retailers, and brands on implementing conference learnings. Comment YES below if you’d like to connect at the event and we'll work to make it happen. #Diamonds #Gemstones #Jewelry #BusinessGrowth #CRJC

Are you ready to pave the way for a more sustainable and ethical gemstone and diamond industry? Join us at JCK Las Vegas on June 1st at 3pm, where Principal Consultant, Stanley Zale will join Kyle Roderick and Laurent Cartier to deep dive into the complexities of gemstone, diamond and metal sourcing. In this engaging discussion, Stanley, Laurent, and Kyle will unveil the complexities of vetting gemstone sources and materials. From the importance of traceability and transparency initiatives to navigating certification programs and responsible sourcing frameworks, you'll gain invaluable insights into the key considerations that underpin ethical sourcing practices. Walk away equipped with actionable strategies tailored to your business operations, spanning from sourcing decisions to marketing communications. Whether you're a jewelry retailer, designer, or conscientious consumer, this session promises to arm you with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed choices that resonate with your values. Will we see you there? Let us know in the comments below. #JCK #JCKLasVegas #Sourcing #Sustainability

Only the THREE MUSKETEERS ROLEX Patek Philippe Audemars Piguet are able to grow their value for their owners. This insight is 100% compatible with the results of our recent study with NEOVISO AG where the 2000 surveyed members of gen Y/Z expressed very similar views. Simply put: consumers are not perceiving significant differentiation for most brands and don't see them as an investment - a core luxury narrative. A few winners take it all. This is the stuff that should keep brand leaders up at night. (The graph below shows the value of pre-owned watches vs new watches. After a hype cycle it seems that we are back in calmer waters, which is a good thing.) HANDELSZEITUNG Marcel Speiser Freymond #luxury #luxurywatches

Capitalizing on May Is Gold Month. Considering that the Richline Group (RG) is a vertically integrated presence throughout the precious materials supply chain, from manufacturing to marketing, its 21-year-old May Is Gold Month (MIGM) initiative makes much sense. Gold is part of the DNA of its properties and of those firms they serve. Shefi Diamonds Casting a spotlight on karat-gold jewelry is an obvious goal for the jewelry conglomerate, but another “is to ensure the retailers can make the most of MIGM by tailoring their promotions to fit their brand and customers’ expectations,” says Elaine Klopman, director of marketing. Many in the industry, including Klopman, know that MIGM’s momentum certainly lasts longer than the month itself. “Promoting gold jewelry goes beyond May,” she continues. “We are always looking for creative ways to highlight the gold category, working with our clients all year on different sales and marketing campaigns.” Click Here To Read The Article: https://lnkd.in/e2duYeTD #plumbclub #plumbclubmember #may #maythemonthofgold #jewelryindustry #goldjewelry #plumbclubtrends #jewelrytrends #goldjewelrymarketing #education

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) moved to prevent Tapestry, Inc.’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings Limited. Tapestry wants to strengthen its foothold in the fashion industry by acquiring Capri. kate spade new york and Coach offer affordable items called accessible luxury accessories. As per the FTC, the combined entity will have no reason to be price competitive, thus forcing Americans to pay more for these items. This will dissolve the competition for affordable handbags, while wage workers may lose their benefits and favourable working conditions. The new company will compete directly with European luxury brands like Burberry and Louis Vuitton. What are Tapestry's revenue expectations from the deal? Find out the retail giant's stand on the case in today's #SalestorrsNews150, news in 150 words. #retailindustry #luxurybrands #michaelkors Michael Kors Stuart Weitzman Versace Jimmy Choo

Marty Hurwitz strikes again. It is fitting that this post features a BIG PICTURE of Marty. In my humble opinion, Marty has only one agenda : TO PROMOTE MARTY. He was on the Board of WD Diamonds which went bankrupt. Marty was one of 4 Board members of the International Grown Diamond Association which seems to be now defunct. I am told Marty bailed out and GDTO is rising from the ashes of IGDA. To be sure, the LGD industry needs a voice. However, the leadership of such an important mouthpiece should not determined by who foots the bill or who is a better self promoter. Who appointed Marty to be Executive Director of GDTO ? This is not baseball. Marty struck out twice already. Why would ACT 3 be any different ? Marty will use GDTO to promote MV Eye as he did with sitting on the Board of WD and IGDA. Do you really want to put the future of LGD into his hands ? For a start, Marty why did IGDA fail and GDTO will succeed ? At the least share with us what you learnt from your TWO PREVIOUS FAILURES to convince why you will succeed this THIRD TIME ? The IGDA had 21 members sitting on the Leadership Committee. Will the Advisory Board of GDTO have any power to control the destiny of GDTO ? For the record, did you sign off on the CIBJO LGD Guidelines as an IGDA Board member because GROWN DIAMOND Trade Organisation is not an accepted terminology under CIBJO Guidelines. I would urge anyone not to sign up for GDTO unless Marty undertake to share the by-laws of GDTO and be clear on how decisions will be made so it does not become the private club of a chosen few. IGDA Version 2 flopped. Is this version 3 ? I totally agree that LGD industry needs a unified voice but I beg to differ on what Marty Hurwtiz can bring to the table. What can Marty teach me or anyone else since he was involved in not one but TWO abysmal failures in LGD space. For the Indian growers, Marty is not a friend. He was naming the Indian grower who was rumoured to be on the verge of collapse when WD Diamonds went up in flames. The LGD world does not need an association where postions can be bought. It should be a meritocracy. Marty, please share how the GDTO will make decisions first. Is it a non-profit or is it a for profit ? What is the role of advisory board ? Too many unanswered questions in my opinion. Show us you are truly interested in the greater good. I am skeptical.

"A big difference in my production efficiency has been realized by scheduling new work at the beginning of the week and repair work starting mid-week. This separation provided greater control and perspective of both categories of service and work." This tip comes from Steve Cook. Stay tuned for more jewelry production tips and industry insights on mjsa.org #mjsa #jewerlyproduction #jewelryproductiontips

I am still a bit confused as to why De beers would be competing with its own upstream customers who buy roughs from them, polish them and sells them to wholesalers and retailers. Why is it ok for De beers to compete with customers of its customers ? They are doing it in India and expanding in China. Would Al Cook care to explain this clear conflict of interest ? Apple used to have resellers and decided to open Apple stores. I am told that there is a history to De beers’ entry into the retail space with LVMH but that partnership was dissolved. De Beers is a mining company. That should be its primary focus. Mining is not a glamorous business. Maybe diamond retail is a nice diversion but I would think De beers management should focus on dealing with stimulating demand for its rough. At best De beers jeweller is a diversion. And not a very profitable one, I believe. If De beers jeweller did not exist would consumers have less choice to buy mined diamonds ? The answer has to be No. There are 7000 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group store and many LVMH and Richemont shingles Chinese consumers can buy from. Am I missing something ?

It is interesting to note that Avi Krawitz refers to Signet Jewelers’ relatively low level of LGD sales as “saturation.” I recall that LGD sales make up only low teens in its total turnover. Recently I have spoken to no less than two retailers who told me that LGD made up a large portion of their sales turnover but there was no grave concerns expressed about saturation. It should be noted that Signet had not decided which banner to carry out this promotion with but it is interesting that the so called training provided with De beers can easily be criticized as being non-inclusive and may be heavily oriented to lead the consumer to buy mined diamonds. I hesitate to question whether this is indeed bias and perhaps equal time should be given to the staff of another Signet banner to be trained on LGD. This may be opening up a can of worms of De beers own making. It takes two to tango so let’s see if De beers and Signet step on each others toes on the dance floor. There is not much details that has been shared so only time will tell. I wonder whether the money could have been better spent on a campaign to promote the diamond dream generically with having blinders put on. Let’s see how the creative agency pulls this one off without reverting to the classic mined diamonds USP of being rare and expensive. I still wonder why the need to make this announcement without any details. We are going to have a baby. That’s good.