Modern Jewelry Trends

For many thirty-something men, the madeleine that contains all of childhood’s memories is made by Atari. Sakurako Shimizu, Japanese artist, curator and designer of conceptual jewelry based in Brooklyn, New York, has designed the perfect ring for the eight-bit generation. The “1981 Atari Ring,” is a precise cast of the original Atari computer chip in 18k gold.  He also makes it in silver.  The ring could also be engraved with an initial or maybe even a portrait of Pac-Man.

The National Jewelry Institute and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced New York City’s first-ever “Sparkle Week” from April 20 to April 26, 2009 to celebrate the city’s status as the jewelry capital of the country. Banners announcing the week, which joins the annual restaurant week and NYC400 week on the city’s calendar, will hang in midtown Manhattan. Sparkle Week will also include events at retailers, including Michael C. Fina and William Barthman Jewelers. The Mayor will present Sparkle Week with an official City proclamation.  The National Jewelry Institute will present “Time and the Jeweler’s Art,” an exhibition featuring luxury timepieces from Dior Watches, Harry Winston, H. Stern, Piaget, Tiffany & Co., Timex, Valentino Timeless, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vincent Bérard, and Patrizzi & Co. Auctioneers.  The exhibition will be on display at The Forbes Galleries on Fifth Avenue from April 24, 2009 through June 27, 2009.

This time of year, college sports fans are fanatic about one thing: March Madness college basketball, basketball, and more basketball. One jeweler took to the courts to promote its store, and thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime shot, received a lot of priceless publicity in their community and on-line.

Northeastern Fine Jewelry, Albany, New York, sponsored a season long “Shooting Stars” contest at Siena College men’s basketball games, which culminated in one shot from half court for $25,000. During each of the Siena Saints’ previous 13 home games, one fan was chosen at random to shoot for 45 seconds from various locations on the court. The fan that scored the most points during the season was invited back for a shot at the grand prize.

In late February at the Times Union Center, Brendan Bradt, a 24-year-old Cohoes native and former high school point guard, hit the biggest shot of his life. He plans to use the $25,000 windfall to pay off student loans. During the competition, Bradt also won a gift card to the store for $1,000. Ray Bleser, president of Northeastern Fine Jewelry, and Gregg Kelly, general manager, were on the court to present Bradt with the oversized check (photo below).

Amazingly enough, ESPN featured the shot as its second best play of the day in its highly popular “Top Ten” plays segment seen nationwide during SportsCenter. The shot was then placed on YouTube, where the $25,000 jumper has been viewed more than 10,290 times so far. View it for yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWDrSeh4MPg.

A recent press release sent to Modern Jeweler dubs it the “shot heard (and seen) round the world.” While we wouldn’t go quite that far, it sure doesn’t hurt in trumpeting a cool, fan friendly promotion by Northeastern Fine Jewelry.

In today’s economy, it seems that everywhere you turn there is talk about education and training. Every newscast seems to be shouting at us that the American worker, no matter the profession, from blue collar to white collar, needs to be flexible and adapt, rework skills, and learn new tools of the trade.

Bench jewelers are certainly no strangers to getting their hands dirty. In fact, most are passionate about what they do and are constantly on the lookout for new tools, new tricks, and new materials. Whether through schools, events, or on-line, brushing up on your bench skills is surely one avenue to make your store stand out, to become unique in your community, to customize jewelry, or to become a master craftsperson.

To reinvent yourself, your job, or your business is easier said than done, but training and networking conferences can be a good first step. The sixth annual Bench Jewelers Conference will be held April 23-26, 2009, in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Millennium Hotel. The conference will feature seminars presented by working master jewelers on topics such as lasers, alternative metals, casting, integrating technology, jewelry repair tips, palladium, pave setting, photography, pricing, fabrication, stone setting, and more. Other sessions will look at how to increase profitability, the future of the industry, and Internet marketing. And for a little break from the bench, watch the Cardinals play the Cubs at a Southeastern Findings-sponsored night at the ballpark.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get to the bench and fire up that torch (wear your safety gear), turn on that laser (watch where you point that thing), or even boot up some CAD-CAM software! For registration information, call Brad Simon of Bench Media at (864) 680-4416 or visit www.benchconference.com.

Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is well known for producing rare and coveted pink diamonds.  Although they are only a small fraction of the mine’s production, there are enough pinks produced in the Australian mine to sell each year in an annual tender.  These exclusive gems tour the world each year before bidding begins and an invitation to the tender, which comes with undisclosed locations and James Bond-type security, is almost as rare as the gems themselves.

Now Rio Tinto has announced an even more exclusive event for an even rarer prize: elusive blue diamonds.  The Argyle mine produces a very tiny quantity of blue diamonds, which are even rarer than the pinks.  And on April 8, for the first time, the company will devote a tender to the blue and violet diamonds from Argyle, sourced from several years of production at the mine. The “Once in a Blue Moon” sale includes both fine individual stones, matched pairs and a selection of smaller sizes. The collection will be showcased in Perth, Hong Kong, and Tokyo before bids close on April 8.