Knowledge Article: A history of costume jewelry design in America

"...The end of World War I introduced simplified dresses made of lighter fabrics which replaced the heavy draping of previous decades. The focus shifted to accessories, especially jewelry. Beginning in the late 1910s, evening’s bare arms and decolleté called for an array of shimmering jewelry, and costume jewelers catered to this new demand. For the first time, fashion became an important consideration in jewelry design. Inspired by these revolutionary fashions and the overall excitement of the times, a handful of creative designers gradually broke away from the strict imitation of fine jewelry. Pioneering American jewelry companies recognized the possibilities of their medium, which was not limited by the expense of precious material. Costume jewelry finally took its place as a true fashion accessory, and women eagerly snatched up beautiful, inexpensive pieces for practically every outfit, or costume. Thus, the term “costume jewelry” was coined..."

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MJSA Vision Awards 2008

Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America's annual MJSA Vision Award Design Competition recognizes the talent and innovation of designers whose work is influencing the future design trends of the jewelry industry. In addition to the overall professional and student awards, Distinction categories for 2008 include:

• Platinum Distinction, sponsored by Platinum Guild International.
• Palladium Distinction, sponsored by Hoover & Strong.
• Enamel Distinction, sponsored by Rio Grande.
• Natural Color Diamond Distinction, sponsored by Natural Color Diamond Association.
• CAD/CAM Distinction, sponsored by Roland.
• Laser Distinction, sponsored by Crafford–LaserStar Technologies.
• Mokumé-gane Distinction, sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio and Shining Wave Metals.
• Reactive Metals Distinction, sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio and Cabot Supermetals.

For more information, click here.

Strong diamond presence at the Hong Kong Jewellery Show

"...The diamond venue, which hosted the Belgium and Israel pavilions, is denser than the regular area, but placing everyone together in smaller quarters resulted a concentrated environment. Many traders reported good business, even though the first day tends to be a more exploratory day for buyers. The Fine Design Pavilion, where the high-end companies exhibit, saw especially good business, as buyers are clamoring for large stones of four carats and higher. Some were willing to buy lower color stones just to meet strong demand from clients..."

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Courtesy - idexonline.com

Jaipur gems on eBay India soon!

"...eBay India sellers sell an article of clothing or accessory globally every six minutes while nine pieces of jewellery are sold every hour..."

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Courtesy - newkerala.com

Indian diamond manufacturers to explore new markets

"...As India's rupee continued to gain against the dollar, the country’s diamond and jewelry manufacturers are looking to boost trade with new markets. “People are already looking at...Russia, Japan, and the Middle East to boost sales and offset the rupee's appreciation,” Sanjay Kothari, chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, told Rapaport News. “The mood is not encouraging at the moment within the diamond trade...”

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Courtesy - diamonds.net

Malabar Gold launched in Dubai

"...The Dh1.3 billion group inaugurated its first wholesale jewellery showroom yesterday at the Gold Centre Building at Dubai Gold Souk. "Dubai is the haven of the Gulf in gold business," said Ahammed. The group plans to open at least 12 outlets in the Gulf by next year. Its first retail outlet in the Gulf will be inaugurated in Dubai by the end of this year. The wholesale unit will showcase a wide range of traditional Indian ornaments that will be offered to customers in the Middle East..."

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Courtesy - gulfnews.com

Elizabeth Yarborough - fast-track to Vogue and Vanity Fair

"...North Carolina's Elizabeth Yarborough is getting a taste of the New York minute. In just 14 months, she has gone from unknown jewelry designer to having articles written about her in Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines and her work selling at one of the most fashion-forward stores in the world, Colette in Paris..."

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Courtesy - newsobserver.com

Mauri Pioppi's "Live Green" collection

"...Since its inception, Mauri’s jewelry collection has received wide acclaim. The World Gold Council looks to Mauri as a steady trendsetter in gold jewelry design, because of her open-minded approach to the traditional art form. In the world of fashion, Mauri’s work has been embraced by the press and she enjoys a substantial celebrity following that includes Eva Longoria, Debra Messing, Sheryl Crow and Kyra Sedgwick..."

Check her "noble" collection, here.

IIJS 2007 drew more than 36,000 visitors

"...Many overseas jewelry exhibitors pointed to India’s vibrant and growing middle class market as a reason for their appearance at the show and their entry into India; for diamantaires, the recent waiver of duties on polished diamond imports into India boosted their presence at the show. Bob Golden of Leo Schechter Diamonds attended the show under the banner of Kama Schechter, the company’s Indian jewelry manufacturing collaboration, which began operating within the past year. “It’s been a very busy show” he said. “The Indian domestic market is really growing. The U.S. market is stable or incremental at best. India is the place to be for people looking for a growth market. It’s probably the hottest market at the moment.” According to Golden, the greatest buzz has been around wrist-wear and necklaces. “These are also popular pieces in the U.S. right now, but for different reasons. Here these items are culturally always in demand...”

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Courtesy - idexonline.com

Indian jewellery association discuss mandatory hallmarking

"...The new Act will make hallmarking mandatory from January 1, 2008, and in the first phase, it will be implemented in the four metros areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Over 300 jewelers attended the meeting, which was marked by lively interaction onstage between GJF leaders and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) representatives and vocal audience participation from the floor. While the GJF welcomes jewelry hallmarking as being “in the interest of the jewelry industry and consumers at large”, it also says that it has been “regularly coordinating with the government and its regulatory bodies to make sure that it is implemented smoothly without creating panic and chaos in the trade...”

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Courtesy - idexonline.com

FII's pick up stake in Gitanjali and Shrenuj & Co.

"...A string of foreign institutional investors (FIIs), including Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and BSMA, have picked up a combined stake of over 7% in Gitanjali Gems, a Mumbai-based diamonds and jewellery company. The four FIIs have bought the stake over the past few weeks by way of secondary market purchases. They invested Rs 114 crore to buy the equity through different block deals struck at prices ranging between Rs 208 and Rs 298 between July 9 and September 3 on BSE and NSE..."

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Courtesy - indiatimes.com


"...India's Shrenuj & Company said Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) Investments and UBS (NYSE:UBS) Securities have acquired 6.28 pct in the diamond and jewellery manufacturer at 42.50 rupees a share. The company said Goldman Sachs Investments bought 2 mln shares or 3.19 pct of the company's issued capital, while UBS Securities bought a 3.09 pct stake or 1.93 mln shares..."

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Courtesy - cnn.com