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JCK Breaking News
Breaking News from JCK

• Jewelry Theft Becomes Unlikely Source of Holiday Cheer
  It isn’t every day when a jewelry theft becomes a source of community good will, stellar publicity, and the possibility of turning a criminal straight, but then there probably aren’t many people as creative as Erik Runyan.
• GemEx Sues Zale Over Reports
  GemEx has filed suit against Zale Corp., accusing it of false advertising under the Lanham Act, for allegedly “misrepresenting” its “Firetrace” reports.
• JVC, NCDIA Produce Color Diamond Guide
  The Jewelers Vigilance Committee and Natural Color Diamond Association have released “The Essential Guide to the U.S. Trade in Color Diamonds.”
• Fewer Holiday Shopping Days, More Procrastinators
  The average person completed 47.1 percent of their holiday shopping by the second week of December, about 10 percent less than the 52.6 percent average completed by this time last year, according to a National Retail Federation survey.
• Rolex Supports Alzheimer’s Association Gala
  The annual Alzheimer’s Association Rita Hayworth Gala, underwritten by Rolex Watch USA since 2003, celebrated its 25th anniversary in late October at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.
• Olympic Champion Promotes Omega Watches
  Olympic gold medal swimmer and Omega watch ambassador Natalie Coughlin made a special public appearance at Shreve and Co. in San Francisco in late November to help introduce the newest Omega collection.
• Dates for Istanbul Jewelry Show Announced
  The opening of Istanbul Jewelry Show-I (28th International Jewelry, Silver, Watch and Equipment Fair) will be held on March 18, 2009 at Istanbul Expo Center (CNR Expo). IJS brings together the world’s jewelry industry for the 28th time in Istanbul, the city where the two continents meet, and will run till March 22, 2009.
• Gold Jewelry Remains Popular
  Gold jewelry remains one of the top three most popular items for women’s discretionary spending in the U.S., according to a World Gold Council survey.
• Online Jewelry, Watch Sales Down 4% in December
  Online holiday spending for jewelry and watches for the first 12 days of December is down 4 percent year-over year, according to digital tracking company comScore. The figure for Dec. 1 – Dec. 12 marks a improvement from the 22 percent decline reported for the first five days of December.
• Powers Named MJSA Chairman
  The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America named a new chairman and elected several new members to the Board of Directors at its 105th annual meeting on Dec. 8.
• Patek Watches Tops Bids at Antiquorum Auction
  Antiquorum closed its 2008 season with an auction of "Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, Pocket Watches" at its U.S. headquarters that brought in $7.28 million.
• GIA Cuts Staff, Salaries
  The Gemological Institute of America reduced its workforce Thursday by 11 percent across “all departments on both coasts,” the Institute confirmed to JCK. In addition, executives took a 10 percent pay cut.
• NGOs Call on the KP to Suspend Zimbabwe
  Members of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition are calling upon the KP to suspend Zimbabwe from the rough diamond certification scheme, in light of recent violence used by the government to take control of the Chiadzwa diamond fields, according to a statement sent to JCK by Global Witness.
• GIA Reduces Dossier Fees for Smaller Diamonds
  The Gemological Institute of America announced Friday that, effective immediately, it will reduce the cost of the GIA Diamond Dossier service by up to 12 percent on diamonds weighing up to 1.49 cts.
• GCAL Certifies Waldman’s Canadian Diamonds
  The Waldman Diamond Company is working with Gem Certification & Assurance Lab to certify diamonds mined in Canada, and specifically, from the Diavik Diamond Mine, located in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
• Retail Sales Down 2% in November
  Retail industry sales for November (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) increased 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted from October and decreased 2 percent unadjusted year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation. Industry related month-to-month sales saw the first increase in four months.
• Stephen Webster Joins Garrard
  Garrard Holdings Ltd. has named Stephen Webster as its Creative Director, where he will oversee the Garrard design team and development of the brand's creative process.
• Swarovski Stars in Flawless
  Swarovski, the world’s largest producer of cut crystal, and ENLIGHTENEDTM – Swarovski Elements, Swarovski’s gemstone and cubic zirconia brand, have made the set of this year’s jewel-heist movie Flawless, starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore.
• Harry Winston Retail Sales Up 8%
  Harry Winston Diamond Corp. reported consolidated net earnings of $71.9 million for the third quarter, ended Oct. 31, compared to a net loss of $7.4 million in the third quarter of the prior year.
• JVC Sends Condolences to Mumbai Jewelry Industry
  Eli Haas, Jewelers Vigilance Committee chairman of the board of directors and Cecilia L. Gardner, Esq., JVC president, chief executive officer, and general counsel, have issued a condolence letter to Anup Mehta, president, Bharat Diamond Bourse and Vasant Mehta, chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, both in Mumbai, India.