RICHOLD SA CERTIFIED BY THE RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 4:59 pm no comments
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) announced today that Richold SA, the only Swiss DTC Sightholder, has achieved certification by meeting the highest ethical, social and environmental standards established by the RJC’s Member Certification System.
“RJC warmly congratulates Richold SA on its certification. The successful verification assessment was conducted by Michel Mooser from SGS, one of the independent third-party auditing firms accredited to the RJC’s Member Certification System,” says Michael Rae, RJC’s Chief Executive Officer. 
“Richold is proud to have achieved certification by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). The membership of RJC underscores our commitment to ethical, human ri ghts, social and environmental standards as established by the Council’s Member Certification System,” says Maurice Dabbah, CEO of Richold. “As a leading diamond supplier to renowned watch and jewellery brands for more than 30 years, we ascribe our success to the quality of our product and the way we do business around the world.

De Beers Canada Visiting Communities Close to Proposed Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 4:43 pm no comments
De Beers Canada will be visiting communities close to its proposed Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine, to provide a project update and hear what residents have to say.

The day-long community workshops have been scheduled in the following communities:

  • NWT Métis Nation – Feb. 7, 9:30 am-6:00 pm (Hay River)
  • Yellowknives Dene First Nation – Feb. 9, 9:30 am-6:00 pm, 
    Chief Drygeese Centre, Dettah
  • Wekweeti – Feb. 13, 9:30 am-6:00 pm, Community Hall
  • Whati – Feb. 14, 9:30 am-6:00 pm, Culture Centre
  • Lutsel K’e – Feb. 15, 9:30 am-6:00 pm, Zah Lockhart Community Hall
  • Behchoko – Feb. 16, 9:30 am-6:00 pm, Culture Centre
  • Gameti – Feb. 17, 9:30 am-6:00 pm, Community Hall


Meetings with the North Slave Métis Alliance and Deninu Kue First Nation in Fort Resolution have not yet been scheduled.

The proposed Gahcho Kué Mine is a joint venture between De Beers Canada (51%) and Mountain Province Diamonds (49%). Located at Kennady Lake, 280 km northeast of Yellowknife, Gahcho Kué will be an open pit operation with an 11 year life of mine, with average annual production of 4.5 million carats and 3 million tonnes. Between 360-380 workers will be required during operations. Capital cost is estimated at $600 million-$650 million.

Zale Appoints Ken Brumfield Senior Vice President

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 4:29 pm no comments

-Zale Corporation (NYSE: ZLC) announced today that Ken Brumfield has been appointed Senior Vice President, Financial Products. In this role, Mr. Brumfield will be responsible for all customer financing, warranty, insurance and repair product offerings. Mr. Brumfield will continue to report to Matt Appel, Chief Administrative Officer.

Mr. Brumfield has over 25 years of financial services’ experience in all aspects of the consumer payments industry including card operations, risk underwriting, receivables financing, credit marketing, product innovation and development, and business development. Prior to rejoining Zale in September 2010, he served as Director of Sales at A lliance Data Systems, Inc. and as Senior Vice President of Credit Services at Stage Stores, Inc.“Since joining Zale in September 2010, Ken has made a significant contribution to our efforts to return the Company to profitability,” said Mr. Appel. “Ken was instrumental in initiating our U.S. customer alternative financing program, as well as the growth of our warranty and repair businesses. I am pleased to recognize Ken’s leadership over our suite of financial products.”

TWINKLEDIAM NV CERTIFIED BY THE RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 4:14 pm no comments
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) announced today that Twinklediam NV, the Antwerp-based diamond trader and rough and polishing manufacturer, has achieved certification by meeting the highest ethical, social and environmental standards established by the RJC’s Member 
Certification System.
“RJC warmly congratulates Twinklediam NV on its certification. The successful verification assessment was conducted by Ann Van Vlaenderen from WF&Co., one of the independent thirdparty auditing firms accredited to the RJC’s Member Certification System,” says Michael Rae, RJC’s 
Chief Executive Officer. 
“We are very proud to be a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council.  Joining the list of certified members is a further expression of ou r commitment to responsible business practices as well as supporting the industry’s ethical advancement,” Says Hiren Parikh, Managing Director of Twinklediam NV.

Total spending on jewelry is expected to reach $4.1 billion This Valentine’s Day

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 2:21 pm no comments
 Love may not cost a thing, but consumers this year are set to spoil their friends, family and loved ones this Valentine’s Day in a very big way. According to NRF’s 2012 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGinsight, the average person celebrating the holiday will shell out $126.03, up 8.5 percent over last year’s $116.21 and the highest in the survey’s 10-year history. Total spending is expected to reach $17.6 billion.*

 “As one of the biggest gift-giving holidays of the year, it’s encouraging that consumers are still exhibiting the desire to spend on discretionary gift items, a strong indication our economy continues to move in the right direction,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Anticipating hig h foot traffic in the coming weeks, retailers have replenished their inventories and will entice eager shoppers with great deals on everything from special menu items at restaurants to clothing to flowers and, of course, chocolates.” 

Couples, Men to Spend the Most; Jewelry, Gift Cards Top Gift Ideas

Consumers’ “better halves” will shell out the most on their partners, with the average person planning to spend $74.12 on their spouse or significant other, up from $68.98 last year. Additionally, consumers will spend and average of $25.25 on their children, parents or other family members and $6.92 on friends. Valentine’s Day is a great day for pet owners to show their furry friends just how much they mean: the average person will spend about $4.52 on their pets. 

The survey also found the average male is expected to spend $168.74 on clothing, jewelry, greeting cards and more this year – nearly twice as much as women who are expec ted to spend an average of $85.76.

In addition to traditional gift ideas, those celebrating the holiday will also put some serious thought into the perfect gift. More than eight in 10 (18.9%) will buy jewelry, up from 17.3 percent last year and the highest percent in the survey’s history. Some will give the gift of choice: 13.3 percent will buy gift cards, up from 12.6 percent last year. Additionally, half of all celebrants (50.5%) will buy candy, 36.0 will buy flowers and 35.6 percent will treat someone to a nice evening out. 

Total spending on jewelry is expected to reach $4.1 billion, up from $3.5 billion last year. Second to jewelry, those with a case of the love bug will spend more than $3.5 billion on a special evening out. Consumers will also spend $1.8 billion on flowers, $1.5 billion on candy, $1.4 billion on clothing and $1.1 billion on gift cards. 

“Celebrated by children who give Valentines to their teachers and classmates, family members who make sure to send greeting cards across the miles and coupl es who wish to show their appreciation for each other, Valentine’s Day means more than what’s simply on the surface,” said Pam Goodfellow, Consumer Insights Director at BIGinsight. “This year we could very well see some consumers searching high and low and stopping at nothing to make sure their loved ones receive the perfect gift.”  

Though discount stores are expected to see the most traffic (37.0%), one-third of shoppers (33.6%) will head to department stores, up from 30.5 percent last year. Online retailers will also see a nice boost from the business of love – nearly one out of five (19.3%) will shop online for gifts this Valentine’s Day, up from 18.1 percent last year. Others will shop at specialty stores (20.2%), floral shop (17.8%), jewelry stores (10.6%) and specialty clothing stores (6.6%).

More than Half of Tablet Owners to Use Device to Buy Valentine’s Day Gifts

After honing their mobile and tablet shopping skills th is past holiday season, Valentine’s Day celebrants are looking to hit their smartphones and tablets once again to research and purchase gifts. According to the survey, more than half of all tablet owners (53.8%) will use their device to research products, compare prices, redeem coupons, look up retailer information or purchase products. Four in 10 (40.4%) smartphone owners will use their mobile device to do the same. 

About the Survey

The NRF 2012 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey conducted for NRF by BIGinsight was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to Valentine’s Day. The poll of 9,317 consumers was conducted from January 4-11, 2012. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

TARINA TARANTINO Presents: The SPARKLE FACTORY

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 1:56 pm no comments
At long last, a little extra sparkle will pulse through one of downtown L.A.’s main arteries as 908 S. Broadway transforms into the Sparkle Factory, a multi-use space that will be home to TARINA TARANTINO design headquarters, a production studio, art gallery, and TARINA TARANTINO concept jewelry boutique, and fittingly so, as the building has been a true diamond in the rough for so many years.

The 26,000-square-foot building was designed by Meyer and Holler, the architects responsible for brining such gems to Los Angeles as Grauman’s Chinese and Egyptian Theatres. For years, as Tarina and Alfonso would drive past the building, it was as though they were magically drawn to it. Something about this particular building spoke to them, from its endearingly weathered façade to its top relief that reminded them so much of a princess’s tiara. They dreamed of someday owning it and transforming it into the Sparkle Factory, a special place that would house their entire design studio and a boutique that would offer their customers a truly unique shopping experience. One day, as if fate had been watching all along, the building went up for sale. 

After learning more of the building’s history, they were hooked. The building had originally belonged to L.L Burn’s, Western Costume Company, one of the most prominent during Hollywood’s Golden Age. In fact, ghosting images of what was once a prominent sign could still be seen on the back of the building. For Tarina and Alfonso, there was no turning back.

For Tarina and Alfonso, making 908 S. Broadway their home has been a long and enduring dream. “Broadway was the 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Rodeo Drive of its day, and we feel a new era is upon it. Broadway will undoubtedly become a destination and showcase for some of the best the city of Los Angeles has to offer.” The Sparkle Factory will be a great bookend to what is quickly becoming one of the most important streets in the city, and this is certainly not the end of the fairy tale that is the Sparkle Factory, it is only just beginning.

DIAMEX MANUFACTURING NV CERTIFIED BY THE RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 1:24 pm no comments
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) announced today that Diamex Manufacturing NV, the Antwerp-based diamond trader and polishing manufacturer, has achieved certification by meeting the highest ethical, social and environmental standards established by the RJC’s Member 
Certification System.
“RJC warmly congratulates Diamex Manufacturing NV on its certification. The successful verification assessment was conducted by Ann Van Vlaenderen from WF&Co., one of the independent thirdparty auditing firms accredited to the RJC’s Member Certification System,” says Michael Rae, RJC’s Chief Executive Officer. 
“Diamex is very happy to join the long list of RJC certified companies .This reinforces what we have always strived for : the highest ethical, social and environmental standings in our industry. Everyone at Diamex will proudly continue to ensure that our business will meet the highest standards of consumer confidence. We will strongly encourage our business partners to do so as well and we congratulate the RJC for the work they do for the worldwide diamond and jewellery industry,” says Claude Beller, Director of Diamex Manufacturing NV.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum, through subsidiary Diamond Manufacturing Company, acquires McKey Perforating

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 1:09 pm no comments

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE:RS) announced today that, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Diamond Manufacturing Company, it has completed the acquisition of McKey Perforating Co., Inc. headquartered in New Berlin, Wisconsin and its subsidiary McKey Perforated Products Co., Inc. located in Manchester, Tennessee. McKey was founded in 1867 and is a contract manufacturer that provides a full range of metal perforating and fabrication services to customers located primarily in the U.S. For the year 2011, McKey’s net sales were approximately $18 million. Jean McKey will continue in her role of President of McKey Perforating. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

“McKey is well-known for quality within the perforated metals industry and will work closely with Diamond to further leverage their combined expertise in that market. We look forward to further expanding our presence within the perforated metal market, which is a high return and value-added end market,” said David H. Hannah, Chairman and CEO of Reliance.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is the largest metals service center company in North America. Through a network of more than 200 locations in 38 states and Belgium, Canada, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, the U.A.E. and the United Kingdom, the Company provides value-added metals processing services and distributes a full line of over 100,000 metal products to more than 125,000 customers in a broad range of industries.


ABN AMRO Bank Representative office to cater exclusively to ABN AMRO’s Diamond & Jewellery business in the Middle East

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 12:55 pm no comments
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (“DMCC”), the licensing authority for the Jumeirah Lakes Towers (“JLT”) Free Zone, announced today that ABN AMRO Bank’s International Diamond and Jewellery Group (ID & JG) has opened a Representative Office in the prestigious Almas Towers, headquarters of the region’s leading commodity centre. 
The International Diamond and Jewellery Group will provide commercial banking products and services for financing trade flows of rough and polished diamonds and jewellery.  ABN AMRO’s presence in Dubai will complement the company’s offices in key industry locations such as Antwerp, New York, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Japan and Botswana. 
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of DMCC, commented:
“DMCC since inception has maintained a strong relationship with ABN AMRO and it is our pleasure to welcome them to Almas Tower, the home of the UAE diamond trade.”
“Like DMCC, ABN AMRO has demonstrated ex treme resilience and commitment toward the diamond industry during periods of economic challenges and the addition of such a high-calibre company to the DMCC community confirms the UAE’s importance as a significant global diamond hub.” 
The Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) is an international diamond trading platform of global significance.  The Almas Tower is home to over 300 regional and international diamond and precious gems companies. At the heart of the trade, the DDE provides a complete service environment for everyone in the pipeline – from grading to shipping, from trading to networking.  In the first half of 2011, the total volume of diamonds traded in Dubai reached 206.1 million carats, which is a 57% increase over the 131 million carats traded in H1 2010. 
Rajiv Jain, Regional Head of ID & JG, commented:
“Our strong and unique global presence provides unequalled local market knowledge on a global scale. Our unique footprint provides a global and integrated coverage of the industry. ABN AMRO Bank has over 100 years’ experience in financing the diamond and jewellery industry, which paired with the global approach, has resulted in strong brand equity and client relationships. We would like to extend our thanks to DMCC for having given us this excellent industry platform and also thank DMCC’s Executive Chairman, Mr Ahmed bin Sulayem for his strong support”.
To commemorate the opening, DMCC and ABN AMRO held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Almas Towers.  Speaking on this occasion, Victor van der Kwast, Global CEO of ID & JG said:
“Diamond and Jewellery is a key business for ABN AMRO Bank and we are committed to the industry. Dubai is an important hub between African origin goods and the Asian market.  We are looking to grow our business by capitalising on this, along with the presence of many of our large global clients in Dubai.”
Following the 2008 takeover of ABN AMRO Bank in 2008 by Royal Bank of Scotland, the ID & JG business unit had temporarily continued to be a part of the Royal Bank of Scotland in Dubai.  The business separated on 9 December, 2011 and now operates again as ABN AMRO Bank.

RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL CERTIFIES PX PRECINOX SA

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 2, 2012 at 12:42 pm no comments
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) announced today that PX Precinox SA, the Swiss precious metals refiner, has achieved certification by meeting the highest ethical, social and environmental standards established by the RJC’s Member Certification System.
“RJC is delighted to congratulate PX Precinox SA on its certification. The successful verification assessment was conducted by UL Responsible Sourcing (STRRS), one of the independent third-party auditing firms accredited to the RJC’s Member Certification System,” says Michael Rae, RJC’s Chief Executive Officer. 
“PX Precinox SA is delighted to become an officially certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and we believe this reflects our commitment to the principles and guidelines set out by the RJC. As part of our overall commitment to responsible sourcing we are passionate about delivering high standards for our customers in all areas of our sourcing activities, particularly in relation to business ethics, human rights, and social and environmental practices. It is particularly pleasing to be recognised by the RJC for our ongoing work in these areas and this confirmation of PX Precinox SA official certification is a source of pride for the teams involved,” says Cedric Léger, CEO of PX Group.

Page 1 of 21612345»102030...Last »
Best Diamond Engagement Ring

Promote Your Page Too

Diamond Search

DB Wordpress Plugins

Diamond Inventory Links

Diamonds on Offer

Diamond Engagement Rings