FASHION

Zale Sales Rise, Discontinues Jessica Simpson Line

Zale Corporation announced that its sales continued to rise in its second quarter–although it is not yet profitable and is discontinuing its Jessica Simpson line. “We are pleased with five consecutive quarters of positive comps,” said CEO Theo Killion in a conference call following the release of Zale's financial results. “But we realize we still have work to do when it comes to returning the business to profitability.” Read More | View Original Article

Argyle Unearths 12 Carat Pink Diamond, Biggest in Its History

The Argyle mine in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia has just unearthed a 12.76 ct. pink diamond, the largest in its long history of discovering notable pinks. The diamond, dubbed The Argyle Pink Jubilee, is a light pink stone, considered similar to the Williamson Pink, which Queen Elizabeth II received as a wedding present and wore at her Coronation. Expert diamond polisher Richard How Kim Kam, who has worked for Argyle for 25 years, has begun work on polishing the pink, according to the mine’s owner Rio Tinto.  Read More | View Original Article

Famed Stylist Rachel Zoe Designs Tiffany Windows

Tiffany & Co. has commissioned fashion stylist and designer Rachel Zoe to design commemorative window displays memorializing “Hollywood glamour from the 1930s through the 1970s." The displays feature iconic Tiffany jewels to celebrate the 2012 Academy Awards. Tiffany & Co. has commissioned fashion stylist and designer Rachel Zoe to design commemorative window displays memorializing “Hollywood glamour from the 1930s through the 1970s,” featuring iconic Tiffany jewels. Read More | View Original Article

Schenectady Jeweler Named Chair of Local Chamber

Ray Bleser, founder of Schenectady-based Northeastern Fine Jewelry, has been appointed chair of the board of directors of the Chamber of Schenectady County. Bleser brings 32 years of business experience to the role. His previous endeavors include founding Northeastern Coin Gallery in 1980, which he rebranded into Northeastern Fine Jewelry shortly thereafter. As chair of the board of directors, Bleser will serve as an advocate for more than 1,000 regional and local businesses. Read More | View Original Article

Hoover & Strong Acquires Performance Contracting

Hoover & Strong jewelry manufacturing has acquired Performance Contracting, a division of Carrera Casting specializing in machine set band productions. "We are very excited about this acquisition," Torry Hoover, president of Hoover & Strong, said in a statement. "The combination of knowledge and experience from both companies will provide our customers with the ongoing excellent service and quality that they have come to expect from both Hoover & Strong and Performance Contracting." Read More | View Original Article

5 Diamond Developments You Should Be Following: Week of Feb. 22

Five stories on the industry’s radar this week: - Hong Kong show "better than expected." Diamond thieves arrested in Hong Kong. - Ben Janowski’s observations from show season. Read More | View Original Article

Lazare Kaplan Director to Appear at Clinton Conference

Lazare Kaplan Botswana managing director Alfred Dube has been invited by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to participate as Botswana’s representative to the “Global Business Conference,” a high-level gathering of world business leaders in in Washington, D.C., according to a statement from LKI. Read More | View Original Article

Pandora’s U.S. Revenue Holds Up, But Drops Worldwide

While Pandora’s worldwide revenue decreased in fiscal 2011, its U.S. sales have mostly held steady, interim CEO Marcello V. Bottoli tells JCK in an exclusive interview. “We are seeing some very positive trends in the U.S.,” Bottoli says. “The U.S. is holding up better than other markets. The macro economic environment is better than Western Europe. We feel very positive about the U.S.” Read More | View Original Article

GIA Introduces Online Only Grading Reports

The Gemological Institute of America’s famed lab is now offering online-only grading reports. The new format, dubbed the GIA Diamond eReport, costs 10 percent less than GIA’s standard reports. It is currently only available for natural, D-to-Z color diamonds from 0.15 to 2.99 cts. The Gemological Institute of America’s famed lab is now offering online-only grading reports. Read More | View Original Article

The Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2012

The Pantone Color Institute promises to “transport consumers to an enchanting place, free from the stresses of everyday life,” according to its selection of 10 hues for fall 2012. Inspirations from fashion designers (including Carmen Marc Valvo and Betsey Johnson) who participated in choosing next season’s on-trend colors include love potions, sunsets, and fantasy worlds, among others. Read More | View Original Article

Sears Lays Off 100 in Main Office

Sears laid off about 100 employees in its main office on Feb. 16, the company confirmed to JCK. “Those who are eligible will receive severance,” said company spokeswoman Kimberly Freely in a statement. “These decisions are never easy, but they are necessary as part of our efforts to transform the company.” She said the layoffs were not in any one department, but “a mix of different positions.” Sears laid off about 100 employees in its main office on Feb. 16, the company confirmed to JCK. Read More | View Original Article

Michael Hill U.S. Same Store Sales, Profits Up

Michael Hill International announced that revenue increased 11.5 percent during the last six months of 2011, showing a $26.29 million profit. Same store sales in the United States increased 22.3 percent. Within the U.S. sector, revenue reached $5.27 million within the six-month period. The company cut its operating loss to $1.43 million, down from $2.12 million last year. Other highlights include: Read More | View Original Article

10 Most Popular Jewelry News Stories: Week of Feb. 18

A roundup of JCK's top stories from the past week: Pandora Ranked As #2 Brand Among Luxury Jewelry Consumers Pandora is now the second most popular brand among luxury jewelry buyers, according to a fourth quarter luxury tracking study conducted by Unity Marketing. A roundup of JCK's top stories from the past week. Read More | View Original Article

FBI Looking for “One-of-a-Kind” Stolen Liberty Bell Ruby

The FBI has issued an alert to be on the lookout for four suspects who stole a “one-of-a-kind” ruby sculpted into the Liberty Bell, valued at $2 million. Four thieves nabbed the 4.5 lb. gem, along with many other items, from a safe in Stuart Kingston Jewelers in Wilmington, Del., on Nov. 1. The piece hails from an 8,500 ct. piece of ruby listed in Guinness Book of World Records as the “largest uncut ruby in the world.” There were also 50 diamonds attached to it, representing the 50 states. Read More | View Original Article

California Jeweler Debbie Fox Offers Free Jewelry to the Needy

For years, Debbie Fox of Fox Fine Jewelry in Ventura, Calif., has been a witness to the healing power of jewelry. In 2009, struck by the effects of a national recession—lost jobs, lost homes, new worries—she decided that jewelry might be just the thing to raise the spirits of those dealing with a struggling economy, and that Fox’s could do just that by offering free jewelry to community members in need. Read More | View Original Article

Hong Kong Show Draws “Record” Exhibitors

A record number of exhibitors are taking part in the 29th HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, the show’s organizers announced. The show has drawn more than 3,100 exhibitors from 48 countries and regions to the fair, which opened Feb. 16 and is running through Feb. 20. This is also the first year the show has drawn exhibitors from Argentina, Denmark, and Myanmar. It is expected to attract 6,500 buyers from 75 countries and regions. Read More | View Original Article

Blue Nile Slashes Diamond Prices as Sales and Profits Fall

Blue Nile is combatting another quarter of disappointing financial results by dropping prices on its core engagement ring product. “We are going to get even more aggressive on our prices of engagement rings,” said Vijay Talwar, interim CEO of the Seattle-based site, during a conference call with investors following release of the company’s financial results. “In January we reduced our prices.… Our pricing change will allow us to grow a much larger engagement ring business.” Read More | View Original Article

Sterling Promotes Hrabak to Chief Operating Officer

Sterling Jewelers has announced that Ed Hrabak, senior vice president of merchandising, will succeed Bill Montalto as executive vice president and chief operating officer. The change will take place at the end of June, upon Montalto’s retirement after 26 years of service. “Although I am very happy for Bill as he enters the next chapter of his life, his tireless commitment to Sterling and strong and impactful leadership presence will be missed after his retirement,” said Mark Light, Sterling’s president and chief executive officer, in a statement. Read More | View Original Article

WGC: Demand for Gold Rises

Global demand for gold reached 4,067.1 tons, equivalent to $205.5 billion, in 2011, according to the World Gold Council. This is the highest tonnage level since 1997. India represents the top demand for gold at 933.4 tons, followed by China at 769.8 tons. Together, the countries generate 55 percent of global jewelry demand. The surge in gold relates to the increase in the investment sector, where annual demand was up 5 percent since 2010. Read More | View Original Article

International Sourcing Seminar Highlights Supply-Chain Transparency and IT Solutions

Reducing costs and increasing speed to market are just two of the enormous pressures that retailers face in today’s apparel industry, according to Jeff Streader, an operating partner of Marlin Equity, a Hermosa Beach, Calif.–based private-investment firm focused on investment opportunities in the retail, branded apparel and direct-to-consumer sectors. more... Read More | View Original Article

Long Beach Independent Retailer Opens Chain of Southern California Stores

Jon Tubbs originally planned to open a single boutique in Long Beach, Calif., but when Feb. 11 rolled by, he found himself running a burgeoning boutique empire. The soft-spoken Tubbs wanted his string of acquisitions to be a steady process, perhaps taken over a period of more than a year.  But when opportunity presented itself, it was too good to pass, he said. He found all of the deals through friends and, typically, over drinks. Read More | View Original Article

New Name and Investor for People's Liberation

People’s Liberation, the Los Angeles company that makes the William Rast label in conjunction with celebrity Justin Timberlake, is changing its name and its business model. Read More | View Original Article

Billabong Sells Large Share of Nixon Label

Surf’s up for Nixon watches. Billabong International, based in Australia, announced it was selling a large portion of its Nixon brand to Trilantic Capital Partners for $285 million. Billabong will turn around and use the money to pay off debt, according to a Feb. 16 press release. Read More | View Original Article

Directives West, Doneger Highlight Men's Trends for Fall '12

LAS VEGAS—Buyers, manufacturers and editors turned out early on Feb. 13 to catch the latest Fall menswear trends when The Doneger Group and Directives West hosted their “Young Men’s Fall 2012” fashion show, which kicked off the trade shows in Las Vegas. Read More | View Original Article

ENK Vegas Rides a Bullish Mood

more... Read More | View Original Article

Business Booming at Capsule

LAS VEGAS—This season, Capsule moved from a ballroom in The Venetian to a new space on the ground floor of the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Exhibitors reported having a strong show during the Feb. 12–13 run, with business slowing down only on the second afternoon. Read More | View Original Article

Show Business

Buyers had lots of ground to cover at the recent run of Las Vegas trade shows, which offered the latest in men’s and women’s apparel, accessories and footwear, as well as fabric sourcing resources from around the world. Access more images from Las Vegas trade shows here. more... Read More | View Original Article

Big Buzz at MRket, ModaLV and ATS

LAS VEGAS—This season, organizers of MRket, ModaLV and Accessories The Show reconfigured the show to have a single entrance at The Venetian, accessible from the Sands Expo and Convention Center side of the building. MRket, Business Journals’ upscale menswear show, was at the front of the hall, and buyers followed signs to get to ModaLV, the company’s upscale misses and updated contemporary show, and Accessories The Show, its accessories trade show. Read More | View Original Article

CurveNV Spreads Out in New Location

LAS VEGAS—This season, upscale lingerie and swimwear show CurveNV moved from several small ballrooms in The Venetian to a single large space in the Sands Expo and Convention Center for its Feb. 11–12 run. more... Read More | View Original Article

Sowind Group Hires New President

Michael Margolis has been appointed president of the America division for the Sowind Group. Margolis joins Sowind Group from Hublot, where he worked as sales director in the United States. He also has experience in sales for Crest Reprographics and Nikon. “Mike is a remarkable individual, with true passion for the craft,” said Michele Sofisti, CEO of Sowind Group, in a statement. “We are very glad to have him on board to lead the U.S. team into this new phase of the brand and are sure that together we will be very successful.” Read More | View Original Article