Centurion to Hold Two Keynotes, Two Panel Discussions and Workshops

Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's

Mike Abrashoff, former commander, USS Benfold

The Centurion luxury jewelry tradeshow will host a pair of keynote speakers who paved two different paths to success. They are Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's ice cream business and Mike Abrashoff, former commander of the USS Benfold.

Abrashoff, author of It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship In The Navy, will discuss how he took over a ship that went from being rated the worst in the Navy to the best in just one year. Meanwhile, Greenfield will discuss combining an entrepreneurial spirit with social responsibility and a radical business philosophy.

“We think both stories are well worth hearing,” said Howard Hauben, Centurion President.

Centurion also is offering two panel discussions:

* "Financial Management and Your Company," moderated by Don Greig, Focus Business Management Institute. Panelists are John Jackson, Albert S. Smyth Co. and an additional panelists to be announced; and

* "Dealing with The New Hair-Raising Diamond & Gem Fakes Coming into Your Market," moderated by Terry Chandler, DCA. Panelists are Alethea Inns, AGS Labratories; Jim Rosenheim, Tiny Jewel Box; and Dr. James Shigley, GIA.

New at Centurion 2013 are "Limited Edition Retailer Workshops"—in-depth sessions on selected relevant topics with a small class size. Attendees will have the chance to spend some quality time with Centurion's various speakers in an intimate setting with lots of time for questions and brainstorming. Attendees must sign-up in advance as seating is limited. The workshops are:

* "Retailers Sharing Centurion Lines That Work" - Gail Friedman, Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelry;

* "Building a Working Team" - (Commander Retired) Mike Abrashoff;

* "What Do You Do When a Wholesaler Moves into Your Market?" - Jennifer Demmary and Lori
Roberts, Reis Nichols Jewelers;

* "E-mail Marketing-How to Reach Your Clients Today," - Ron Cates, Constant Contact;

* "Technology Show & Tell" - moderated by The Knot’s Laura Cave, featuring retailers Ronda Daily and Ashley Daily,Bremer Jewelry; and Julia Gardner, David Gardner’s Jewelers.

The dates for the invitation-only luxury jewelry show are February 2 (arrival day) through February 6, 2013 (departure day) at an undisclosed location in Scottsdale, Ariz.

For additional information, contact Howard Hauben at hh@h2consult.com or (516) 377-5909.

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Taiwan to Host International Jewelry Fair in 2013

Taipei World Trade Center, home of the new Taiwan Jewellery & Gem Fair.

UBM Asia, the Taiwan Jewelry Industry Association and the Taipei Jeweler’s Association will join together to launch the first Taiwan Jewellery & Gem Fair, which will be held Nov. 15-18, 2013, at the Taipei World Trade Center.

Described as “a high-end, professional jewelry event that aims to provide an opportunity for international jewelry suppliers to meet with local buyers,” the November timing of the exhibition was chosen because it is the time of year when jewelry retailers in Taiwan purchase inventory ahead of the busy Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day jewelry buying seasons.

The event will be held in Exhibition Hall 3 of the Taipei World Trade Center, located adjacent to the Taipei 101 Tower, the Grand Hyatt Taipei Hotel and situated in the Xinyi commercial district of central Taipei.

Taiwan has a strong jewelry manufacturing and processing industry that exports products around the world. Recently, there’s been a surge in tourists from Mainland China fueling an expansion of the domestic market. Chinese tourists are avid buyers of coral and jadeite jewelry. This has created strong demand from Taiwan’s jewelry manufacturers for loose stones, mountings and materials; and from retailers for finished jewelry, according to the organizers. This led to people calling for an international, professional jewelry exhibition in Taiwan.

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Will New Jewelry Show Compete With Baselworld?

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Wolfram Diener (center) reading a prepared statement during a press conference at the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

HONG KONG — The competition among the numerous jewelry tradeshows around the world is fierce. So when a new show appears on the international calendar, one can’t help but notice which show will it be competing against.

UBM Asia has announced that it is entering the European market with Jewellery & Gem Fair – JGF Europe 2014, to be held in April 1 - 4, 2014 at the Messe Freiburg Exhibition and Convention Centre in Freiburg, Germany.

Wolfram Diener, senior VP, UBM Asia, Ltd., who made the announcement Thursday during a press conference at the September Hong KongJewellery & Gem Fair, made it a point to note its convenience to major jewelry trading hubs, such as Antwerp, Paris and Vicenza. What it’s really close to in both timing and distance is Baselworld, the world’s largest and most important watch and jewelry fair held in Basel, Switzerland. The two cities are so close that I stayed in Freiburg two years ago while attending Baselworld.

Diener downplayed that the new tradeshow will compete with Baselworld for exhibitors and buyers.

“It wouldn’t be our notion to rely on any other exhibitions for our success and lack of success and we expect that we can draw exhibitors or buyers from another show,” he said. “I think we have to build our own success. As for the timing of the event, it’s really difficult with a full calendar of jewelry tradeshows to not clash or be close to any other shows.”

However, a UBM official told me afterward that JGF Europe is most likely positioned to indeed compete with Baselworld. If this is true, then it will be the battle of titans. The September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, which UBM owns, is the largest fine jewelry tradeshow in the world. However, as already noted, Baselworld is the largest watch and jewelry show in the world. It is also the world’s most prestigious tradeshow and it is where trends are set in the watch and jewelry world each year.

One thing that the new show will not be involved with, at least at this time, is watches, which is the lifeblood of Baselworld.

There are plenty of jewelry trade fairs in Europe but Diener says that the continent lacks “a real and comprehensive sourcing fair.” This new show is an attempt to fill this void.

“JGF Europe is positioned as high efficiency, high level, face-to-face jewelry business platform that will create real business value for the international suppliers and buyers,” he said. “It’s going to be a comprehensive jewelry show with jewelry, raw material and packaging and equipment”, he said. “It’s going to be a good balance of European and non-European exhibitors. That will be refreshingly different from other shows in Europe.”

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Jaeger-LeCoultre at the 2013 Venice Film Festival

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso engraved 70 Mostra

Today I will be leaving for Venice to cover the About J luxury jewelry show, perhaps the most exclusive jewelry show in the world. About 30 luxury jewelry brands will be exhibiting. Then I will be covering VicenzaOro Fall, the most prestigious collection of jewelry tradeshows for Italian jewelry industry.

Actress Sarah Gadon wearing Jaeger-LeCoultre La Montre Extraordinaire La Rose  while attending the Emergency charity VFF 2013. Photo credit: Getty images

However, I am arriving a few days early and as luck would have it, it happens to be during the 70th Venice International Film Festival (August 28 – September 7. Luxury watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre, which is celebrating its 180th anniversary, is a sponsoring partner of the festival and has been hosting events and creating products for the event.

British actress, Sophie Kennedy Clark was on the red carpet with Laurent Vinay debuting the Reverso Cordonnet Duetto watch made its debut on the Red Carpet as B Sophie Kennedy Clark. The actress stars in the film, Philomena, which will premiere during the Festival.

The Swiss luxury watch brand has created a personalized Reverso watch to the winners of the Best Film (Leone d’Oro, Golden Lion Award) as well as the Best Actress and Best Actor of the year (Coppa Volpi Awards). The watches will feature a lacquered engraving depicting a lion, the symbol of Venice, handcrafted in accordance with the finest traditions, and bear the inscription “70. Mostra” (top photo).

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso engraved 70 Mostra Eemergency

For the third consecutive year Jaeger-LeCoultre will use its products and brand to support the Emergency, a non-governmental organization that helps civilian victims of wars and poverty. This includes the creation of a personalized Reverso watch with the same engravings and symbol as the official Venice Film Festival watch, with the addition of “Emergency” as part of the inscription (pictured above).

La Montre Extraordinaire La Rose

Jaeger-LeCoultre will also release a new collection called Jubliee. From the opening day to closing of the festival the company is hosting events throughout Venice. I will be attending two events during my short time at the festival going attending the jewelry shows I came to see.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Cordonnet Duetto

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Centurion 2014 Call for Entries for Emerging Designer Competition

Blue sapphire and diamond earrings by Sharart Design, one of last year's winners.

Entries are now being accepted for the sixth annual Centurion Emerging Designer Competition. Two winners will receive a showcase and exhibit space at the next Centurion Show. The invitation-only luxury jewelry tradeshow will be held Feb. 1-5, 2014, in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The competition is open to any jewelry designer who has never before exhibited in a U.S. fine jewelry tradeshow. It’s open to all designers, regardless of experience, formal training, or background in jewelry design, but entrants must show lines or one-of-a-kind designs that are suitable for a luxury jewelry store environment and be capable of both exhibiting at a trade show and fulfilling any wholesale orders received at the show.

Deadline for entry is September 30. Entrants are required to submit up to three images of finished jewelry; no renderings or CAD drawings will be accepted. Images must be .jpg format, and each image must include a detailed description of the piece and the materials used (metals, gemstones, etc.). Entries will be judged by a special panel, as well as by Centurion’s Board of Retail Advisors.

For more information and to access the entry form, follow this link:

The competition is sponsored by Stuller, a Lafayette, La., jewelry manufacturing and distribution business and a domestic and international wholesale jewelry supplier.

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More Activity During Second Day of Las Vegas Jewelry Week

29-Carat Vivid Yellow Beryl Ring by Miiori

There was a lot more activity during the second day of the JCK Luxury jewelry tradeshow Wednesday as more buyers and exhibitors are making their way to Las Vegas for the start of several other jewelry shows.

Two bracelets by Amrapali. The top one is covered in light-colored opals and the the lower piece features slices of light-blue sapphires.

Exhibitors are very positive about the overall economy and the jewelry industry outlook saying that consumers are coming back and are buying, although some say that consumers still looking for value.

The Serendipity Collection by Yael Designs features sliced rose-cut emeralds.

“I think people are much more positive than they were two years ago and they have the dollars to back it up,” said Brian Watkins, president of Ritani, a jewelry manufacturer that is developing a consumer e-Commerce website with independent retailers.

The "Pop of Color" engagement jewelry line by Danhov. At the far right end is the Tubetto men's wedding band.

Among the highlights of the second day were:

* Bridal jewelry designer Danhov introduced color its engagement rings with its “Pop Of Color” collection based on birthstones.

* Yael Designs unveiled an emerald jewelry collection centered high-quality sliced emeralds with a rose cut finish.

* Jewelry designer Miiori presented several new pieces using high-quality gems and diamonds in a number of creative ways.

* Indian jewelry designer Amrapali introduced several big colorful lines using a variety of gemstones.

Thursday (today), the Couture Show, which features some of the world’s best known luxury jewelry brands, opens at the Wynn Resort.

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Las Vegas Jewelry Week Begins with JCK Luxury

The view inside JCK Luxury

The first of the major jewelry shows in Las Vegas opened Tuesday with JCK Luxury. This is the first of five shows that I will be attending during a seven-day period. The event begins following two weeks worth of good news for the U.S. jewelry industry as independent jewelers and several large chains have reported strong sales growth for the first quarter of 2013 along with several reports showing marked improvement in the U.S. economy. It’s the largest streak of positive news I’ve seen in the industry since at least 2008.

Rio Tinto has been marketing its diamonds throughout the jewelry industry supply chain and finally to consumers. This display being shown at JCK Luxury and JCK Las Vegas represents that effort.

This is the time of year where U.S. jewelry retailers buy for the all-important Christmas season. The invitation-only event for luxury retailers kicks off the week. The floors appeared calm and quiet but it is deceiving since all of the invited luxury retailers have appointments. It’s too early to tell whether the positive reports has resulted in stronger business. However, there were interesting things to see. Among them:

The 14k white gold and diamond Anneliese Engagement set starts at $2,750 (not including center stone).

* Bridal jewelry company Jeff Cooper Designs presented a number of rings with the geometric shapes and ornamentation that defines the Art Deco style. It was timed to take advantage of the push toward designs of that period through the movie, The Great Gatsby. The elaborate grill-like design of the Anneliese engagement set (pictured) is finished with touches of round diamonds.

* Chandelier diamond earrings from Supreme Jewelry (pictured above).

* Coast Diamond introduced a number of jewelry pieces using a variety of statement colored gemstones, including this group of rings pictured above.

* Jewelry designer Sethi Couture unveiled several new collections of colorful designs using a variety of materials. Pictured below is one of the company's newest pieces, the "Grace" earrings.

* Leibish & Co., which specializes in fancy colored diamonds, introduced a collection of 18k gold jewelry utilizing its inventory of the precious gems (pictured above).

* Big, bold Indonesian Jewelry by Robert Manse, handcrafted in Bali (pictured above).

* Berlin Gothic-Style jewelry by Jessica Kagan Cushman created with oxidized silver and 18k gold (pictured above).

A selection of colored jewelry created with diamonds from Rio Tinto's Argyle mine in Australia.

* Mining giant Rio Tinto is trying to create excitement throughout the diamond supply chain with manufacturers and retailers for its diamonds by commissioning designers to create pieces from its Argyle and Diavik mines that are manufactured by Rio Tinto's select diamantaires. Pictured above and below highlight some of the pieces being shown in the exhibit.

The “Canoe” diamond necklace created by jewelry designer Reena Ahluwalia made with diamonds from the Diavik mine.

Diamonds in their natural state from the Diavik mine in Northwest Canada are paired with 18k gold that take on the same shapes as the gold. The pieces are by Casa Gi of Belgium.

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New Luxury Jewelry Shows Slated for This Year

Two trade show organizations are partnering to create a joint jewelry tradeshow that will appear at two locations this year.

The Select Show and Centurion Jewelry By Initiation Only have created a new partnership to jointly produce the SELECT shows, beginning with the events in Dallas at the Ritz Carlton, September 9-10, and in Connecticut at Mohegan Sun, September 23-24. The new name for the shows will be "Select by Centurion."

Both companies operate invitation-only luxury jewelry tradeshows.

The Select by Centurion shows will continue the hallmarks of the Select shows, launched in 2010, with 40-50 exclusive exhibitors, breakfasts, seminars, lunches and evening receptions. The company will be overseen by Joe Carullo and Bryan Cohen, founders of Select, and Howard Hauben, founder of Centurion. Centurion will act as day-to-day management beginning after the 2012 shows.