Westfield jewellery sales stable
The story: Jewellery retailers in Westfield Group shopping centres across Australia are doing well in the downturn, according to the shopping-centre giant’s quarterly report.
The sector was up by 5.3 per cent over the 12 months to March 31, 2009, and up by 9.8 per cent in the three months to March 31.
Accor
ding to the Westfield website, there are more than 450 stores selling jewellery throughout Westfield’s 44 shopping centres across Australia – though they’re not all jewellery-specific retailers.
Terminology dominates at CIBJO congress
The story: The nomenclature surrounding gem-quality synthetic diamonds was discussed at length at CIBJO’s 2009 congress, held in May.
Diamond Commission president Udi Sheintal proposed the creation of an industry-wide working group that will confer with members from all areas of the jewellery trade to arrive at a consensus.
Meanwhile, CIBJO affirmed its position that the term “synthetic” is the most appropriate descriptor for non-natural diamonds.
Also on the agenda was the disclosure of a new treatment applied during the growth process of Akoya cultured pearls,
where metal fluids are injected into the pearl’s sac to induce colour. The technique had been used in Japan.
Pearl Commission president Martin Coeroli reported that the body resolved to disclose such treated gems as “colour-induced cultured pearls”.
Ole Lyngaard designs for Queen
The story: The head designer of Denmark-based jewellery brand Ole Lynggaard, Charlotte Lynggaard, has created a tiara for the Queen of Denmark.
Entitled ‘Midnight Tiara’, the piece took almost 300 hours to make, and is valued at around $AU360,190. It features rose and white gold, diamonds, moonstone and black silver, and was part of an exhibition at the museum within Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.
“The most exclusive piece of jewellery a woman can wear is undoubtedly a tiara. No other piece represents so much power, rank and wealth,” Ole Lynggaard sales representative Vibeke Weinreich Mignard said.
She added, “The piece has been shown to the Queen at the exclusive opening of the exhibition at Amalienborg. She was very impressed and loved it!”
GIA refreshes website The story: The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has unveiled a new website that aims to make it easier for visitors to access its information and online services. GIA president and CEO, Donna Baker, said, “The goal is to make the GIA website the destination of choice for anyone seeking up-to-date gemmological information.” The site’s home page (www.gia.edu) is organised to deliver visitors to GIA’s most requested information in one click. This includes in-depth descriptions of the Four Cs, a video on how the GIA grades diamonds, a colour-stone buying tutorial, and GIA’s online report verification service, “Report Check.” In addition, the home page provides links to educational programmes, laboratory services and updates on research activities. "The redesign has been a massive project, but it’s only the beginning of GIA’s new online presence,” Baker said. “Our goal is to make GIA increasingly accessible to people around the world, with greater ability to get them the information and services they want instantly.” |
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