#JWLV – LUXE Intelligence Introduces INTERVISION – the Future of Jewelry Retail

May 5, 2016

from Press Release

JCK Events and LUXE Intelligence 
Announce INTERVISION – 
a Strategic Partnership for LUXURY 2016

JCK Events and strategic business consultants LUXE Intelligence are proud to announce an exciting partnership to be unveiled at LUXURY (May 31-June 6, 2016) within the Elite Enclave Ballroom at Mandalay Bay. With their combined expertise and a common goal to serve the industry during a time of change and evolving business models, this show feature will educate and energize the jewelry industry for a successful future by providing innovative and transformative business solutions to retailers and manufacturers.

The luxurious emeralds of TAKAT

INTERVISION at Elite Enclave will showcase a three-dimensional experience of the future of retail for high-end jewelry stores. The dynamic environmental concept will offer a glimpse into what will drive retailers to success in the decades to come – a seamless and inspiring integration of thoughtful brand curation and innovative service providers who will play an integral role in the future of jewelry retail and commerce. Elite Enclave will continue to be an oasis of top brands in an intimate setting, with designers like CASSIS®, Sasha Primak, Takat, and V Tse Inc. already signed on to return to their Elite Enclave salons. In addition to these exclusive brands that are the hallmark of Elite Enclave, the ballroom will also feature an area of designers and jewelry industry experts who are new to the show and will help high-end retailers navigate the future of retail and reconnect with consumers in deeper and more meaningful ways.


Victoria Tse and the stunning jewels of V’tse 
“We are thrilled to bring this concept to life in 2016” said Sarin Bachmann, Industry Vice President, LUXURY and Swiss Watch Events. “Retailers can not only see but touch and conceptualize how to successfully communicate and reach new consumers, through engaging and innovative experiences that reinforce the relevance of their own store brand and jewelry as a must-have in their respective communities.”

Andrea Hansen, Founder and Partner of LUXE Intelligence stated, “Bringing together leaders in all areas of retail design, sales training, marketing and customer services, INTERVISION will be designed to inspire retailers to improve their stores, discover services and strategies to reinvent themselves, and merchandise for success. We will present the industry with a fresh vision of luxury retail – focused on the integration of technology, services, marketing / design, and merchandising – to renew and innovate.”

In addition to introducing this concept, LUXE Intelligence will dedicate their experience and global retail relationships to driving record-breaking retailer attendance and participation in the Elite Enclave ballroom.

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Kremlin Museums Presents "Jewels Inspired by Nature” featuring Goldsmith/Enamelist Ilgiz F.

May 5, 2016
From Press Release

“Jewels Inspired by Nature”
Exhibition at the Kremlin Museums Presents
Timepieces by BOVET and Ilgiz F.

Pascal Raffy, Elena Gagarina and Ilgiz F.
Last month an extraordinary joint exhibition between Russian goldsmith Ilgiz Fazulzyanov and BOVET 1822 was officially opened. The event was exceptional in that the last independent jeweler to have been granted the privilege of presenting a solo exhibition within the walls of the Moscow Kremlin Museum was none other than Peter Carl Fabergé. 
           Pascal Raffy, Inna Solovieva and Sergei Kuznetsov             Pascal Raffy, Dina Fazulzyanova and Ilgiz Fazulzyanov


The fact that Elena Gagarina, General Director of the Moscow Kremlin Museums and host of the exhibition, decided to welcome Ilgiz Fazulzyanov into the Ouspenskaya Bell Tower demonstrates that despite his young age, the artist has already left his mark on the history of fine jewelry with his characteristic style. Inspired by nature, his jewelry not only reproduces its slightest, most delicate details; it also conveys the emotions roused by the flight of a dragonfly or the scent of a flower.



This talent was immediately apparent when Ilgiz F. and Pascal Raffy, owner of BOVET 1822 and DIMIER 1738, met two years ago. Since its foundation, BOVET 1822 has represented the very essence of watchmaking art forms and has won acclaim over the last two centuries for taking the decorative arts, such as engraving or miniature grand feu enamel painting, to new heights. The excellence of the BOVET craftsmen has also ensured that the Maison is regularly featured in the collections of the most prestigious watchmaking and art museums around the world.

BOVET 1822 and Ilgiz F. have been working together since 2015 to create a collection of exclusive timepieces that harmoniously combine grand feu enameling, gem-setting and watchmaking technology. Their partnership has already given rise to around ten unique pieces, several of which are an integral part of this exhibition.

Through its involvement in this event, BOVET is proud to be supporting the most talented artist of his generation while presenting enthusiasts of superbly crafted fine watchmaking marvels with a collection that is worthy of the pocket watches produced by the Maison in the 19th century.



The emotion and wonder expressed by the prominent figures who attended the opening ceremony indicate that the exhibition promises to be a great success, captivating visitors and collectors until July 31st.


About BOVET:BOVET 1822 is a Swiss Manufacturer of luxury timepieces whose origins date back to 1822, the year in which Edouard Bovet founded their workshop in the picturesque Val-de-Travers region of Switzerland. BOVET is renowned for its pocket watches manufactured for the Chinese market in the 19th century. Today, under the guidance and ownership of Pascal Raffy, a visionary with a passion for Haute Horlogerie, BOVET is thriving, manufacturing unique timepieces distinguished by their pocket watch inspired form. From extraordinary complications such as tourbillons and minute repeaters, to rare artisanal crafts such as enamel painting and fleurisanne engraving, each BOVET timepiece is brought to life under the practiced hand of a BOVET master watchmaker. With a highly limited production annually, BOVET seeks to preserve and cultivate the art and craft of traditional watchmaking, while delighting connoisseurs and collectors.
For additional information please visit:www.bovet.com
Ilgiz F. was born in Kazan. After graduating from the Kazan School of Art, the self-taught jeweler continued to master the art of jewelry creation independently. In 1994, Ilgiz F. discovered the art of gemstone enameling and, in a matter of months, mastered the technique to such an extent that his new creations received the highest praise from French experts, with Madame Figaro publishing an article entitled “the champion of enamel”. From that moment on, grand feu enameling became his favorite technique.

In 1999, Ilgiz F. relocated his jewelry workshop to Moscow, marking a new phase in his work and earning him increasing international renown. Ilgiz F. started to meet with customers and collectors from around the world. In 2008, he became the first living jeweler to have his work sold at auction by Christie’s. Several years later, this prestigious British establishment was followed by another auction house, Bonham’s. In 2011, his Bullfinches pendant won first prize at the International Jewelry Design Excellence Awards in Hong Kong. The pendant depicts a branch with three birds symbolizing the Russian winter. In 2013, Ilgiz F. confirmed his title of “Champion of Champions” with the Butterflies jewelry set, which conveys the state of nature during a solar eclipse using faceted black pearls.

To date, Ilgiz F. is the only jeweler in the world to have received two of this competition’s top awards. In 2014, Ilgiz F. also won first prize in the competition held by the Russian State, securing the “precious metals and precious gemstones” award for his Crows pendant. The works of Ilgiz F. can be found in museums and private collections around the world. The Moscow Kremlin Museum, meanwhile, has bought six other pieces for its own collection in Russia.

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#DiamondTalk – A Little History the Gemological Institute of America’s 4C’s

May 5, 2016
Lab photo from the GIA Website  photo credit: Robert Weldon
If you are ready to pop the question and are in the market for a diamond, or you are a jeweler working on your next award winning collection it is critical that you know the factors that determine diamond value.
To eliminate the guesswork from grading a diamond’s color, graders compare it to
 masterstones that represent known colors in the GIA D-to-Z scale. –
© GIA & Tino Hammid

Until 1953 when the Gemological Institute of America introduced their 4c’s standards, there was no agreed-upon standard by which diamonds could be judged. Colorless diamonds are scarce—most diamonds have tints of yellow or brown. So a colorless diamond could show up on the market as a AAA Diamond…but then again so could a faint yellow. It was the Wild West with the consumer usually coming out on the short end.

GIA proposed the first, and now globally accepted standard for describing diamonds: a D-to-Z color scale and Flawless-to-I3 clarity scale for diamonds.  This has become internationally recognized as the standard for evaluating diamond quality,looking at the 4C’s – Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat Weight. 

Fancy-shape diamonds, along with the classic round diamonds, are popular choices
for today’s jewelry consumer. Courtesy Lazare Kaplan Diamonds
The creation of the Diamond 4Cs was very important to diamond dealers, jewelers, and the consumer — it meant there was now a language to communicate your needs that enabled a dealer to know exactly what you want.



A quick look at the 4C’s:

Color – Diamonds that range from colorless to light yellow and brown fall within the normal color range. Within that range, colorless diamonds are the most rare, so they’re the most valuable. They set the standard for grading and pricing other diamonds in the normal color range.

Clarity – Like the rest of the 4Cs, clarity’s influence on value is directly related to the concept of rarity. Flawless is the top grade in the GIA Clarity Grading System. Diamonds graded Flawless don’t have visible inclusions or blemishes when examined under 10-power (10X) magnification by a skilled and experienced grader.

Cut – A diamond’s proportions determine how light performs when it enters the diamond. If light enters through the crown and goes out through the pavilion, the diamond will look dark and unattractive. Diamonds with different proportions and good polish make better use of the light, and will be bright, colorful, and scintillating.

Carat Weight – What often surprises people when they start learning about diamonds and carat weight isis the precision with which diamonds are weighed. Diamond weights are stated in metric carats, abbreviated “ct.” One metric carat is two-tenths (0.2) of a gram—just over seven thousandths (0.007) of an ounce. 

Large diamonds are more rare than small diamonds. The more scarce something is, the more it is worth. So a larger stone doesn’t just cost more. It also costs more per carat. A 1-carat diamond weighs the same as four 0.25-carat diamonds. But even if all the other quality factors are equal, the larger diamond is worth much more than the sum of the four smaller diamonds.
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JCK Announces 2016 Industry Fund Winners

May 3, 2016

JCK Announces 2016 Industry Fund WinnersJCK announced today the six recipients of its 18th annual Industry Fund for 2016. The grants, which are awarded to individuals, groups, or associations whose work results in the betterment of the overall jewelry …

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#JWLV Antiques Young Guns U.S.A. Host First Educational Event in Las Vegas

May 3, 2016

Antiques Young Guns U.S.A. Host First Educational Event in Las Vegas

Antiques Young Guns U.S.A. will host their first panel discussion “Wake Up to Wisdom: Business Insights from Antique Jewelry Experts” on June 2 at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place before the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show opens at the Paris Hotel’s Bordeaux Room, located directly across from the show.

The morning event gathers a panel of three jewelry experts answering questions about their experience and success in the jewelry trade. Topics include tips on growing your business, attracting loyal clients, building your brand, making informed decisions when buying and selling and much more. Attendees will also have the opportunity ask their own questions at the end of the presentation.

The panelist featured are Patricia Faber of Aaron Faber Gallery, Paul Haig of Haig’s of Rochester and Doug Liebman of Douglas M. Liebman Estate Jeweler.



Patricia Faber is the co-owner of Aaron Faber Gallery, New York City, founded in 1974. She is an expert in the field of studio jewelry and a frequent lecturer on the subject. Faber has been profiled in numerous national and jewelry trade publications.

As both a stone collector and cutter, Paul Haig has been involved in the entire process of transforming a raw natural stone into a jewel. Since he began his jewelry business in 1973, he specializes in opals and has a vast knowledge of the stone. He serves as president of Haig’s of Rochester.

Doug Liebman has been an active member of the estate jewelry profession since 1981. His company provides professional services to jewelers, appraisers, fiduciaries and other dealers whose clients are liquidating fine jewelry, watches, diamonds, rare gemstones, silver (Native American jewelry, hollowware & flatware) and art.

The panel event is free to attend, but space is limited. Seats can be reserved at AntiquesYoungGunsUSA.com/ayg-upcoming-event.


Antiques Young Guns U.S.A. currently has 30 members and 14 industry partners since the program’s launch in March 2015. In the last year, the program has published their own website and merchandise gallery for members, named their 2015 Antiques Young Gun of the Year, organized two press conferences and three networking events and provided multiple opportunities for its members’ onsite at nationally recognized events.




For more information on Antiques Young Guns U.S.A., visit AntiquesYoungGunsUSA.com, like us on Facebook:Facebook.com/AntiquesYoungGuns, follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @AYG_USA. Check out our blog at youngguns.usantiqueshows.com/blog/.

About U.S. Antique ShowsU.S. Antique Shows formed a strategic alliance with Antiques Young Guns U.K. to bring the incredibly successful program to the United States in March 2015. Antiques Young Guns U.S.A. promotes growth, education and exposure to those in the trade, 39 years old or younger, to a national audience of antiques enthusiasts. The program offers many member benefits, including online exposure through the Antiques Young Guns marketplace, several buying, selling and networking events throughout the year, recognition in numerous trade and national publications and much more.

U.S. Antique Shows, producer of the industry’s most anticipated events, serves the unique needs of the antique and antique jewelry marketplace with shows in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The group’s events offer a broad range of antiques as well as antique, vintage and estate jewelry and watches, and annually draws more than 50,000 consumers and 3,000 dealers from 28 countries worldwide.

For details on U.S. Antique Shows, visit www.U.S.AntiqueShows.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @USAntiqueShows and explore our Pinterest: Pinterest.com/USAntiqueShows. Visit our blog at blog.usantiqueshows.com.

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#DesignerSpotlight – Ornella Iannuzzi – Another Industry Recognition….and it’s GOLD!

April 27, 2016

via Press Release following the 2016 Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards

Ornella Ianuzzi. a New Award, a New Online Retailer 
and the successful launch of her New “Kristalik” Collection

Ornella Iannuzzi found her true calling after discovering the Art Nouveau jewels of René Lalique. At that moment, “I discovered what jewelry could be – as a work of art and a form of body adornment,” she says. Iannuzzi finds bottomless inspiration from nature and considers her practice an ongoing investigation of the subject, “There are three different environments, mountain, forest and sea. There’s a lot to do.” 

Iannuzzi’s favorite gemstone is the opal. “I have a special thing for opals and discovered Ethiopian opals in 2009. Since that time, I’ve included them in my collection.” In keeping with her sculptural approach, Iannuzzi works directly in the wax rather than from sketch to mold. My jewelry is like little artworks to wear.” 

This blogger met Ornella at the 2015 Couture Show in Las Vegas where she was one of the Designers in Stephen Webster’s Rock Vault.  She was introducing her “Rock It” Collection a fun group of orbs of Ethiopian Opal rolling around in geodesic frames.  A talented and lovely artist — I expected amazing things and boy has she delivered!


Earlier this year Ornella Iannuzzi won another Gold award at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards – commonly referred to as the “Jewellery Oscars” – for her pendant called “L’exceptionnelle Tanzanite”. 

For a complete list (in .pdf form) of the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards 2016 Honorees – CLICK HERE





Entirely handmade in 18k white gold with a 45 cts natural Tanzanite crystal and diamonds, this pendant is a new addition to her Fine Art Jewellery collection “Les Exceptionnelles”, with which Ornella shares her fascination for geology and mineralogy. 


Launched in 2012, each piece from the collection features a mineral variety in their natural state – or “Nature’s work of art” as Ornella described it, carefully combined with cut stones into architectural compositions. The inspiration behind each piece comes directly from the specimen selected, and Ornella has focussed on the strength of character of each stone, as well as on the details of their crystallization or inclusions. Through the metal work, she enhanced these particularities, continuing the artwork that Nature started billions of years ago.

And last night, the quality of her unusual work was rewarded by a Gold Award in the Jeweller category.


Following the popularity of “Les Exceptionnelles”, Ornella decided to adapt the style to daily wear last year with her fine jewellery ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ collection called “Rock It!”- based on dodecahedron crystallization of gemstones.

This earlier collection is currently available online at PLUKKA

This year, it is the crystallization of emeralds which has inspired Ornella’s new ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ line – called “Kristalik”- which she successfully introduced at Rock Vault last week during London Fashion Week. With a strong architectural look and asymmetric-geometric designs, the new collection bears Ornella’s signature avant-garde style, with a touch of Art Deco. Available in polished or matt 18k gold (in yellow, white, or rose) and set with diamonds, the range is composed of rings (specifically designed for left hand & right hand), pendant, necklace, cufflinks, and earrings which can be combined for a luxurious modern-urban look.
























Inspired by the crystallisation of emeralds, my new range has a strong architectural look with “asymmetric-geometric” designs that bear my signature avant-garde style, with a touch of art deco. Available in polished or matt 18k gold (yellow, white, or rose) and set with diamonds, the range is composed of rings – specifically designed for left hand & right hand, pendant, necklace, cufflinks, and earrings.



Ornella Iannuzzi is an established award winning artist jeweller creating mainly one-of-a-kind pieces of high end jewellery. Famous for her unique award-winning pieces, Ornella’s motto (from Ralph Waldo Emerson): “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” feeds her unusual and innovative approach to high-end jewellery.

Website:   http://ornella-iannuzzi.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/OrnellaArtJewel
Fine Art Jewellery by Ornella Iannuzzi on Facebook
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ornellaiannuzzi

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#WJALA – Women’s Jewelry Association – Los Angeles Chapter Presents "Women at the Top".

April 27, 2016

The Women’s Jewelry Association – Los Angeles Chapter has announced their latest event, “Women at the Top”.This educational and networking event will feature a panel discussion with an audience Question & Answer session with three of today’s most a…

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#JWLV Yael Designs Pioneers New Fine Jewelry Technique #LUXURYbyJCK

April 21, 2016

From a Press Release
I first received this Press Release last November on Yael Designs’ pioneering jewelry technique that sets one gemstone inside another. The Sentience Bangle was the first time they used the technique it has a 7ct tanzanite set inside a 26ct aquamarine. 


…and since we are talking Jewelry Week in Las Vegas…

Yael Designs Pioneers New Fine Jewelry Technique
Designer debuts groundbreaking jewelry where two gemstones are set as one

Multi-Award-winning fine jewelry house Yael Designs pioneers a groundbreaking technology that allows a gemstone to be set inside another gemstone.


Yael Designs premiered the never before seen technique in a one-of-a-kind $119,000 “Sentience” bangle that features a 7-carat deep blue tanzanite set inside a 26-carat aquamarine. This is the first time a gemstone has ever been set inside another gemstone in a way where the two appear entirely seamless and translucent. The Sentience bangle represents a bold innovation in an art form that is centuries old.
As we know, it all starts with a design
As the first piece in a collection that will launch in 2016, the bangle was designed by the founder of Yael Designs Yehouda Saketkhou and crafted with the help of legendary gem cutter Glenn Lehrer. Together, they used a gem cut that allows a hole to be carved in the middle of a gemstone, a technique known as the TorusRingTM Cut, which was developed earlier by Lehrer. With Saketkhou’s vision, they took the technique to the next level by combining two gemstones in a way where the way they are held together is invisible.

You want me to put that Tanzanite where?
“When Yehouda approached me with his audacious vision of an invisibly set stone-within-stone piece, I was intrigued by the challenge,” said Lehrer from his studio in California. “It was like jumping from a Prius into a Ferrari. Yehouda’s vision stretched me to think outside the box of what was possible.”

Even though the gemstones are held together by tiny platinum wires, the unique cut creates a mirror effect, making the setting completely invisible. In the Sentience bangle, the cut allows the deep blue color of the pear-shaped tanzanite to shine through the cushion cut aquamarine. The bangle is set in 18kt white gold with diamonds and moonstones.

“To paraphrase Neil Armstrong, this bangle is one small step for Yael Designs and a giant leap for the jewelry industry,” said Saketkhou from Yael Designs’ headquarters in San Francisco. “Our city prides itself on innovation and I’m extremely excited to bring something novel to the jewelry industry that is steeped in centuries of tradition.”

Yael Designs (Booth 401) will launch a collection of gemstone-within-gemstone jewelry at the annual JCK Luxury Show in Las Vegas in June 2016.

…and that my dear readers is why I am running this piece now –  if for nothing more than to see this beauty and a collection based on it.



About Yael DesignsYael Designs is an award-winning design house widely recognized for bold, opulent fine jewelry. Founded by designer Yehouda Saketkhou in 2001, our collections and custom pieces are inspired by art from around the world – from Turkish carpets to pre-Colombian gold statuettes to Gaudi’s playful architecture in Barcelona. Our innovative vision has led our company to win numerous AGTA Spectrum Awards and JCK Jewelers Choice Awards as well as receive wide recognition among top publications and on the red carpet. Yael Designs is headquartered in San Francisco and available instores throughout the country. More information can be found on www.yaeldesigns.com.
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EARTH DAY IS NEXT WEEK – Great Opportunity to look at Responsible Sourcing Initiatives in the Industry

April 16, 2016

EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22ndI was just reminded that Earth Day is just weeks away….and it is such a great opportunity to talk about the the Responsible Sourcing initiatives in our Industry!A recent conversation with reps from Forevermark unveiled some gre…

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#JWLV – Why Las Vegas? Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show #LVAJWS Of Course! #DesignerSpotlight

April 12, 2016

Photos from previous events….The  Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show #LVAJWS is held annually at the Paris Hotel and I have to say they couldn’t have chosen a more perfect spot.  The Paris Hotel celebrates old world charm, carp…

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