AGTA/Newsletter`01 for PDF - American Gem Trade Association

SPRING 2001
N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E A M E R I C A N G E M T R A D E A S S O C I AT I O N
hanks to the participation of our members, a little luck of
the draw, and a lot of generosity, AGTA was able to make
its largest donation ever to the Tucson Special
Olympics at its annual GemFair.
For nearly two decades AGTA has held a variety of
fundraising events during GemFair to benefit Tucson
Special
Olympics.
This year
AGTA broke all
the records
by collecting
$16,000 for the Tucson Special Olympics. The
majority of the money was raised by the fifth
annual AGTA Coyote Classic golf tournament
and auction which was hosted by Former Dallas
Cowboy Hall-of-Famer Ed “Too Tall” Jones.
The donation swelled, however, during the AGTA annual membership meeting. An annual custom of the meeting, which was
attended by more than 275 AGTA members at the Tucson
Convention Center, is to conduct a raffle for a free booth at the
next year’s AGTA GemFair. The winning business card pulled
happened to be that of Dick Greenwood of William L. Kuhn.
Ironically, just minutes before the drawing, Greenwood took the
T
AGTA GemFair Events
Raise $16,000 for
Tucson Charity
reigns as the new president of AGTA. Graciously, Greenwood
immediately announced that he would auction the booth off to
the highest bidder,
with proceeds going
to Special Olympics.
Long-time member
and AGTA past
president Roland
Naftule of Nafco
Gems Ltd. was the
high bidder at
$6,000. •
(Left) The AGTA Coyote
Classic Golf
Tournament raised
$10,000 for the Tucson Special Olympics. Left to right are:
Tucson Special Olympian Scotty Woodward, AGTA Executive
Director Douglas K. Hucker, AGTA President Nanette
Forester, Former Dallas Cowboy Hall-of-Famer
Ed “Too Tall” Jones and City of Tucson Police
To-date AGTA
Chief Dick Miranda.
has donated over
(Far Left) Dick Greenwood won the raffle for a
$100,000 to
free booth at GemFair 2002, then auctioned
Tucson Special
it off to benefit Tucson Special Olympics.
Olympics.
AGTA Executive Director Douglas K. Hucker
assists in the auction.
If You Think The Past 20 GemFairs Have Been Great,
K. Hucker,
Just Wait. The Best Is Yet To Come. ByAGTADouglas
Executive Director
he 20th anniversary of AGTA made this year’s GemFair
special. It allowed us to pay tribute to a number of industry leaders who have made AGTA what it is today. It also
set the stage for the most spectacular GemFair in our 20 years.
Every year, new
buyers discover the
AGTA GemFair.
Exhibitors present an
incredible inventory
of loose gemstones
and finished gemstone jewelry over the
show’s five-day run.
Displaying an excep-
T
tional variety of finished colored gemstones jewelry, some of the most prestigious award-winning designers are featured in the arena. Co-located with the designers are
Manufacturing and Suppliers of America (MJSA) and Gifts of the
Earth exhibitors.
For buyers and sellers of colored gemstones, the significance
and scope of what is offered at AGTA’s GemFair truly makes it the
most important, “can’t miss” event of the year. Nowhere else
in the world can this incredible inventory of natural colored
gemstones and cultured pearls be found under one roof. That’s
why AGTA GemFair attracts the largest, most important group of
gemstone buyers. And that’s why you need to mark your
calendar now for the AGTA GemFair 2002, Feb. 6 - 11. •
2001 AGTA Tucson GemFair
Left to right — Whitney Wenk,
Trish Rickard and Deborah
Robinson of Abraham Chador
and Company, San Francisco
Securing their credentials for GemFair
are Dan Christie and Patty Christie of
Gold Creations, Brookfield, WI
Ted Paolotti
and Maryann
Mastoloni
making a sale.
Frank Mastoloni
& Sons, New York
Dennis Lau
working the
bench at Rafco Intl.
Gem Corp’s booth
Cecilia Gardner,
Jewelers Vigilance Committee
Sales Power........
The staff manning
Idaho Opal’s GemFair booth.
Starting on back row. Left to
right: Drew Deighton; Frank
Farnsworth; Art Carewe; Kate
Farnsworth; Sue Farnsworth; Gary Sipe;
Laurie Cole and Dean Keppler
Denise Walters
of Jack Lynch’s
Sea Hunt Pearls,
San Francisco
“Networking Is Reason Enough
Newton,
To Attend GemFair” Doug
Ben Bridge Jewelers
hether visiting in the Galleria,
chatting with peers in the aisles,
visiting at luncheons, meeting in
seminars or attending any of the many
important industry meetings, at AGTA’s
GemFair attendees have access to a
world-class assembly of gemstone and
cultured
pearl
dealers and
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Stuart
Overlin and
Alice Keller
of Gems &
Gemology
Magazine
designer jewelers.
Attendees can also
meet many of the
industry’s top movers and shakers. These
important sources exhibit in the Galleria
area, just outside the main GemHall.
Among them are other key associations
and trade organizations serving the colored gemstone and jewelry industries,
trade magazines and journals, and a wide
variety of
companies
offering
Heather
Hanson of the
International
Gem Institute
2
software, equipment and other business
resources. See the latest and greatest in
technology. Get the information you
need to join the top trade associations,
meet the people from leading trade
magazines and meet important sources
that will help make your business run
more efficiently - all at GemFair. •
Left to right: Robert Bridel, Adam Graham
and Jay Lell, American Gem Society
Chessy Latendresse
(center) and her
daughters Gina
Latendresse (left)
and Reneé Latendresse
(right) are the principals
of American Pearl Company.
No Rental
Cars
Or Cabs
Necessary
Buyers Jon Lambert
and Jeffrie Story of
Southwest Gem,
Phoenix, shopping
the variety of stones
at the booth of
Indojewels, New York.
Shanti Shah assists.
AGTA has complimentary transportation to the GemFair
down to an art. Shuttle vans provide ample free transportation between the major hotels and the GemFair at the Tucson
Convention Center. Driver Tom Gerhardt helps a buyer out
of the shuttle while Fred Hammond takes care of the door.
“We send people to the GemFair every year
for the simple reason that we know that we
can pay for our trip many times over just by
carefully shopping for the gemstones we use
every day in our repair shop and custom
jewelry manufacturing.
Buyers Terri
Van Houten (right) and
Casey Gallant of Stephen
Gallant Jewels, Orleans,
MA, working a deal with
Bill Barker (red shirt) and
Rich Barker of Barker &
Company of Scottsdale, AZ
Shopped out.
Buyers Judy
and John
Newton of
Amelia Rose
Jewelry,
Brookfield, WI,
take a break
from the
“action.”
If you’re not attending GemFair,
you’re throwing money away!
Register to attend now by
fax-on-demand: 800-879-6259.
Feb. 6-11, 2002
3
People consider us a ‘diamond’ store, but
colored gemstones are a very important part
of our business. It attracts more customers
and it really bolsters the bottom line. Buying
diamonds is easy... you have a ‘list.’ But you
need to see colored gemstones. There’s no
better place to shop than the Tucson GemFair
in February.”
— R.F. Moeller, R.F. Moeller Jewelers
Nowhere else in the world can such an inventory and selection of loose colored gemstones and cultured pearls be
found under one roof than at AGTA’s GemFair.
2001 AGTA Tucson GemFair
Wholesaler Says
GTC Reports
Sell Gemstones
Exhibitor Finds 17+ Carat
Tanzanite On GemHall Floor
lbert Tsai, president of Otimo International Gem Co.,
bought a 17.33-carat Tanzanite at GemFair. Soon after the
purchase from the William L. Kuhn booth, he lost it on
the expo floor. John Heher of Rare Earth Mining Company,
found the stone and turned it in to AGTA officials. Since Tsai had
reported to security that he lost the stone, AGTA personnel knew
who the Tanzanite belonged to when Heher turned it in.
“I was going to take a break when I looked down and there it
was right in the middle of the show aisle,” said John Heher. “I
know how I would
have felt if I lost a
stone of that value.
It made me feel
good to be able to
get it back to Mr.
Tsai. He was very
grateful,” John
added.
“This
Pictured here holding the found stone are left
to right: Bill Heher and John Heher of Rare
shows
Earth Mining Company; Albert Tsai and
the level
Dick Greenwood of William L. Kuhn
of honesty and integrity of AGTA members. How could you
not want to do business with a person of this character?” Albert commented. •
A
On-site AGTA
Gemological Testing Center
Popular At GemFair
alter Arnstein Inc. of New
York was one of the first firms
to utilize the state-of-the-art
AGTA Gemological Testing Center. An
impressive amount of gemstones they offered at GemFair carried
“AGTA GTC AGTA identification reports. Pictured is third
generation gemstone whole- “Onsite Testing
Reports
Add Value saler Michael Arnstein.
Is Available
To Stones”
At GemFair!”
“The GTC Lab is one of
the best assets of AGTA,” Michael comments. “The reports make
it easy for us to sell gemstones, and easy for the customer to buy.
We’ve found that even a smaller certified stone becomes more
valuable and special to consumers,” he adds.
Based in New York, the AGTA Gemological
Testing Center has been well received by
AGTA members, and business increases every
month. Available to all Trade members, the
AGTA Gemological Testing Center provides a
wide range of laboratory services.
Call the AGTA Gemological Testing Center
at 212-752-1717. •
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5th Annual Coyote Classic Golf Tournament
“The Best Golf Tourney In The Industry” says Ron Harder, Jewelers Mutual Insurance
Dallas Cowboy and Hall-of-Famer Ed “Too Tall” Jones.
Also playing was TV actor Lee Arenberg, of Seinfeld fame.
The AGTA-staged event was successful in raising $10,000 for
Tucson Special Olympics (see related story on page 1).
competitive and fun-loving field of more than 50 golfers
took part in the 5th Annual Coyote Classic golf tournament at the new and highly-touted Del Lago championship layout, just outside of Tucson. Held annually the day
before GemFair opens, this year’s event was hosted by former
A
(Left to right)
The team of
Ralph Mueller,
Sada Fujita,
Brant Whetstone
and Ray Zajicek
shot a net 11-under
par 61 to win the
coveted Coyote Classic
championship trophy
Tournament co-chairs
Todd Wolleman (left)
and Ray Zajicek (right).
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GemFair
Arena Pavilion
On Site
Gemological
Testing
his year the byDESIGN Pavilion was expanded to
include 40 top North American jewelry designers
offering finished colored gemstone jewelry.
Retailers can see a first look at
the hottest and newest finished
designs. AGTA reports that next
year’s lineup of byDESIGN
exhibitors will be even larger. •
T
The Gemological Testing
Center (GTC) portable
testing facility will also
be at the JCK Show
June 1-5, 2001.
Mark Schneider, Schneider Design,
Long Beach, CA, exhibited a wide
array of beautiful finished pieces
in the new and expanded
byDESIGN pavilion at GemFair
Tremendous value to
get the information
you need to make
informed purchases
Tina Gosselin
of MJSA and
Michael Adams
of Otto Frei-Jules
Borel Co.
AGTA Gemological Testing Center
18 East 48th St, New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-752-1717 • Fax: 212-750-0930 • Suite 1002
The Information
To Make More Sales...
Right Here!
Brian Sholdt,
B. Sholdt Design,
Seattle, WA
hile at GemFair, stop by our products booth and get the
best of AGTA resources fast and easy. The booth offers
a wide variety of marketing and sales information and
resources that assist both retailers and industry professionals to
increase their profits of colored gemstones and cultured pearls.
Pictured here
is Kelly Hays
and Michelle
Cottraux
of AGTA at
AGTA’s products exhibit.
For marketing
materials call
AGTA at 800972-1162. •
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Paula Crevoshay,
Melika / Paula
Crevoshay,
Albuquerque, NM
Melissa Shipley,
Melissa Shipley
Designs,
Evergreen, CO
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NEW AGTA MEMBERS
July 2000 - February 2001
Member
Company Name
Type Name
City/State
Kris Gem International, Inc ..........F .....Anil Gupta ..............New York, NY
P.H. Gems International ..............F ....Padam Kala..............Forest Hills, NY
Ande Jewelry & Mineral Co. ........F ....Feng Chen................Los Angeles, CA
Australian Boulder Opal ..............F ....Kevin Dowdy ............Tucson, AZ
Johannes Hunter Jewelers ..........A ....Linda Hunter ............Colorado Springs, CO
Rare Multicolor Gems, Inc. ..........F ....Naresh Kanoongo ......New York, NY
Divine Jewels, Inc.
(dba White Cloud Co.)............F ....Dinesh Jain ..............Flushing, NY
Gemorex Interntional, Inc. ..........F ....Ravi K. Lashkery ......New York, NY
Shilco Gem Corporation ..............F ....David Dadfarin ..........New York, NY
Pacific Pebbles
(dba Ocean Pebbles)..............F ....Rosanne Ziering ........Beverly Hills, CA
Heritage Gems, LLC ....................F ....Manak C. Rawat ......New York, NY
Rawat Gem Creations, LLC ..........F ....Kailash Rawat ..........New York, NY
Marketing Momentum ................A ....Jennifer Burke ..........Tustin, CA
Nathan Hennick & Co., Inc. ........A ....Michael Valitutti, GG ..Ontario, Canada
Pleasurable Piercings, Inc.............A ....Bill Krebs, GG............Hawthorne, NJ
W.S. MacLeod & Company, Inc. ..A ..William MacLeod ......Tucker, GA
Gurhan ....................................A ....Fiona Tilley ..............New York, NY
United States Pearl Co., Inc. ........F ....Rick Baggett ............Hermitage, TN
B.V. Gems, Inc. ..........................F ....Sunil Dhandia ..........New York, NY
Yen’s Jewelry & Accessories, Inc...F ....Ivy Hue....................San Francisco, CA
Kalena Fine Jewelry Design ........A ....Karen Keit ................Kilauea, HI
PearlWorks................................A ....Sandy Jones ............Atlanta, GA
Deborah Armstrong & Co.............A ....Deborah Armstrong....Greenwich, CT
Lyle Husar Designs ....................A ....Lyle Husar ................Brookfield, WI
Laura Gibson Designs ..................A ....Laura Gibson ............Tucson, AZ
Sumner’s Engraving, Inc. ............A ....Paul A. Sumner ........Gretna, LA
Franz Jewelers, Ltd.....................A ....Frank Pintz ..............Northbrook, LA
Rigoberto dba Diamond &
Estate Jewelry, Inc. ................A ....Rigoberto Rodriquez ..Los Angeles, CA
Karkour Fine Jewelry ..................A ....Karkour Simonian......Los Angeles, CA
Ernesto Moreira, Inc. ..................A ....Ernesto Moreira ........Houston, TX
Gemcare Products, Inc.................A ....Anita Shrake ............N. Hollywood, CA
A-B Lasers, Inc. ..........................A ....Jay McCamis ............Acton, MA
AIS Appraisal Info. Services..........A ....Elly Rosen ................Brooklyn, NY
JewelerCountry ..........................A ....Lorie Bonis ..............Burbank, CA
Swarovski Crystal Components ....A ....Reinhard MacKinger ..Cranston, RI
ABI Precious Metals ....................A ....Gary Ford ................Carson, CO
Manufacturing Technologies ........A ....David Brown ............San Diego, CA
Emrusa, Ltd. ..............................F ....Raj Kumar Dhadda ....New York, NY
Gupta Gemhouse, LLC ................F ....Rajiv Gupta ..............New York, NY
Maxam Magnata........................F ....Maxam Magnata ......Tucson, AZ
Green Creations, Inc. ..................F ....Yatish Dangayach ......New York, NY
Nice Gems, Inc...........................F ....Deepak Kavadia ........New York, NY
Eiffel Jewelry, Inc. ......................A ....Norayr Babikian ........Tarzana, CA
Chameleon Gems ......................A ....Aaron Hakimian ........New York, NY
David Bachman..........................A ....David Bachman ........Piney Flats, TN
Linda Joslin Atelier......................A ....Linda Joslin ..............La Jolla, CA
Gem Appraiser & Consultant’s ......A ....Robert Aretz ............New York, NY
Rahmanan Gem Corporation ........A ....Joe Rahmanan..........New York, NY
DuftyWeis Opals, Inc...................F ....Robyn Dufty ............Maysville, KY
Caesar’s Collections ....................A ....Josie Schlapik ..........Palm Springs, CA
Qualified Buyers Only
uring Tucson’s famous gem weeks, the city is buzzing with
scores of gem, mineral and jewelry shows which attract
thousands of people from all over the country, and
around the world.
Unlike most of
these shows,
AGTA’s GemFair is
not open to the
public. In fact,
securing a credential from AGTA to
shop and buy at
GemFair involves
completing an
application and
meeting strict criteria. This screening process ensures that the buyers at GemFair
are real qualified buyers, not bargain hunters trying to beat the
system. AGTA will work with new qualified buyers to establish
their credentials for admittance.
“GemFair is certainly the
most exclusive and prestigious
of all the Tucson shows,” commented Doreen Connolly of
Connolly & Gray Jewelers of
Scottsdale, AZ. “I don’t want
to be buying right next to my
customers, and that doesn’t
happen at GemFair. AGTA is
strict on who gets in. That’s
what makes this show so
great. The buyers and
Doreen Connolly of Connolly & Gray
exhibitors value that very
Jewelers and Jerry Romanella of
much,” she added. •
D
Commercial Mineral
Tucson Convention Center... home of the 20th Annual 2001 AGTA GemFair
6
At The Awards & Dinner Dance
Bert and
Nanette Forester
and Jeff Bilgore
Debbie
Hiss-Odell
(left) and
Valerie
Fairchild
At the Dinner Dance, AGTA Honored its Past Presidents.
Left to right: Maurice Shire, Ray Zajicek, Roland
Naftule, Kenneth Moghadam, Richard Greenwood,
Owen Bordelon, Nanette Forester and (the evening’s
emcee) William Larson
Left to right: Elaina
Ouellette and Teri
Newman Brossmer
of A. James Ltd. and
Christina Kaz and
Star Kupelian,
Discover Jewelry
Angelique
Crown and
multi-Award
winner
Holly Croft
Adrian Smith and
Gillian O’Brien of Scotland
Left to right: Dong-Keuk Kim, Far East
Co.; Klaus Hammer, Signity; and
Seung Hae Moon, GIA
Vicky Lindstrum
and Maurice Shire
AGTA Cutting Edge
AwardTM Winners
Winners of the
PGI Platinum
Honors
(Right to Left) The coveted
Spectrum Award, Manufacturing
Honors & Platinum Honors
Exotic
Food
Station
Lots of laughs...
...at the Gala with (left) Simon Watt,
Competition Co-Chair, & Gil Roberts
7
2001 AGTA Tucson GemFair
Seminars Provide A Wealth
Of Valuable Information
Charles
Lewton-Brain,
Brain Press of
Canada, gives his
popular Keum-Boo
demonstration in
the Arena.
s for the past eight years, AGTA once again assembled an
exciting, well-rounded lineup of 30 educational seminars
over four days at the Tucson Convention Center. Offered
free to GemFair delegates, this year’s seminars had record attendances, with many sessions attracting more than 100 participants.
“The seminars themselves make the trip worthwhile. They
offer a wealth of information that makes the gemstone segment
of our business more profitable,” said Sandie Rousso, owner and
buyer for Davids Ltd. of Charlotte, NC. •
A
Respected author
and bench jeweler
Tim McCreight of Cape
Elizabeth, ME based Bryn
Morgen Co., demonstrates
setting colored gemstones
in precious metal clay.
John Bagley, Bagley &
Hotchkiss and AGTA
Seminars organizer
Charlotte Preston.
John’s seminar at GemFair,
The Web and Your Business,
focused on high tech
retailing strategies via the
Internet and CD-ROM.
Walter and June
Kentzler, Kentzler
Jewelers, Burlingame,
CA, in hands-on seminar
teaching the proper
use of the hand-held
spectroscope
Yoga For Jewelers Class Popular
With GemFair Attendees
Judith Whitehead’s Yoga For
Jewelers classes at the Convention
Center are popular with exhibitors
and buyers. An exhibitor at
GemFair for the past 18 years,
Judith operates a successful
Tucson-based gem and jewelry
wholesale business.
AGTA Staff Behind
The Success Of
The 2001 GemFair.
(left to right) Douglas K. Hucker, Mary Lou Keen,
Sharina Gomez, Kelly Hays, James Marker,
Michael Joshua and Kami Thomas
8
Fee-based
Gemological Institute of
America (GIA) And The
American Gem Society (AGS)
Seminars Continue To Attract
Attendees, As Always.
Smithsonian Institution Special
Exhibition At GemFair
nly once before has the Smithsonian Institution displayed
treasures at a jewelry industry trade show. The attraction
features gemstone pieces from the National Gem
Collection housed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of
Natural History in Washington, D.C. Undoubtedly, the star of the
GemFair exhibit was the 168-carat MacKay Emerald necklace.
The Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection has been built
almost entirely with donations. These donations, which
include the famous Hope Diamond, have built the collection
into the greatest and most visited public display of gemstones
in the world.
The Smithsonian is always interested in expanding its National
Gem collection, and over the years, many AGTA members have
donated pieces. For information on what gemstone donations
the Smithsonian is currently seeking, or to find out more about
donating gem pieces, contact Dr. Jeffrey E. Post, Ph.D., Curator,
O
(left to right)
Dr. Jeffrey E. Post,
Ph.D., Smithsonian
Institution; Nanette
Forester, AGTA
President; and
William Boyajiam,
President GIA
(left to right)
Russell Feather
and Patricia
Syvrud,
Smithsonian
Institution and
Richard
Greenwood, AGTA
President-Elect
Home Shopping
Network (HSN) buying
group on the floor of
GemFair. Left to right
are: Regina Barner;
Kris Kulesza; Jeff
Taraschi (all of HSN);
Jeffrey E. Post, Ph.D.,
Smithsonian
Institution; Douglas
K. Hucker, AGTA and
Matthew Parks, HSN
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560-0119.
AGTA hosted a reception at which Dr. Jeffrey E. Post, Ph.D.
spoke about generous donations and future dreams of colored
gemstones in the Department of Mineral Sciences at the National
Museum of Natural History. •
Never Been to
the Tucson
GemFair Before?
Sample GemFair
In Las Vegas at
the JCK Show
Register early & you’ll receive your admittance
badge in the mail before the show begins!
AGTA GemFair, Cultural Pearl & Jewelry Pavilion
at the JCK Las Vegas Show June 1-5, 2001
Important Telephone Numbers
AGTA GemFair Fax-On-Demand Registration - 800-879-6259
AGTA GemFair Travel Reservations - 800-843-1110
AGTA Information or Membership - 800-972-1162
AGTA Gemological Testing Center - 212-752-1717
Important Telephone Numbers
JCK Registration (deadline May 15)
800-274-5944 or 203-840-5670
JCK Las Vegas Show Travel Reservations
888-254-0937 or 312-527-7300
9
The World’s Premier Gemstone Event
For Information On GemFair Or Membership Into AGTA Call 800-972-1162 • www.agta.org
Remember, nowhere else in the world can such inventory and selection of loose colored gemstones, cultured pearls,
finished jewelry and important industry contacts be found under one roof than at AGTA’s GemFair.
PRESORT
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
FORT WORTH, TX
PERMIT NO. 711
P.O. Box 420643
Dallas, Texas 75342-0643
now
Register to attend
d:
by fax-on-deman
.
800-879-6259
Feb. 6-11, 2002