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AGTA GemFair buyers: Color, pearls strong for '09

February 13, 2009

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Retailers see "a great opportunity" in 2009 for colored-gemstone and pearl jewelry, such as these earrings featuring aquamarine and pearls by R. Hollander Master Goldsmith.

Dallas--Although attendance was down compared with last year and buying activity was slower, many retail jewelers still attended the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) GemFair earlier this month to restock their inventory with gemstones, pearls and finished jewelry.

According to AGTA, the 2009 GemFair, held from Feb. 4-9 in Tucson, Ariz., saw a 19 percent drop in attendance to 7,640 buyers compared with 9,402 in 2008. But in this economy, the organization was extremely pleased to have 81 percent of its buyers attend, AGTA Chief Executive Officer Douglas K. Hucker said in a media release.

"We had a lot of positive feedback from our exhibitors about the quality and quantity of the traffic on the show floor," Hucker added. "Many buyers see a great opportunity in colored gemstones and pearls in 2009 and were on hand to diversify their merchandise mix."

Purchases were made on the show floor but at reduced levels compared with previous years. Several retailers reported having higher stock levels in their inventory and were primarily looking for special order and key stock pieces, AGTA said.

An interesting trend noted on the show floor, according to AGTA, was an influx of new buyers opening accounts.

Also of note was the level of business completed in the Spectrum of Design Pavilion and the 50 new members AGTA enlisted.

"Membership in AGTA is more valuable now than ever, especially for retailers and smaller businesses," Hucker said. "By using the economies of scale of our membership, we can now offer many programs and sales tools with little or no cost to our member companies. Every savings that we offer our members helps reduce overall expenses, and attending companies took advantage by joining the association at the show."

AGTA is an association of professionals in the natural colored-gemstone and cultured-pearl industry who are dedicated to promoting the natural colored-gemstone trade. The association pursues this mission through the combined use of educational programs, industry events and publicity to both the trade and the consumer.
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