AGS, JA form bench jeweler task force

Latest News

Save

E-mail

AGS, JA form bench jeweler task force

September 13, 2007

Similar Stories | Topics

STORIES

JA's Political Action Committee expands board

JA, National Jeweler partner on profit-building tool

JA fights Obama's proposed LIFO repeal

JA provides new guidance on Burmese gem ban

Illinois drops plan for luxury tax

New York—The American Gem Society (AGS) and Jewelers of America (JA), along with bench jewelry industry leaders, have formed the Bench Jeweler Education Resource Forum, a task force to examine the state of bench jeweler education and certification.

The AGS and JA convened the meeting in recognition of the importance of bench jewelers to the future health and prosperity of the independent jeweler.

"The repair and design services that a competent bench staff provides to the retail jeweler are a key source of differentiation," AGS Chief Executive Officer Ruth Batson said in a statement. "A skilled bench staff conveys a message of service and professionalism that is critical to independent jewelers' ongoing success."

JA President and CEO Matthew A. Runci said JA led the industry with its creation of the JA Certified Bench Jeweler Program a decade ago.

"Now it's time to gather all interested parties to take a fresh look at certification and at all the resources available to bench jewelers," he said.

The new forum has formed four committees to assess key areas of interest over the next year. David Peters, director of education for JA, will lead the process, with assistance from Sharie Fogarty, JA's assistant to the president.

The committees are:

* JA Certified Bench Jeweler Program/Content and Structure, which will assess the current content and structure of the program. It plans to review current tests and projects, consider new specialized tests and evaluate the current four titles that bench jewelers can attain to see if they continue to be relevant. Ulla Raus of the Texas Institute for Jewelry Technology, Alan Revere of the Revere Academy and Brad Simon of Bench Media will serve as co-chairs.

* JA Certified Bench Jeweler Program/Fulfillment, which will evaluate the fulfillment process, grading turnaround times and consistency of grading. Peters and Fogarty will lead this committee.

* Educational Resources for Bench Jewelers, which has compiled a first draft list of known resources, from associations and companies such as Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America, Stuller, the Gemological Institute of America, Bench Media, TIJT, the Revere Academy and others. The committee will research missing elements and the development of new educational programming. Teresa Shannon of MJSA will chair this committee with assistance from Bill Herbert of the GIA.

* Media and Marketing, which will consider how to best market bench jeweler expertise. Its outreach will consider messaging to bench jewelers, storeowners and consumers. David Gardner of David Gardner's Jewelers in College Station, Texas, will lead this committee. Gardner also led the AGS committee that crafted the new AGS Certified Jewelry Arts Professional title.

The committees will work through the next year on finalizing recommendations, with plans to meet at the Tucson gem shows in February and the AGS Conclave being held next April in Seattle.

For more information on the forum, contact David Peters at davidpeters@jewelers.org.

Save

E-mail

More Brand Profiles

Movado watch fetes 50 years of pirouettes, solos

A night out at the New York City Ballet or Jazz at Lincoln Center is bound to be memorable, but Movado hopes to help make it more so with a new version of its iconic "Museum" watch. Read More

Raymond Weil forms U.S. distribution company

More News

More Like This

JA's Political Action Committee expands board

April 16, 2009 | National Jeweler Network

JA, National Jeweler partner on profit-building tool

April 03, 2009 | National Jeweler Network

JA fights Obama's proposed LIFO repeal

April 02, 2009 | National Jeweler Network

JA provides new guidance on Burmese gem ban

March 31, 2009 | National Jeweler Network

Illinois drops plan for luxury tax

March 25, 2009 | National Jeweler Network

Design Portfolio

BROWSE

Video

Retailer Toolbar

America's Best Jewelers
Join the ONLY Social Network for Jewelry Retailers. Get access to expert content, peer best practices, and more.
Start networking today.

Newsletters
Topic-specific newsletters that deliver the latest news on jewelry, diamonds, wholesale operations and high-volume buying directly to your in-box.

ReaderConnect
Supplier information presented with every article, bringing you related, actionable content on every topic.

Yellow Pages
A comprehensive listing of associations, organizations, suppliers and services for the jewelry industry.

Classifieds
A comprehensive listing of job postings, product offerings and other materials for sale for the jewelry industry.

CustomerConnect
The most sophisticated suite of marketing services available for jewelry retailers, from Internet tools to data marketing.