Gemologist Carmona accepted to Pacific Council
Los Angeles--Gemologist Charles I. Carmona is the newest member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, an international affairs organization focused on issues that affect the West Coast...
JA: Economic recovery act will benefit jewelers
New York--Jewelers of America (JA) says the economic stimulus act contains several measures that will benefit jewelers, including small business provisions that will benefit the industry, and tax...
N.Y. state considers increasing luxury goods tax
Albany, N.Y.--An additional sales tax of 5 percent on luxury goods costing more than $20,000--including jewelry--is one element of New York Gov. David Paterson's proposed $12.1 billion state budget,...
Obama unveils plan to help small businesses
Washington--Under fire for the bailout of big banks and Wall Street institutions, President Barack Obama unveiled a plan on Monday that will make it easier for small-business owners to borrow money,...
Montblanc, Sotheby's launch tour to support literacy
New York--Montblanc and Sotheby's auction house have partnered to put on a worldwide tour of 12 unique portraits that will be auctioned off next fall in support of global education and literacy...
RJC to participate in U.N. Global Compact
London--The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) formally joined as a participant in the United Nations Global Compact--Civil Society on Jan. 15 to bring added value to the RJC and its members by...
NGOs to KP: Suspend Zimbabwe's membership
Ottawa, Canada--Members of the Kimberley Process (KP) Civil Society Coalition are calling upon the KP to suspend Zimbabwe's membership in light of the recent violence unleashed on diamond diggers in...
Thai government urging gem traders to follow rules
Bangkok--Given the recent U.S. ban on Burmese rubies, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce is joining forces with state agencies and industry bodies to urge rough-gem traders to adhere to stricter...
NRF: Stimulus bill doesn't do enough for consumers
Washington--The National Retail Federation (NRF) told the Senate on Thursday that the economic-stimulus legislation under consideration fails to do enough for consumers, and repeated its call for a...
JA provides new guidance on Burmese gem ban
Jewelers of America has sent its members updated guidance on the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act of 2008, which banned the importation of Burmese jadeite and rubies last September.
CIBJO announces dates, venue for 2009 Congress
Milan, Italy--CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation's 2009 Congress is being hosted by the Turkey Jewelry Association and will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 3-5, at the Ciragan Palace...
Be prepared for the economic upturn
Now is a good time for jewelers to start thinking about the future--how to recover from this depressing recession as quickly as possible and how to adapt to the changes that are sure to alter the...
CIJBO Congress program now available online
Milan, Italy--The program for the upcoming 2009 CIBJO Congress is now available on the dedicated Congress Web site, Congress2009.CIBJO.org.
NRF: Retail sales to drop 0.5 percent in 2009
Washington--Retail industry sales, excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, are expected to decrease 0.5 percent compared with 2008, as consumers continue to shift their spending...
Know the rules before hosting a 'gold party'
New York--Retail jewelers cashing in on the phenomenon of private "gold parties" should be aware of the laws that regulate secondhand purchases, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) cautions.