Gemstone and Pearl News:

Survey: Holiday Gift Card Sales to Fall 6%
Gift card sales are expected to fall nearly six percent this holiday season to $24.9 billion, down from $26.3 billion last year, according to a National Retail Federation survey. Fewer people plan to purchase gift cards this year (53.5% vs. 56.6% last year) and gift card shoppers will be spending less overall on the cards ($147.33 vs. $156.24 in 2007).
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:24:00 EST

Retail E-Commerce Growth Slows to 1% in October
Online spending (not including travel) in October 2008 grew by only 1 percent over October 2007, the lowest monthly growth rate since comScore, Inc. began tracking e-commerce in 2001.
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:02:00 EST

Platinum: Price, Supplies Drop; Jewelry Demand May Rise
While the global supply of platinum is forecast to be in deficit by 240,000 ounces in 2008, and demand overall expected to fall by 2.3 percent for the year, demand for platinum jewelry, specifically, may rise in 2009 if prices stabilize.
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:16:00 EST

Richemont Sales Up 10%
Compagnie Financière Richemont said that its sales increased 10 percent year-over-year to $3.5 billion during the first six months of the 2008 fiscal year, due to strong growth in the Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. At constant exchange rates, sales growth was 16 percent.
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:25:00 EST

Jewelry Remains a Popular Holiday Gift
About 72 percent of consumers have completed less than 10 percent of their shopping, compared with 2.2 percent of shoppers who say they have completely finished, according to a National Retail Federation survey.
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:56:00 EST

Bulgari's 3Q Sales Flat
Bulgari S.p.A. said its third-quarter sales were flat, year-over-year, at approximately $324 million. At comparable exchange rates sales increased by 2 percent. Meanwhile, the luxury jeweler's net profit for the same period declined 44 percent to approximately $29.1 million, year-over-year.
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:05:00 EST

Fashion Trends News:

Exploring Contemporary Jewelry
The Museum of Arts and Design will present a daylong public program dedicated to contemporary studio jewelry on Nov. 22. It will introduce visitors to the leading trends, techniques, and processes in the field of jewelry design through artist demonstrations, and discussions.
Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:07:00 EST

AGTA Spectrum Award Winners
Frederic Sage, J.W. Currens, and Erica Courtney were among the big winners in the 2009 AGTA Spectrum Awards competition hosted by the American Gem Trade Association. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the competition.
Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:14:00 EST

Montblanc Supports 46664, Mandela Foundation
Montblanc has joined forces with The Nelson Mandela Foundation and the 46664 campaign in their global initiative to raise funds and spread the message of HIV/AIDS awareness through sales of the program's symbolic 46664 bangle.
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:44:00 EST

China Presents International Jewelry Awards
The 2008 China International Jewelry Design Contest, organized by TTF Studio, presented awards to 30 jewelry designers during an Oct. 9 ceremony in Shenzhen, China.
Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:27:00 EST

Ganoksin Project's Orchid Blog Network
The founders of the Ganoksin Project have launched a blog service for jewelers, metalsmiths, and lapidary artists.
Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:34:00 EST

Centurion Unveils Emerging Designers
Centurion 2009 has named three winners for its first Centurion Emerging Designer Awards. The competition was created to give up-and-coming designers around the world an opportunity to exhibit in front of top retail stores at the Centurion show in Tucson, Ariz., Jan. 31 – Feb. 4, 2009.
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:21:00 EST