Agate
USA: Original Jewelry Design Has Chic Pieces at Affordable Prices
By Rajesh Kumar, Section Agate
Posted on Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 03:24:29 AM EST
Mary Glantz is not a pedestrian collector of jewelry. She's, quite simply, a fanatic. "I really love jewelry and I have a passion for it," she said. "I decided to create an opportunity to share the sparkle and elegance of jewelry with people." In December of 2007, Glantz opened the doors on her online business.
"I'm really excited about being a part of the jewelry trade; excited about having the opportunity to get to know more about jewelry and what makes that piece a quality one," explained Glantz. "Jewelry is such a unique way to express your individual style and taste."
Though it's still in its infancy, there are already talks on furthering the webstore's selection: "My future plans are to find the latest fashions in jewelry, the newest trends, and offer a wider selection of types of gemstones and fashions."
(266 words in story) Full Story
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Sales Up but Losses Mount for Finlay
By Rajesh Kumar, Section Agate
Posted on Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 05:13:49 AM EST
Finlay Enterprises, Inc. reported that sales for the second quarter increased 28.8 percent to $190.6 million, year-over-year.
Specialty jewelry stores consisting of Carlyle, Congress, and Bailey Banks & Biddle, which were acquired in November 2007, contributed sales of $74.9 million for the second quarter, as compared to $27 million for the same period last year. Same-store sales for the second quarter decreased 4.8 percent.
For the quarter, ended Aug. 2, reported a loss from continuing operations of $12.3 million, compared to a loss of $8.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2007. Loss from operations before depreciation and amortization expenses for the second quarter totaled $7.1 million, compared to a loss of $1.9 million in the prior year period.
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Beads, gems to gleam at Henrietta show
By Rajesh Kumar, Section Agate
Posted on Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 04:36:48 AM EST
There will be a bead and gem show, BeadStreet USA, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2 and 3, at the Fair and Expo Center, 2695 East Henrietta Road.
Show hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $6.
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Rough Diamond Conference Well Represented
By Rajesh Kumar, Section Agate
Posted on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 08:50:47 PM EST
The Third International Rough Diamond Conference, to be held on Feb. 11 - 12, will feature representatives of more than 99 percent of the world's rough diamond production, the Israel Diamond Institute said. This includes the leadership of the five largest world producers (by value): Botswana, Russia, Canada, Angola and South Africa, all of which will be represented by ministers or top corporate producers.
This is in addition to a roster of leaders from current and future production companies, as well as ministers and delegations from most major diamond producing countries in Africa, attending the event in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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At a recent conference in India, U.S. retailers came face-to-face
By Rajesh Kumar, Section Agate
Posted on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 08:47:01 PM EST
It was overwhelming: the spicy food, the poverty, the crowded cities, the splendor of the Taj Mahal. It was also exhausting, enlightening, and, for many, the trip of a lifetime.
But for the team of retailers that was flown (business class, all expenses paid) to the U.S.-Indo Business Development Conference in Mumbai, India, the real reason they were there was the jewelry. (JCK also received an all-expenses-paid trip.) And the unanimous verdict was: impressive.
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Hope Diamond's Mysterious Red Glow Solved
By Rajesh Kumar, Section Agate
Posted on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 11:17:25 PM EST
A study released in the January 2008 edition of the journal Geology proves that a blue diamond's rare appeal goes far beyond its beauty.
Researchers at the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory measured the phosphorescence spectra of the 45.52-ct. blue Hope Diamond and 66 other natural blue diamonds, including the 30.82-ct. Blue Heart Diamond in the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection. They found that almost all natural blue diamonds show phosphorescence that has components of blue and red light. In some cases, including the Hope Diamond, the red color dominates, and the phosphorescence appears red to the eye; but for other diamonds, the blue color dominates.
The specific characteristics of the phosphorescence, such as the relative intensities of the blue and red components and how quickly it fades, were specific to each of the 67 diamonds in the study and provide a "fingerprint" that can be used by scientists and gemologists to individually identify natural blue diamonds.
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Agate: banded beauty
By Rajesh Kumar, Section Agate
Posted on Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 01:59:01 AM EST
No gemstone is more creatively striped by Nature than agate, chalcedony quartz that forms in concentric layers in a wide variety of colours and textures. Each individual agate forms by filling a cavity in host rock. As a result, agate is often found as a round nodule, with concentric bands like the rings of a tree trunk. The bands sometimes look like eyes, fanciful scallops, or even a landscape with trees.
Agate was highly valued as a talisman or amulet in ancient times. It was said to quench thirst and protect against fever. Persian magicians used agate to divert storms. A famous collection of two to four thousand agate bowls which was accumulated by Mithridates, king of Pontus, shows the enthusiasm with which agate was regarded. Agate bowls were also popular in the Byzantine Empire. Collecting agate bowls became common among European royalty during the Renaissance and many museums in Europe, including the Louvre, have spectacular examples.
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