Jewelers of America leadership, including President and CEO David J. Bonaparte (center), and members met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18 to talk about issues that are impacting the jewelry industry.
New York—Jewelers of America headed back to Capitol Hill earlier this month for its annual fly-in.
Led by the Jewelers of America Political Action Committee, JA leadership and members met with lawmakers on Sept. 18 to talk about what has been impacting the jewelry industry.
The top concern was the implementation of Russian diamond restrictions across G7 nations, which includes the U.S.
JA said it has repeatedly asked lawmakers to push back against the European Union’s proposal for the adoption of an exclusive physical verification and certification system in Belgium for all rough diamonds.
“Such a system would cause maximum damage to the global diamond and jewelry supply chain, while having minimal effect on Russia’s diamond revenues,” said JA in a statement.
JA President and CEO David J. Bonaparte said “This trip to Washington D.C. continued our essential representation for Jewelers of America, our members, and the United States jewelry industry.
“Jewelers of America members made it clear they do not want Russian diamonds in their inventories, but they also don’t want solutions that cause unnecessary disruptions to the U.S. diamond industry.”
Fly-in attendees met with more than two dozen members of Congress during the visit, said JA, including a senior Republican member who said they would share the industry’s concerns on the Hill.
JA leadership and members headed to Washington, D.C. for the annual fly-in, led by the Jewelers of America Political Action Committee.
Two other hot topics were retail crime and credit card swipe fees.
The group met with Rep. Young Kim (R, CA-40), who introduced the Organized Retail Crime Act, to discuss retail crime levels.
The act aims to facilitate coordination and information sharing among federal law enforcement agencies.
Amina Sorel of New York City-based Amina Sorel Fine Jewelry was a first-time fly-in attendee.
“Our conversations focused on maintaining a supportive economic environment for jewelers, protecting the integrity of our diamond supply, and ensuring that safety measures are in place to combat retail crime,” she said in a statement.
“It’s clear that when we come together as an industry, we can advocate effectively for policies that benefit not just our businesses, but our communities as well.”
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Sorel was joined by her chief financial officer, Leslie Sorel, and a number of other JA members, including:
Brian Alter, Alter’s Gem Jewelry in Beaumont, Texas; Lawrence Bock, Bachendorf's in Dallas; Jon Bridge, Ben Bridge Jeweler in Seattle; Linus Drogs, Au Enterprises, Inc. in Beverly Hills, Michigan; Susan Eisen and Ron Wolff, Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry Watches Art & Appraiser in El Paso, Texas; Bill Farmer Jr., Farmer’s Jewelers in Lexington, Kentucky; Rebecca Foerster, Hearts on Fire in Boston; Susan Grant, Grants Jewelry in New York; Elise Greenberg, Greenberg's Jewelers in Sioux City, Iowa; Myriam Gumuchian, Gumuchian in New York; and Constance Polamalu, Zachary's Jewelers in Annapolis, Maryland.
The delegation was led by Bonaparte, JA’s Chief Financial Officer Annie Doresca, and Public Affairs and Education Director Susan Thea Posnock.
The event was spearheaded by Tim Haake, managing director of Haake & Associates, JA’s long-term government affairs firm.
Other industry members joined the group, including John W. Ford, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association; Jackie Mecca, senior vice president and general manager of luxury markets at Synchrony; and Matthew Swibel, vice president of sustainability and social impact at Signet Jewelers.
JA also held its Multifaceted Learning Workshop, which includes education sessions and networking, the day before the fly-in.
The next workshop will take place in New York City on Oct. 29.
