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IGI to Acquire American Gemological Laboratories IGI is buying the colored gemstone grading laboratory through IGI USA, and AGL will continue to operate as its own brand.
EditorsSep 16, 2008
Take a look at platanium
With most—if not all—jewelry raw materials (gold, silver, gemstones, diamonds, etc.) coming from overseas, it is refreshing indeed to see a U.S. company develop a jewelry brand (platanium) that could, to some degree, take the place of foreign gold and/or...
With most—if not all—jewelry raw materials (gold, silver, gemstones, diamonds, etc.) coming from overseas, it is refreshing indeed to see a U.S. company develop a jewelry brand (platanium) that could, to some degree, take the place of foreign gold and/or silver.
As we know by now, platanium (not to be confused with the relatively expensive palladium), is a stainless steel alloy that doesn't scratch or tarnish, and is sold under the brand name Carved Creation.
With the roller coaster prices of gold and silver, rising diamond prices and question of genuine stone availability (phew), having a small U.S.-based company launch an innovative brand and concept is refreshing and worth looking at.
The company targets customers seeking to spend $200 on customized platanium jewelry (Carved Creation), but is now nicely diversified by marketing customized gold and silver jewelry at $400-$700. Its main distribution is via the Internet.
Like any small company launching an innovative brand in a crowded industry and in a struggling economy, Carved Creation faces obstacles galore. If the brand grows quickly, competitors (some better managed and capitalized) will also launch their own brand. As a niche brand, it is uncertain how much growth is available.
Nevertheless, I hope other firms take a chance and launch innovative jewelry products too.
Jan Brassem is a founder of Eclipse Global Consulting LLC, a firm that assists jewelry retailers who are expanding into foreign markets and/or sourcing globally. You can e-mail him at Jan@EclipseGlobalConsulting.com.
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