The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
ASC Acquired by Mi9 Retail
Retail software company Mi9 Retail has acquired Applications Systems Corporation (ASC) and is forming a new group dedicated entirely to jewelry retailers.
Miami--Retail software company Mi9 Retail has acquired Applications Systems Corporation (ASC) and is forming a new group dedicated entirely to jewelry retailers.
The purchase of ASC marks the second recent, sizable acquisition made by Mi9, which scooped up Raymark, a Montreal-based software company whose clients include Helzberg Diamonds and London Jewelers, in November, gaining its first jewelry clients in the transaction.
The independent and multi-store jewelers who use ASC’s software will join Mi9 Retail/Raymark’s 12 existing jewelry customers to form the base for Mi9’s new Retail Jewelry Group, which will be led by ASC Executive Vice President and co-founder Barry Kraft.
The rest of ASC’s staff, including President Richard Smith and Director of Software Development Mark Dugan, both of whom founded ASC alongside Kraft, will remain intact, and the company will still be headquartered in Boston.
In addition, ASCUS, the advisory user group comprised of more than 100 independent jewelers, will be combined with Mi9 Retail’s Customer Advisory Board, forming a super-group, of sorts, that will give input on how software is working.
The amount of the transaction was not disclosed.
Based in Miami, Mi9 Retail develops and provides merchandise management, retail analytics and store operations software. The company also offers mobile point-of-sale, mobile inventory management, CRM (customer relationship management) and mobile clienteling applications.
Longtime ASC customer and Long Jeweler’s President Craig Rottenberg said Mi9’s acquisitions of both ASC and Raymark mean that ASC customers, and the jewelry industry in general, will “reap incredible benefits.”
“Independent jewelers of every size will now have the opportunity to utilize world-class software--from POS systems to data analysis, mobile applications, CRM and clienteling--that will better manage operations and improve customer engagement into the future,” he said.
The Latest

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association


In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

The 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.

Jamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.

Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.

Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.

The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers will take place Sept. 5-6 on Zoom.

Honest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.

QVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.

The brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.

Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.

Sponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers

Cloud, who will officially join Blue Nile on Monday, spent 26 years at Tiffany & Co. and founded jewelry brand Roseate.



















