GradingAug 22, 2025
Former Head of GIA India Promoted to Oversee Global Operations Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
IndependentsSep 30, 2019
Imperial Pearl’s Banice Bazar Dies at 90
He started his career in the jewelry industry in 1953 after earning a Bronze Star in the Korean War.
Banice Carl Bazar was a Korean War vet, father of four, and chairman of the board for Imperial Pearl Company. He died on Sept. 20 at the age of 90.
Providence, R.I.—Banice Carl Bazar, who started his career in the jewelry industry in 1953 after earning a Bronze Star in the Korean War, died Sept. 20.
He was 90.
Born Feb. 13, 1929, 20 minutes after twin sister Doris (“Dottie”), Bazar was one of six children of Samuel and Jenny (Bloom) Bazar. Samuel was in the jewelry business; he owned a rhinestone jewelry manufacturing company called AS Manufacturing.
Banice Bazar went to the University of Rhode Island after high school, making his way through college by working as a waiter and entering the university’s ROTC program.
After he graduated as a chemist in 1951, Bazar went off to fight in the Korean War as a U.S. Army lieutenant commanding a unit in the 388th Chemical Smoke Generator Company (the unit laid down smoke screens to protect the infantry.)
There, he earned a Bronze Star Medal by driving a Jeep across the smoke-screen line to rescue several soldiers trapped on the wrong side.
When Bazar returned to the United States, he started a business as a representative for jewelry manufacturers, hopping onto U.S. Navy ships in port in Newport, Rhode Island and Boston to sell lines like Bulova, Giovanni Jewelry Company, Imperial Pearl Syndicate and Deltah Pearl Company into their on-board exchange stores.
In the 1970s, with the pearl business in the midst of a downturn, he had the opportunity to buy Imperial and Deltah and so he did, combining them to form one big company.
Imperial-Deltah grew over the years, with three of Bazar’s grandsons coming on board.
In an interview on the history of Imperial Pearl posted online, Bazar talked about his fondness for the gemstones and their “subdued” beauty, and what he believes has kept his company in business all these years—making everyone feel valued.
“Treat your customers like family, treat your employees like family, and you’ll come out like I did, and I’m very proud of that fact,” he said.
Bazar was a member of the Providence Jewelers Club, 24 Karat Club and Cultured Pearl Association of America, and was a founding member of Prime Jewelry Group and past president and member of the Plumb Club.
Outside of work, he and his wife Beverly Bazar owned an inn in the ski resort town of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. He was known as a gregarious host in the inn’s lounge, the last to leave at night and the first
on the slopes in the morning.
He loved spending time with his family and all sports, particularly men’s basketball at the University of Rhode Island.
Bazar is survived by his children and their spouses, Peter and Charlotte Bazar, David and Susan Bazar, Karen and Alan Bergel, and Ann Bazar; 11 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings; his wife of 66 years, Beverly; one son, Joseph; and a granddaughter, Dayna Bazar.
Funeral services for Bazar were held Sept. 24 at Temple Beth-El in Providence. Burial was in Swan Point Cemetery.
Donations in his memory may be made to the URI to support the men’s basketball team, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston RI, 02881.
Editor’s note: This story was updated post-publication to correct Banice Bazar’s birth year (1929, not 1926) and he number of children he had (four, not five). In addition, the name of Bazar’s sister was listed incorrectly in the obituary submitted for him. It is Doris, not Dorothy.
He loved spending time with his family and all sports, particularly men’s basketball at the University of Rhode Island.
Bazar is survived by his children and their spouses, Peter and Charlotte Bazar, David and Susan Bazar, Karen and Alan Bergel, and Ann Bazar; 11 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings; his wife of 66 years, Beverly; one son, Joseph; and a granddaughter, Dayna Bazar.
Funeral services for Bazar were held Sept. 24 at Temple Beth-El in Providence. Burial was in Swan Point Cemetery.
Donations in his memory may be made to the URI to support the men’s basketball team, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston RI, 02881.
Editor’s note: This story was updated post-publication to correct Banice Bazar’s birth year (1929, not 1926) and he number of children he had (four, not five). In addition, the name of Bazar’s sister was listed incorrectly in the obituary submitted for him. It is Doris, not Dorothy.
More on Independents
The Latest
CollectionsAug 22, 2025
Piece of the Week: Retrouvaí’s ‘Diamond Vein Bond’ CollarThe one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.
MajorsAug 22, 2025
Kendra Scott Returns as CEO of Her Jewelry EmpireThree C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 StoresThe retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.
Weekly QuizAug 22, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ ChallengeParticipants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the YearAllison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
