CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, announced Monday that a session addressing the regulation of minerals from areas of conflict in Africa and their impact on the jewelry industry will be held during the Vicenzaoro winter trade show this January.
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Despite a shorter shopping period and severe weather, early numbers indicate that holiday sales increased year-over-year, with jewelry cited as one of the season’s best-selling categories.

New "top-level domains"--the word that comes to the right of the dot in an Internet address--are now available, including ".diamonds". Here's what jewelry companies need to know about these new web address endings.
Following confidential arbitration, a court in The Netherlands has ruled in Swatch Group’s favor in its multi-million-dollar legal battle with Tiffany & Co. over the companies’ now-severed watch contract.
The luxury market in China has slowed considerably in 2013, impacting high-end watch sales there, according to a report from global consulting firm Bain & Co.
France’s highest court has upheld a ruling mandating that pieces created by full-time employees of jewelry firms belong to the firms themselves and are not the property of the individual designer, a ruling being called “very decisive” for French luxury goods companies.

For a number of jewelers, this past Saturday lived up to its billing, perhaps due to pent-up demand and an economy that is recovering, albeit slowly. Retailers told National Jeweler that diamond basics continued to fare well this holiday season, and a few also noted strong sales of colored gemstone pieces.
Mehul Shah of Shivani Gems Inc. was re-elected president of the Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association by the organization’s board of directors.
KBC announced Thursday that Shanghai-based Yinren Group has acquired its subsidiary Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB), one of the leading financers of the diamond trade, for an undisclosed sum.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time. Target Corp. confirmed Thursday that there was unauthorized access to the credit and debit card data of shoppers who made purchases in its U.S. stores over the past month.
Emerald Expositions, the parent company of National Jeweler, JA New York and Couture, announced Friday that it has agreed to acquire George Little Management LLC (GLM) from Providence Equity Partners for $335 million.
Entries now are being accepted for Jewelers of America’s 2014 Case Awards, which recognizes JA retail members who exhibit creativity, artistry, style and excellence in jewelry design.
More than 30 Macy’s stores in cities across the country will stay open 24 hours a day for four days in a row, beginning this Friday and continuing until Christmas Eve, the retailer announced Wednesday.
ShopperTrak, a firm that has devices installed in stores across the country to count the number of people coming in, said that both retail sales and foot traffic were down last week due in large part to the weekend snowstorm.

“Let it Snow” has morphed from a classic holiday tune into a Dec. 31 mantra for one Pennsylvania retailer. Here’s why.
Retail chain Michael Hill International has launched four new interactive e-commerce sites in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States to support the brand’s expansion across major markets.
For the third time, 91-year-old retail chain Loehmann’s has filed for bankruptcy and this time the chain plans to sell to a group of liquidators, court papers show.
The Rapaport Group, the organization known for diamond pricing, is getting into the trade show game with the launch of a diamond-centric show scheduled to take place in conjunction with Baselworld.
Facebook announced Tuesday that it will begin testing videos for advertisers this week for select users of the social media network.
Around 10 percent of consumers who haven’t yet wrapped up their holiday shopping will wait until Christmas Eve to finish, news that is no surprise to jewelers who are used to being busy until closing time on Dec. 24.

National Jeweler recently polled and interviewed retailers about their seasonal sales of, and price points for, silver jewelry, a popular pick for holiday gifts. Here’s what they had to say.
Buyers are back in the market for luxury items and jewelry this holiday season, with the biggest shopping day for the season still to come, according to MasterCard Advisors.
The Jewelry Information Center (JIC), the consumer education arm of Jewelers of America, recently completed its annual media tour to promote jewelry gift ideas in time for the holiday shopping season.

In this short holiday season that’s quickly drawing to a close, retailers say that diamond sales remain strong, silver is doing well and Rolex watches are hot. Read on to see how sales at your store compare.
Northeastern Fine Jewelry is paying it forward this year when it comes to holiday shopping: for every Lego watch purchased at the store’s Albany and Schenectady locations, the retailer will donate another Lego watch to the Boys & Girls Club.