Jewelers for Children (JFC) is bringing back its Rings of Strength tour in two editions for 2014--an event at the close of the Centurion show and another during the jewelry shows in Las Vegas.
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The Diamond Empowerment Fund said that DJ M.O.S. has been selected to spin at the third annual Good Awards this January.
Manufacturer and diamond wholesaler A.V. Diamonds announced that it now has a partnership with HVK International Private Ltd., a sightholder with both De Beers and Russian diamond miner Alrosa.
Loss to retailers from return fraud during the holiday season is forecast to increase from $2.88 billion to $3.39 billion this year, a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey shows.

The Healthy Lifestyles Center at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) will receive $10,425 thanks to a dozen Richmond jewelers who raised money for the center via a raffle.

Swiss watch maker Swatch Group is bringing its multi-brand retail store, Hour Passion, to the United States, and the first shops will be in New York and Las Vegas.
The first tender of rough diamonds from the Marange region of Zimbabwe in Antwerp will take place this week, Botswana-based diamond company First Element (Pty.) Ltd. announced.
Nordstrom is showcasing Blue Nile engagement rings and wedding bands at its flagship location in downtown Seattle, marking the first time the e-tailer’s pieces have been shown in a brick-and-mortar store.

The greatest percentage of retailers surveyed in National Jeweler’s recent poll said they expect diamond fashion jewelry to be their best-selling category this holiday season.
Synthetic diamonds--specifically those being passed off as natural--were one of the top stories in the jewelry industry last year, and it doesn’t look the man-made stones will be relinquishing their news-making reign anytime soon.
After more than a year of reviewing its mandatory member standards, the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) officially has launched its new Code of Practices.

The Chic collection from Marie Claire Jewelry has launched in Macy’s Herald Square store in New York, which is the department store’s flagship location and also is advertised as the largest store in the world.
I was just looking at my credit card accounts online--a dangerous venture at this time of the year--trying to add up just how much I’ve spent shopping on my iPad over the past five months. The answer is quite a bit.

A 14.07-carat cushion-cut G color, VS1 diamond ring from the collection of English author Barbara Taylor Bradford sold for $730,148, making it the top lot of Bonhams sale held Thursday in London.
Japanese watch maker Seiko announced Thursday that it’s expanding its global presence with the opening of its first high-end boutique in the United States next year.
Kohl’s Department Stores is upping the competition ante this holiday season by announcing that it will keep its doors open for more than 100 hours straight in late December.

Six winners have been named in the inaugural Rebel Chique Design Competition, which asked entrants to create jewelry using Rebel Chique Diamonds, Royal Asscher’s lab-grown diamond brand.
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) said it doesn’t have a firm date for its tender of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe’s Marange region, rebuffing reports that the sale started this week.

A private collection of fancy color diamonds arranged in the shape of a butterfly is on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM).
A new e-commerce website, mobile applications and revamped websites are among the recent online developments in the jewelry industry.
Due to “compelling promotions” J.C. Penney Co. Inc. recorded a 10 percent year-over-year increase in same-store sales in November, with its Modern Bride brand among the private labels showing signs of life.

None of the firms allegedly jostling to buy John Hardy are commenting on the reported deal, which values the jewelry brand at $100 to $140 million.
Australian jewelry retailer Mazzucchelli’s is now an exclusive authorized jeweler of De Beers’ Forevermark brand in central, southern and western Australia and in the country’s most densely populated state, Victoria.
MJSA again will sponsor “Live at the Bench” demonstrations at the 2014 American Gem Trade Association GemFair Tucson, scheduled for Feb. 4 to 9 at the Tucson Convention Center.
Rockwell Diamonds Inc., which mines alluvial deposits in South Africa, has unearthed a 287-carat rough diamond from its operations in the Middle Orange River region.












