Gem News Sources

[PinkDiamond]

This is a video done by a friend of mine (thanks Pam!) from another forum, shot at the 2009 Tucson Gem show. She is interviewing a gentleman from Columbia Gem House, who is discussing Fair Trade gems. It's only about 2 minutes long and worth checking out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atgKiO-e2co

[OpalFlash]

I like the idea cause I saw alot of documetaries about gem mining like ruby-mining in africa. It's really sad to see the poor people doing this hard work for almost nothing. They can come to work there and the get a dollar a day, but when you don't have a pick or a showel you have to rent it from the boss and that would cost you 50cent or something like it.

The money they get for doing this hard job is one side of the dirty business... the other side is, like the people are treated by the supervisors. That's not very human. Maybe that was a very though example, but I imagine there are alot of mining areas over the world, where the meople are treated like *explicit*.
I wonder how it is in gondar... mining the welo opals. Think the australian opal mining is very different to this kind of mining.

Greetz,
Steve

[PinkDiamond]

SECURITY ALERT
Paul Levin of Tairona Co. Robbed

On September 22, 2009, Paul Levin of Tairona Co. was robbed in Plymouth, MN at 1:20 pm. Levin’s car was boxed in while he was in the car. Four Hispanic males, who wore surgical masks, hooded sweatshirts and gloves broke the rear window and 2 side windows simultaneously. A knife was swung into the car while a second man popped the trunk from inside. The man in the rear grabbed the bag and they left in an unplated black Toyota Camry. The car was found nearby and abandoned.

Please click the link for images of the stolen items:
http://www.agta.org/pressroom/images/20 ... images.pdf

For additional information, please contact Paul Levin at 949-366-6159.

[PinkDiamond]

This really bites, and is just another reason why people like myself are not renewing our memberships in AGTA. To do this while the economy is circling the bowl is unconscionable!

Gem show dealer threatens to leave Tucson
Posted: Oct 06, 2009 6:57 PM CDT Updated: Oct 07, 2009 8:49 PM CDT
By Bud Foster - email

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - One of the large vendors at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show has threatened to leave town if the city does not build its proposed $200 million downtown Sheraton and expand the TCC.

The American Gem Trade Association, which has been coming to Tucson since 1981, says other cities have expressed an interest like Phoenix and Las Vegas.

CEO Doug Hucker told the Tucson City Council, "if we do not see progress on a hotel and upgrading of the convention center, we will leave..."

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=11269751

[PinkDiamond]

ISG grad and founder of the Jewelers Ethics Association, Lisa-Brooks Pike, recently met with Bruce Bridges, son of the late Campbell Bridges who discovered Tsavorite and was recently murdered in Kenya, and she has a report with more information on the events surrounding the attack:
http://www.jewelersethicsassociation.com/news

The petition still needs some 22 signatures to reach its goal of one thousand signers, and more than that would be even better since the Kenyan government is doing nothing, and has even released the one suspect they did arrest. Don't let Campbell's death be in vain. Please sign the petition and make your voice heard so the Kenyan government knows the world is watching, if you haven't done so already, and ask your associates to do likewise. Thank you.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/130/just ... ll-bridges

[PinkDiamond]

More from Lisa Brooks-Pike:

There have been a few additions to the story today. You can read those on the JEA site here:
http://www.jewelersethicsassociation.com/news

Update:
From Bruce Bridges, "Three men have been arrested and one man released. None of these men are the masterminds but mid to lower tier in the murder yet are all involved."

It does not matter if you are in the industry or not, if you can read this post you can sign the petition. 982 as of this writing.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/130/j...mpbell-bridges

Please put the word out and help reach the thousand signature goal!

[PinkDiamond]

Our goal of 1,000 signatures on the petition to get the Kenyan government to investigate Campbell Bridges' murder was reached Friday evening, and signatures are still being collected, if you know anyone else who would be willing to sign; they don't have to be in the industry - the only requirement is that they detest the cover-up and want to see the perps brought to justice.

And I found this alert pretty shocking:

AGTA Warns Members of Free Listing in Exhibitors Fair Guide
JCK Staff -- JCK Online, 10/22/2009 8:16:49 AM

"On its Web site, the American Gem Trade Association is warning its members about an offer for a free listing in the Exhibitors Fair Guide. Under the headline "BEWARE- The Exhibitors Fair Guide," the AGTA notice tells members that they may be liable for a yearly payment of $1,717..."

http://www.agta.org/pressroom/20091020-agta-news.html

YIKES!!

[PinkDiamond]

Zimbabwe Will Retain Approval on Diamonds
By SARAH CHILDRESS

"Kimberley Process members decided against suspending Zimbabwe for its alleged production of conflict diamonds at a meeting on Thursday, which some see as a blow to the credibility of the international diamond regulatory body.

The Kimberley Process members decided instead to send a Kimberley monitor to Zimbabwe to supervise the country's diamond production, according to members who attended the meeting, as well as impose a 12-month timeline for reforms..."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125743468863131017.html

[PinkDiamond]

JCK Special Report: Jewelry Markup On Trial
Cheryl Kremkow, Contributing Editor -- JCK Online, 10/27/2009

"Jeweler Jim Jackson's biggest sale, the sale that almost put him out of business, started, as most jewelry sales do, with a romantic gesture.

In 2005, Robinson Brown Jr., whose family company, Brown-Forman, in Louisville, Ky., is known for alcohol brands like Jack Daniel's, saw a picture of an emerald necklace that Richard Burton gave to Elizabeth Taylor. He decided that donating an emerald necklace to Louisville's Speed Museum would be a fitting tribute to his late wife, Jean McCauley Brown, who had died in 2004..."

http://www.jckonline.com/article/366567 ... d=15114325

[PinkDiamond]

For anyone who hasn't heard yet, Colored Stone magazine has suddenly gone out of business, and former Editor-in-Chief David Federman was let go. ...and yet they are still soliciting subscriptions and renewals!

They originally announced they would go digital, but now that has been scrapped too, and they want their subscribers to accept their new consolidated Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist magazine in place of Colored Stone, which was a trade journal, and not an artist/hobbyist magazine like their alternative offering, so their tactics are going over about like a pay toilet in a diarrhea ward, and CS subscribers aren't interested.

Here's in-depth information on the demise of Colored Stone magazine from Gary Roskin:

http://www.roskingemnews.com/Master_Page/TradeNews.aspx

And the Jewelers Ethics Association has plenty to say about Interweave STILL not disclosing their plans to their subscribers, and offers information on how to get your money back if you renewed and don't want them to substitute LJ/JA for the Colored Stone subscription you thought you were buying. I, for one, just renewed in July for 2 years, and have no use for any such substitution so I want my money back.

Here's how to go about it:
http://www.yourgemologist.com/ISGForums ... php?t=5183

You can visit and join the JEA here:
http://www.jewelersethicsassociation.com

[PinkDiamond]

Rapaport to resign from World Diamond Council
January 29, 2010

"New York--Diamond industry veteran Martin Rapaport is expected to resign from the World Diamond Council (WDC)--the organization devoted to the issue of "blood" or "conflict" diamonds--on Monday over the industry's struggle to deal with the current situation involving Kimberley Process (KP) violations in Zimbabwe, according to an e-mail sent to National Jeweler and others Friday morning..."

http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/n ... 5ecabfb72f

[PinkDiamond]

Live from Tucson - Fair Trade Gems in the news with Lisa Brooks Pike of the Jewelers Ethics Association (and others).

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=11931026

http://www.kold.com/global/video/flash/ ... d=48583749

*edited to fix broken link. Thanks for letting me know ZeBoxx!

[PinkDiamond]

We finally have an update on Campbell Bridges murder:

Kenya arrests main suspect in UK gemstone murder
Reuters Friday, February 12, 2010; 6:38 AM

"NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of a world-renowned Scottish gemstones expert who was killed by a mob last August in an apparent mining rights dispute, police sources said on Friday.

The sources said the man was detained in the capital Nairobi earlier this week and would be transferred to the southern town of Voi, near Tsavo National Park, where the crime took place..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01117.html

And this information from his son Bruce, copied as posted from another forum:

"Quote:
Sorry I have not posted any updates for a while on the situation with Campbell. His son, Bruce has been fighting unrelentingly to put pressure on Kenyan authorities to make an arrest. However, I just received a major news update from him.
According to a report from Bruce's private security in Kenya, his security has arrested and booked Daniel (commonly known as Suleiman) M. Mnene in Nairobi OB number 99 at 16:36hours. He is the gangster that helped mastermind the attack and murder of Campbell Brdiges and was instrumental in the illegal mining and attempted take over of our mining concessions. He is being held in central police station in Nairobi and is trying to be relocated to Mombasa which would be terrible for us. He immediately tried to call his Ministerial backing and we are very worried that his powerful political co-conspirators will have him released. Apparently he has more crooked support in Mombasa.
Bruce has been sending emails and making phone calls to try to get the word out as quickly as possible to embassy's and news outlets. Please try to spread the word and let people know what is going on. The more people know, the more perpetrator, Suleiman, can be held accountable. According to Bruce his security guard did get a photo of Suleiman to prove the arrest and I will post it as soon as it's deemed safe to do so.
Thanks so much for all your support and I will keep you all posted on the developments as son as they happen."

[PinkDiamond]

Here's a Roskin report on The Gems of Basel World. Enjoy!!

http://www.roskingemnews.com/Master_Pag ... Stone.aspx

[PinkDiamond]

U.S. High Court Will Decide Omega ‘Gray Market' Case
William George Shuster, Contributing Editor -- JCK Online, 4/22/2010 9:48:37 AM

"The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to rule on one of watch retailing's most controversial issues: genuine brands bought overseas by retailers from unauthorized dealers and resold at lower prices in the United States, the so-called "gray" or "secondary" market.
The court on April 19 said it will hear the case of discount warehouse giant Costco vs. Swiss luxury sport watch Omega (owned by Swatch Group). Its decision will affect U.S. watch retailing and Internet and national discount retailers, which do a multibillion annual business in "secondary" goods, suggest some observers..."

http://www.jckonline.com/article/457015 ... d=15114325