GIA Accepting Fall 2013 Scholarship Applications

For those of you who are considering a career in the jewelry industry or would like to advance your skills, the Gemological Institute of America is offering a number of scholarships for its educational programs.

There are about 20 scholarships for prospective students all over the world ranging from $450 to $5,000. GIA offers programs for every aspect of the jewelry and gem industry from its headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif.; its campuses in London, Hong Kong, the Middle East and Taiwan; and through online programs that can be taken nearly anywhere in the world. The Gemological Graduate diploma (G.G.), which focuses on gem grading and identification, is considered by many to be the industry’s highest professional credential.

GIA bills itself as the “world’s foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones and pearls.” It provides education, laboratory services for gem grading and identification, research, and lab instruments for the industry. It is also the creator of the 4Cs, the universal grading system for diamonds.

Scholarship applications will be available till April 30 on the Institute’s website. For more information on the scholarships follow this link or contact GIA at (760) 603-4131 or scholarship@gia.edu. For an application follow this link.

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Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair to Feature Autumn and Winter Collections

The March edition of Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair will run from 4-7 March 2013 in Halls 3, 6 and 8 of AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong. The show features Autumn/Winter collections that will land in stores the following year.

More than 400 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions are participating from Asia, Europe and North America, with over 80 percent of exhibitors from outside Hong Kong. Jewelry products on display include base metal, bead, bridal, gemset, silver and titanium.

Attractions include the “Fashion Accessories Zone,” “Sense Zone,” “Stainless Steel Jewellery Pavilion” and four group pavilions housing exhibitors from mainland China, Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan.

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Eastern China Jewelry Event Targets New Luxury Consumers

Hangzhou—the capital city and political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang province—will host, Treasures Hangzhou, a new jewelry event in Eastern China October 24 to 26 at the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou.

The event will give the province’s jewelry consumers, private collectors and high-end jewelry retailers the opportunity to purchase jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, pearls and jadeite from international jewelry designers and manufacturers. Among these exhibitors are Hini Star Ltd, Golden Dynasty (HK) Ltd, Shenzhen Color And Diamond Jewellery Co Ltd, SYM Jewellery Co Ltd and Houlang Jewellery (Shanghai) Co Ltd.

The show is jointly organized by UBM China, the International Colored Gemstone Association and the Jewelry Jade Industry Association of Zhejiang.

Hangzhou, located about 100 miles southwest of Shanghai, is one of China’s second-tier cities whose consumer market is growing. Like in the rest of China, there are a growing number of high-end consumers in Hangzhou eager to enjoy a better lifestyle. According to the 2010-2011 World Luxury Association survey, Hangzhou ranks first among China’s second-and third-tier cities as having the highest consumption of high-end goods apart from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. A report released by Goldman Sachs showed that over the next five years, second-and third-tier cities including Hangzhou, Wenzhou and Ningbo, will account for much China’s high-end consumer market.

Nationwide, total consumption of gems and jewelry reached 70 billion Chinese yuan renminbi ($11 billion) in 2010. Of this figure, diamonds account for more than $1.1 billion, making China potentially the world’s largest diamond consumer market and the world’s second largest diamond processing country, according to the World Luxury Association. Jade also accounts for a large part of the total figure.

Treasures Hangzhou will be held concurrently with the “Liang Zhu Bei” Zhejiang Jade Carving Exhibition, also at the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou. This prominent carving art event in attracts art lovers and collectors throughout China, including high-net-worth individuals. During the Fair, a series of professional seminars will be held to give visitors the chance to enrich their knowledge of collecting and investing in high-end jewelry.

India’s February Gems and Jewelry Exports Down 39%

Fewer orders from western markets have resulted in a 39.3 percent decline in February gems and jewelry exports to $2.7 billion, according to India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

The biggest losses among India's gemstone and jewelry manufactures were led by a 53.7% drop in polished diamond orders, followed by a 30.3 percent drop in gold jewelry exports. Exports of rough diamonds fell by 15.6 percent for the period and colored gemstones fell by a more modest 3.7 percent.

Gains for the month were led by silver jewelry (39.5 percent) and gold medallions and coins (15.7 percent).

GJEPC, the organization the leads the India gems and jewelry industry, reportedly blames the decline on fewer orders from the U.S. and Europe, whose economies are still struggling. Other major export markets for the gem and jewelry manufacturers are the UAE and Hong Kong.

The organization also reported that gems and jewelry exports increased by 4 percent from April 2011 till February.