PGI Unveils Fourth Commissioned Water-Inspired Design

Platinum Guild International unveiled on August 23 in Mumbai the fourth in a series of water-inspired jewelry pieces, which they commissioned. Dubbed “Iraja,” a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Born of Water’, the flowing neckpiece falls in chains over the shoulder of the wearer.

Iraja was manufactured by Ganjam, a well-known Indian jeweler, and created by the company’s senior designer Arunima Bhaumik.

Earlier such commissioned pieces include “Aqua,” by Italian studio Orlando Orlandini; “Shibuki,” Japanese for ‘Splash of Water’; and “Jiang,” a representation of China’s Yangtze River.

Iraja is made of 450 grams of platinum, set with 303 diamonds and has 1,500 links and 840 beads. It was produced using five innovative manufacturing techniques and three different surface finishes.

Although valued at $250,000, the Iraja is not for sale.

Al Gore Awarded First Brand Icon by Corum

Former U.S. vice president Al Gore received the first “Brand Icon of the Year” award from Swiss luxury watch brand Corum and the Global Brand Forum. This is the first year for the award, which is designed to recognize individual contributions in global branding. Gore was honored at the 2007 Global Brand Forum, held Aug. 6 and 7 in Singapore.


Al Gore accepts a Corum Romvlvs watch
from Corum president Michael Wunderman.

In presenting Gore with the the award—a Romvlvs timepiece by Corum—Michael Wunderman, president of Corum Timepieces said that Gore represents “the kind of determination and commitment to excellence” admired by so many companies.

"We are very pleased to co-present this honor with Global Brand Forum 2007,” he said. “I have high admiration and respect for Mr. Gore for his passion, determination and resolve to … conquer challenges whether as a politician or environmentalist, [to be] a 'cutting edge' brand leader of great … responsibility to humankind.”

A Global Brand Forum statement said the award was created to "highlight the achievements [of those] in the global arena who have made a significant contribution to the branding industry and the world community at large.”

Gore was chosen as the inaugural Brand Icon of the Year for “his unique and valuable contributions in the fields of media and the environment."

De Beers Funds Air Mercy Services

The South Africa Red Cross Air Mercy Service unveiled its refitted addition to its fleet of specialist medical rescue aircraft. De Beers donated R1.6 million($220,000) to help fund the extension and building of a larger hangar at Kimberley Airport for flying doctor operations, including the medical conversion of the AMS Pilatus PC-12 aircraft; installing a specialist MedPac Medical Interior, which better equips the aircrafts medical staff to attend to ill and injured patients.

John Stone, CEO of SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service (left),
Mary Thuntsi, acting HOD Health Services in the Northern Cape,
and David Noko at the launch of the new aircraft medical interior.

The Red Cross AMS provides flying doctor services to rural towns of the Northern Cape, and transfers patients by specially converted aircraft to treatment centers in Kimberley. Other funding for the medical rescue service came from ExecuJet ($130,000) and the National Lottery Board ($117,116). The newly fitted aircraft was launched Wednesday at an event attended by Northern Cape government representatives, corporate business leaders, and volunteer doctors and medical professionals.

The Red Cross AMS used the donations for infrastructure which supports the almost seven thousand medical flights flown each year, volunteer pilots, and medical personnel. These services provide both routine healthcare and specialized or emergency medical assistance to thousands of people living in the Northern Cape.


David Noko, MD of De Beers Consolidated Mines, and John Stone,
CEO SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service, viewing the new aircraft medical interior.

“We live in a country where the needs of communities are enormous," said John Stone, Red Cross Red Cross chief executive officer. "It is impossible for us as individuals to begin to contribute to meeting these needs, but if we join hands and work together we will be able to rise above the challenges and make a significant difference to the quality of lives of those less fortunate than ourselves."

Stne continued: "The cooperation between a non profit organization such as the SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service, the government and the private sector such as is witnessed here today should be an inspiration and sign of hope for a better future. De Beers was the first corporate sponsor of this program way back in 1996 and we are proud that we, together, have been able to make a difference to access to health care for the Northern Cape Communities."

"This Red Cross AMS service is one of the projects all our De Beers employees are proud we support as a company because of the huge impact it has in the lives of children, women and the elderly in the rural Northern Cape; providing access to health care as well as training and capacity building for doctors and other health professionals at rural clinics and hospitals in the Province," said David Noko, the managing director of De Beers Consolidated Mines. "It is encouraging for the private sector to see this program grow from strength to strength, providing professional services to thousands of people in need each year, through the partnership between the SA Red Cross AMS, the Northern Cape Department of Health and De Beers.”

Gemfields Resources Unearths 10,050 Carat Emerald

Gemfields Resources PLC, an AIM-listed colored gemstone exploration and mining company, discovered a 10,050 carat emerald at the company’s Mbuva-Chibolele emerald mine in Zambia.

The crystal is a 10 centimeter-long hexagonal stone.

The company has been engaged in exploration activities in Zambia’s gemstone sector since 2000. Its flagship emerald mine, the Mbuva-Chibolele project, has been in commercial production since June 2006.

Indian Jeweler Launches Mobile Stores

Introducing an innovative concept, Dia Vente Jewellery launched their Vibrant brand Sunday, sending out six specially designed vans that will sell its jewelry in Mumbai.

Vibrant is a collection of jewelry in silver, steel, brass, copper and rubber, accented with cubic zircons, colored crystals, enamel and epoxy. Prices range from Rs. 100 to Rs. 4,000 ($2.50 - $100), with a few pieces going for Rs. 15,000 ($368). Its main target is the youth segment.

As young urbanites are always rushed for time, so the concept of bringing jewelry to the doorstep – whether it is housing complexes, pubs, colleges, or workplaces – with vans staffed by young salespersons seems to be asked for.

The concept is the brainchild of Hemant Shah, who along with designer Yuriko Menon set up Dia Vente last year.

The vans have been specially designed by India’s leading car designer Dilip Chhabria, better known as DC, internationally renowned for his souped up vehicles.

Shah said at the launch that Chhabria’s reaction to the concept of mobile jewelry outlets was “Out of the world.” That set the design tone for the van redesigns, giving them a futuristic, spaceship look.

Renting Jewelry Not Just for the Stars

Renting isn’t just for movie night anymore. These days, people are turning to rental companies, some of them online, for everything from high-end bridal jewelry and sparkling party-wear to designer bags, at a fraction of the cost of buying them.

A rental allows fashion-conscious customers to walk around with the latest item, without having to shell out for a designer piece that has the shelf life of a very ripe tomato. It also allows costumers with a limited budget to show up at an important event with a diamond necklace they could not otherwise afford. The opportunities for a diamond jewelry retailer with a dormant stock are clear.

Adornbrides.com and Borrowedbling.com are two such rental sites, the first offering fashionable bridal jewelry, and the second letting customers “shop like celebrities: see it…want it…borrow it!” They offer a wide range of jewelry and accessories, including hair clips, belts, sunglasses, bags and even jewel-encrusted sandals.

Bagborroworsteal.com is one of the first rental sites, originally launched as a designer handbag rental site. Presently they also offer scores of different types and styles of jewelry, including items with precious and semiprecious stones, from designers such as Charriol, Chanel and Gucci.

The standard procedure on the jewelry rental websites is that a customer signs up for a monthly fee and chooses which pieces they want to rent. Some sites, such as bagborroworsteal, have different membership plans at different costs.

This site allows the customer to choose from a category, such as Trendsetter, Princess, Diva, Couture and Guest, according to the price range in which they’re interested. Costs run from $9.95 per month to a yearly fee that amounts to about $5 per month. The higher priced memberships usually offer a wider range of jewelry.

The return procedure varies with each site, but it usually comes down to simply sealing the borrowed items in an envelope and shipping them back to the original location.