No Bonnie and Clyde

Chaim Even-Zohar writes about US$28 million worth of stolen rough, cut and polished diamonds from ABN AMRO bank by an imposter named Carlos Hector Flomenbaum + the identity theft in diamond business @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp?TextSearch=&KeyMatch=0&id=27199

Ocean's Eleven

Memorable quote (s) from the movie:

Basher (Don Cheadle): Hang on a minute, hang on... we could use a pinch.

Danny (George Clooney): What's a "pinch"?

Basher (Don Cheadle): A pinch is a device which creates, like, a cardiac arrest for any broadband electrical circuitry. Better yet, a pinch is a bomb - now, but without the bomb. See, when a nuclear weapon detonates, it unleashes an electromagnetic pulse which shuts down any power source within its blast radius. Now that tends not to matter in most cases, because the nuclear weapon usually destroys anything you might need power for anyway. But see, a pinch creates a similar electromagnetic pulse, but without the fuss of mass destruction and death. So instead of Hiroshima, you'd be getting the seventeenth century.

IDEX Online Research: A Very Savvy Investor Validates Jewelry Industry Future

Ken Gassman writes about Warren Buffett and his highly successful Berkshire Hathaway investment company + the purchase of retail jewelers Borsheim’s Jewelry, Helzberg Diamond Shops and Ben Bridge Jeweler, and now, Aurafin and Bel-Oro, both major gold jewelry suppliers + Buffett's investment philosophy @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullNews.asp?id=27675

New York’s Rapaport Seeks Approval For Trading In Diamond Futures

Saijel Kishan writes about the Rapaport Group, a New York-based provider of diamond prices, who is seeking approval from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to start the world’s first diamond futures contracts @ http://www.livemint.com/2007/06/12011419/NYs-Rapaport-seeks-approval-f.html

Alas, Poor Art Market: A Multimillion-Dollar Head Case

Alan Riding writes about British artist Damien Hirst's platinum human skull covered in 8,601 diamonds + its value: £50 million, or close to $100 million @
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/arts/design/13skul.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin

The Capping Mechanism In Name Only

Chaim Even-Zohar writes about the rising sense of frustration regarding DTC sight application processes + the ceiling on an applicant's sight allocation + the misunderstandings of the rules of the game @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Ocean's Thirteen

Memorable quote (s) from the movie:

Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon): He owns all of the air south of Beijing.

Abigail Sponder (Ellen Barkin): The air?

Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon): Let me put it to you this way: try building something taller than three feet in the Tiangjin province, and see if his name comes up.

Marketing In The 21st Century

The author highlights the competitive nature of new version of gem and jewelry businesses + ways to improve customer satisfaction + challenges in maintaining high standards + reaching specialized and niche markets.

Pam Welborn (The Color Source, Texas, USA) writes:

In the 21st century, successful companies will have to bring their products to market efficiently. In the jewelry industry, this trend will favor those companies whose capabilities include gem rough sourcing, as well as in-house cutting, design, and manufacturing operations, and even distribution channels. Such companies can control quality and cost at every stage of production and will provide savings in terms of lower per-unit costs. Also, by controlling the design function and by associating with trusted partners in foreign markets, such companies can tailor their jewelry products to reflect the distinctive cultural designs of those markets for greater acceptance and sales. The Internet can also be used to post an online catalog of jewelry items, sell the products, and facilitate a rapid delivery service to the targeted market.

The increased efficiency of all these efforts will shorten the delivery time from the manufacturing center to the end consumer. A higher level of contact with the consumer using the Internet and call centers, located in favorable labor countries, will decrease response time and increase customer satisfaction.

Such companies are Internet savvy, computer driven, and focused on high quality standards of manufacturing. They are able to produce jewelry items for a specialized, niche market as well as produce a limited edition or an exclusive design for a national market. Global opportunities are limited for most companies. Therefore, a major upheaval in the next 10 years is likely as the jewelry industry adapts to this new paradigm.