By Cynthia Unninayar

The mood was cautiously positive at the winter jewellery and gem shows in the Arizona desert. An increase in the number of retailers attending the Centurion show in Phoenix as well as the AGTA show in Tucson signaled an upturn in confidence.

The Centurion show kicked off the jewellery trade show circuit in the USA from a lush resort in Phoenix. As usual, the by-invitationonly event featured informative speakers, useful networking events, panel discussions, various awards for design and vendors, and a host of jewellery brands eager to showcase— and sell—their creations. New at Centurion this year, the Limited Edition Retailer Workshops offered special in-depth sessions on selected relevant topics with a small group size.

This year’s keynote speakers, retired Navy officer Mike Abrashoff and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s, used personal examples to illustrate how people can take charge of what they can with what they can, to forge a path of success using the tools they have.

Diamond and gemstone snake bracelet, co-winner of the Diamond Fashion category, by Roberto Coin (left). Gold and diamond ring, winner of the Gold category, by Heather B. Moore (center). Emerald and diamond rings, co-winner of the Coloured Stone Classic category, by Jewels by Star (right).

Awards at Centurion

One of the highlights of the show was the announcement of the winners of the Centurion Design Awards. Retailers voted for their favourite piece in each of 11 categories. The winners: Bridal, Frederic Sage with a diamond pavé engagement ring; Colored Stone Classic, a tie between Jack Abraham with a ruby ring and Jewels by Star with an emerald ring; Colored Stone Fashion, Spark Creations with a pair of green tourmaline drop earrings; Contemporary Metals, Todd Reed with a palladium and diamond cuff bracelet; Diamond Classic, Kwiat with its limited-edition “Revel” earrings; Diamond Fashion, a tie between Roberto Coin with a black and white diamond and green garnet cobra bracelet and Siera with a diamond floral pendant in 18K gold and black rhodium on a black rhodium chain; Gold, Heather Moore with a special-order wrap ring framed in cognac diamonds and personalized with the names of her children; Pearls, Yvel, with a one-of-a-kind 18K white gold and diamond necklace set with a baroque freshwater pearl; Platinum, Gumuchian with a versatile platinum and diamond “Bowlero” necklace; Silver, Charles Garnier Paris with its “Constellation” finish wavy cuff bracelet; Watches, Frederique Constant with its Lady Slimline Joaillerie watch. Some of the pieces are featured in this article.

Diamond ring, winner of the Bridal category, by Frederick Sage (left). Limited edition “Revel” earrings winner of the Diamond Classic category, by Kwiat (center). Centurion Emerging Designer winner Sharart presented this diamond and gold ring with pirouetting sapphires (right).

Vendors also got to honour seven luxury retailers in the first Centurion Vendors’ Choice Retail Awards, which celebrated excellence in the areas of special events, advertising and marketing, sales associates, and overall excellence in the Store of the Year awards.

Wavy cuff bracelet, winner of the Silver category, by Charles Garnier (left). Platinum and diamond “Bowlero” necklace, winner of the Platinum category, by Gumuchian (right)..

The winners were: Best Special Events, Albert Jewelers, Scherville, Indiana; Best Marketing/ Advertising, London Jewelers, Glen Cove, New York; Best Retail Sales Associate, a three-way tied between Fragments, New York, New York, Mountz Jewelers, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Neiman Marcus, Dallas, Texas; Centurion Retailer of the Year, Under $5 Million, Craig’s Fine Jewelry of Ridgefield, Connecticut; and finally, Centurion Retailer of the Year Over $5 Million, Borsheim’s, Omaha, Nebraska.

This year, Centurion also selected three Emerging Designers, who were invited to present their products. Centurion president Howard Hauben stated, “We received a record number of entries this year, and they were all amazing. We’re proud to be able to offer the winners an unparalleled opportunity to meet the top prestige jewelers in the United States, and we’re equally proud to offer our Centurion attendees this level of outstanding global talent as an exclusive first introduction.”

Centurion Emerging Designer winner, Alessio Boschi, left, and business partner, Martino Eduardo Convertino, hold a diagram detailing one of Alessio’s complicated pieces of fine jewellery, and a tray of rings.

Out of a field of more than 300 entries, the three winners were: Sharlinn Liew of Thailand, Alessio Boschi of Australia, and Erika Bertin of the USA. All three presented innovative and very creative pieces that garnered a lot of attention from attending retailers and the media. “It is such an honor to receive this award from the Centurion Show and to be able to share my creations with retailers in the United States,” exclaimed Sharlinn Liew. “I am so very grateful for this experience and the response has been wonderful.” Similar sentiments were expressed by Alessio Boschi. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us, and we are delighted to be here at this amazing show. We are grateful for the wonderful response.”

Diamond and gemstone ring by first-time Centurion exhibitor, Brumani (left). Gold and gemstone bracelet by first-time Centurion exhibitor, Vianna Brasil (right).

First-Timers at Centurion

On the exhibition floor, exhibitors presented a wide range of beautiful and saleable jewels. Newcomers to Centurion, Vianna Brasil and Brumani showcased colourful creations in gold and gems from their native Brazil. “Centurion is a wonderful venue to showcase our particular style from Brazil,” stated Ricardo Vianna. “We are happy to be here and to meet so many new customers as well as our regular clients.”

Lika Behar cleverly covered a defect in an otherwise beautiful piece of turquoise with a gold and diamond snake, thus turning “lemons into lemonade.”

Lika Behar showed ingenuity in several pieces that she mused were “lemons turned into lemonade.” She went on to explain, “There was a small defect in some of these otherwise beautiful pieces of turquoise, so I covered them with gold and diamonds, and designed around them.” One of the “lemonade” pieces was a sensual snake pendant that attracted more than a bit of attention, as did her turquoise and diamond rings.

Delicate butterfly ring in gemstones, gold, and diamonds by Jye’s International.

Another first-time Centurion exhibitor was Jye’s International. Long known for its highquality upmarket pieces, Jye’s enjoyed a very good show. “We had strong interest in our products and opened many new accounts,” said Jennifer Chang, founder of the brand. “The show has exceeded our expectations.” Jye’s featured both bridal and fashion lines, including a wide variety of coloured gemstone and diamond creations, with many nature-inspired pieces, as well as a technique for easily interchanging the centre stone in pendants.

Gemstone and gold bracelet by Bellarri (left). Gold, silver, tsavorite, and sapphire earrings by Arman Sarkisyan (center). Rainbow moonstone, diamond, and gemstone ring by H.Weiss (right).

On to Tucson

The positive ambiance continued in Tucson. Speaking about the AGTA show at the Tucson Convention Center, February 5 to 10, Douglas Hucker, CEO of AGTA, was enthusiastic: “This was one of the best shows we have seen in several years. The energy on the floor was extremely positive, both from exhibitors and buyers. We had an exceptional turnout and sales were up; what more could you ask for?” Reportedly, there were 8600 buyers, up a percent over last year, who stayed longer and spent more. The number of exhibitors was also up slightly at 426.

The AGTA held several new events this year that contributed to the show’s success. Among them was the Daily Drawing where buyers could win a $1,000 voucher to spend on the show floor.

The AGTA underwent a few changes in layout this year. The Design Pavilion, formerly in the Grand Ballroom upstairs, relocated to a small section downstairs in the main hall. The large upstairs room was taken over by the new Tools, Technology, and Services Pavilion.

Helen Sarras-Herman wears a large multi-gemstone pendant at the AGTA Design Pavilion (left). Black diamond earrings by AGTA Design Pavilion exhibitor Brenda Smith (right).

Among those in the design section was Helen Serras-Herman, known for her gem sculptures and unique pieces of gemstone jewellery art. She presented a variety of Mayainspired pieces and large turquoise and gemstone necklaces. Also present was Brenda Smith, who presented original and handcrafted one-of-a-kind designs in gold, silver, and gemstones. Both women expressed the opinion that the designers were more visible in the Grand Hall than in the present location.

While all types of stones were available, sellers indicated that prices are on the rise, due primarily to increasing demand from emerging markets, especially China. Specifically mentioned were bigger high-quality gems such as tourmaline—including rubellite—tanzanite, and blue sapphires. Increased demand is also seen for quartz, especially the rutilated varieties that are being used more in finished jewellery.

Opal, diamond, and red sapphire earrings by Erica Courtney (left). Paraiba tourmaline, gold, and diamond pendant by Rahaminov Diamonds (right).

Anecdotally, exhibitors in the gem section at AGTA mostly seemed happy with the show, although some suggested that traffic could be better. Over at the large GJX tent, the corridors seemed a bit more crowded. In the end, though, the generally positive ambiance at the winter shows in the desert bodes well for the rest of the year.