AGTA Spectrum Awards NYC Drop-Off - October 2nd
AGTA
The AGTA Spectrum Awards New York City entry drop-off will take place Tuesday, October 2nd. The drop-off location is at the offices of Intercolor, Inc., 48 W. 48th St., Ste. 800, New York, NY 10036. All entry forms must be submitted to AGTA in Dallas prior to this date in order to be accepted. MORE

Genuine Zultanite
	Genuine Zultanite is recovered with ethical mining techniques with safe procedures that protect the ecosystem: Water sources from chemicals, debris, rubbish, silt and other pollutants; minimize the destruction of flora and fauna; restore mined land as close as possible to its original condition and strongly oppose unfair labor practices by paying our employees well and provide safe working environments. For more information go to www.Zultanite.org

Celebrities Accessorized With the Best at StyleLab's Jewelry Event for the Primetime Emmy Awards and Related Parties
Star-Telegram
This past week, celebrities like Mare Winningham (Emmy nominee "Hatfields & McCoys"), Kate Flannery ("The Office"), Reid Scott ("Veep"), Matthew Fahey ("Awkward"), and Josh Flagg ("Million Dollar Listing") and others, as well as top stylists for the biggest names in Hollywood got a coveted appointment at StyleLab's Jewelry Preview for the Primetime Emmy Awards where they had the opportunity to borrow from over $20 million worth of jewelry for the red carpet. MORE

idazzle.com Obsession: K. Brunini Rings, The Color of Hope
idazzle.com
This week, I was thinking of AGTA Member Katey Brunini's gorgeous color rings for brides that want an alternative to diamonds. I met Katey at the Couture Show in June, and got to ogle her new collections. The colors themselves are luscious, the combinations of gemstones audacious, and the settings are exquisite renditions of her signature collections, which look cast from nature in recycled precious metals. MORE

Safely Ship Jewelry Packages
Jewelers of America
If you've ever experienced a loss when shipping jewelry, you know how common it is and how easily it can happen. A large shipping loss can be linked to something as simple as an address error, poor communication between shipper and recipient and inadequate packaging.
To help you avoid these losses at your business, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company advises using the following techniques when shipping your next jewelry package: MORE

	Your Clients Love The Classics! Sparkles and Colors / Lakhi Gems Group offers a complete selection of beautiful emeralds, Madagascar rubies and Burmese sapphires.  Our AGTA Spectrum Award-winning gemstones are cut to precise standards to maximize their beauty and excite your customers.

Burma Bites
Pala Gems - AGTA Member
Yesterday, on the first day of her current 17-day visit to the U.S., Aung San Suu Kyi called for an end to sanctions against Burma. Speaking before the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), she said, "I do not think that we need to cling on to sanctions unnecessarily, because I want our people to be responsible for their own destiny and not to depend too much on external props." (The EU yesterday announced its own plan to lift sanctions.) MORE

The Business of Bling Takes Center Stage in Southern California:
Preview of GIA's Jewelry Career Fair and Open House in Carlsbad, Oct. 5
GIA - AGTA Member
The seaside city of Carlsbad will be at the epicenter of the "business of bling" on Oct. 5 during the annual GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Jewelry Career Fair and Open House. More than 25 gem and jewelry companies are expected to be on-hand and looking to hire hundreds of professionals at every career stage and in various sectors of the industry - from jewelry design and appraisal to retail sales and diamond grading. This free event marks the only time each year that the beautiful 30-acre Carlsbad campus is completely open to the public. MORE

Darkening the color, raising the value?
Gemewizard - AGTA Member
Most of our past trend researches focused on the common fancy colored diamond grades in the market (fancy light to fancy vivid). Beside these, two additional grades are used, "fancy dark" and "fancy deep." They describe gems with a markedly darker appearance. MORE

American Gem Trade Association - the $25,000 FedEx Advantage Sweepstakes is Open!

AGTA Members, sign up now for the FedEx Advantage® discount program. Once you submit your enrollment application, you'll be automatically entered in the sweepstakes and eligible to play the game with hundreds of prizes totaling $25,000. Every eligible FedEx® shipment you make – up to 50 – from Sept. 12, 2012, through Nov. 7, 2012, becomes another chance to reinvigorate your business by winning up to $10,000. You also have a shot at winning one $25 reward card every day you ship.

Diamonds - Blue Tender
The Roskin Gem News Report - AGTA Member
On April 29th of this year, Rio Tinto Diamonds announced that the sale of its collection of rare blue diamonds, called the "Once in a Blue Moon Tender," far exceeded company expectations and set record prices. No one except Rio Tinto and the buyers are privy to actual prices, but suffice it is to say, we can only guess that prices for these diamonds are not for the weak at heart. Or as some might say, "If you have to ask, you probably cannot afford them." MORE

50% of Consumers Value a Brand's Facebook Page More Than Its Website
Mashable Social Media
If you're debating the power of social media for branding, here's more proof that it matters: About 50% percent of consumers think a brand's Facebook page is more useful than a brand's website, a new study suggests.
Market research company Lab42 -- which surveyed 1,000 social media users about how they interact with brands on Facebook -- found that consumers are viewing a brand's Facebook presence as more important than ever. MORE

Step inside the Diamond Council Reading Room! The Diamond Council of America invites AGTA members to visit our online Reading Room, which features a library of articles, videos and other resources to help your business thrive.