Calendar for Jewelers: April 2016

1

When you think of senior citizens you probably don’t
immediately think of baby boomers, but that’s increasingly
who they are. This month, OLDER AMERICANS MONTH, devise
a project that targets this still important demographic — maybe
a tie-in with Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday (May 24, 1941) or maybe
a jewelry roundtable. Boomers may have stopped blowing in the
wind, but they still like to get out and experience and learn new
things.

This article originally appeared in the May 2016 edition of INSTORE.

1 Today marks the 35th
anniversary of the debut of
AMERICAN AIRLINES’ FREQUENT
FLIER CLUB , considered the first
big corporate loyalty program.
In the intervening three decades,
American Airlines’ fortunes have
fluctuated, but loyalty programs
are everywhere, which should
tell you something: The secret to
repeat customers isn’t hard-toredeem
miles, it’s the quality of
the experience you offer. When
that experience exceeds expectations,
customers will be back, and
they’ll tell their friends. You can
help it along, however, by rewarding
referrals, remembering
names and offering insider perks. Repeat customers invariably
account for the bulk of your sales

1-7Each May, Washington
uses NATIONAL SMALL
BUSINESS WEEK as an opportunity
to pay tribute to the key contribution
made by small business to
the national economy, but that’s
about where it stops. With elections
looming, get active in your
local business groups to see the
issues that matter to you, such as
taxes and the regulatory burdens,
get paid more than lip service.

5 On CINCO DE MAYO
, raise a margarita in honor of
General Ignacia Zaragoza Seguin and his brave patriots and lay out
a special presentation of your
best turquoise and silver lines.

8 MOTHER’S DAY, one of the
big days on a jeweler’s calendar,
means it’s actually time
to think small: community, kids
and price points low enough
to be accessible to all. Corinne
Jewelers in Toms River, NJ,
covered all the bases with their
Junior Jeweler competition last
year in which local elementary
school students were invited
to design a piece that the store
would make for the winner’s
mother. The level of excitement
was “off the charts” both for the
students and staff, says Corinne’s
owner Ryan Blumenthal. “For
our designers, it was like the thrill
they get from creating a great custom
piece, times 10.”

14 The BIRTHDATE OF THE
BUDDHA is a perfect time
for reflection on one of his important
lessons: Focus on what’s
important and on what works
and let go of the rest. This applies
to advice offered by mentors
and staff, the work practices you
use now and what you read in
INSTORE. Invite input, keep an
open mind, and act to declutter.

19 PThe book that inspired
arguably the most famous
and romantic movie of all time
celebrates its 80th birthday today.
The ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLICATION
OF GONE WITH THE WINDis a great excuse for a party. Read
book excerpts, hold a costume
contest, do impressions (“I don’t
know nothin’ bout birthin’ babies,
Miz Scarlett”) or hold a trivia
quiz.

30 MEMORIAL DAY is here,
and along with it the
unofficial start to summer. Leave
the discounting to stores selling
big-screen TVs, but freshen your
displays to reflect the seasonal
change: Casual couture, cord
bracelets, palm-tree charms?
We’ll leave the choices up to the
experts … you!

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY TO

AMES SILVERSMITHING, AMES, IA

➤ Gary Youngberg learned two
things at college: University
wasn’t for him, but jewelry most
certainly was. An attempt to
make a Valentine’s Day present
for his then girlfriend/now wife,
Karen, sparked a lifelong love of
jewelry-making. Starting as a
dorm-room workshop (equipped
with a torch no less), his business
has grown to be an institution in
downtown Ames, IA, with a staff
that includes Gary and Karen’s
two sons, Kyle and Kirk. The
Youngbergs attribute the store’s
longevity to hard work, having
fun, and an appreciation that as a
“family, we are on call 24/7/365.”
He plans to celebrate the anniversary
with a rare sale (held only
every five years) and a party.

BIRTHSTONES

EMERALD

Few stones are as
flawed (or at least
included) as the
EMERALD, but that
didn’t deter maharajahs
and sultans seeking them out
for their turbans and European
kings for their crowns for hundreds
of years. And even today,
they’re still unlikely to be at their
best without a lot of cutting and a
little oil. Emerald is the traditional
gift for the 55th wedding anniversary,
but it can also be given on
the 20th or 35th anniversary.