Jewelers of America has ramped up advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., holding meetings with Congressional leaders to support the jewelry industry’s recommendations to the Federal Trade Commission on its proposed changes to the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, the trade association said in a release.
The association is also planning a two-day fly-in to D.C. this June – its sixth annual advocacy trip to Capitol Hill with a delegation of jewelers.
In mid-April, JA President and CEO David J. Bonaparte convened with representatives on House and Senate Committees that oversee the FTC. Bonaparte met with Rep. John Shimkus, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; and key staff from the office of Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Consumer Protection and Product Safety Subcommittee.
Bonaparte’s meetings focused on the FTC’s proposal to allow synthetic diamond producers to use the term “cultured” to describe synthetic diamonds, as long as qualifying language (for example “laboratory-created,” “laboratory-grown,” “synthetic”) immediately accompanies the term. JA’s position is that use of the term “cultured” is confusing, since consumers believe the word “cultured” means or implies “natural.”
“Use of the word ‘cultured’ in conjunction with a manufactured diamond is deceptive,” Bonaparte says. “It implies that synthetic diamonds are created in a natural environment, similar to cultured pearls.”
JA’s position and the meetings reinforce the stance taken by an industry coalition – led by the Jewelers Vigilance Committee – that is gathering research and sharing industry input with the FTC. JA is actively involved in the coalition.
You can check out the legislative and regulatory issues Jewelers of America is tracking at www.jewelers.org.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
