Member News

By Jewelers Mutual® Group As jewelry professionals, we know practicing safety is a large part of your day-to-day work. For example, you probably have procedures set in place to help eliminate vulnerabilities that come with opening and closing shop. But what about when criminals are hiding as customers in plain sight, lurking around your business for any sign of weakness in your security measures? This kind of activity is called casing and is usually the first indicator that your jewelry store is at risk of being burglarized. Luckily, we’ve got five signs for you and your employees to look for if

The following individuals have recently earned the prestigious designation of Certified Sales Associate® (CSA) by the American Gem Society: Seth Bolinger, CSA Morrison Smith Jewelers Charlotte, NC Kelvin J. Lindh, CSA Chalmers Jewelers LTD Middleton, WI Andrea Lopez-Irlanda, CSA Jae’s Jewelers Coral Gables, FL Susan O’Donnell-Feige, CSA MJ Harrington & Co. Newport, NH May Wahdan-Lloyd, CSA Jewelsmith, Inc. Durham, NC Amy H. Wood, CSA Bromberg & Company, Inc. Mountain Brook, AL

The following individuals have recently earned the prestigious title of Registered Jeweler (RJ) by the American Gem Society: Taylor R. Cook, RJ B.C. Clark, Inc. Oklahoma City, OK Darcy Good, RJ Day’s Jewelers Waterville, ME Carissa Jackson, RJ Josephs Jewelers West Des Moines, IA

Wells Fargo and American Gem Society (AGS) offer a value-added service that will be available to AGS credit card program members through Intellicheck. This program enhancement provides a fast and easy-to-use mobile app for in-store transactions that supports the prevention of fraudulent credit account openings. Intellicheck’s proven, state-of-the-art identity validation app gives participating jewelers a clear competitive advantage. It makes it easy to confidently extend credit to customers with a frictionless experience that validates identity documents like drivers’ licenses and state-issued IDs from every state in under a second. The importance of this new program benefit is already being realized

Wilson Barros, founder of Tabatha Nicolle & Gabriella INC (TNG), is a skilled artisan and entrepreneur who began his journey learning the bench from his grandfather in their native Ecuador. “My grandfather was the number one jeweler in Ecuador, so I had the opportunity to learn the art of jewelry manufacturing from the best.” Barros recalls, “I remember sitting beside him and watching him power the bench using a foot pedal.” Over 30 years ago, Barros came to the U.S. and worked in retail, learning store operations and sales while honing his craftsmanship. He was fortunate to become an apprentice

By Jewelers Mutual® Group Among the many legitimate customers that browse your store daily, there may be a few potential thieves hiding in plain sight. In the event there are criminals casing your store, it’s important for you and your staff to be prepared. Whether you have new employees joining your team or already have a crew of seasoned veterans, a complete review of your security procedures is essential to ensure the safety of everyone. Neglecting security measures early on could leave your business exposed to vulnerabilities, so we encourage you to begin safety best practices as soon as possible.

The following individuals have recently earned the prestigious designation of Certified Sales Associate® (CSA) by the American Gem Society: Rebekah Anderson, CSA Bromberg & Company, Inc. Mountain Brook, AL Lenka Curtin, CSA Bromberg & Company, Inc. Mountain Brook, AL Claire Freire, CSA Padis Jewelry San Francisco, CA Janet Hovanitz, CSA Peter & Co. Jewelers Avon Lake, OH Amey Humphries, CSA La Maison D’Or Ottawa, ON Canada Dave Kueng, CSA Padis Jewelry San Francisco, CA Victor Kumapayi, CSA Chalmers Jewelers LTD Middleton, WI Haley Moore, CSA Morrison Smith Jewelers Charlotte, NC Erica Morgan, CSA La Maison D’Or Ottawa, ON Canada Jeff Reed,

The following individuals have recently earned the prestigious title of Registered Jeweler (RJ) by the American Gem Society: Leslie G. Bolling, RJ Jeffery B Jewelers Denver, CO Andrew Eller, RJ Morrison Smith Jewelers Charlotte, NC Charles Green, RJ Lux Bond & Green West Hartford, CT Mihkenna Merrill, RJ Duke’s Jewelers Springville, UT Cristalle Pelfrey, RJ BC Clark Jewelers Oklahoma City, OK Molly Peterson, RJ Ben Bridge Jeweler Seattle, WA Yuhan Tekin, RJ Ballantyne Jewelers Charlotte, NC

The following individual has recently earned the prestigious title of Certified Gemologist® (CG) from the American Gem Society: Maggie Massih, CG Fiancee Jewelry Chicago, IL