Jewelers express strong interest in education

Seventy percent of Michigan Jewelers Association members are interested in seminars about jewelry industry topics, according to a survey conducted by MJA. Almost half are also interested in trade shows and more than half would like MJA events to be held in the Greater Detroit area.

The survey was designed to learn what members want and expect from MJA, a division of Michigan Retailers Association. From the 80 responses received by MJA, board members hope to tailor services and events to match members’ needs and wishes.

“It’s good to see that our members value the seminars we offer each year. The board looks forward to serving members even better in the upcoming year,” said MJA President Gerry Klaver.

This March MJA will team up with the Gemological Institute of America to offer several seminars in the greater Detroit area.

Respondents made suggestions about the kind of seminars they would like to attend. Ideas included “evaluating antique jewelry,” “organic gems: amber, jade, coral” and “web sites,” along with the more usual suggestions like jewelry education and sales, management, security issues and effective advertising.

Several respondents suggested the style of seminars they want: “practical bench seminars—not rah rah sessions,” offered one. Another asked that seminars be “short and user friendly as far as time and location.”

Other findings: almost half of respondents would be interested in a MJA quarterly newsletter in addition to the Michigan Retailer.

In their general comments, several respondents told MJA that they miss the Michigan Jewelry Show held in past years in Dearborn. The event was cancelled in 2002 after several years of declining attendance and vendor participation.

Others offered ideas for making a larger trade show work again, with suggestions regarding timing, location and partnerships.

In designing the survey, MJA leadership was specifically interested to learn why the 2003 event, “Diamonds By the Bay,” planned for September in Traverse City, was poorly received, causing the event to be cancelled due to low registration. The weekend event was designed as a jewelers’ get-together without the traditional trade show.

More than 90 percent of respondents were aware of the event. The three factors cited most often regarding the decision not to register were timing (37.5 percent), number of vendors (30 percent) and cost (28.75 percent).

New faces on
MJA board

Two new members were elected to the MJA board of directors in September. Anne Rice, of Acordia of Michigan in Southfield, will serve a two-year term. Todd Groening, of Nuechterlein’s Jewelry in Saginaw, will serve a one-year term.

Other board members include:

Gerry Klaver, President
Posts Jewelry, Holland

James Fiebig, 1st Vice
President
Fiebig Jewelers, Inc., Sturgis

Roger Dery, 2nd Vice President
Spectral Gems, Inc., Birmingham

Kevin Kiska, Immediate
Past President
Kiska Jewelers,
Grosse Pointe Farms

Collin Ballard
Russell & Ballard Jewelers,
Wyoming

Barbara Binkley
Cooper & Binkley Jewelers,
Brighton

Becky Beauchine Kulka
Becky Beauchine Kulka, Inc.,
Okemos

Orin Mazzoni Jr.
Orin Jewelers, Inc., Garden City

David Nelsen
Simmons Jewelers, Bay City

Don Ressa
Gold Rush Jewelers, Prudenville

James W. Siegel
Siegel Jewelers, Inc., Grand Rapids

George Wildman
Federico’s Design Jewelry,
Traverse City

Frank Yanke
Yanke Designs, Franklin

Ed Gehringer, Board Member Emeritus
Gehringer’s Jewelers,
Lathrop Village

GIA to offer March seminars

The following is a partial list of seminars that GIA and MJA will offer this March in the greater Detroit area. MJA members will receive the complete seminar schedule soon.

March 1-5
Diamond Grading
Mon. – Fri.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

March 8-12
Gem Identification
Mon. – Fri.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

March 15 -17
Colored Stone
Grading
Mon. – Wed.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Download
Registration form
pdf (412K)