In the Loupe October 2021 Edition

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T H E

LOUPE

The Premier Jewelers Cooperative

O c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 • I s s u e 99 IN THE KNOW WITH RJO Magic Time SEE PAGE 2

NEXT GENERATION EXPERIENCE

SEE PAGE 4

VENDOR PROFILE Sopraffino Jewelry

SEE PAGE 6

MEET RJO’S NEWEST VENDORS SEE PAGE 6

GET TO KNOW BIRMINGHAM SEE PAGES 8-9

JEWELER PROFILE Clark's Diamond Jewelers SEE PAGE 10

IT’S NO COINCIDENCE OUR HOST CITY for January’s RJO Winter Buying Show is nicknamed “The Magic City.” We’ll be combining Birmingham’s special take on southern hospitality with RJO’s greatest Buying Show traditions. Appearing—as if out of nowhere—will be the world’s finest jewelry vendors, offering members the latest, hottest, and most indemand jewelry to kick off a new year.

You likely will not be mystified to learn all of RJO’s exclusive membership benefits will return, including: • one $250 travel voucher for each qualifying store when you register by December 28; • up to three consecutive nights’ stay at our host hotels, the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel and the Westin Birmingham; • buying discounts, via RJO Purchase Vouchers, allowing you to save up to an additional 2.5 percent on what you buy from vendors; and • a $10 lunch coupon for concessions on the Show floor.

Your Show Registration Packet will be in the mail the same day online registration will open: November 8. No sleight of hand will be required to register—it’s that easy.

HOW TO AVOID HOLIDAY SHIPPING LOSSES SEE PAGE 11

COVER STORY

On November 8, just go to: www.rjomembers.com, log in, and go to the Buying Show section. You may also complete the Registration Form located on the last page of your Registration Packet, mail or fax it to the RJO office: P.O. Box 1045, Newton, IA 50208. Fax: 641-792-9251.

Cross-Promotions SEE PAGE 13

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

BIRMINGHAM, AL JANUARY 29-30,2022

In the Know with RJO

Magic Time ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY from where I live lies the baseball field built for the movie "Field of Dreams."

The field—which began hosting annual major league games this year—and the movie are important to us here in Iowa. Some of my favorite parts of the movie are the baseball field scenes, which were shot during what the creators called “Magic Time," filmed just after sunset, when there’s 15 minutes of golden light in the sky. To capture this look and feel, certain scenes were shot only during this small window of time, some scenes taking days or weeks. Yet viewers never had a clue about the difficulty.

It's often the work that goes on behind the scenes that makes for exceptional experiences, and RJO is no different. Since saying goodbye to many of you at the end of the Summer Buying Show, RJO has been working its magic for you at an exciting pace. From selecting new vendors at the JCK Show in Las Vegas, to running leadership committee elections, to hosting the Next Generation Experience weekend, to approving a record number of new members, to signing contracts for our Winter Buying Show, to holding a joint meeting of our Board and the

Merchandise Review Committee, we all take pride in serving our members in a manner we hope contains just a touch of magic. And now, RJO’s very own Magic Time is on the horizon.

For almost all of us, the last quarter of the year is one of wonderment due to the monthly holidays and the appearance of what most know as the “holiday spirit.” But for RJO members, the magic extends into January, thanks to our Winter Buying Show. Time and time again, I see the results of months of planning, creative touches by staff, extra efforts by presenters, and outstanding professionalism in our host city. The Birmingham Show will be an exceptional experience.

On behalf of all of us here at RJO I wish you a safe and favorite-candy-filled Halloween, a healthy and friends-and-family-filled Thanksgiving, and a memory-filled and magical holiday season,

Sarah Streb RJO CEO

RJO Board News

AT THE RECENT RJO BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, the Board had to make appointments for three of the RJO Leadership Committees: the Merchandise Review Committee, the Next Gen Advisory Board, and the Vendor Advisory Committee. The RJO Board of Directors would like to thank all who submitted applications as it shows the dedication and commitment our members have for this organization and the board truly appreciates the willingness to serve.

MRC Appointments

(10 applicants, three open seats)

Joanna Gruver, Haywood's Westlake (incumbent) Cody Miller, Alan Miller Jewelers (incumbent) Tom Nelson, Nelson Jewelry (incumbent)

Next Gen Appointments

Vendor Advisory Appointments

Jason Baide, Gem Gallery Elizabeth Chamberland, Georgetown Jewelers Brittany Olesen, Gold and More Jewelers Samantha Tupper, Wink's Fine Jewelry Allison Williams, Leitzel's Jewelry

Steven Berkowitz, Sterling Reputation (incumbent) Sanju Bhagwanji, Ava Couture Anuj Jain, Gems One Trading Jemini Joshi, IDD (incumbent) Craig MacBean, Ostbye Nick Mehta, Varsha Diamonds Allison Peck, Brevani/Color Merchants

(15 applicants, five open seats)

(25 applicants, seven open seats)

The RJO Foundation Board of Directors also met recently to appoint four open positions on the RJO Foundation Board. Mike Pribyl (Cahill-Pribyl Jewelers), Deb Borgemoen (Wickersham Jewelry), and Mark Cormier (Hager Jewelry) were all re-appointed to their position. Billy Smith (Cornerstone Fine Jewelry) was newly appointment to the RJO Foundation Board.

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FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

From RJO’s Facebook Page SERVICES Centralized Billing Patronage Dividend RJO Website (rjomembers.com) Buying Shows (Fall/Spring) In the Loupe – RJO’s newsletter Free Print and Radio Ad Library (on the RJO website)

Post: To those of you who have gone to selling online ... how did you make the baby steps to do so? We have a staff of around seven, and we just completely did a new website with Thinkspace. We would like to put this into place in the beginning of the new year, but we are in unchartered waters.

Reply One: It’s easy to turn the cart on with Thinkspace and start selling online. If you are concerned about the credit card processing online, turn on the cart, and when they process the order, you contact them for payment. We did it at the start of COVID-19 and just did curbside pickup.

We haven’t done much online selling at all. But lots of people are preshopping the website and come in to see a couple things and decide, which is nice.

Educational Seminars (at the Buying Shows)

Member-to-Member Incentive Program (Recruitment Program)

Organized Buying Trips to Antwerp and IdarOberstein (postponed for 2021) RJO Directory Travel Vouchers at Shows (offered at varying times)

Free Hotel Room Incentive (at the Buying Shows)

RJO Informational Email Blasts Purchase Vouchers (at the Buying Shows)

RJO Membership Certificate RJO Next Gen and RJO Succession Experiences Private Label Credit Card Service JewelConnect Scholarship Opportunities (from the RJO Foundation)

THE RJO PAGE ON FACEBOOK hosts a variety of interesting discussions every day. A recent post asked for RJO members’ thoughts about selling online. Here is an edited version of that initial post and five related replies:

Reply Two: We have zero luck selling online!

Reply Three: We make a few sales here and there. It doesn’t cost much to set up. We had MSG help us with the credit end. The key for us is having the product in stock and not just doing a vendor feed of all their products.

We load product individually. That being said, we are constantly revamping our website.

Reply Four: We make some sales online, BUT we find tons of people who “shop” online and then come in the store to look at it in person and then actually get the item.

Reply Five: It takes time and a lot of keywords for a website—especially a new one—to be found. Be patient and keep plugging away at it. You could very well show a loss—possibly substantial—the first year or so. I also suggest you put at least one, if not two, employees simply dedicated to be website employees. Keep it fresh and updated, and keep new images on it.

Keep new front-page photos rotating as well. Websites need to be babysat, honestly. You can do a better job of it with one of your peeps than Thinkspace can because your employees know your stuff and your customers way better than Thinkspace does. Good luck with it.

I hope it works out for you; just remember to be patient.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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Next Gen Experience Helps Guide the Industry’s Future RJO HOSTED MORE THAN TWO DOZEN attendees at its Next Gen Experience on September 11-13 at the Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook/Chicago campus in Oak Brook, Il. Next Gen Experience was introduced by RJO in 2014 specifically for young professionals in the industry, to provide opportunities for education, networking, and exchanging ideas with peers. The curriculum is specifically designed to grow leadership skills, bridge communication gaps, and strengthen skill sets behind the counter and beyond.

Raymond Holliday, of Holliday Jewelry in Klamath Falls, OR, had this to say about the weekend: “I want to thank all of you for your efforts with the Next Gen group. My son Nathan really learned a lot and had a great experience. We have had several excellent discussions since his return. He had his Uber driver stop at a bookstore so he could buy a John Maxwell book to read on the plane. He is “fired up!” about the jewelry business. Next time I’ll have two participants for you.”

“Next Gen is one of my very favorite RJO programs,” says Kate Peterson, Performance Concepts, “and it’s an honor to be a part of it. As a facilitator, I get to see the group literally ‘blossom’ over the course of just a few days—from initial introductions—in which participants visibly relax as they hear others talk about experiences much like their own, to the energized and determined conversations at the end of the last day, when jewelers talk about what they are planning to do once they get home.”

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A number of attendees posted “what they are planning to do” on Facebook, upon their return.

Here are some of their observations: • Communication is key. Great leaders learn to communicate well. They also learn to adapt their communication skills depending on who they are talking to.

• I need to get over my own predeterminations of a situation and embrace that people may need or want me somewhere where I think I may not belong.

• Remember your ‘why’ and carry that through when writing up a hiring post, to draw in people that fit your ‘why’.

• The DISC assessment was pretty eye opening, and it helped me realize how others perceive me.

I definitely need to learn how to communicate with others in varying ways.

• Networking is key to sanity, and it gives you peers to lean on for troubles that come up; it gives you another person to ask or bounce ideas off. I have met some of my best friends from RJO NextGen! “On a very personal note,” says Peterson, “it’s really gratifying to see the future of our RJO retailers—and of the industry—being entrusted to such capable and passionate young people.”

To read a press release published in Southern Jewelry News, click here. To learn more about the Experience, contact Sabrina Smead at sabrina@rjomembers.com.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

Retailer Value: Why You Should Use RJOmeet.Me

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED if a product or service is available from an RJO vendor? Have you ever wondered if what you buy could be bought at a better price? Have you ever wondered if there are any ideas, lines, or products for your store that may increase your customer choice and add more value to your showcase? Are you interested to find out all that is offered from the continuously growing RJO vendor base? Do you want to be the first to know about opportunities?

“We already know the answer to all these questions is ‘yes,’” says Andy Boundy, of VRB Internet Solutions Ltd., an RJO vendor and manager of RJO services JewelConnect, Repair.Jewelry, RJOCustomHatch. “This is exactly why RJO built and continues to develop RJOmeet.Me. This is an exclusive RJO resource that makes finding products and services simple, efficient, and quick, connecting RJO members to hundreds of RJO vendors. You can search, learn, research, browse and connect with vendors 24-7/365. It is definitively the most complete system ever built to show what is

To login to the system, visit RJOMeet.Me, click Retailer and request a password by using your RJO ID Number (Typically three letters followed by three numbers and can be found on your monthly statement.)

available from a huge and diverse group of more than 200 specialized vendors.”

Even if a store is running at 100%, there seems to always be room for more lines—including ones you may have never considered—to widen customer choice in a market that is always changing.

RJOmeet.Me has thousands of keywords in its database, and new ones are continuously being updated and added by RJO vendors. This means jewelers are not only provided with loads of ideas, but also precise information about where to fulfill them as well. The system also “learns” what is not already available and advises vendors to jump on that for RJO members. Boundy says RJOmeet.Me provides all of this functionality now and very soon will be growing into something that does even more.

“I’m not at liberty to provide much more before launching Version 2.0,” he says, “but the system will be capable of handling almost everything to do with RJO Vendor product and service research, including special pricing and offers, new line announcements, item identification and supply, messaging to highlight special opportunities, plus something we know every retailer will love: a singular place to get consolidated vendor offers and messages that are not on your phone or your email! We’ll have one system offering everything you need to know and where to get it. I think this will be very appealing for busy jewelers!”

The value of RJOmeet.Me is only just beginning to show itself, and there are many developments coming soon. The system is very easy to use, changes daily and every RJO retailer can already use the system. RJO believes it will become even more indispensable as a tool, to make jewelers’ lives easier to grow both the business and profits.

Check it out at https://rjomeet.me

"Diamond” Bill Warren Authors Second Book for Jewelers “Diamond” Bill Warren has released his second book: The Ultimate Jeweler’s Success Guide - 7 Strategies to Significantly Increase Revenue and Boost Profits.

Author and coach Warren reveals the secrets in his D.I.A.M.O.N.D. Growth Strategy to his own incredible success, including discovering hidden revenue streams, investing in profitable relationships,

attracting referrals, and marketing your business. This book follows last year’s release of The Fastest Way to A Full Recovery, which spent eight days as the #1 new book release in the retail industry category on Amazon.

The book is anticipated to be released in paperback, Kindle and audio versions via www.amazon.com and Warren’s own website: www.diamondbillmarketing.com

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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Vendor Profile

Sopraffino Jewelry: Big Heart and Big Dreams TO SAY SOPRAFFINO JEWELRY IN NEW YORK is a family affair is a bit of an understatement. According to Renee Chew, Marketing Executive, Sopraffino Jewelry was founded in 2010 by three siblings John, Anna (Renee's mother), and Adwin Chan. They believe that a small family company with big heart and big dreams can offer great value to independent retailer jewelers. The Chans have many decades of combined experience and knowledge, from years of working in the fine jewelry industry.

John is Head Designer, and he oversees production in Hong Kong. Anna and Adwin are based in New York, where she is Operations Manager, and he is Sales Manager. Renee is from the next generation, working full-time, while her sisters Gail and Allison also help in the business.

The family sentiment continues, even when being asked to talk about favorite jewelry pieces.

"That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is!" says Renee. "Our design philosophy is to combine classical motifs with contemporary gem settings and modern manufacturing methods, to create jewelry that is at once new and familiar. Our clients have described our design aesthetic as 'classic, with an edge.' I also love that we embrace color: the fiery reds of Burmese rubies, glorious blues of Ceylon sapphires, luminous white and gold South Sea pearls and brilliant diamonds. Some of our designs are bold and others are subtle; either way the vibrant colors bring out the sparkle in all of them."

"The unique designs and gorgeous hues of our jewelry attract a lot of attention and are great

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conversation pieces," she continues. "Personally, I have a soft spot for our animal-themed jewelry (butterflies, ladybugs, jellyfish, etc.). Our precious gems really bring them all to life."

Selected as a vendor just this year, Sopraffino Jewelry joined RJO this past July.

"We’ve always known RJO to be a premier buying group," says Renee. "When we attended the RJOAtlanta Jewelry Show in March, we got to meet the RJO team and community. It was clear RJO retailers believe in building relationships with their vendors, and we felt deeply our values align with RJO. Everyone we’ve met at the Buying Shows or spoken with in the RJO family is warm and friendly, and extremely generous with their time and knowledge.

It’s wonderful to be part of a community that helps one another."

"We are happy to be here," she continues, "and we will work hard to become the vendor-partners you can depend on. We offer a unique memo program to RJO retailers: Jewelers can try out our product line in their store, risk free for an extended period.

This is unusual in our industry. We also are very service oriented. A retailer once had an 18-inch white gold statement ruby necklace of ours on memo. His customer saw it and ordered a 20-inch necklace yellow gold version to give his wife for their 40th wedding anniversary ... in 10 calendar days. We delivered!"

Sopraffino Jewelry is located at 580 Fifth Avenue, LL 90, in New York, NY. Phone: (929) 322-3128 Website: www.sopraffinoinc.com

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

https://www.rjomembers.com/media/cms/Vegas_2021_New_Vendors_D5E359916084A.pdf

New Vendors Beneficial Estate Buyers Philadelphia, PA Max Weiner (800) 518-1137 www.bebllp.com Company Description: Estate jewelry trunk shows.

Bufkor Lewisville, TX Justin Parsons (800) 365-9991 www.bufkor.com Company Description: Founded in 1895, we have built a name in the luxury packaging and display industry due to collaborations with world-renowned brands. We offer custom displays and packaging to jewelers.

Clientbook Lehi, UT Brandon Wright (385) 352-3518 www.clientbook.com Company Description: Clientbook is a mobile app and platform built specifically for retail that facilitates easy clienteling by high-ticket sales associates.

Diastar Houston, TX Chetan Jhaveri (713) 784-4559 www.diastarinc.com Company Description: Established in 1991, Diastar Inc. is the premier loose diamond and fine jewelry provider in Texas. Our customer service, pricing, and quality are top-notch.

To view terms and discounts, visit rjomembers.com and view the RJO Vendor Directory.

Equity Diamond Brokers Cincinnati, OH Allen Rosenel (513) 793-4760 www.equitydiamondbrokers.com Company Description: The 40 years of experience we have servicing jewelry retailers throughout North America has provided us with the knowledge used to develop jewelry collections, displays, and the support that can help your business thrive. Our new global expansion offers a broad assortment of the hottest diamond jewelry-trends, collections, and classics.

Galinteriors Miami, FL Joanne Slawitsky (516) 835-0410 www.galinteriors.com; www.markled.com; www.fabbadisplay.com Company Description: Markaled, Galinteriors & Fabba Displays are the leading manufacturers of lighting, furniture and custom displays in Europe. Opening a showroom in Miami in early 2022.

International Gemological Institute (IGI) New York, NY Avi Levy (212) 753-7100 www.igi.org Company Description: International Gemological Institute (IGI) is the world’s largest independent laboratory for testing, grading, and appraising diamonds, colored gemstones, and fine jewelry since 1975. IGI provides the fine jewelry community and consumers with a broad range of services, including natural and laboratory-grown diamond reports, colored stone grading and origin reports, as well as jewelry identification and appraisal reports.

Made by Man New York, NY Samuel E. Jansen (646) 649-4493 www.mbmdiamonds.com Company Description: Made by Man Diamonds uses cutting-edge technological innovations to create 100% lab-grown diamonds for both men and women.

Punchmark Charlotte, NC Ross Cockerham (704) 910-4774 www.punchmark.com Company Description: Punchmark offers a fully hosted jewelry e-commerce website platform with digital marketing and content creation services. Join the leading omnichannel solutions that have made several hundred jewelry stores tremendously successful, both online and in-store.

Shefi Diamonds New York, NY Dharam Chand & Sanjay Hirawat (212) 391-1482 www.shefidiamonds.com Company Description: Established in 1975, Shefi has been dedicated to serving the loose diamond and fine jewelry needs of independent jewelry retailers throughout the U.S. SimplexDiam New York, NY Michael Pavlakos (212) 883-0888 www.simplexdiam.com Company Description: Production Diamond goods, including a full range of diamond bands (10kt & 14kt), diamond studs, diamond hoops, diamond bracelets, and fashion diamond pieces. Loose diamonds from melee to certified loose. Make us your first stop for anything diamond-related! You will be impressed, and your customers will be too.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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2022 RJO Winter Buying Show • Bir Known to Southerners as "Pittsburgh of the South," our host city of Birmingham, AL, is recognized nationally as one of America's best places to work and earn a living. With a metropolitan population of more than 1 million residents, the area has all the trappings of southern hospitality and history wrapped in a modern face forward.

Birmingham is the birthplace of many notable Americans, including social activist and author Angela Davis, author Fannie Flagg, popular author and podcaster John Green, actresses Nell Carter, and Courtney Cox, Kate Jackson, as well as actor Wayne Rogers. Musicians from the area include jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, country music stars Emmylou Harris and Tammy Wynette, and the lead singer of the Temptations, Eddie Kendricks.

Athletes Charles Barkley, Bo Jackson (above), Carl Lewis, Willie Mays, Satchel Page, and Andre Tippet all call Birmingham home, as does skier Picabo Street.

Many popular books embrace Birmingham as a setting, including Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

by Fannie Flagg, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau, and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.

On these pages you'll find out a bit more about the host city, some bits useful and others possible just interesting, but all in an effort to get you excited about attending our Winter Buying Show next January.

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Birmingham & American Idol

Birmingham: Know the Law

Over the past 15 years, Alabamians have fared well on the music talent contest American Idol. Winners Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard (below) and finalists Bo Bice and Diana DeGarmo, and four other finalists, give Alabama the fifth-highest number of finalists in all 50 states over the show’s 15 seasons.

• It’s illegal to impersonate a priest.

California has had the most finalists (27), followed

by Florida (16), Texas (15), and Tennessee (14).

After Alabama’s second Idol winner, the show came to Birmingham for auditions in 2006, as well as a second time, earlier this year.

Birmingham: Musical Playlist

• It’s illegal to wear a fake mustache in church.

• It’s illegal to put an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

• It’s illegal for someone to drive while blindfolded.

• Putting salt on a railroad track can be punishable by death.

• Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama contains the line “in Birmingham they love the governor.”

• Black Betty by Ram Jam contains the line “She's from Birmingham (bam-ba-lam), Way down in Alabam' (bam-ba-lam).”

• Birmingham is mentioned in Playboy Mommy by singer-songwriter Tori Amos, as well as in Run, Baby, Run by singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

rmingham, AL • January 29-30,2022 The average temperature range in Birmingham at the end of January rarely falls below 40°F or exceeds 68°F.

Our Host Hotels: Sheraton Birmingham Hotel & Westin Birmingham The Sheraton Birmingham Hotel (pictured) and the nearby Westin Birmingham are ready to welcome our Winter Buying Show. Discover spacious accommodations, thoughtful amenities, and modern convenience at our host hotels. Ideally located near the city's downtown district, the hotels are a short distance from attractions, including the Birmingham Zoo and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Boasting close proximity to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), our host hotels showcase versatile event and meeting room space, as well as impeccable planning capabilities and guest services.

Our host hotels are located on Richard Arrington Jr Blvd North in downtown Birmingham.

Miss Myras 3278 Cahaba Heights Road, Birmingham, AL (15 minutes southeast of the Convention Center) Ever had white sauce on your barbecue? Try it at Miss Myras.

This diner-style barbecue restaurant has been cheered by Food Network's Andrew Zimmerman, who wrote: “Open since 1984, Miss Myra’s serves real hickory-smoked barbecue, cooked in a custom-built brick pit, alongside a killer line-up of homemade Southern desserts. It’s a family-run favorite with locals, with fantastic chicken, ribs, pulled pork, legendary ’white sauce‘ and a slew of home-style sides such as green beans, coleslaw, potato salad and deviled eggs. You must save room for dessert—without question, the banana pudding is the best banana pudding in the world (pictured). But don’t stop at the pudding, you gotta try the pies—key lime, chocolate cream, coconut, pecan—it’s dessert heaven.”

Airlines serving Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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Jeweler Profile

Clark's Diamond Jewelers: 115 Years of Idaho Charm ABOUT TWO HOURS SOUTH of the Canadian border and a half-hour east of Spokane is Coeur d’ Alene in Idaho. For nearly 115 years, this landmark store has been a gem in the heart of “Beautiful Downtown Coeur d' Alene,” and it sizzles just as much today as the day it opened in 1907.

“Our store is operated from the original location with the original fixtures, cases and a historic street clock out front,” says current owner, Jane Clark (aka as “Jeweler Jane”). “E.L Overjorde opened the store in 1907 and ran a very successful business. Overjorde sent his son Bob to study Gemology, but instead of returning to the store, he went to work for Harry Winston, eventually becoming Harry’s right hand man.”

Clark explains that, without an heir, Overjorde sold the store in 1963 to Ralph and Jean Clark, after Ralph completed watchmaking school via the GI bill. Their son—”Diamond Dan”— started at the bench early on and attended GIA in 1978, and is now able to focus on his passion for colored stones—including colored diamonds. Dan’s daughter Jane is now owner-operator and is also a Graduate Gemologist, class of 2005.

Clark says being a third-generation store provides a distinctive experience with both colleagues and her customers.

“It can be the best of times and the worst of times,” she says. “But there is nothing quite like learning from —and sharing with—family in a business that is so personal. And the learning goes both ways. And we enjoy working with third generation customers, too.”

layering necklaces recently. Estate jewelry is also always popular with us.”

Clark’s Diamond Jewelers is a new member of RJO, having joined in early 2019, and Jeweler Jane’s decision to join flew in the face of earlier history.

“My Dad didn't belong to groups,” she says. “He traveled solo for stones all over the world. He took my brother and me to Sri Lanka for four months when we were two- and four-years old. He and grandpa were lone wolves. From this third-generation platform I decided to try RJO as part of our plan to take this business to another level, and it’s worked like a charm. RJO offers many of the vendors we were already using, so we are now enjoying the additional discounts and terms. I’ve enjoyed going to the Shows.”

As the holiday season approaches, Clark is preparing her marketing to continue what has been a welcome promotion for both customers and the store.

“We run a weather promotion at Christmas,” she says. “If it snows a certain amount on a certain day, we refund our customers for their Christmas jewelry purchases. Out of the eight times we have run the promotion, we have hit it twice. And we were really close a few more times. We have been able to refund more than $750,000 to our customers.”

Clark's Diamond Jewelers is located at 307 East Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene, ID. Phone: (208) 664-4615 Website: www.clarksjewelry.com

This jewelry store also distinguishes itself from competitors, says Clark, in “just about everything!”

This includes being the oldest and most trusted jeweler in the region, having the largest inventory of diamonds and colored gemstones “by far,” and having at least one Gemologist in-house since 1978.

“We also do a lot of custom design and manufacturing,” says Clark. “But the one thing we are most known for is our quality of diamonds. Grandpa Clark always said, ‘We don’t sell diamonds we wouldn’t give to our loved one.’ Being here as long as we have, we also enjoy generations of customers. We have established ourselves as a diamond jeweler intentionally, and diamond jewelry and engagement rings are our main business. For fashion jewelry we have been selling paperclip necklaces and other

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Jewelers Mutual Group

How to Avoid Holiday Shipping Losses THIS PAST YEAR we’ve seen shipping protocols and guidelines evolve drastically because of COVID and it’s important to continuously refresh your best practices.

Shipping coverage only addresses losses during transit, which is marked by carrier acceptance and carrier delivery scans. So, while you probably can’t drive the delivery truck to the destination yourself, here are a few simple steps you can take prior to sending the package to help ensure a successful delivery.

Consider COVID Protocols With COVID protocols in place and contact-free practices now fundamental in each industry, carriers are under relaxed signature collection processes.

This can be detrimental for you and your recipient if you’re depending on a signature to confirm a successful delivery.

Upgrading to the Adult Signature option carriers offer is a simple step you can take to give the optimal level of protection for your shipments. While Adult Signature service is commonly used for higher risk classes such as pharmaceutical, alcohol and high value contents – you can also take advantage of this option for jewelry. Activating this option means that, regardless of COVID contact-free practices, carriers are required to make verbal contact and hand the package directly to a recipient (minimum 18 years of age) at the delivery address.

Skip the Waiver and Release of Signature Though this isn’t a step you take as a jeweler, reminding your

customers not to keep a waiver or release of signature on file with the carrier is important because they allow for the package to be dropped off without a signature at the time of delivery. This significantly increases the chances of a package ending up in the wrong hands.

Please note that even though your recipient may not have put a waiver in place, it’s possible one exists from a prior tenant.

Monitor Your Shipment’s Progress Staying in communication with your recipient on each package— letting them know when to expect delivery and checking with them to affirm receipt—not only will help you build lasting client relationships, but it’ll also give you transparency into every step of the shipping process. Knowing the status of your packages during each step of the shipment journey means you’ll have a better understanding of what happened should a loss occur. Plus, you’ll be able to successfully report a loss within 30 days of the shipment being sent, fulfilling insurance requirements and giving your recipient the support they deserve.

While you have 30 days, reporting a loss as soon as possible allows our team the best opportunity to recover your package.

Avoid Certain Shipping Locations Though drop boxes can seem like a quick and efficient solution for package deliveries, the use of them voids all insurance coverage.

It’s important to avoid all kinds of drop boxes or mail receptacles and obtain a system generated carrier receipt for each shipment.

In addition, there is a substantially higher risk with sending to a carrier outlet, third party business, or non-carrier location such as UPS Store, PostalAnnex, CVS, etc.

While these might be convenient options, your coverage concludes the minute the carrier drops off at those locations and does not require an in-person hand off.

When in doubt – always send to locations where you know for sure a recipient signature at the time of delivery or carrier generated receipt will be given.

Know and Trust Your Coverage While you likely know the basics of what is covered by your policy, there may be some question on where exactly coverage begins and ends for each of your shipments.

Taking the time to educate yourself on the ins and outs of your coverage and reaching out to your agent when you’re looking for clarification can make all the difference when it comes to loss prevention.

Hear from Jewelers Mutual Group’s Logistics Business Development Manager about shipping best practices. Get advice on service options, signature requests and follow-up. Shipping experts are available to guide you and share the cost-saving and efficiency-gaining benefits.

An easy way to avoid shipping losses and get the best rate is to register for JM™ Shipping Solution on the Zing® platform to compare shipping options sideby-side, access incentive programs, intelligently insure your packages, and much more.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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PLAN

NEW MEMBERS Clark’s Jewelry Store Susan Clark Pomeroy, OH Referred by Ralph Crivelli, Victor Corporation, Cincinnati, OH

Clinton Jewelers Donna Butler Albany, KY Referred by Sandy Wieman-Marrow, Berco Jewelry Co., Chicago, IL

Michele & Company Fine Jewelers Michele Rohn Lapeer, MI Referred by Geno Scartozzi, Wilkerson & Company, Stuttgart, AR, and Ken Latimer, Imperial Pearl, E. Providence, RI

Pierce Custom Jewelers Lance Pierce Lake May, FL Referred by Alex Ramos, Plantation Jewelers, Winter Garden, FL

Coats Jewelers (third location) Bobby Coats Silsbee, TX

Ritzi Jewelers Jim Lubic Brookville, IN

Don Victor Jewelers (two locations) Victor Cazares Indio, CA Coachella, CA

FOR OUR NEXT BUYING SHOW!

Referred by Charlie Maneke, Maneke Jewelers, Inc., Alton, IL

Referred by Bill Sprague, Gems One, New York, NY

Dunkin’s Diamonds – Naples Stuart Dunkin Naples, FL Referred by Stuller, Inc., Lafayette, LA

Hudson Valley Goldsmith, Ltd. David & Sara Walton New Paltz, NY Referred by Pady Shah, IDD USA, New York, NY

Michael’s Jewelry Michael Parsons North Wilkesboro, NC Referred by Steve Summerlin, Imperial Pearl, East Providence, RI, and Mike Handley, Gems One Trading, New York, NY, and Dennis Williams (rep for Lafonn & Victor Corp.)

Roberts Jewelers Janet Silver Jackson, TN Referred by Duke Thames, Merit Diamond, Hollywood, FL

Silverstone Jewelers Kalena Carver Howell, MI Referred by Bob and Alissa Sweet, Sweet Custom Jewelry, Lansing, MI

Sohn & McClure Jewelers Rex McClure Charleston, SC Referred by Darrel Quinn, Quinn’s Diamond Jewelers, Hilton Head Island, SC

Sullivan’s Jewelers John Sullivan Middlebury, CT Referred by Sanjay Hirawat, Shefi Diamonds, Inc., New York, NY

Thank you to the jewelers referring new members to our group. These jewelers will receive a $1,000 finder’s fee for their referral, payable after a new member has been in good standing for at least six months.

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NOW

January 2022 • Birmingham, AL

Future Show Locations July 2022 • Minneapolis, MN January 2023 • San Antonio, TX July 2023 • Philadelphia, PA January 2024 • Palm Springs, CA July 2024 • St. Louis, MO

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

COVER STORY

Cross-Promotions Common Elements of Those That Work (and Those That Don’t) The marketing strategy of cross-promotion is often presented as a potentially beneficial way to expand the marketing reach of your product or store. Broad in scope, the term can mean advertising across a variety of media, but most often encompasses cooperating with other retailers to highlight each others’ goods and services.

But is a cross-promotion event a valuable and viable marketing technique for RJO jewelers?

According to Tiffany Gonzalez, the answer is “yes.”

Gonzalez is CEO of RJO vendor Keep Me Connected, which specializes in social media marketing for independent jewelry stores. In the Loupe has asked Gonzalez to walk us through the nuts and bolts of effective cross-promotions, a topic about which she presented at this past summer’s Buying Show.

“Research shows the vast majority of consumers are looking for ways to support small businesses,” says Gonzalez, “even if it’s not convenient for them. So why focus on cross-promotions? Because we need to remind consumers regularly why they shop local and how much fun it can be. Cross-promotions are just one fantastic way to do that.”

Q: Why should retail jewelers focus on crosspromotions?

Gonzalez: Consumers support local businesses to feel connected with their community, and shoppers in

2020 were buying more gift cards from small businesses. Those two facts can serve as a base on how you can capitalize on that as a business owner, and this is where cross-promotions really fit the bill.

You have the ability to offer more gift card purchases, incentivize those gift card purchases, and really help people feel connected to their community, by creating a promotion that runs in conjunction with another business they may love or a business they’ve been interested in trying. What it ends up doing is creating all those warm and fuzzy feelings about both businesses when you have a really well-thought-out and clear cross-promotion in place.

In addition to feeling connected, shoppers today really value excellent service. If I’m going to be spending my money in a business and I’m going to take the time to go in and shop in your store, I want to feel like I matter. I want to feel like I am getting the service and the interactions that really make that experience

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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The Most Effective CrossPromotions I Have Ever Seen Kate Peterson, Performance Concepts, Inc. The most effective cross-promotions I've seen have been the most creative (i.e., way past the 'bridal show' thing), involving causes important to the retailer and which have an obvious connection to the partner business. For example: A store with strong ties to pet rescue type organizations and a very well-known canine store 'mascot,' runs a "Pup Party" every year that is hugely successful.

Here are the key components of the promotion: • Partner with a local boutique pet store for joint promotion and cost sharing.

• Work with several vendors to supply a variety of pet-related jewelry items for the event (this includes a wide range of styles and prices) from silver charms to 14K diamond bones to custom portrait pendants—it's crazy what pet lovers will spend these days!

• A significant portion of proceeds go to the local animal shelter.

Essentially, the customer should be able to see the correlation between the jeweler and the partner business without much effort, and a philanthropic middle-layer is a great, buyer-motivating addition.

fulfilling, along with that ease of communication and connection.

The third thing is clear, quality offerings. Shoppers want to make sure they know exactly what you offer, what to expect, and what to pay.

the bare minimum of what we’re willing to do. It turns out people aren’t really that engaged, unless ... we offer something compelling, such as a ‘diamonds and dinner’ cross-promotion with a local restaurant around a holiday like Valentine’s Day.

Clear Guidelines One of the biggest hang-ups I find in cross-promotions is a lack of clear guidelines of how the shopper can participate. Instead of making shoppers wonder how to find out about the promotion, or what they need to do, or when or where they need to do it, clear guidelines (via marketing, signage, or salespeople) should make shoppers excited and energized to take part in it.

A Consistent Marketing Message You want to make sure the other business or businesses involved are using the same messaging when they are promoting this as well. Clear consistency across the board makes it much easier for people to understand and know what to do and how to participate. It also makes them feel comfortable about participating. At the same time you want to make sure the messaging is fun, exciting, and it’s expressing the value of this promotion.

Heavy Promotion Once you have a clear message, be sure you map out a calendar of your combined promotional efforts, allowing a proper amount of time for shoppers to hear about it. The main purpose of media promotion is to get the person in the store, and once in the store, the heaviest (and likely most effective) of all marketing begins: employee buy-in and promotion.

Gonzalez: Well, there isn’t going to be a one-size-fitsall promotion meant for everyone, but there are some key elements for successfully cross-promoting to satisfy customer wants. These include: having a compelling offer, clear guidelines, a consistent marketing message, heavy promotion, something you’re excited about, and a promotion which is mutually beneficial.

Store Excitement That’s you and your well-informed employees. You want to bring up the cross-promotion as often—and as comfortably— as possible so people in the store are ready to engage in the offer with you. Be sure you and your staff are excited. If you guys aren’t excited, customers are going to be able to feel that.If your colleagues aren't excited, they're not going to bring it up and may miss important steps to the promotion like pointing out the sign in the store to your customer.

A Compelling Offer Think about your current customers or people who haven’t been in to shop with you before. We often fail to see what they find attractive, or sometimes we want to create a promotion, but we don’t really want to offer them anything, and so we pick something that is

Hopefully, with good promotion, a lot of people know about the cross-promotion. They’re interacting with it.

It is the reason why a good amount of people have come into your store, but if you’re not bringing it up, there’s a good chance your staff isn’t bringing it up. So make sure you and your folks are excited.

Q: What cross-promotions work to address these three areas?

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FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

A Case Study: Diamonds & Dinner Hoover's Jewelers, Kearney NE Working with Keep Me Connected, Linda Griffiths, of Hoover's Jewelers (an RJO jeweler for more than 20 years) created a promotion called Diamonds & Dinner with a local restaurant. Here is Linda's feedback: • The cross-promotion was a very positive promotion for us, the customers, and the other businesses.

• On a scale of 1-10, I would give it at least an 8.

• Customers told me they appreciated we were supporting other businesses.

• Yes, I would do other cross-promotions, for sure! We always try to be active with our local community!

Mutual Benefit A key tenant to having a successful cross- promotion is making sure participation is based on more than simply goodwill. As a consultant, I have run across stores running cross-promotions with another store or a business in town, and it really benefits the other business and there aren't many advantages for my client. It is important to recognize the difference between a promotion and a cross-promotion and be decisive about your store's participation. In reality, a cross-promotion should be benefiting both businesses. Find a business with a good social following and can promote you and help you gain new customers. Or find a business with a complementary offering your customers also would be interested engaging with or feel value from receiving. Make sure they’re going to be promoting you as much as you’re promoting them.

Q: Are there any common elements among crosspromotions that don’t work?

Gonzalez: From my experience, there are three common weaknesses common to failed crosspromotion efforts.

The first is in the marketing, specifically promoting too late. A common cause of lateness is not having marketing materials done in time, so this is where I

Reading Links

Cross-Promotional Techniques Ryan Stoops, www.fastcapital360.com, October 2021 Five Cross-Promotion Ideas That Work Like a Charm Emil Kristensen, www.sleeknote.com, June 2021 Thirteen Cross-Marketing Ideas to Skyrocket Your Business www.smartbiz.com, January 2020

say plan out even at the beginning of the year—or at the beginning of a quarter—what you want to do promotion-wise, so you can start to get things together or get the support you need.

Whether it’s from a company like ours, or if you have a local graphic design artist, make sure you’re giving yourself enough time to get things planned out. If you want to start promoting it a couple of weeks before the promotion itself, you will need to take into account the preparation time needed to execute your creative ideas, as well as creating and approving graphics and signage. You also want to allow extra buffer time so you can get the other business involved to approve as well.

Another cause for a poor cross-promotion are unclear directions for customers. You must make sure all instructions, rules and exclusions are clearly stated on all signage, marketing materials and are properly communicated by your team. Your customer should know exactly what they need to do to participate in the promotion. These steps will help to prevent miscommunications and potential frustrations which could ultimately impact the success of your promotion. So this one is a big one.

Finally, if you’ve been successful on the marketing and the clarity, you still need to be concerned the crosspromotion may seem so generous, your shopper participants actually feel bad taking advantage of the offer. If you’re going to offer something like a gift with a purchase, you want people to feel excited and you want them to know you’re excited they’re taking advantage of the offer. The ability to convey this and to avoid shopper disappointment is a great way to get new faces in the door, bring in new customers and have them leave feeling really great about you, your store and the service you offer.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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MILESTONES Matthew Ihde, son of Sheri Ihde of vendor Jewelers Mutual Insurance in Neenah, WI, died on September 11 at the of age 39.

Don Sanborn, retired owner of Sanborn Jewelers in Muskegon, MI, passed away September 13. He was 83.

Our thoughts go out to the families.

CALENDAR November 2021

F

2 Election Day 4-5 RJO Staff Development—RJO Office is closed 7 Daylight Savings Time ends 8 Retail Registration for 2022 Winter Buying Show opens 10 All payments must be received in RJO Office 11 Veterans Day 22 Vendor Registration deadline for 2022 Winter Buying Show 23 All invoices must be received in RJO Office 25-26 Thanksgiving—RJO Office is closed 28 Hanukkah, begins at sunset

December 2021

10 All payments must be received in RJO Office 21 - All invoices must be received in the RJO office to count toward your patronage dividend - First day of Winter 23-24 Christmas—RJO Office is closed 26 Kwanzaa begins 28 Retailer Registration deadline for 2022 Winter Buying Show 31 New Year’s Eve 31 Halloween

Does RJO Have Your Most Up-to-Date Email Addresses?

If you’ve changed your email address lately or would prefer to receive RJO communications at a different address, please let us know.

Address updates and changes can be directed to Erin Sharp in the RJO office at: erin@rjomembers.com

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FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.