Inside Track April 2024 Edition

Inside Track

April 2024

Check out the deals sprouting this Spring!

EXCLUSIVES FOR RJO RETAIL MEMBERS

April Newsletter .............................................................................................................. Page 4 Market Trends ................................................................................................................. Page 5 The Edge Retail Academy ......................................................................................... Page 8 The Edge ............................................................................................................................ Page 9 GIA Diamond Grading Lab Seminar .................................................................... Page 10 GIA Alumni Collective Continuing Education ................................................... Page 11 RJO Foundation Spring Scholarships .................................................................. Page 12 Smiling Rocks .................................................................................................................. Page 13 United Precious Metals Refining ............................................................................ Page 14 JD&CO ............................................................................................................................... Page 15 Star Gems ......................................................................................................................... Page 16 Metal Marketplace International ........................................................................... Page 17 Quality Gold ..................................................................................................................... Page 18 Sterling Reputation ...................................................................................................... Page 19 Oro Alexander ............................................................................................................... Page 20 Guild & Facet .................................................................................................................. Page 21 Kelly Waters .................................................................................................................... Page 22 Mercury Ring .................................................................................................................... Page 23 Jewelry Innovations .................................................................................................... Page 24 Samuel Spil Co ................................................................................................................ Page 25 IZI Creations .................................................................................................................... Page 26 Lafonn ................................................................................................................................. Page 27 Concepts Marketing .................................................................................................... Page 28 Charles Frey & Co ......................................................................................................... Page 29 Everlee by OMD ............................................................................................................. Page 30 Gem Wave ........................................................................................................................ Page 31 Jas Diamonds ................................................................................................................. Page 32 Cerce Capital ................................................................................................................... Page 33 Malo Creations ............................................................................................................... Page 34 MK Jewelry ...................................................................................................................... Page 35 Podium ............................................................................................................................... Page 36 Rembrandt Charms ..................................................................................................... Page 37 Shivani Gems .................................................................................................................. Page 38 Brevani/Color Merchants ......................................................................................... Page 39

April

Newsletter

The latest RJO news and announcements

SPRING IS HERE!

IMPORTANT DATES

April 10th

Payments due in the RJO office

April 22nd

Passover begins at Sundown Earth Day

April 26th

RJO Foundation Scholarship Applications Due

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

August2024:

GIAALUMNISEMINARS

These seminars take place at the St Louis Buying Show on Friday, August 2nd. All participants receive a certificate of completion

Cost: $195/attendee

September - October 2024: GIA DIAMOND GRADING LAB

This week long course takes place in Neenah, WI from September 30thOctober 4th.

Cost: $2,800/attendee

RJO Foundation Scholarship Applications Applications are now being accepted for the RJO Foundation Spring 2024 Scholarships! Both members and vendors can apply for scholarship funds. Scan the QR code to apply today!

ApplicationDeadline: Friday,April26th!

Ah, spring has sprung! It's that time of year again when everything seems to come alive with color and warmth At RJO, we ' re soaking up the sunshine and welcoming the season with open arms It's a time for fresh starts and new beginnings, where we ' re all about embracing growth and making the most of every opportunity that comes our way So, kick off those winter boots, breathe in the sweet scent of blossoms, and let's dive into spring together!

Every spring in the RJO office, our staff begins making the swing from post-show wrap-up to pre-show planning In addition to all of those preparations, we are also promoting some great initiatives to grow your knowledge and your business! RJO is currently accepting registrations for the GIA Alumni Seminars taking place at the show in St Louis, and the Diamond Grading Lab happening later this fall RJO is also accepting applications for RJO Foundation Scholarships, as a reminder, both of these education opportunities are eligible for Foundation Scholarships. We are also giving our retailers the chance to make their voice heard by voting for the RJO Vendor of the Year awards.

Spring has a lot of offer our RJO Retail Membership, so please be sure you are staying up-to-date with all RJO announcements. Be sure you are checking your email and watching RJOExclusive on Facebook for upcoming announcements about RJO Foundation Scholarships, Vendor of the Year awards, the RJO European Rock Tour, ways to support the RJO Foundation and the upcoming Summer Buying Show in St. Louis!

Have a great April!

It's here! RJO is giving retail members the FIRST CHANCE at booking in the host hotel for the 2024 Summer Buying Show in St. Louis, Missouri! But book quickly, because we are releasing the link to vendors soon!

Rooms WILL go fast, so book your rooms NOW! This link is currently ONLY available to RJO retailers, so be sure to secure your rooms for you and your team in the host hotel TODAY! Retailer registration opens on May 16th, but many times, we are already booking into an overflow property by that point Don't wait!

A helpful tip: be sure to set a calendar reminder to register your store for the show when registration opens on May 16th.

APRIL 2024

BOOK YOUR ROOMS NOW FOR

ST. LOUIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 2ND - MONDAY, AUGUST 5TH

CONTACT US Phone: 800-247-1774 | E-mail: rjo@rjomembers com | Website: www rjomembers com | Facebook: RJOExclusive

SCANTHISQRCODETO BOOKYOURROOMS!

MARRIOTTST LOUISGRAND 800WASHINGTONAVENUE ST LOUIS,MO63101, 314-621-9600

Continued Education

GIA DIAMOND GRADING LAB SEMINAR

Throughauniquecombinationofhands-ontraining,one-on-onecoachingandmultimedia,theDiamond GradingLabexploreshowtogradediamondsconsistentlyandaccuratelyusingamoderngemmicroscope andaloupe.

RJOisveryexcitedtohavecollaboratedwithGIAandtheJewelersMutualGrouptobringtheGIA DiamondGradingLabtotheMidwest ThisopportunityisexclusivetoRJOretailersandoffersacentral locationtohostthispopularclass RJOvendor,JewelersMutual,hasgraciouslyofferedtohosttheclass intheirfacility,locatedinNeenah,WI TheDiamondGradingLabwillbeheldtheweekofSeptember 30th-October4thandwillcost$2,800/attendee ThisclasswillbefacilitatedbyaGIAInstructorandis limitedtothefirst15registeredstudents.

D A T E S : S E P T E M B E R 3 0 T H - O C T O B E R 4 T H , 2 0 2 4 C O S T : $ 2 , 8 0 0 / A T T E N D E E L O C A T I O N : J E W E L E R S M U T U A L F A C I L I T Y , N E E N A H , W I

8 0 0 - 2 4 7 - 1 7 7 4 Q U E S T I O N S ? S A B R I N A @ R J O M E M B E R S . C O M

S I G N U P T O D A Y !

RJO SUMMER BUYING SHOW

COMING TO ST. LOUIS!

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SIGN UP TODAY!

RJO is incredibly excited to partner with GIA Alumni Collective™ to present two continuing education seminars led by experts from industry heavyweight and a leader in education, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Seminars will be held on-site in St. Louis at the RJO Summer Buying Show. Space is very limited as each seminar is limited to 24 participants and attendees must be pre-registered to attend There is a $195 fee per attendee for each seminar and includes all course materials and supplies including a Letter of Attendance.

INTRODUCTIONTOCOLOREDSTONES

TIME:FRIDAY,AUGUST2,2024,3:00 4:30PM

This seminar will introduce the core concepts that buyers and sellers of colored stones should know to have informed discussions with their customers, including how to identify and explain key attributes that determine a gem’s value, common treatments applied to gems and how to translate characteristics into compelling features and benefits.

Participants are encouraged to ask questions as they are guided by a GIA instructor who will share their expertise through illustrations, images and lecture. This course is ideal for sales associates, colored gemstone investors and enthusiasts

OVERVIEWOFLABORATORY-GROWNDIAMONDS

TIME:FRIDAY,AUGUST2,2024,5:00 6:30P.M.

This seminar will provide essential knowledge about laboratory-grown diamonds that will give gem and jewelry professionals the confidence to have responsible discussions with their customers. Key topics will include the main production methods (HPHT and CVD), a review of important U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations, and the services, methods and instruments that can help to distinguish laboratory-grown and natural diamonds, including GIA Laboratory Reports and the GIA iD100™ gem testing device.

Participants are encouraged to ask questions as they are guided by a GIA instructor who will share their expertise through illustrations, images and lecture This course is ideal for sales associates, colored gemstone investors and enthusiasts