< AN INDEPENDENT INDUSTRY, SEPTEMBER 2011, ISSUE NO. 257 >
RETAIL
Blue Nile Posts Record Q2 Revenue Amid Rising Costs
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POLISHED
India Cracking Down On Defaulting Diamond Firms
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MINING
Rising Rough Prices Protect Gem Diamonds' H1 Revenues
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FOCUS
An Independent Industry
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FOCUS
Specialty Jewelry Thriving
Economic Census information from the Census Bureau’s newly released database shows that the U.S. specialty jewelry retailing industry is a thriving, growing retail segment. Further, the industry shares operating characteristics with other retail segments, which are typified by a large number of independent retail merchants. 
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Single-Store Merchants Dominate
There’s no question that the jewelry industry is dominated by small independent merchants. Of the 18,700 firms that operate one or more specialty jewelry stores in the American market, just over 18,000 of them operate only one unit, according to new data from the Census.
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Missing The $1 Million Mark
More than three-fourths of all specialty jewelry firms generate sales per store that are under $1 million annually, according to newly released data from the Census. Here are highlights from the Economic Census about the specialty jewelry industry, based on revenues by firm and by store:
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The Top Four
The top four specialty jewelry firms generate roughly a quarter of all sales made by U.S. specialty jewelers, according to new data from the Census.
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Why It Pays To Work In A Specialty Store
U.S. specialty jewelry retailers have fewer employees per store than the typical American merchant, but jewelers pay their employees notably better than other retailers, according to new data from the Census.
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Bigger Isn’t Always Better
America’s mid-size specialty jewelers are the most productive retail units, based on an analysis of sales metrics such as sales per store, sales per employee, revenue and others.
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Diamonds Are A Specialty Jewelers' Best Friend
Diamond jewelry represents by far the most important product category for American retail jewelers, according to newly released data from the Census. Further, over the past two decades, the sales mix of diamond jewelry has shown a steady increase.
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EDITOR
The Age Of Independence
When I was much younger, one of the special treats of the week was visiting McNaughton’s newsagents for 25-pence worth of pick n’mix.
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MEMO
Fear and Loathing On The Road To Ethics
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) is developing a new certification standard for Chain of Custody (CoC). The intentions may be good, but they seem to irk the diamond industry.
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FACETS
Christie's Exhibits Elizabeth Taylor's Jewelry
Christie's auction house has mounted a landmark series of public exhibitions and special events leading up to the sale of the collection of Elizabeth Taylor.
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The Shipping News
Export Expert
Are you an export expert? Unless you export regularly, probably not. And even then, what you don’t know could cost you – or worse, harm your business.
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BAUBLE BUZZ
Bauble Buzz
Game, Set And Match:Proving that her fashion sense is just as eye-catching as her sporting endeavours,Russian tennis ace Maria Sharapova wore Hellmuth earrings to the 2011 ESPY Awards.
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PROFILE
Profile
Business Philosophy: I have been passionate about diamonds since I started my journey in the diamond business.
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