Women Regard Gold Jewellery Ideal Gift for Valentine's Day: WGC Survey

Women Regard Gold Jewellery Ideal Gift for Valentine's Day: WGC Survey - Represents something 'everlasting' say 76% of the correspondents

The Israel Diamond Industry Portal reported that according to participants in the World Gold Council's (WGC) 2008 jewelry survey, women all the world – no less than 76% - agree unanimously that a key reason for buying gold jewelry as a gift is "because it is everlasting,” which makes it very apt for a Valentine's Day gift. The survey was conducted by the GfK independent research firm, in the central gold jewelry markets of India, China, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Turkey and the USA. 7,500 females aged between 15 and 65 were asked what their reasons for buying gold jewelry were and to name favorite occasions for receiving gold jewelry. Valentine's Day was named a key date. Philip Olden, Managing Director of the World Gold Council, noted: "Our survey shows that Valentine's Day is an important occasion for receiving gold jewelry for women in different regions around the world. The higher gold price has added to gold jewelry's desirability despite these challenging economic times. Gold's perceived value and enduring emotional appeal are not mutually exclusive and set gold apart from other traditional gifts and apparently, holds the key to women's hearts on Valentine's Day.” Olden added: "With two-thirds of global gold demand coming from the jewelry sector, understanding our consumer is crucial to both the gold jewelry trade and the gold market as a whole. With retailers under severe financial pressure, unlocking the consumer purse through effective promotion of gold jewelry is critical. The continuous efforts of World Gold Council and our partners from the gold trade in the key jewelry markets have been notable in keeping this ancient adornment desirable and relevant in today's competitive consumer market." Even the younger segment that participated in the survey, who are typically more interested in spending money on gadgets such as mobile phones than spending their disposable income on high-end jewelry, appreciate the romance of gold jewelry - 30% stated that they wanted to receive it for Valentine's Day. Other key occasions on which women like to receive gold are birthdays, wedding anniversaries, weddings and religious festivals, with women also buying gold jewelry for themselves on these occasions

GSI Launches Minisite for Indian Jewelry Industry

GSI Launches Minisite for Indian Jewelry Industry

Gemological Science International (GSI) has launched its first minisite, http://www.gsiindia.net/, dedicated specifically to the Indian jewelry industry. GSI has been in India since 2006 and its business now serves both export and local sectors, according to CEO Mark Gershburg.
"The minisite concept has been used by many non-jewelry companies. We believe this is its first application in the jewelry industry," says Mr. Gershburg. "This approach allows us to offer more Indian-directed services online without overcomplicating our main site. It also shows our dedication and strong belief in the future of the Indian jewelry industry." In support of the Indian industry, including those looking to enter it, the GSI-India minisite provides information and services that are unique for a gem lab. For example, it offers a list of Indian suppliers of equipment and services along with directories of Indian jewelry associations, trade publications, and retail jewelers all over the country.
"Practically anything that can be done in the lab can be done by our MobilLab," says Mr. Gershburg. "It creates economic and efficiency advantages throughout the gemstone/jewelry supply chain."
GSI's customers in India, or elsewhere, also have the unique benefit of viewing their actual reports online, rather than just as data. Another one-of-a-kind feature allows GSI customers to track the progress of their goods in the lab in real time.