MJSA BEaJEWELER Heads to Oregon This Weekend
MJSA’s BEaJEWELER student outreach initiative is partnering with two Oregon institutions—the Portland Jewelry Academy and the Portland Jewelry Symposium—to offer two days of educational opportunities for those interested in careers in jewelry making and design.
On Sunday, Oct. 2, BEaJEWELER will sponsor a special open house from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Academy, featuring Q&A sessions with professional jewelers as well as live demos of jewelry-making techniques. And the Portland Jewelry Symposium—an annual conference that explores new technologies and artistic trends in jewelry making and design—is offering special discounts to students who want to attend this year’s event (Oct. 2-3).
Click here to learn more about the BEaJEWELER program—including how you can participate.
MJSA Awards $10,000 to Four Scholarship Winners
The MJSA Education Foundation recently awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarships to four students: Emily Jerome ($5,000 scholarship, Maine College of Art), Molly Robinson ($2,000 scholarship, Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology), Sidnee Tyree ($2,000 scholarship, Kendall College of Art and Design, Ferris State University), and Jasmine Chan ($1,000 scholarship, Gemological Institute of America).
Click here to learn more about the winners.
September MJSA Journal Showcases Design Components
This month’s articles include "Functional Design," which explores how designers are inspired by findings. And "The Letter of the Law" informs you how to protect your intellectual property, as well as explains the difference between copyrights, patents, and trademarks.
Click here to see all of this month’s online articles.
MJSA Online Design Challenge: A Long Time Coming
A loving couple finally tying the knot after 40 years and a 2.01 carat ruby at the heart of the seventh annual MJSA Online Design Challenge, where designers must create a custom piece for a fictional client. Read this year’s challenge and then check back every month through September for a new design. Up this month: David Giulietti, owner of David Giulietti Designs in Berkeley, California.
Our thanks to Omi Gems for its continued support of the MJSA Online Design Challenge.
Are You Ready to Be ConFabulous?
On Oct. 30, MJSA ConFab—our full-day conference offering "profit lessons" for jewelry designers—will return to the Fashion Institute of Technology. This year’s conference will include sessions by Andrea Hill on how to sell effectively online and how to use a sales forecast when planning expenses; Lisa Krikawa on how to establish (and maintain) a vision for your business; and two companion sessions by Andrea and Marlene Richey on how to create a business plan to propel success. Plus, we’ll debut MJSA ConFlubs, in which our speakers (and a few guests) will reveal the biggest mistakes they ever made in their careers, and what they learned from them.
Click here to learn more about all of these ConFabulous sessions.
The Spring 2016 MJSA Retail Link Is Online
The digital edition of the spring MJSA Retail Link features more than 80 new products—finished jewelry lines and one-of-a-kind designs, new watches and accessories, packaging and display options, and a "Vintage Marketplace" section devoted to antique and estate jewelry. Click here to see what’s new.
A print edition of the Retail Link is sent to 20,000 retailers of all sizes, from small independents to major chains like Kohl’s, Signet Jewelers, and Niemann Marcus. Every MJSA standard member is entitlted to a free placement. To learn more, e-mail MJSA Customer Service Manager Betty Costa or call her at 1-800-444-MJSA (6572), ext. 3050.
See the Latest Products in This Month’s Showcase
CAD/CAM updates from Asiga, B9Creations, Rio Grande, and Stuller; a new video series from Carrera Casting, and much more. Click to to go to the MJSA Product Showcase.
