Whitten’s Fine Jewelry was recently featured by National Jeweler magazine online in a story about the jewelry industry and its response to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti. An excerpt from the piece follows. To read the article in its entirety, visit National Jeweler magazine as well as the magazine’s blog.
“In the jewelry industry, the season for giving didn’t end with the holidays. As the recent massive earthquake’s aftermath continues to devastate Haiti, jewelers from all sectors of the industry are pitching in to provide relief.
Jewelers of America (JA) and Jewelers for Children (JFC) revealed that they would join forces to raise money for immediate and long-term efforts in Haiti, and on Jan. 28, the organizations announced that after 10 days of donations, industry members had raised $111,280, which will be distributed to Save the Children, The American Red Cross International Response Fund and Direct Relief International.
Among the many industry members who participated, as well as matched contributions from JA and JFC, notable donations came in from the employees of Ben Bridge Jeweler, Centurion Jewelry Shows, Diamonds-USA, Hamilton Jewelers, Hearts on Fire, the Richline Group, Sterling Jewelers and the Tiny Jewel Box, the associations reported.
Other designers and retailers have been busy too, donating time, auctioning jewelry and creating pieces with the goal of donating a portion of profits to relief organizations.
Beverly Hills designer Raju Rasiah, of Raju Rasiah Rare and Exotic Jewels, will auction some of his jewelry that celebrities wore to the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, with 100 percent of proceeds from Rasiah’s eBay Giving Works auctions going towards the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.
Among the pieces set for auction are designs worn by The Office’s Kate Flannery and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Cheryl Hines, including a $15,000 ring with 0.75 diamond carats and a 12-carat star sapphire worn by Hines.
Meanwhile, a host of designers have created special pieces at accessible prices.
Danielle Stevens Jewelry designed an engraved necklace that reads “Hope, Faith, Support, Strength,” and 80 percent of all sales will go to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Operation.
Judith Kuperman designed the “H” pendant for actress Patricia Velasquez and her Wayuu Taya Foundation. About 80 percent of proceeds from sales of the $10 brass pendant will help to raise funds for a future orphanage and school in Haiti.
New York-based Ken and Dana Design also crafted a necklace in the wake of the earthquake. From Jan. 14-22, the designers raised $600 from sales of their Haitian relief b-side “Rights” necklace in sterling silver, with proceeds going to the Red Cross.
The Alex and Ani line, meanwhile, created the “Cornelian Bracelet” featuring a cornelian stone and a wire bangle that adjusts for a customized fit. Retailing for $18, a total 100 percent of proceeds from the bracelet will be donated to Doctors without Borders.
Retail jewelers, too, have been finding creative ways to help out.
In late January, Bridge Street Jewelers in Bradenton Beach, Fla., set out to donate 100 percent of proceeds from jewelry repairs made over the course of two days to aid the Haiti relief fund. The promotion took place Jan. 29 and 30, with the retailer’s sister stores, Siesta Key Jewelers in Sarasota, Fla., and BBS Jewelry and Repair in Greencastle, Pa., participating as well.
According to Kevin Shonkwiler, a staff member at Bridge Street Jewelers, customers were already coming in for repairs the morning that the promotion began, perhaps after reading about the initiative in the local papers or hearing about it on cable’s Bay News 9.
Shonkwiler says that after seeing the “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon on television last week, Bridge Street tried to figure out a way that the stores could contribute.
“Even though we have so many bills and can’t donate tons of money, at least we could donate our labor and efforts,” Shonkwiler says.
Delaware retailer Whitten’s Fine Jewelry launched an initiative of its own, and is offering a set of three specially created Valentine’s Day-themed collectible glass beads for $75, with half of the purchase price to go to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. Given the bead jewelry craze and the opportunity to do something good, customers are “jumping on it,” says Susan McNeill, sales manager for Whimsy, Whitten’s sister company, which created the beads.
McNeill adds that while customers may come in looking specifically for bead jewelry, they sometimes say, “I’d rather buy those,” after hearing that proceeds from the bead trio go to relief in Haiti.
Available in the retailer’s two Wilmington, Del., stores, or online, at WhimsyWorldwide.com, the beads are compatible with the major bead companies’ products, including designs from Pandora, Chamilia and Trollbeads.
For those starting to generate their own relief efforts, McNeill says the retailer promoted the initiative via e-mail blast and on its Web site. Having an online store has also helped, she says: “We’ve gotten orders from far, far away.”
For more details about the pieces mentioned above, jump to our 10X blog.“
