At the end of this week Moscow will see the opening of the International Jewelry Economic Forum, which pursues the aim to assist in the development of the Russian jewelry industry and enhance its role in shaping the international image of Russia as one of the world's leading fashion centers. The participants of this event will discuss such issues as the role of the state in the development of the jewelry industry, legal regulation in the field of precious metals and precious stones, specific features of modern investment policy in the jewelry industry, preservation and promotion of the best traditions established by the Russian jewelry art, prospects of developing the Russian jewelry industry, introduction of new advanced methods in training and personnel policy. In his interview to Rough&Polished Gagik Gevorkyan, Chairman of the Russian Jewelers Guild Association told about the upcoming activities at the jewelry forum.
Mr. Gevorkyan, could you describe how the preparations for the International Jewelry Economic Forum are going on?
The preparations are keeping a steady pace. Now we are entering the final stretch, and it gives us the determination and strength, because the Forum should be a turning point in the development of the industry and open up new perspectives to the entire jewelry community in Russia.
The Forum attracted a lot of attention on the part of the jewelry business, government authorities and foreign counterparts. To date, the Forum is to be attended by representatives from the United States, Canada, France, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and other countries.
The International Jewelry Economic Forum will be held at the Congress Centre of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce. This is the optimal platform for our event: in the heart of Moscow, in a historic building, architecturally remarkable and imbued with the spirit of proactive business communication.
I am pleased to report that this Forum continues to be welcomed, and as of now we have received greeting messages from Mikhail Shvydkoi, Special Representative of the Russian Federation President for International Cultural Cooperation; Alexander Akhpolov, Director of the Administrative Department of the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance; Alexander Shokhin, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs; Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO (World Jewellery Confederation) and Margarita Rusetskaya, Deputy Head of the Moscow Education Department.
Among the partners of the Forum are Gokhran of Russia (Russian State Repository), the Assay Chamber of the Russian Federation, OAO Gazprombank, National Artworks Collection Center, Union of Russian Artists and Art Consulting Group of Companies.
There is evident interest towards the Forum on the part of mass media: we are supported by 24 information partners, including the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Expert (a business magazine), the Economicheskaya Gazeta, the Restek Junwex Media Holding, the Navigator Yuvelirnoi Torgovli Magazine (Jewelry Trade Navigator Magazine) and your esteemed agency, Rough&Polished.
What would you like to emphasize in the Forum program particularly?
The forum program is extensive and covers the most important industry, economic, cultural and educational issues. It is important to stress the international status of the forum - its guests and participants will have a valuable opportunity to exchange world level experience.
I would particularly like to highlight the scheduled presentation of the medals for Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 made by a member of the Guild, the Adamas Jewelry Company. At the Forum, there will also be a presentation of Russia Beyond The Headlines, an international project run by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Genuine interest will be enjoyed by the exhibition called “Russian Jewelry Art: Traditions and Contemporaneity,” which will include unique works of Russian artists who have received high recognition at international exhibitions. These are, for example, the Sphinx of Giza by Elena Opaleva, the winner of the De Beers Diamond International Award in 1996; the Swan’s Secret Ring by the Estet Jewelry House, which received the Outstanding Design Award at the International Jewellery Design Excellence Award-2013 Exhibition; the Butterflies and Bullfinches sets of jewelry by Ilgiz Fazulzyanov, who is getting the Grand Prix and the title of Champion of the Champions at the International Jewellery Design Excellence Award Contest in Hong Kong for the second year in a row; and other masterpieces of modern jewelry.
I want to thank the Assay Chamber and personally Alexander Markin for the support and proactive participation in the preparation of this Forum. The Assay Chamber initiated one of the workshops, which will consider the issues relevant to many jewelers: hallmarking, analysis of foreign experience in the field of state control over the circulation of precious metals and stones, counterfeited goods and, finally, relationship between the real market situation in the country and consumer expectations.
What other issues will be discussed at workshops within the Forum?
The workshops will focus on three main themes: “The works of jewelry art. Shaping investment attractiveness of goods produced by the Russian jewelry industry,” “Vocational education in the jewelry industry,” “Federal assay supervision: protecting the rights and interests of jewelry manufacturers, consumers and the state.”
I hope it will be constructive and objective discussion of the issues and concerns perturbing the representatives of large-scale and small-scale jewelry businesses: those who create jewelry, who sell their goods on the market, as well as those who are training personnel for jewelry companies. We are interested to hear differently reasoned opinions, ask questions to the representatives of government authorities and together develop effective tools for qualitative transformation of the jewelry industry.
We call upon the Russian jewelry community to unite. Because only acting together, in team, we can enhance the image of Russia as one of the world's jewelry centers. We really have something to be proud of and something to offer to the international community, not only to the jewelry fellowship.
What will be the difference between this Moscow Forum and other similar events, including conferences convened by CIBJO?
First of all, I would like to note that this forum is being held in Russia for the first time. And for us it is important to bring together economic, educational, historical and cultural issues within one event.
Russia is the country with highly rich jewelry traditions, which gave birth to the masterpieces of Carl Faberge, Pavel Ovchinnikov, Joseph Marshak and many other artists valued at the highest level and honored to be given the title of "Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty." Therefore, we dedicate the Forum and the Charity Jewelry Ball, which will follow, to these persons - our great predecessors, the Suppliers to the Court of His Imperial Majesty.
This is particularly symbolic in a year when our jewelry community celebrates a memorable anniversary, the centenary of the Russian Jewelers Union, the first professional association of goldsmiths and watchmakers, whose successor is the Russian Jewelers Guild.
The Traditions and Contemporaneity Exhibition will convince our foreign guests that the Russian jewelry art has not lost its traditions and these traditions continue to develop in a successful way. The jewelry masterpieces, which they will see here, have unique national features.
On September 14, the International Forum will hold the All-Russia Charity Ball “For the glory of Russian jewelers!” The grand event will be in the best traditions of Russian ball culture. It will be attended by representatives of Russia's largest jewelry companies, those of small and medium businesses, as well as by foreign guests. And of course, the ball will welcome the participants of the Forum. This event organized by the Russian Jewelers Guild will be held with the participation of the Viennese Ball in Moscow Company, which is well-known for organizing Viennese balls in Moscow and Russian balls abroad. Svyatoslav Belza, the People's Artist of Russia will be the master of ceremonies at the ball. I invite everyone to this festival of beauty and noble high society traditions!
What Russia needs to become a world jewelry center?
The jewelry industry and trade of Russia have favorable prospects for development. But extensive development of the industry is not so much important as a qualitative change in the role of the jewelry industry in the national economy. And here a balanced set of measures to regulate and support the industry is to make its contribution to the process, including the introduction of the latest technologies, improved quality of goods and increased confidence in the Russian jewelry.
The Forum is aimed, above all, at inviting government authorities, social action organizations and jewelry business to discuss the current issues of the domestic jewelry industry and work out recommendations aimed at creating favorable legal, tax, customs and tariff conditions for the development of the sector and sustainable economic growth.
The discussion at the Forum of such challenging issues as the harmonization of the Russian legislation in the field of precious metals and stones with the laws of leading jewelry producing countries will greatly contribute to successful integration of Russian jewelry companies in the world jewelry community taking into account Russia's participation in the WTO and Customs Union.
What will give the participation of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Assay Chamber and other agencies along with the Russian Jewelers Guild?
The representatives of the government and those of the major state agencies not only supported the Forum with welcomes, but they will also take part in the program of the Forum, in its plenary session and thematic sections. Among the panelists there will be Alexander Akhpolov, Director of the Administrative Department of the Ministry of Finance; Andrei Yurin, Head of Gokhran; Denis Pak, Director of the Internal Trade Department of Ministry of Industry and Trade; Alexander Malkin, Head of the Assay Chamber; and other distinguished persons, whose opinions on the issues under discussion will be extremely valuable for the entire jewelry community.
What kind of participation in the Forum activities is expected from foreign delegations – CIBJO and the national jewelry associations coming from the CIS and other countries?
CIBJO was one of the first to support the International Jewelry Economic Forum. Its President Gaetano Cavalieri sent greetings on behalf of CIBJO to this Forum. As I have already mentioned, we expect the representatives of the jewelry associations from Canada, France, Turkey, Ukraine and other countries to take part in the Forum.
All the foreign participants of the Forum are united by the understanding that jewelry business is an important part of the economy. There are entire countries in the world whose economic well-being depends on the products that we, jewelers, manufacture and sell.
That is why collective action is needed to address the challenges facing the industry. The International Jewelry Economic Forum can provide valuable assistance to this effect, providing opportunities for a frank and constructive dialogue to establish new business contacts.
Your jewelry firm, Estet pays great attention to PR-activity advertising its goods and brand in a competent and uncommon way. What do you think about the necessity of generic and brand advertising in the jewelry business? And also about competition in the jewelry business?
You know, a piece of jewelry is above all a dream embodied through the artist’s talent. Every craftsman has his own style, his own unique intonation. If a jewelry piece is made by a fairly large staff of experts, then each of them makes a unique contribution resulting in a jewelry brand. Unfortunately, many Russian companies so far underestimate the importance of such a concept as the brand. In today's multipolar world and globalization the brand is a sure guarantee of a successful business. This concept combines uniqueness (think of Faberge), quality guarantee and loyalty to tradition (Cartier and Bvlgary are undoubted examples), as well as its own philosophy.
The Estet Jewelry House also has its own philosophy based on the rich traditions of the world culture, for which such a thing as aesthetics has been always true. We are pleased and interested to work in the arts, so we strive to ensure that each of our jewelry pieces is such a work of art. We do not limit ourselves to producing jewelry and we are expanding the scope of our art projects. We have launched the unique Estet Fashion Week, which brings together designer fashion collections and jewelry. We publish our own magazine, the Estet, which turned to be a really intellectual reading matter, being modern, bright and topical. And we are open to new projects. So today, our undertakings are highlighting our brand.
What is a diamond for you personally - a symbol of success, a product of nature, or something else?
For me, a diamond is a project. Only after creative and responsible work applied to it you get a finished masterpiece that reflects the mindset of the jeweler artist, emotional and appealing.
Galina Semyonova, Rough&Polished
