In the Loupe November 2022 Edition

I N

T H E

LOUPE

The Premier Jewelers Cooperative

November 2 0 2 2 • I s s u e 1 0 5 RJO WINTER BUYING SHOW • SAN ANTONIO, TX • JANUARY 28-30, 2023

Registration for Fiesta RJO is Now Open!

YOU CAN DO THIS! Registering for the RJO Winter Buying Show at the end of January is as simple as following the numbers:

28 to receive a $250 travel voucher and three nights' stay at one of our host hotels; and 3) Make your hotel reservations.

1) go to: www.rjomembers.com, log in, and go to the Buying Show section; 2) Register by December

It's that easy, and the end result will be beautiful!

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

In the Know with RJO

“Season” Eve THE BUSY-NESS OF SANTA’S WORKSHOP has nothing on RJO. Just this past month, we held elections for RJO offices, spent a weekend in the Chicago area for a valuable RJO Succession Experience, bid adieu and welcomed back RJO travelers to Europe, and—just this past week—spent a few days in Kentucky, holding an always-important RJO Board meeting.

be is at the top of our daily wish list. From helping you get the most wanted items at the best prices, to thinking of the months ahead while you’re focused on the sale in front you, and for vetting vendors to prevent lastmoment glitches, RJO understands what the Season means to you, your staff, and your customers. We work to make sure everything is just right.

And amidst all of this, RJO national office staff got away for a few days of team building. You can read a bit more about our getaway and see some photos on page 4 of this issue.

So as “all hands on deck” approaches, RJO extends our wishes for you to have a very merry Season!

I guess you could consider October the calm before the storm, or ... the Season. It’s common for most retailers to see 20-30 percent of their annual sales during the Season (the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas) and the percentages may even be higher for retail jewelers. Jewelry has always been one of the most cherished and beloved gifts at the holidays, and it always will be.

During our staff outing, during Board meetings, and every day in the office, you can be assured making your Season the best it can

May the weeks ahead be filled with family, warmth, and laughter,

Sarah Streb RJO CEO P.S. Be sure to register—and make hotel reservations—today for the RJO Winter Buying Show, Fiesta RJO, to be held in January. Demand is very strong; we’ve already sold out the first host hotel and are now filling up the overflow hotels.

Register here; make hotel reservations here.

RJO Board News At the recent RJO Board of Directors meeting, the Board made the following appointments for the Vendor Advisory Committee; four seats were open: Jeff Wynkoop, Quality Gold (incumbent) Prashant Mehta, DiaExpressions (incumbent) Alisa Bunger, Chic Pistachio (new appointment) Lenny Prion, EDGE (incumbent) ———— The RJO Board has voted to terminate the RJO Partnership Agreement with ASHI, effective October 31, 2022. A violation of the RJO agreement was discovered, which resulted in this termination. RJO will accept invoices dated through October 31, 2022; after that date all invoices will need to be billed direct.

According to RJO CEO Sarah Streb: The decision was very difficult and weighed heavily. It is very important to the RJO Board of Directors and the Merchandise Review Committee our agreements are adhered to for RJO to remain strong and continue to offer the best pricing in the industry.

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From RJO’s Facebook Page SERVICES THE MEMBER-ONLY RJO EXCLUSIVE PAGE ON FACEBOOK hosts a variety of interesting discussions every day. Here is an edited exchange from late last month.

Centralized Billing Patronage Dividend RJO Website (rjomembers.com) Buying Shows (Winter/Summer) In the Loupe – RJO’s newsletter RJO Exclusive on Facebook Educational Seminars

(at the Buying Shows)

Post: Hey everyone. We are working on redoing our showcases and getting some new ideas, and we are wondering how everyone displays prices in their showcases or if they are displayed at all? Any ideas and pictures are greatly appreciated!

Reply One: We mostly use a label maker and clear-label tape. We are able to select the font that fits our store brand or the collection. They are easy to remove or move, and they do not damage the displays. We add prices to select pieces throughout the store, as well as collections (diamond studs, pearl studs, etc.). Here are two pictures.

Member-to-Member Incentive Program (Recruitment Program)

Organized Buying Trips to Antwerp and IdarOberstein RJO Directory Travel Vouchers at Shows

(offered at varying times)

Free Hotel Room Incentive

(at the Buying Shows)

RJO Informational Email Blasts

Reply Two: Having prices on merchandise helps “self-qualify” a customer because they will gravitate toward things they can afford. I could never understand why some stores hide prices and keep pricing a mystery. Such a turn off.

Purchase Vouchers

(at the Buying Shows)

RJO Membership Certificate RJO Next Gen and RJO Succession Experiences Private Label Credit Card Service JewelConnect, RJOmeet.me, & RJOCustomHatch Scholarship Opportunities

(from the RJO Foundation)

Original Poster: Thank you so much. That looks great—very crisp and clean. We have the same displays, but use the matte clear-label tape, which reduces sheen a little.

Original Poster: So, we are asking because all of our items have tags on them, but the tags are hidden. That way the showcase still looks presentable. Our clients will ask us what the price of items they like are, and a lot of times end up spending more because they like the piece so much. We aren’t trying to hide anything but are trying to make it not look chaotic with tags showing everywhere. We have noticed people showing more prices on items and like the concept, but we want to do it in a way that fits in with the aesthetic of our store, as we are redoing a lot of our showroom and like the idea of prices being shown.

Reply Three: We use a clear-label maker and price everything in the case.

Customers love it.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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RJO Foundation Awards 14 Scholarships The recipients of the most recent RJO Foundation Scholarships are:

THE RJO FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP Committee met in October and awarded 14 scholarships. Total scholarships awarded were $9,075. The RJO Foundation Scholarship program provides scholarships and grants to RJO retail owners, vendor owners, and their employees. To date, the RJO Foundation has awarded RJO members more than $92,000 across 139 scholarships.

In other new, the RJO Foundation recently picked up six new members to its 100+ Club, bringing the total of active 100+ Club members to 104.

Lori Bell, Becker’s Jewelers, West Burlington/Mt. Pleasant, IA James Bensel, Paul Bensel Jewelers, Yuma, AZ Katrina Burns, Gregory Jewelers, Morganton, NC Dallas Chaplin, Becker’s Jewelers, West Burlington/Mt. Pleasant, IA Leah Conner, Mann’s Jewelers, San Jose, CA Selina Gaines, Gaines Jewelry, Flint, MI Anna Gann, Becker’s Jewelers, West Burlington/Mt. Pleasant, IA Julia Gross, John S. Cryan Jewelers, Southampton, PA Andrea Heredia, Cornerstone Fine Jewelry, Springfield, MO Lauren Perry, John S. Cryan Jewelers, Southampton, PA Ilia Rennock, Ken Walker Jewelers, Gig Harbor, WA Alyssa Sarrazin, Becker’s Jewelers, West Burlington/Mt. Pleasant, IA Karl Schaefer, Becker’s Jewelers, West Burlington/Mt. Pleasant, IA Cortnay Thayer, Grunwald & Kiger Fine Jewelers, Mason City, IA

RJO Staff Goes Hands-On During October Team-Building Retreat DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER, RJO staff went on a retreat for team building. As part of the getaway, staff members visited the nearby store of RJO’s president Terry Dickens (below), whose store is Herteen & Stocker Jewelers in downtown Iowa City, IA. After visiting with Dickens and a number of store employees, staff came away with a better understanding of the jewelry industry and RJO members’ day-to-day experiences in front of—and behind—the counter.

RJO Special Events Coordinator, Alison Seligman, Resigns ALI SELIGMAN has resigned from her position at RJO, effective Friday, November 4, 2022, to pursue another opportunity. Ali has been a wonderful asset to RJO and will be greatly missed.

With that, Ali’s responsibilities have been shifted to other members of the RJO team until the right replacement is found. Please be patient as we work together to ensure our vendors are taken care of and the Buying Show runs seamlessly. RJO certainly wishes Ali all the best!

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Multiple RJO Channels for Customer Acquisition ”MARKETING USES A LOT OF BUZZWORDS.” “It’s unfortunate, really,” says Andy Boundy, an RJO vendor and manager of RJO services JewelConnect, Repair.Jewelry, and RJOCustomHatch, ”because a lot of the strategies and ideas are pretty much common sense but can be dressed up to sound complicated. One such strategy is ‘multi-channel marketing and the sales funnel.’ Let’s look at this quickly, then show you some RJO exclusive solutions.”

According to Boundy, channels are simply pathways for jewelers to acquire new users or customers.

Digitally, they are a pathway to access people that may not have seen you before in other places. Each channel has a funnel where “anyone” can enter at the top, but only those relevant to your business are left at the bottom.

If you have a website, says Boundy, you need to get as many relevant people there as you can so they see it. Channels help this because not everyone uses the same place to get into their information. Social media is widely used, some spend on SEO and paid advertising—like Adwords—and some purchase radio ads and billboards. All these are relevant and useful channels to access the widest possible audience, but they are not the only games in town, and they tend to be quite wide.

The Mystore.Jewelry network—an extension to RJOexclusive Repair.Jewelry and launched at the recent RJO Summer Buying Show—is specific to RJO jewelry stores. It attracts people online who are looking specifically for repair, custom design, and estate services. It is an example of a low-volume, highrelevancy (narrow funnel) channel. It may be one of the only services to concentrate on marketing the services a store provides, not the usual “inventory and sales” that is seen most everywhere else. A new channel for an often forgotten, yet valuable, part of the business.

For RJO jewelers, says Boundy, the promotion of services gets “more interesting” when one looks at the other available RJO systems which complement it: RJOCustomHatch.com assists a store in fulfilling custom orders from RJO vendors, whereas CustomDesigned.Jewelry markets the custom option to grow the sector in the store. Thus, we have both the marketing and the fulfillment systems complementing each other.

Repair.Jewelry concentrates on acquiring repair buyers to their local RJO store and RJOMeet.Me can

supply the overflow providers from RJO should the bench require it.

Estate.Jewelry can be utilized with RJO vendors supplying exciting estate services also, available on RJO Meet.Me. So, for RJO members, there are new funnels and channels available as well as resources to make them work. All of these options are available now and are built on processes and tech that have already delivered great results. www.MyStore.Jewelry An extension to RJO-exclusive www.Repair.Jewelry, it’s for repair, custom and estate marketing www.RJOcustomHatch.com For custom order quotes and fulfillment by RJO vendors www.RJOmeet.Me To find anything from RJO members

Exclusive RJO Pricing for Gemlogis BELIZE Available Now! AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER of RJO retailers responded to a recent survey stating interest in purchasing a diamond tester for your stores. RJO Leadership teams worked with RJO vendor partners to identify a diamond tester that would work well for members, navigated through proposals, and negotiated an exclusive discounted rate for RJO retailers.

In conjunction with Stuller and the Stuller tools team, RJO is recommending the Gemlogis BELIZE at the exclusive RJO rate of $825 (normally $999). This is nearly a 20% savings only for the RJO membership.

Learn more about the Gemlogis BELIZE at this link.

Ordering is simple. RJO members will be able to order their Gemlogis BELIZE from Stuller, just as they place a typical order via phone or web, and they will receive the discount. Please note: If you order the item on the website, you will not see the discounted price until you put the item in your shopping cart. A limited quantity is available for a limited time, so be sure to order as soon as possible.

We sincerely thank our valued vendor partner, Stuller, for offering this amazing opportunity for our membership.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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Vendor Profile

Oro Alexander: Proud of Being Customer Centric MANY JEWELRY VENDORS START their business with a singular product, and then diversify that product line for growth. RJO vendor Oro Alexander Inc., of Encino, CA, started their mission a little less focused on product and more on customer service.

“At Oro Alexander we pride ourselves on being customer centric,” says Zvulun Gabay, Oro’s sales director. “Our focus is on how to generate the most value to our retail partners, supporting their competitiveness and enabling them to carry this value to the consumer.”

That’s not to say they haven’t worked hard on their offerings. For more than 40 years, Oro Alexander has evolved its product lines. Oro Alexander was started in 1979 by Danny and Michal Alpert, CEO and CFO respectively, who are still at the helm of the company today. Originally a gold wholesaler, the company expanded its reach to fine jewelers across the country. Gabay notes many RJO members might still remember Oro Alexander as a gold vendor who carried fancy, on-trend designs.

“In the late 80s,” says Gabay, “when diamond jewelry became more prominent and drove market expansion, we ventured into the diamond fashion jewelry realm, initially manufacturing locally. When demand increased, Oro Alexander established its own manufacturing facility in Bangkok, Thailand.

Diamond jewelry quickly became the core of our business.”

“We specialize in high-quality fashion-forward diamond jewelry, Gabay continues. “We spare no effort to bring RJO members current and advanced market trends, with occasional twists that spike their appeal. With our relentless pursuit of quality and a keen eye for details, we create designs our customers are proud to include in their collections.

We dedicate our utmost efforts to ensure consistent quality and finish.”

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18 months; convenient terms on request; highresolution digital images; digital marketing assets on demand; print marketing assets on demand; an interactive website offering ordering and reordering capabilities; and special orders processing, among others.

“We heard so many good things about RJO,” says Gabay, “that when the opportunity presented itself to join, it was an easy decision. The RJO group is known for supporting the members and vendors and creating a convenient, inviting, and streamlined business environment. I think the best aspect of being a member is the sense of community. Meeting members at the Buying Shows or on the road, it is so valuable to know their doors are open, dedicating time and attention to their RJO vendors. And it goes both ways; a member will always get our utmost attention.”

Oro Alexander recently celebrated its second year as an RJO vendor, and already they’ve been generous in their support. Specifically, Oro Alexander has committed to providing financial support to the RJO Foundation.

“We are launching a special, limited program that focuses on classic semi-mount engagement rings with exceptional value,” says Gabay. “Loyal to our value commitments, we will be offering these rings in all gold colors and in all standard sizes, so our retail partners do not have to worry with sizing. We have committed four percent of the proceeds of this program to the RJO Foundation. We are so proud to be able to support the Foundation and to know we pay it forward to the development and betterment of RJO members.”

Gabay says retailers recognize the value of their customer-centric approach, but their commitment to adding value seems to extend to other areas at the company as well.

Probably the biggest compliment to Oro Alexander’s efforts, according to Gabay, is most of their retail partners end up buying one of the company’s designs for themselves.

“A fun fact we are proud of,” says Gabay, “is many of the people in the company have worked here almost since the beginning! We have numerous people on the team with tenure that exceeds 30 years. That also is something we all are truly proud of.”

Gabay says Oro Alexander supports RJO members through a variety of services, including: stock balancing, with an exceptional rate of 1:1 in the first

Oro Alexander Inc. is located at 16055 Ventura Blvd., Suite 425 in Encino, CA Phone: (800) 782-1231 Website: www.oroalexander.com

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

RJO Succession Experience 2022

Weekend’s Focus: Planning Ahead the Right Way RJO’S POPULAR SUCCESSION EXPERIENCE was held in Oak Brook, IL, the weekend of October 15-17. The multi-day gathering offered retail jewelers peer networking and professional insight to help prepare businesses for their own future succession events.

The Experience featured presentations and roundtables which addressed a variety of topics, including: wealth management, trusts, taxes, estate planning, cash-raising events, and successful transitions.

Industry professionals who presented include: Kate Peterson, Performance Concepts; Chuck Frey, Charles Frey & Associates; Patrick Conner, Partner, Husch Blackwell Attorneys at Law; and Dan Pharr, Pharr Valuation. Sponsors for the weekend were: Charles Frey & Associates, Federated Insurance, Ostbye, and Quality Gold.

Christine Dahlkemper, of Dahlkemper's Jewelry Connection in Erie, PA, posted this about her weekend experience: Absolutely wonderful experience!

Thank you to RJO for hosting such a worthwhile, informative seminar. And thank you to the sponsors and presenters—it was an excellent experience full of extremely useful information! I highly recommend it to anyone pondering how to retire, sell, or facilitate a successor.

Photos from the event are below.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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2023 Winter Buying Sh RJO members will be welcomed with open arms at the Winter Buying Show to be held the last weekend of January. America’s seventh largest city, the Greater San Antonio metropolitan area boasts a population of more than 2.6 million residents. More people moved to San Antonio than anywhere else in the country between 2020 and 2021, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

San Antonio’s downtown is known for its River Walk, the most popular attraction in the state of Texas. The Walk comprises nearly three miles of pedestrian paths and more than 120 restaurants within the area.

The list of well-known personalities that hail from San Antonio is extensive, and it includes: actor Henry Thomas, (Elliott in “E.T. the Extraterrestrial;” frontiersman Davy Crockett; Oscar Award-winning singer/songwriter and four-time Grammy Award winner Christopher Cross; actor John Schneider, best known as Bo Duke on the CBS TV series “The Dukes of Hazzard;” country music singer George Strait, a Grammy Award-winning country music superstar with more than 60 No. 1 hits, including “The Chair” and "All My Exes Live in Texas"; rapper, singer-songwriter, and actress Megan Thee Stallion; and Carol Baskin, the nemesis of Joe Exotic, aka the Tiger King.

We’ve put together some varied bits of information about the Buying Show and its host city. We hope it helps you start your planning for next January.

Get to know The Alamo City Gatorade was invented by San Antonio native Robert Cade. Cade was a professor of medicine and nephrology at the University of Florida when he was doing research about the football team and why players didn’t urinate after a game. It was determined players lost so much fluid none was left to form urine and that is when he invented a drink that had salts and sugars which was the basis for Gatorade, according to the University of Florida. Cade was born in San Antonio in 1927.

Shaquille O’Neil got his start in basketball in San Antonio. Shaq played high school basketball at Cole High School, and his team went 68-1 in two seasons and won the 1989 state championship.

The world's first frozen margarita machine was turned on in San Antonio in 1971. A margarita is always a ”yes,“ but who can resist a margarita that has been turned into an adult slushy? A frozen margarita is the perfect way to cool down during the outrageously hot days of a Texan summer.

Chili con carne is the official dish of San Antonio and the state of Texas. Beginning in the 1880s, chili stands became popular in San Antonio.

In San Antonio, it is illegal to milk another person’s cow. The Texas Penal Code states doing so results in a fine of no more than $10. The current law makes the act a theft of personal property.

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ow • San Antonio, TX • January 28-30 The average high temperature in San Antonio at the end of January is 66 and the low is 44.

Our Show Location: The Henry B. González Convention Center The Henry B. González Convention Center is in the heart of historic downtown San Antonio, along the banks of the world-famous River Walk. The Center, named for the late U.S. Congressman Henry B. González, hosts more than 300 events each year, accommodating more than 750,000 convention visitors from around the world.

From a TripAdvisor reviewer just this past month:

This place is huge! There are plenty of eating places and it is very clean. The building is beautiful, too. Be prepared to walk, since it is so big. This is the third time I have visited, and every time I see new carpets and murals.

The Convention Center is located at 900 E Market St., in San Antonio.

Rosario’s Mexican Cafe Y Cantina The world's first frozen margarita is credited to San Antonio, and few places are as well-known for the frozen margarita than Rosario's. A frozen margarita is the perfect way to cool down after a long day on the Buying Show floor. A pleasant 15-minute walk from the host hotel, Rosario's is a local favorite for both its food and drink.

Rosario’s is located at 10 S Alamo St. in San Antonio.

Domestic Airlines Serving San Antonio International Airport (SAT)

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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Jeweler Profile

Vashti’s Jewelers: Woman-owned for Three Generations LOCATED ONE HOUR NORTH of Norfolk, VA, and a half hour east of Chesapeake Bay is Gloucester, VA, a town of about 40,000 and the home of Vashti’s Jewelers. The store, founded in 1961 by Vashti Wilcher, has been serving the Middle Peninsula community and beyond for more than five decades.

“My grandmother Vashti started the business when she purchased it from her employer and renamed it Vashti’s,” says the founder’s granddaughter, Nicole R Michael. Michael is the store’s third-generation owner. Having grown up facing hard times, Vashti was always interested and fascinated with jewelry; Michael says her grandmother was enchanted by its beauty and enthralled by the independence the store gave her. Before opening the jewelry store, Vashti began her working life in a supermarket. When a chance to work for a new jeweler in Gloucester opened, she applied immediately. A year later, she owned the store.

“The store started on our local main street” says Michael, “and about 55 years ago she moved the store to a new shopping center that was being developed on Main Street. My grandmother was a very independent woman, but it was still unusual in those years for a woman to open her own business.

She and my mother Joan worked together for many years, and when my grandmother retired, my mother took over. Then I took over in 2014 when my mother Joan wanted to retire. Timing could not have been more perfect, as the shopping center was going through an entire remodel. A new store was built for us, so I was able to design and make it my own.”

Family-owned businesses have their own way of keeping family close, and Vashti’s was no different.

Sometimes, though, business is business.

“My mother’s retirement only lasted a few months,” says Michael, “and then she came back working a couple of days a week; she also fills in when staff is on vacation. I grew up in the jewelry store helping my grandmother and mother, but my mother fired me in

high school because I was spending too much time in the backroom playing cards with my grandmother.”

“Hey, I figured grandmother was the boss, so if she wanted to play cards, we would play cards,” Michael laughed. “It honestly was the best thing she could have done for me, as I went to work for a local clothing company and learned a lot of business skills there that I am able to apply to the jewelry store today. Hopefully one day there will be a fourth generation, as my daughter is 14, and she enjoys working in the store.” It should be noted Michael still works for that clothing company today, marking more than 30 years there.

Vashti’s offers classic and contemporary jewelry, engagement and wedding pieces, custom designs and repairs and a wide array of gold, sterling silver, platinum, and other precious metals and stones.

Vashti’s Jewelers remains sharply focused on jewelry, especially engagement and bridal pieces, while also offering fine sterling pieces, baby gifts, jewelry boxes and fine engraved crystal. The store offers repairs, redesigns, and appraisals by its in-house jeweler.

“We sell a wide range of jewelry,” says Michael, “from $17.99 Concept earrings and up, so we have something for everyone. We do very well with Samuel B, Frederic Duclos and Marathon sterling silver lines, as well as Allison Kaufman and Shefi gold and diamond pieces. Right now we are selling pieces in all categories, so it is hard to say what the trend will be for the holidays. We just have to make sure we are stocked across the board to be sure to have what our customers are looking for.”

A member since 2019, Michael says she enjoys the advantages RJO offers her store.

“The RJO staff is great, and I like the fact we are all owners in the company and receive part of the financial benefits.”

Vashti’s Jewelers is located at 6734 Main St in Gloucester, VA Phone: (804) 693-3434 Website: www.vashtisjewelry.com

Does RJO Have Your Most Up-to-Date Email Addresses?

If you’ve changed your email address lately or would prefer to receive RJO communications at a different address, please let us know.

Address updates and changes can be directed to Erin Sharp in the RJO office at: erin@rjomembers.com

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COVER STORY

Rock Tour 2022 The Sights • The Jewels & Gems • The Food & Drink • The Camaraderie In the first half of October, 36 RJO members took part in Rock Tour 2022, an annual buying and branding trip to Antwerp, Belgium. Many of the travelers posted about their experiences on RJO's Facebook page, and some of the best photos have been pulled together in this cover story.

Nancy Marchell, of Signature Jewelers in Grand Forks, ND, and Erika Godfrey, of Hawthorne Jewelry in Kearney, NE, served as RJO hosts for the trip, and they provided the photos shown on the pages that follow.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER

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The Sights

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The Jewels & Gems

Perks

Rock Tour 2022

With the help of generous sponsors, RJO offered extra savings on the trip: • An extra 1% from RJO on purchases made in Antwerp • A free gift-with-purchase from participating vendors • Specials and credits when shopping in Antwerp • Special terms from Antwerp vendors

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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The Food & Drink

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The Camaraderie

Itinerary Rock Tour 2022

Friday­Saturday, October 7­8 • Arrival in Antwerp Sunday, October 9 • Bird Market & Old City Tour & Explore • Cocktail Welcome Reception • Group Dinner Monday, October 10 • Breakfast & Round Table • Tour & Photo Opportunities • Diamond District • Cocktail Reception & "Toast & Share" • Group Dinner Tuesday, October 11 • Diamond District • Cocktail Reception • Group Dinner Wednesday, October 12 • Colored Stone Education & Buying Day Thursday, October 13 • Finish Up Diamond/Color Purchases • Day Trip Excursion • Dinner (on your own) Friday, October 14 • Leave in Morning for Paris (optional) Saturday, October 15 • Paris (optional) Sunday, October 16 • Depart Europe for Home FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

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NEW MEMBERS Eden Jewelry

A.L. Terry Jewelers Alan and Jeanine Terry Jackson, OH

(second and third locations to Ben David Jewelers)

J.T. Hyler, Jr. Danville and Martinsville, VA

Referred by Pady Shah, IDD, New York, NY

Ballard & Ballard Jewelers Guy and Christy Ballard Fountain Valley, CA

Hope Jewelers (previously Moser Jewelers)

Hope Randall Tipton, IN

J. David Jewelry (third location)

Joel and Kendra Wiland Tulsa, OK Legacy Diamond & Gems Thomas Kraft Sheridan, WY

Referred by Megan Young, Forever Young Fine Jewelers, St. George, UT

CALENDAR November 2022

F

6 Daylight Savings Time ends 7 Retail Registration for 2023 Winter Buying Show opens 8 Election Day 10 All payments must be received in RJO office 11 Veterans Day 21 - All invoices must be received in the RJO office - Vendor Registration deadline for 2023 Winter Buying Show 24-25 Thanksgiving—RJO office is closed

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State Street Jewelers Michael D. Wilson Greensboro, NC

Referred by Brian Iroff, Iroff & Sons Jewelers, Alpharetta, GA

Thank you to the jewelers referring new members to our group. These jewelers will receive a $1,000 finder’s fee for their referral, payable after a new member has been in good standing for at least six months.

December 2022

9 - All payments must be received in RJO office - Last day to transfer dating to count towards your 2022 dividend 18 Hanukkah begins at sunset 21 - All invoices must be received in the RJO office to count toward your patronage dividend - First day of Winter 23-26 Christmas—RJO office is closed 26 Kwanzaa begins 27 Retailer Registration deadline for 2023 Winter Buying Show 31 New Year’s Eve

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.