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| January/February 2007 |
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Signity Acquires Leslie & Co. Signity, the world’s leading distributor of precision-cut natural and created gemstones, has acquired Leslie & Co., producers of color-treated topaz. Leslie & Co.’s topaz is treated through their patented Pollak Heat Diffusion™ process, which diffuses a layer of color into the outer surface of a colorless topaz. The company offers coated topaz in several colors, including EverGreen®, Teal, Glacier Blue®, Champagne®, and Bali Bi-Color™, which is half blue and half green. Irradiated blue topaz is reaching new heights of popularity, but for health and environmental reasons, D. Swarovski & Co. — Signity’s parent company — is phasing out irradiated gemstones. “We’ve observed the desire of jewelry retailers to expand their commitment to gem-set jewelry to meet the demands of the female self-purchaser, who’s driven by fashion,” Jack Malinowski, managing director of Signity USA, said in a statement. “This was demonstrated by retailers’ willingness to offer coated stone jewelry to the marketplace. However, the durability of these coated stones in both the manufacturing processes and normal wear became an issue.” Leslie & Co.’s topazes are fade-resistant and can be put in an ultrasonic cleaner, left in a setting during re-tipping, and can resist pickle and plating, according to the company. Signity has a propriety process of its own to produce coated topazes, which the company calls Thermal Color Fusion™. The process creates a hard, ceramic layer on the topaz which is scratch-resistant and also durable under cast-in-place manufacturing and cleaning processes like ultrasonics and acid baths. Signity already offers a wide variety of colors of coated topaz, including orange poppy, neon blue, red, pink, khaki, and “complexion.” Leslie & Co. will be gradually integrated into Signity’s production operations by the end of 2007; until that time, according to Signity executives, the company will maintain independent operations. Posted: February 15, 2007 |
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