FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Pamela Y. Wiggins
Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l
512-789-3803
pam@cjci.co (not dot com)
https://www.costumejewelrycollectors.com/

Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l Hosts Sixth Annual Convention in Rhode Island

Benicia, Calif.  –  Oct. 5, 2016 – Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) will return to Rhode Island in October, 2016 to host the organization’s sixth annual convention. The organization’s co-founders and their guests will honor New England-based Guyot Brothers Co. Inc. with this year’s CJCI Achievement Award during the event as well as hosting another exciting costume jewelry show and sale.

CJCI, co-founded in 2009 by Melinda L. Lewis and Pamela Y. Wiggins, sponsors the convention to promote the camaraderie shared by collectors of both contemporary and vintage costume jewelry. The group favors Rhode Island as a host state for this event due to the rich history of the jewelry industry present in the region.

“Each of our conventions held in Rhode Island have welcomed attendees from around the United States and the world. This year’s event is no exception. The excitement they have for visiting the ‘home of American costume jewelry manufacture’ is palpable as our planning continues,” said Wiggins.

The annual convention will be attended by more than 100 individuals who represent the all parts of the United States along with Canada, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. These participants are collectors of vintage and contemporary costume jewelry with an appreciation for the Providence area’s vast jewelry-based heritage.

The CJCI Achievement Award for 2016 will be presented to Steve Guyot in recognition of his family’s contribution to the jewelry industry spanning more than a century. Guyot Brothers Co. Inc. of Attleboro, Massachusetts has been making jewelry findings for 112 years, and those components were used in crafting many vintage pieces coveted by enthusiasts today.

This marks the fourth CJCI Achievement Award presentation honoring individuals and businesses who are actively keeping the costume jewelry industry alive in the United States. In 2015, the award was presented to Gene Verri of Gem-Craft Inc. in Cranston who accepted on his family’s behalf. The awards are presented during a Saturday evening gala where convention goers are encouraged to don vintage-style attire including favorite jewelry from their collections.

CJCI also sponsors a costume jewelry show and sale during the event. The show will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22nd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel Providence Airport in the second floor ballroom. Admission is open to the public and free of charge. To complement the ballroom filled with vintage jewelry dealers on hand at Saturday’s sale, CJCI will welcome popular contemporary designers participating in the show. Among those are Kevin Friedman and Katerina Musetti who were highlighted in a recent feature on CJCI’s Melinda Lewis appearing in Traditional Home magazine.

“Our show and sale is always one of the highpoints of the weekend, not only for our group but for the entire community. It’s hard for a collector or someone related to the jewelry industry not to get excited when they walk into a ballroom filled with sparkling jewelry laced with local history,” added Wiggins.

The organization invites speakers and guests who have researched collectible jewelry and worked in the fashion jewelry industry, both in the New England area and from around the globe, to join them throughout the weekend to further their goal of educating and inspiring collectors. This year Alan Weimer, former designer for Jonette Jewelry Co. of Providence, will speak to attendees during the convention’s welcome dinner on Friday evening.

“Meeting former jewelry industry employees who join us for these events is always one of the bright spots for our attendees. It’s often hard for them to understand, but these folks are celebrities in our world and we welcome them to stop by and visit with us during the Saturday show and sale along with all the other shoppers,” Wiggins said.

Convention-goers are also introduced to other people and places with a connection to the costume jewelry business in Rhode Island and the surrounding communities during the weekend-long event. Participants are encouraged to visit related wholesale findings warehouses such as Wolf E. Myrow and Waliga Imports in Providence. Rhode Island Antiques Mall in Pawtucket also hosts a special event for CJCI convention attendees in the days leading up to the convention.

CJCI’s co-founders are both authors with great respect for the jewelry heritage of New England. Warman’s Costume Jewelry by Pamela Y. Wiggins features collectible jewelry dating from the Victorian era through the 2000s. The Napier Co., by Melinda L. Lewis, focuses on the neighboring Meriden, Connecticut-based company as well as including information on the jewelry industry in general. You can learn more about CJCI, the organization’s founders, and all the convention activities on their website at: https://www.costumejewelrycollectors.com/cjci-convention-2016/

Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l is an organization dedicated to furthering the study of vintage costume jewelry and supporting the global costume jewelry collecting community by hosting events and developing online resources.

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