danwak jewelry Classic Jewelry for Modern Times

SOUTHern STyle Check Out Our Newest Exhibitors

PUbliSHer’S UPdaTeWe’re Listening to You

Volume XV, Issue 4 \ A Publication of Helen Brett Enterprises, Inc.

S H O w UPdaTe

HelenBrett.com

new Orleans – november 6-9

Memphis – november 13-16

baton rouge – december 12-14

PublisheruPdateby Brett Kolinek

We’re listening to you! For months, we’ve been collecting your opinions – primarily through post-show surveys but also from other venues – on ways to make the Helen Brett Gift and Jewelry Shows better than ever. According to email surveys, our attendees want even more new products and in a greater variety. I agree that this is crucial in our business and I’m proud to say that Helen Brett has been leading the industry with fine jewelry, accessories and gifts for more than 65 years, and we’ll continue to do so.

Helen Brett has always been a forerunner with trending products and, over the years, our newsletter has featured the emergence of items such as Rubik’s Cube, mood rings, sterling silver fashion jewelry, and countless other items.

As part of our effort to introduce new product offerings, we’ve ramped up our email and direct mail communica-tions to showcase more of our newest exhibitors and their products. Check out page 4 of this newsletter for a sneak preview of our Southern Style products and check your email for ongoing communications featuring more jewelry and general merchandise.

Our increased attention in this area seems to be working as I’ve noticed a recent upswing in new and returning exhibi-tors. This past August, our New Orleans Gift and Jewelry Show and our Memphis Gift and Jewelry Show showcased more than 20 new exhibitors! We plan on welcoming even more new exhibitors to our International Jewelry and Mer-chandise Show, Mid-South Jewelry and Accessories Fair, and Baton Rouge Jewelry and Merchandise Show during this holiday season.

We’ll still keep supporting our loyal exhibitors as well. In this issue, we’re featuring a long-time exhibitor who has based his business on classic style and design. Read about Daniel Waknine, founder of Danwak International, and some of his many works of art.

new FOr 2015Listening to you has focused us on another important re-quest we received from our post-show survey: a faster registration process. We’ve been searching for new ways to improve registration so you can get on the show floor faster, and the result is the introduction of a new online pre-registration system in early 2015.

With our Buyer Login Portal, all Helen Brett Buyers can pre-register for a show. The Buyer Login Portal will also allow you to purchase and renew Gold Card status, update important tax identification data, and update staffing and contact information completely online.

earn reFerral POinTSOur new registration system also includes a Referral Point System. Buyers with a Helen Brett account will have the ability to invite their friends by entering their email ad-dresses. Each of your referrals who attends a show will add referral points on your account which can then be re-deemed for a variety of cool prizes. More information on this program will be sent out early next year.

While the economy is just starting to pick up, Helen Brett Gift and Jewelry Shows still maintain their position as the largest cash-and-carry markets in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Memphis. If you have anything you would like to share, please email me at info@helenbrett.com. Have a great holiday season and I look forward to seeing you on the show floor!

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INTERNATIONAL JEWELRY AND MERCHANDISE SHOW New OrleaNs, la • NOVeMBer 6-9, 2014

homewood suites – New Orleans901 Poydras Street | New Orleans, LA 70112Rate: $269.00 ONe bedROOm Suite with ONe (1) kiNg bed OR twO (2) queeN bedS PLuS tAxeS ANd OccuPANcy fee. $369.00 twO bedROOm Suite with twO (2) kiNg bedS PLuS tAxeS ANd OccuPANcy fee.

This rate is available through October 5, 2014. To receive this rate, please make reservations online or contact the hotel at 1 (504) 581-5599 for room reservations. Be sure to mention Group Code HBN.

hilton Garden inn New Orleans Convention Center1001 South Peters Street | New Orleans, LA 70130Rate: $169.00 SiNgLe/dOubLe $189.00 tRiPLe $209.00 quAd PLuS tAxeS ANd OccuPANcy fee.

This rate is available through October 8, 2014. To receive this rate, please make reservations online or contact the hotel at 1 (504) 525-0044 for room reservations. Be sure to mention code HB4.

springhill suites New Orleans301 St. Joseph Street | New Orleans, LA 70130Rate: $269.00 kiNg Suite OR queeN-queeN Suite

PLuS tAxeS ANd OccuPANcy fee.

This rate is available through October 13, 2014. To receive this rate, please make reservations on-line or contact the hotel at 1 (800) 228-9290 or 1 (800) 321-2211 for room reservations. Be sure to mention Helen Brett Jewelry Show group block for November.

hampton inn & suites New Orleans Convention Center hotel1201 convention center boulevard | New Orleans, LA 70130Rate: $169.00 SiNgLe/dOubLe/tRiPLe/quAd PLuS tAxeS ANd OccuPANcy fee.

This rate is available through October 3, 2014. To receive this rate, please make reservations on-line or call 1 (866) 311-1200 or contact the hotel directly at 1 (504) 566-9990 for room reservations. Be sure to mention group code HBN.

MID-SOUTH JEWELRY AND ACCESSORIES FAIR MeMphis, TN • NOVeMBer 13-16, 2014

sheraton Memphis downtown hotel(formerly Memphis Marriott Downtown Hotel)

250 North main Street | memphis, tN 38103Rate: $136.00 SiNgLe/dOubLe/tRiPLe/quAd PLuS tAxeS.

This rate is available through October 12, 2014. To receive this rate, please make reservations online or call 1 (800) 325-3535 for room reservations. Be sure to mention Mid-South Jewelry Show Block.

BATON ROUGE JEWELRY AND MERCHANDISE SHOW BaTON rOuge, la • DeCeMBer 12–14, 2014

hilton baton rouge Capitol Center201 Lafayette Street | baton Rouge, LA 70801Rate: $129.00 SiNgLe/dOubLe $139.00 tRiPLe $149.00 quAd

PLuS tAxeS ANd OccuPANcy fee.

This rate is available through November 9, 2014. To receive this rate, please make reservations online or call 1 (800) HILTONS for room reservations. Be sure to mention GROUP CODE HBJ.

Making HotelReservat ionsHas Never Been Easier!Register online at www.helenbrett.com.

1. Select “hotel Reservations” located on the top bar.

2. Select the show you are planning to attend.

3. Select the hotel where you wish to stay and make your reservation online.

tRAVeL iNfO

heleN BreTT shOw upDaTe / 3

DISCOVER SOuthERn StylE

PICK YOUR COLORHELEN BRETT HAS MORE

THAN 15 EXHIBITORSSELLING WOMEN’S FASHION

HOLIDAY DECOR GALORIT’S THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH

TONS OF CHRISTMAS CHEER

UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL GIFTSVISIT WOOD MARK WATCHESNEW ORLEANS BOOTHS 2560-2562

FASHION JEWELRYVISIT HERMINE DESIGNSNEW ORLEANS BOOTHS 2257, 2306MEMPHIS BOOTHS 957-958 | BATON ROUGE BOOTHS 1257-1258

WOMEN’S FASHIONVISIT EAGLE SHARK IMPORTNEW ORLEANS BOOTHS 1454-1455 MEMPHIS BOOTHS 657-658 BATON ROUGE BOOTHS 315-316

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LEATHER & FURSVISIT MAN ART LEATHER AND FURSNEW ORLEANS BOOTH 511 | MEMPHIS BOOTH 911

UNIQUELY HELEN BRETTWITH MORE THAN 20 FASHION JEWELRY EXHIBITORS,THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

MINI INDOOR GOLFVISIT CLASSIC GOLF GIFTSMEMPHIS BOOTH 716 | BATON ROUGE BOOTH 375

HELEN BRETT SHOW UPDATE / 5

The very definition of “classic” is something that has proven itself, over time, to adhere to the highest of established artistic standards. “Our focus with our fine jewelry has always been classic style,” explains Daniel Waknine, owner and founder of Danwak International. “We strive for timeless stones and settings of such a high caliber that they’ll remain classic.” It’s a philosophy that Danwak has maintained from the early days of the company. They’ve never been about what’s trendy.

Danwak International carries more than six different lines of fine jewelry with exotic names like Aquae, Mystére, Nostalgie, Bleu, Jeff-Mavie, Royal Green Tourmaline, and Veneziano. While they have a silver line, most of their product is 18 karat gold featuring precious, raw gemstones, such as tanzanite, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds, with flawless cut diamonds. Danwak now offers over 10,000 styles in the Danwak Collections such as antique reproductions, woven Italian gold, diamond bridals and sapphire rainbow collections.

While there are many other companies that sell fine jewelry, Danwak International has built a reputation for distinguished craftsmanship and custom designs. If you have a particular piece in mind that’s not in one of his collections, Daniel welcomes the opportunity to design a piece specifically for you. He can work from pictures, drawings, ideas or from a collection of loose stones.

Daniel recently designed a custom bracelet for a man who wanted to give something distinctively unique to his wife after he sold his business to retire. “It took us six months to collect all of the stones and put the whole job together,” recounts Daniel. “We were very particular about the stone selection, cut and setting.” Needless to say, after that level of meticulous craftsmanship, the client’s wife was thrilled with the end result. Danwak is renowned for custom work such as this. “While some people resell jewelry, we craft it,” emphasizes Daniel.

“While some people resell jewelry, we

craft it.”

Daniel Waknine

danwak international: classic Jewelry for modern times

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Over the years Daniel has developed not only a love for the art of designing fine pieces, but of surpassing his clients’ expectations. Fine jewelry is not only a passion for Daniel Waknine, whose grandfather was Sicilian and French; it’s carrying on a family tradition that began nearly 50 years ago.

Daniel relocated to New York City from Morocco when he was 10 years old and, in 1982, his uncle introduced him to the industry and, while teaching him the fundamentals of gem setting and gemstone selection, also taught him the business from the ground up. Daniel was such a quick learner that he founded his own company just five years later, offering six styles of his unique antique reproduction creations. Thirty years later, the business has established a prestigious reputation, with its main office centrally located in the New York City Diamond District.

Daniel always uses diamonds that are crafted to perfection and semi-precious and precious stones, and he’s been known to pursue quality stones from all over the world including Bangkok and Hong Kong. Always searching for the finest stones that will yield the greatest value, Daniel employs cutters who carefully examine each raw stone to decide how it will be cut. Then, the painstaking process of marking, cleaving, sawing, girding and faceting begins as they create the rings, bracelets, earrings, neck pieces, and pendants in the Danwak collections.

Danwak International first started exhibiting with Helen Brett Gift & Jewelry Shows more than 17 years ago. While Daniel attends shows, his wife handles the production end of the business in addition to caring for their three and a half year old son. “My favorite project is to work with people who appreciate unusual pieces,” explains Daniel. “I like to make sure that they’re happy. It’s not just about making money.”

Which is a very classic philosophy indeed.

For more information visit:Danwak International55 W. 47th Street, Ste. 860 New York, New York 10036-2801 phone: 212-730-4541 | fax: 212-730-4542cell: 917-684-0270 | email: DDanwak@aol.com website: www.Danwak.comNew Orleans - Booths 2154-2155, 2203-2204Memphis - Booths 908-909Baton Rouge - Booths 1201-1202

HELEN BRETT SHOW UPDATE / 7

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New Orleans Booth 2250

MemphisBooth 849