Jeweler National Attention

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I Love New Orleans Jewelry

Local Jeweler National Attention

Anne Dale Raises Money for Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

Natural disasters can cause a lot of damage and create financial hardship for the community affected by it. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the world saw firsthand how devastating the consequences of a major disaster can be. Thankfully, there are people out there who are always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. One such individual is Anne Dale, a renowned Louisiana jeweler national attention who has created a piece of jewelry that is helping raise funds for Hurricane Katrina. Let’s take a closer look at the inspiring story of Anne Dale and her wonderful creation.

Local New Orleans Jeweler

Congressman Steve Scalise original design

Anne Dale is a celebrated artist in Louisiana and a local jeweler national attention. She has been designing and selling custom jewelry for over 20 years. Her passion for creating gorgeous pieces that her clients can treasure for a lifetime has earned her an excellent reputation in the jewelry industry. However, Anne’s most significant contribution to the world of jewelry came after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. The natural disaster caused widespread devastation, loss of life, and left many families without homes or resources.

Moved by the severity of the situation, Anne decided to take action and create a piece of jewelry that would help raise money for hurricane relief efforts. She came up with a beautiful design filled it with symbols and colors that denoted hope and renewal the piece was an instant hit, and orders started pouring in from all over the country.

However, the real impact of Anne’s hard work and jeweler national attention came when Stuller, a leading jewelry manufacturer, decided to produce the piece on a larger scale. Stuller recognized the significance of the piece of jewelry and the difference it could make in the people’s lives. By partnering with Anne, they are were able to offer the piece on a global level, allowing people all over the world to purchase it and contribute towards hurricane relief efforts.

Anne Dale’s story is an inspiring example of how one person’s personal tragedy can be transformed into a positive and impactful endeavor. Her creation has helped raise funds for hurricane relief efforts, but it has also become a symbol of hope and renewal for the people of New Orleans and across the country. Her dedication, talent, and passion have earned her respect and admiration in a highly competitive industry, and her partnership with Stuller has opened up new avenues for her charitable work. We all can learn a valuable lesson from Anne’s story and seek ways to make a positive difference in our communities, no matter how small it may seem.

Learn More – Jewelers Circular Keystone Magazine

Soldiers Ring

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Troops find families scattered, homes flooded

By Brian Thevenot
Staff writer
(New Orleans, Louisiana) Minutes before heading out on one of his last combat patrols in western Baghdad, in treacherous rural territory that had claimed the lives of 35 soldiers in Louisiana’s 256th Brigade Combat Team, Lt. William Besselman of New Orleans picked up a scrap of good news about Hurricane Katrina: It looked like the city had dodged a bullet. When he returned from patrol 12 hours later, fatigued but comforted in the hope that his family and his hometown remained unscathed, he and the rest of the brigade confronted
the grim reality. Levee breaks had inundated Chalmette and the 9th Ward with up to 20 feet of water – including his home at Jackson Barracks on the border between Orleans and St. Bernard parishes. The news only got worse; the 17th Street Canal levee breach flooded broad swaths of the city and strained law enforcement agencies lost control of the city.
besselman.jpg “I was always worried about me not coming home – never that my family could be in danger,” he said Monday as he toured his battered home inside the confines of Jackson Barracks, where New Orleans Guardsmen are stationed.
One of the first of the returning Louisiana soldiers to visit his home, Besselman relayed the story of angst over Katrina among soldiers already beaten down by a year of intense warfare marked by teary funerals for comrades. In Besselman’s 19-man platoon alone, one soldier had died and eight suffered injuries, almost all from roadside bombs.
Standing in the home, surrounded by moldy furniture under a roof ripped open by wind and water, Besselman remained upbeat, even as he trudged through the stinking wreckage of his bedroom and those of his children. On an ironing board with a rotting cover next to him sat precious documents he had tried to dry out: his marriage certificate, his children’s baptism certificates.
In Baghdad, upon hearing of the catastrophic flooding, Besselman had rushed to a computer to check his e-mail, finding a note from his wife saying that she and their four children had safely vacuated to a Gonzales hotel.

Over the next few days, as soldiers continued their combat missions, they alternated between worry about their families, helplessness in being away at war and, Besselman said, anger and embarrassment at the reports of looting and lawlessness. We wished we were there” to enforce order, he said. “We were embarrassed. They did that in our own city. They didn’t have to do that.” New Orleans Guardsman Brian McDow, in an e-mail from Alexandria where most of the troops are still stationed, said soldiers grew increasingly frantic as they watched news of the storm from abroad. “With each minute that passed, we gathered around the televisions … and we watched Katrina do her work,” he wrote. Word spread like wildfire when the levees broke, and we all wanted to know where and how bad the city was flooding … What came as a horror to us was all the criminal activity during and after the hurricane. We all wanted to go to New Orleans and treat these thugs like insurgents.” McDow and other soldiers of the Louisiana Guard’s 141st Field Artillery Battalion were taken out of Baghdad, via Kuwait, about a week after the storm hit. Besselman, who serves in the 156th battalion out of Lake Charles, left about the same time, on a flight out of Baghdad carrying about 130 soldiers who lived in New Orleans but served in battalions stationed in other areas of Louisiana.
Once back in Alexandria, the Guard released soldiers for four days to track down their families, McDow wrote. For many, that wasn’t enough, and the Guard granted them extensions. Upon returning home from Iraq, hundreds of Louisiana soldiers were unable to find their families for days, said Maj. Pat Simon, and some still have not. “Myself, I had to drive from Alexandria to Lake Charles to Dallas and then back to Alexandria,” McDow wrote. “I know some soldiers had to travel even farther to find their families.”

The future for McDow and his brother, fellow Louisiana Guardsman Mike McDow, remains uncertain. “I am … considering staying on active duty because I have no job or a home to go to,” McDow wrote. “My brother … was able to see his home on Saturday. He said it had 5 feet of water inside.
He will remodel, but doesn’t know if he’ll stay or sell.” As Besselman waited for about a week in Baghdad for a flight back home, a call from his wife, Stacie, desperately seeking help in finding her father, drove home the impact of the disaster. Besselman had a better chance of reaching her father from Iraq than his wife did from Gonzales. Besselman’s father-in-law, Guard Col. Lester Schmidt, had stayed at Jackson Barracks as the military compound was inundated with 10 to 20 feet of water. Once the levees broke, he and his son, Sgt. Lester Schmidt Jr., hopped in a boat and started rescuing people trapped on the roofs in the Lower 9th Ward and Chalmette. “We tried to reach her father for five to seven days,” he said.
Finally, Besselman got through to Louisiana Guard troops at the Superdome, who said they had heard his fatherin-law on the radio, confirming he was safe. Besellman’s dog, Rogue, had stayed behind at the flooded military base after most of its soldiers had been evacuated. “He lived on MREs for a week until the Georgia National Guard brought him some dog food,” Besselman said.

While Besselman struggled to get home, his wife went from Gonzales to Houston to Alexandria, where the couple now plans to stay and build a new life. As he surveyed the wreckage of his home, Besselman downplayed many hardships he might have endured, either at war or in the aftermath of Katrina. “My wife deserves all the credit,” he said. “She moved all the kids around, and put them all in new schools.

Source – Times-Picayune NOLA.com

British Are Here

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Estate Jewelry Service

Gemology Course

(Mandeville, Louisiana)

Gem-A, the new short-and-sweet name for the Gemmological Association & Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain, has announced the establishment of a U.S. branch. Anne Dale of Mandeville, La., the first director, will help Gem-A develop its education and Guild programs here. “Gem-A USA will concentrate on actively promoting gemological education,” says Dale. “Tutors are ready, and allied training centers will soon be ready here in the United States.”

Gemology Expert

Anne Dale GG, FGA, PG

Dale notes that Gem-A is moving forward with a new home-study gemology course. The new Gem-A Preliminary course—the first of two gemology courses—has been revised to be easier to use, says Dale. And exams, which in the past were the most feared of any gemological testing, no longer rely on memorizing numerical figures: The basic optical properties are provided during the exams. The courses are accompanied by two newly revised handbooks—Practical Gem Handbook and Gem Observation Guide. The books contain quick gemological references.

In addition to the gemology program, Gem-A’s diamond home-study course is now available to the American market. The course offers a comprehensive education on diamonds and diamond grading. Besides the traditional work-at-home study, the diamond course requires a six-day “practical” (hands-on work). The organization hasn’t established an allied training center in the United States yet, says Dale, adding that Gem-A USA also will need an inventory of diamonds for the practical. Students currently taking the diamond program are encouraged to travel to London for the practical, but Dale says, “We are working on this project.”

Successful completion of the practical, along with eligible membership, allows a student to carry the initials DGA—Diamond Member of the Gem-A. “They can still do the course and get a certificate,” explains Dale, “but to get the DGA initials they have to do the six-day practical.”

Antonio C. Bonanno Gemology

Antonio C. Bonanno

Dale studied gemology under the late Antonio Bonanno and then earned her Fellow of the Gem-A (FGA) title in 1986. Her other credits include a Professional Gemologist (P.G.) title from the Columbia School of Gemology, and a Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) title from the Gemological Institute of America.

Dale’s goal is to involve all local trade organizations with the new British programs. No matter how you spell it, with one M or two, gemology all comes down to what you learn, notes Dale. “Gem-A’s belief is that we can have a more unified and supportive relationship with the trade through gemological education.”

Gem-A’s history dates to 1908. The Association offered the world’s first home-study gemology course in 1921, and its gemology diploma is one of the most highly regarded.

For more information, contact Anne Dale at Anne Dale Jewelers 829 Asbury Drive  Mandeville, LA 70471; (985) 626-4266.

Source – JCK – Jewelers Circular Keystone by Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA, Senior Editor

Louisiana Jeweler

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Local Jeweler Louisiana

A few months ago, Louisiana Jeweler Anne Dale, a dynamic entrepreneur with an indomitable spirit and a passion for exquisite jewelry, orchestrated an unforgettable evening of Belgian-style socializing in her newly relocated jewelry store in Mandeville, Louisiana. The event was a tantalizing blend of delectable waffles, flowing beer, and an abundance of wine and cheese, casting a magical spell that kept her esteemed customers captivated until the wee hours of the morning. However, this soirée was not just an extravagant celebration; it was a testament to Anne’s unwavering commitment to her craft and her clientele.

Anne, a distinguished graduate of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (FGA), embarked on a transformative journey that led her to swap the familiar landscapes of LaPlace, Louisiana, for the upscale allure of Mandeville. Leaving behind a decade-old jewelry business, Anne courageously uprooted her life, her family, and her thriving enterprise to explore uncharted territories in pursuit of new horizons. This daring decision took her from the blue-collar ambiance of a “river parish,” dominated by the imposing petrochemical industry, to the sophisticated embrace of Mandeville, renowned for its well-manicured neighborhoods and the highest per capita income level in the entire state.

In her new sanctuary, nestled on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, Anne found the canvas upon which to paint her dreams. Here, she opened a luxurious 2,500-square-foot store, adorned with over a million dollars’ worth of exquisite jewelry inventory. The store, now bearing her name, Anne Dale Jeweller, exudes an air of sophistication and European charm, reflecting Anne’s extensive training and expertise. Emphasizing her unique position as a woman in the jewelry industry, Anne deliberately spelled her name with a double L, a subtle but powerful statement of her identity and determination.

The relocation, while daunting, breathed new life into Anne’s business. Anne’s expertise, a Louisiana Jeweler that honed through five years as the American representative for the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, found a perfect outlet in her new venture.

However, Anne’s success was not merely a result of her remarkable jewelry collection. It was the culmination of her relentless marketing efforts and her unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction. Anne became a ubiquitous presence in Mandeville, immersing herself in the community by joining esteemed organizations like the Rotary Club, Professional Women, Habitat for Humanity, and the Italian Gourmet Society. Her advertisements graced the pages of the Times-Picayune, illuminated local movie theaters, and resonated within the walls of educational institutions where she enthralled students with her talks on gems and minerals.

But Anne’s engagement with her customers did not stop at the threshold of her store. Inside, she orchestrated an experience that was nothing short of enchanting. Anne trained her employees to extend a warm welcome to every visitor, offering them beverages and creating an ambiance that encouraged them to linger and explore. A professional singer among her staff serenaded customers, adding a melodious note to their jewelry shopping experience. Anne’s attention to detail went beyond the confines of her store; she meticulously noted her customers’ birthdays and anniversaries, sending them heartfelt cards that cemented the bond between her business and their lives.

In this new chapter of her entrepreneurial journey, Anne Dale became more than just a local Louisiana jeweler; she became a beloved member of the community, a woman whose passion and dedication illuminated the lives of those she touched. Her story became a source of inspiration, a testament to the power of ambition, expertise, and a touch of personalized care in the world of business. And as the nights fell over Mandeville, Anne’s store stood as a beacon of elegance and warmth, inviting all who passed by to step into a world where dreams were crafted into dazzling pieces of art.

Source – National Jeweler