Jewelry for the Millennium-Minded

Year 2000 is finally here, and the next 12 months offer jewelers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build traffic and boost business with millennium-themed products. To help you get off to a good start, we've selected some of the most impressive 2000 products on the market. Whether it's a simple charm or an elaborate diamond necklace—or the world's most expensive pen—each product represents a chance to increase sales while offering customers something special to mark a special year.

What about an American angle for your millennium merchandising? The U.S. Historical Society has an appealing one: an emblem depicting a pair of bald eagles—one “looking proudly to the past” and the other “confidently to the future.” The society is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to raising awareness of American history and culture, and it has registered the emblem as its official symbol for the third millennium.

The look back and ahead “captures the transition from one millennium to the next,” explains a spokesman, and the bald eagle (the central figure on the Great Seal of the United States since 1792) has long been “used as a symbol of pride for the nation.”

The organization has licensed several firms, including jewelry and watch manufacturers, to use the emblem in products that commemorate the third millennium. A portion of merchandise sales benefits the society's educational and research programs.

Listed below are some of the participating companies and their products.

• The Glenn Corp. offers its Swiss-made Third Millennium Watch, with calendar window and the society's emblem on the dial. Glenn Corp., 350 Fifth Ave., Suite 1308, New York, NY 10118; (212) 695-4270.
• The Colibri Group's Third Millennium Collection includes lighters, pocket watches, pens, clocks, men's jewelry, and money clips. A display stand is available at no charge for retailers with a minimum $250 purchase. Colibri, 100 Niantic Ave., Providence, RI 02907; (401) 943-2100, fax (401) 943-4230.
• IBB International Bullion has a limited-edition collection of millennium coins and sterling silver and 14k collections of millennium jewelry featuring the symbol. IBB, 49 W. 24th St., Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10010; (800) 622-8800, fax (212) 929-0928.
• Uncas, known for fashion jewelry, Christmas ornaments, and key rings, has a series of rings and pendants incorporating the emblem. Uncas, 150 Niantic Ave., Providence, RI 02907; (401) 944-4700.
• Fort USA offers desk accessories, pewter sculptures, collectibles, and glassware in its millennium collection. Fort USA, 54 Taylor Dr., East Providence, RI 02916; (800) 678-FORT, fax (401) 434-6956.

For information about the U.S. Historical Society and its Third Millennium products and programs, contact Thomas S. Keller, U.S. Historical Society, First and Main Streets, Richmond, VA 23219; (804) 648-4736, fax (804) 648-0002.