MINA GROUP’S FIRST JCK SHOW
By Jeff Miller
Diamonds.net, NY
June 6 2006

(Rapaport…June 5, 2006) Michel Minassian, president of the Mina
Group Inc., of Beverly Hills, California, has a 40-year history in
the custom luxury jewelry market.

The time was right for transitioning into a new product set, according
to Minassian, which is why he made the decision to exhibit for his
first time at the 15th annual JCK Las Vegas Show June 3-7, 2006. As
part of Mina Group’s expansion plan the company introduced a switch
–from exclusively selling gold jewelry– to using diamonds in platinum
and white gold settings.

“My main target business is fancy colors and solitaire rings,”
Minassian said.

After having successfully built a wholesale clientele-base in the
Middle East, the Mina Group now targets growth in the United States.

Rapaport News caught up with Minassian at the JCK Las Vegas Show’s
second day, June 4.

Mina Group’s elaborate rings and brooches only include natural color
diamonds, according to Minassian. “Everything is GIA certified too,”
he said. Minassian conceptualizes the designs upon client requests
and then works with his in-house designer to create the goods.

Minassian is originally from Armenia. Culturally, with his clientele,
it is most important to develop relationships built upon trust he
said. “Trust is key to doing business in the Middle East,” he said
while explaining four decades of success from that region. From his
observations of buyers in the United States, he notes their decision
to purchase is based more upon negotiating price points.

For his first JCK Show, Minassian displayed diamond jewelry creations
including a 10.07 carat radiant cut fancy intense yellow ring set in
18 karat yellow gold and platinum; and a 4.58 carat fancy yellow ring
[pictured top] with six pear-shaped diamonds set in 18 karat yellow
gold and platinum.

Mina Group also showed Rapaport a diamond necklace in 14 karat white
gold with pave diamonds (approximately 6.65 carats) plus 5.20 carat
rounds. Two of Mina Group’s brooches, one of which he called the flower
shape [pictured right,] used approximately 6 carats of diamonds and
blue sapphires set in 18 karat yellow and white gold. A second brooch
Mina Group showcased used approximately 4 carats of sapphires plus
turquoise stones set in 18 karat white gold.

Mina Group targets the high-end market with price points beginning
at $25,000. Minassian said he had very high expectations for the show
to develop new relationships in the United States.