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Jewelers Gallery in Pleasanton has joined the independent Jewelers Organization (IJO), an international Buying Group and educational organization of independent retail jewelers.
The store, located at 614 Main St., will be the area’s exclusive Master IJO Jeweler member.
“We seek out one of the top two independent retail jewelers in a market area for exclusive membership in IJO, said Jeffrey Roberts, president and CEO of the organization. “Our Buying Group is geared for stores that offer high quality at good values. Our members share the international purchasing power of almost 900 members across the U.S., plus members in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.”
“Also, our educational, business, and marketing programs are unique in the jewelry industry,” he added. “They are designed to put the local independent jeweler on an equal footing with the national chains they compete with today.”
Robin and Wendy Barnes, owners of Jewelers Gallery, said they will be taking advantage of as many IJO membership benefits as possible, including having direct access to the international diamond markets of Antwerp, Belgium through the IJO Buying Office located there.
“Antwerp is our gateway to more than half of the world’s finest diamonds,” Wendy Barnes said. “It will allow us to act as an international diamond broker for our customers right here in Pleasanton.”
Robin Barnes is a 1972 graduate of the IJO Business College.