SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND QVC ANNOUNCE JOINT VENTURE

THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS LICENSED ITS RENOWNED GEM AND JEWELRY COLLECTION TO CREATE A LINE OF BRACELETS, BROOCHES AND OTHER JEWELED CREATIONS WITH THE TV SHOPPING NETWORK QVC. THE JEWELRY LINE EXPECTED TO LAUNCH THIS FALL WILL BE BASED ON THE NATIONAL GEM AND MINERAL COLLECTION AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, WHICH INCLUDES THE FAMOUS HOPE DIAMOND AND MARIE ANTOINETTE'S EARRINGS AMONG 375,000 OTHER SPECIMENS. CURATORS WILL HELP OVERSEE CREATION OF THE JEWELRY LINE. CURATORS WILL ALSO RECORD INTERVIEWS FOR QVC TO HELP INTRODUCE THE COLLECTIONS AND OFFER A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON DC. THE JEWELRY LINE FOLLOWS LICENSING DEALS FOR SMITHSONIAN-BRANDED FURNITURE, LIGHTING, BOOKS AND HOBBY KITS ON MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. SHOWTIME NETWORKS ALSO LAUNCHED THE SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL ON TELEVISION IN 2006 AS PART OF A LICENSING AGREEMENT TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE MUSEUM COMPLEX. THE QVC LINE WILL BE PRIMARILY COSTUME JEWELRY AND SEMIPRECIOUS STONES, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE MUSEUM SAID IN A PRESS RELEASE STATEMENT. SOME OF THE EARRINGS, BRACELETS, RINGS, PINS, AND BROOCHES WILL BE BASED ON DESIGNS OF PIECES IN THE MUSEUM, WHILE OTHERS WILL SIMPLY BE INSPIRED BY ITS COLLECTION, INCLUDING THE HOPE DIAMOND. THE LINE WON'T INCLUDE REAL DIAMONDS, THOUGH.