F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T r u b e n b i n d r a
Dear Friends, For the spring 2020 issue of Prism, I wanted to write about the excitement that March Madness generally brings to our nation. I wanted to write about the heating up of the NBA basketball season peaking towards the playoffs, and I would have written about a very successful AGTA GemFair ™ in Tucson. I would have shared with you the mood at the March Hong Kong show and the preparations for the upcoming Baselworld. But I never anticipated that all that would change along with all of our lives because of COVID-19.
The past month and a half has been the most tumultuous, emotional, and challenging time that many of us can remember in our lifetimes.The COVID-19 virus has affected individuals, families, communities, businesses, cities, and states across our country.And as of now, there is no end in sight. All upcoming Gem & Jewelry Shows including March Hong Kong, Baselworld,AGTA GemFair ™ LasVegas,AGS Conclave,The COUTURE Show, JCK LasVegas, and several others are either post- poned or canceled. The NCAA, the NBA, and many world-class events likeWimbledon and the Olympics are can- celed or postponed. We know that after being shut down for a while, businesses and cities in China are reopening as the number of new cases is in decline. Maybe that is the light at the end of the tunnel. Here at home, a stimulus package of around two trillion dollars has been passed and signed into law. It will undoubtedly help the financial side of the equation, but the medical side remains a mystery. World-class pharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to find a cure and produce a vaccine. Individually we need to keep ourselves and our families safe.We need to follow the instruc- tions of local, state, and federal governments. Staying at home and social distancing seem to slow the spread of this virus.We all need to do our part and stay well. As an American, there are two things I know about us: we are resilient and we are innovative. We will fight this vicious virus together, and we will innovate, not only to survive this ultimate and unprecedented challenge, but to thrive after this period of horror is behind us. AGTA members serve the gem and jewelry industry like no one else. Our expertise as gemstone and cultured pearls dealers, jewelry designers, and jewelry manufacturers cannot be duplicated. I know businesses all over the country are shut down now, but when this cloud is lifted, I do not doubt that the need and demand for our products and services will still be there. Our industry is not going any- where any time soon. Sometimes adversity compels us to think more deeply and go outside of our comfort zones.We will find innovative ways to conduct our businesses and, indeed, make up for the lost time. While much remains uncertain right now, one thing is for sure: this crisis will pass. Our businesses, our nation, and our communities will recover. Please join me in praying for our front-line people who risk their lives to save ours. Our first responders, paramedics, police, nurses, doctors, and all the support staff at hospitals are putting their lives at risk every single day.We can help slow the spread of this virus by doing our part including staying at home and, when we do need to go out, keeping the social distance the CDC recommends God bless you all, and God bless our nation.
Ruben S. Bindra President
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