GIA Calls Off New York Career Fair

RAPAPORT... The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has canceled next week's career event in New York due to the coronavirus.The GIA Jewelry Career Fair was due to take place on March 13. It targets job seekers in the greater New York City area, and is open to the public. The organization plans to find a new date for the event. "We believe this is in the best interest of all participants' health and safety," a GIA spokesperson said Wednesday. Last year, the fair attracted more than 450 students, GIA alumni, job seekers and other professionals, as well as 56 companies looking to hire and 23 career coaches.The GIA has already reduced the operating hours at its Hong Kong and Tokyo laboratories due to the health situation. It continues to monitor the conditions in all its locations, the spokesperson added.Concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in the US increased this week. As of Wednesday, nine people had died out of a total of 80 cases across 13 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The US has not yet banned public events, but California declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.The JCK Las Vegas and Luxury shows will still take place in late May and early June, organizers Reed Jewelry Group confirmed on Tuesday. This week's Hong Kong shows and the Baselworld fair - scheduled for April 30 to May 5 in Switzerland - have both fallen victim to the epidemic.Image: GIA diamond dossiers. (Shutterstock)