The Jeweller - Winter 2021

The mark of industry inspiration & information

Winter 2021

£7.50

Keeping Up Appearances Inspirational new stores and refurbs

Trick or Treat The what, how and why of gemstone treatments

Inclusive.

Informative.

Innovative.

Report from the first NAJ Summit

The National Association of Jewellers

THE TH MARCH CLUB

Be Security Wise WITH TH MARCH & THE NAJ

Helping to protect you, your business and your employees An important TH March and NAJ initiative aiming to raise awareness, increase knowledge and improve security throughout the UK Jewellery trade.

Contact TH March or the NAJ to find out more! www.thmarch.co.uk/NAJ

www.naj.co.uk/securitywise

Opinion

Winter 2021

from The Editor February. Turn to page 10 for details on J&W from the organisers.

S

hould you need evidence that the jewellery industry is flying the flag for an upbeat future, I certainly hope this issue of The Jeweller will offer that proof. OK, so it’s my general policy to steer well away from negative stories, but even allowing for that talk-things-up approach, it must be said I’m giving you pages and pages of positivity!

Industry events over the past two months have demonstrated the appetite for meeting up face-to-face, for actually touching as well as seeing products and for celebrating achievements in real life, is encouragingly healthy. The enthusiastic attendance at the NAJ Summit, The Jewellery Cut Live and the Association’s Presentation of JET Awards all point towards a promising Jewellery & Watch show at Moda next

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“We went [to The Summit] with a view to listen, learn and share and with an open mind. And we were not disappointed.”

The NAJ Summit at Staverton Park was obviously the Association’s first real opportunity to bring together as many strands of the industry as possible… and it worked a treat. The combination of Suppliers’ Showcase, JBN Retail Jeweller Congress, IRV workshops and masterclasses and Gala Dinner (with dancing!) saw almost all bases covered (see page 28). For some, it was their first time being out out, and it really was lovely to witness the pleasure that once again seeing business colleagues and friends brought. Even we tough cookies on the NAJ team were not immune!

In October, the upbeat mood was in evidence, too, at The Jewellery Cut Live, where the grand and sumptuous surroundings of the Royal Society in Mayfair provided the perfect backdrop to the excitement and enthusiasm of exhibitors and visitors alike. Those attending our Education Awards at the uber-grand Goldsmiths’ Hall this month will have been equally struck by the appropriately awesome, glittering setting for their hard-won celebrations (p14). Currently, here at NAJ Towers, we’re getting pretty excited about festivities at the Benevolent Society Ball in Birmingham’s glamorously zhuzhed-up Grand Hotel very soon. Images and gossip to follow…

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36

“There’s a desire to improve, develop and consider modification; it’s a positive move forward. The public looks for change, for refinement, it encourages and lifts the spirit.”

In the meantime, we’ve plenty of pictures to inspire positivity on page 36 – our regular end-of-year look at visual merchandising has a strong focus on new jewellery store openings and showroom refurbishments. I find it so heartening that so many retailers have ploughed on with expansion plans or used the lockdowns as an opportunity to improve, develop and generally up the special in-store experience for customers. I’m expecting more of the same in 2022, so please do send me your refurb stories when you’re ready to reveal all!

Speaking of which, I strongly recommend you read Kerry Gregory’s enlightening discussion on treated coloured stones (p.47); she explains why they often get a bad rap but are not always the bad boys of gemmology. Finally, if you love gemstones (that’s all of us, surely) be tempted by all three beautiful books reviewed on page 63. Go on, you know you want to.

Love to you all.

Belinda Morris, Editor

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47

“If it weren’t for gem treatments, we might not have any gemstones, and certainly not the range of colours, sizes and price points.”

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Inside this Issue Winter 2021

NEWS

44 Member Profile

08 NAJ News

NAJ Chair's Award & Benevolent Ball

10 Industry News

Jewellery & Watch @ Moda – your need-to-know

14 Education

The Presentation of JET Awards

18 Industry News

Buoyant buying groups

24 Industry News

RRH Diamond Academy success

26 Industry News

Jessops Jewellers, Fife

60 Member Profile

Allemano Watches

66 The Last Word…

… goes to NAJ president David Doyle

TRENDS

22 Retail Trends

The power of pop-ups

34 What's New

The Editor Picks

Platinum Jubilee mark & lab-grown standard launched

28 NAJ News

Reporting from the NAJ Summit 2021

59 Industry News

The Leopard Awards

63 Book Reviews

Three sumptuous books for (self) gifting

PROFILE

09 Member Profile

Meet award-winning emerging designer Jasmine Ataullah

13 Education

The latest JET Clarity & Success stars

52

pg

NAJ News

The National Association of Jewellers The National Association of Jewellers 10 Vyse Street Birmingham B18 6LT 0121 237 1110 www.naj.co.uk

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36 Keeping Up Appearances

Visual Merchandising Report

52 Watch News

Editor: Belinda Morris editor@naj.co.uk

Advertising sales: garry.lane@naj.co.uk 07741 554 011

Designed & produced by: Senior Internet www.senior.co.uk 0115 838 9555

The latest timepiece releases

BUSINESS ADVICE

Printed by: HPA Print Ltd www.hpaprint.co.uk 07525 011 589

17 NAJ National Committee

We have your back

20 Member Benefits

The perks of belonging

47 Treat or Treat

Kerry Gregory on gemstone treatments

50 Gold Market Report

Prices caught between a rock and a hard place

56 JET Business Network

Front cover: Spring Fair and Moda takes place 6th – 9th February 2022, showcasing the latest products from Home, Gift & Fashion including the Jewellery & Watch Edit. For more information contact: Stephanie Mordsley, Stephanie.Mordsley@autumnfair.com (Image by Scream Pretty www.screampretty.com)

The effectiveness of marketing

58 SecurityWise

Contributory writers: David Brough, Michael Donaldson, Kerry Gregory, Anna Rogers

Preventing crime with secure glazing

OPINION

03 From the Editor 07 The Chairman’s Foreword

The NAJ is responsible for producing The Jeweller and although every effort is made to ensure that the information supplied is accurate, the NAJ does not accept liability, loss, damage or claim whatsoever that may result from opinions expressed by contributors.

Information and ideas are for guidance only and members should always consult their own professional advisors. The NAJ accepts no responsibility for the content of any advertiser, advertisement or insert in The Jeweller. Anyone having dealings with any advertiser must rely on their own enquiries. The magazine is printed using vegetable based inks on FSC certified paper produced from sustainable sources

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Opinion

Winter 2021

Chair's foreword Support We will support access into, with and through the UK jewellery community, increasing the value of membership by enhancing the relevance of benefits and breadth of knowledge and expertise available to the NAJ community.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, they say… well that depends on how well business is going, I reply!

T

hankfully, for much of the trade I speak to regularly, things are looking up. It’s no secret, though, that we all need the festive season to be successful in retail for the whole supply chain to enter 2022 with confidence and vigour.

The NAJ Strategy For our part at the Association, we enter the new year with confidence. Our strategy is set, albeit for just two years, given how things can change in the current climate.

Our focus is on standards, community and sustainability – common themes in the sector, perhaps, but themes that as the trade association for the jewellery sector, we absolutely stand for. Here’s a top line snapshot.

Standards We will set and promote standards, delivering activities to protect, promote and prepare members businesses and development of qualified and informed professionals.

Representation We will advocate the value of the British jewellery industry, championing the interests of member businesses, stewarding relationships with relevant bodies to foster informed debate on the issues impacting our members.

There’s more information on the new strategy on page 17, but I want to thank the National Committee and staff for their support in getting this far. In 2022, we’ll turn our attention to delivery, and communication to stakeholders will be critical as we all progress.

Introducing the Chair’s Award As we go to press, we’re getting very close to the Benevolent Society’s Christmas Ball.

This black-tie event is sponsored by the Parify Group and has long been the perfect occasion to celebrate Christmas with staff and colleagues. This year, however, it will be an extra special experience since we were unable to hold it in 2020 due to the pandemic.

By very happy coincidence, the ball returns to the Grand Hotel Birmingham, the same venue that hosted the first Jewellers' Ball in 1933, which was attended by King George V. In the very same ballroom as the first ball, 200 trade guests will be treated to an evening brimful of entertainment and enjoyment, which – as has always been the case at this event – aims to raise significant

funds for the Benevolent Society, the charity which provides a range of accessible funds for the jewellery community.

The ball is something we’ve been proud to be a part of in recent years, and this year is no different. I’m delighted that, at the ball, the NAJ will recognise the outstanding contribution of an individual or business with a new Chair’s Award. Everything we do as a body is based on Honesty, Integrity and Professionalism, and these are also the criteria for the Chair’s Award. The last two years have presented immeasurable challenges for jewellers and their businesses, and in some circumstances, they have taken quite extraordinary steps to support workforces, communities and projects.

I am very much looking forward to presenting this award, which is kindly sponsored by Windiam.

Get the most out of your membership Being part of the Association means you and your business are not just part of the professional jewellery community but also part of the single jewellery sector trade body that has your back.

You may find some benefits less relevant than others, which is understandable given the membership is so diverse, but I do encourage you to speak to the team if you have a particular challenge or aspiration we can support. Sometimes you just don’t know until you ask!

All that leaves me to do is wish you a safe (and successful) festive season, and a Happy New Year!

Gary Wroe NAJ Chair

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NAJ News

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The Jeweller

Benevolent Society Ball OVERALL SPONSOR:

We know the festive season can begin when the Federation’s Benevolent Society Ball has arrived. The 2021 extravaganza and inaugural NAJ Chair’s Award, sponsored by Windiam, has a fittingly sparkly new home.

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he lure of the newly refurbished Grand Hotel in Birmingham was simply too hard to resist! What better way to mark the bouncing back of our industry; what better reward for a challenging (almost) two years?

Wining, dining and dancing aside, the evening is also the perfect opportunity to introduce and present a brand new annual award: the NAJ Chair’s Award. Very kindly sponsored by Antwerp-based diamond supplier Windiam, the award will be presented to an individual or business at the Benevolent Society Christmas Ball, overall sponsored by Parify Group, held on Thursday 9th December. A panel led by NAJ Deputy Chair, Harriet Kelsall will select the winner.

Announcing the award, Gary Wroe said, “I’m extremely excited to be introducing an award that recognises the contributions individuals and businesses have made in the close knit jewellery community. The last two years have presented immeasurable challenges for jewellers and their businesses and in some circumstances quite extraordinary actions have been taken to support workforces, communities, and projects.”

The Chair’s Award, therefore, will be given to a business or individual in recognition of

going above and beyond to support a (or their) community, workforce or project.

The award-recipient announcement as well as pictures taken at the glittering event will wing their way to you very soon via the NAJ’s social media and the members’ newsletter. Don’t miss them!

The Grand Hotel, Birmingham Opened in 1879, Birmingham’s original Grand Hotel has welcomed everyone from royalty to rock stars, think HRH The Prince of Wales, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and Greer Garson, as well as Malcolm X, Nina Simone and The Beatles.

When the hotel closed in 2002, a campaign by the people of Birmingham saved the much-loved landmark from demolition. And now – almost 20 years later and following a £50 million restoration – the Grand Hotel Birmingham is open once again. Beautifully restored and bursting with the wow factor, the Grand Ballroom is throwing its doors wide to some of Birmingham’s most glamorous occasions… one of which is (of course) our Benevolent Society Ball.

The NAJ Chair’s Award sponsor – Windiam With the heritage of a third-generation diamond service company, Windiam has built a trusted, world-class reputation in just 25 years. We are delighted to sponsor the NAJ Chair’s Award, the criteria for which chimes perfectly with our own guiding principles.

We source and deliver an extensive selection of polished diamonds both to the world’s leading brands and jewellery chains, as well as smaller boutique shops.

Our ability to source large quantities of rough diamonds and resell them to the production centres, together with our large polished diamond purchasing power put us in a position to source diamonds at very competitive prices, which enables us to forward this advantage to our loyal customers.

Gon Raz, director, Windiam

NAJ News

Winter 2021

The self-taught Brightonbased jeweller is this year’s deserving winner of The Jewellery Cut Bursary.

had in mind. I’m mainly self-taught, having learnt through trial and error, but I set aside cash for a weekend course with the Hand Engravers Association, as well as some oneto-one lessons in stone setting with a local jeweller. Because I haven’t had the pleasure of working under experienced jewellers, it took me a while to understand workshop ins and outs. Basic things like casting, I didn’t get my head round until a few years ago.

A

s part of the bursary’s benefits, Jasmine received a place at the recent Jewellery Cut Live, a Fuli Gemstones peridot to be set in a future design and, we’re very happy to say, a year’s NAJ membership.

What have been your main challenges so far?

Other prizes were bestowed by Goldsmiths’ Fair, the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office, Retail Jeweller magazine, Honest PR, the De Beers Group Maidenhead lab and De Beers Diamond Institute and mentoring support from The Jewellery Cut founders.

Introducing Jasmine Ataullah Commenting on Jasmine’s win, The Jewellery Cut founder Rachael Taylor said: “What drew the judges to Jasmine was her raw talent. Despite being mostly self-taught, she has built up a wide range of hand skills to a really high standard. We also loved her strong aesthetic and how she has blended her heritage and South Asian jewellery motifs with a fresh, modern style that has won her a dedicated following.”

To learn more about her journey, we found time to speak to Jasmine at the show.

What led you to becoming a designer maker?

It was never a decision as such, it was more of a natural progression that started with a course in silversmithing, and then having to make money to fund that continuation. I’ve sold my works since I began making – it’s always been a bit of a hustle.

I was working in graphic design and wanted to explore more hands-on craft. I saw the course application for silversmithing and got really excited; I’d never worked with metal before and knew nothing about the processes, so everything was very new to me. A 12-week evening class at a local college taught me the basics, and I saved up cash for a setup at home. I hadn’t considered trying to get experience from other jewellers at the time, I just loved making pieces for myself and friends. The metal, the acid, the flames! The whole process invigorated me.

Did that lead to jewellery making full-time?

Yes, that happened pretty quickly. My partner and I went to live in New Zealand, he made me a bench in the back of our van, and I sold my work online to help fund our trip. Back in England, I was hyper focused, and as I got further into my journey, I realised I needed to invest in my skills to create the pieces I

There are many. It’s been very important to understand how each process works, from carving to engraving to setting. Currently, I do all of them myself, and I make everything from a combination of lost-wax and hand-fabrication methods. Time is my main challenge. I’m generally learning on the job, and I want to understand it all, so I can be slow. Getting a piece from my mind to the point of purchase can take a lot longer than anticipated. I’m quite traditional in my approach, and my most recent achievements have been learning to make my own hinges and threaded wires for my piercing jewellery. That took me almost a year to get right!

What are your design inspirations?

My work is steeped in heritage. Being British and Pakistani, I find my pieces take on aspects of South Asian architecture, textiles and adornment practices. My ring collection is an ode to mehndi (henna). I wanted to create permanent pieces that emulate the intricacies of mehndi through bands of gold and engraving. Some of my work takes inspiration from pieces passed down on my British side, for example the Vida ring is a reincarnated version of a ring my Great Aunt Vida once wore.

I love working with stones from South Asia, mainly tourmalines from Afghanistan and Pakistan and sapphires from India and Sri Lanka. Gold is very much appreciated by South Asians, with identity, beautification and medicine all contributing to its social and cultural significance. Honouring that in my work is very important to me.

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Industry News

10

It’s back! Jewellery & Watch returns to its NEC home, now firmly ensconced in Moda at Spring Fair. Belinda Morris spoke to Julie Driscoll, MD Retail, Fashion & Digital Marketing at Hyve Group, who happily declares that “trade is returning!”

Jewellery & Watch at Moda, Spring Fair I

t seems a very long time ago that retailers and suppliers got together at the Jewellery & Watch show in Birmingham – it was February 2020, and we could not have imagined how the next 18 months would pan out. But that was then – we’re now looking forward to 6th to 9th February 2022, when Jewellery & Watch will kick off the UK jewellery trade calendar with renewed vigour, enthusiasm and optimism. The team is brimming with positivity following Hyve’s Autumn Show in September, which has been declared as “incredibly successful, the best ever” by exhibitors, visitors and organiser alike, with “more money taken on the first Sunday than at any trade show ever.”

Once a stand-alone show, Jewellery & Watch is now a subsection of Moda, which is one of four destinations in the UK’s largest and most definitive wholesale marketplace for the B2B home and gift retail industry – Spring Fair. With its own distinct edit, Jewellery & Watch gives jewellery and fashion buyers the chance to see a wide

Scream Pretty

supporting around 600 retailers with £250 each for accommodation and travel as a way to encourage matchmaking between buyers and suppliers. “The more we can do to bring buyers to the show the better,” says Driscoll, “and as many retailers are diversifying, Spring Fair gives them the opportunity to buy other products, such as silver items, gifts and cards."

Spring Fair offers the perfect chance for potential exhibitors to engage with buyers from across the retail sector… not solely jewellery retailers. Heritage sites, museums, farm shops and garden centres (“the new department stores”), for instance, are increasingly key places for consumers to shop

collection of new season pieces across price points, as well as explore crossover buying opportunities – all in the one location.

“We’re back and actively engaging with the jewellery industry,” says Julie Driscoll, who heads up a team that organiser Hyve Group built post-pandemic. “We have worked very, very hard – and will continue to do so – to make sure the show is a great showcase for suppliers and for buyers, worth their while to attend. We’ve spent a great deal of time talking to exhibitors and visitors; we know buyers are searching for products in different ways these days, and we’re making sure everyone across the supply chain has a home at the show. Naturally, we want as many NAJ members to join us.” Among the suppliers confirmed for February’s show are Lesley Donn, Perfection Jewellery, Lido Pearls, Kali Ma and Scream Pretty.

A key part of the drive to ensure a great turn-out of visitors is Spring Fair’s Curated Meetings programme. The show is

Perfection Jewellery

Lido Pearls

for jewellery. “The V&A spent four days at the show; we received more of those trade visitors than any other trade show,” confirms Driscoll.

The show will also see the reactivation of The Power of One programme, with its aim to lead all industries towards a more sustainable future.

Helping to put Jewellery & Watch back on the map, Driscoll’s team is actively targeting jewellery designers and core NAJ members.

Ben Massey, NAJ’s director of marketing said, “For a number of years, Spring Fair and NAJ have worked collaboratively to bring some of the most exciting and successful jewellery businesses together. We’re delighted to be continuing our relationship into 2022 as we approach the February show, eagerly anticipating the chance to see and celebrate new collections and network with NAJ members and supporters.”

T: +44 (0)1509 323 111 . E: info@parifygroup.com . W: parifygroup.co.uk Parify Group Ltd, 14 The Courtyard, Stenson Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 4JP, UK.

Supporting your jewellery journey NAJ’s Jewellery Education and Training (JET) pathway helps individuals and organisations build a brighter future with professional development, insight and opportunity.

Did you know?

JET programmes are internationally recognised, written by industry experts and the majority are offered online, or through distance and flexible learning options.

JET Programmes available include

JET Essentials

(JET 1)

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JET Professional Jewellers’ Management Diploma S ore

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For latest fees and information: Call 0121 237 1110 Email JET@naj.co.uk Visit naj.co.uk/JET

ATHE Level 3 JET Professional Jewellers’ Certificate

JET Professional Jewellers’ Certificate

JET Professional Jewellers’ Business Development Diploma ised M

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ATHE Level 3 JET Certificate in the Foundations of Appraisal Practice d lise cia

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Education

Winter 2021

The Jet Set

Meet the two latest recipients of the JET Clarity & Success Awards – winners working in quite different sectors of the retail jewellery world.

Being a creative person and having visited many jewellery stores in Dubai and workshops in India, I wanted to explore more and look further for related opportunities.

I’ve always had a passion for jewellery, designing bespoke jewellery for myself and my family. Ultimately, I want to pursue a career in jewellery, art and design, and I’m moving closer to my goal every day.

Furyal Kapadia, Watches of Switzerland Group (June)

I applied for my current role at Hallmark/ Watches of Switzerland Group and accepted this brilliant opportunity in September 2019.

I engage with customers and talk about their treasured jewellery and watches, which feeds my passion. I work as a jewellery and watch claims consultant, with a career path into valuing starting in the coming weeks.

I had no clue my drive and passion for jewellery would lead me to where I stand today. I’m overwhelmed to have won this award and truly happy to be recognised for my work.

I loved many aspects of the JET course, such as learning about pearls and diamonds.

Also, the in-depth finding and mining process of gemstones and how they are cut into beautiful pieces. I found the process

close relationships with my clients.

I’d heard from colleagues how informative and interesting the NAJ’s JET course was, and I was intrigued. I wanted to deepen my knowledge and challenge myself, so I took the opportunity. As it turned out, I really enjoyed writing about the gemstones as this reaffirmed what I already knew, but also challenged me and taught me things I wasn’t aware of.

Bradley Stone, Pravins (July) I’ve been working for Pravins for over two years, and I fell into it accidentally. I was initially helping out in the run up to Christmas, and I realised how much I loved it. I’m part of the senior sales team, so my two main roles are to assist my colleagues in their sales and focus on my own, keeping

Another section I loved working on was for my project, which was about diamond facts. This was so fascinating, and I learned more about the system of warranties and the Kimberley Process. There were a few parts I found challenging, particularly the sections on hallmarks and legal standards across the EU. It was great that the moderator described my final project as ‘noteworthy’! I chose to discuss Boodles as I’ve always admired the store and really looked up to their level of luxury and presentation. They design the most beautiful pieces, and the craftsmanship is incredible.

of different cuts and grading systems to be challenging as it requires more precision and a keener eye for intricate details than I expected. This background gave me so much respect for our industry and an appreciation of its various methods and skills.

I chose to discuss designer Hannah Davies for my final project as she is inspired by nature, like me – it refreshes my soul.

She inspires me to create unique artistic masterpieces and is a wonderful source of motivation.

Through JET, I feel more confident and appropriately informed. I’m glad I’m getting information from the right source. I intend to continue studying as my goal is to grow and develop within my team and support the Watches of Switzerland Group to continue providing the best service. I believe the JET courses will help me increase my knowledge, improve my skills and help me progress in valuing, my specific area of interest.

I thought Boodles would be an interesting company to research, and I was right!

I’m also happy it’s been noticed that my confidence appears to have grown as I’ve progressed through the course. It definitely felt that way to me. I was overthinking everything I wrote at first and would secondguess my knowledge on the subjects. I really felt my confidence grow with each assignment.

Taking JET has helped in my day-to-day work in the store – I feel more confident during consultations and far more prepared to answer any product-related questions from my clients and colleagues. I’d like to take JET 2 in the future and would love to study gemmology – it’s the most fascinating aspect of this career field. I definitely plan on staying in jewellery; I adore the bespoke side of my current role, so possibly something to do with design would be very interesting.

Want to learn how JET qualifications can help your business? - Visit naj.co.uk/qualifications - Email JET@naj.co.uk - Call 0121 237 1110

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Education

In Celebration of Success

The Jeweller

After far too many months of being unable to gather to acknowledge the achievements of JET graduates, the Goldsmiths’ Hall was once again the amazing setting for the NAJ Presentation of Awards.

O

n 22nd November, the opulent Livery Hall, with its gold leafmoulded ceiling and crystal chandeliers, thrummed to the buzz of excitement as family, friends and industry gathered to celebrate with the latest cohort of NAJ JET graduates. The venue’s glamour together with the air of excitement underscores the importance that the Association, and the industry at large, places on the JET programme. The excellence of the courses is reflected in the exemplary service that member retailers are able to offer, thanks in a large part to the knowledge, professionalism and passion of JET graduate employees.

On the night of the presentations, with addresses by NAJ Chair Gary Wroe, Deputy Chair Heather Callaway and President David Doyle, students were commended for their hard work, dedication and love of jewellery and our industry. Among those who received awards was Henrietta Mapplebeck, this year’s recipient of the Greenough Trophy, who works at Browns Family Jewellers in Harrogate.

Singled out for special mention were the 12 students who were last year’s winners of the monthly Clarity & Success Awards. We then applauded the many students who had achieved Professional Jewellers’ Diploma, Certificate of Appraisal Theory (CAT), Jet Management Diploma and Institute of Registered Valuers’ Fellowship.

“Education is the basis and foundation of what the National Association of Jewellers is about. The awards really are the highlight of our year, with so many students being recognised for their efforts. Continual learning is key to being successful in all walks of life, and the NAJ has embraced training with the highly regarded JET programme. I was honoured to be in the presence of a cohort that has strived to improve their understanding of our wonderful industry. A huge congratulations to all those who worked so hard to complete and pass the various courses – well done.”

Gary Wroe, NAJ Chair

Education

Winter 2021

“After four successful, rewarding years as chair of the NAJ’s education group, it’s with great sadness that, due to my additional commitments as NAJ vice chair, I’ve recently stepped down from this role. During my tenure, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the Education Steering Group volunteers and NAJ staff team, to support and improve the content and delivery of our industryleading JET courses into the industryrecognised qualifications that they are today.

“JET courses are constantly updated with the latest industry professional developments and comply with the necessary criteria to continue to be nationally accredited qualifications.

They are THE passport qualifications to support you through your jewellery education journey and careers, and there’s a course that can support whichever career path you may choose.

“The Education Presentation of Awards is the highlight of the year for all of us at the NAJ and the Steering Group; we celebrate with you, our students, your achievements in the sumptuous surroundings of the Goldsmiths’ Hall.”

Heather Callaway, NAJ Vice Chair

The Greenough Trophy

“We’re so proud to be the sponsors of the Jet Awards. Their importance in the education of our future jewellery stars cannot be overestimated, and that our own industry mentors guide the newcomers through their courses is fantastic. We are staunch advocates of training and education and the benefits that this brings to anyone in any walk of life.

“Our warmest congratulations go to all the winners of these awards; it’s a tremendous recognition of all the hard work you put into your career and we wish you all the best for the future.”

“We love to support the NAJ – we continue to encourage our colleagues to complete the JET 2 course (at our cost) as we know the confidence they gain from having the knowledge enables them to pass this on to their customers, which ultimately reflects in our performance as a company.”

Mark Adelstone, Beaverbrooks.

Karen Russell, Clarity & Success

2018's Greenough Trophy winner Amanda Williams, Mappin & Webb

“JET is great for anyone in the trade wanting to gain greater knowledge. It has so many different topics – especially important as the jewellery industry is such an interesting trade that you’re constantly learning new things – it’s why I love it. I want to study further courses in the future.”

Henrietta Mapplebeck, Greenough Trophy winner

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UK 0800 1956771 | ROI 1800 625163 | info@curteis.com

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Business Advice

Winter 2021

The National Committee and staff representatives meeting at Staverton Park Estate ahead of the NAJ Summit in September.

An association that has your back!

D

eliberating how the pandemic has driven the NAJ to be more relevant for its members, the Association’s National Committee wanted to see industry standards front and centre, with community and sustainability closely behind when renewing its strategic focus.

The members of the Committee were also

determined to see a sustainable and healthy future for the Association.

The Committee is delighted to share with you a top-line view of the strategy, which aims to deliver better business for members, for their people and for the Association as a whole.

Standards

Support

Representation

We will set and promote standards, delivering activities to protect, promote and prepare members businesses and development of qualified and informed professionals.

We will support access into, with and through the UK jewellery community, increasing the value of membership by enhancing the relevance of benefits and breadth of knowledge and expertise available to the NAJ community.

We will advocate the value of the British jewellery industry, championing the interests of member businesses, stewarding relationships with relevant bodies to foster informed debate on the issues impacting our members.

The NAJ National Committee is the Association’s governing group of individuals that strives to deliver positive change on behalf of members and supporters.

Who is on your National Committee?

Gary Wroe Hockley Mint (Chair) Heather Callaway Heather Callaway Valuations (Vice Chair) David Doyle Jewellery Brokers Wholesale (President) Harriet Kelsall Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery (Deputy Chair) Chris Sellors C W Sellors Fine Jewellery Adam Jacobs Jacobs the Jewellers Saul Rubins Berker Bros Chris Oliver The Goldsmiths’ Centre

Call for new committee members!

Right now, the Committee is a collective of representatives from across the industry: jewellery manufacturers, suppliers, retailers (multiple and independent), designers, valuers and from collaborating organisations (see the table to the right). However, as the NAJ benefits from a diverse membership, the National Committee warmly invites members to register an interest in joining the Committee.

With the above top-line strategy in mind, the committee will be reviewing where expertise

will be required. Individuals are invited to write to the NAJ Chair detailing where expertise and passions, as well as a brief bio to explain background in the sector.

Chair, Gary Wroe said, “As a volunteer, overseeing the Association’s direction of travel is extremely rewarding, and it has also helped me to greater understand and respond to new and common challenges we face in the sector.

With the arrival of a new strategy, we’re extremely receptive to new people joining the Committee… we’re very keen to hear new voices and thoughts around the table.”

Leesha Kaur Sonny’s Jewellers Anna Blackburn Beaverbrooks Barry Sullivan Jewellery Advisory Services

Are you interested in joining the National Committee?

Visit naj.co.uk/national-committee Email Chair@naj.co.uk Call 0121 237 1110

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18

Industry News

The Jeweller

Buying Groups Report Buoyant Business The Houlden Group A resounding success for members and suppliers, the Houlden Autumn event saw orders taken over the two days exceed all previous records by 100 per cent. The first formal networking meeting in 18 months enjoyed excellent attendance; the curated Suppliers’ Exhibition attracted a record 50 premium suppliers, including newcomers.

Members, who, during the pandemic, drew on existing stock rather than replenishing, unanimously shared growing optimism and confidence in the future. This impacted the buying pattern at the event, which had a focus on bigger orders from fewer suppliers and many opening new accounts. Feedback mentioned identifying a gap in their own offering, hearing about consumer-popular ranges and catching praise through the grapevine about a new supplier.

Helen Haddow, CEO of Houlden, commented: “Much thought and care goes

Houlden event September 2021

into selecting our Preferred Suppliers to ensure an exciting breadth and range to reflect the varying needs of our members. In addition, the shared monthly purchasing data assists in the buying process and also helps identify those suppliers leading the charge.”

Supplier feedback reflected the value of developing mutually beneficial relationships with retailers. The right stock, easy reordering or creating a powerful digital and social media presence are all increasingly important components of success. One dominant emerging trend was the growing interest in laboratory grown diamonds (LGD); several suppliers offered them either loose or in finished collections. Many members wanted to learn more about LGDs, including how best to integrate them in their overall offering to help increase their customer base. However, concerns were raised about the impact on valuations and repairs, due to the reliance on expensive detection equipment, which is continually improving in line with the LGD quality.

The Hallmark Jewellery Group The Hallmark Jewellery Group (THJ) reports a very successful recent buying meeting of 50 buyer and 40 key supplier members. “Our AGM and buying meeting in Birmingham, our first for a couple of years, was a great success. Everyone I spoke to felt it was worthwhile, and the general overview was that trade had been very good since the industry opened up following lockdowns,” says THJ chair Harvey Morgan.

“In many ways, it felt like a mini NEC event. I believe the enthusiasm and success of the day was driven partly by those who’d missed seeing each other, and for buyers, it was great to see products in the flesh again.”

THJ is an NAJ member and is working with the Association on its Created in the UK incentive, as well as endorsing Kickstart, the government-backed scheme encouraging young people to get involved in the jewellery industry.

“I’d recommend any retail jeweller looking for staff to contact the NAJ to discuss this exciting scheme. As a buying group of 35 years standing, we require new members to move the THJ forward and create even better economies of scale for all our new and existing members,” Morgan adds. For further details about THJ, visit: www.hallmarkjewellersgroup.com

The Company of Master Jewellers The CMJ has announced its plan to return to physical trade events in 2022. The Spring Trade Event (13th to 14th March) will bring the group back together for the first time in two years.

The two-day event is a belated 40th anniversary celebration, with an opportunity for members to stock up on new spring/summer collections from suppliers as well as attend a glamorous ruby-themed black-tie evening event.

Its Autumn Trade Event will take on an exciting new look at an exciting new venue – Silverstone – and use the occasion to launch a new aspirational formula for its events to take the group forward.

Emmet Cummins, managing director of the CMJ, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing the CMJ family back together again from next year. Feedback from our members has been very positive since reopening, so we believe that by 2022, they will be keen to see newness and invest in new collections. Our Spring Event will allow CMJ members to reconnect and join us for an unforgettable celebration to celebrate 40 years in the industry. Meanwhile, Silverstone gives us the opportunity to inspire and enthuse with an exciting new formula, where we plan on taking the CMJ Trade Event forward to a whole new level.”

The CMJ was awarded Service Supplier of the Year Award at the prestigious UK Jewellery Awards 2021, praised by the expert judging panel for “providing unrivalled support throughout the pandemic and consistently going above and beyond.”

By retail jewellers, for retail jewellers The JET Business Network (JBN) has been delivering value through shared knowledge, experience and expertise since 2005.

The network continues to be successful in promoting business growth for all members by providing a unique opportunity for independent jewellery retail owners and directors to meet with like-minded professionals in a confidential forum that fosters supportive and trusting relationships.

In a sentence, the JBN helps you make money, and saves you money!

Online Q&A Forum

Monthly Performance Reports

Member Business Surveys

Popular Benefits Educational Store Visits

Annual Retail Jewellers’ Congress Newsflash Service

For more information on joining Call the JBN Facilitator, Michael Donaldson, on 07817 305 122 or Email michael@thevalueinnovator.co.uk Alternatively you can visit naj.co.uk/jbn

20

Business Advice

The Jeweller

T Member Benefits Taking You Further in 2022

here are a great many benefits to being a member of the National Association of Jewellers. On a very practical level, here is an introduction, or reminder, of just three from all sector-specific services and products that members can take advantage of. Whether saving money, providing expert advice or boosting your business's profile, the scope of benefits is designed with the members' needs in mind. With 2022 fast approaching, now is the perfect time to discover how these benefits can help you today and in the year ahead.

Healthy mind, body and business With a rise in physical and mental health awareness, employers and solopreneurs are finally beginning to take workplace wellbeing seriously. The National Association of Jewellers has partnered with Paycare, the not-for-profit health cash plan provider, to help their members take direct action to improve mental, physical and financial health and promote emotional wellbeing.

Benefits to help you Paycare offers a suite of tailored benefits to help members when they need it most.

From December 2021, all NAJ Designer members will have direct access to MyHelpline, a 24-hour confidential telephone counselling service for issues such as stress, depression, anxiety and grief. Whether members require emotional counselling, signposting to money and legal matters or even specialist management guidance, the support is there and available at a time that suits them.

MyPocketGP is a 24/7 online and telephone GP consultation service. The service offers access anywhere in the world and at any time. Staffed by experienced and practising NHS doctors, the app provides expert advice that members can trust with telephone consultations or video chat.

This invaluable service gives members GP access when they really need it.

Rounding out this bundle of benefits is Paycare Perks, a rewards scheme that potentially saves members hundreds of pounds. Designed to help with financial health, Paycare Perks gives members discounts on everything from shopping and gym membership to insurance and travel.

The Association will be working hard over the coming months to roll out this exciting benefit to other membership categories.

Business Advice

Winter 2021

Created in the UK just got even better Created in the UK is open to manufacturers, makers and retailers so they can differentiate pieces produced in the United Kingdom, and from 2022 the scheme will be FREE to all NAJ members. Consumers are increasingly demanding to know the provenance of the items they buy. The Created in the UK scheme provides a clear point of origin and peace of mind for customers.

Any scheme that champions British manufacturing and craftsmanship is worth shouting about, particularly when NAJ members benefit from its use for free next year.

“We're excited to offer the Created in the UK scheme for free to all eligible NAJ members. As a sign of quality and provenance, the Created in the UK mark provides customers with confidence and makers and retailers with a strong story to tell.”

Lindsey Straughton, the NAJ’s head of communications and industry liaison

is a range of branded point of sale material, which means that members can feature the logo across all their marketing collateral as well as in-store.

So, how do I join?

Members interested in joining the Created in the UK scheme must undertake the following steps to be eligible: • Request the mark on qualifying products only • Provide written proof of compliance • Check with the NAJ if a specific product qualifies and accept the decision of the NAJ (as the interpreters of the spirit as well as the letter of the rules) as final • Sign up to the Created in the UK Code of Conduct and follow the NAJ's guiding principles • Agree to be audited to ensure compliance with the criteria • Accept sanctions if in contravention, including potentially public removal from the scheme. Any self-certification scheme needs to operate on a zero-tolerance basis if it is to retain credibility

A mark consumers can trust In a survey carried out by the Make it British campaign, around 93 per cent of those surveyed said they would be willing to pay more for a product made in Britain. There is a strong appetite for quality products made by UK craftspeople. Supporting UK design and guaranteeing provenance is a powerful selling point when engaging with consumers. With more and more customers conscious of the environmental claims of the items they buy, UK-produced jewellery, silverware and related products offer huge appeal and a great story.

Association members eligible for the scheme can take advantage of the Created in the UK mark and get it applied by any of the four UK assay offices. Supporting the mark

Learn more about the mark and how members can benefit from joining the scheme at: https://naj.co.uk/created

Watch the NAJ’s Created in the UK video

Protecting your business with SaferGems Safety is paramount for businesses in the jewellery trade. For more than a decade, the SaferGems scheme has helped alert NAJ members to over 2,500 potential crimes.

Jointly funded by the NAJ and the jewellery insurance specialists TH March, SaferGems provides peace of mind to all those in the jewellery, antiques and fine art trades.

Safer together The SaferGems team has direct access to police intelligence, providing scheme members with up-to-date and vital information on potential crimes in their local area. Since the foundation of the joint venture in 2009, it has prevented over 1,500 potential crimes, while SaferGems has directly assisted police with over 150 arrests and convictions.

As well as current police intelligence, members can provide critical local intelligence with the central team to share with the broader membership. NAJ members are safer together, ensuring a higher rate of conviction of criminals targeting the jeweller trade.

After joining the Association, you will be subscribed to the SaferGems Mailing List. When the SaferGems team receives intelligence about potential issues, a notification goes out to the membership via email.

To report a crime, contact the SaferGems team via:

Telephone: 01905 342 051 Email: intel@safergems.org.uk

Get more out of your membership To learn more about the benefits mentioned or discover the full range of services and products, visit the NAJ website or talk to the NAJ membership team, and start getting the most out of your membership today.

Visit: www.naj.co.uk/benefits Email: membership@naj.co.uk Call: 0121 237 1110

21

22

Retail Trends

The Jeweller

John Lewis Christmas Emporium

So, what exactly is a pop-up?

In short, pop-up shops are stores that ‘pop up’ for a limited time to achieve a particular goal. They are short-term outlets that allow businesses to test out their brand and product delivery before establishing a long-term physical retail store. This type of retail is becoming more common as brands look for unique and engaging ways to increase awareness while giving them the opportunity to experiment with less risk. The Christmas Emporiums that John Lewis has created across 10 of its UK stores aim to give a one-stop festive shopping experience with in-store events, workshops and personalised gifting opportunities.

The benefits of establishing short-term physical locations Retailers most commonly opt to open a popup to generate buzz and awareness of their services, offerings or even just their brand.

However, pop-ups can also increase sales and social media engagement as well as boost online visibility as a result of positive customer engagement and expansion of reach.

With a pop-up being temporary by nature, customers are a lot less likely to delay their purchasing, just in case they miss out!

Setting up for a limited time in a temporary location in an area that generally has high footfall can give your consumers a sense of urgency and drive sales quickly.

Taking that FOMO one step further, a popup event is a great opportunity to show off a new product or range launch. Not only do you generate excitement, but consumers are also more likely to attend and purchase to ensure they’re able to get their hands on a product before it sells out.

From clicks to bricks – how e-commerce can benefit Pop-ups can be especially beneficial for e-commerce businesses because they offer brand exposure in a new space with the intention of attracting an audience that wasn’t being captured in previous marketing efforts. It can also be a great tester project for e-tailers looking to experiment with brick-and-mortar spaces, providing an understanding of how their brand might perform in this market.

As the world becomes more digitally focused, it’s more difficult for brands to stand out against their competitors. Younger consumers crave novel, interesting experiences, and combined with the changing landscape of the traditional high street battling online giants, it’s the perfect scenario for the pop-up economy to prosper.

Although the digital evolution has catapulted consumer purchasing through online platforms, a large number of retail sales are still in store, and as Covid-19 restrictions lifted in the UK, shopping centres saw footfall dramatically increase.

Online stores should consider physical retail opportunities, even if temporary, as part of their strategy to build awareness of their brand and to incorporate a new sales channel.

Pop-ups allow e-commerce businesses to translate their offering easily to a physical store while experimenting with their desired shopping experience. This can be done without having to commit to a longterm design and expense.

Transitioning from an online-only space to a pop-up retail location can also drive more online traffic by building strong customer experiences, new audiences and retention and loyalty with existing valued customers.

Big players in the pop-up game Anyone can open and create noise through a pop-up, from a small independent greeting card supplier to a luxury fashion

Retail Trends

Winter 2021

giant. Some pop-up events go one step further than simply displaying products and bring a fresh idea to a brand’s expected offering. Chanel opened Coco Cafés in numerous locations around the world, inviting consumers to experience minimakeovers and newly launched fragrances while enjoying a drink. A two-day pop-up store in Barcelona saw sports giant Adidas reveal an EQT gaming room. Visitors could experience the latest in Adidas’ innovation and new designs while taking advantage of exclusive features and a range of games machines.

It isn’t only fashion retailers that have created memorable pop-up experiences.

Mexican lager brand Corona – renowned for its relaxed, good-time vibe – constructed two pop-up social escapes in Barcelona and Sitges, featuring a restaurant, yoga sessions

and live music, all in a paradise-like environment.

Functional and aesthetic displays are essential for creating an effective pop-up shop, says Gabriella Peace, communications manager of UK Greetings, a greetings card publisher that offers strategic display planning to its customers. Gabriella said: “Pop-up shops aren’t just about selling products; it’s about creating an experience that reflects your brand and its values.

Pop-up shops and displays should always be tailored, allowing customers to recognise value not only in your products or services but also in your presence in the world.

“Pop-up retailers and brands must acknowledge factors including sales data, demographic information, price points and design when curating store space. By

Andrew Martyniuk outside Autelier

The Rise of Pop-up Shops and Events

doing this, you can further boost your brand recognition and value, achieving maximum revenue and results.”

Developing an omnichannel presence that incorporates experiential pop-up locations is an intelligent strategy for any retail business. However, the landscape of physical retail is very different to the digital sphere, and as a result, a lot of direct-to-consumer e-commerce businesses are hesitant to commit to physical locations without testing the waters first. But with copious retail space now available thanks to the pandemic closures, it’s no wonder that pop-up shops and events are on the rise for businesses attempting to offer something interesting.

Agile thinking will continue to prompt new initiatives as retailers rebuild.

Autelier, New Bond Street As part of the Koppel Project, Andrew Martyniuk (co-founder of The Jewellery Cut and consultant to the British Academy of Jewellery) has partnered with Trang Do of Kimjoux Jewellery to open Autelier, a three-month festive pop-up shop on Mayfair’s New Bond Street. Running until 31st January 2022, the shop will stock design-led quality fashion and art as well as contemporary fine jewellery from jewellers based in Britain.

Clogau display in Autelier, New Bond Street

The Koppel Project is a central Londonbased arts charity that supports early and mid-career artists by offering subsidised central communal studio spaces. It also runs gallery and event spaces, including pop-up sites. The Project brokers space, usefully filling abandoned buildings and putting them to use for the arts and local community. It works closely with a number of organisations, including the British Academy of Jewellery.

Trang Do explains that Autelier “is on a mission to create a 360 shopping experience, bringing together the most exciting luxury, independent brands. We’re looking for people with the passion and drive to create exceptional experiences for our clients,” she says. Jewellery brands confirmed to be part of the pop-up store include Clogau, Heritage Rocks from The Jewellers Bench, Reframed Jewellery, Laurence Vanderborre, Nigel O’Reilly, Kimjoux, Manpriya B and Baroque Rocks, with more to join in the lead up to Christmas. Prices of jewellery range from £50 to £50,000, with a mix of styles on offer.

“The opportunity for us to collaborate with the Koppel Project means we can give young designers and brands a face on the world’s busiest shopping street and place them alongside the biggest luxury brands in the build up to Christmas,” adds Martyniuk.

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24

Industry News

The Jeweller

Roxanna Rajcoomar-Hadden

Catherine Marche

Earlier this year, we reported on an inaugural mentoring programme, powered by the Natural Diamond Council and hosted by the Goldsmiths’ Centre. The course, now completed, is declared a success.

D

eveloped by British jeweller Roxanne Rajcoomar-Hadden, the programme was to help 11 emerging designers from diverse backgrounds break into the fine jewellery industry. As she joined forces with the Natural Diamond Council, she explained “It can be challenging to get into the exclusive world of fine jewellery design if you do not have the contacts, resources or opportunities to realise your passion.” She created the programme to “drive inclusivity and change the status quo.”

Commenting on the course after it ended, mid-October, Roxanne said: “I wanted to normalise jewellers from diverse backgrounds in the fine jewellery category

The RRH Diamond Academy and ensure that knowledge and social mobility isn't their barrier. I created this 10-day programme with the support of the Natural Diamond Council, based on my journey, with the hope to support others on theirs. It was great to work with jewellers from diverse backgrounds who will bring fresh concepts to the category, inspired by different cultures and experiences.”

Lisa Levinson, head of marketing and communication at the Natural Diamond Council, added: "The appeal of diamond jewellery comes from its genuine connection with the wearer. The Natural Diamond Council believes that to create that connection, the jewellery design – and the designer – needs to represent all our human diversity. The RRH Diamond

Academy is one of the initiatives we are supporting to remove the barriers to entry into the diamond industry, and it has been fantastic to see the great impact Roxanne and the mentors have created in just two weeks."

Chosen by a five-strong panel of judges, the lucky 10 successful applicants were Anna Harvey, Blessing Adedoyin, Boitshoko Kebakile, Carol Cole, Catherine Marche, Daryl Albert, Denise Louise, Ozlem Gunes, Qiang Li, Sameena Mawji and Stefania Indelicato.

“I feel privileged to be part of an amazing cohort of diverse and talented individuals.

The experience has been very enriching – not only increasing the wealth of our knowledge but also giving us the chance to share and

Winter 2021

Industry News

collaborate with each other. Roxanne and the team she put together gave us invaluable advice which will nurture our future for many years to come. A huge thank you to RRH Academy and peers from the bottom of my heart.” Catherine Marche “I feel extremely lucky to have had this wonderful journey; I've learned a lot from Roxanne’s team and all the amazing speakers.

I also feel the priceless value is having the opportunity to meet my fabulous classmates – everyone has been generous, wise and love sharing. It's a good start for me, and I will keep going with the spirit of our RRH Diamond Academy family.” Qiang Li Meanwhile, remote attendee, Boitshoko Kebakile, who joined the group from Botswana, added: "The RRH Diamond Academy was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. The entire two weeks were meticulously curated to deliver much needed guidance for emerging fine jewellers. I was also struck by how genuinely inclusive this programme was. In this regard, from my core, I applaud and thank Roxanne RajcoomarHadden and the Natural Diamond Council for truly bridging the diversity gap, as they set out to."

Among the other leading figures in the jewellery industry who offered mentorship over the course of the 10 days, were Gem-A CEO Alan Hart, designer Alex Monroe, ethical jeweller Pippa Small, Beanie Major ( jewellery stylist and advisor), PR Emma Beckett, Tim Holloway (head of creative at Graff), production specialists from Hatton Garden workshops, Tanika Wisdom ( jewellery buyer at Matches), fine jewellery photographer Simon Martner and key media names Melanie Grant, Annabel Davidson, Rachel Garrahan and Katerina Perez.

Subjects covered included Design & Manufacturing Processes, Responsibility & Sourcing, Pricing, Selling B2B, Branding & Marketing, Photography tips and tricks, Press Outreach and Online Assets.

Boitshoko Kebakile joined remotely from Botswana

A follow-up course for 2022 is currently under discussion.

Qiang Li

Alex Monroe

25

Industry News

26

The Jeweller

Platinum Jubilee commemorative mark launched I

n 2022, Her Majesty the Queen will become the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee, 70 years of service, having acceded to the throne in 1952. To celebrate the occasion, the British Hallmarking Council has sanctioned a commemorative component mark.

Designed by Thomas Fattorini Ltd, the mark depicts an orb and can be applied to precious metal, alongside a hallmark, by any of the four UK assay offices. The approval process of the mark took place over the last year and involved engineers at Goldsmiths’ Hall refining designs for use by laser or punches from 1mm to 6mm in height.

Commemorative marks have proved popular with UK consumers. In 1934 a voluntary

mark celebrating the silver jubilee of HM King George V and HM Queen Mary was available to silversmiths for two years between 1934 and 1935. Its popularity led to further commemorative marks: for the coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and 1954, for the silver jubilee in 1977, for the millennium in 1999 and 2000, for the golden jubilee in 2002 and the diamond jubilee in 2012.

A spokesperson said “The UK assay offices have a long tradition of capturing special occasions with the creation of commemorative marks. Not only does it provide the trade with an additional narrative for the products that carry the mark, but it also brings the importance of

RJC to develop standard for laboratory-grown materials

T

he Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), the world’s leading standardsetting organisation for the global jewellery and watch industry, with 1,500 member companies in 71 countries, has announced it will develop a standard for laboratory-grown materials (LGMs) to establish best practice, including the requirement for full disclosure for such materials used in jewellery products.

The RJC LGM standard will include laboratory-grown stones and be separate from the RJC Code of Practices, in recognition that laboratory-grown products carry a different risk profile from natural products. The standard will be available for companies dealing in LGMs. To ensure the new standard receives the most robust review before it is finalised,

the hallmark into focus with the jewellery and silver buying consumer.”

Jewellers, silversmiths and retailers can request the mark from their assay office.

Until the end of 2021, it can be applied to a hallmark without a date letter. Throughout 2022, the commemorative component mark can be applied along with the new year date letter. The addition of the commemorative mark will cost £1 for each article on which it is struck as standard.

Laser and feature commemorative marks may be subject to additional charges.

Contact your assay office for more information.

the RJC will follow a transparent public consultation procedure with all stakeholders, following the ISEAL StandardSetting Code of Good Practice. The RJC’s multi-stakeholder Standards Committee will manage the consultation process.

Iris Van der Veken (left), executive director of RJC, said: “Setting a standard for LGMs is an important strategic initiative

by RJC, underlining our commitment to ensure all jewellery is responsibly sourced, manufactured and marketed. It is all about consumer confidence. This standard will provide a clear, robust framework not only for manufacturers and retailers but also for reassuring customers that manufacturers and sellers of LGMs follow rigorous processes that ensure the credibility and transparency of their operations.”

David Bouffard, chair of RJC, said: “The RJC was founded to promote global best practices for the jewellery and watch industry. With increasing consumer awareness of LGMs, it is imperative we set these standards to ensure all laboratorygrown diamonds and gemstones are responsibly manufactured, sourced and sold, and that consumer confidence can be maintained through the application of a clear and consistent approach for businesses dealing with LGMs.”

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NAJ News

28

The Jeweller

“Once again, Congress inspired and lit that fire within to push myself a little more to be a better business and better boss.”

Harriet France

On 13th September, the NAJ closed the doors on its ground-breaking inaugural Summit after a positive whirlwind three days. If you weren’t able to attend, here’s what you missed.

Review: The NAJ Summit 2021 T

he event trialled a new format for the Association – our annual networking opportunities and conferences streamlined into a single occasion to provide greater cross industry collaboration and conversation. Building on its inaugural success, the 2022 NAJ Summit will again feature the Valuers’ Conference and Retail Jewellers’ Congress as well as the Members’ Gala Dinner and Supplier Showcase – the latter to be in a revised format.

“Topics were very relevant to us and up to date. The speakers and workshops I attended were extremely helpful.”

Hanna Suma, HC Jewellers

The Summit will return to the De Vere Staverton Estate, Northamptonshire, from Friday 10th to Monday 13th June 2022.

Comprising talks, workshops and masterclasses from inspirational leaders and jewellery experts, the 2022 Summit will span four days, with the Valuers’ Conference taking place from late Friday afternoon until late Sunday afternoon, avoiding an overlap with Monday’s Retail Jewellers’ Congress.

Furthermore, the now one-day Supplier Showcase (Sunday) will benefit from protected time in the programme so more visitors can attend this important part of the event ahead of the Members’ Gala Dinner that same evening.

Gary Wroe, NAJ chair, said: “It was important we listened to feedback on all

elements of this year’s Summit before putting plans together for 2022. Next June, we’ll minimise overlaps between each event and tweak other elements relating to movement around the venue. Overall comments have been extremely positive with just the odd niggle that we’ve listened and made appropriate adjustments to. I’d like to thank Chris Sellors, who has worked hard behind the scenes to launch the first Summit.”

Gary also thanked Continental UK, headline sponsor, for its support, as well as all the speakers, showcase suppliers and attendees for their participation and passion… which was evident throughout.

Heather Callaway FIRV, NAJ vice chair, added: “The Summit was a wonderful opportunity for our IRVs to mix professionally and socially with so many

Hockley Mint Introduces Our Laboratory Grown Diamond Collection IGI Certified Laboratory-Grown Diamond jewellery from Hockley Mint. We can now provide finished jewellery with a choice of Laboratory-Grown Diamonds or naturally sourced stones. Our jewellery is designed and handcrafted in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Contact us: sales@hockleymint.co.uk or +44 (0) 121 242 0042.

30

NAJ News

The Jeweller

“We had a great weekend – primarily to attend the JBN – but with the opportunity to attend the Valuers’ Conference too, it made us realise the opportunities to further our knowledge and education.

We’d love to bring more of our team next time.”

Sophie Guess, L Guess

Joanna Hardy

David Callaghan

other members of the trade, presenting a chance to create new contacts. This event can only add to the opportunities for the institute to prosper in the longer term.”

Many attendees to the Retail Jewellers Congress highlighted Boodles chairman Nicholas Wainwright as a particular attraction, as well as Amanda Simon, head of engagement and people support at Beaverbrooks. Of course, many said the opportunity to network with like-minded retailers was priceless.

Valuers’ Conference presentations by John Benjamin, Joanna Hardy, Maria Maclennan, Craig O’Donnell and David Callaghan also received rave reviews. A valuable part of the conference includes the workshops, with sessions on laboratorygrown diamonds proving popular, particularly a workshop run by Julia Griffith from the Gem Academy. It was also a chance to announce that Barbara Leal FIRV is this year’s winner of the prestigious David Wilkins Award.

The Members’ Gala Dinner was also a resounding success, providing a great networking (and dance floor) opportunity for many.

NAJ President David Doyle said: “The Summit was successful as a result of the NAJ doing exactly what it was designed to do: represent all key areas of the jewellery trade and bring them together under one roof to create a dynamic and vibrant environment, so people can interact, learn and engage. It works productively on so many levels. We are really looking forward to continuing to develop this landmark event each June, moving forward.”

“An excellent programme bringing the various branches of the industry together.”

Susan Lister Kroening

Maria Maclennan

John Benjamin

Supplier Showcase Speaking to people at the Supplier Showcase, it’s clear the appetite for physical events has returned.

Laurence Blunt, Continental UK (headline sponsor): “The NAJ Summit was a fantastic networking opportunity, especially after the industry’s prolonged period of stagnation.

The event was a perfect opportunity to remind the industry what Continental UK does best, with our vast array of product in 9ct, 18ct and platinum. With a mix of diamonds and gemstones, it’s hard to say what stood out as a favourite with the retailers at the show, but August sales figures place our Art Deco collection as the one to beat.”

Stephanie Lee, Ntinga: “It was great to be at the first NAJ Summit. We found the event fairly successful, with buyers keen to see new products. In particular, they were definitely interested in teal tourmalines, tourmaline slices, step cut gemstones and fine gemstone stacking rings in an array of colours.”

Tony Abram, Mishanto: “We launched two new ranges at the show: the spinel line and the 540 pentagon range. There was a lot of discussion about spinels, which we have taken time to source. We pick the most suitable stones in each category and have them repolished before setting. Interest is growing and it’s beginning to come back into jewellery. There’s a fabulous palette of colours, and they’re singly refractive, like diamond, with diamond-like brilliance, even colour distribution and hardness like corundum… perfect for today’s market.

“We attended the Supplier Showcase at the Summit as it’s the first time we’ve looked to link up with and supply retailers with our ranges under the Mishanto brand. We’ve developed a unique packaging, integral to the brand, which is receiving a lot of attention.”

Donald Edge, Code by Edge: “At the Summit, I met a small group of colleagues (now friends) who I would never have

NAJ News

Winter 2021 Continental

known before, so that has been a real joy.

People make a community, and those personal relationships are just so important in my view.

“We sneak-previewed our Unisex Milano collection, which we’ll be launching next spring. It’s designed as an alternative engagement and wedding ring for the less traditional, alongside wedding and gifting bangles that commemorate special dates, places and people. Sustainability is underlined by the use of recycled noble metals with a choice of laboratory grown diamonds or ethically traced diamonds. Each piece is handmade to order in Italy.”

Fei Liu: “The showcase was very promising and we received quite a lot of interest.

Since then, these have become new accounts, including a large retail outlet and some independents. The Carpe Diem and Magnolia collections continue to be our strongest sellers. We had a very positive reception for Blossom and Links of Love; Links is our first lab-grown diamond collection, a modern reinvention of the traditional chain necklace. The interconnecting links are available in white rhodium plate, yellow or rose gold plate and can be plain precious metal or set with cz or lab-grown diamonds for an extra luxurious feel.

Code by Edge

Fei Liu

Ti Sento Milano

“Overall, we’re encouraged by the reaction and will continue to support retail partners wherever possible to end 2021 strongly.”

Judith Lockwood, Mesmeric Distribution (TI SENTO - Milano): "Mesmeric has been an NAJ member for nearly eight years and I feel it’s important to support our trade industry association, so we decided to attend the Summit’s Supplier Showcase. We felt that we’d meet all kinds of industry colleagues that we may not get to meet in our everyday business lives. We went with a view to listen, learn and share and with an open mind. And we were not disappointed.

“My colleague Angela and I met many interesting people from across the industry who were keen to know about TI SENTO. We described our quality and designs, shared anecdotes from our retailers and about how we hallmark all pieces. It was also the chance to get to know fellow suppliers we hadn’t met before and catch up with friends. We were thrilled to be invited to the Valuers’ Dinner and the Gala Dinner.

“Did we write a lot of business? No. Had we expected to? We weren’t sure. But we covered our costs. However, in terms of organisation and set up of the Supplier Showcase, I think the NAJ team did a great job and seemed open to ideas for next year to improve buying opportunities. In conclusion, I’m glad we attended and would definitely like to be included again.”

Ntinga Spinel rings

by Mishanto

The Valuers’ Conference The Summit’s learning opportunities fell under the umbrella of the Valuers’ Conference – across the three days, delegates eagerly attended over 30 seminars, masterclasses and hands-on workshops. As is always the case at the Conference, the main presentations were a real treat; what’s not to love about the dry wit and wisdom of John Benjamin FGA FIRV, of Antiques Roadshow, who chose as his subject ‘The Forgotten World of Georgian Gems and Jewels? Jewellery historian Jack Ogden also combined history with humour as he unpicked the legend of the Black Prince’s Ruby.

Fine jewellery specialist and another Antiques Roadshow regular Joanna Hardy, ahead of the launch of her gorgeous tome, Sapphire, took us on a journey of the gemstone, from antiquity to the present day.

(Read the review of her new book on page 63.) Meanwhile, possibly taking a few out of their comfort zone, forensic jeweller Dr Maria Maclennan offered a mesmerising insight into her work, explaining how personal possessions, like jewellery and watches, can play a potentially integral role in investigations of death, crime and disaster. Fascinating stuff.

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NAJ News

Winter 2021

Anna Rogers, independent MIRV jewellery valuer at Almaz Valuations and GIA gemmologist, reviews her workshop experience.

My favourite part was playing detective – identifying the crystals and inclusions. The adorable panda head lapis-lazuli crystal caught my attention as did the rare inkyblue cavansite crystal from Oregon and the vivid green Russian demantoid garnet, which are a real treat for gemmologists.

I was delighted and excited when the In Real Life NAJ Summit 2021 was confirmed.

The pandemic placed many of my fellow gemmologists and valuers in a difficult position. In our occupation, you simply cannot perform adequate jewellery and gemstones examinations remotely. It’s impossible to properly review jewellery pieces via webcam or photos, as you’re unable to test diamonds and gemstones to provide a professional valuation.

Thankfully for many industry professionals, our stay at home time wasn’t wasted. Many gemmological organisations and jewellery associations offered professional training webinars or courses remotely. Personally though, I absorb more information in the classroom when face-to-face with the lecturer.

So, when I received the Summit programme, I had no doubts about my choice of workshops – I was eager to see gems, touch gems and learn more about gems!

My first practical workshop was Photomicrography with Michelle McCormick, from the Gemmology and Jewellery department of Birmingham City University. I love the fascinating internal gem world and often take pictures of interesting gemstone inclusions and features for my social media accounts. However, I always wanted to sharpen my microphotography skills and to learn how to take better images under the microscope with my camera phone.

Michelle was very welcoming, friendly and full of gem knowledge. The room was fully equipped with professional instruments from Gem-A, with each attendee having a designated workshop desk with a high magnification powerful microscope, diamond light, fibre optic light, loupe and tweezers.

Michelle kindly arranged a viewing of 25 fascinating gemstones, including quartz, moss agate, hessonite garnet and moldavite.

She explained that to perfect the photoshoot images, Helicon Focus stacking software is useful, and she showed some fantastic 3D images from BCU’s collection. We had plenty of time to explore the mineral species, test light techniques (overhead light, diffused and darkfield illumination) plus, of course, take some breath-taking images with our phone cameras.

My favourite specimens were quartz from Pakistan showing liquid oil inclusion, fiery orange heart shape hessonite garnet exhibiting glass-fill treatment and a slice of very appetising watermelon tourmaline.

My next workshop was Jadeite Jade with Rosamond Clayton, a renowned jadeite jade specialist, who started her trade career in

With gems and jewellery, you simply never stop learning. It’s an addiction I have no intention of curing! See you at the NAJ Summit 2022!

Anna Rogers @almazvaluations

Rosamond Clayton Cavansite

Hong Kong in the 1970s. I was eager to learn more about her experience in China in valuing jadeite jade.

The first challenge was the identification of jadeite jade versus nephrite. For many practising gemmologists and valuers, this classification can be a bit of a headache, as the two materials sometimes closely resemble each other. The simple RI test can be difficult to perform due to surface characteristics or carvings. Likewise, pale material can show no distinctive spectrum.

Rosamond gave us some useful tips to look out for when identifying jadeite jade using a simple 10x loupe.

Panda head lapis

The second challenge for valuers is finding comparable examples of jadeite jade and following the open market valuation to price it. The workshop revealed how to search for comparable pieces and quickly use internet research to reach an efficient professional valuation.

My final workshop was Assessing Minerals and Crystals for Identification and Value with Marcus McCallum and Charlie Bexfield.

We say around a big desk covered – end-toend – with minerals of all colours, shapes and sizes. Charlie showed us minerals from his newly formed company collection, ADIT Fine Minerals', and explained what features practicing gemmologists should look for when valuing rough pieces.

“The most beneficial day out of the office all year, offers value way beyond the cost of attending.”

Ian Cookson (JBN)

Watermelon tourmaline

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What’s New

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The Jeweller

From new directions by jewellery designers to last-minute Christmas inspiration… a few collections that have caught my eye recently.

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JWL

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3&4

Natalie Perry

Jewellery designer Natalie Perry has released her first bridal collection. The eightpiece collection, named Entwined, comprises engagement rings and unisex wedding bands made of 100 per cent recycled gold, set with responsibly sourced rose cut and brilliant cut diamonds.

With Love Darling

Hoping to spread the word about sustainable consumption, jewellery designer Jemma Whitehouse has established Jewel Moments – JWL. Jemma, a jewellery and silversmithing graduate who completed internships with Shaun Leane and Imogen Belfield, designs and handcrafts each piece of jewellery, then casts it in solid sterling silver and 9k yellow gold. JWL offsets carbon emissions each month via Ecologi and makes its packaging of 100 per cent recycled materials.

With Love Darling is a jewellery brand dedicated to impact through storytelling and sustainable production. Built around the United Nations 17 Global Goals, the collection aims “to inspire and engage customers to buy, live and think more sustainably.” Artisans in developing countries produce the jewellery, earning a fair income that enables them to lift their families out of poverty. Syrian refugees in Jordan have made some of the jewellery, for example.

Jemma draws inspiration from her curiosity for ideas beyond the physical realm as well as literature, movement and emotion – “bridging the divide between our internal and external worlds. What we wear is an extension of who we are, and it is also a connection between the past, present and future.”

Created in either 18ct gold vermeil or rhodium plated sterling silver, the collection comprises charm-based symbolic pieces that interpret the 17 Global Goals, so the wearer can “show off their activism in a discreet, elegant and refined manner.” The charms can be on a necklace, bracelet, earring or keychain.

The designs are Natalie’s unique take on traditional styles, including solitaire, halo and wishbone rings, which feature stylised organic twisted bands and scalloped flower bezel settings. Designed to be customisable, the styles in the collection can be set with a choice of gemstones and are available in various metals, including 9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold and platinum. Ranging from £620 RRP, the line is available wholesale to jewellery retailers.

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The Editor Picks…

5&6

Augustine Jewels

Inspired by the warm reds, oranges and golds of the Spanish summer, the fresh greens and blues of the Mediterranean Sea and the distinctive architecture of Spain’s southernmost region, the new Augustine Jewels Andalusian collection comprises handmade earrings, rings and necklaces in four combinations of stones and settings.

Customers can choose between garnet and orange citrine, yellow citrine and smokey quartz, peridot and blue topaz and white with blue topaz.

The iconic palace in Granada inspired the Filigree set, which features these gemstones in a delicate design that resembles the geometric patterns of its architecture.

Available in earring, ring and necklace form.

The Octagon set offers the same gemstones in 9ct white and yellow gold settings, hanging from drop earrings, around the neck or alongside each other in a ring. The final piece in the collection is a 9ct gold statement ring set with gemstones.

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Thrive this Christmas with our expert team training JET Essentials is the new modular online training course from the NAJ and is available to members for just £99+VAT. Learners can customise the programme to include four of the following 12 modules: Security / Jewellery / Rings / Diamonds / Gemstones Gold, Platinum, Palladium and Silver / Hallmarking / Design / Manufacturing Silverware and Gifts / Watches and Clocks / Selling and Customer Care

Did you know?

The four ‘essential’ modules can be counted towards the JET Certificate, and NAJ will refund £99 when the learner enrols onto the JET Certificate within six months*. *Six months from registration on JET Essentials to enrolment onto JET Certificate.

Booking Information 0121 237 1135 naj.co.uk/jet education@naj.co.uk #YourJewelleryJourney

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Visual Merchandising

The Jeweller

Keeping Up Appearances As it’s back to business for most jewellery retailers, Belinda Morris casts her eye over the encouraging and inspiring flurry of refurbs and new stores on our high streets.

W

hile at the Jewellery Festival in September, I listened to a thought-provoking talk given by senior retail executive Andrew Jennings.

With more than 45 years of leadership with some very big-name retailers under his belt, his words of wisdom were really worth taking note of. Should you have missed them, all the salient points are in his book – Almost is Not Good Enough – which offers a useful insight on what, in his view, does and doesn’t work if a business is to thrive today.

There are many soundbites in the book, but, as they relate to visual merchandising, a few of Jennings’ takeaways stand out.

• “Go big or go home… be authoritative… today in retail you have to make a statement.”

• “A strong, well-developed point of view is essential.”

• “Embrace technology!”

• “Understand your customers’ wants, needs and desires.”

He stresses that “visual merchandising should be an absolute priority… creative presentation of in-store merchandise is essential… stores should be a source of visual delight.”

Suzanne Robinson of VM & Events can vouch for the fact that jewellery retailers have not been letting the grass grow under their feet over the past 18 months. “What a year, stop start, stop start, but we’ve come through it, and areas of retail have certainly woken up to a new world,” she says. “We’re definitely seeing a back-to-business-asusual from most retailers, and there’s a definite raising of standards, from customer service and hospitality to display fittings and finishes.

“We’ve found many of our clients have either continued in their pre-pandemic plans to refurbish or expand their showrooms, and some have started maximising on recent empty units on the high street, giving them further room for expansion.”

Inverness piercing area at Allum & Sidaway Salisbury

Visual Merchandising

Winter 2021

Watches of Switzerland, Brent Cross

Astley Clarke’s first flagship store In October, the luxury British jeweller opened its first standalone, bricks-and-mortar store. On Monmouth Street in London’s Covent Garden, the 900sq ft space has an aura of relaxed luxury with warm wood floors, brass fittings and rich blue furnishings – a nod to Astley Clarke’s love of pairing denim with diamonds. The store is home to the full complement of Astley Clarke collections, from its vibrant gemstone designs to diamonds, and its perennially popular line of lockets – an Astley Clarke signature.

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Visual Merchandising

Nason Foster has also been working on numerous projects with retail jewellers across the country. “We’re pleased to say that the general feeling is very upbeat,” says retail designer Jo Coleman. “The past year has been a challenge for the high street, and while our clients have maintained a steady footfall, they’re ready for change.

This can be a new store or a full or partial refurbishment of an existing store; we advise on how their store can develop and be more appealing.

The Jeweller

New Boodles store to open in Leeds The prime and imposing corner site in Leeds’ Victoria Quarter, with its historic, architectural frontage, resonates with the brand whose heritage dates back to 1798. The design narrative was “to capture the Boodles brand values, including the heritage, Britishness, design and craftsmanship, family values, knowledge and service.”

The historical nods and traditional references are fused with contemporary artisan flair and detailing, including handstitched leatherwork, bespoke furniture and locally- crafted objets d’art in woods, metals and marbles.

“Naturally, commitment will be budget dependent, but we find many embrace our ideas, and we usually provide an element in the design that hadn’t been considered, which will expand their options, create an element of surprise and improve customer participation.”

The details that matter “Design in general can be ethereal, intangible and subjective, but it’s the application of design that makes the difference,” Coleman explains. “The recent Covid restrictions have compelled our customers to create a strong online presence, but the physical existence of a retail outlet enables the jeweller to have their own window on the world, the chance to be individual and offer customers a unique shopping experience. In principle, jewellery store design has several main factors to consider: product display, visual appeal, privacy, safety and security.

“New trends of colour, materials and appearance are transient, but they’re all important to the public; we form a veil using various approaches to conceal the

everyday security requirements thus enabling the staff and the customer to feel comfortable and relaxed. Shopfront design is dependent on location; whether it’s a high street or a shopping mall, there’ll be certain restrictions and requirements to consider.”

Coleman, with a background in the history of retail store design, feels the key to success is knowing the product for sale and working with those parameters. “We focus attention where needed while supporting the surrounding areas with colours and textures, furniture and form, and pockets of interest to encourage the customer to browse the store at leisure,” she says. “It’s important to encourage the retailer to push the boundaries; there’s room for theatre in any retail environment and the public thrives on individuality.

“Each project has to be creatively considered to develop a harmonious

space, raising standards but retaining the character of a store, making the customer feel welcome and reassured in a comfortable and secure setting. We work with our clients to highlight their image, incorporating their brand colours into the interior design. The last few years have seen a rise in neutral colours, demonstrated in domestic settings.

However, there is a danger that all stores will look the same, therefore, we suggest and persuade our clients to believe in an injection of colour and generate a feel-good factor, which in turn will make them more memorable to the public.”

One detail of a jewellery store that is certainly on the rise is a dedicated space for ear piercing. And it’s probably no exaggeration to say the system offered by Inverness has prompted this service – once the preserve of fine jewellers as opposed to Claire’s Accessories – to make a welcome comeback. Supplied by Goodman Bros

Advertorial

Winter 2021

Delivering unforgettable hyper-personalised customer experiences

T

he events of the last 18 months have accelerated demand for digital customer engagement delivered in a truly personalised way. Consumers are now looking for brands and retailers to lead on change and earn their loyalty.

• Introduce sales staff and build an early bond with customers online • Create ‘phygital’ experiences by showing off the look and feel of their store design and the VIP treatment customers can expect in-store

Are you rethinking traditional concepts of retail and delivering unforgettable, longlasting experiences for your customers?

The solution helps bridge the gap between online and physical shopping for jewellers.

It enables them to quickly and effectively send hyper-personalised and branded videos to customers instantly (regardless of their location), showcasing their products in a more interactive, convenient and meaningful way.

How it works: 1. Record - the jeweller quickly and easily records a personalised video using the dedicated Apple iOS App, with options to pause, review and re-record the video before uploading it to the retailer dashboard 2. Send - review the video in the retailer dashboard, add product details and hit send. The solution delivers your video instantly via SMS and email on a fully branded and customisable customer landing page, containing product details and a number of call-to-action options.

You can also add GDPR-compliant marketing messaging 3. Track - in the retailer dashboard the jeweller can track the number of views the video has had and monitor successful sale conversions, even down to sales assistant level Established in 2015, PECUVi has become a leading provider of personalised customer

To hear more on how Berry’s has benefited from personalised customer videos, view the short case study video at www.pecuvi.com/ berrys-case-study/ Hyper-personalised videos are also a great way of interacting with customers far beyond simply the direct sales opportunity. Luxury retailers like jewellers are also using video to:

Today’s shopper will gravitate towards jewellers that offer seamless and frictionless personalised experiences in store, online and across multiple devices at their convenience.

Leading personalised customer video provider and new NAJ member PECUVi is making its dedicated PECUVi Retail solution available to members, enabling them to enhance their existing customer experience.

gives us the opportunity to show off the amazing surroundings we have in our VIP room in Leeds, for example. Nowadays, you have to innovate and keep ahead of the pack, so if you retail luxury items, this is a great way of getting your brand (and products stocked) seen by customers in a professional and innovative way.”

• Promote sustainable materials, supply chain and packaging used as part of their ESG agenda • Get customers excited when their piece of jewellery is ready for collection or delivery videos to the automotive sector, working with Europe-wide dealerships, workshops, fast fits and part suppliers. Its Workshop video solution has increased workshop sales by 25 per cent, improved customer experience and allowed workshops to showcase their environment.

Throughout the first half of 2021, PECUVi was approached by several national retailers enquiring whether its existing video solutions could be adapted for use across the luxury retail sector. PECUVi partnered with leading jewellery and watch specialist, Berry’s, enabling them to create unexpected, unforgettable and truly immersive customer experiences.

Simon Oxby, group operations manager at Berry’s Jewellers commented: “As a luxury high-class jewellers, we’re all about personal service. The adoption of PECUVi Retail is a natural extension of our customer experience and a great tool to go above and beyond. Our customers want to see our products, know about them and buy them quickly! I see this video solution as the perfect way of selling diamonds and jewellery, showing customers how it looks on the hand, wrist or neck without them having to physically come in store. It offers the best of both worlds.

“The solution gives our customers complete confidence that they’re buying from a knowledgeable and reputable store, and

PECUVi Retail has all the features any jeweller would require, from the simple and intuitive self-serve user interface of the solution to the required customer interaction and calls to action. Each element was created with the jeweller and end customer in mind.

It’s all about convenience!

NAJ members can reserve a 14-day demo account and benefit from free setup and training support by visiting www.pecuvi. com/retail-sector/ clicking on the ‘Start your FREE trial NOW’ button and entering promo code NAJ21.

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Visual Merchandising

The Jeweller

HL Brown, Sheffield, Nason Foster Design

(the people behind the indispensable Lox earring backs and Connoisseurs jewellery care), it’s proving that piercing can be a win-win service. “It’s simple and painless to get into the business and a revenue stream that jewellers shouldn’t miss out on,” says Goodman Bros director Philip Goodman.

Ch. Dahlinger

John Pass Jewellers Newcastle under Lyme, Nason Foster Design

And while the space needed is minimal because the service is mobile, many happy retailers (such as Allum & Sidaway) are demonstrating that making a space for piercing is an opportunity to get creative.

“The whole process and service from Inverness has been exceptional. From implementation to the products, all have been seamless and easy to action in store,” says Luke from the team at Allum & Sidaway in Salisbury. “Since implementing Inverness, we’ve had well over 50 appointments, and during our peak seasons of the school holidays, we took around 20 appointments a week across all our stores. It has really

helped in driving footfall into the store and opening up new sale opportunities for the company.”

If taking retailing to a new level is on your mind, PECUVi provides the technology to enable jewellers to quickly create unforgettable, hyper personalised customer experiences through personalised customer videos, allowing jewellers to showcase their products and services in a more interactive and meaningful way. (Read more about PECUVi on page 39.)

One emerging element of merchandising is that retailers are more environmentally conscious of materials they’re using… “whether that be in their packaging, interior fabrics or jewellery POS,” says Robinson.

“There’s definitely a need to recycle where possible and to avoid using single-use plastics, vinyls and Perspex. Using UKbased manufacturers for display items has never been stronger due to the detail in delivery timescales from other countries.”

Cathie Osborne of Hatton & Spencer and Ch. Dahlinger packaging certainly agrees that sustainability considerations are key.

Ensuring consumer demand for ethical sourcing practices is acted upon, working sustainably is also an opportunity to build brand value, she believes. Ch. Dahlinger products are designed with environmental responsibility in mind, using, wherever possible, materials that are renewable and/ or recycled for both cases and boxes.

When buying packaging material, she suggests asking your supplier whether the materials (wood, card, paper, etc.) are renewable, easily recyclable and biodegradable. Look for FSC certification – the system is committed to sustainable forest management.

Winter 2021

Wakefields Jewellers refurbishment Even before the pandemic, co-owners of fourth-generation family jewellers, Wakefields in Horsham, Melanie and Dominic Wakefield, were working on a strategy to embrace digital retailing and thinking about how to elevate their in-store experience. When Rolex suggested expanding their space with them, they decided to invest in a full store refurbishment. They commissioned Greenwich-based retail design consultants Innovare Design to help them realise their vision. Their brief: to achieve a luxury boutique feel without losing the store’s warmth and charm. They wanted a high-end feel with a wow factor, and somewhere customers would feel relaxed enough to pop in for a coffee and a chat.

“We wanted the new store interior to celebrate Wakefields’ extensive heritage, professionalism and expertise, as well as their exceptional level of customer care,” says Innovare’s Rebecca Sharman. “The new layout had to accommodate a

Visual Merchandising larger Rolex showroom, and it needed more distinctive curated display zones and more relaxed customer consultation spaces.”

The interior design inspiration came from the existing 1930’s shopfront. The Art Deco styling balances with contemporary design elements, with key architectural features restored or replicated. Attention to detail is key – from the terrazzo entrance foyer to the refined bronze details on the bespoke display cabinets and the styling of mirrors and screens.

“Lighting also plays a critical role and is carefully layered from the window displays right through the store,” adds Sharman.

“It provides sparkle and highlight to the jewellery and watches and delivers a warm and welcoming atmosphere throughout.”

“We’re thrilled with the new store design,” says Melanie Wakefield. “It allows us to create a truly special and memorable experience for every one of our customers.”

Dominic Wakefield adds, “Despite the obvious pentup demand post-lockdown, the new store is definitely contributing to a significant uplift in trading.”

Goldsmiths unveils new look Canterbury store Goldsmiths, of the Watches of Switzerland Group, revealed its new luxury design concept in October. The updated concept of the showroom, in Whitefriars, Canterbury, has an increased focus on luxury watch brands through a relaxed, inclusive and experiential environment. The jewellery offering features FOPE, Gucci, Roberto Coin and Mappin & Webb.

Conceived in partnership with Quadrant Design, the store has light, uncluttered spaces in a monochrome palette of luxurious materials, such as white-washed oak timber, white terrazzo and blackened steel combined with architectural forms that include repeating vertical lines and soft curves inspired by the Goldsmiths’ logo.

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Visual Merchandising

Not letting the grass grow…

Describing projects that VM & Events has worked on recently, Robinson explains that both Laings and Lister Horsfall have grown their jewellery and watch offering over the past couple of months. “LH’s old Pandora store in Halifax has been beautifully transformed into a stylishly elegant jewellery showroom with an interior of white and gold, focusing solely on jewellery; each brand is displayed within its own cabinet to give a strong presence.

The exterior of the showroom very cleverly houses four gold cube-like cases that appear to float in the window – they’ve been a joy to work in. Laings Cardiff has undergone a huge expansion, not only in the size of its showroom, by taking the retail unit next door, but also its watch offering, with a new Rolex and Patek Philippe area.”

Lister Horsfall

Nason Foster is experiencing a businessas-usual spirit – and then some – among retailers. “In spite of the challenges of the past 18 months, we find our clients are keen to develop their businesses further,” says Coleman. “We’ve recently been fortunate to undertake the expansion of several existing retail stores to create larger areas for luxury brands and shop-in-shops. In these circumstances, it’s important for the retailer to retain their own image and fit hand-inhand with their brands in terms of finishes and quality to complete an overall luxurious feel. We’ve also designed and installed for a number of independent retail outlets, including new shopfronts augmenting previous interior remodelling and a full refurbishment of an established family business, coinciding with the installation of a larger shop-in-shop luxury brand.”

Without wishing to drag the ‘C’ word into the conversation, the events of the last year and a half have undoubtedly had an impact on store design. But for how long we wonder? “With the easing of restrictions and potentially the chance to return to a sense of normality, it appears the consensus is to make the most of the situation,” Coleman says.

"Our enquiries show there’s a desire to improve, to develop and consider modification; even if it’s only one thing in a store, it is a positive move forward. The public looks for change, for refinement, it encourages and lifts the spirit.”

Laings St David's, Cardiff, Exterior & Interior

since 1890

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Cleanse

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Member Profile

The Jeweller

What makes a strong, successful jewellery retail business? We think Sophie Jessop, director of Jessop Jewellers in Glenrothes, can supply some insights.

Standing out from the Crowd When did you join Jessop Jewellers, and what did you do before?

It was October 2019. I’ve always been in or close to the retail industry. After university I joined Abercrombie & Fitch where I completed their graduate scheme, focusing on store and operational management. After three years, I moved to the Fossil Group to look after their visual merchandising in multiples before leading operations and project management in Australia and New Zealand for three years. When I returned to Scotland in 2017, I became a shopper analyst, developing brand strategies using multiple sources of data, including loyalty

card data. Very interesting stuff! In my earlier roles, I looked to gain board position as my career end goal in the corporate world – little did I expect to inherit and run a business and be board level age 32!

Describe your progression through the business I joined Jessop Jewellers as the heat was dialling up ahead of Christmas; we saved a proper handover until that was out of the way. Then the coronavirus struck, and we entered nearly four months of lockdown, so the handover didn’t really come! Instead, I threw myself into developing our non-

bricks and mortar offering to maintain a revenue stream while the shop was closed.

I started with eBay. Our existing website wasn’t optimised and didn’t generate any sales, but I knew that optimisation would take time and expense. eBay was a quick and easy solution for generating instant revenue from our not-unsubstantial volume of older or discontinued branded stock, which our customers had seen on sale time and time again.

Soon after launching our eBay store, the eBay PR team identified us as a PR collaboration opportunity, and we featured in their Small Business Campaign on their Facebook page and MailOnline. We were

Member Profile

Winter 2021

thrilled to be shortlisted along with 32 other businesses for an eBay Small Business Award (the IRL to URL category), especially considering the many thousands of entrants.

The coverage boosted sales and generated organic content on other sites – it really boosted our eBay sales and traffic to our social and website, too.

stands out elegantly against this understated colour while also brightening up the store and making colour merchandising much easier. In the new year, we’ll change our teal carpet to a dark grey. To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we had a sophisticated, eyecatching shop-front installation completed

by Gill Segar of iCatcha Displays.

I also spent the months of lockdown getting to grips with optimising supplier contracts, negotiating overdue renewals, understanding our stock holding, stock movement, strategising stock optimisation to promote turn and reducing old lines!

We’ve generated lots of organic press coverage, too. I’m so thrilled to welcome new customers who remark “we didn’t even know you were here until we saw X or Y article.”

Another development is a significant shift in social media execution. Our Twelve Days of Christmas was a real win for us last year, generating thousands of interactions – more than local paid advertising could achieve.

We’ve moved away from paid advertising – we were struggling to get bang for buck, but we’ll review our options in 2022.

My husband, Chris, and I are both directors of Jessop Jewellers; his father, Paul, retired and passed the business to us in 2020. Paul joined in 1978 to allow his father to retire and ran the business in partnership with (now ex-) wife Elaine. I’ve been part of the Jessop family for 13 years, so Paul had seen my career grow and was confident that I had the skill set needed to take the business forwards at the coal face. Chris handles all our invoices, payments, wages, reconciliation as well as being a tech guru for The&Partnership agency.

What changes have you made since you started running the business?

There have been a few, including overhauling service suppliers with whom contracts had renewed without reviewing market options; discontinuing underperforming brands; investing into growth brands; offering customers a genuine Black Friday experience (to also drive sell through); upskilling the team to be cross functional and allocating clear roles and responsibilities.

Our windows and jewellery cases had been lined with teal water silk, so last autumn, we recovered them in a lovely neutral soft grey. Our stunning jewellery collection now

Prince Philip and Chris Jessop's grandfather George Jessop in Jessop Jewellers 1976

I’m now creating an always in stock fine jewellery collection – almost treating it like a brand. Core pieces will cover all bases, and more exciting one-off pieces will excite the customer who often browses and notices new.

Services are clearly very important to Jessop. Is everything done in-house?

Services are a significant proportion of our business. We complete all the basic repairs possible in-house, but our risk-averse landlord forbids the use any extreme heat or flame on the premises. Instead, local workshops with whom we have worked for decades do the vast majority of our repairs.

In our workshop we restring and do watch and jewellery repairs, buffing, engraving and basic ring sizing.

What sets Jessop Jewellers apart from other jewellers in the area?

We’re the independent jeweller of choice in our peninsula county of Fife – right in the heart of the county. Until the Forth Road Bridge was built in 1958, there was no direct road link between Fife and Edinburgh; Glenrothes was built in the ‘60s as a relocation town of new opportunities for many from Glasgow, and we opened in 1971.

The other jewellers in our county are very small, have a niche offering or are high street multiples.

We’re proud to stock the largest selection of diamond and gem set fine jewellery in Fife; we have relationships with some of the premier jewellery suppliers and manufacturers that date back to the business’s early years. We also stock global jewellery brands, including Pandora, Swarovski and Nomination, and Boss, Emporio Armani and Tissot watches among many others – all exclusive to us in Fife. We have a long and happy relationship with Ti Sento Milano, also exclusive to us, whose customers are some of the most brand loyal.

We formerly stocked Rolex plus other premium brands, but our local shoppers’ buying habits have changed over the decades, and we must embrace this to continue to succeed. When we noticed watch sales dropping 2017 to 2019, I discontinued the three brands that weren’t paying their way in space-to-sales ratios, and introduced BOSS watches and jewellery and Emporio Armani watches. I was initially sceptical about BOSS jewellery, but hot tip – it moves fast! Brands account for around a third of our retail jewellery sales.

What sets us apart? Offering what others cannot, continuous review, improvement and staff training, having one of the best teams in the business and our reputation for quality.

Tell us about the Jessop's team It’s incredible. The best. We’re a team of eight (two recent hires) and each (aside from the lovely newbies) has a business responsibility. While everyone is well trained and confident in talking to customers about watches, Anita, our repairs manager, looks after the watch department.

Liz, our incredible in-house jewellery designer, has been busier than ever this year with bespoke work. The majority involves reimagining old or inherited pieces and transforming them into one or multiple pieces that are more current/modern/ wearable, while maintaining the sentiment that the stones hold. We reuse sentimental gold in the process, too, where possible.

You have a very impressive, informative website!

Thank you! That means a lot and makes the late nights of coding, initial stock take and troubleshooting totally worthwhile!

Chris and I rebuilt our website earlier this year. We scoured some of the best jewellery websites, from UK to Australia, for inspiration and picked our favourite features, menu styles, info pages, best practice, etc. to bring it all together into what we think is a pretty great looking site.

It was a learning experience, but Shopify’s platform is so intuitive. Today, there’s a YouTube video to help with almost any problem – true for Shopify, too. When we started designing, building and launching our new site, it wasn’t with the intention to become the next e-com giant (though that would be nice!). A website, in my opinion, is one of the facets that forms a customer’s opinion of your business. A professional, slick, easy-to-navigate website, with all the information and stock holding, is likely to draw a customer back. We’re driving considerable web sales (from where we’ve been in the past), but our website acts as a showcase for our stock, our services and the experience that a customer can expect in store.

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Goldsmiths who love silver

Contact: judith@mesmericdistribution.com

NAJ News

Winter 2021

Gemstone treatments: are they a trick or do they work a treat?

Kerry Gregory of Gemmology Rocks has the answers.

How?

Trick Treat? or

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n my last feature for The Jeweller, I discussed the importance of knowledge and disclosure, and the prevalence of gemstones on the market being sold without either. Now we’re taking a closer look at just one facet (pun intended) of gemstones: treatments. Are they all bad?

Are they all tricks? To answer the question, we need to look fully, from a few angles, to gain all the information and test the subject – just like with any gemmology. In my opinion, like most of gemmology, it’s not a simple, yes or no, right or wrong, this or that, answer.

What?

To start at the beginning – what is a gemstone treatment? Quite simply, it is any process carried out on a gem material other than simple cutting, polishing or fashioning. Gemstone treatments are not a new or modern thing; as long as we’ve had gemstones, we’ve had gemstone treatments, ways in which we alter their appearance and properties. Gemstone treatments are well documented, in terms of what and how they were carried out, in historical texts 2,000 years ago. There are finds of treated gemstones from at least as early as 1300 BC. Dr. Kurt Nassau covers this subject wonderfully in his book Gemstone Enhancement (1984) and in a GIA article ‘The Early History of Gemstone Treatments’ of the same date, if you want to delve more into this fascinating subject.

Gem treatments today are still often very low tech

There are numerous gemstone treatments, and they vary hugely in complexity of process and identification. They range from crude and simple processes, like painting, coating, dying or foiling gemstones, to more complicated heating and filling processes, then more time- and resource-consuming processes, like diffusion or irradiation. Many modern treatments are still carried out the way they were thousands of years ago, for instance heating a gem in a ball of dung.

Many are complicated multi-stage processes involving a number of steps, pieces of equipment and additives. Understanding how gems form, the science behind colour and other properties helps gem treaters work out ways to create changes in the starting material. It’s also essential for any of us at the back end trying to identify treatments. Often the cruder or simpler the treatment, the easier it is to spot, and, conversely, complex and modern treatments often need complex and modern methods to identify them as well.

Why? Why are gemstones treated? There are several reasons – some good, some bad, in my opinion. Some gem treatments were discovered by accident; there are many

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The Jeweller

Did you know almost all blue topaz on the market is irradiated?

apocryphal stories about gems falling into fires or ovens, buildings burning down, stones or chemicals being mixed in containers used for treatments, cutting or repair, and other ‘accidents’ that caused gemstones to look different (usually better!) than they did before.

These accidents prompt a realisation that change can happen on purpose, too. Many treatments are a result of years of research, experiments and trial and error. A good friend of mine, a peridot dealer (a stone which is notoriously difficult to treat) is dreaming of the day someone comes up with a way to improve the material, because then he’ll be able to use and sell more of it, and for higher prices.

This is the crux; treatments primarily add value to a product. You wouldn’t spend time and money doing something to your product to devalue it – people seem to think treated gems are worth less than untreated gems. This is simply not true; effective treatments always add value to a product.

What is true is an untreated gemstone will be of higher value than a gemstone that looks the same but has to be treated to achieve that.

So, treatments are not necessarily designed to deceive, but absolutely, and throughout history, many treatments deceive a buyer into believing a stone is a better quality, more valuable or even different stone entirely, to make them more willing to part with considerably more money for this improved stone than they would have before the treatment. However, in reality, if it weren’t for gem treatments, we might not have any gemstones, and we certainly

wouldn’t have the range of colours, sizes and price points we can currently choose from.

Many common commercial gemstones are routinely and commonly treated. Almost always, ruby and sapphire are heated, emerald is filled, turquoise is stabilised and blue topaz is irradiated. This is to either improve colour, clarity or durability, and desirability of the gem – or all three. It’s often a simple case of economics. Most mines, regardless of mining technique, produce a range of material qualities.

Whether panned for in rivers or dug out of the ground, most gems are discarded as rock, dirt or gravel. Even that material that can be used for something, ordinarily a huge percentage will be used beyond the gemstone industry.

The vast majority of gem production will be low quality commercial material, with a small amount of good quality commercial material, a tiny amount of high-quality gems and a minute proportion of fine goods. Finding a way to use the low quality material means being able to afford to get out, use and sell the high quality stuff. It’s very uncommon that gems come from the ground in beautiful, highly saturated colours, with high clarity, unincluded and unfractured or fissured – those that do are incredibly desirable, valuable and rare.

The rest need a little help to look their best. Many humans enhance their natural features with make-up, dyes, clothes. We paint, wax, fill ourselves to look better and last longer! Similarly, we treat lots of natural products to make them prettier and more durable. Wool, cotton, leather, wood are regularly dyed, painted, waxed, impregnated

to change their colour and make them suitable for everyday functions and make them last longer. It makes sense, doesn’t it?

It also makes sense for gemstones – so why are people horrified by the thought?

So is it good or bad?

Whether a treatment is a good or a bad thing comes down to knowledge and disclosure. I think gemstone treatments are brilliant – they give us the opportunity to maximise these natural resources. They give an otherwise unsaleable allure and value, offering consumers choice and businesses more chances to thrive as long as everyone in the chain a) knows what they’ve got and b) tells each other openly and honestly what it is. As long as everyone has the choice and information they need to make a decision, i.e. they know what’s happened to their gemstone, and they’re OK with it, treatments are not bad. Only when this doesn’t happen is it bad.

What should you do?

As a professional, you have a responsibility to know what you’re buying and what you’re selling. That means keeping up to date with the market, with treatments, with identification – you cannot spot what you’re not looking for. You can manage this by buying from only known and trusted sources and having a robust chain and assurances from suppliers. You can manage this by ensuring you send everything you buy to a laboratory for checking – if you have the time and money – or testing everything in-house if you have the knowledge, skill, equipment and time.

Sometimes you can use a combination

NAJ News

Winter 2021

of these and spot check a percentage of purchases from each source.

In terms of disclosure, as an industry we follow CIBJO guidelines to discuss, define and disclose gemstones. The rule is all treatments must be disclosed.

You must tell your customer about all and any treatment on their gemstone.

How you are supposed to do that differs depending on the stone and treatment (see summary table). Some treatments require only ‘general disclosure’ – you just need to informally make the customer aware

of the treatment, in conversation, as part of a description or a footnote on an item, for example. This is usually for traditional treatments, like colourless waxing of jadeite, heating of corundum and other gems or oiling of emeralds.

The majority of treatments, however, need ‘specific disclosure,’ meaning in theory the treatment must form part of the description of the item, immediately preceding the gemstone name, be as conspicuous as the gemstone’s name and be in all descriptions and on sales paperwork for the item.

General Disclosure Treatments

In practice, this rarely happens. How many items do you see described as ‘irradiated blue topaz’ for instance, in windows, on websites or on sales receipts or invoices?

Don’t shoot the messenger, I don’t have all the answers to this because it is an incredibly complicated subject. What I do know is we all want to do our best, so we need to work to make this work!

In a future issue, I’ll outline the common treatments in the market, what to look out for and ways you might start to recognise these if you come across them.

Specific Disclosure Treatments

Requiring you to informally tell your customer about the treatment, e.g. in conversation, or as part of details about an item online

You must use the word treated or the treatment in conjunction with the gem name in every description and in any documentation about the item, e.g. “treated ruby” or “irradiated topaz”

Treatment

Description

Common examples

Treatment

Description

Common examples

Heating

Heat only without additives

ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, morganite, citrine, green quartz, amber, demantoid garnet, kunzite, tourmaline, tanzanite, zircon

Diamond treatment

Any treatment whatsoever on diamond must always be disclosed

Laser drilling, fracture filling, irradiation, HPHT

Surface waxing

Surface colourless waxing as part of the fashioning or finishing process

jadeite, malachite, coral, lapis lazuli, turquoise

Pearl treatment

Aside from bleaching all treatments on pearl must be disclosed

Heating, oiling, waxing, lustre enhancing, heavy working

Oiling

Oiling or fissure filling that does not change the colour

emerald, Paraiba tourmaline

Coating

Any substance as a layer over the outside or part of the outside of a gemstone

topaz, quartz

Bleaching

Use of chemicals to remove dirt, debris and dark patches

coral

Diffusion

Diffusion of outside chemical elements into a gemstone to enhance colour or optical effects

ruby, sapphire, green topaz

Dying

The use of dyes or other substances to alter the colour of a gemstone

coral, jadeite, lapis lazuli, opal, polycrystalline quartz

Filling

Using material to fill cavities, fractures or fissures in a gemstone

emerald, ruby, sapphire, Paraiba tourmaline

Impregnation

Permeate a substance throughout a porous material

coral, jadeite, opal, turquoise

Irradiation

Change of colour of a gemstone through bombardment with irradiation

blue topaz (almost always), morganite, heliodor, smoky quartz, other coloured quartz, kunzite, zircon

Irradiation e.g. blue topaz Coating e.g. “mystic” and other topaz Diffusion treatment e.g. beryllium treatment of sapphire Fracture filling e.g. diamond, ruby Impregnating e.g. turquoise, opal Dying e.g. jadeite, quartzite Coloured waxes e.g. corals

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NAJ News

Gold is caught between worries over inflation and expectations of reduced economic stimulus, explains David Brough.

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old prices are between a rock and a hard place. Bullion’s appeal as protection against inflation buoys the prices, but they are under pressure from expectations that monetary authorities will soon reduce stimulus packages implemented to support economies during the pandemic.

Gold prices fell in mid-October after surprisingly positive United States September retail sales data, which boosted share prices and fed sentiment that interest rates would rise again from rock bottom levels sooner than previously thought.

At the time of going to press, bitcoin as well as shares had jumped, reducing the appeal of gold as an alternative asset class. Spot gold was down 1.5 per cent to $1,768.38 per ounce on 15th October.

However, gold prices lifted in reaction to nagging inflationary fears around the world, including in the UK, as supply chain shortages dragged on economic growth.

An increase in consumer prices in the

The Jeweller

United States, the world’s biggest economy, also supported gold prices, but figures on 14th October showed US producer prices posted their smallest gain in nine months in September.

US consumer inflation rose solidly in September, driven by increases in prices of food, rent and other goods, according to data on 13th October.

“The higher inflation is allowed to rise, the ever-greater the loss of buying power of the domestic currency,” wrote Lawrie Williams, gold price commentator with London bullion dealer Sharps Pixley.

“This will, in turn, lead those looking to protect whatever wealth they may have to turn to tried and tested safe havens like gold.”

Jeff Christian of New York-based precious metals consultancy CPM Group said that while gold was a protection against what he called “catastrophic” inflation, it did not react in lockstep to gnawing inflationary trends, up one or two per cent, and so on.

While gold is seen as an inflation hedge, reduced monetary stimulus – including expectations that US interest rate rises may come earlier than previously expected – pushed government bond yields higher in mid-October, raising the opportunity cost of holding bullion, which bears no yield.

Some analysts believe gold is undervalued

because US monetary authorities have been signalling that inflationary pressures are transitory. Evidence of more prolonged ongoing price pressures may spur more gold buying. Some analysts are sceptical that inflation will be short-lived.

Currency impact The pound hit a two-week peak in midOctober, underpinned by receding fears of a trade war between the European Union and the UK, and on growing sentiment that the Bank of England could move to raise interest rates from their current historic lows earlier than previously thought, possibly as soon as this year.

Previously, many analysts had predicted the UK central bank would not raise rates before late next year at the earliest.

A firmer pound makes purchases of dollardenominated gold cheaper to UK-based gold jewellery manufacturers.

Currency markets are focusing on whether expectations of a possible UK rate hike later this year are premature, with some analysts sensing it may still be too soon to risk destabilising the economic recovery as pandemic restrictions ease.

If trade tensions between the UK and EU do pick up again, further gains by sterling against the dollar may be limited.

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n September, just ahead of the CIBJO Congress, the CIBJO Precious Metals Commission, headed by Huw Daniel, released its Special Report, which reviews the year in the gold, platinum, palladium and silver markets and looks at how they fared in a world economy in the shadow of a pandemic.

In general, all four precious metal markets experienced robust sales, with prices rebounding from their lows during the disruptive turmoil of 2020. “In many ways, the pandemic has simply accentuated the roles these metals have always played in providing a safe haven to investors,” Mr. Daniel wrote.

A clear factor in creating robust market conditions was the strong recovery in jewellery demand, innovation in the development of new products and the savvy use of social media marketing.

To see the report, visit www.cibjo.org/congress2021/specialreports/

Advertorial

Amore experiences a modern-day Gold Rush Founder and designer of Amore, Barry Mislin, celebrates a welcome rise in the popularity of the yellow precious metal.

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old rushes were typically marked by a buoyant free-for-all feeling and while I can’t quite claim chaos, I really haven’t experienced anything like this for 30 years. Amore traditionally supplies the middle price sector to independent jewellers and thankfully we’ve seen a renewed appetite for gold jewellery.

The Amore sales team covers all UK and Ireland – all face-to-face meetings save a couple of successful Zoom calls, and we’ve experienced an incredible four-month trading period since going back out on the road. The success could be due to a combination of factors creating the perfect storm.

We’ve seen many stores move away from fashion silver brands and reinvest in gold jewellery. Consumers have money in their pockets, fuelling the emotional aspect of a purchase, and this has been heightened by the pandemic. Most importantly, Amore has continued to invest in its gold offering over the past few years, when many other suppliers

moved away from jewellery to engagement and wedding rings instead.

These factors coming together, plus our beautiful collection fitting the retailers’ requirements for unique, modern jewellery, has created the perfect opportunity for us to enhance the partnerships we have with so many independents and allowed us to open many new accounts with more upmarket retailers on the eternal search for something different.

Amore is a family run jewellery company established 22 years ago with the sole intention to inspire independents so they could stand apart from their multiple competitors with innovative, modern designs. We’ve been recognised for unique designing, quality of product, together with a friendly sales team and back office offering traditional, old-fashioned service.

The sales team hear such amazing feedback from retailers who say, “why haven’t I dealt with you before?” They love the essence of Amore and the exacting standards we strive to achieve.

Amore’s passion and expression of design has deepened over the years and our partners’ desire for innovation has given us the belief we’re on the right path. When we sit down with the buyer, they love the Amore ethos of in-house design creating pieces with a difference, total flexibility, quality and style… but above all very saleable jewellery.

My inspiration comes from nature and past creations. I love to take these ideas, tweak them, give them the Amore modern twist to update them and produce jewellery that evokes joy and happiness, and I hope that the consumer will love to wear them and experience the same passion I created them with.

The flexibility of the gold collection comes with over 4,000 options all available to order in 9 or 18ct, yellow, white or rose gold and numerous diamond and gemstone combinations. Suites are popular and we offer matching earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets and bangles with RRP price points £75 to £2,000.

While some silver brands are disappearing, that isn’t the case for Amore Argento - Love Silver. I established the brand eight years ago and we have over 200 stockists. I believe its continued success is because it’s not a fashion brand with a short shelf life, and it offers the perfect alternative to a similar expensive piece in gold.

The inspiration to create Amore Argento came from many decades of in-house designing of gold jewellery and realising that I wanted to produce a collection of ‘timeless classic’ silver jewellery with quality, luxury and affordability at the heart of each design.

Simply, I have a passion for vibrant coloured gemstones and creating contemporary silver jewellery that people love to wear. Amore Argento can be displayed with powerful point of sale and comes with striking packaging, and we offer training support for staff, quality imagery and help with web and media.

New lines are created and integrated every year to enhance the collections of earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets and bangles. The introduction of larimar, malachite and jade this year have been very popular as they have distinctive properties and powers.

Amore Argento is the go-to brand for consumers who love wearing distinctively modern gem set quality silver jewellery.

Our versatile and gorgeous collection of birthstone jewellery is also the perfect gift for all life’s amazing moments, with prices between £25 and £350.

Every piece of silver jewellery comes presented in the striking Amore boxes and gift packaging, with a branded heart-shaped polishing cloth and care card.

To discuss becoming a stockist call 01923 777577 To register for the trade website, visit www.amorehearts.co.uk

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Take Your Time 1 HAMILTON

4 NOMOS Glashütte

Hamilton watches is collaborating with costume designer Janie Bryant on a capsule collection with Hollywood style.

Acclaimed for her work tailoring characters in Mad Men, Deadwood and Why Women Kill, Bryant has brought her attention to detail and love of research, authenticity and innovation to transform three iconic Hamilton models.

The Autobahn watch is now available in new limited editions: A3, A7, A9 – named after major German motorways. With three new colours and a new bracelet, the piece is designer Werner Aisslinger’s Director’s Cut and marks 175 years of Glashütte watchmaking heritage. The three colours – A3 in white-orange red, A7 in blue-yellow and A9 in black-grey – are more eye-catching than existing versions and reminiscent of the vehicles on German streets in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

2 ACCURIST This timepiece – the Ladies Signature Watch – features a two-tone stainless steel and gold-plated case with sapphire crystal glass housing a silver-coloured sunray diamond set dial and a date display.

Finished with a matching two-tone bracelet, the watch has water resistance to 30 meters.

The Gents Signature Watch has a dark blue sunray dial, solid stainless steel bracelet and 100m water resistance.

3 EMILE CHOURIET The Challenger Deep collection of diver’s watches pays tribute to Swiss explorer Jacques Picard and US Navy Capt. Don Wash’s historical expedition and their spirit of discovery. The latest model has a graduated green dial with Super-LumiNova® hands and markers. The stainless steel unidirectional rotating bezel with a black ceramic insert is scratch-resistant and will withstand extreme fluctuations of temperature and pressure.

5 MICHEL HERBELIN Drawing on 1950’s styling in its strap, the feminine new model in Michel Herbelin’s Octogône collection, combines the herringbone mesh with a minimally elegant dial for a vintage-meets-modern feel. The faceted design of the sapphire crystal creates the illusion of gadroons on the case’s flange, which mirrors the gadrooned crown with its onyx cabochon finish.

6 JUNGHANS The limited edition Meister Gangreserve features an index-style, colour-coded indicator on the dial – a well-defined, discreet way to show the amount of power available to the movement. The watch comes in three designs: the stainless steel model has a silverplated dial and metal bracelet exclusive to the Meister line. The two leather strap versions combine a warm gold hue with light brown or midnight blue and cognac.

7 ZEPPELIN The Zeppelin 100 Year 8680-5 chronograph has a deep-green dial in a satin-finish stainless steel case featuring the typical Zeppelin shape on the edge. The 42mm watch has a quartz-controlled, six-jewel Ronda movement, a 12-hours totaliser alarm and is water-resistant up to five ATM.

8 PANERAI Piccolo Due is Panerai’s first watch for women and it has two new versions.

PAM01247 and PAM01248 are both in 38mm polished steel cases that feature Panerai’s patented crown safety lock device. The 01247 has a deep anthracite coloured dial on a polished black alligator strap, while the 01248 dial is ivory coloured and the strap, polished red alligator.

9 TIMEX This AW21, Timex Watches has introduced a chocolate-brown version of the M79 40mm Automatic with its stainless steel mesh bracelet. Inspired by the aesthetics of the 1970s and elevated with a 21-jewel mechanical movement, this watch is a fresh interpretation of a Timex icon. With its 40-hour power reserve, it can be wound manually via the crown and features a unidirectional bezel, luminous dial markings and exhibition case back.

10 AVI-8 WWll hero Eric ‘Sawn Off’ Lock, the highest scoring British-born RAF pilot in the Battle of Britain, is the inspiration behind AVI-8’s Spitfire Lock Chronograph. The 42mm watch has a clean, symmetrical and highly legible twin-register dial layout – like the details of the Spitfire's cockpit gauges and a leather vintage pilot-style strap. The case echoes the Spitfire's famous curved shape, with custom flowing pushers. Micro detailing on the case sides mimic the aircraft’s panels.

The Japanese meca-quartz movement has a 1/5 split second readout with fly-back chronograph function.

11 CARL F. BUCHERER Bucherer and Geneva-based maker of writing and drawing instruments Caran d’Ache have collaborated on a luxury watch and writing instrument set. Signature Moments comprises a limited edition, sporty chic Manero Flyback Signature watch and Signature rollerball pen, presented together in a travel pouch made of eco-friendly material, delivered in a wooden box. The watch, with its colourful markers, comes with two NATO straps.

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12 VACHERON CONSTANTINE

17 BULOVA

20 ROTARY

Vacheron Constantine’s sportier collection welcomes two new variations: Overseas chronograph Everest and dual time Everest, both with in-house movements. Inspired by the prototype worn by American explorer/ photographer Cory Richards during his ascent of Mount Everest in 2019, the watches have titanium and stainless steel cases, with a six-sided bezel evoking the Maltese Cross.

Each comes with an interchangeable strap.

Bulova’s archive series is a version of the historic rare watch developed for the US Navy experimental diving unit in the 1950s. Featuring a 41mm sandblasted stainless steel case, the new Bulova MilShips watch has a distinctive black dial accented with Super LumiNova® luminous hands and markers and tapered lugs. A non-limited version features a blue NATO strap, a Miyota 82S0 movement and, true to the original, a moisture indicator strip on the dial.

Launched in early 2021 as a premium sports watch with a twist, the Rotary Regent features a choice of dials, leather straps and bracelets, all of which complement the faceted case. For AW21, the Regent family sees additions to its existing design, along with the unveiling of two ladies’ watches for diversity in size and new colours – such as this forest green gloss dial – as well as skeleton models in silvercoloured or gold PVD stainless steel.

18 EDOX

The Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is Frederique Constant’s flagship collection. It couples modernity with time-honoured complications, plus ‘the most complex mechanical calendar ever invented.’ In 18ct rose gold or steel, the bold 41mm piece offers optimum readability – the complications are in four sections, arranged horizontally in order of usefulness. For both versions, blue is the dominant colour, while the face without a dial gives a view of the inner workings.

13 TISSOT Following the success of its PRX 20 405, Tissot is raising the game of its elegant sports model with the integrated bracelet.

With its embossed, chequered dial and highperformance automatic movement, the PRX Powermatic 80, like its predecessor, reflects the style of the ‘70s. The dials are available in three colours: black, silver and blue. The black and blue versions are all steel; the silver dial features bezel, hands, indexes and date window in rose-gold PVD treated.

14 STERNGLAS The Taiga GMTNato is a functional watch modelled on classic field watches. With an additional time zone and extra legible large digits, it has perfect functionality for frequent travellers. With 10 ATM water resistance and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, its robustness makes it ideally suited for outdoor activities. The anthracite dial has been cast into its shape, giving it a rough textured finish, complementing the sandblasted case.

Edox is the exclusive Official Timing Partner of BMW M Motorsport, to include engagements in the BMW Junior Team, the BMW M2 Cup and GT3 highlight – the 24h race at the Nürburgring. BMW drivers will wear Edox Chronorally chronographs in titanium, steel and carbon. Edox Chronorally watches, with their start and stop pusher, are hand-assembled in Les Genevez, Switzerland.

21 FREDERIQUE CONSTANT

22 CZAPEK & CIE

19 CITIZEN The latest Eco-Drive Diver 200m models, in black, green and blue, echo the look and feel of 1982’s Professional Diver. The case with its rugged rotating bezel with deep indentations gives the watch a strong, distinctive look and has the same sandblast finish as the original for a tactile feel. Super Titanium™ coated with Duratect MRK on the case gives a greater strength.

Geneva-based Czapek supported Only Watch for the third time (6th November). Organised biennially under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco, Only Watch is a charity auction entirely devoted to research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Since 2005, it has raised more than €70m. This year, Czapek donated the unique Antarctique Rattrapante Sunrise, a split-second monopusher chronograph, unveiled at the charity event.

15 HUBLOT In 2016, Hublot formed a partnership with Italian men’s shoemaker Berluti to unveil the Big Bang Unico watch. The new Big Bang Unico Berluti Aluminio leverages this shared know-how for an understated, elegant monochrome timepiece for collectors and connoisseurs, limited to 100 copies. Patinated Venezia leather is at the centre of the polished titanium bezel, as well as on the dial, held between two pieces of sapphire glass.

16 FESTINA This chronograph with date is one of a number of new models for 2021 from Festina. With a stainless steel case and bracelet, the 45mm watch has a black and gold PVD finish and hardened mineral glass. This model is also available in deep blue with gold detail. Other chronographs in the range feature white, green or sky blue dials, and models F20561 and F20542 offer leather straps.

AND IN THE NEWS:

Forty watchmaking houses to exhibit at Watches and Wonders, Geneva in 2022 After two entirely digital editions, the key watchmaking industry event will take place in Geneva both in a physical format – in the halls of Palexpo – and digitally at watchesandwonders.com. Nearly 40 watch and jewellery brands will gather over seven days at this watchmaking summit for the first time, from 30th March to 5th April 2022.

More than a trade show, this event will bring together key industry players, with the arrival of new brands such as Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith from the LVMH Group, Grand Seiko, Oris and the jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, who is returning to the Salon. Reputed brands such as Chanel, Chopard, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Tudor will also be exhibiting for the first time in Geneva. Not to mention other major maisons, such as Cartier, Hermès, Piaget, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin and Vacheron Constantin, who have been regulars for many years.

Everything is organised to ensure visitors onsite in Geneva and virtual Watches and Wonders platform participants can follow product presentations, new product launches, keynotes, panel discussions and conferences. All the content will be available online, live or in replay.

Watch News

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NAJ News

The Jeweller

The Effectiveness of Marketing JBN facilitator Michael Donaldson on why your marketing needs to deliver a return on investment.

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ow did Wongs Jewellers discover they were top of the social media performance charts? Polly Barnfield, the CEO of Maybe*, answered the question during an interactive session at this September’s JBN Congress.

Maybe* collects the social media data from 3.9m UK businesses every day and uses AI to turn the data into information that helps local businesses use social media to deliver sales and strengthen customer loyalty.

Unbeknown to the attendees in the room, Polly had run their available data through her machine and created a ‘best performers’ ranking.

According to McKinsey (June 2021) 78 per cent of CEOs are now banking on marketing leaders to drive growth, as more and more company results suggest those companies who continued to invest in marketing throughout the pandemic performed better than those who didn’t.

As we went into lockdown, a lot of companies responded as they always respond to market downturns: they cut what they (mistakenly) perceive as discretionary spend. They cut their marketing campaigns, cut their marketing staff and now they’re wondering where their growth is going to come from. They see marketing as the golden ticket or their get-out-of-jail-free card.

Yet, they not only face challenges with staff shortages and rising salaries and campaign costs, they’re also facing increased competition from new players, new brands and new play books.

Leaders of all businesses – large and small – will be looking for less risk and greater certainty on their marketing spend, and with the acceleration of e-commerce during lockdown, there’s so much data available

significant purchase (value specified) from us?” The answer told them they could not turn their marketing activity on and off, and they had to have a consistent and enticing presence in their sector. The answer to the other three questions told them the best channels through which to engage with their customers. They now have an annual A4, one-sided marketing calendar with activity by channel, by customer segment, by spend and by expected return. As the meerkats say:“Simples!”

“While broad reach, powerful, resonant storytelling, and creativity remain critical, marketers now need to utilize data and analytics at scale to crack the code that enables more targeted and engaging interactions to shape consumer behavior.”

McKinsey You can work on your story telling, your creativity and on your channel content but simply put – there’s no longer an excuse for not knowing the effectiveness of your marketing.

that today’s marketers can no longer wing it with Lord Leverhulme’s century old quote: "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, the trouble is I don’t know which half.”

I shared a boardroom for many years with a financial director whose pet phrase used to be “the only guarantee with the marketing plan is the cost.” They now embrace digital marketing. Why? Because it gives them less risk and greater certainty. The e-commerce data enables them to forecast with greater accuracy than ever before the additional sales for every marketing pound spent – and the FD loves it… who wouldn’t!

As an SME, you may not have a team of marketers, you may not have a transactional website, you certainly don’t have masses of data and your marketing budget was cut.

But you are no different to the 78 per cent of CEOs who want to drive growth and maximise the return on investment. But are you looking to marketing to drive that growth for you?

The marketing principles of the BIG companies (if not the big budgets) can be applied by our SMEs – if their leaders have a mind to, and it doesn’t have to be that technical and certainly not that complicated.

Here’s a story shared by a JBN member, who at the time had no e-commerce presence and a limited marketing budget that they regarded then, as they do now, as a vital spend not a discretionary spend.

However, they weren’t sure how effective it was – they were having a Lord Leverhulme moment.

So, they contacted their customers with a four-question survey; the fourth question was “How often do you expect to make a

For an annual subscription of £1,000+VAT, you and your business will benefit from the shared knowledge, experience and expertise of the JBN via: • Monthly Performance Reports - enabling you to benchmark your business against other retail jewellers • WhatsApp Market Group – for finding, buying and selling products and services.

• Online Q&A Forum – whether you have a business issue or just seek guidance. You ask the question and the members answer • Educational Store Visits – see and hear what other jewellers are doing • Regional Group Meetings – to discuss the issues and opportunities you face, as well as develop new business skills • New Flash Service – receive relevant business and industry articles straight to your inbox • Member Business Surveys – on topics identified by the members • Plus – influence and shape the content of the Annual Retail Jewellers’ Congress For further information Visit naj.co.uk/JBN Email michael@thevalueinnovator.co.uk Call Michael Donaldson on 07817 305 122

Find a Jeweller is your NAJ shop window Keep your profile up-to-date and show the world what your business is all about. naj.co.uk/find

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SecurityWise

The Jeweller

protection. Laminated glass is made of an interlayer, usually plastic polyvinyl butyral (PVB), between two sheets of either toughened or plate glass.

Laminated Safety Glass Laminated safety glass gives enhanced safety, but it offers only limited additional security protection. It usually has a PVB interlayer of 0.8mm in thickness, designed to hold the glass together when broken. It is available in several thicknesses, 6.8mm, 8.8mm and 10.8mm or above.

Preventing crime… it’s like a game of whack a mole Lee Wallace of TH March advises that installing the most secure glazing in your store is one way of beating the mole.

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pgrading security can be a frustrating business. No sooner has a mole been whacked (one area of security been improved), than another mole pops up (another area of vulnerability exploited by the criminals).

This means constantly anticipating the mole’s next move and being prepared for when it appears.

An area often overlooked A regularly overlooked area – until after an event – is window and display-case glazing.

It’s often left until there’s a smash and grab, a shop refit or other damage to glazing for the glass to be upgraded. Glazing includes regular plate glass, toughened glass and laminated glass. It’s not always easy to decide which is right for the safety and security of your business.

Plate Glass Plate glass is a single sheet of glass. It can break extremely easily, leaving large, sharp glass either stuck in the frame or knocked out. As it is both insecure and dangerous, avoid using it in display windows or cases.

Toughened Glass Also known as tempered glass, toughened glass is up to five times stronger than plate glass. It is made by heating regular glass to 650°C then cooling it very quickly. Not only does this treatment make the glass stronger, it is also safer. When it breaks, thousands of blunter, small pieces, greatly reduce the risk of injury.

Although safer, toughened glass is not very secure – despite its strength, it is still relatively easy to smash with a sledgehammer or axe, and when it does break it, the whole pane breaks. Ideally, only use this glass to display low-value items.

Laminated Glass Here, things start to get a bit complicated.

There are several types of laminated glass, all of which give a different level of security

The plastic interlayer holds the broken pieces in place, making it safer, and it provides a little more security than toughened glass: 6.8mm laminated safety glass is more secure than 10mm or higher toughened glass. If a sledgehammer hits toughened glass, the whole pane will disintegrate into thousands of pieces, giving free access to items behind.

The same hammer will only make smaller holes in laminated safety glass.

Laminated Security Glass Sometimes called anti-bandit glass, this is the most common type of security glazing used by retail jewellers. The difference between laminated security and laminated safety glass is that, unlike the 0.8mm of PVB interlayer safety glass, laminated security glass typically has 1.5mm of PVB interlayer.

The 1.5mm plastic interlayer gives enhanced protection, so it takes many more blows from a hammer or axe to penetrate the glass. However, it can still be breached in a relatively short space of time. Due to the thicker interlayer, 7.5mm laminated security glass is significantly stronger than 8.8mm or even 10.8mm laminated safety glass.

While this glass offers enhanced security protection, do not display very high-value jewellery behind it. Valuable or attractive single items, such as luxury watches, are easy for a criminal to grab by just making a small hole in the glass.

Laminated glass with polycarbonate interlayer (PolyC) is significantly stronger than that with just a PVB interlayer in. It is almost impenetrable by a sledgehammer or even a fire axe. Therefore, this is the best type of glass for very high-value window displays and target goods, such as prestige watches.

Don’t wait for the mole Plan to improve your main shop window display with appropriate glass and as much of your property as possible. Upgrading the main window will prevent the mole from striking there, but they are just as likely to venture inside the shop to attack vulnerable windows, back doors and internal show cases, which are often only glazed with toughened glass.

NAJ News

Winter 2021

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Supported by the Natural Diamond Council, the Leopard Awards, held in the Livery Hall of the Goldsmiths’ Hall on 2nd November, was a glittering celebration of jewellery in aid of the Prince’s Trust.

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The 2021 Leopard Awards 5

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2. Emerald Fennell and the winners of the 2021 Leopards Mentorship Award 3. Daphne Guinness 4. Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia Spencer 5. Nick Cave and Susie Cave 6. William Boyd MBE and Geoffrey Munn OBE 7. Nicola Adams OBE

he Leopard Awards is an initiative of the London Leopards – jewellers Solange Azagury-Partridge, Theo Fennell, Shaun Leane, Stephen Webster, Carol Woolton of British Vogue and industry veteran Susan Farmer.

Established in 2017, the awards “celebrate the wonder and desire that jewellery, diamonds and beyond, inspire in film, fashion and art,” while also raising funds for the Prince's Trust. The collective ambition of the London Leopards is “to preserve the expertise, innovation and design excellence established over the past seven centuries and to identify, nurture and promote new and exciting talent, critical to its future.”

The ceremony, which began with a video address from HRH The Prince of Wales,

was presided over by comedian, actor and screenwriter Ronni Ancona, who entertained the beautifully bejewelled crowd before introducing each of the four awards. The Leopard Award for Jewellery in Culture & Heritage went to Geoffrey Munn, OBE (presented by novelist William Boyd CBE); Jewellery in Sport, Nicola Adams, OBE (presented by British actor Harrison Osterfield); Jewellery in Fashion, Susie Cave, founder of The Vampire’s Wife, (presented by Bella Freud, British fashion designer) and Lifetime Achievement bestowed upon internationally renowned veteran fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, OBE; Suzy Menkes, OBE and presented by Daphne Guinness, winner of the Jewellery in Fashion 2017 award.

Also announced, by actress and writer Emerald Fennell, were the five winners of the Leopards Prince's Trust Mentorship Programme Design Competition 2021. The young budding jewellery designers – Megan Brown, Emma Quinn, Claire Skelton, Noi McMillan, Jessica Arawitese – will have the opportunity to train in the workshops and studios of the London Leopards. The brief was to design a piece of jewellery inspired

by London architecture. Their designs and work were displayed in the Exhibition Room at Goldsmith’s Hall during the ceremony.

Attending the Leopards Awards were leading figures from the worlds of jewellery, art, fashion, music and film, including Lady Kitty and Lady Amelia Spencer, Nicola Adams, OBE, Olga Kurylenko, Dougray Scott, Susie and Nick Cave, Jasmine le Bon, Daphne Guinness, Kathy Lette, Munroe Bergdorf, Sabine Getty, Sophie Hermann, Lady Lola Bute, Jazzy de Lisser, Kesewa Aboah and Geoffrey Munn.

(Images by Dave Bennett and Richard Young)

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Member Profile

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The Jeweller

Allemano – a marriage of style and precision

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DAY brushed

his is a story that marries the automotive world with that of luxury watches. It’s about a love of precision, mechanical excellence and aesthetics. It concerns an Italian family business with impeccable heritage, and, more recently, two men who could see the UK market was ready to be inspired by their vision of a watch brand with a unique difference.

measuring instruments have been on board everything that moves! Finally, after so many years in the mechanical industry – with just field technicians knowing their name – Allemano felt the time was right to make their product more visible. Today, their instruments have moved from the dashboard to the wrist and the inspiration for the watch collection comes, naturally, from the Fiat 501 Torpedo pressure gauge.

The Misaratori del Tempo collection by Allemano was born in 2019, a move that celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the Turin-based company installing the pressure gauge in the Fiat 501 Torpedo.

From the 1950s onwards, Allemano’s

Mike Cantelo describes how (and why) he and his business partner, Tim Rapley, entered this picture: “Tim and I are both ex-high-end niche automotive engineers.

Tim spent many years with McLaren in F1 – with time in Japan and Australia, and

At the NAJ Summit Suppliers' Showcase this September, one exhibitor in particular attracted plenty of attention, for the product, yes, but also for the fascinating back story.

To learn more we spoke to UK distributor Mike Cantelo of Chrono Emotions.

then joined the Special Vehicle Operations division before setting up his own business in 2005, carrying out precision contactless 3D measurement.

“We met when Tim came to Aston Martin where I was the production launch manager and plant manager for the Aston Martin Vanquish, from 2000 to 2007. We struck up a friendship, which has endured ever since. After he sold his business in 2019, Tim and I have been seeking opportunities to do business together. We chanced upon Allemano, and it immediately attracted us due to our love of all things precision, mechanical and aesthetic.

Winter 2021

Member Profile

A brief history of Italian precision 1856 The origins: Founded by Guiseppe Allemano, the Turin factory manufactured steam-powered road rollers used in road construction.

1919 Guiseppe leaves the company to son Felice, who harnesses his knowledge of and experience in steam and steam-engine control and sees the future lies in the manufacture of pressure gauges and thermometers as measuring instruments. Allemano’s measuring instruments are installed on ships, aeroplanes, submarines and early Italian cars… among the first is the Fiat 501.

1929 Fast growth leads Felice to let his sons take over the organisation, and production intensifies on the manufacture of pressure gauges, thermometers and dynamometers.

1950 Allemano manufactures a full range of measuring instruments for aviation – such as pressure gauges for fuel and oil control, as well as for trains and ships.

For automobiles, without the need to monitor pressure on board, Allemano’s pressure gauges are now installed only on racing cars, like the world champion Lancia D50.

“I had lived and worked in La Chaux de Fonds in the Jura mountains in Switzerland, long before getting into the automotive world, and also in Germany and France.

Allemano was the perfect product and timing for us. It suited our continued passion and connection with the world of high-end exclusive classic motoring. So, we founded Chrono Emotions in May 2021, just 10 weeks after initial discussions with Allemano.”

The current 1919 Collection is an automotive-inspired timepiece available in three models: DAY, GMT and MAN (with prices ranging from around £1,600 to £3,400). The cases are 316L stainless steel in polished, sand-blasted or brushed finish, and the watch has sapphire crystal cases front and back and is 5 ATM water resistant. The DAY and GMT models use Sellita automatic movements, and the MAN, an ETA manual movement. The Italian leather straps have a matching steel buckle in line with the finish of the case, and an interchangeable butterfly clasp. Later this year, the team will unveil a Diver’s watch, too. Aesthetics, precision and quality are given equal importance, in keeping with the heritage of Allemano. As Cantelo explains, with Made in Italy at its core, the company ethos is about quality and design, its commitment to customers “starting with the design and ending with satisfaction.”

The all-important attention to detail carries through to brand packaging and point of sale material: the watch box and packaging and point of sale units are manufactured in a local artisan workshop using timber from the local area. High-quality imagery is available from Allemano for digital media/ websites and a hard-cover brochure, which describes the history as well as the watches themselves, is available. Completing the picture, the brand also offers a range of clothing and leather weekend bags – we are talking Italian style, after all.

1960 Allemano expands its production to encompass industry, its precision instruments being used on presses, industrial machines and in chemical and petrol plants.

1980 Another sector arrives: underwater instruments, such as hyperbaric chambers, depth gauges and decompression gauges, Allemano takes over the SOS brand. The arrival of digital depth gauges – less precise but much cheaper – in the mid ‘80s, means that this achievement is short lived.

2010 Having ridden out the harsh socio-economic environment of the 1990s, the Allemano Laboratory opens. It is equipped for Accredia calibrations and calibration services for equipment that measures such things as length, shape, force, pressure, hardness, torque, angle and level, volume, temperature and electrical quantities.

2019 After so many years in the mechanical industry, Allemano realises the desire to re-establish the visibility of its products outside of it and become directly in contact with people. Allemano timepieces are born.

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Advertorial

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SCI Jenna and Shelley at the computer

The Jeweller

verification technology to underpin its Chain of Custody requirement.

SCI is providing the scientific provenance verification component, with its proprietary TSW Trace® technology, which will form an essential part of the requirement for certification.

According to Stanley Mathuram, Executive Vice-President of SCS Global Services, most diamonds sold today do not come with thirdparty proof of origin. “Our standard utilises SCI's scientific provenance verification techniques and chemical profiling to document a natural diamond’s, or lab-grown diamond’s, mine or lab of origin.”

Diamond samples mounted at the SCI lab and ready for laser ablation

Perth based sci-tech company Source Certain International has announced that it will provide critical technology in new global certification for ethical and sustainable diamonds.

SCI’s technology analyses the naturally occurring chemical and trace metal markers present in natural and lab-grown diamonds which allows the provenance of diamonds to be verified down to a mine or lab level.

Dr John Watling, Chief Scientist, of SCI said, “Everything we need to know about a diamond’s origin is already present in it.

We study the unique relationships between selected trace and ultra-trace elements to establish a ‘fingerprint’ used to identify the trace elemental signature unique

complex and requires specialist knowledge, but we believe we can now confidently provide scientific validation of diamond origin on a commercial scale,” Watling said.

The inclusion of SCI and its technology within the certification gives consumers the confidence diamonds carrying the certification are ethical, sustainably sourced and produced, and that those consumers are not inadvertently purchasing a conflict diamond.

Mathuram said, “Customers should demand that their diamond’s provenance is independently verified with empirical evidence detailing its mine or lab of origin, country and date of extraction.”

Cameron Scadding, Co-Founder and Managing director of SCI said, “What SCS has done has coupled the science of provenance verification to connect brands and end consumers to the promises of the certification. It does not matter the sector – finding ways to mediate transparency in supply chains is now essential.”

“Seeing companies achieve certifications backed with scientific technology tells us they are measuring themselves to the highest of standards, far surpassing those

Critical technology is now available for new global diamond certification

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ased in Perth, Australia, Source Certain International (SCI) has partnered with SCS Global Services to provide the company’s provenance verification technology for SCS’s newly formed Global Services Certification Standard for Sustainable Diamonds (SCS-007).

The standard establishes a leading benchmark of sustainable accountability, transparency and provenance assurance for the gemstone diamond industry, and is the first unified framework for assessing natural and laboratory-grown diamonds.

The standard is the first global Environmental, Social & Governance certification across any industry – including diamonds, mining, seafood or agriculture – that has implemented scientific provenance

to the mineralising event in which the diamond was formed. These fingerprints are imprinted on natural diamonds when they were formed, millions of years ago, and similarly are imprinted on lab-grown diamonds when they are produced.”

TSW Trace® is a legally accepted and scientifically robust technology backed by over 40 years of development and has been widely used to verify food and gold provenance. Its work on diamonds, which has previously been reserved for forensic and law enforcement cases, dispels the myth that the origin of a diamond can’t be verified. “Until recently, the sensitivity of the instruments used to produce the fingerprint wasn’t adequate to determine the impurities in all diamonds, so we have waited before trying to commercialise the protocols.

Furthermore, the interpreting process is

set out by industry bodies and regulators.

These are the companies that are going to change the face of the diamond industry.”

"Retailers, jewellery manufacturers – all companies that handle diamonds from source to market – who are interested in carrying Certified Sustainability Rated Diamonds can register to become an accredited SCS-007 Certified Diamond Retailer. This registration involves a commitment to uphold the integrity of Certified Diamonds. In addition, retailers can opt in to be certified as meeting the SCS-007 Ethical Stewardship Code of Practice.

source.certain.com sustainabilityrateddiamonds.com

Book Reviews

Winter 2021

A Trio of Dream Titles some of the rarest and more incredible sapphires of astonishing size, like the Blue Belle of Asia and the Siren of Serendip.

Hardy’s introduction to Sapphire takes us on a whirlwind tour of the 14 chapters, which really do cover absolutely everything we would wish to know. From ‘Early Trade’ which leads into the Middle Ages and along the Silk Road and maritime Silk Route, to ‘Medicine & Magic,’ ‘Regal Treasure,’ ‘Art of Collecting’ and ‘Sapphire Discoveries,’ Hardy’s exhaustive, in-depth research has taken her around the world, in real life as well as digitally, for the past two years. It encompasses subjects like early cuts, the potency of sapphire-set talismanic jewellery, blue sapphire in Hindu astrology and carved and engraved cameos and intaglios.

Sapphire A Celebration of Colour

By Joanna Hardy, edited by Robert Violette £85, Thames & Hudson “Sapphire is an unassuming gem. It has been overshadowed by diamonds, rubies and emeralds for decades, but ignore it at your peril, for sapphire is a titan of the gemstone world.” So says Joanna Hardy as she introduces her definitive book, Sapphire – the third and final tome in T&H’s series on coloured gemstones, created in partnership with Gemfields.

The opening words of this beautiful, silkcovered hard-back book, sets the scene.

“Sapphie naturally occurs in virtually every colour: blue to green and grey, yellow to orange, pink and purple…” but of course blue is the most famous. Every stone being unique, the range and tones and hues of blue are infinite. And because sapphire occurs in bigger crystals than ruby or emerald, the stone offers impressive scale.

The ‘Showstoppers’ chapter demonstrates

Following the pomp and circumstance of large sapphire jewels worn to impress and signify power and rank, the 18th and 19th centuries saw the gemstone appearing in tiaras and other pieces designed to enhance the wearer, pieces that were more romantic and often nature-inspired. Modern day royalty, such as Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth ll and Diana, Princess of Wales, were clearly not immune to sapphire’s charms, ditto Hollywood royalty, Joan

As it’s the season of goodwill, it seems only right and proper to treat someone. Yourself maybe… you’ve earned it.

Here then are three recently published, beautiful books we suggest should be on anyone’s wish list.

Residenz Munich

Crawford, Jean Harlow and Mary Pickford.

Throughout the book, sumptuous images of museum pieces illustrate the chapters as do portraits of celebrated owners of sapphire jewels and close-up studies of beautiful and noted sapphire jewellery from the renowned maisons, such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Bulgari, Suzanne Belperron and Shaun Leane.

Belperron cabochon sapphire bib necklace

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Book Reviews

Winged Beauty The Butterfly Jewellery Art of Wallace Chan Contributors: Melanie Grant, Vanessa Cho, Ming Liu, Dr Emily Stoehrer, Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld £35, ACC Art Books

The Jeweller

In 2007, when Wallace Chan attended Baselworld, he was essentially unknown.

But he was described as the Butterfly Man from China. Today, he is revered worldwide; his butterfly jewellery inspires the latest generation of designer makers to experiment with colour, materials and textures. This gloriously illustrated book offers an in-depth exploration of the life and work of a man described as a philosopher, artist, revolutionary and master jeweller who creates wearable sculpture.

Jewellery journalist Melanie Grant’s interview with Chan provides the book’s foreword – a revealing insight into the background, drive and ethos of the man.

Born into extreme poverty but with a finely tuned appreciation of the beauty of the natural world and the fleeting nature of time, Chan’s work ethic and total dedication to his art is astounding. “Time,” he says, “is my biggest struggle in life.”

Punctuated by stunningly detailed fullpage photographs, the book’s chapters encompass all elements of Chan’s art.

Vanessa Cho explores why “so many artists made nature their principal source of inspiration” then homes in specifically on butterflies: “beyond the magic of flight and weightlessness, lepidoptera embody the singularity of metamorphosis… temporality and ephemerality – an aura of mystery and magic.” Jewellery, she adds “can transform the ephemeral into something long-lasting.”

The Soul of Jewellery Published in collaboration with Maison Chaumet £65, Flammarion With multiple contributors, The Soul of Jewellery offers unique and previously unpublished insights on the world of

Another chapter explores how time, experimentation and trial and error sit alongside skill, talent and creativity in Chan’s work. How his work as a stone carver led to the Wallace Cut, an illusionary carving technique that incorporates the elements of cameo, intaglio and gem faceting. Chan is fascinated by the lightness of titanium; it took him eight years of experimentation to “understand and tame it.” The authors describe in detail his stone setting techniques and his mastery of colour choice. In all, a mesmerising, beautiful book.

jewellery. Calling upon specialists from every creative and intellectual discipline – artist and composer, botanist and perfumer, novelist and philosopher – it examines jewellery in all of its facets, from anthropology to philosophy to art.

Alongside its sensitive and cultural foray into the art of jewellery making, the book is richly illustrated with drawings and archives from Maison Chaumet and photographs by Simone Cavadini and Julia Hetta that offer new perspectives on jewellery.

“We have sought to delve deep into the soul of these richly significant objects,” say the publishers. “We wanted this book to be a bold departure from well-beaten tracks; for it to dazzle the reader on an emotional as well as a rational level; for it to reveal, through the dual perspective of words and pictures, the purest, innermost essence of the extraordinary

art of high jewellery, which mirrors the artistic, political, social and philosophical evolution of society.”

There is much in this book to absorb, so allencompassing are the ideas and revelations.

The chapters take a discipline at a time, and so include jewellery as the object of nature, the earth (minerals), draftsmanship (the technical knowledge needed to conceptualise a jewel in two dimensions and then commit it to paper), architecture, artistic value, sensuality, desire, fashion, collectability. Each focus of attention is illustrated with images of Maison Chaumet pieces – certainly a way of looking at jewellery in a new light.

Vicenzaoro is the international leading show for the entire supply chain: a single event at the service of the entire goldsmith community.

Vicenzaoro is a one-stop shop: a single place that responds to the supply and demand needs of the entire industry.

A dynamic hub that optimizes purchase paths, facilitates cross-selling, reveals the latest trends and the most cutting-edge innovations, helps to expand networking.

VIC EN Z A JA N UA RY 2 1 - 26 2 02 2 Organized by

In collaboration with

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Within the Fiera Smart 365 Project

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Opinion

The Jeweller

the Last Word... goes to David Doyle

Tell us about your career journey in the jewellery industry One of my first part time jobs, aged 17, was in a jewellery shop in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. It set my initial interest in jewellery.

After school, I entered full time employment away from the jewellery trade, for major UK national companies, like Cadbury Schweppes, in sales roles. At 24, I had an opportunity to return to the jewellery trade, which I took, starting as a manufacturers’ agent.

I was successful – one of my manufacturers tried to halve my commission because they decided I was earning too much. I contacted the British Jewellers Association (BJA) to check my rights… I didn't really have any!

I told the manufacturer to shove it and set myself up as a wholesaler.

We get up close and personal with David Doyle, president of the National Association of Jewellers, vice chair of the Benevolent Society and owner of Jewellery Brokers.

Who has been the biggest influence on your working life?

Today, purely by chance, it’s Mark Adlestone of Beaverbrooks. He was interviewed on The Fed podcast, and it wasn’t anything he said about jewellery, it was his other inspiring words.

I don’t believe in a single biggest influence on any aspect of my life (other than my wife, Jan). I’ve learned that as we grow in all parts of our lives and as our journey continues, our influences change. This means new dynamics keep appearing and this constant updating is essential if we are to continue to learn, be inspired and go on to achieve our best.

Those who have influenced me know who they are, and they’re too numerous to mention. I’ll always be grateful to them.

Also, I got more involved with the BJA – while they couldn’t really help me, I believed they should have been able to, and I wanted that change to happen. I determined to do this by getting stuck in at the rawest level – the only way I know how to make change.

Eventually, my wholesale business thrived and I was also partly responsible for the first BJA Agents Contract. I believe it’s still about today in its updated version.

The rest is still work in progress, as they say, because I’m not quite done yet.

What three words describe you best.... in your view AND according to others?

My view – loyal, conscientious, gregarious.

Jan asked our friends and colleagues and the words repeated most often were: generous, compassionate, larger than life.

Looking back at your career, what would you do differently if you had your time over?

Nothing. At each moment in my life when I’ve had to make a career decision, I’ve ascertained all of the information I could at that time to help me make the right decision.

I’ve then taken that decision.

This doesn’t mean I believe they’ve all been right.

Which four industry characters (living or departed) would be your ideal dinner companions?

Fei Lui because he recently told me about the wonderful hand-made dumplings he makes, so we could munch on these while chatting with Lawrence Graff about some of the incredible places and situations he must have been in as he conducted some sales at such epic £££s.

Louis Francois Cartier would join us so we could all learn more about how it all began and also about some of his beautiful creations.

The fourth dinner place, I’d auction for charity at the next Benevolent Society Ball.

Tell us something not many people know about you....

I always wanted to be a vet. I still do.

What have been your stand-out moments (or single moment) during your time as NAJ president?

I won’t answer this now because I still don’t know if I’ve had that moment or if it’s yet to come. Believe me when I say that I am more interested in the answer to this question than you are.

When my presidency ends, I’ll work out that answer and I’ll let you know.

If you could wave a magic wand, what one thing would you change about the jewellery industry?

You won’t actually achieve much that’s long-lasting by waving a magic wand in my opinion. You could perhaps simply alter or adjust a moment or two in time. Our industry is bigger and better than that. We’re not a perfect industry by any means, but we are an industry of creatives, constantly looking for the next or the best or a different way. This creates incredibly powerful dynamics and synergies. If anything we could become better at harnessing these and using them to achieve more.

What keeps you awake at night?

People who don’t act honorably or with integrity or who act with just self-interest at heart.

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