The Jeweller - Autumn 2021

The mark of industry inspiration & information

Autumn 2021

£7.50

Style Edit '22 Curated trends for the year ahead

New Collections This season's latest launches

Further Education Celebrating those with a thirst for knowledge

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

Autumn 2021

from The Editor and learning ahead of you over the weekend.

Many months in the planning, it’s a packed agenda – being greedy for insights and information, I’m sure I’ll find it difficult to choose my schedule. I’m definitely excited to discover new collections in the Supplier Showcase. That’s jewellery for real, that I can touch and maybe even try on!

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t feels like forever, doesn’t it? Forever since we sat down with industry friends, partners and colleagues… for real. It’s been a challenging, frustrating and surreal 18 months, but by the time you read this, I’ll have two major industry events under my belt and should truly have got the hang of this socialising business. How hard can it be when it’s about jewellery and celebration, with perhaps the odd glass of fizz thrown in?! I’d like to say now a big thank you to Judith Lockwood of Mesmeric Distribution for the fun evening I know we’re going to have at the UK Jewellery Awards (turn to page 17 for the winners).

If you were handed your copy of The Jeweller on arrival at The Summit (and you’ve got as far as reading this), I know you have a great deal of socialising, networking

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“What are the important directions, the strong looks, the key pieces that we want right now, but will still love tomorrow?”

That was something I could only imagine as I prepared the very many jewellery news features in this issue. Collating images and information for New Collections (page 39), I was heartened by the rapid response from designers, manufacturers and brands, all keen to reveal their exciting Autumn/Winter 2021 directions. As more and more pictures dropped into my inbox, I had to steal more pages to give them the space they deserved.

Always a pleasure!

It was also a joy to preview jewellery shows happening In Real Life. Shifting from last year’s digital iterations to (very posh) bricks and mortar: the revered Goldsmiths’ Fair (page 50) for the cream of British craftsmanship, and a week or two later, Jewellery Cut Live give a taster of some of the must-see emerging and established designers taking part. More on page 36.

Combining physical and online activity is Elements (page 64), which highlights a largely Scotland-based pool of jewellery design talent.

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“It’s the start of a new season, and the jewellery world is still turning. Joyously.”

The talent of NAJ members comes under the spotlight in Style Edit (page 28), a PR campaign launched last year.

This curation of 22 beautiful jewellery pieces suggests the looks and directions desirable now and heading to consumer wish lists as we move into 2022. Rather than hog the decision-making limelight myself, I drew on the style, taste and wisdom of three industry notables for guidance… I hope you enjoy our inspirational choices.

There’s further inspiration elsewhere in the magazine, too: there are the JET students, winning awards and hungry to learn more to further their careers; prize-winning design students; and profiles of NAJ members who detail their jewellery journeys. We also have guidance in abundance: six checks to ensure compliance, vital hallmarking reminders, how to avoid a poor retail report, tips on showcasing your business and current thinking on diamond certs. That’s a lot of bases covered; my work here is done… pass the prosecco!

Belinda Morris, Editor

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“My team is just as important as I am in making the business great.

I choose my staff wisely as I couldn’t be successful without them!”

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Inside this Issue Autumn 2021

NEWS

PROFILE

08 Education News

15 NAJ News

(Much More Than) A Little Learning

12 NAJ News

Jacobs the Jewellers competition winners

17 Industry News

Rouaida – award-winning contemporary style

60 Member Profile

Bright Young Gems® 2021 line-up

16 Industry News

UK Jewellery Awards – the winners

Jeremy France Jewellers, Winchester

62 Member Profile

Rhianna Lewis, Birmingham designer-maker

66 The Last Word…

… goes to Scot Walker, Parify

27 Industry News

NDC’s new Diamond Jewellery Collection and Academy

TRENDS

28 Style Edit ’22

22 inspirational pieces

36 Jewellery Cut Live

Ready to dazzle

39 In with the New

A taster of Autumn ‘21 collections

50 La Crème de la Crème

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Goldsmiths’ Fair preview

54 Watch News

It's about time

64 Elements

The best of Scottish makers

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

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

BUSINESS ADVICE

18 Steering Group

Compliance advice and the HALO Award

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

20 Member Benefits

The perks of belonging

24 Diamond Certificates

Contributory writers: David Brough, Michael Donaldson, Marion Wilson

Boosting consumer confidence?

59 JET Business Network

Front cover image: Code By Edge Donald Edge 217 Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB www.codebyedge.com donald.edge@codebyedge.com

How to avoid a poor report

OPINION

03 From the Editor 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

07 The Chair’s Foreword

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Goldsmiths who love silver

Contact: judith@mesmericdistribution.com

Opinion

Autumn 2021

Chair's foreword This publication lands just after the NAJ Summit, an event that reconnects the membership community, building on two of our most popular events: the Valuers’ Conference and Retail Jewellers’ Congress.

I’d like to express my thanks and gratitude to all the businesses and individuals who have supported this event, and I look forward to our paths crossing again in the future. I have no doubt that the line-up of expert speakers and the knowledge they share will have a positive impact on businesses nationwide.

B

ehaviour is contagious. Society almost instantly moved into lockdown in early 2020 and has experienced only intermittent freedom until this summer. In the last few months, as things returned to normal, it was striking just how quickly this happened.

As a sector, we must be savvy enough to spot what didn’t return and what continued without us noticing. There lies the business opportunity.

Celebrating excellence

At the time of writing, and with other National Committee members, along with senior members of the staff team, I am working up the Association’s two-year strategy. The plan which I will share in greater detail in the winter issue aims to develop standards for individuals and businesses, grow our sense of community and belonging and promote and protect the industry while also ensuring a sustainable NAJ. All in all, we want to provide an Association that has your back.

Thursday 9th December is the date but please note tickets are strictly limited to 200 guests. I’m looking forward to the NAJ Awards also being part of the evening and I encourage you to take a look at the event on the NAJ w ebsite for more information.

As a once in this lifetime event perhaps for The Benevolent Society’s Christmas Charity Ball, the trustees are moving the venue to celebrate their distinguished past. The very first jewellers ball was held at this venue and our Royal guest then was George V at The Grand Hotel in Birmingham, in 1933… and this year we are returning to that very same venue, to that very same Ballroom!

Getting the most out of your membership In my role as NAJ chair and managing director of a jewellery manufacturer, I am fortunate to speak regularly with different segments of the trade as well as other committee members, who also add value and insight into what’s happening right now. We understand common pain points of recruitment, import and export challenges and stimulating consumer demand. We also offer support in each of these areas so, please, contact the team who will be delighted to help you. As I said… we have your back.

The Ballroom at The Grand Hotel Birmingham

Or, to register your interest in tickets please email laura.banner@batf.uk.com but please don’t wait as I’m sure tables will move very quickly.

I’d like to wrap this foreword up with a note of thanks to your editor, Belinda. Belinda tirelessly edits this publication – a task she has undertaken for many years (13 and counting – ed) – which continues to share inspiring member stories, uncover practical guidance and showcase the fabulous collections that members produce. B, as we know her, while not officially a member of the NAJ team on paper, represents the type of role that makes a real difference to a business, and in our case, how we communicate with you, the members. Here I include a polite reminder that if you’ve got a story, collection or profile to share, Belinda is ready and waiting to reveal it. Thanks, B!

Gary Wroe NAJ Chair

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Education

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The Jeweller

It’s said that we should never stop learning, and this certainly applies to the jewellery industry.

It is why the NAJ places huge importance on its education and training programme. Here, we acknowledge the hard work, dedication and success of a few recent JET students.

(Much more than) A Little Learning!

NAJ Presentation of Awards

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his November, the Livery Hall in Goldsmiths’ Hall, will, once again, be the appropriately opulent setting for the award ceremony.

The magnificent hall will thrum with a buzz of excitement as the industry throng acknowledges and celebrates the achievements of NAJ JET students.

“Education and training are the bedrock to improvement and personal development,” explains NAJ chair Gary Wroe. “The NAJ JET programme is a shining light in our industry, delivering what is important to businesses. Our upcoming special awards serve to recognise those that have achieved success in their chosen area; they’re the pinnacle of what hard work and dedication are all about.”

Beaverbrooks is an avid supporter of the JET programme and the Education Awards.

Chair Mark Adlestone comments: “We appreciate the JET 2 course requires more time and commitment from our colleagues, and the Education Awards are our chance to celebrate their success and thank each colleague individually for their effort in completing it to such a high standard. That the awards are held in the Goldsmiths’ Hall is a fabulous bonus; the venue is superb, and our colleagues are always blown away by the grandeur and history they get to see and experience.

“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 better support their customers, which ultimately reflects in our performance as a company.”

Henrietta Mapplebeck

The Greenough Trophy Every year, a JET student is awarded the prestigious Greenough Trophy. It’s a mark of recognition for skill, dedication and hard work, presented to the student who achieves the highest aggregate marks for the most outstanding project in the Professional Jewellers’ Diploma. In 2020, the honour went to Henrietta Mapplebeck, who works in the head office of Browns Family Jewellers in Harrogate. While undertaking the JET course, she was working at HL Brown & Son in its York branch, Barbara Cattle. We spoke to her about the award and her jewellery journey.

What does receiving the trophy mean to you?

I’m surprised, honoured and delighted by this award! I’d like to thank my previous employer Barbara Cattle for enrolling me on to JET. A colleague, Leah, had won it

previously; I visited the Scarborough branch where she worked and saw the trophy on display. Mine will be displayed at the head office, where all company members will be able to view it.

I really enjoyed this course – every module was so different, making it very interesting to study. I gained further expertise and now feel much more confident with my jewellery knowledge. I especially enjoyed the final project, which included design, development and gemstones involving each period in the history of jewellery – something I’m particularly interested in.

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.

What drew you to the jewellery industry?

I’ve always been creative. After finishing school in 2010, I studied for a 3D design crafts diploma at York College, which has a jewellery department. I developed a fascination for jewellery and made my first silver ring at 16. To further my practical skills, after college I took a jewellery and metalwork BA Honours degree at Sheffield Hallam University, then showcased my work at New Designers in London. From that, I won mentoring schemes and set up my own workshop. I obtained a scholarship for a master’s in jewellery – an amazing offer, but I wanted a break from studying and to learn a different side of the industry. So, I’ve been working in the trade full time since 2015.

The wonderful companies I’ve worked for have given me such vast knowledge, across all aspects of the industry.

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Jewellery is profoundly emotional, so you want your website to look into your customer’s eyes and take them on a journey. Lucy takes your hand and shows you how.

For more info and to book your spot, visit: profwritingacademy.com/business-website-writing lucycripps.com | @words_and_workshops

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Education

JET Stars

The Jeweller

The JET students continue to impress with high standards of course work and assignments. We talk to the latest winners of the Clarity & Success Awards.

I started at T Paterson in October 2020. I’ve always liked jewellery and had bought a few pieces from them over the years. I’d been a nursery nurse for over 25 years, so this was a big change for me.

We’re a small team, all working together.

With my colleagues, I serve customers and ensure the stock is correctly labelled and looking its best. Having never worked in jewellery before, I wanted to be the best I could be, so JET helped me gain a deeper understanding and give me the confidence to answer customers’ questions.

Kathrine Baird T Paterson Jeweller, Perth, Scotland (April)

I really enjoyed learning about the corundum gem family, then doing a presentation on pearls. I now understand why sapphires and rubies are so popular with the public, and the presentation was fun! The most challenging part of the course was researching diamonds – there’s so much information out there.

A Thirst for Knowledge Why stop at one JET course when you can boost your knowledge (and passion) for the industry? We spoke to two students who want to further their education and grow in confidence. incredibly useful, so next I took the JET 1. I recently enrolled on JET 2 and look forward to starting the assignments soon.

How has JET helped you?

Essentials gave me a great foundation, covering a wide range of topics, like precious metals, hallmarking and sales, which JET 1 then covered in much greater depth. The course’s sales and customer care section in particular helped me to use my knowledge to improve my sales techniques and become more successful in my role.

Katrina Gill Kendal Goldsmiths Tell us about your JET journey Before joining Kendal Goldsmiths, I’d no retail or jewellery experience, so they suggested I take the JET Essentials course to build my knowledge of the industry. It was

Having an in-depth understanding of the products I’m selling, including the materials they are made of and how they’re created, has made a huge difference to my confidence and ability in sales. The prospect of selling jewellery was quite daunting at first – I didn’t feel able to answer many of the questions customers asked. Now I feel much more qualified to provide informed responses and even put forward my own suggestions.

It’s great to know that the moderator praised my “high standard of work” and saw my enthusiasm! I really enjoyed myself and occasionally I did feel like I was working hard, but at the same time, it was so interesting and I was gaining so much knowledge.

For the project, I chose to research Sheila Fleet. We stock her jewellery and I love it!

She’s the designer for her Orkney-based company and takes inspiration from Scotland and the natural world around her.

Having more knowledge about her helps me to sell her jewellery more effectively.

In general, taking JET has given me more confidence. I hope to start JET 2 this year and continue to learn about the jewellery and watches I’m selling.

I’m very keen to see what I can learn from the Level 3 Certificate and how I can progress from there.

What drew you to the jewellery world?

I have a degree in fashion illustration and have my own portrait business, which I run part-time alongside my job. I’m very interested in all things fashion, art and design related, and I love jewellery! The role was the perfect fit for me – it offered opportunities to not only learn new skills but also incorporate and develop my artistic side further through a new medium.

Do you work in a particular area of the store?

As we’re a small independent, I take an active role in many areas of the day-to-day running of the business, which I love. As a team, we work together and share many of the responsibilities. Organisational skills are my particular strength, so I take on much of the responsibility for ordering jewellery from suppliers and keeping our order books up to date. I also really enjoy the artistic side of the job, like creating visual displays, which I’m trusted with more and more as I’ve progressed in my role. Recently, I’ve worked on engraving designs for some custom jewellery pieces, which has been really fun.

“Katrina began working for us around 18 months ago, her background is in art – she’s a fantastic portrait artist! The JET Essentials course provided a good basic grounding while

Education

Autumn 2021

My jewellery journey started when I joined Pravins three years ago. I worked in an art gallery previously. I’d never considered working with jewellery, but seeing an offer to join their team as a sales consultant, I thought it might be good to see if it’s for me. That was the best decision I’ve made in my life so far – I’ve never looked back.

Kamila Borek

Jewellery became my life passion straight away; I truly enjoy every aspect of my work.

Helping clients choose their engagement ring, wedding bands or special occasion gifts, makes me feel part of something very important and that I’m doing something that matters. Behind every piece of jewellery I sell, there’s some interesting, sometimes emotional story; it’s what I love most about working in this industry.

Pravins, London (May)

I'm a senior sales consultant. My main duty is to help clients find the perfect jewellery

learning the ropes on the shop floor. Her confidence with sales and customers grew quickly; I’m certain that the course played a big part in that. She progressed to the JET 1, which she passed with flying colours, and is now on the next stage of the journey, JET 2. The courses are very comprehensive and fantastic for building knowledge and confidence.”

Andrew Dawson, owner, Kendal Goldsmiths

in the jewellery business, which is what I want to do as my career. I have completed JET Essentials, and I’m currently doing JET 1. I actually found out about JET by Googling ‘jewellery/watch courses.’

Are you funding the courses yourself?

Err no, my mum and dad are!

In what ways have you benefited from them?

I have gained knowledge in areas I didn’t even consider, like security. Now when I go to a watch or jewellery shop, it’s interesting to see how they manage security, when before I never really thought about it. I’ve also benefitted from all the information on gems, rings, different cuts and how to sell, which is important for me as I hope to be a watch salesperson.

What difference has JET made to your knowledge?

Thomas Fox Huddersfield Why did you decide to take the JET courses?

I decided to do the JET courses as they seemed the best way to get some education

My knowledge has grown immensely.

My main area of interest is watches, so I already have a good understanding of them. However I didn’t really know much about gems and jewellery. Now I can name different cuts of diamond and styles of ring, as well as look up hallmarks; it’s really interesting to see the ages of some of my mum’s jewellery. The courses are also giving me the confidence I’ll need to sell all kinds of jewellery … not just watches.

piece. I take care of new clients and maintain long-lasting business relations with my regular clients. I also share my knowledge with others and help train new team members, as well as help management by ensuring the boutique runs smoothly.

As one of the oldest team members, I was offered the chance to take JET; Pravins is very focused on training. After being in the industry for over two years, I felt confident to test my knowledge. It was definitely worth it.

I enjoyed everything about the course. I loved how the assignments challenged my knowledge, showed me how much I already know and how much there is still to learn. I enjoyed the in-depth question about diamonds.

We sell mostly diamond jewellery – it’s my biggest passion. Writing about diamonds felt very natural; explaining the 4 Cs to clients is part of my everyday work.

What prompted you to consider a career in the jewellery and watch business?

I have a real passion for watches in particular, and I think I can use that passion and knowledge to provide a really good customer experience. For example, with a JLC watch, it makes a difference when trying to sell it if you know the details of the movement and the history of the brand as the watchmaker’s watchmaker. I believe this is what can help make a sale. I’m hopeful that when applying for a job, my JET qualifications will give me an advantage.

I collect watches and really enjoy learning about the brands, their history and unique styles and technical capabilities. I frequently visit watch and jewellery shops and enjoy chatting with staff about their timepieces. My passion was sparked when my parents took me to a jewellers specialising in watches to choose a watch for my 18th birthday. The salesperson was fantastic, taking his time to listen to what I wanted and showing equal enthusiasm for watches at our more modest budget as he did for the likes of Grand Seiko. Once I’d chosen a watch, he spent time showing us his favourite watches and explaining their complications.

He made his sale, created a family of loyal customers and ignited my desire to discover more about watches.

What are your hopes for the future?

I would like to work in a high-end watch shop ... so anyone reading this, feel free to get in touch!

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Industry News

12

The Jeweller

Taking their place among established designers and brands at The Jewellery Festival earlier this month were the five talented graduates chosen to be the Bright Young Gems® 2021.

Bright Young Gems

®

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elected by a stellar panel of judges, the Bright Young Gems® (BYG) entrants – from UK colleges and universities – submitted jewellery designs in two categories: Responsible Thinking (sustainable eco heroes) and Show Off (statement pieces).

In each case, it was important that the designs demonstrated potential commercial viability.

Hannah Gower

The winning designs were showcased on the NAJ stand at Retail Jeweller’s Jewellery Festival on 1st September. The winners received dedicated mentoring from jewellery experts before the event to ensure they maximised the experience. To help towards travel and showing costs, the Benevolent Society provided each winner with a bursary of £300.

Now in its 16th year, the Bright Young Gems® project has evolved to become a key industryrecognised platform for new talent, with many previous winners now enjoying successful, award-winning careers. To date, the programme, set up by International Jewellery London and supported by the NAJ, has enabled 68 BYG® designers to showcase their work to the industry, retailers and opinion leaders.

Amber Doughty

Here are the 2021 Bright Young Gems® Amber Doughty

Hannah Gower

(Show Off – statement pieces)

(Show Off – statement pieces)

Amber, who studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, enjoys the simplicity of precious metals to create classical pieces centred in shadow and symmetry. Inspired by classical civilisations and mythology, her aesthetic is driven by elegance and the otherworldly; she uses repetition and movement to enhance her work.

The sterling silver Erebus necklace is inspired by ancient Mycenaean jewellery and consists of over 80 plates that move independently. When considered individually, the plates are harsh and angular, but assembled, the piece takes on a sensual flexibility highlighted by the brushed finish as it moves with the wearer.

After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Jewellery & Objects from Birmingham School of Jewellery, Hannah set up a studio in her hometown of Colchester.

Most of her work is wax carved and cast in sterling silver, but she also enjoys the unpredictability of sand casting on one-of-akind pieces. Asymmetry and imperfections inspire her, and the natural world often influences her.

She handcrafted the chain with silver butterfly wing forms, each wing hand textured with CZ stones, creating a glistening effect on the surface of the metal.

Accompanying the chain are bold elegant Wing Cluster earrings.

Imogen Burch

Capucine Huguet

Industry News

Autumn 2021

Andrea Jose Castro

Imogen Burch

(Responsible Thinking –

(Show Off – statement pieces)

London-based Imogen, who studied at Central St Martins, explores the relationship between jewellery, emotions and people with her luxury fine jewellery, navigating identity in a playful and lighthearted way.

By reinterpreting and updating traditional pieces, she challenges the assumptions of what is expected from fine jewellery. Seen here is her Slurring cocktail ring in silver, a blue spinel surrounded by white CZ stones.

Capucine Huguet (Responsible Thinking – sustainable eco heroes)

French designer-maker Capucine began studying fine jewellery at the Paris Haute École de Joaillerie. After graduating, she realised she wanted to work on another dimension of jewellery, plus highlight environmental issues through jewellery design. So she took a master’s in jewellery design at Central St Martins'. Her desire to protect the environment and spark a discussion about climate change led her to create her first collection – Wahlenbergbreen Mementos – to raise awareness of the ice melting in the Arctic.

Seen here is the 78° North ring in recycled 18ct gold and diamonds.

sustainable eco heroes)

Peruvian Andrea Jose, MA, a Central St Martins' graduate, wants to transform how we view the resourcing and production of jewellery. Working in social development for mining projects, while learning jewellery techniques with master artisans, Andrea found inspiration in the male-dominated mining industry and felt motivated to celebrate a reciprocal approach within the jewellery system, through her work.

She uses Peruvian yellow and orange 18ct mercury-free gold and solar laboratorygrown diamonds from a carbon neutral foundry. This handmade piece is inspired by the lliclla, a wrapping mantle used by Peruvian women for millennia to carry children, food and precious objects. Hand engraving and hand-polishing techniques highlight the natural material.

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As the quality of submissions was so high, the judges would also like to highlight this year’s Ones To Watch: Finlay Grant – Dundee; Dameng He – Royal College of Art; Oria Qi Zang – Central St Martins; Julia Baudler – Royal College of Art; Si Rui Wang – Central St Martins; Fenghua Ye – Edinburgh and Daniella Groza – Edinburgh.

What the judges said: Susi Smither, founder of The Rock Hound and Fair Luxury: “All the entrants should hold their heads up high – they’ve overcome extraordinary challenges and delivered designs with depth, creativity and individuality. Our winners displayed tenacity and flare which will hold them in good stead going forward. Our Responsible Thinking graduates submitted designs created with responsibly sourced materials, and recognised and harnessed the social and environmental impact of their jewellery.”

Hilary Alexander OBE, president of Graduate Fashion Week and media commentator: “In spite of a challenging year with limited access to studios and equipment, this year’s cohort produced a remarkable collection of designs, memorable for a high degree of ingenuity, creativity and technical excellence. UK jewellery’s future is in safe hands!”

Andrea Jose Castro

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The judges also would like to congratulate five Highly Commended students, all from Central St Martins. They are Courtney Durka (Responsible Thinking); Emilia NaylorBrown (Responsible Thinking); Khristina Stolyarova (Show Off); Arlena Paraschivescu (Show Off) and Zoe Huang (Show Off)

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Highly Commended: 1. Arlena Paraschivescu, 2. Khristina Stolyarova, 3. Zoe Huang, 4. Courtney Durka, 5. Emilia Naylor-Brown

Katerina Perez, jewellery sector social media influencer: "I was struck by the ambition and unhindered design principles; it's fantastic to see such young designers challenging the status quo! We saw a confident use of scale and volume for statement pieces, some still in the design stage. In those I selected, I was most inspired by the use of colour, the creativity of the design concepts and the efforts made to stand out from the crowd."

Melanie Grant, luxury editor of The Economist’s 1843 sister magazine and influential social media commentator: "There has been a high standard of artistry and innovation throughout the competition."

Imogen Belfield, award-winning jewellery designer and a 2014 BYG®: “It has been a wonderful competition, and we have five very deserving winners. It was extremely hard to choose as the quality, talent and inspiring ideas were in abundance.”

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“The Mark will feature prominently in all of our marketing and advertising campaigns, including digital, print and other media.”

Phil Spencer, London DE

Be part of the 'Created' community As a member of the Created in the UK scheme, jewellery, silverware and related products you create can be marked and promoted as such. The scheme is open to manufacturers, makers and retailers to differentiate products ‘Created in the UK’ to give customers absolute confidence in their provenance.

The Mark Three special versions of the additional mark exist – for those times when placing the mark on a product involves production at various sizes.

Point of Sale The Created in the UK logo has been designed to be as simple as possible, in order to work across many delivery mechanisms. Without complicated instructions the NAJ and licensees can use relevant artwork on appropriate products, packaging, websites, exhibition stands, etc.

Press and PR Celebrating British jewellery is what the scheme is all about, and Members who are enrolled into Created in the UK are regularly featured in the Association’s Press and PR activity. What’s more, joining the scheme gives jewellers their own opportunity to progress the ‘made in the UK’ message with their own customers.

Eligibility In order to qualify products must comply with the Trade Descriptions Act (1968) Section 36 which states: “Goods shall be deemed to have been manufactured or produced in the country in which they last underwent a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change.” Trade Descriptions Act (1968) Section 36

Register your interest For more information on the Created in the UK scheme, Call 0121 237 1112 Email created@naj.co.uk Visit naj.co.uk/created

NAJ News

Autumn 2021

Award Winning Contemporary Style Apart from selling direct to the consumer, do you also sell to jewellery retailers?

Yes, my jewellery is displayed in a growing number of galleries across the UK. With Brian’s experience in the cultural sector, we derive particular pleasure from working with national museums and galleries.

The NAJ Award for Excellence in Jewellery at the British Craft Trade Fair went to Rouaida Jewellery, praised for “remarkable online growth and development and fantastic website photography capturing the stunning modern aesthetic, inspired by ancient cultures and the inherent beauty of nature.” We meet Rouaida.

How long have you been a jewellery designer-maker? Is it something that you always wanted to do?

I’ve been interested in fashion all my life but found it difficult to source jewellery that appealed to my personal style, so I decided to design my own jewellery 15 years ago.

As my collection and customers grew, I was invited to join a talented group of Lebanese artist-designers who collectively exhibited under the name of Afkart. We enjoyed success in galleries and trade fairs across the country, and I built up a loyal following for my jewellery. I have been privileged to learn traditional techniques from several skilled jewellers, both here and abroad.

I have a very active creative imagination, always keeping paper and pencil to hand ready to record those unexpected and spontaneous ideas. I like nothing more than playing with forms, shapes, textures and colours and love geometric and asymmetric designs, not only in jewellery but in wider life as well.

My inspiration comes from life’s experiences, from the natural beauty surrounding my Yorkshire home to the influence of ancient cultures upon my childhood in places such as Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Many of my pieces tell a story from ancient civilisations – Phoenician, Greek and Roman – which is why the British Museum commissioned a succession of my designs to accompany their recent exhibitions.

We’ve enjoyed some success via various online channels since 2018. We’re very keen to grow the business further, but not at the expense of the relationships we nurture with our customers. Our greatest reward comes from sharing something we love doing with people who share our passion for quality and style.

The pandemic definitely changed the way we work and prompted a very deliberate investment into our brand online. Sadly, many seasonal shows and exhibitions were cancelled last year, and whilst things did pick up at Christmas, it was great to finally meet up with fellow artists at this year’s British Craft Trade Fair, albeit online this time around.

What does receiving the NAJ Award mean to you?

Even more than you might think – as a creative designer, it means a great deal to have your work applauded by people you admire and respect, especially after such a challenging 18 months. In truth, Brian discovered me dancing around my workshop when I was told about the award – it really means that much to us!

Describe your jewellery style ... what inspires you?

I like to think that my designs speak of who I am and express my passion and emotions, my personal style and vision. Every piece is unique, like the people who choose to wear them and who typically share one thing in common: they don’t like boring déjà vu designs. I hope my jewellery is very wearable, with a modern contemporary style that expresses my heartfelt belief that simplicité fait la beauté. I sometimes create bespoke pieces to mark extra special occasions for which I also offer laser engraving.

How long have you been selling online?

What is the secret of that success? Did e-commerce sustain the business during lockdown?

Where are you based and do you work alone?

I make all my own work – so far – in my workshop at the foot of the Ryburn valley in West Yorkshire. My husband, Brian, and I work well as a team, combining our complementary skills and passions to grow our business: I create my jewellery, and he is responsible for our photography and online presence, which has expanded considerably over the past three years.

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16

Industry News

The Jeweller

Jacobs’ Emerging Designer Competition

Georgia Piggott, Cosmic Earrings

Jacobs the Jewellers, Reading’s oldest independent jewellery retailer, reveals the winners of its annual Emerging Designer Competition. The seventh edition delivered an innovative competitive exhibition experience, being both online and instore.

Sorrel Acacia, Silk Bracelet

T

he jewellery winner is Georgia Piggott for her Cosmic earrings, and Sorrel Acacia takes the runner-up prize for her Silk Bracelet. Freya Jeavons’ Ore vase saw her win the silver category, while Kelda Young took home the runners-up prize.

Freya Jeavons, Ore Vase

Kelda Young, Vase

Seven Bishopsland Educational Trust designers took part in the competition, which was presented in-store and on jacobsthejewellers.com during July. Each participant showcased an item of silver as well as a piece of jewellery. Over two weeks of voting, visitors to the website voted for their favourite jewellery design as well as their preferred silver object, and those visiting the store saw the items in the recently refurbished shop. For the first time, meet the maker videos premiered on YouTube, which attracted 250-plus views, and supportive customers bought two items in the competition.

The winners each received £250 vouchers from jewellery equipment supplier HS Walsh; the runners up received a framed presentation certificate and £100 vouchers

each to spend on tools or materials to help establish their careers in the jewellery and silver industry.

The event also synchronised with local arts organisation Jelly’s annual Open for Art cultural programme, a firmly established arts event in Reading. The annual competition has been made possible for the Bishopsland Educational Trust through the initiative, co-operation and support of Jacobs the Jewellers, the Goldsmiths’ Centre and HS Walsh.

Chris Oliver, head of professional training at the Goldsmiths’ Centre commented: “The Goldsmiths’ Centre is delighted to be supporting Jacob the Jewellers’ Emerging Designer Competition 2021. It’s an amazing endorsement and real life retail experience for emerging and talented designers from Bishopsland Educational Trust to showcase their talent. As a charity, we’re also passionate about giving new talent a springboard into their careers through training and showcasing opportunities, and to congratulate the winners.”

Industry News

Autumn 2021

Store Design of the Year Winner – Jack Murphy Jewellers, Newry

Young Jewellery Designer of the Year sponsored by Gentle Diamonds Winner – Ellis Mhairi Cameron

Bespoke Jewellery Retailer of the Year Winner – Andrew McCulloch Jewellers Highly Commended – Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery*

Emerging Jewellery/Watch Brand of the Year sponsored by WOLF Winner – Dainty London Highly Commended – Bijoux De Mimi

UK Jewellery Awards 2021 As we went to press just before the UK Jewellery Awards took place, Retail Jeweller kindly entrusted us with the results. Naturally, we were sworn to secrecy! Keeping mum for a whole month has been pretty hard, so we’re relieved to confirm the winners and those highly commended here. Congratulations to all!

Mono-Brand Retailer of the Year Winner – Daniella Draper*

Eponymous Designer Jewellery Brand of the Year Winner – Amanda Coleman Jewellery* Highly Commended – Alyssa Smith Jewellery

Watch Retailer of the Year sponsored by Garmin Winner – Watches of Switzerland * Highly Commended – WATCHO – The Watch & Clock Shop

Jewellery/Watch Supplier of the Year

Marketing/Social Media Campaign or Collaboration of the Year

Winner – Domino Jewellery*

Winner – Taylor & Hart, Love is Happening Right Now*

Retailer of the Year (five stores or fewer) sponsored by TH March Winner – The Alkemistry

Ethical Jewellery Business of the Year sponsored by Single Mine Origin

Watch Brand of the Year

Winner – Monica Vinader

Winner – Seiko

Retail Sales Team of the Year sponsored by the Company of Master Jewellers

Jewellery Brand of the Year

Winner – Sonny’s Jewellers*

Retailer of the Year (six stores or more)

Creative Jewellery Designer of the Year Winner – Julien Riad Sahyoun for JRS London

Winner – Pandora

Winner – Beaverbrooks* Those marked with * are NAJ Members Taylor & Hart marketing campaign via Facebook

Bridal Jewellery Retailer of the Year sponsored by Hockley Mint Winner – Vashi Highly Commended – Katherine James Jewellery

Employer of the Year Winner – Beaverbrooks the Jewellers*

Omnichannel Retailer of the Year sponsored by Pursuit Software Winner – Astrid & Miyu Domino

Service Supplier of the Year Winner – The Company of Master Jewellers* The Beaverbrooks team on the Blackpool 10K Fun Run 2019

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18

Business Advice

The Jeweller

Compliance – what does it look like?

Six practical checks to ensure you stay compliant and give customers peace of mind.

Members of the Created in the UK scheme should inform customers what this mark looks like and what it stands for.

Disclosure

Any RRP is a price that a supplier has independently recommended. When making comparisons to an RRP, tell consumers clearly the higher price is an RRP, rather than a price you have charged. An RRP must not be false or misleading, created to present the appearance of a discount. It must represent a genuine selling price.

Treatments/terms Be transparent with descriptions. Best practice means telling customers exactly what they’re buying from the outset. For example, a filled ruby should be described as such. Your customer shouldn’t have to ask for this information – you should give it freely.

Refer to CIBJO’s Gem Book for details.

Services If your watch repairer/jobbing jeweller works off site, inform your customer their item will leave your premises.

Sustainability and provenance Any environmental claims must be supported by public data. Customers should have information regarding your stance on modern slavery, ethical diamond trading, Fairtrade gold, corporate social responsibility, gender pay gap, etc. readily available to them.

Hallmarking All items (over certain weights) sold in the UK and described as gold, silver, platinum or palladium must have a legally recognised hallmark. (Hallmarking Act 1973) A hallmark protects buyers of precious metal items against fraud; it shows each piece has been independently tested and verified as matching descriptions and conforming to all legal standards of metal purity or fineness.

It’s a legal requirement to display The Dealer’s Notice on websites (not solely in physical stores), even not-shoppable websites; if you intend to sell precious metals, you must display the notice in a prominent place on your website and in store. Failure to do so will result in Trading Standards officers exercising their enforcement powers under the Hallmarking Act.

RRP pricing

Don’t recommend your own RRP or influence the price at which your supplier sets the RRP. If using RRPs, consider getting substantiation from your suppliers that the RRP represents a genuine selling price.

NAJ membership Display the up-to-date NAJ Member logo and ensure it links to your profile, so the customer can check your membership for added peace of mind.

Consider displaying the reassuring NAJ Customer Charter from your membership certificate. Some members upload the certificate to their website or a photo of it in situ.

If you benefit from NAJ JET qualifications, you could display certificates and badges issued to successful students and reference the programmes on your website.

Complaints Many members display their complaint procedure, referring to the Association’s mediation service, which is available when disputes can’t reach a resolution.

Here’s an example: Making a complaint: On the rare occasion we receive a complaint, we always treat it seriously, tactfully and thoroughly. If you’re unhappy with any aspect of your experience with us, you should:

1. Raise it with a member of staff. <insert contact details> 2. If unhappy with progress, please raise it via email to our management team. <insert contact details> 3. If you’re still unhappy, you can write to the <insert most senior position + contact details> We aim to look into the complaint and report back within 14 working days. In the very unlikely case of your still being unhappy, as a member of the National Association of Jewellers, we can access its independent dispute resolution service, NAJ Resolve. To learn more, visit naj.co.uk/resolve if you’ve exhausted all the above steps.

Delivered with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, the valued NAJ benefit, NAJ Resolve, underpins that assurance, delivering a transparent and accessible forum where dissatisfied customers can seek redress while avoiding stressful confrontation.

Customer guidance Care and repair Remind customers how to care for their watches and jewellery. Many assume that if they lose a diamond from a ring within a certain timeframe, the jeweller is liable to replace it, gratis, so it’s worth reminding them of their responsibility to look after their jewellery correctly.

Jewellery valuations/insurance For consumer reassurance, you should recommend using an expert valuer from the NAJ’s Institute of Registered Valuers (IRV), the UK’s leading body of jewellery valuers. Regulated by the NAJ, it’s been a knowledgeable, reliable and trusted community of valuers at the cutting edge of training, educating and raising the industry standard in jewellery appraisal for three decades. A number of insurers specify jewellery valuations from a Member or Fellow of the Institute.

Finally, your Terms and Conditions can be extensive and cover bespoke items, consumer rights, warranty, missing parcels, cancellations, copyright, disclaimers, etc.

We’re always here to help you be compliant; do get in touch if you have questions or need further assistance.

Email compliance@naj.co.uk Call 0121 237 1110

Business Advice

Autumn 2021

The NAJ Summit 2021 welcomed the launch of a new initiative from the British Hallmarking Council (BHC). Marion Wilson, jewellery industry consultant, outlines its objectives.

Introducing the HALO Award A

n award relating to Hallmarking Awareness and Learning Online, neatly abbreviated to the HALO Award, encourages all jewellers to identify products requiring a hallmark and, in doing so, educate the customer, so they appreciate the importance of a hallmark and the protection it offers.

Launched in September 2021, this competition invites applicants to submit the information on their websites that helps users understand the need for the hallmark and the protection it gives them.

jewellery is frequently sold online as precious metal jewellery. Hallmarking is a vital, mandatory piece of consumer and trade protection, and its benefits are being neither fully explained nor exploited.

Jewellers selling items compliant with the Hallmarking Act add value to their products by ensuring visitors to both their website and stores understand the need for a hallmark and the reassurance it offers.

The award is a response to research commissioned by the British Hallmarking Council in 2020, which revealed how few jewellers’ websites mention the hallmark at all. Many describe items as 9ct gold or sterling silver, with little to clarify what that means. There is rarely any reference to a hallmark. This is surprising given that research also showed 55 per cent of industry respondents believe customers understand hallmarks and look for them when buying jewellery.

Since 1975, the Hallmarking Act has required all retail outlets to display a Dealer's Notice explaining the hallmark.

Recent guidance from the British Hallmarking Council has confirmed this requirement applies to websites selling fine jewellery, and the notice should be easily accessible and appropriately linked from relevant pages. However, the Council recognises that the original Dealer's Notice (now known as Dealer Notice A) is not well suited to the online environment and will soon produce an additional version, Dealer Notice B, to use on websites beside individual items.

Even more notably, 53 per cent of respondents agreed that non-hallmarked

The idea is for the notice to become a tile in the picture gallery for every hallmarked

item, so the customer becomes more aware of the need for a hallmark and will look for one when researching competitor pages. The new device will be available to download free from your local Assay Office site, as can the original Dealer's Notice. You can also buy freestanding showcards of Dealer Notice A. The HALO Award should draw attention to hallmarking information and education supplied by jewellers online and encourage the use of Dealer Notice B. Acknowledging that website development takes time, the first HALO Award will be presented in autumn 2022. Entrants should complete a simple application form and judges will base their decisions on what is available on the website, focusing on the information’s visibility, accuracy and accessibility. Those with user friendly explanations that inform and reassure will win.

Any member of the trade that sells or describes fine jewellery online can apply.

Judges will present the winner with a hallmarked silver salver, which they hold until the following year’s award. For more information, contact your Assay Office.

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20

Business Advice

The Jeweller

Find a Jeweller or Found a Jeweller?

The NAJ Find a Jeweller and IRV Find a Valuer have amassed a huge increase in coverage with the number of website visitors in 2021, set to double the like-forlike total for 2020.

Throughout the pandemic, the Association has continued to invest in and develop both its jeweller and valuer directories, as well as its advice and guidance pages – all giving consumers and trade clients Peace of Mind to buy from an NAJ member.

Ben Massey, NAJ’s marketing director said: “NAJ members proudly display the coat of arms in their premises to give customers Peace of Mind. With the directories, we wanted to harness this and enable members to showcase their business, expertise and personality in an accessible format.

“Now the tools are a lot closer to where we want them to be. It’s just so important that members update their profiles regularly to make sure they appear when their customers are searching the directory.”

Attention members

1. Social media handles added for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The member dashboard in your members area will tell you how many times your profile has appeared in search, had profile visits and how many times visitors have clicked to call or email you, or been taken to your own website.

More developments incoming?

The dashboard gets zeroed each year in line with the membership cycle. Before this, the team plans to continue working through advice and guidance pages to improve the number of visitors that transfer to the Find a Jeweller tool. Also on the horizon is a facelift for the Find a Valuer directory and a directory for Created in the UK, where only licensees part of the scheme can appear.

Where to go next with your profile?

To update, visit naj.co.uk/members-area Learn how to update your profile visit naj.co.uk/updatemyprofile To check, visit naj.co.uk/find

Find a Valuer*

300K+ Page Views 105K+ Page Views Top Cities 1. London Searched 2. Birmingham 3. Manchester 4. Glasgow 5. Leeds

Here are 11 developments that have made a difference:

What’s more, members can also showcase their collections and services through an image gallery and update a header image and logo to attract more people to view their profile from the initial search results.

The take-home message: this is one of the best benefits of being an NAJ member, and it makes absolute business sense to complete your profile as soon as possible.

Lucy Cripps, creator of The Present Moment templates, offers an exclusive Member Marketplace price for her expert hand in writing and/or editing NAJ profiles.

Despite the Association putting the developments in place, members will only benefit if their profiles are up to date. That means contact details are correct, opening hours consistent, business descriptions present and the list of products and services checked off correctly.

Find a Jeweller*

What have the developments been?

Total Website** Users

70%

3% Bounce Rate

Sessions

6% Exit

Page Views

35% 223%

Bounce *From 1st January to 31st August, 2021, ** vs same period last year’

89%

2. Quick searches for some of the UK’s largest cities 3. The ability to tag any other members you work with to the footer of your profile, such as a valuations, brand or service supplier 4. Dashboard in your member’s area to see how many times your profile has been visited 5. Upgrades to SEO written pages, such as ‘Zodiac Birthstone Jewellery,’ ‘How much is my jewellery worth?’ or the ‘Ultimate jewellery buying guide’ 6. Faster, shorter search console means all members can identify the services they offer 7. A new Check a Member page for membership number or name search 8. Website top menu to drive more traffic to the directory pages 9. Purging of archived accounts to speed up the search results 10. Addition of member numbers on every profile page to be consistent with your issued certificate 11. Tool opened out to Google, so all member profile pages are directly discoverable through web browser searches

Business Advice

Autumn 2021

Eight membership benefits you might have forgotten about Surprise! Sometimes it’s easy to forget all the benefits you’re eligible for as an NAJ member, so here’s a helpful reminder for a few that might have fallen by the wayside.

6. Import and export guidance The requirements and processes to trade internationally changed in January 2021, and the members who accessed the services of British Jewellery & Giftware International (BJGI) were able to update their processes, navigate the new legislation and maintain relationships effectively.

Similar to NAJ, BJGI is a division of the British Allied Trades Federation and is why access to such support and expertise is available. BJGI offers a range of services including advice and guidance on the challenges imposed by the UK's new relationship with the European Union, discounted rates on ATA carnets and access to free legal advice from an experienced solicitor on issues relative to international trade. Popular issues include sales agents and distributor contract agreements, as well as advice on overseas debts.

1. Photography and video products service providers One Minute Wonders offers NAJ members 20 per cent off its video package, including specially designed graphics and three-day post-production work.

2. Better Business VAT health check via tax support service Quest is providing NAJ members with unlimited advice-line access to its experienced tax and VAT advisors, available during office hours. This is an invaluable benefit that can help all types of businesses, from sole traders to large companies.

4. Jobs Board

7. Design Registration

If you are looking to recruit new staff, as a member of the NAJ, you are able to submit free job listings that appear on our vacancies page. Some of the selected vacancies are shared through the monthly newsletter.

If you create unique, bespoke designs, protect yourself from design fraud. Copywatch is a copyright deposit scheme, administered by the NAJ and patent agents, Barker Bretell; members can submit up to 25 designs free per year, and receive a certificate of registration.

5. Second-hand gold purchase book Receipt books are a vital resource for retailers. The NAJ offers branded books with 50 templates at £8+VAT+postage each.

They’re available in our online PrintShop and are delivered straight to your door.

Discounts are available for multiple orders.

8. Exhibition discounts Being a member of the NAJ entitles you to all important stand discounts at the major UK trade shows – a crucial saving for exhibitors.

For information on what discounts are available at each show, visit naj.co.uk/benefits.

The advice line covers a range of topics, such as VAT on land or property, exemptions, HMRC investigates and general tax advice; taking advantage of this service will help ensure your business continues to run smoothly.

3. Member Marketplace As an NAJ member, you get access to the Member Marketplace. Here, we list all of the incentives members offer, from discounts to enhanced product lines and specialist services not normally available.

Likewise, you can only appear on the Member Marketplace if you're a member of the NAJ. To submit your incentive, call 0121 237 1110.

For more information and to view all your eligible benefits Visit naj.co.uk/benefits

Email membership@naj.co.uk Call 0121 237 1110

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22

Advertorial

The Jeweller

Doing the Continental C

ontinental Jewellery has always been an imposing presence at all the key UK trade shows – the Hong Kong-based diamond jewellery manufacturer was often centre stage and always a busy hub of buying activity. In the last few years however, things had seemed to go a little quiet – with marketing and trade event attendance on hold, the perception was that Continental was keeping a low profile.

Which goes to show that perceptions, like looks, can be deceiving. Things at Continental UK’s HQ were far from quiet – they were just changing. And for the better.

In November 2018, Continental acquired the UK-based fine jewellery manufacturer and distributor, Lawrence Blunt Limited, leading to a merger between its UK division, Continental Jewellery (UK), and Lawrence Blunt. The result was a new Continental Jewellery UK business.

The move allowed the company to provide additional benefits to both existing and new customers by offering extensive design and a broader array of products and supports.

An added benefit was that the Group’s presence in the UK market was expanded and strengthened. “It has allowed both businesses in the merger to reach a far wider audience across both multiple stores and independents,” explains managing director Laurence Blunt.

Now, as we all edge further out of the quagmire that has been Covid, the time definitely feels right for Continental

Jewellery UK to step out of the shadows and ramp up its profile. As the two companies combined to become one, the time was spent adapting and evolving, to face, as it turned out, a mid- and post-Covid world.

“We launched our wholesale-only website (www.ccollection.co.uk) to help support the needs of our retailers,” explains Simon Phillips, general manager. “We are now working on making the website customerfacing, so the retailer can interact in-store with our website, in front of their customer.”

Continental UK’s new pricing system allows the customer to pay the most up-to-date price that reflects any changes in the market place. At the same time, the team has implemented processes and procedures to improve the delivery of the product… from order through to arrival in-store.

Also evolving is Continental’s jewellery offer itself – an ever-growing collection that ranges from 9ct illusion styles to diamond set platinum and 18ct gold pieces. The

team is currently creating and preparing to launch new contemporary illusion lines as well as the constantly developing C Collection range.

The 2021 collection comprises pendants, necklaces, bangles, bracelets, rings and stud, hoop and delicate drop earrings, in a variety of styles, all of which can be made in white, yellow or rose gold or platinum. Pieces featuring coloured gemstones are available set with blue sapphire, ruby or emerald – all accented with diamonds. Art Deco, Japanese blossom, bamboo forms, romance and high-octane glamour are all key sources of inspiration for the classic-with-a-twist C Collection.

Beauty and consistent top quality manufacture come together to ensure that Continental provides meaningful differentiation, giving itself and – most importantly – its jewellery retail customers, the competitive edge.

Advertorial

Autumn 2021

Meet the team Laurence Blunt, managing director, has worked in the jewellery industry for 45, having followed in his father’s footsteps.

After working for Frederick Allen Jewellers and German jewellery manufacturer Kordes & Lichtenfels, he decided to start his own company, setting up as a manufacturer and distributor in the UK. He, and his company – Lawrence Blunt – have been key industry players for over 30 years. When not at work Lawrence can be found on the golf course or spending time with family.

Simon Phillips, general manager, entered the jewellery industry at the age of 16 with his first job – working at the bench repairing and making jewellery with Zales Jewellers, at their Barnet head office. Over 13 years he transitioned from role to role, acting as senior diamond buyer, to assistant buyer across all departments of the jewellery sector.

Continental – a brief overview Continental UK is owned by Continental Holding Ltd, which is based in Hong Kong. Established over 45 years ago and with global representation, Continental is one of the largest fine jewellery suppliers in the world. It has been trading in the UK for over 30 years.

As a fully vertically integrated jewellery manufacturer, it offers services from bespoke design and core stock supply, through to repairs and resizing located in its workshop in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. All its products are hallmarked at the London Assay Office .

Manufacturing takes place at the Hong Kong HQ and the UK development team works closely with colleagues in Asia to offer the very best in design with the British customer in mind, to reflect tastes and changing fashions. This global support together with stone sourcing, alloying and gold refining allows Continental UK customers to benefit from unique designs and ranges, outstanding craftmanship and full service facilities at competitive market prices.

In 1998 Simon became Laurence Blunt’s righthand man – he continued to buy diamonds and helped to grow the company formerly known as Lawrence Blunt, over the last 23 years. An avid golfer who also occasionally enjoys boxing, Simon is currently chairman of Cuffley FC. Continental’s sales manager for the South is Nikita Hornzee, who started her career within the jewellery industry at Bellis, (once owned by Jeremy France Jewellers) in Winchester, where she was assistant manager for almost five years. At 26 she joined Clogau as area manager for the Southwest; during her six years with the company, she successfully grew her area year-on-year, and was also trusted with a larger territory. In her spare time you will find Nikita either in the gym or with her head in a book.

Oliver Crouch is sales manager for the North of England, Scotland and Ireland. He started his jewellery career in 1995 at the family business, OJS Jewellery. Learning from the ground up, he spent time at the bench to experience the whole process of jewellery manufacturing from design to finished product.

He then managed sales across the business, as well as running the retail side of OJS. Oliver joined Continental in 2013 and deals with the independent and multiple markets. He has helped grow Continental UK by over 70 per cent. He enjoys running, and organises a local children’s parkrun.

sales@continental-uk.co.uk

Introducing the new ccollection.co.uk Register to request your personal login details

23

Business Advice

24

The Jeweller

Grading by reputable laboratories boosts consumer confidence in diamonds, says David Brough

The industry’s journey towards responsible sourcing started in 2000 with the KP and in 2003 with the RJC, which accredits sustainability standards.

The Value of Certificates

Consumer confidence

I

t’s been a moot point in the past – one that has divided opinion in the trade – but there’s a growing sense today that grading certificates produced by reputable laboratories, trusted by the jewellery trade, are vital to build consumer confidence in diamond purchases.

Diamond certificates come in various shapes, sizes and guises and can perform different functions. There are certifications that provide assurances to governments and the trade, like those of the Kimberley Process (KP), which commits to removing conflict diamonds from the supply chain.

Then there are those that provide ethical and sustainability credentials, such as those of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC).

Other certificates offer grading assurance, think: those issued by GIA and IGI.

It was in 1953 that the GIA established the methods and best practices used to grade diamonds, developing the International Diamond Grading System – a common language for diamonds. The 4Cs and the GIA International Diamond Grading System provide a consistent way to describe a diamond’s characteristics. Today, these innovations have been widely adopted. The GIA Diamond Grading Report contains scientifically determined information on shape, colour, clarity, cut, carat weight, proportions and finish. It also identifies any known treatments.

Certificates are essential to boost consumer confidence, but the body issuing the grading report needs to operate according to strict laboratory standards and be transparent.

“This means there has to be an absolute disconnect between the person or company submitting the stone for grading and the person doing the evaluation, with ideally the one not knowing who the other is,” Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO, World Jewellery Confederation, says. The grader must use standard nomenclature and benchmarks, ideally as specified in the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book or ISO 24016:2020. This resource is available to NAJ members through the members area on the website.

Laboratories that maintain strict standards and internal controls enhance the reputation of the industry. “Those who do not, and even worse serve the specific marketing interests of a trader, inflating values or disregarding or concealing relevant information about a stone, not only are committing acts of deliberate deception, but are undermining the reputation of diamonds,” Cavalieri adds.

Today, it is important to identify whether a diamond is natural or laboratory grown.

If it is laboratory grown, CIBJO insists the certificate not be called a grading report because that implies there is an element of randomness and rarity.

“They should ideally be called Laboratory Grown Diamond Specification Reports, which essentially list the properties, characteristics and other important information relating to a manufactured product,” Cavalieri explains.

Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing not only where their jewellery came from, but that it also did good on its journey to them.

Images courtesy of Just Diamonds

Trust and transparency are the value of certificates, and this needs to be conveyed to the consumer, says Edward Asscher, president of the World Diamond Council.

“Consumer desire in the jewellery industry is underpinned by trust, and the consumer landscape is quickly changing. Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing not only where their jewellery came from, but that it also did good on its journey to them,” he adds.

Helen Dimmick, NAJ retail ambassador, says advising clients on diamond purchases is all about trusted authority and credibility.

“There may be a cost saving for the absence of a certificate, but independent third-party assessment, verification and grading is vital,” she says. “However, it runs deeper to ascertain where the certificate is from, ensuring credibility of origin and information detailed within.”

Business Advice

Autumn 2021

Only a small proportion of customers proactively ask about certificates, although even the majority of this group have limited understanding of the different labs and certificate/ grading report types.

In high-value jewellery auctions, a private client buying a diamond is not necessarily an expert, so it is reassuring to know the stone has been checked by an expert, explains Olivier Wagner, senior director, Sotheby’s in Geneva. “It is the same in the art market for a painting if you have a certificate from the relevant authority.

Today, with the majority of our auctions held online, it is even more important to have a certificate if you cannot see the piece first-hand.”

The UK trade Multiple retailer F Hinds considers certificated diamonds a must have and are primarily in their solitaire and engagement ring range, says Andrew Hinds, F Hinds’ director and diamond buyer. “Many of these are bought as engagement rings, but we also find our higher priced rings are bought to celebrate an anniversary, etc., by older customers who are now able to afford a more expensive ring than they were when they became engaged,” he says.

“Only a small proportion of customers proactively ask about certificates, although even the majority of this group have limited understanding of the different labs and certificate/grading report types.” F Hinds mostly uses the Birmingham Assay Office AnchorCert lab as its customers have an understanding of the independence, technical expertise and history of the assay offices.

Retail clients report that customers increasingly expect certificates for engagement rings, says Brown & Newirth managing director John Ball. “The feeling is that this has largely been driven over the past decade by the industry educating

the consumer, and consumer security, particularly for online purchasing,” he said. “Clients (retailers) regularly discuss certificates with us, especially with the emergence and growth of laboratory grown diamonds (LGDs). They are looking for reassurance and clarification wherever they can find it. We are occasionally asked about certification of multi-stone designs/bands that use melee stones.

“Certificates are a must for engagement rings. Opinion is still divided on small diamond jewellery (below 0.50-ct), including earrings and pendants, although we are asked to certificate these more and more.”

Gemmological laboratories provide grading services due to expectations from consumers that higher value diamonds will be accompanied by a certification covering the 4Cs, says Iris Van der Veken, executive director of the London-based RJC. “Consumers who purchase a higher value diamond without a grading report are taking a risk that the diamond may not meet the sellers’ description,” she adds. Fraudulent falsification of certificates should be met with the full force of the law. “There is an increasing risk that laboratory grown diamonds are issued a fraudulent certificate purporting that the diamond is natural.

“As LGD manufacturing increases and LGD costs decrease, the risk of LGDs being sold as natural diamonds becomes more serious.

Therefore, the jewellery industry must be more vigilant and take robust measures to ensure that all jewellery is accurately and truthfully described. If jewellery consumers lose trust in our products – especially diamonds – the whole industry is threatened. And that threat affects the supply chain and the millions of people who

earn their living from mining, cutting and polishing and jewellery manufacturing.”

Hatton Garden-based diamond jewellery supplier Andre Michael offers retail customers the option of certified diamonds using GIA and IGI. However, demand for this is quite limited from customers, says director Himanshu Shah. “They find it hard to compete with the internet companies, and therefore are unwilling to invest. They are happy to buy if they have an enquiry, but not for stock.”

Certified goods are a must have for the majority of customers, especially where the budget is over £1,000 at retail, says Dinesh Parekh, director of Birminghambased supplier Just Diamonds. “Many retail customers are doing their homework before buying, and GIA is by far the most popular laboratory. Certified diamonds and jewellery are requested for the most part when it comes to engagement rings. But our core range of non-certified diamond jewellery has done extremely well, generally at a lower price point under £1,000.”

In conclusion…

The key takeaways from the discussion over certified versus uncertified diamonds are: For higher value jewellery, such as engagement rings, certification is strongly recommended and must be provided by a reputable laboratory.

For low value jewellery, certification may not be required, but the consumer does not have a guarantee over what they are buying, such as risks that non-disclosed LGDs could be present in the goods. Buyer beware!

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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.

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Industry News

Autumn 2021

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Embrace Link Bracelet Soleil Pendant Marquise Bandeau Ring Dancing Twist Hoops

Natural Diamond Council unveils Diamond Jewellery Collection and a new inclusive training academy.

British jeweller Roxanne Rajcoomar-Hadden (RRH) and the NDC have launched RHH Diamond Academy, a mentoring and networking programme developed to help 10 talented emerging designers from diverse backgrounds break into the fine jewellery industry.

Evaluating the applicants were Roxanne Rajcoomar-Hadden; Melanie Grant, Luxury Editor, The Economist 1843; Rachel Garrahan, Jewellery Editor, British Vogue; Annabel Davidson, Jewellery Editor, Vanity Fair and Raluca Anghel, Head of External Affairs and Industry Relations at NDC. During this autumn’s 10-day programme, the designers will hear from industry experts covering everything from how to build a brand and navigate the design

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The NDC launches training to help jewellery designers from diverse backgrounds enter the fine jewellery industry

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process to how to ethically source materials, manage the manufacturing process and run a successful PR and marketing campaign.

The course will nurture talent and offer unique access to invaluable education, contacts and resources to arm the designers with the necessary knowledge to launch careers in an industry where they may have faced challenges getting their talent noticed.

It will feature daily mentorship from leading figures in the world of jewellery.

The Natural Diamond Council has launched an 11-piece jewellery collection, designed

by New York jewellery designer Malyia McNaughton, which is immediately available for manufacturers and retailers to adapt, produce and buy for autumn and the 2021 holidays.

Having signed for another year of NDC partnership, actress Ana de Armas will wear the pieces for the NDC’s next global For Moments Like No Other advertising campaign, which is inspired by the Love Life manifesto, an ode to the role of natural diamonds in creating new memories in a post-pandemic world.

The jewellery was inspired by the NDC’s Autumn 2021 trends, heavy metal chains, gender free and marquise cuts, among others, while maintaining the Love Life essence. To “further the natural diamond dream,” this campaign inspires manufacturers and retailers to use the commercial opportunity and adapt, produce and stock the IP-protected designs for natural diamond exclusivity in alignment with the campaign’s release.

difficult to break into the diamond industry.

Through this programme, we want to ensure that designers with talent and drive, from all backgrounds, can pursue their dreams without obstacles. We are really looking forward to seeing the talent that comes through and hope to help launch the careers of the next superstar diamond jewellers.”

Roxanne Rajcoomar-Hadden says: “Starting a career in the fine jewellery industry was a challenging journey with many hurdles.

With very little representation in the industry, I struggled to see where I fitted in.

I strongly believe the fine jewellery category needs to look for more talent from diverse backgrounds to drive a new creative vision in the designs we are seeing. I am looking forward to sharing all I have learnt on my own journey.”

Lisa Levinson, Head of Marketing and Communications UK, NDC adds: “It can be

Roxanne Rajcoomar-Hadden

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The Jeweller

Introduced last year as part of the NAJ’s targeted consumer PR campaign, here is another curated edit of beautiful jewellery – 22 pieces… inspiration for now, the festive season and 2022. Editor Belinda Morris launches the latest list of love.

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01 Deakin & Francis Signet rings never went away, but now they’re a hot trend. We love that Birmingham maker Deakin & Francis uses Single Mine Origin certified gold for all its signet rings. That’s gold produced by a legitimate mining operation with no links to conflict, where miners are paid a just wage under secure employment. ‘Good as gold’ is just that in this case.

Autumn 2021

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ather than (selfishly) draw up my own wish list of jewellery (in plenty of time for Christmas), I decided to seek the valued opinion of three industry colleagues with taste and know-how: Helen Dimmick, The Jewel Matcher; Peter Crump, chairman of the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council and MD of Vipa Designs; and Lindsey Straughton, NAJ head of communication.

What, I wanted to know, are the important directions, the strong looks, the key pieces we want right now but will still love tomorrow… and the next day. My elite panellists weren’t backward in coming forward with recommendations for my (long) short list. Bespoke was high on everyone’s list.

So was sustainability – ‘reuse, recycle and rework’ is the mantra du jour.

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02 MD Jewellers, Grantham

03 Ungar & Ungar

Be Zoom-ready in this stunning pre-loved Edwardian brooch – it ticks so many trend boxes. In 18ct yellow gold and silver topped set with a total of about 3ct of old cut diamonds, it screams quality. Its star shape is so on point, and with its converter, it’s multi-functional: it works beautifully as a pendant, too.

If you like, you can think of it as royal inspiration: classic rings with coloured gemstones nestling among little diamonds.

It might be a blue sapphire, aquamarine or padparadscha sapphire. In this case, it’s a bold tsavorite in a gorgeous vintage-style ring – fit for royalty but with ‘me’ written all over it.

But what about the details? you ask.

What do we, will we want to wear?

Coloured gemstones, forms from nature, black pearls and opals made it on to the list. So did charms, lockets, talismanic motifs, birthstone jewellery and friendship pieces – the past 18 months has seen us focus on connectedness and sentiment. And as we feel that Zoom (other meeting platforms are available) is going nowhere – statement earrings and brooches have great screen appeal.

04 Ntinga Initial pendants are definitely a thing (to give or keep all for yourself). But in keeping with a growing interest in all things precious, we think a generous sprinkling of diamonds is in order. Fancy Alphabetti Confetti.

Now read on to see what else we love and why… all created by or sold through NAJ members.

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05 Pomegranate Statement earrings really stand out on screen. There are so many to choose from, but these moonstone and labradorite chain link chandelier beauties bring the pazazz in a subtle way… if you know what I mean.

06 Corrao Nailing a growing desire for premium fine jewellery, plus the love of beautiful colours, these neat-yet-vibrant 18ct gold and platinum eternity rings stun with precious gemstones.

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07 Andre Michael If you’re a ‘say it with diamonds’ kind of person, you might prefer to express yourself with this look-at-me finger candy. From a collection of pretty fancy pavé diamond rings, it sparkles, it has impact and brings a lot of bling for your buck. Dramatic hand gestures required for this one.

08 Alison Moore Jewellery featuring birthstones is perennially popular, and particularly pertinent right now. Alison Moore’s Nebula gold rings are a great example and stack beautifully to mash up birthstones of several loved ones.

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Trends

Autumn 2021

09 Alex Monroe

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The natural world is a constant source of inspiration, and few capture it more appealingly than Alex Monroe. He’s definitely a go-to designer for bee jewellery, but we also love his new Fables Collection featuring all manner of flora and fauna: hares, howling dogs, cockerels…

10 Sheldon Bloomfield Whether you want to celebrate a rainbow – symbolising hope, peace and equality – or you simply love bright colours, this brilliant circle pendant set with multi-hued sapphires is rocking it.

11 Tateossian We’re in the mood for magic and mysticism currently, and for jewellery this can translate into many different talismanic forms, from evil eye motifs to amulet symbols and objects. Believe or don’t believe – Tateossian’s gold-plated steel Protective Amulet pieces look cool either way.

12 Mishanto The desire to connect has become stronger than ever in the past 18 months and jewellery has proved the perfect symbol of friendship. Mishanto’s friendship bracelets, with 18ct gold details, are in the new pentagonal collection, which taps into the symbolism of five – health and love among many other things.

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The Jeweller

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The Engravers Guild of London has launched Lovelox, a new collection of lockets in precious metals, in different designs.

They’re a perfect way to capture memories and keep loved ones close to your heart. And if you want to be totally on trend, you can also keep them close to your solar plexus… by wearing them on a long chain, as 13a Lime Tree Design’s necklace demonstrates.

14 Ingle & Rhode Attracted by traceable and ethically sourced gems and Fairtrade or recycled metals, for many, ethical credentials drive jewellery choices. Ingle & Rhode “create one-of-a-kind jewellery the wearer can feel really good about” – like this pretty diamond and ruby trilogy ring.

15 Lime Tree Designs Classic jewellery – like charm bracelets, chains with T-bars, tennis bracelets, chunky curb chains – is a thing. We like this particular thing: a sterling-silver chain bracelet with T-bar fastening and St Christopher medallion (but you could choose a star or a sunburst if that's more you).

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16 Sif Jakobs

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Every now and again, I like to go over to the dark side, and while Sif Jakobs’ autumn collection is brimming with bright colours, delicate sparkles, charms and chains, I’m drawn to the moody glimmer of black stones.

With gold. Take this Ellera Uno Black ring (there are hoops, too). Yes, please!

17 Sonkai, Norwich Both online and face-to-face in-store, bespoke service has become an increasingly important element in the repertoire of very many NAJ jewellery retail members. We applaud this trend. Sonkai, like many others, is very happy to use the customers’ own stones or metals in the design.

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18 Anuka If you like your jewellery to tick plenty of ethical boxes and you love simple, clean lines, seek out Anuka, by Francesca Kippax.

Transparency is at the heart of her business, which makes jewellery in recycled silver and Fairmined gold, uses Provenance block chain technology and sources diamonds and gemstones back to the mines.

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19 London Pearl What’s not to love about a classical string of pearls? But why stop there when this gorgeous organic gem has so much more to offer, playing a central role in unusual designs. Choose a Tahitian black pearl (which can often have green, blue or aubergine tones) and you can marry simplicity with drama – as in these fabulous earrings with diamonds.

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20 CW Sellors

21 Diana Porter, Bristol

22 Charlotte Cornelius

Flashing myriad intense colours, opals come in so many guises, making them a gift to jewellery designers. This stunning abstractshaped pendant features an organic, unique hand-carved opal gemstone in an 18ct yellow gold wire frame. Think contemporary luxe, but CW Sellors has a great range of opal jewellery to suit all pockets.

A diamond doesn’t have to be crystal clear and brilliantly sparkly – there are those who like their stones with character and imperfections. At Diana Porter, they describe it as ‘rough-luxe’… which we like. They chose their rose-cut diamonds for their exceptional hues and unusual cuts, sourced from the Jwaneng Mine in Botswana and crafted from 18ct Fairtrade gold. Two boxes ticked.

Reuse, recycle, remodel – it’s the most personal service of transforming inherited and old jewellery into new one-of-a-kind pieces that capture memories and emotions. It’s also a double whammy because it means zero waste – a very beautiful example of a circular economy.

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Industry News

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Drutis Jewellery

Reframed

Hestia-Jewels

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India Mahon

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Industry News

Autumn 2021

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Ruby Taglight

jewellery doyennes (to be confirmed). It will also showcase its grass-green peridot and jewellery from recent designer collaborations, including collections by Annoushka, Zeemou Zeng and Liv Luttrell.

Fuli Gemstones chief marketing officer Pia Tonna said: “After a stop-start year, we at Fuli Gemstones are excited at the prospect that The Jewellery Cut Live will be back this autumn. Personally, I can imagine all the designers participating this year will be full of hope at the prospect of meeting old and new clients in a luxury atmosphere once more. We can’t wait to see the show come to fruition; it will be wonderful to finally see the creations of designers up close, rather than through a Zoom call.”

The Jewellery Cut Live, in association with Fuli Gemstones, will return to the Royal Institution on October 15th and 16th, 2021 – its first physical event since lockdown eased.

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eturning for its fifth season, the biannual two-day boutique jewellery show will take over historic London venue The Royal Institution on Mayfair’s Albermarle Street. Visitors – a mix of shoppers, store buyers, press and jewellery enthusiasts – will browse and buy fine jewellery from a cohort of contemporary designers.

Designers confirmed to exhibit at the event, include Alison Macleod, Baroque Rocks, Clio Saskia, Deborah Blyth, Dementiev Fine Jewellery, Drutis, Hestia, India Mahon, Kassandra Lauren Gordon, Libby Rak, Noor Shamma, Marie Mas, Pearly Hawker, Reframed Jewelry, Ruby Taglight and The Rock Hound. (Further names to be

announced.) Visitors to the show can meet the designers, browse their jewellery, plan commissions and buy pieces at the event.

The Jewellery Cut co-founder Rachael Taylor said: “We are beyond thrilled to be planning our next show, after having to put our live events on hold since the last The Jewellery Cut Live in February 2020.

We have a brilliant line up of jewellers for the 2021 show. Some will be familiar to our regular visitors, while others are new names to discover – something that has always been a cornerstone of our events.

Demand for fine jewellery – particularly in the designer-maker category – has been strong throughout the pandemic, driven by online sales, and as a result we expect to see a strong visitor turnout in October thanks to a pent-up desire to see jewels in real life once again.”

For the first time, the show has a headline sponsor in Fuli Gemstones, a company with the mining licence for a peridot mine in the foothills of the Changbai Mountains in China. Fuli Gemstones will have a prominent presence at the show and will host a peridot talk led by two

Tickets booked in advance through Eventbrite are free; on the door, they are £10.

Guests can upgrade to a VIP ticket, which includes a glass of wine and goody bag (from £15) or a AAA Pass (from £100), which as well as all the benefits of the VIP ticket has complimentary tea and coffee both days, access to the invite-only VIP party and unlimited entry to the event’s series of lectures (charged separately, from £10).

Alison Macleod

Libby Rak

Clio Saskia

Baroque Rocks

The Rock Hound

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A Trusted Resource for Jewellers

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Trends

Autumn 2021

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In with the New – Collections Preview 21 22 01

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And we’re off! It’s the start of a new season and whether or not trade fairs are in full swing, and whether or not you’re ready to venture out, the jewellery world is still turning. Joyously.

Diamond & Bridal Jewellery 01 Gemex The Trilogy ring collection offers a wide choice of cut, including cushion, oval centre with pear sides and emerald centre with tapered baguette sides. Raphael collection diamonds give a minimum standard of F/G colour and VS clarity; each ring has maximum fire and brilliance.

Choose from over 3,000 GIA certificated diamonds in stock for next day delivery.

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Andre Michael

The Andre Michael fine diamond jewellery brand has seen strong orders for its latest range of multi-pavé rings because they are “superb value for money and there are few companies supplying such fancy rings – those that do offer them are considerably more expensive.”

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Hockley Mint

The capsule collection of Hockley Mint’s most popular halo design rings feature centre stones of sizes ranging from 25 point to a carat, with a variety of shapes, including pear, marquise, round, princess and cushion. White, yellow, rose gold and platinum wedding rings come in nine profile shapes, a choice of three weights, widths from 2mm-8mm held in stock.

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Andrew Geoghegan

A bespoke commission inspired the Maja (meaning ‘mother’) bridal ring. Strong yet elegant, it shows a synergy between classic, high detail and high luxury. The ring’s simple, perfectly executed top view allows the 1ct D Flawless Type 2a diamond to present itself while micro set edge diamonds lead the eye to the dynamic claws and centre stone.

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The Jeweller

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Diamond & Bridal Jewellery Continued 05

Brown & Newirth

Perfect for large/problem knuckles: the Evolution Collection. Three neat, ergonomic springs (patent pending) disappear into the ring’s body as it slides over the knuckle, reappearing for a comfortable fit to the base of the finger, allowing for adjustment up to four full sizes. Available in 1ct, 1.5ct and 2ct across all 18ct gold and platinum.

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Flora Bhattachary

British designer Flora launches her latest engagement and wedding rings this autumn.

Inspired by the twisting handle of an ivory fan in the V&A, the Chauri Collection designs include a series of rings in recycled 14ct gold with a twist in their bands and set with pale oceancoloured Madagascan sapphires. The Chauri is a ceremonial fan used to purify and spread good vibrations and light into the world.

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Emerald cuts 1.50cts DVS2. Tankel reports an exceptionally strong demand for three-stone rings with emerald cuts. Total diamond weights from 0.80cts to 4.00cts. The ring is available in platinum and 18ct gold.

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Gold Jewellery 08 FOPE The new collection’s highlight is Essentials, 18ct gold rings and earrings inspired by the Novecento mesh chain and designed to match all other FOPE creations. The pieces can be worn alone or stacked, with three sizes of classic hoops and new Flex’it mesh earrings in gold with diamonds. This season also welcomes the Eka Tiny and New Vendome lines, with a dedicated men’s line coming soon.

09 Bering Luis & Freya by German brand Bering gives customers up to 50 words to embed in a piece of 18ct gold, silver or platinum jewellery.

This new personalised jewellery, handmade in Germany, is created by 3D printing, each unique design eternalising memories and conveying messages.

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Sheldon Bloomfield

In response to an increase in demand, Sheldon Bloomfield is creating many more yellow gold pieces, especially all-diamond designs. Multisapphire looks remain strong, so the team has made new pieces ready for Christmas sales.

Meanwhile, Sheldon continues to design oneoff rings – simple but classic pieces.

Mark Milton

The new Inspirations Collection includes Bones – solid plain and diamond set boneshaped rings. Full eternity style, they stack in any combination of red/white and yellow gold, plain or diamond set and come with matching earrings and solid bangles. Also in the collection: new pearl hoops, rope-look earrings and a new set of diamond 9ct and 18ct jewellery.

Trends

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Silver Jewellery 12

Heaven Sent celebrates women’s innate strength and energy. The moon is the central motif – a feminine symbol representing the rhythm of time as it passes through its cycle – with the sun as a symbol of power and energy.

In sterling silver and 18ct gold-plated silver, with a black rhodium face, the pieces are set with citrines.

Christin Ranger

14 Mirabelle The Crystal Cave Collection shares a desire to return to simplicity and be closer to nature through the use of pebbles and raw gemstones.

Designer Veronique Henry feels this past year has provided her with the inspiration to “do something closer to nature, offering simplicity and affordable jewellery for everyone who loves minerals.”

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Sarah Alexander

Mixed metals, engraving and moulding effects combine for natural, organic looks inspired by colours and textures in nature, creating statement earrings, necklace layering and bold pieces. Rare and unusual gemstones feature, such as cabochon polished and flat cut coral fossil stones, polished orange moonstone, white howlite and tourmaline turquoise.

Sif Jakobs

The Belluno Collection is for women wanting classic hero pieces with extra sparkle. The line – in gold plated silver or sterling silver, set with CZ stones – consists of three styles of stackable rings, two chain necklaces and earrings, from small hoops to studs with three or four stones.

Ti Sento - Milano

Autumn/winter’s launch is all about going out, creating good memories and wearing statement, celebratory jewellery pieces.

Timeless Energy, Starry Universe and Out Doors (shown here) incorporate strong colours with sterling silver 18ct yellow-gold plated never-ending chains and rectangular locket shapes.

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Silver Jewellery Continued

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17 Tiafi Tiafi Jewellery launched with its debut Friendship Collection. Handcrafted in the UK, each piece uses high-quality recycled sterling silver and 18k gold vermeil, with prices starting from £45 for pendants, bracelets and studs, and from £75 for statement signet rings. The concept is simple but clever – the raised Me charm connects with the indented You charm, like they’re having a big hug!

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VIXI Jewellery

Influenced by the ocean’s swirls and with a focus on sustainability, the Thalassa Collection takes its name from Thalassa, the Greek goddess, a sea spirit. In recycled silver or gold vermeil, the pendants, necklaces, bangles and bracelets are personalised with letters, numbers or symbols. A percentage of profits go to the Marine Conservation Society, while packaging is recycled and recyclable.

19 codebyEdge As weddings return, codebyEdge focuses on love and bridal beauty with the Aquafiore and Love collections. Aquafiore’s celebration of something blue shares necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings in hydrothermal topaz and aquamarines in shades of blue, handset in upcycled silver or gold. Gold Love features morse-coded messages of love spelt in diamonds.

Tateossian Women

The Geode Collection features natural geodes in an array of colours with detailed back, while hand-finished claws reveal the stones’ inner beauty. The geodes are from Tabasco, Mexico, and each stone is individual – no pair will be the same. The earrings and necklaces come in two-micron rose gold- or rhodiumplated sterling silver.

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Sheila Fleet

Honeybee by Sheila Fleet is a collection that takes its cue from nature. Inspired by the hexagon forms of the honeycomb, Sheila created a contemporary design featuring textured, sterling silver hexagon links adorned with 9ct yellow gold honey bees.

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Unique & Co

Unique & Co is expanding its product styles to focus on colour and craftsmanship using gemstones. The mix of mother-of-pearl, malachite, amazonite, lapis lazuli and turquoise inject a subtle use of colour into the main range and combine with silver or 18ct yellow or rose gold plating for everyday pieces.

23 LucyQ Evolving from Lucy’s geometric style, the Melody Collection harmonises design and composition through musical notes.

Independent keys are handset with white topaz to reflect the rhythm of each beat to form a sequence of notes. Meanwhile, the delicate Skinny Drop continues the Drop Collection and is handset with white topaz for an impression of fluid drops captured live in motion.

Created by us.

Curated by you.

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The Jeweller

Coloured Gemstone Jewellery 24

LBJ Jewellery

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The new Annabelle collection comprises pieces in silver – with gold plating as an option – all set with coloured stones: rough amethyst, labradorite, blue topaz, peridot, moonstone, pearl, lapis and kyanite. In line with current trends, the collection, already live on LBJ’s website, features modern geometric and unusual designs.

Tivon Fine Jewellery

As the market returns to fine jewellery, affordable luxury – especially high-quality pieces at affordable price levels – is allimportant. The new Classics collection incorporates more inexpensive gemstones, like blue topaz and amethyst, for timeless, proven styles and at great price points. All have been created in 18ct gold with Tivongrade cutting and purity.

25 Pomegranate The new collection of luscious, one-of-a-kind earrings features lots of bold, interestingly cut gemstones, such as these Harlequin drop earrings set with amethyst, blue topaz and pink tourmaline. Carved fluorite, chrysoprase, moonstone, rose quartz, green amethyst and labradorite also feature in different designs.

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Ungar & Ungar

Renowned for its collection of vintage-style fine jewellery, Ungar & Ungar continues to offer beautiful statement pieces, with an emphasis on coloured gemstones. This Art Deco-inspired bespoke cocktail ring features an amethyst and French cut ruby.

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PJ Watson

PJ Watson has seen a strong demand for fine quality coloured gem set pieces especially in the classic styles with sapphires, rubies and emeralds.

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29 Mishanto

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The shape of Mishanto’s Talya range of pentagon coloured gemstones is the foundation for the new Pentagonal range.

The range is scalable – the heads of the 14ct gold rings come in two sizes and are stackable. The centre stones can be clusters of precious stones and diamonds or individual gemstones. Also in the line are stud earrings and friendship-style bracelets.

Timeless Rosabella 18ct gold and diamond earrings, neckwear and wristwear has had an update. Coloured stones are key with five diamond and gemstone suites and several tennis bracelets. Blue sapphire, emerald or ruby accents complement diamonds while design elements include classic fine lines, alternating stones, trilogy accents and quatrefoil details.

Domino Jewellery

30 Ntinga This season Ntinga has introduced step cut gemstones in a selection of elegant cocktail rings, featuring pink and mauve morganite among others. Also, to mark the company’s 15-year anniversary, the Reflections collection reinterprets the birthstone range with pearshaped stones.

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Autumn 2021

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Lido Collection

A key new story comprises a selection of pieces perfect for layering in both silver and gold plated. The designs, which feature coin pearls, are relaxed and contemporary.

Another story used amazing large baroque pearls (12-15 mm), for on trend long and short pieces.

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Lustrous Jewellery

Lustrous jewellery's new Popping Colour collection adds rainbow-coloured glass beads to natural baroque pearls and makes baroque pearl jewellery more fun than ever.

Together with necklaces and bracelets, the earrings are versatile enough to be worn at all times.

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Matt Aminoff

The Everyday Collection features sets of earrings, pendants and rings in 18ct yellow, white and rose gold. Each themed set combines gem quality Akoya pearls with diamonds in unique designs inspired by contemporary jewellery trends. In a midprice range and a small to medium size, each piece has an RRP under £800 and is designed for daily use.

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Yoko London

Luxury pearl jeweller Yoko London launches Moonlight. Capturing the beauty of the night sky, illuminated by twinkling stars and the pearly moon, it comprises delicate layered necklaces featuring Akoya pearls and diamonds. This collection enables the wearer to achieve this elegant layered look without having to style multiple necklaces on top of one another.

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Brigitte Adolph

Proving popular as an eccentric engagement ring is this from Brigitte’s 2021 collection. In warm gold with a champagne-coloured diamond, the delicate lace style is from the Carmina collection, which also features stud earrings as well as striking statement earrings. The pieces are also available in silver.

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Doing RIGHT

Doing WELL

Doing GOOD

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The Better Business Support Service is powered by Quest Business Services Ltd

Trends

Autumn 2021

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Designers Continued

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Shaun Leane

Celebrating 22 years of fine jewellery, the House of Leane introduces the new Sabre Deco collection, fusing sharp lines with architectural blocking. The Sabre, a singular line on a curve (Leane’s signature) now incorporates high-contrast materials – silver, gold vermeil, black ceramic inlay and precious stones. High jewellery Sabre Deco is also available in 18ct gold.

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Zeemou Zeng

The new Art of Travel fine jewellery collection celebrates freedom, independence, dreams, love and hope and showcases Zeemou’s love of geometry, colour, texture and movement.

Travel icons include a watch that forgot the time, a bottle of peridot perfume and a suitcase and handbag filled with gems. This collection features octagon-cut AAA quality peridots.

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Barbora Rybarova

Nature Goddess comprises jewels in silver and 18ct gold with dendritic agate and white or champagne diamonds. From Artemis to Devana, the nature deities of various cultures and mythologies recall the beauty and magic of the natural world. The Artemis necklace features dendritic agate on mother of pearl. In silver and gold, a champagne diamond is set on a front T-bar clasp.

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Cara Tonkin

In the new Demeter collection, the textures and shapes of wheat become interlinking wreaths and tasselled sheaves. A symbol of fertility of the earth, renewal, rebirth and abundance, the Greek goddess of the harvest, Demeter, is muse for a collection inspired by the subtle beauties of nature.

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Claire Troughton

Daily lockdown walks on the Duke of Westminster's estate in Chester – many hours spent watching the birds make their nests and the trees come into bud then flower – inspired the Woodland Walks collection.

Most pieces use real hawthorn twigs castings embellished with gold-plated flowers or 9ct buds set with salt and pepper diamonds.

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Tomasz Donocik

Moderne Bridal, Tomasz’s first bridal line, inspired by early 20th century and Art Deco modernity, echoes the streamlined elegance of previous collections. Geometric lines of the period’s architecture mixes with the chic glamor of the Roaring ‘20s. Baguette-cut diamonds, with Asscher cut diamonds as hero centre stones sit on 18ct gold or platinum rings.

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Bello Creations

Water ripples capturing a gentle, peaceful and beautiful flow of energy inspired the new Ondaa collection. Bangles and earrings are in sterling silver or gold vermeil, plain or set with gemstones such as blue topaz, peridot, pink tourmaline and rhodolite garnet.

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The Jeweller

Fashion & Men’s Jewellery 44

Franck Herval

From the all-new 2021 collection that is all about colour, mixed materials and exuberance, these pieces in the Scarlett range revolve around shell.

Various styles and influences are explored across all 14 lines.

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Yaa Yaa London

The Quietly Confident Collection encourages the customer to “own the freedom to stand out elegantly.” Presented in four colours – pink, blue, white and green agate – the handmade earrings are an everyday version of a statement earring.

And note that each pair are “sisters, not twins.”

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Coeur Du Lion

Handmade in the brand’s studio in Stuttgart, Germany, each piece of jewellery comes with a stainless steel quality seal, in a case with a certificate of authenticity. The colours of nature, whether the brightest, the softest or the most muted inspired the autumn/winter collection.

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Fred Bennett by Gecko

A whole new look this season features sterling silver, stainless steel, engravable lines and a sleek Reborn collection, which includes six recycled leather bracelets, marking a huge leap – it’s the first time the range has included recycled materials. The bracelets are still strong and durable as well as stylish, while also helping the planet! Each bracelet comes with a branded pouch made of recycled plastic bottles.

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Anchor & Crew

The Skipper Collection includes 10 new chain bracelets, while modern-minimalist Harbour joins the rope bracelet roster. Leith, Hove and Montrose join last year’s Heysham, paving the way for the new Cullen bracelet – a layering option also in the leather range. Whether Hove is a bracelet or a bangle, its weightiness makes for quality wrist-candy!

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Unique & Co

The demand for brushed finishes sees new styles with colour-ways – perfect for layering with other items from the men’s collections. New wristwear styles feature playful colour-combining tones of brushed steel for pared back simplicity. Other styles include mechanical movement cufflinks and wood or shell inlay tungsten rings.

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Tateossian Men

The classic chain bracelet has a new twist with handpainted enamel links in the Colorama Collection, which also features other cufflink styles, pin and pendant, inspired by colour books. Tiger’s eye, ammonite fossil cufflinks, metallic recycled leather and titanium cufflinks, gold-plated chains and lapis-set silver ring and links are other highlights.

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Maker-Mends Ltd

We have the SKILLS We have the TOOLS We have the EXPERTISE We have the SYSTEMS to provide you with a FIRST CLASS SERVICE for all your Jewellery and Watch Repairs, Bespoke Jewellery, Engraving, Setting and Stone Supply.

To find out about our full range of competitively priced services and how our award winning company can support your business Call: 01268 546 546 Email: enquiries@makermends.com Visit: www.makermends.com

Service Provider for the UK’s Jewellery and Watch Industry Maker-Mends Ltd Registered Office: Aquila House, Waterloo Lane, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1BN Registered in England & Wales No. 3520552

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Trends

The Jeweller

La Crème de la Crème After 2020’s enforced break, Goldsmiths’ Hall will once again open its doors to host the spectacular Goldsmiths’ Fair.

Polly Gasston

Tomasz Donocik

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ver 130 of the best contemporary makers will showcase their work at the 2021 Goldsmiths' Fair (28th September – 12th October, 2021). Visitors can view and buy work from the UK's most innovative jewellery designers and silversmiths as well as learn about making, collecting, commissioning and the history of jewellery in a programme of talks and exhibitions. Curated by a panel of experts, Goldsmiths' Fair handpicks the finest established and emerging designer-makers working across the UK as well as highlights work by recent graduates. Alongside the physical fair, makers, whose work encompasses a huge range of styles, techniques and materials, will open their doors for virtual studio tours and demonstrations.

The event will also see an exhibition drawn from the Goldsmiths' collection, which looks at the history of the ring, focusing on the late 1950s/early ‘60s when rings became powerful, wearable sculptures for both men and women. The rings on display demonstrate the importance of the international scene at the end of the WWll in the explosion of skills and originality as well as the adoption of novel techniques and unusual or space-age materials. The exhibition showcases the work of ring masters, such as Dorothy Hogg, Wendy Ramshaw and Gerda Flockinger, and ends with a display of work by groundbreaking contemporary designers.

Nature and the natural world has always been a source of inspiration for artists and makers and, in 2021, many jewellers and silversmiths are taking an even closer look at their environment. Fine jewellers like Ami Pepper and Ruth Tomlinson will present collections inspired by underwater worlds and sea creatures, for instance.

Sarah Pulvertaft

Bright uplifting colours and a playful humour are emerging trends for 2021, with makers creating Love Heart sweet necklaces and work inspired by children’s games and cracker toys. Isla Gilham will display her vivid Bitten collection, which features luscious jewels that appear to have been bitten into. Inspired by the kinetic work of the 1960s, Sarah Pulvertaft’s earrings are made of tiny blocks of precious metal that undulate as the wearer moves, while Tomasz Donocik’s striking Art Deco collection mixes opaque and translucent stones with deep saturated colour.

Sustainability and the reimagining of existing pieces are currently important themes – the Fair also explores the growing trend to rediscover old jewellery and upcycle items into new and wearable pieces.

Flora Bhattachary

For more details visit: www.goldsmithsfair.co.uk

Trends Ruth Leslie

Disa Alssopp

Maria Frantzi

Gearry Suen Francesca Marcenaro

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The Jeweller

Ami Pepper

Ruth Tomlinson

Yumiko Iijima

Isla Gilham

History of the Ring exhibition

Friedrich Becker

John Donald

Arthur King

18ct gold, rose quartz, amethyst and rock crystal c1958

Drum ring, 14ct gold and diamonds 1963

18ct gold, uncut emeralds diamonds c1962

Autumn 2021

Bespoke & Readymade NAJ News 53 Leather Jewellery Packaging

*All pieces are handmade

www.thejewellersboxcompany.com info@thejewellersboxcompany.com | +44 (0) 207 391 9991

The Jeweller's Box Company

The Jeweller

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It’s About Time A round-up of new timepiece releases

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Watch News

Autumn 2021

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01 Raymond Weil 08

Raymond Weil’s fourth maestro, The Beatles timepiece collection is the ‘Let It Be’ edition – a 4mm stainless steel-cased watch, inspired by the band’s last album in 1970.

A cut-out reveals the skeleton movement, while the rose gold plated hands contrast with the anthracite dial. The light brown nubuck-effect strap is in FSC-certified vegan material.

09 Bucherer Bucherer BLUE has created a collection in cooperation with renowned watchmakers, each featuring blue accents and an innovative character. This Manero AutoDate watch by Carl F Bucherer combines mechanical excellence with elegance – 12 blue sapphire shimmer on the mother-ofpearl dial, complemented by matte blue hands and a midnight blue satin strap.

02 Panerai The modern Panerai watch began in 1936 with the Radiomir, an instrument devised to support marine missions. The same year, the Eilean yacht was built in Scotland, to be bought and restored by Panerai in 2006.

The Radomir Eilean 45mm watch brings together the lineage of two iconic designs, with proportions and features inspired by both – from the surface of the dial (like a teak deck) to vintage-style hands.

03 Mühle-Glashütte With a black design for men, pastel shades for women and intricate mechanics for all wearers, Mühle-Glashütte is adding four new models to its Teutonia IV family. It is also exploring new dimensions with its Teutonia IV Chronograph, the smallest chronograph in the Mühle collection with a diameter of 39mm.

04 Bauhaus A new model from Bauhaus combines the minimalist aesthetic with the technical refinement of a power reserve display. The dark green sunburst dial, two-tone hands, rounded polished steel case and handmade Italian, corn colour leather strap create a look of quality and elegance.

07 Bremont

10 Obaku

The decade-long partnership between Bremont and British aviation company Martin-Baker continues with the MB Savanna, now in grade 5 titanium. The tactile matt effect across the 43mm lightweight watch satisfies both aesthetic and practical considerations. These features include an anti-reflective protective case surface treatment, advanced ruthenium plated skeletonised rotor and a new military colour palette.

Created with sustainability in mind, the Danish brand’s new Kaffe collection has a 34mm dial created from recycled coffee grounds … making each one unique in its structure and look. The vegan strap is made of apple peel. The four new colourways for this series are: (misty grey) Fog, Chocolate, Macadamia and Coconut. Also new is Oktant, an ultra-slim octagonal watch in four colours, two sizes and with a mesh strap.

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08 Blancpain This tribute to the Fifty Fathoms No Rad watch revisits the mid-’60s model (no radium used for the luminescence) that inspired it. Its matt deep black dial features geometrical hour markers, combining traditional round dots as well as rectangles and a diamond-shaped mark at 12 o'clock.

The ‘no radiations’ logo remains the dominant element on the dial.

For the first time, Maurice Lacroix presents the Master Grand Date Only Watch 2021.

An example of its successful AIKON collection in carbon fibre: a lightweight, contemporary-looking watch. The openworked area of the dial reveals the screwed balance, hairspring, pallet lever and escape wheel in motion. The automatic ML331 calibre movement features 43 jewels and a power-reserve of 50 hours.

05 Briston The new Streamliner Furtive models centre on the 42mm steel case, finished with a black or khaki PVD-treated coating. Their complex dials comprise three superimposed layers, while the delicate dial has skeleton hands in khaki or matte black PVD, with inserts in white or natural Super-LumiNova®.

06 Sternglas Distributed in the UK and Ireland by Tick Tock Depot, Sternglas is a young German watch brand, founded through crowdfunding five years ago and now selling to high street jewellers across Germany. Influenced aesthetically and mindfully by Bauhaus, the brand’s aim is to bring quality design and manufacture at a fair price. Watches that belong on the wrist, not in a safe.

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12 Hamilton

14 Bell & Ross

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Designed with pilots in mind and built for adventure, the Khaki Aviation X-Wind Automatic Chronograph has a bold new guise, with camouflage patterns and new colour variants for the dial, strap and case.

The pilot’s chronograph has had a rethink with an inner rotating bezel to display crosswind and drift angle calculations, with pushers for chrono operations moved to the left side. Two styles are available, both with rough, high-tech fabric straps.

With a passion for military history, Bell & Ross has made aviation, especially aeronautical instruments, its main specialty. The French Air & Space Force has chosen the brand as the official watchmaking partner of the Patrouille de France, its aerobatic display team. The pilots worked closely with Bell & Ross on the adapted ceramic chronograph, which has a mechanical movement and automatic winding. The watch is also available to the public.

Casio has released the A100WEPC, a collaboration model featuring the iconic PAC-MAN game and based on the recent reissue of the F-100 digital watch, originally released in 1978. The watch face features colourful pixelated PAC-MAN and ghost characters and the ILLUMINATOR logo uses the PAC-MAN font. The gold-plated watch case is inspired by the colour of the arcade game cabinet.

13 A. Lange & Söhne To mark its 20th birthday, the Langematik Perpetual, with its outsize date display, white gold or pink gold, both combined with a blue dial, each in a 50-watch limited edition run. The dials are made of solid silver, and on the white gold version, the Roman numerals, hands, appliques and lunar disc are made of rhodiumed gold.

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15 Hublot New to the Big Bang series is the Integral Tourbillon High Jewellery White Gold Rainbow. It rejoices in 484 baguette-cut coloured gemstones totalling 35.9cts: rubies, pink sapphires, amethysts, blue sapphires, tsavorites, yellow sapphires and orange sapphires.

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Launched nearly 45 years ago, Bulgari Bulgari – known by its BB initials – has survived the decades by keeping its founding values: quintessential with its round, simple shape for a contemporary look. The double engraving on its bezel recalls Roman coins.

The watch’s versatility provides scope for various interpretations, from silver face with diamonds to total black ceramic.

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Watch News

Autumn 2021

18 Hermes

20 Tissot

22 Festina

The new Slim d’Hermès Squelette Lune joins the Slim d’Hermès family originally launched in 2015. A bead-blasted titanium case-middle is topped by a platinum bezel and a white gold crown, creating subtle light and texture effects. An open-worked double moon completes this light watch, with blue hands matching the stitching on the alligator leather strap.

Tissot’s dive watch family now has a new advanced technical version, the Seastar 2000 Professional. This high-performance watch ticks all the high performance boxes: water-resistant to 600 metres, helium valve, ISO 6425 certification, automatic calibre with long-lasting power reserve, ceramic bezel. With its wave-patterned, shaded blue dial the nautical style is uncompromising.

The Festina Group launches the Chrono Bike Connected watch, seen here with a stainless steel 45.5mm case and bracelet with camouflage PVD finish. The watch is also available in rose or yellow gold with blue PVD finish and rose gold with black.

All come in a gift box with additional camouflage rubber strap.

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21 Rado

Drawing inspiration from its boatyard location in Poole, Elliot Brown has added to its Tyneham Automatic collection.

The 41mm watch case is in 316 stainless steel and plated in a PVD bronze colour.

The bronze hands on the sunray dial are in-filled with green Super-LumiNova®.

The tumbled blue/black leather deployant strap with bronze deployant clasp complements the dial.

The newest addition to the True Square collection is Over the Abyss, a design collaboration with New Delhi artist duo Thukral and Tagra. Focussing on the relationship of individuals to their communities, the ceramic face watch features 37 hands symbolising different time zones, with two Super-LumiNova® dots indicating the local time. The dial’s rounded square shape plays homage to Rado’s iconic ‘70s shape.

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It’s About Time

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Business Advice

Autumn 2021

How to Avoid a Poor Report Our high street review demands a better retail experience, says Michael Donaldson, JBN facilitator.

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fter a year online, I’d missed my local high street and was looking forward to making more purchases, in person, in store – not that I’m about to forsake online shopping forever. It’s brilliant for replacement wheels for the dishwasher rack or gas hinges for cupboard doors or goggles for wild swimming.

Yet my post lockdown 3.0 high street experiences did little to meet my expectations, and my trips there were anything but easy and enjoyable.

After trying and failing online to find the shoes I wanted that fitted me, I went to my local shoe shop as soon as it was safe and legal to do so, to touch, feel and try on for comfort. I went to buy, not browse.

The shoes on my shortlist were either only available online or they were out of stock or in stock at their other shop, but they were not allowed to transfer stock between shops.

REALLY?! “So, I’ll know what size to order online, will you measure my feet please?” Oh, we don’t measure feet anymore. “Because of Covid?” No, we stopped doing it years ago.

But if you go online, we have a really good shoe size comparison guide.

The lawn mower missed an annual service (due to Covid-19), and my five-year warranty could be invalidated according to the manufacturer's small print. I made a quick phone call to the shop where I purchased it to book a service, restore the warranty and get it ready for my summer cuts, but the price of the service was 50 per cent of the mower’s purchase price. When queried the response was “I only work here!” Needless to say, it was serviced elsewhere.

During lockdown 3.0, I noticed the splits on the sides of my relatively new walking boots were not breathable design features but a manufacturing fault, so I called the store to ask for repair advice (not a replacement pair). Sam answered and wasted no time in asking me four questions – the name of the brand, had they split on the sole, had I taken out their three-year warranty and how long had I had them? Answers duly received, he told me they could not be repaired; I’d had my money’s worth, and the best thing I could do is buy a new pair! WOW pre-sale service 10 out of 10, after-sales service one out of 10. At which point, I told him to ask someone what could be done to repair them.

He came back three minutes later and told me they could be repaired and to bring them in.

was quickly discounted. Not particularly friendly but nice. Didn't try to engage.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, perhaps my memory of pre-Covid retail was foggy, perhaps my local high street was never that good or perhaps I was getting old and grumpy after such a long time in lockdown. So, I co-opted some of the JBN retail owners and asked them to share their experiences following a day on some of our high streets as part of our annual Educational Store Visits, to add context to my own experiences and perceptions.

• Only employ people who reflect your company values

Here’s how the JBN Retailers scored their high street experiences – 64 per cent said Poor, 26 per cent said OK, and 10 per cent said Exceptional.

The service was awful. Poor displays. No masks. No screens. Didn't even ask my name.

All very generic and very average. Pleasant but didn't ask any questions. Not much product information, all about price, which

And the Exceptional Experience: The door was open and it looked interesting. Jo was fantastic; she was warm, bubbly, talked to me about me, asked me what the occasion was. They came back with such a lot of information. They were responsive. They made suggestions. Everything was in stock.

Five tips that could help you improve your customer retail experience: • Give the customers what they want, not what you want to give them

• Listen and engage • Don’t assume you get it right, all the time • Do not use Covid-19 as the excuse for poor service

For further information on the JBN contact Michael Donaldson on 07817 305 122

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Member Profile

The Jeweller

Jeremy France – Underpinned by Passion for the Industry The multi-award-winning jewellers in Winchester is definitely doing something right. We spoke to director and manager Harriet France – herself no stranger to plaudits – who has the insights. up the ranks. Although Dad's industry was very different, he worked equally hard to become the businessman he was.

He got his City and Guilds in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing, learnt to repair, started work as a repairer for others, working from his shed, until his retirement.

As he handed over of the business to you and your brother, did your father bow out completely?

Harriet France

Did you always intend to join the family business?

It was always my intention to join the business after university, but it all happened a little faster than expected! I was enjoying my ski season in Canada, post-graduation, when mum asked me during a Skype breakfast to return home a month earlier than expected to cover maternity leave in our silver shop "just for eight months." Of course it was never going to be just eight months. I’d hoped to get some business experience after skiing, but duty called me sooner!

Was your father's family in the jewellery trade? If not, what made him pursue it?

No, my father’s father was a major in the Royal Engineers, working hard to come

Dad officially stepped down from his directorship and role in the business in December 2018, when my brother was appointed as a director. I’d been working alongside Dad since 2012 in a higher management role, learning the ropes and taking over his duties over time as I learnt the business inside out. I was made a director in February 2017, taking on the responsibilities gradually.

Unfortunately, during this learning time, I had two years of ill health, which delayed our plan for Dad to handover sooner.

Thankfully I was diagnosed and recovered, allowing the plan to continue. These days, aside from occasionally driving the shop floor staff mad by popping in to demand window tweaks and cleans when he walks by the store, Dad is very good at keeping his distance from the business. While he’s always on hand to discuss ideas when needed, he never imposes his ideas. I'm very lucky to have him on the side lines if and when I need a fresh pair of eyes.

Have you made changes to the business since you took over the reins?

Since taking over, I’ve made a few changes to help us serve our customers best. I converted our middle floor into a silver boutique, creating a welcoming space for gift givers to browse. I repainted the entire store, replacing the grey walls with a more neutral tone, which will allow me to work towards adding more flare and colour over time. I’ve also been working hard on a new website, having converted the existing one to e-commerce during lockdown – it was vital to open new channels to our customers so they could still safely shop local with us.

Our new website will be fresh and a little more fun, with better capacity for us to add more and more of our stock as we grow our presence online.

You were named Professional Jeweller 'inspiring independent business owner' in 2019 (well done!) So, blow your own trumpet… what would you say are your qualities that helped you to win this?

I think my passion and my brutal honesty are what people probably remember most about me! I love the industry and I love my business. I'm not afraid to be honest with my suppliers as it makes our working relationships more effective and profitable for us both. As I've built my knowledge in the industry, I've gained a lot of selfconfidence. I know I can sell any product I choose to put in my window, and I can support my staff to do the same. I know my team is just as important as I am in making the business great, and whether a person is new or 20 years in the trade, I make sure to choose my staff wisely as I couldn't be successful without them.

Jeremy France has won quite a few awards – what makes the store stand out?

I'm very proud of the awards we’ve won over the years – it’s all down to the team! It would be no use if I was passionate but my team wasn't; all my staff are as passionate about the store as they are about the industry in general. Customers come to us because they know they can put their trust and confidence in any member of the team as we all work together. This also keeps our product quality higher than many. The team's enthusiasm ensures our communication, customer service and quality control are exceptional at all times. This is what makes us stand out.

What has helped you to get through the pandemic – sticking to government guidelines aside, what changes have you made that kept things ticking over (or even mean that you did well, despite everything)?

The pandemic gave me time to engage directly with our customers on social media – something I don't get time to do day-to-

Member Profile

Autumn 2021

day. It was fantastic taking over and getting to talk to customers who were fed up with being stuck at home and just wanted a bit of joy in their day (and maybe a bit of jewellery as well!). It was great to offer an Instagram-only secret sale to our loyal followers, and I got to appreciate the hard work my social media manager puts in every week to do what she does!

The Jeremy France team

I also used the time to crunch some numbers with my store manager and realise where we were least profitable and adapt the way we do business. We made huge changes to our bespoke customer journey; sadly, it meant making redundancies, but it has made the business stronger and profitable for the future. We’ve improved our customer experience through the changes and look forward to being able to grow that area of the business even more.

You're a JET Business Network (JBN) member – what do you get out of the membership?

JBN is my best sanity check! I recently hosted other JBN members to the store for a visit and was delighted by their fantastic, honest feedback about what they liked or would change about the business. They reinforced some ideas I already had and shared new reflections to help me push the business forward to be bigger and better!

JBN is also great for the small questions: who’s best to source antique brooches? How much do you pay for electricity? How did others deal with this staff problem… It's also been particularly nice sharing figures in the past 18 months and seeing others have had similar changes in figures compared to 2019. You don't feel so bad when you know everyone is in the same boat!

Jeremy France, Winchester

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and wedding jewellery, guiding them with choosing their own diamonds and gemstones.

How would you describe your style?

I think my style is fairly classic but with a modern edge. I’m a fan of clean shapes and simplicity but I try to add an element that makes the jewellery just that bit different, using a square on its edge or an unusual stone placement, for example. I like to think my designs could be passed down to different generations with the diamonds and gemstones speaking for themselves.

Has studying gemmology been a significant benefit?

Rhiannon Lewis… contemporary classics Based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, Rhiannon lets gemstones speak for themselves in her bespoke work. We learn her story.

What led you to follow a career in the jewellery industry?

I’d always been interested in a career in the arts and was drawn to the practical skills that could enable me to work for myself with a level of flexibility.

Where did you train and what has been your career path to date?

I completed a jewellery and silversmithing degree at London Metropolitan University in 2010, then took part in the Design Space business incubation scheme in the Jewellery Quarter. I set up my workshop, which I’m still in, and have grown my business from there alongside stints working for galleries and auction houses.

I also completed the Gem-A gemmology diploma and a design management master’s degree, which I tailored towards developing my business further.

Why did you choose to establish yourself in Birmingham?

Design Space had been a great introduction to the area and allowed me to make contacts

in the Jewellery Quarter. I realised what a great community of crafts people was here and decided it was the best place for me to settle and start out.

What aspects of the jewellery making process do you do yourself and what do you outsource? Do you make full use of the craftsmanship available in the Jewellery Quarter?

I design, construct and clean up all of my jewellery and outsource work like setting, CAD, casting and engraving in the Jewellery Quarter. I’ve learned it’s best to delegate some work to the experts while I get on with other aspects of the business.

Is everything you do made to order and bespoke?

All my collections are made to order.

Because of this, I encourage my customers to put their own spin on pieces with different gemstones or coloured golds. It helps to start dialogue that grows into an enjoyable working relationship. I also take commissions, working closely on customers’ chosen piece of jewellery, often engagement

Absolutely. When working with such expensive gemstones, I want my customers to have faith that I’m providing them with best advice and service. It’s important to me to know as much about the industry I work in as possible and feel confident in the business I’m developing.

What did your master’s in design management entail?

When I started the master’s, I wanted to fill my knowledge gaps in business development and everyday running of a business. I tailored my research to cover marketing, finance and business structures I could directly apply to my business. I was also ready for a new challenge and was interested in other opportunities the degree could open for me, for example visiting lectures and grow my professional contacts.

Do you have a typical customer or a person in your mind when you're designing?

My customers are quite varied, and I do have a lot of young couples coming to me for engagement and wedding rings. Equally, I see people who have a design idea and are keen to work together to make it a reality. My own designs tend to attract customers with an appreciation for gemstones and fine jewellery they can wear every day.

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a jewellery designer today?

Get as much experience in the jewellery trade as possible and take the time to make a comprehensive plan of what it is you want to achieve before starting out.

Trends

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The Jeweller Francesca Marcenaro Katie Lees

Leonid Dementiev

Established and emerging makers from Scotland and across the UK bring their work to the public in pop-ups and online shops this autumn.

Elements a festival of jewellery, silver and gold

T

he annual Elements festival is Scotland’s biggest celebration of jewellery, silver and gold. Organised by the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, in partnership with Lyon and Turnbull auctioneers, this is Elements’ seventh iteration. It will feature a blend of physical pop-ups and new online shops between September and November, 2021.

Caiyang Yin

Among the established and emerging designers participating in the festival this year:

Trends

Autumn 2021 Ellie Air

Kate Bajic

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Katie Lees

Georgina Orme-Brown

Michelle Currie

Michelle Currie: A Fairtrade jeweller based in Glasgow, Michelle used the prize money from her 2020 Elements Graduate Award to buy ethical gemstones from Nineteen48 and Scottish gemstones, which she is using in her collection for Elements.

Leonid Dementiev: A London-based creator of ethical jewellery, Leonid uses gold, platinum, pearls and gemstones to create handcrafted pieces that explore the techniques used by his great-grandfather.

Katie Lees: A Glasgow-based maker of contemporary pieces, Katie’s creations are destined to become tomorrow’s heirlooms.

Made in lockdown and inspired by stories from clients, her Armour ring was featured in the press.

Ella Fearon-Low

Ella Fearon-Low: Mixing precious and non-precious materials, Ella, from Surrey, is developing new work for the autumn, exploring ideas around strong women, leadership and historical queens.

Alice Fry: One of the few UK makers specialising in the metal niobium, Alice is a recent Glasgow School of Art graduate. Her work featured in May’s online exhibition run by AdornAxis in collaboration with NYC X DESIGN featuring 66 makers from 17 countries.

Francesca Marcenaro: Francesca’s signature glass granulation technique is inspired by ancient practices. Her current pieces interweave many materials, including gold, silver, titanium and ebony.

Rosalyn Faith

Ebba Goring, Scottish Goldsmiths Trust CEO, says: “Elements is a wonderful opportunity to discover some of the best and most distinctive in contemporary, handcrafted, designer gold, silver and jewellery. It celebrates the work and talent of the makers from all across Scotland and the rest of the UK whose skill and imagination results in such wonderful creations – from everyday jewellery to pieces that will become treasured heirlooms and from tableware to decorative sculptures.

“By offering a blend of online and physical events, we are finding ways to give as many people as possible the chance not only to see a tremendous variety of gold, silver and jewellery but to find out more about the people and the inspirations behind each piece.”

Catherine Hartley

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Opinion

The Jeweller

the Last Word... goes to Scot Walker

After many IJLs, where we built cabinets to show the lighting off, we were approached by industry people wanting to buy cabinetry with our lighting installed. So we created Parify Retail Design – a new enterprise manufacturing cabinetry with Parify lights, all in one package! Soon after, we started doing full shop fits. Fast forward to today – we’re growing, currently recruiting again, and are excited for the next chapter in our evolution.

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

Director and joint owner of the Parify Group and co-founder of website-building service Back on the Highstreet (BOTH), Scot Walker tells it like it is.

Who has been the biggest influence on your working life?

My wife! She is the one who’s enabled me to do what I do, put in the hours day after day to build the businesses. Without her support, enthusiasm and belief, the Parify Group would not be the enterprise it is today.

Describe your career journey leading to the jewellery industry?

It goes from studying engineering at Coventry to selling computer-aided software. I moved to Spain for around 10 years and became heavily involved in renewable energy. When I came back to the UK, I saw that people were really slow on the uptake of LED lighting, so I had a few conversations with a couple of local jewellers about the challenges they faced with lighting. I was astounded that the technology to illuminate jewellery correctly didn’t exist. This, with my engineering background, created the spark to start developing industry specific lighting, and Parify Lighting was born.

That’s a tough question. I’d probably have gone self-employed at 21, focusing on technological developments sooner – kind of following my calling: renewable energy and low-energy consumer products, all helping with our global issues. I’d probably patent a few of the ideas and technologies we’ve developed over the years and networked better to have a greater reach.

If you could have a beer/wine/cuppa with anyone in the jewellery world, who would it be and what would you talk about?

It would be a very nice Rioja from Spain's Ribera del Duero region, in particular, Tinto Pesquera Crianza 2014. There are many I’d love to chat with. Current friends and colleagues aside… probably Franck Muller, for his desire to always push the envelope with incredible complications of the wristwatch.

What three words describe you best... in your view… focused, innovator and perspicacious. … AND according to others?

Creative, annoying, reliable.

What prompted you to establish BOTH and how well has it been picked up by the trade so far?

During lockdown 1, it quickly became apparent that all PPE would be in scarce supply when it finally came time to reopen.

We leveraged many of our UK and overseas contacts to source everything we could to help the industry get back on its feet. Shortly after stores could reopen, having spoken to many people of their experiences during this tough time, it was very clear that the businesses that

came out strongest were those with a strong online presence.

We felt that if we could help the retailers survive by getting them online, it could keep the whole supply chain alive, too. So Back on the Highstreet was born. The venture has been grasped by the independents as a very cost-effective way to get online, our team is steadily growing and we have some great plans to give even more back to the industry soon!

Of what, in your career to date, are you most proud?

I’d hope through our involvement in people’s businesses and their uptake of our technology, we’ve helped them achieve their revenue goals and achieve their targets.

Secondly, any recognition from our industry bodies is gratefully received.

Is there a gadget that you can’t live without?

My smartphone – to be able to access real-time information, CCTV, smart home controls, and live communications with friends and colleagues is priceless. It also enables us to wirelessly control all of Parify’s lights!

What indulgence would you not be prepared to give up?

Can I have two? Red wine and dark chocolate!

Tell us something not many people know about you.

I can read people’s minds.

What was the last music that you downloaded?

Paul Oakenfold – Summer Sun

What keeps you awake at night?

Nothing! When I retire, as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m asleep. Often the birds will wake me with the dawn chorus around 4am in the summer, just before the alarm at 5:30.

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!

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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

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.