Jeweller the
March 2013
£7.50
Incorporating
The Voice of The Industry
Gems&Jewellery
March 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 1
Glass-filled rubies: are they legal? Tucson rep ort 2013 Gems wi th feather s
Men’s Jewellery • Celebrating the NAG Graduates of 2012 New this issue – Gems&Jewellery magazine inside!
Contents & Contacts |
Jeweller the
The Voice of The Industry
C O N T E N T S
www.thejewellermagazine.com
M A R C H
13
Jeweller Picks
26
Some favourites from among first-time exhibitors
Communiqué
4
Editor’s Letter
7
Industry News
8
International News
14
NAG News
16
Member of the Month
18
Education & Training
20
IRV Review
24
Obituary: James Maxwell
29
Obituary: Simon Cupitt
30
Legal
31
Security
46
Following a trip to the Congo, Greg Valerio asks
Insurance Matters
51
whether the OECD approach to ‘conflict gold’
Feature: Pawnbroking
52
Notebook
54
Display Cabinet
56
The Last Word
58
and children’s jewellery brands seen recently at The Jewellery Show.
This is a Man’s World
34
Belinda Morris discovers that the sector is growing and welcomes the return of some retro style staples.
From Conflict Gold to Peace Gold
48
is going to be effective.
! NE W
March 2013 / Volume
Gems&Jewellery
22 / No. 1
Glass-fil led rub are they ies: legal? Tucson report 20 13 Gems wi th feathe rs
A roundup of news from Gem-A and around the gem
The magazine is printed on paper and board that has met acceptable environmental accreditation standards.
trade including gemstone analysis, Tucson trade show report and comment from leading industry figures.
Jeweller the
March 2013
£7.50
Incorporating
The Jeweller is published by the National Association of Goldsmiths for circulation to members. For more information about The Jeweller visit: www.thejewellermagazine.com
The National Association
Publishing Enquiries/
of Goldsmiths
Classified Advertising:
78a Luke Street,
Neil Oakford
London EC2A 4XG
neil@jewellers-online.org
Tel: 020 7613 4445
Art Director: Ben Page
www.jewellers-online.org
ben@jewellers-online.org
Editor: Belinda Morris
Contributors:
Tel: 01692 538007
John Henn, Miles Hoare,
bmorris@colony.co.uk
Amy Oliver, Greg Valerio
The Voice of The Industry
Gems&Jewellery
March 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 1
Glass-filled rubies: are they legal? Tucson report 2013 Gems with feathers
Cover Image In conjunction with Thomas Sabo UK Ltd
Men’s Jewellery • Celebrating the NAG Graduates of 2012 New this issue – Gems&Jewellery magazine inside!
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7720 9725 Email: uk@thomassabo.com www.thomassabo.com
Sales Director: Ian Francis Tel: 020 7613 4445 Fax: 020 7729 0143 ian@jewellers-online.org Although every effort is made to ensure that the information supplied is accurate, the NAG disclaims and/or does not accept liability for any loss, damage or claim whatsoever that may result from the information given. Information and ideas are for guidance only and members should always consult their own professional advisers. The NAG accepts no responsibility for any advertiser, advertisement or insert in The Jeweller. Anyone having dealings with any advertiser must rely on their own enquiries.
The Voice of the Industry 3
| Comment
Communiqué M I C H A E L
H O A R E ’ S
As he prepares to step down from his role as CEO of the NAG, Michael Hoare looks back at the last 12 years and the many achievements and developments that he has had a hand in.
t’s not often you get the chance to sum up and reflect on more than a decade’s achievements, but at my last board meeting as the chief executive of your Association I was granted the opportunity to do just that. Some might consider it a case of blowing one’s own trumpet, but after 12 years I think one is entitled to a little ‘tootle’! Not that the last dozen years have been a total and unalloyed success, nor could I have achieved anything without the support of an excellent secretariat and a succession of progressive directors; some of whom have been here throughout my tenure, and others who have made their mark and moved on, some, sadly, beyond this mortal realm. Leaving the developments in the trading environment and the vagaries of fashion aside, the last decade has been largely dominated by the ‘ethical’ debate, and how we ensure that our suppliers bring us goods to sell that have not damaged the environments, the lives, or the liberty, of people along the way. The Kimberley Process was introduced in 2003 as a practical measure that ensured traceability of rough diamonds, and also imposed obligations on our end of the supply chain. The NAG took on the role of educating a suspicious and fearful membership and opening up
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4 The Jeweller March 2013
the debate; not least inviting campaigners like Greg Valerio to share his study ‘Towards an Ethical Supply Chain’ with a Council meeting in 2004. At the time it felt like a challenge to the industry, and further media assaults were to come in the form of numerous documentaries, and memorably the film, Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo De Caprio. Numerous initiatives were to follow, including Fairtrade Fairmined Gold; the conflict mineral codes from the OECD, and the Dodd-Frank Act, to name but a few.
attempt to regularise the supply chain in gold and diamonds. It may have seemed like a radical departure at the time, but the NAG has always represented the views of British jewellers on the world-wide stage, notably via CIBJO. Over the last decade or so we have increased that representative activity at home and abroad, and not just on ethical matters. Today we are involved with Genesis, a group lobbying on behalf of SMEs – and resulting in attendance at the Bank of England; the Independent
Perhaps our flagship campaign over the last three to four years has been the invention of SaferGems, which has revolutionised the scope of the intelligence available to help police fight crime in the jewellery sector. But now, in 2013, not only are we working towards a revised KP; the idea of an ethical supply chain is almost ubiquitous, and the NAG, BJA and Gem-A have even formed a joint ethics working party to bring clarity to the debate. In 2005 the NAG joined 13 other organisations in signing the statement of intent that led to the formation of the Responsible Jewellery Council; a concrete
Retail Consortium (IRC); Action for Market Towns, which has informed our views on the future of the High Street; and the London Strategic Security Group, that connects with the Metropolitan Police on matters of security. Not to mention the consultations and campaigns like Hallmarking Review, Red Tape Challenge and the Gold Standard code that we have fronted along the way!
Comment | The list of the partnerships we have formed over the last decade is almost too numerous to mention, but does include Skillsmart, the skills council for the retail sector. And that is for the very obvious reason that one of the Association’s most recognisable functions is to act as an educator, raising and maintaining standards in the sector. Although we have been at the forefront of education for at least the last 60 years, we have taken important strides in the last decade or so. Practically speaking the Association has taken radical action on education, including re-writing JET I and II, developing JET Pro and JET Plus, and putting courses online. This work continues apace, but along the way we have also revolutionised certain aspects. Notably, the conversion of the Registered Valuers Scheme into the NAG Institute of Registered Valuers, and subsequent enlargement and improvement of the Loughborough Conference, which proclaimed its 25th anniversary last year, with record attendance and a stellar list of speakers. Less high profile perhaps, but the instigation of the NAG Executive Development Forum has proved a seminal event for the 30 or so businesses that have benefitted from individual and group coaching. The benefits are demonstrable in those businesses’ bottom lines, and each year the EDF Oxford Congress is both a celebration of success and an opportunity to slake the thirst for more knowledge. Perhaps our flagship campaign over the last three to four years has been the invention of SaferGems, which has revolutionised the scope of the intelligence available to help police fight crime in the jewellery sector. Today, the results are there to see, with crimes totalling nearly £15 million recorded last year alone, and our information helping to deter and arrest criminals. But back in 2006 – when I first recognised the existence of the problem – it was a very different picture, and if it wasn’t for the support of T H March I might well have given up the challenge in 2009 in the face of a largely sceptical and indifferent trade. In common with all trade associations we have faced and responded to the challenges of the internet. Where once access to information was the preserve of a gate-keeping secretariat, now information is readily available at every minute of the day, and the challenge is more akin to holding back the deluge of data and making it meaningful to time-starved members. Editing is the key skill, communicating ideas and concepts are the objective. The revitalisation of the AGM and Annual Luncheon utilising some wonderful locations; the re-invention of the form and content of the Council meetings at thought provoking venues; and continual re-assessment of our various media have all played their part. To this end we conceived the n:gauge online newsletter; re-invented and revitalised The Jeweller magazine, with more exciting developments emerging as we speak; and latterly developed our social media ~presence, including the NAG blog, LinkedIn and Facebook groups, and a YouTube channel. All these measures have ensured an exponential increase in press coverage and – importantly for the health of our sector – engaged a whole new generation of jewellers.
The Voice of the Industry 5
www.londonroadjewellery.co.uk
Comment | This month:
Editor’s
Letter
“The finest quality gems seem to be selling well at Tucson and dealers talked about how good business was. For the more usual gems in more usual sizes and qualities, business was less dynamic…”
efore I begin, apologies if I appear a little low of spirits and every so slightly teary –
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no, it’s not the weather (minus two as I write) although that is beginning to grate.
It’s just because we’re all just un peu triste at the news of our dear leader’s imminent departure. Ok, so it’s not until April and even then he may still be lurking (successor pending), but still… NAG HQ and even this magazine won’t be the same without him – don’t go Michael! Alright, enough of the sycophancy already and anyway I bet we haven’t seen the back of him, you watch – he’s going to miss us too much. Never mind, onwards and upwards, we have now got the team at Gem-A firmly ensconced at The Jeweller and already they feel like part of the family. The first fully-formed Gems and Jewellery within our pages appears this month and it’s filled with all the relevant
Gems & Jewellery page 18
and insightful gem information that we promised it would be. Regular G&J readers – who we welcome – will be blasé about all of this of course, but we hope that that subscribers to TJ will find plenty to catch their attention. Jack Ogden’s report on the recent Tucson Show is a ‘must-read’ for a start (G&J, p18). A Gems & Jewellery news story homes in on men’s jewellery spotted at The Grammys recently – which chimes nicely with my in-depth look at this sector of our industry. It’s never going to be about the volume, depth and breadth that women’s jewellery enjoys of course, but nevertheless, like children’s jewellery, it’s a category that is gathering momentum with every passing year. Wedding bands aside, it’s all about accessorising, burgeoning style awareness, brand
“The appetite for men’s jewellery has increased dramatically in recent years – it’s become a lot more mainstream, where it used to be much more of a subculture thing…”
identity and growing choice. There’s also signs that a move towards a dandy look in men’s fashion is seeing the return of some old-school accessories like tie bars and lapel pins – good news in my book. And jewellers should really be grabbing the lion’s share of the men’s pie – there’s only so much throw-away fashion that a man can have. Quality, service and a great retail experience count for so much more.
If you would like to comment on any of the issues raised in this edition of The Jeweller or any other trade-related matters please email the editor at: bmorris@colony.co.uk
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The Voice of the Industry 7
| Industry News
Olympia to be IJL’s new home nternational Jewellery London will move to a new venue, Olympia, in 2014. The announcement was made at a Champagne reception in Birmingham last month. IJL’s Event Director Sam Willoughby spoke about what the new move will mean to the show’s development: “I am incredibly excited about the opportunities this move allows us. Olympia is an iconic venue with fabulous lighting and as soon as we went to look around, with a number of members from the IJL Advisory Board, we all knew this was the place for IJL’s new home. “I think this is going to be a really amazing time for International Jewellery London and we can’t wait to share the plans for the future in the coming months. It is a fantastic milestone in the history of the show,” Willoughby added.
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Olympia will give IJL more space and the Grand Hall provides an enhanced layout for the show with two floors and a gallery area. With the capacity to grow by 50 per cent, there are plans to launch dynamic new parts of the show for 2014 and in coming years. Earls Court, IJL’s home for over 50 years is set to be redeveloped into new residential housing in the next few years, although timing is still not confirmed. Stuart Laing, IJL Advisory Board member, said “Moving the UK’s leading jewellery trade show to Olympia presents a fantastic opportunity to refresh the whole show and take full advantage of the exciting prospects the new location offers. It’s going to be a great venue for everyone involved with IJL and I am really looking forward to next year!”
It was also announced that the timing of the show will change to a more productive three day event. “Having Olympia as the venue and keeping the same dateline was more important to us than the length of the show. We will be having a late night shopping evening on the Sunday and the last day will be a full day, giving exhibitors and visitors ample buying and selling time. Ultimately it will make everyone’s time at the show more productive so a win-win for everyone,” commented Willoughby. “We will have impressive new exhibitors, a partnership with jewellery trend forecasting service Adorn Insight, a Champagne partner – Thiénot, enhanced show favourites, the best in international design including designers from the US in a new area brought to you by JCK, and the runway will rock!” she said.
Van Cleef & Arpels sparkles at the Oscars he French jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels enjoyed its own success on Oscar night last month. Several stars, including British singer Adele, who won an Oscar for best original song ‘Skyfall’, chose to wear signature pieces from the company’s selection for Hollywood’s big night, the 85th Academy Awards. Actress Renée Zellweger, who was also a presenter on the evening, chose a selection to complement her Carolina Herrera dress. These were: 1937 ‘Eventail’ double fan clip featuring 53 rubies totaling 52.5 carats and 88 diamonds totaling 10.80 carats set in platinum; the ‘Mystery Set’ bracelet featuring 177 rubies totaling 35.74 carats and 118 diamonds totaling 6.87 carats set in platinum and yellow gold; 1960 ‘Twin Ruby’ bracelets each featuring 464 rubies totaling 55 carats and 120 diamonds totaling 9.37 carats set in platinum and yellow gold and finally a 1945 yellow gold Minaudière set with diamonds, rubies and sapphires. The latter three are all from the Van Cleef & Arpels Heritage Collection.
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Renée Zellweger. Photo by Frazer Harrison, Getty Images)
Holts Gems founder turns 90 obert Holt, the founder of Hatton Garden-based gemstone jeweller, Holts Gems, celebrated a milestone birthday earlier this year – he turned 90. Incredibly he still plays a very active role in the running of the gemstone and bespoke jewellery business, coming in to the showroom most days. Robert Holt founded the company in 1948 after fleeing to Britain from Nazi Germany at the age of 16. He acquired a Hatton Garden shop unit and stocked it with gemstones sourced after a chance meeting with a Brazilian gemstone dealer. As well as founding Holts, in his fascinating lifetime he has turned his hand to a number of different trades including: gemmologist, costume jeweller, soldier, diamond polisher, hotelier, casino owner, kipper smoker, inventor and press journalist – to name but a few.
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Industry News |
Chancellor visits Birmingham Assay office he Birmingham Assay office was first in line when the Chancellor, the Right Honourable George Osborne MP visited Birmingham last month. The Chancellor was in the city for the launch of the prospectus of the Enterprise Zone which includes 26 separate zones including the area where building of the new Birmingham Assay Office will start later this year. A tour of the existing Victorian building revealed the wide variety of work carried out at The Birmingham Assay Office, not just in hallmarking but also in precious metal analysis and product safety testing. CEO Michael Allchin introduced the Chancellor to many of the staff during a tour of the hallmarking area and they demonstrated their skills in assaying, traditional hand marking, and the latest laser marking. Allchin explained that while hallmarking volumes are falling, due to ever increasing precious metal prices, new activities, which also include gem certification and jewellery valuations, are growing strongly but are constrained by the inflexibility and lack of space in the current building. The business has to move in order to protect jobs, to survive and to continue to grow. The Enterprise Zone brought benefits which made the new site on the opposite side of the Jewellery Quarter attractive and, along with a grant from the European Regional Development Fund, made building a new Assay Office in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter a viable option. Detailed designs are in their advanced stages and it is expected that building work will begin in the Summer of this year.
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Police seek help with robbery ollowing a robbery at Ernest Jones jewellers in Exeter last month, during which several Rolex watches were stolen, Devon & Cornwall police are requesting assistance from those in the jewellery industry to establish whether any similar offences have occurred in any other locations around the country. They are looking primarily for offences which have a similar profile to this recent attack, the details of which are as follows: At 0900hrs on Monday 11th February 2013 a black Jaguar XF pulled up outside of Ernest Jones, High Street, Exeter and three male offenders got out of the vehicle and approached the front entrance of the store, leaving the driver of the Jaguar still inside the car. The male offenders smashed their way past the store’s security measures and once inside breached further security by use of hammers to gain access to the secure Rolex display. A witness within the secure Rolex display at the time was told to move out of the way and force was used to move her. A large number of Rolex watches were removed from the display and the three males then made their exit from the store, driving off in the Jaguar. The witness sustained minor injuries. The three male offenders all wore similar clothing to each other – a black ‘beanie’ hat, black jacket, blue jeans and either white or black trainers. Contact DC 6792 Suzanne Vranch of Exeter CID on telephone: 01392 451610 or email: suzanne.vranch@devonandcornwallpolice.pnn.police.uk quoting crime DE/13/1348
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S N I P P E T S Tissot named as timekeeper for 6 Nations Championship The RBS 6 Nations has formed a new partnership with Swiss watch brand Tissot. The three-year partnership will see Tissot become the ‘Official Timekeeper of the RBS 6 Nations Championship’ from 2013 to 2015. The company will work with the RBS 6 Nations on the provision of live on-screen match timing graphics to its Championship broadcast partners. As part of the new partnership, every referee officiating at an RBS 6 Nations match will also use an exclusive Tissot T-Touch Expert to assist them in performing their match duties. Tissot will also be presenting a countdown clock on the official RBS 6 Nations website. Design fair call for makers Handmade in Britain, the contemporary crafts and design fair returns to Chelsea Town Hall in London for the seventh year this November and the organisers are accepting applicants wishing to exhibit. Applications are welcomed for jewellers creating handmade pieces and working in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The deadline for applications is 12th April, 2013. Among those who showcased their collections at last year’s preChristmas show are Daphne Krinos, Josef Koppmann and Louise O’Neill. New head of brand for Dreyfuss Lisa Sowden has been appointed as head of brand for the Dreyfuss Group and will be responsible for marketing the Rotary, Dreyfuss & Co and J&T Windmill watch brands. Having shown annual double digit growth in turnover for the past three years, the company is committed to achieving continued strong growth within the UK and globally. Having started her career at Guinness, Sowden previously held senior marketing roles at leading luxury companies including LVMH, Thomas Pink, Jigsaw and Monsoon.
The Voice of the Industry 9
| Industry News
Global Brand Ambassador chosen by Gemfields emfields, the world’s leading coloured gemstone producer has announced that the actress Mila Kunis is the company’s new brand ambassador and the face of its latest advertising campaign. She was chosen “for her natural beauty, versatility, intelligence and love of rare coloured gems”. The Oz: The Great and Powerful star recently returned from Africa, where she toured Gemfields’ Zambian mine, Kagem, which produces approximately 20 per cent of the world’s emeralds. Accompanied by CEO Ian Harebottle, Kunis learned about Gemfields’ environmentally-friendly mining practices and visited several Gemfieldssponsored community projects, including schools and a farming cooperative. The global advertising programme, running in publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair and Bazaar, is just one of many initiatives in a multi-pronged consumer campaign that Gemfields is rolling out for 2013. A newly revamped website will launch this Spring, enabling consumers to learn about the brand’s initiatives and commitment to sustainability while receiving an in-depth education on coloured gemstones. Gemfields will also release a large format book on emeralds in 2013. This month the brand will debut a collection of exclusive coloured gemstone jewellery designed in collaboration with 37 international designers. Kunis is pictured wearing Fabergé featuring Gemfields’ Zambian emeralds.
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S N I P P E T S Barbour to launch watch line Zeon Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Herald Group, has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with British lifestyle brand Barbour to design, market and distribute a collection of watches under the Barbour brand name. The first products will be launched in the second half of 2014. It will consist of a a range of ladies and men’s watches retailing between £70 to £200 and will be designed to co-ordinate with Barbour’s clothing, footwear and accessories. Kleshna wins best in show Kleshna jewellery exhibited for the first time at the Scotland Trade Fair in January and came away with the Best Product Award. The winning piece from the collection was the sterling silver ‘Star Wand’ pendant which is set off with a Swarovski crystal at its centre. The Scottish Gallery hosts designer pearl exhibition
Moores Jewellers up for sale RP Advisory LLP, the specialist restructuring and recovery firm, is actively marketing for sale one of the UK’s oldest jewellery businesses, Moores Jewellers, following the appointment of FRP managing partner Jeremy French and partner Glyn Mummery as joint administrators of the company last week. Founded in 1835 as H Chapman, the 178 year-old business is an established high street jeweller and watch retailer – with an online offer – based in the Meadows Shopping Centre, Chelmsford, Essex. It was taken under family ownership in 1996 and incorporated as Moores Jewellers. Among the top brands for which the firm is an authorised dealer, are Calvin Klein, Seiko, Ted Baker, Rotary, Briel and Sekonda. The company was placed in administration to protect the business after a downturn in trading, largely as a result of weaker economic and business conditions. Given Moores Jewellers’ heritage and history, FRP Advisory anticipates a great deal of interest from prospective buyers and will continue to trade the firm very much on a ‘business as usual basis’ while a buyer is sought. Glyn Mummery, Partner at FRP Advisory, commented: “Moores Jewellers is one of the oldest local businesses in Essex, has operated on the high street in Chelmsford for just shy of two centuries and enjoys a tremendous amount of goodwill and support from the local community. Firms with such a long tradition and distinct market position are very rare and we anticipate strong interest from prospective buyers who want to acquire a very singular business with excellent potential to capitalise on the expected turnaround in the economy.”
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A piece by Jane Adam at The Scottish Gallery
Scotland’s oldest privately-owned gallery, The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh is showing the work of international jewellers in an exhibition entitled Diving for Pearls. The aim is to focus on the innovative use of pearls in a variety of settings. Jewellers in the group include: Jane Adam, Marianne Anderson, Malcolm Appleby, Zoe Arnold, Michael Becker, Stephen Bottomley, Jack Cunningham, Anna Gordon, Loekie Heintzberger, Dorothy Hogg, Hannah Louise Lamb, Beth Legg, Catherine Mannheim, Marlene McKibbin, Kazuko Mitsushima, Jacqueline Ryan and Ruth Tomlinson. The exhibition at 16 Dundas Street runs until the end of March. During April the Gallery will host an exhibition by jeweller Joanna Thompson.
Would you like to comment? Call us on 0207 405 0009 or visit www.thmarch.co.uk
T.H. March are Chartered Insurance Brokers & Co-founders of the Pioneering SaferGems Initiative
We are experts when it comes to your insurance needs and we are deeply committed to the safety and wellbeing of our clients, their families and staff. That is why, in partnership with the National Association of Goldsmiths, we co-founded the pioneering & highly successful SaferGems initiative. SaferGems seeks to reduce jewellery related crime throughout the UK by enabling members to report suspicious behaviour and criminal activity. This vital information is shared with SaferGems members and with police forces both regionally and nationally. Our approach means that we liaise with security and crime prevention organisations, both nationally and internationally, to ensure we have access to the most suitable and up to date information for the beneďŹ t of our clients. T.H. March – Our expertise, knowledge and national branch network explains why more UK jewellers deal with us than with any other broker or insurer. We are proud to be the official insurance brokers to the National Association of Goldsmiths. Trust the experts.
Neil McFarlane ACII Chartered Insurance Broker Managing Director
WAWD/NRM/Safergems/Mar13
Celebrating 125 years in business in 2012
| Industry News
Glasgow jeweller revives hallmark fter year-long negotiations, award-winning Scottish jeweller Eric Smith has made history by being given permission to revive the city of Glasgow’s hallmark, exactly 50 years after it was last struck. Now all of his designs for gold, platinum and silver jewellery, produced by craftsmen in his Newton Mearns workshop, can bear the internationally-recognised stamp of quality. “I’m delighted with this development. With Glasgow very much on the global stage, particularly because of next year’s Commonwealth Games, I felt it was important that the city’s hallmark should be revived,” says Smith who has operated his business for 35 years. Glasgow’s mark, based on the city’s coat of arms, was a combined tree, bird, bell and fish. It was last struck on 1st July, 1963 and the following year it was withdrawn when the Glasgow Assay Office closed its doors and the Edinburgh Assay Office, which opened in 1457, took responsibility for hallmarking all jewellery made in Scotland. The latest hallmark is a new design as required by the Joint Assay Offices committee which comprises representatives from Assay Offices in Edinburgh, London, Birmingham and Sheffield. Measuring between three and five millimetres, like its predecessor, it features part of Glasgow’s coat of arms. It is struck next to the date mark, the maker’s mark and the rampant lion symbol representing Scotland. Glasgow-made jewellery made of precious metals will also continue to bear the Edinburgh hallmark which, since 1975, is a three-turreted castle with a lion rampant.
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S N I P P E T S Festina partners cycling team Festina watches, available through Unique Jewelry, has announced that it is to partner the British Rapha Condor JLT Pro Cycling team, which includes double Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy and renowned cyclist Kristian House. Festina will be the team’s watch supplier for 2013. The move builds on the brand’s cycling tradition as official timekeeper of the Tour de France for the past 20 years and it is also the sponsor and timekeeper for the Tour of Britain. Ti Sento at the Brits 2013 Beating off fierce competition jewellery brand Ti Sento, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, was chosen to adorn the music stars at last month’s Brit Awards by being one of the official goody bag partners. All the artists, as well as guest presenters and winners received three Ti Sento bracelets: the adjustable bubble style in sterling silver, the smoky black stone bracelet from the Leading Lady Collection and a black onyx design from the Classic Collection. Clogau sponsors season’s first international polo test match
Eterna partners Southampton FC ollowing the announcement that Veritime has signed up the watch brand Eterna (to sit alongside Ulysse Nardin in its portfolio), Eterna has become the official timekeeper of premiership side Southampton Football Club. The partnership will see Eterna – with over 150 years of expertise – install a new clock at St Mary’s and have the brand added to the stadium’s timing inventory, such as the in-game big screen – registering the time of every goal scored by the Saints. In addition, Eterna will feature on trackside advertising boards and on inside track electronic advertising boards and its branding will be on the backdrop of the BBC and Sky Sports interview area. Naturally the manager and players will wear the product and goals will be flashed up on the big screens. David Vallata, vice president at Eterna, said: “We are very excited about this partnership with Southampton FC. As a founding member of the Premier League, Southampton shares the same values as Eterna: a pioneering and innovative spirit, attention to detail and a belief in teamwork. This partnership provides us with a global platform to increase awareness of the Eterna brand and gives Southampton and its fans a world-class timekeeping partner to mark the exciting moments in the seasons ahead.”
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Welsh gold jewellery brand Clogau was the sponsor the 12-Goal Challenge at the International Polo Test at Hickstead on 2nd March. As sponsors of the Wales Polo Team and Welsh Polo Association the company played host to a number of its retail partners for the day, which kick started the 2013 season. The excitement and glamour of the sport – which is steeped in history and tradition – has inspired Clogau’s Wales Polo collection which includes yellow and rose gold earrings and pendant.
| International News
Diamond heist: KP cert numbers released he EU has released Kimberley Process certificate numbers for parcels of rough diamonds following the Brussels Airport diamond heist on 18th February. The EU and the World Diamond Council are urging trade members who may be offered diamonds carrying these associated numbers to contact the authorities in their area. For more information and the list of numbers visit: www.worlddiamondcouncil.org At time of going to press there have been no developments in the hunt for the eight gunmen who snatched some £30 million worth of diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot. The gang responsible for one of the biggest diamond heists in recent years used two black vehicles with flashing blue police lights in their raid, getting away with 120 parcels, mostly containing diamonds but some also holding precious metals. “Given that some $200 million in polished and rough stones go through Antwerp everyday, the value of this heist was actually a drop in the ocean and the stones themselves would probably fit into two shoe boxes,” says Harry Levy, president of the London Diamond Bourse. “The rough stones would be totally untraceable, unless there were any particularly large crystals and the robbers would be lucky to get 20 per cent of their value – but not bad for ten minutes work.”
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Runci slams World Diamond Council peaking at a the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) annual luncheon in New York in January, Matthew Runci, former Jewelers of America president and CEO, berated the WDC and called for greater industry responsibility. “Not all [industry] associations are helping those of us in the room who want to help our performance,” he said. “The World Diamond Council has become little more than a cynical voice that, when prompted, talks the talk in the public domain but too often fails to walk the walk in private quarters.” He called for industry responsibility in the face of greater consumer consciousness of social issues. “I still encounter people who think conflict diamonds were a bad dream,” he said. “If we as an industry don’t define best practices in this area, and demonstrate that we have incorporated those principles into the day-to-day running of our businesses, then we leave it for others to paint a picture of us – and I promise it won’t be painted in flattering terms.” Runci advised industry members to: support trade associations that support legal compliance and ethical responsibility; take individual responsibly for conducting their business ethically, and not just rely on trade associations and hold a staff meeting to discuss these issues, setting goals for what you would like to achieve one year from now. (Source: JCK)
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Berlin sees flagship Maurice Lacroix store wiss luxury watch maker Maurice lacroix celebrated the opening of its flagship store in Berlin last month. The star guest was Sir Bob Geldof who welcomed guests to the evening event in the Friedrichstrasse boutique which is alongside the city’s best-known luxury shopping street the ‘Kudamm’. The move follows last year’s opening of the first Maurice Lacroix store in Europe on Berlin’s Kurfüstendamm. As well as the entire Maurice Lacroix collection, the 95-square meter store will also offer the Pontos Décentrique GMT ‘Berlin’ – produced in a limited edition of 20 – the first of which was presented to Geldof at the opening. A special feature of the store is the integrated Ein-Stein-Bar from which customers can enjoy a glass of champagne or cup of coffee. At the rear of the boutique is a Service Centre.
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14 The Jeweller March 2013
S N I P P E T S CIBJO Conference in Tel Aviv The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), will hold its 2013 annual congress in Tel Aviv, Israel, 7th – 9th May, 2013, with precongress meetings beginning on 5th May. The congress will be hosted by the Israel Diamond Institute and will take place at the Dan Panorama Hotel. Members of national jewellery and gemstone associations from more than 40 countries and representatives of many of the industry’s most important commercial bodies are expected to attend. New president for Bulova The US-based Bulova has named Gregory Thumm as its new president. Mr Thumm brings with him 30 years of international brand and licensing management as well as product development with previous roles including Gruen Marketing, Geneva Watch Company and Fossil. Dedicated to developing visionary changes in the watch industry through innovation, Thumm is an expert in branded design, material science, manufacturing process improvements and new technology. Edox becomes Extreme Sailing Championships timekeeper Jura-based watchmaker Edox has become the official timekeeper of the Extreme Sailing Series championships, consolidating its marine connections. The best skippers from around the world compete in the championships which comprise eight Acts across three continents, each Act lasting four days. The Series has attracted more than one million spectators. Rapaport HQ in Mumbai The Rapaport group opened its new Indian headquarters at the Bandar Kurla Complex, Mumbai’s new financial centre last month. The Group also opened a new office in the Bharat Diamond Bourse. Rapaport India employs 70 people and has been in operation in Mumbai and Surat since 2002. “India is a primary growth market for the diamond and jewellery industry. We will extend our activities [here] to include source certification that will promote the sale of diamonds from ethical sources,” says chairman Martin Rapaport.
| NAG News
NAG reveals several initiatives at TJS he NAG’s participation at The Jewellery Show at the NEC last month focused on getting ‘back-to-basics’, emphasising what the Association really means to its members and what it brings to the industry. Since 1894 it has been one of the major pillars of the UK Jewellery trade providing industry-leading and internationally-recognised education and training courses, leading conferences and publications; and has developed a number of key initiatives in supporting, educating and representing the industry. “This is what we wanted to emphasise and share with retailers at this year’s show,” says NAG marketing officer, Charley Torr. “We’re constantly looking for better ways to support members and to ensure that membership of the NAG remains a mark of quality and integrity. At this year’s show we launched our 2013 NAG seminar programme, our new education prospectus for 2013 and our new member service – the NAG Design Service.” NAG CEO Michael Hoare added: “The NAG has taken great strides over the last few years, developing a number of new facets to our operations and membership offerings. The Jewellery Show provided the perfect opportunity to introduce the next project from the Ethics Working Committee during
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16 The Jeweller March 2013
the NAG-hosted seminar – ‘An Introduction to the Gold Paper’”. The ‘Gold Paper’ is the culmination of a two year collaboration between the NAG, BJA and latterly, Gem-A – along with jewellery activist Greg Valerio, and Vivien Johnston of Glasgow-based ethical jewellery brand Fifi Bijoux. Valerio, who has taking a central role in the formation of the Gold Paper, said: “The provenance and traceability in gold historically has been an issue the jewellery trade has largely ignored to its reputational cost… This report is an attempt to help jewellers with a conscience to understand the complexity of the problem and navigate their way to an ethical or Fairtrade source for their gold.” Johnston has often taken the role of ethical jewellery ambassador, sharing the principles of her own brand to those less familiar with where their jewellery comes from. She also works as a consultant for companies engaged with extraction and processing of precious natural resources. She spoke to us about what she believes the paper is about – and what it hopes to achieve: “Initially, the consultations were set up in response to the large amount of mainstream media coverage surrounding gold sourcing and particularly the sourcing of gold from artisanal miners or certain
conflict areas… A lot of this press was very negative about the industry and its attempts to tackle the problems of gold sourcing – painting what we saw as a false image of the UK gold market. We wanted to give an informed response by creating a detailed study about what is really going on in the industry at the moment.” Vivien continued, “The purpose of the paper is to lay out what is currently happening in the UK market. In doing this we ran consultations with suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, refiners, NGOs and financial institutions to find out how gold is sourced and how it is moved in and around the UK market.” She reassures us that there is no ‘information black hole’, as past media coverage might suggest, “the positives that came out of it are that there is quite a lot of development in auditing standards in larger refineries and some are very tight in the way they regulate the sourcing of gold.” In fact, she believes “the UK’s gold is not in such an unfavourable state of play as much as has been reported in the past, or perhaps has thought to be the case. We’re actually doing fairly well in some areas. However, we can’t pat each other on the backs and rest on our laurels. Gaps within the market still exist and we hope the Gold Paper will go some way towards addressing these issues.” The full-length report details 10 recommendations for the industry to move forward and we hope this gentle nudge towards the right path will prompt the formation of processes and policies to tackle the gaps that have been identified. To obtain a copy of the report please email the NAG at nag@jewellers-online.org or telephone 020 7613 4445.
NAG News |
Michael Hoare to step down as CEO of the NAG he NAG has announced that Michael Hoare is to leave the Association in early April. Speaking of his decision, Hoare said “After just over 12 years at the helm here at Luke Street I have concluded that it is time for a change, both for the Association, and for me! Therefore I have decided to step down as CEO and will be leaving to pursue various assignments in the jewellery sector and beyond. But, as this is an entirely amicable separation, one of my first tasks will be to assist the Board in the transition to a new CEO.” The NAG has seen some dramatic developments under Hoare’s leadership, including the inauguration of the IRV; becoming a founding member of the Responsible Jewellery Council; and the establishment of the Executive Development Forum. He also guided the Association through the early days of the Kimberley Process, set up the joint Ethics Committee with the BJA and Gem-A and has been a prominent member of CIBJO. Latterly his interests have spanned the future of high street retailing, the landscape for SMEs, and retail crime. In 2009 his work led to the founding, with TH March, of the SaferGems initiative that monitors violent and other jewellery related crime. NAG Chairman, Pravin Pattni said, “Michael is going to be a hard act to follow, as during the last twelve years he has done a fabulous job of raising the standards, profile and the overall management of the NAG.”
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Increase your sales with Virada’s Advanced Selling seminar he NAG’s cutting edge Advanced Sales seminar, facilitated by Virada Training, is taking place on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March. Virada specialises in training for the luxury retail sector and has won awards as provider of sales training for the jewellery sector. The trainer for this course – Lee Lawson – has been involved in retail for over 20 years. He started his career as a store manager for a major national group and worked his way up to the role of operations director. Several years ago he opened his own highly successful jewellery store. Today he specialises in retail sales and management training. The course covers a variety of topics, and focuses on real life everyday sales situations. Specifically delegates will look at the buying and selling interaction, how to engage the customer and establish their needs, effective presentation and helping customers make decisions alongside how to develop customer commitment. Previous delegates have given great feedback for this particular course, including: “One of my staff says it’s the best thing she has ever done! It has boosted her confidence enormously and this has led to an increase in sales!”; “The structure, content and trainer were superb; I have recommended the training to another jeweller and to my manager so that other members of our team may attend this course” and “On behalf of us all may I say thank you for a most informative and educational two days. We are now motivated and inspired to go out and confidently sell. We can’t wait to put new ideas and skills into practice. We highly recommend the course to all people involved in selling”. The NAG takes pride in setting standards of quality – all the seminars are taught by leading UK authorities, tutors and trainers. If you would like to receive more information on the seminar programme dates, venues and prices or to book onto our Advanced Selling seminar please contact our NAG Seminar coordinator Amanda White on 020 7613 4445 or email: amandaw@jewellers-online.org
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EDF Congress – save the date! or a fifth successive year the NAG’s Executive Development Forum (EDF) will host the EDF Oxford Congress. This year’s not-to-be-missed event will take place on Wednesday 19th June at the Saïd Business School in Oxford. The Congress is open to all EDF and NAG members and registrations from across the industry will be welcomed. The 2013 Oxford Congress has become an essential date in many professional jewellers’ diaries. Prepare to be stimulated educated and energised by presentations and discussion with contributions from leading lights from within and without the jewellery sector. The theme for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks! For more information email: nag@jewellers-online.org or telephone 020 7613 4445.
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AGM 2013 e are delighted to announce that this year’s Annual General Meeting & Luncheon has been scheduled to be held on Wednesday 26th June at the historic Royal Hampton Court Palace. The event will be held in the Garden Room set behind the beautiful flower gardens within the Palace grounds. Guided tours will be arranged on the day for guests to see the entire Palace and uncover some of its history! Further details are yet to be announced however if you would like to register your interest, please contact Ritu Verma on: 020 7613 4445 or email: ritu@jewellers-online.org
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New Member Applications Members wishing to comment on any of these applications can call Amy Oliver on tel: 020 7613 4445 or email her at: amyoliver@jewellers-online.org within three weeks of receipt of this issue.
Ordinary Applications Prestige Diamonds, Southport Robert Daniels Jewellery, Bury Coopers Jewellers, Hove
Allied Applications Bela Gems, Holborn, London
Alumni Associate Applications Michael Suter, Southampton Joanne Wicker, Ashford, Kent
The Voice of the Industry 17
| NAG News
NAG Member of the Month For this issue’s Member of the Month, Amy Oliver speaks to Lyn Hanmore of Lynley’s Jewellers in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The business has been run by the same family for three generations, and is still going strong. Lynley’s Jewellers is a successful and flourishing business – how did it all start? Back in December 1961, our father – watch and clock maker, Norman Poole – opened Lynley’s in Polegate, East Sussex. Apparently, a local jeweller said: “I’ll give that jewellers over the road a few weeks before it shuts”. Well, here we are in our 52nd year! Our father started out on his own and came down to the south coast from Swanley in Kent, after having had a shop in West Wickham. Most of the jewellery was sale or return – how things have changed! After Polegate, he opened another branch with our mother in nearby Hailsham. Then in 1971 he sold both shops and opened Lynley’s (the name coming from the three letters of my name and the last of my sister Lesley’s) in the first out-of-town shopping centre, where we stayed for 21 years. Our father was due to retire, but decided to relocate to a concession inside Asda, Eastbourne. My sister and I took over the shop in 2002 when he eventually retired, and my son Dominic became our manager. Do you foresee the business passing onto the next generation of your family? Of course we would love to have the fourth generation join the Lynley name. You currently specialise in platinum jewellery; when did you decide to do this, and has this been an effective strategy for the business? We took on platinum jewellery in the 1980s. We had a huge advertising campaign that even appeared in the national press, as the Platinum Guild at the time had a bikini for promotional purposes and both Lesley and I were privileged to model it and have our pictures taken! We stock a large collection of platinum jewellery which has enabled us to on-sell from the first purchase of the engagement ring to wedding band, through to sales with anniversary and birthday presents.
18 The Jeweller March 2013
We’ve found that our wedding ring platinum sales have increased, as the public are fully aware of the high quality offered. We are also having to compete with internet sales, so are now offering palladium as an alternative. As we are not on a high street we have had to offer customers a wide choice of jewellery; be it silver jewellery from Hot Diamonds or designer Babette Wasserman, to diamond rings set in platinum. We literally have customers shopping for a loaf of bread and end up buying a diamond set platinum ring!
Lesley (left) and Lyn Hanmore
offer customers the advantage of purchasing unbranded jewellery. Luckily for both our customers and ourselves, we don’t have a head office dictating what we have to sell.
Like many jewellers, you also stock contemporary giftware; have you noticed a decline in demand for these luxury goods during the economic downturn? We have had to offer our customers a varied giftware selection along with long case clocks, and yes, the higher price bracket has slipped. However, customers are always guaranteed a high level of customer service whatever they purchase, as all our staff are NAG trained.
Lastly, do you have a memorable customer anecdote to share with us? We have a regular lady customer who has shopped with us for many years. Early into one New Year, she arrived with a 2ct diamond ring minus the diamond, so a quote for repair was given. While waiting for the work to be carried out, she rushed in early one morning with the diamond. We asked where she had found it, to which she replied: “Well, I was putting out the leftover Christmas cake on the bird table and glittering in the corner was the diamond!” It would have been there for well over two weeks! Lucky for her as the repair was only a re-claw, but a loss for us as we did not then have to supply a nice 2ct diamond! As they say: “Oh well, that’s retail.”
What would say is the most popular brand or item of jewellery you currently sell? Probably Chamilia and Clogau Gold, but as an independent family jeweller, we like to
If you would like your business to be considered as Member of the Month, write in and tell us why! Please send an email to: amyoliver@jewellers-online.org
| NAG News: Education & Training
Celebrating the December and January winners of the Bransom Award t obviously comes as no surprise that JET 1 students throw themselves into the task of submitting outstanding assignments, but every month we in the Education Department, along with our examiners and tutors, are hugely gratified to witness this fact confirmed. In this issue the magazine and the NAG celebrate both the December and January winners of the coveted Bransom JET 1 Project Assignment Award for 2012/13. From assignments received in December, the award goes to Hannah Tilley of F. Hinds in Somerset and the winner of January’s award is Rebecca Hill of Allum & Sidaway in Hampshire. Held in conjunction with our friends at Bransom Retail Systems, each month the Education Department enters all JET 1 Assignments into a competition for ‘best project’. Selected by the external examiners, the award offers students the opportunity of a trip to the glorious Goldsmiths’ Hall, for the presentation of their certificate at our annual student award ceremony. Those students who successfully complete all five assignments of the JET 1 course to a satisfactory standard
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Hannah Tilley
20 The Jeweller March 2013
will be awarded a JET 1 certificate and are then entitled to continue on to JET 2 and the completion of the Professional Jewellers’ Diploma. Firstly we’d like to congratulate Hannah, who scooped the prize after her project was selected from December’s bag of entries. Hannah’s tutor, Michelle McCormick told us: “Hannah’s course work has been a pleasure to mark. All of her assignments have been answered to the highest standard. She has researched very well the subjects covered in JET 1 and has included evidence of her personal customer care knowledge too”. The project moderator was equally complimentary when we asked why they selected Hannah’s project: “This answer is outstanding and Hannah is to be congratulated. A serious amount of research was obviously carried out which was evident in how the information has been presented. I am certain that Hannah makes a positive contribution to the sales team at F. Hinds.” In true Oscar-acceptance-speech manner Hannah was modest about her triumph: “I am really surprised to win the award… really excited to be chosen,” she said. “It was really all down to my manager who put me up for the course and Michelle, my tutor. So I’d like to say a big thank you to both her and F. Hinds! JET 1 has given me a good insight into the jewellery world and I have a lot more knowledge because of it and it has built up my confidence on the shop floor,” she added. “I really enjoyed doing the assignments, especially the last one about watch repairs. It was interesting to get a rounded look at the service side of the industry as well as learning about general selling techniques.” The winner of January’s project was praised by tutor Anne Bray: “Rebecca had only been in the trade for four months when she was enrolled on JET 1. Her work was punctual and always beautifully composed. However it was always the attention to the finer detail of the subject matter which
made all her assignments so good. When I marked her work I always got the feeling that if I was a customer in her care I would feel completely confident in the service I was getting”. The project moderator who selected Rebecca’s project from the dozens entered, added: “Rebecca’s final assignment was of an extremely high standard. Full coverage was given to the explanation of the four Cs in the first section, which was continued for the rest of her answer and she also demonstrated that she possesses excellent customer care skills. The final part of this excellent answer which related to the repair/ service section, is very interesting and offers the customer numerous options. All of which are sound practical solutions to the situation described in the assignment brief.”
Rebecca Hill
On hearing the news, Rebecca told us that she was really excited. “I’m very pleased to get all my hard work rewarded. I’ve only been in the industry for a year and JET 1 is a training requirement for all staff leaving their probationary period. Having said that I probably would’ve taken it anyway. It has given me a lot more confidence to approach customers and the knowledge to back up what I’m saying. I’m no longer relying on my managers and other staff members to fill those gaps in my knowledge or help me out.” The Education Department would like to congratulate both Hannah and Rebecca on their extremely hard work, and wish them continued success in their work and future studies. For more information on the JET courses visit: www.jewellers-online.org or call: 020 7613 4445 (option 1). For information about Bransom please visit: www.bransom.co.uk
NAG News: Education & Training |
Move over Lord Sugar: the NAG has the REAL apprenticeship solution egarding the subject of apprentices life is not, evidently, a reality show. If only things were that easy… The true reality is that most business owners are very cautious when it comes to taking on a trainee. Firstly the right candidate must be selected, then they have to be offered first-hand experience of the trade (generally at the expense of the company concerned) while continually allaying any fears that the newly trained employee will up and go taking his or her new-found skills elsewhere.
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So how can a retailer coach an apprentice on a modest budget while also ensuring they remain with the company once they’re trained? There’s no simple solution; however the NAG has teamed up with the National Skills Academy for Retail to offer our members a brand new apprenticeship scheme aimed at making the process of taking on an apprentice a whole lot easier and less risky. Unlike other such schemes the NAG Apprenticeship Scheme gives tailored support and grants to businesses (up to £1,500) looking to take on a new member of staff. Our partners at the NSA will take on the responsibility for your apprentice’s training
and assist with funding an apprentice – while you do all the nurturing and hopefully reap the rewards.
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So how does it all work? Each apprentice will be selected by you and your local skills shop (there are over 50 on high streets in the UK) before they start their placement. Your chosen apprentice will benefit from two weeks of pre-placement, retail specific, off-the-job training with the NSA for Retail before coming to work for you. The apprentice is recruited, trained and employed by the Retail Apprenticeship Training Agency (RATA) set up by the NSA for Retail to take on and train apprentices. All you need do is pay your apprentices’ wages and agency costs to RATA while they are on placement and they do the rest for you. Once your apprentice has received this initial training, they come to work for you in-store. Overall this process reduces risk, cost, time and administration for your company – while providing guidance and support throughout the entire time you have an apprentice. Ultimately this leaves you with an apprentice
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heme +L]LSVW Z[HMM SV`HS [`! being of the NA part G Retail App Scheme emphasise renticeship s your commitme nt to dev eloping the talent and skills wit hin your business. Through the NAG scheme the appren tice will wo to achieve rk an Appren ticeship MYHTL^VYR VM MV\Y X\ HSPÄJH[PVU Retail Ski Z PU lls, Retail A £1,500 Knowledge Maths and and English, grant ma Apprenticeship plus coa in the spe y be avail chi cia ng to support list experti able business can provid se your ^P[O [OL local retailers e -\UKPUN H through PY ÄYZ[ HWWYLU[PJL ZZP the sche Apprentice Z[HUJL! a £1,500 me. ship grant available may be to suppor t indepe retailers ndent with their apprentice throughout the schem e 3V^ JVZ[! you pay a fee from per week £140 to RATA which cov the appren ers tice wages costs wh and age ncy ilst they are on pla 9(;( PZ Y cement LZWVUZPISL MVY [OL HWWYLU[PJL ! if there are any wo related issu rk es with the the respon apprentice sibility is , RATA’s (as employer ) to resolv the e any problems (U L_[YH [ LHT TL TI a memb LY! you gai er of sta n ff wh o is motiva to work within you ted r business and the industry whilst the risks and respon reducing sibilities employing of a perma nent em Help the plo yee local com munity: by offering an Appren ticeship placement you are ena young per bling a son in you r commu [V [HRL [OL nity PY ÄYZ[ Z[L WZ [V^HYK employm Z ent 3V^ JVTT P[TLU[! yo the appren u tice perma can employ the one nently afte year App r renticeship term and by doing so you red recruitme uce nt costs and have employee an who alre ady knows business your
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trained to Level 2 apprentice framework and with real-world experience – while your business has a trained employee, at little cost, with possibility of future employment. Does it work? Unsurprisingly we’d say yes, as we’re great advocates of NAG members taking on apprentices and adding to their skilled workforce. But don’t take our word for it – Helen Murray, an independent retailer from Sheffield, who has recently taken on an apprentice through the NSA and RATA says, “these apprenticeships are the best way of training the younger generation in particular. Get them into your business and show them your way of working and if they are interested and enthusiastic they’ll take it on and be so valuable to you as a company, that you’ll want to keep them.” Obviously we can’t promise successes like this in every case – but we’re certain that our partnership with the NSA will prove an invaluable support to businesses looking to take on a new member of staff. How do I find out more? Well, that’s the easy bit – contact our Education Department on 020 7613 4445 or email us at: jet@jewellers-online.org Alternatively, contact RATA directly on 020 7462 5089 or email: RAS@nsaforretail.com
The Voice of the Industry 21
| NAG News: Education & Training
Education shows the first signs of Spring t’s March…. which surely must mean that Winter is officially over. As we go to press the last of the snow has gone and the sun has actually come out and, while things might easily change (this is Britain after all and one must remain sanguine on this front), we seem to be staring Spring in the face. This inevitably signals ‘new-life’ and it would be a hard man (or woman) who didn’t feel a little buoyed up by this thought. Not only is this a time of reflection, but also a time to begin again, to start afresh and turn over that new leaf, so to speak. The NAG’s Education Department is no different, having launched a fresh new course at The Jewellery Show last month. JETPlus, is the updated version of our popular Professional Jewellers Management Diploma.
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Continuing with the same broad themes, the course has been completely revised in order to present an invigorated new format. JETPlus now covers new emerging management strategies and and reflects best practice in retailing and human resource development. Unlike many other management courses, JETPlus is specifically tailored to the needs of the retail jeweller and this makes it ideal for anyone appointed to their first management position, or for supervisors and team leaders. As education manager Victoria Wingate emphasised: “From selling to business development we have something for everyone. It’s easy to study with the NAG and our courses are trade-specific so the training can be put into practice straight away.
Dates for your diary: JET 1 & 2 tutorials announced f you’re currently studying for the Professional Jewellers’ Diploma, this is the time of year to dig out your diary and pen in the dates for our forthcoming JET 1 and JET 2 tutorials. We’re not going to pretend otherwise, here we are again falling victim to repeatedly playing this same old broken record… However, there is absolutely no doubt that those students who attend a JET tutorial are more likely to achieve higher grades. How do we know this? In terms of number crunching it’s quite clear and to anyone pondering on this it would only seem logical that more practice equals better results. Another way to look at it is if we hark back to past winners of the Greenough Trophy and the Gemstone Award – many of these industry luminaries note the JET Tutorial as a key to unlocking success. However, having said all that, JET Tutorials are not mandatory and although we strongly
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22 The Jeweller March 2013
suggest you book a place – it’s entirely up to you. They are free of charge to those on a JET 1 or JET 2 course, and take place in a number of different locations across the UK. To book your place all you have to do is find the date, time and location of the desired tutorial below and get in touch with the Education Department to request a booking form on 020 7613 4445 or email: jet@jewellers-online.org
They also represent great value for money so if you are looking to enhance your personal and professional development within the industry then look no further than the NAG.” For further information on any NAG courses, or a copy of the new education prospectus please contact the Education Department on 020 7613 4445 or email: jet@jewellers-online.org
JET 1 tutorials London: 18th April & 18th September Birmingham: 19th March & 17th September Glasgow: 16th April & 16th September Stockport: 27th March & 18th September Leeds: 2nd March & 13th September
JET 2 tutorials London: 16th & 24th April, 8th May, 19th September & 2nd October Birmingham: 16th April & 24th September Glasgow: 15th April & 27th September Stockport: 17th April & 3rd October Leeds: 26th April & 27th September
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDSMITHS Representing Jewellery Retailers since 1894
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDSMITHS
SEMINAR PROGRAMME 2013 QUALITY SHORT COURSES FOR THE RETAIL JEWELLERY INDUSTRY The National Association of Goldsmiths provides members and non-members with a series of short courses to enhance skills, develop business potential and stimulate growth. Our selection of seminars planned for 2013 cover a wide range of areas designed to help you, your employees and your businesses to develop going forwards and increase revenue.
Advanced Selling
Developing Selling Performance
Selling to Chinese Customers
Gold Buying and Precious Metal Testing
Introduction to Diamonds and Diamond Grading
Diamonds and Diamond Grading Intermediate
Essential Display
Strategic Visual Merchandising
Social Media.
To request your copy of the N.A.G. Seminar Programme 2013 or to ďŹ nd out more information about prices and bookings please contact Amanda White, N.A.G. seminar coordinator T: 0207 613 4445 E: amandaw@jewellers-online.org
| NAG News: IRV Review
NAG Institute of Registered Valuers R
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News from the IRV frontline A new chairman, a new committee, a call to find a David Wilkins Award winner for 2013 and impressions from the Tucson Show – Sandra Page reports.
Chairman Elect The NAG’s IRV is delighted to announce that Geoff Whitefield has accepted the Institute’s invitation to take up the position of Institute chairman when Jonathan Lambert stands down in June this year after serving six years on the Valuations Committee, five of them as chairman. Whitefield is a member of the Society of Jewellery Historians and member of the Silver Society. His career in the trade commenced 21 years ago when he joined a small county class independent jeweller. However his interest in the trade started much earlier. Initially he joined as a trainee and embarked on obtaining experience and qualifications, some from the NAG, including the Retail Jewellers’ Diploma which he passed with distinction and the Retail Jewellers’ Gemmology Diploma. His ongoing development took him down a post-loss path and he has specialised in this, among other areas, while working for Parkhouse/ Laing the Jewellers in Southampton, Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Some years later (2005) he became an NAG Registered Valuer, having successfully proven his capabilities in pre-loss and other types of appraisal. He also became the company appraiser and insurance manager that year. Having worked for Parkhouse since 1996 he left in 2010 to join Fellows Auctioneers in Birmingham. As one of the leading auction houses in the country regularly handling watch and jewellery sales, his role is to head up the insurance and appraisal department, as well as
24 The Jeweller March 2013
Commenting on his new role Whitefield said: “I was privileged to be invited to take over the reins as Jonathan’s successor in the post of chairman of the NAG’s IRV, but not I might add, without some trepidation – my predecessor is leaving some pretty hefty shoes to fill. I am looking forward to continuing to work with everyone on the committee immensely, helping to oversee the next phase of our growth and development,” he added. “I firmly believe that together we can establish a valuation practice in the UK, that truly sets the standard not just here, but as one that will hopefully become internationally recognised thanks to the launch of the CAT programme. The evolution of the Institute since its inauguration nearly five years ago has been swift and is very much focussed in working in a far more transparent and accountable way, for all end users, be they members of the public, retailers, insurers or their representatives. Compared to valuation practices and attitudes that seemed typical when I first started out in my career, we are making a difference. It is my aim to try and continue to bring awareness of the Institute and what it represents more in to the public domain, as well as find ways of helping support our independent and county class retailers, in what have proved to be some of the toughest economic times to hit the industry to date.”
A new committee Geoff Whitefield
support the specialist watch, jewellery and silver departments. Over the years he has worked with many high net worth and specialist insurers and adjusters in regards to claim validation, including fraud investigation. He assists the police on a regular basis as an accredited professional. He has also acted as an expert witness in a variety of capacities. He has been invited on more than one occasion to present both main presentations and specialist workshops on his principal fields – Post-Loss/Insurance Replacement and Customised Watches at our annual Conference in Loughborough. He has also assisted in the writing of the post-loss modules for CAT, the Institute’s new Certificate of Appraisal Theory.
Following the 2007 introduction of the IRV Forum, which provides a platform through which IRVs can support the NAG Valuations Committee to develop the Institute, we are delighted to announce that the NAG Board of Directors approved the Institute’s request that the Forum and Committee should be merged as one to create the NAG’s Institute of Registered Valuers Committee. The first meeting of this new body took place at the end of January and it was agreed that all those who were on the former IRV Forum and Valuations Committee should take up a voting place on the new Committee until the final terms of reference and structure have been discussed, proposed to and approved by the Board of Directors. The Institute will confirm the details to the IRVs as soon as possible and report on developments in a future issue of the The Jeweller.
NAG News: IRV Review | The David Wilkins Award The NAG’s IRV has announced its call for nominations for the 20th annual David Wilkins Award in recognition of exceptional skill, dedication and service in the field of jewellery appraisal and valuation. The Board of Directors of the NAG may award the David Wilkins Trophy if an individual has demonstrated outstanding skill, dedication or service in respect of jewellery appraisal and valuation. This award is made on an annual basis and as such may only be referred to by the recipient in the relevant year. The Trophy, which was first presented in 1994, comprises an Elizabethan-style silver dish which is inscribed with the name of the winner who retains it for the relevant year. It is complemented by the award of £100 in book tokens for supplementing the winner’s personal reference library. An IRV may nominate themself or any other individual they feel merits nomination. A nomination may also be made by an NAG Ordinary Member. Completed nominations for the 2013 award must be sent to the NAG Cardiff office to be received not later than 30th April 2013. The name of the successful nominee will be announced, and the presentation made, at the annual Loughborough Conference (14th-16th September 2013). Who is likely to qualify for the David Wilkins Trophy? There is no official list of criteria that will enable a nominee to fulfil the citation but the following examples of conduct may provide some guidance: • Consistently producing valuations of exceptional standard • Giving help and guidance to colleagues or to members of the public • Working to promote and further the aims of the NAG’s IRV • Providing information/resources for IRVs • Achieving exceptional results in training and/or examination • Demonstrating high integrity • Showing diligence in research and information gathering • Displaying general conduct likely to enhance the reputation of IRVs Nomination forms can be obtained from Sandra Page on tel: 029 2081 3615, email:
irv@jewellers-online.org or download a form from the David Wilkins Award page on the IRV website: www.jewelleryvaluers.org
Tucson – one woman’s passion for a bit of the Wild West
My first taste of America involved a group visit to Tucson during the gem shows back in 2005. To say I enjoyed the visit would be a massive understatement – I absolutely LOVED it and have been yearning to go back ever since. Back in December 2011 I happened to be having a conversation with Ian and Tracy Jukes of E-jewel Ltd and FIRV Shirley Mitchell about Tucson and Shirley mentioned that she had never been before and would love to go. Tracy asked Shirley if she would like to go with them in 2013 and before anyone could draw breath I had chipped in with, “Can I come too?” Since then poor Ian and Tracy have had to put up with me Heather McPherson and Sandra prospecting for loose gem crystals
behaving like a little school kid as I’ve been so excited about the pending visit (to be honest, Shirley was the same!) – and it didn’t disappoint. Firstly Tucson is a wonderful city this time of year: the skies are blue and it’s warm, which, after the wet and dreary winter we’ve had here in the UK, was a tonic in itself. The people are friendly, polite and so eager to please it’s a breath of fresh air compared to the attitude of some people in Blighty! And then there are the gems. Everywhere you look, hundreds and hundreds and
hundreds of them. The rare, the beautiful and the unique (as well as the common-orgarden) – an absolute delight for anyone who loves stones in any shape or form. And there’s not just one venue, there are loads, spread out all over the city (although a lot are based in Downtown Tucson). In addition to the quality gems on display at the American Gem Trade Association show (the venue to visit), the GJX tent across the road comes a very close second and then there are the other venues covering all kinds of gems, minerals and fossils – an absolute delight for the gemmologist, the geologist and the archaeologist. Shirley Mitchell, Heather McPherson and Sandra outside the AGTA Gem Fair
The only downside is how tired you get walking around in an attempt not to miss anything! To see it all you need to be there for more than the seven days we actually spent in Tucson itself – assuming you have the stamina! We even managed to squeeze in a little sight-seeing – including spending the grand total of 10 minutes in Mexico: seven of them in the queue to get back into the US! I’m now saving up for my next visit! I urge you to read Jack Ogden’s report on the shows – his article in Gems and Jewellery in this issue will be of tremendous use to valuers and gemmologists – but I hope my ramblings may have encouraged someone who’s never been before to consider going next year; you won’t be disappointed… An Arizonian mineral crystal – can any reader tell us what it is?!?
The Voice of the Industry 25
Jeweller picks... the
We also noticed an increased presence of children’s jewellery, so also included is our pick of the best pieces.
JOHN ROCHA
The Lace Collection in this new Summer line by designer John Rocha reveals the strong correlation between his catwalk creations and the jewellery pieces. In fact, actual scraps of lace from his dresses have been pressed into a jewellery master pattern to create the embossed design on the surface of the silver for a tactile finish. Also new this season is the Little Bird Collection featuring quirky little birds in silver, rose gold vermeil and black rhodium on silver. Tel: +353 1 476 2112
ANJA K
… from The Jewellery Show. As it’s impossible to select just one stand-out jewellery trend for the year ahead we decided that a look at some of the newcomers to the event might offer a useful over-view. Key looks that crept onto our radar included openwork and filigree, tribal and ethnic influences, gold as highlight or main metal, sparkling mesh, texture, unusual and mixed materials, colour (and more colour), coin and disc jewellery and inspiration from nature.
Anja K’s 18ct gold ‘Love’ collection will be taken on Houlden’s Designs of Excellence tour. The ring contains a love declaration in symbols from different cultures. These motifs also appear on the necklace which is called ‘Play-with-Love’ (as the wearer can play around with the pieces) as well as the ear hangers – The Love Whisperers’. www.anjakdesign.com
SAINT MICHAEL
VAMP LONDON
High end fashion and jewellery come together in this silver ring with amethyst and bright silk thread from Saint Michael’s Union collection. The company’s debut at the show also saw six new exclusive ranges including Citiscape, Chaos & Order and Calligraphy. Tel: 01273 962460
The trend for mesh jewellery has been given a particularly glamorous feel by Vamp London which offers the Italian-made sterling silver bracelets with a cluster of CZ stones for added sparkle. In addition to the silver, the line also includes pieces in yellow or rose gold vermeil as well as oxidised silver for an edgier vampish look. The collection comes with luxurious packaging and point of sale material. www.vamplondon.com
LILY & LOTTY FOR GIRLS
LITTLE FLINN
BELLA
Explaining the concept of Lily & Lotty for Girls creative director Carole Stock says: “we wanted to create a premium collection that girls would want to wear from a young age and also into their teenage years, so we have used simple, classic designs incorporating hearts, bows, and stars and butterflies”. For Spring the collection has increased to 30 designs, with necklaces, bracelets, studs and small hoop earrings. www.lilyandlotty.com
The little sister brand to designer Jessica Flinn’s main collection had its debut at the show. Fun and playful the line of charm-based pieces introduces the world of collectable jewellery to girls and boys, from tots to teens, with colour being a strong element. Silver-plated enamelled charms hang from silverwork chains and five per cent of all sales will go to The Sheffield Children’s Hospital. www.jessicaflinn.co.uk
The sterling silver Bella collection includes plain, enamelled and stone-set pieces with an emphasis on cute and colourful. Traditional charm bracelets, resin and ribbon necklets, expansion pieces, diamond and CZ embellishment and gold on silver detail are all key to the line, as is quality manufacture and strong POS material. www.silverjewellerybella.com
D FOR DIAMOND
Fairground fantasies provide the inspiration for the new D for Diamond collection, each piece of which features a signature diamond. The childhood play images include origami elephants and balloon dogs as well as rocking horses and butterflies. Importantly the line is completed by eye-catching point of sale material. www.geckojewellery.com
JO FOR GIRLS
While creating traditional silver jewellery for Christenings, communions and confirmations, Jo for Girls also has in mind fun and fashion with its latest collection. Besides the (really rather cute) Ugly Bug range, there are lockets, charms and pendants featuring sparkling CZ and Swarovski Element stones as in this pink heart version. www.joforgirls.co.uk
The National Association of Goldsmiths launches a new brand new member benefit
THE NAG DESIGN SERVICE Exclusive to N.A.G. members N.A.G. members can take advantage of this fantastic benefit and offer the N.A.G. Design Service in their shops from February 2013. Customers can bring in any items of jewellery or stones and have a brand new piece of jewellery designed and created exclusively for them.
The benefits of offering the NAG Design Service in your store... A truly unique and individual design service to excite your existing customers and attract new ones Your customers can have a stunning new item of jewellery designed and made using gold and stones from their old and worn items of jewellery Your customers can have new items of bespoke jewellery designed to create pieces exclusively for them Beautiful bespoke engagement and wedding rings can be designed to sit perfectly together Once the design has been made the item is accompanied by an insurance valuation prepared by a member of the Institute of Registered Valuers If you would like to find out more about the NAG Design Service or register to offer the service in you shop please contact the N.A.G. Membership Department and speak with Amy, our Membership Administrator T: 020 7613 4445 (Ext 2) E: amy.oliver@jewellers-online.org
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDSMITHS Representing Jewellery Retailers since 1894
Obituary |
James Maxwell 1976-2013 J
ames Maxwell’s funeral was held at the parish church in the small village of Kinlet in Worcestershire on a wintery day in January. Hundreds of people made the journey through deep snow into the picturesque village, which the weather had turned into an otherworldly winter wonderland. Among the 400 or so mourners at the funeral were many from the jewellery and watch industry, including people who had known James through his time at the Swatch Group, at Hennig Diamonds and through The CMJ and Tolkowsky. Sir Gabi and Jean-Paul Tolkowsky had both travelled over to the UK from Antwerp, along with many of their colleagues from
Exelco who were business partners with James and his company 21st Dimension. The service was conducted by the parish priest Rev Mark Daborn who knew James well and spoke warmly of him. He reminded many of the mourners that it was only just over four years since many who were there had celebrated James’s marriage in the very same church. A moving eulogy was delivered by James’s best friend, Alex Whittles, who told us that they had known each other since birth, being born in the same ward in the local hospital, and had spent their childhoods in and out of each other’s homes. James was affectionately known as ‘Shorty’ and Alex recalled his great sense of
ames always called me his ‘work wife’ because while we worked together developing Mastercut “we spoke every day, argued all the time and neither of us wanted to have sex with each other!” (a regular quote from Mr Maxwell!). We really did drive each other crazy and James spent a lot of time ridiculing my driving, my hair and my ubiquitous loupe (!). But there was a huge respect between us and we laughed a lot (yes mainly at my expense). Mastercut was created around the concept of uniting suppliers and retailers in a seamless brand. Often there were opposing incentives but we worked so well to create something that I believe truly achieved this and is still unique, really special and should always remain as a tribute to James. James worked tirelessly and it was a privilege to spend so much time with him, understanding the diamond supply chain and the best practice in the trade that 21st Dimension embodied. He also appreciated and loved the finest things in life – his family,
his horses, dogs and damson gin were very much appreciated and we all loved his wonderful stories about Charles and Camilla, Margot and Tilly. I think from James I’ve learned to respect the work/life balance, but more importantly to strive for brilliance in everything one does and appreciate all that is fabulous in the jewellery world around us. He was unique and irreplaceable. Helen Dimmick, Green & Benz
J
ames Maxwell was a pleasure to work with. He had a tremendous amount of drive and threw himself into anything he did with 100 per cent commitment and energy, whether that was his work or his family. He was one of the jewellery industry’s most well-known characters and will be sorely missed by many, many people he worked with, both in The CMJ, in the wider UK jewellery industry and right around the world, as he worked with Exelco in Australia, the US, China, Thailand and Antwerp. Willie Hamilton, CMJ chief executive
humour and love of life along with the great loves of his life: his wife and two young sons “the heir and the spare” as James liked to call them; his work and the amount of respect he had achieved in the industry in a short space of time; his Labrador dogs – “You can never have too many Labradors” was one of James’s favourite sayings – and his love of music and Radio 4. The service ended with the hymn Jerusalem, a firm favourite of James that was also sung at his wedding. Fittingly, the funeral service sheet asked those that wanted to give donations to remember James to the Labrador Rescue Trust. After the service and a private family burial in the churchyard, the congregation went on to a reception at a nearby country house hotel, where a colleague from Exelco also gave a moving tribute to James. Many from the jewellery world stood and talked fondly of their own individual stories about James, which was mixed with a lingering disbelief that he had gone so suddenly and so young. Sarah Carpin, CMJ Media
J
James with his Green & Benz colleague and friend Helen Dimmick
The Voice of the Industry 29
| Obituary
Simon Cupitt 1970-2013 John Henn pays tribute to his friend and fellow adventurer who died earlier this year. ver the last 17 months we have watched Simon Cupitt die in front of us of motor neurone disease. While the elderly passing away is accepted, when someone eight years younger than you dies – so not just another statistic on the evening news – it concentrates your mind on just what you are doing with your own life. Human spirit is truly inspiring, but also disappointing. Why did ‘friends’ just disappear from the Cupitts’ life? Perhaps for the answer I’d have to be a clinical psychologist. Why is it then, more simply, that some people just don’t know how to communicate and some just don’t know how to listen? As a result of Simon’s illness, and the short time we had to have some adventures, we came across a breed of ‘can do’ individuals who cleared away any obstacles that were in front of us. Simon was himself one of those people, so it was a real bonus that he was able to benefit from other like-minded souls. While the funeral was taking place in England, Robert (our friend from the John O’Groats to Land’s End trip and a lifelong friend of mine) and I were getting out of a car on the Col du Lauteret in France to climb on skis over the Col du Galibier 1,000 vertical meters above us, ready to pay our own personal tribute to Simon.
O
John and Robert on the Col making their personal tribute to their good friend Simon
30 The Jeweller March 2013
The Col du Galibier forms part of the mountain stages of the Tour de France and as an amateur you can ride it prior to the race passing though. It is called the Etap du Tour, and Simon had taken part in the summer of 2011 – a gruelling day starting with the Col du Telegraph, followed by the Col du Galibier and finishing with the ascent to Alpe D’huez. This climbing section of the Tour ascends some 2,545 vertical meters and takes its toll on even the very experienced riders. It was the last thing Simon did before he was diagnosed with MND. As we stood on the summit of the Galibier we let fly a picture of him at the same point as that Summer of 2011; it was torn out of Robert’s hands and disappeared down the direction of the road, now buried under some four meters of snow. The sun seemed to win the battle over the cloud and the most majestic panoramic view materialised all around us with the unique shape of the La Meije (3600m) to the south. In front of us was 400 square kilometres of untracked, deserted wilderness, perfect snow, without a track on it; this was a privilege that Simon would have approved of. His achievement on that August day, now laid out in front of me, did nothing short of eclipse all other achievements in sport. Just an amateur man,
Simon with his wife Åsa
a bicycle and three consecutive mountain climbs. Simon said to me when he returned that he’d never seen so many expensive bikes being pushed up the roads by exhausted riders. He had form on pushing himself – and those close to him – a little bit beyond their comfort zone. His wife Åsa recalls Simon dragging herself and a very young son out onto a windswept mountain because the conditions were ‘testing’, only to find that their son was being blown backwards, such was the force of the wind. Åsa was having to push for them both, to keep up. As a jeweller and craftsman, Simon was one of the very few capable of having a conversation with his client and then producing a unique item of jewellery for them. He was one of the early investors in a laser welder enabling him to cleanly and quickly repair the more simple articles, giving him time, mostly after work, to concentrate on the more elaborate ones. This skill set was his ace in the pack. As they say “Behind every successful man…” and Simon had a second ace; Åsa had been by his side since 1998 after finally succumbing to his unconventional courting process which took six years to show its true intent. He leaves his spirit within their two lovely children, both of whom have a very active future ahead of them. In the last 18 months Åsa has succeeded, against the odds, in keeping Simon at home until the end. I know she would like me to take this opportunity to thank all those who contributed to the MNDA fund that helped equip the house to make that possible. On behalf of all of us, Simon, I’d like to thank you for giving us the pleasure of your friendship. We promise to value every day of our future and will continue to support your family wherever and whenever we can.
March 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 1
Glass-filled rubies: are they legal? Tucson report 2013 Gems with feathers
Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Editorial
Gems&Jewellery
March 13 Contents
4 Gem-A News
6 Gemstone News
8 Gems & Minerals
14
If you are a jewellery seller you might recognize this scenario. You are missing a certain sort of sapphire and diamond ring in your inventory, say, to sell at around £5,000. You need to fill the gap. Then the problems start. The sapphires offered to you look pretty awful or they look OK when you buy them, but then break or visibly deteriorate when set or when the jewellery is later cleaned or repaired. Do you blame your supplier? Think again… the problem might be you being out of touch with the gem market. The prices of some types of coloured gems have increased considerably in recent years. A good-quality sapphire, ruby or emerald can now cost more than twice what it did just a year ago. The market has changed. If you insist on buying a certain size of sapphire at the same price as a couple of years ago, you’ll get a poorer stone, or a more intrusively treated one. In theory the increasing price of coloured gems is a positive feature not a curse. You might not want to push ‘investment potential’ with your customers, but it can’t hurt if they know that prices are firmly rising. It can also help restore the aspirational value of jewellery — something sadly lacking in much of the western jewellery industry in recent years. If you are in the gem-set jewellery business you need to stay in touch with what is happening on the gem market and know the cost of replacing your stock. You may also need to adjust selling prices, otherwise you might end up selling stuff for less than it costs you to replace. There lies a downward spiral, much like the one pursued by some jewellery retailers today as they try to counter rising precious metal prices by moving into base metal and costume jewellery, ironically thereby moving into areas where there is even tougher competition, whether on the high street or online. The thing to remember is that if you are selling gems or gem-set jewellery you are selling beauty and aspiration, a world of wonder into which you have to entice your customers. Understanding the gem market, and knowing sufficient gemmology not to leave yourself open to errors or misjudgements, is an essential part of this. If your current type of business won’t allow you to raise the price levels at which you have been selling jewellery set with the main traditional gems — ruby, emerald and sapphire — remember that there is an extraordinary range of other coloured gems out there, from apatite to zoisite. Better a gorgeous garnet than a rubbishy ruby to help you develop a loyal customer base. Jack Ogden
Cover Picture A collection of glass-filled rubies. Photograph Jack Ogden. (See ‘Red flag: are glass-filled rubies legal?’, page 12.)
Craftsmanship Around the Trade
The pitfalls of price point gem purchasing
16 March 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 1
Gem-A Calendar
17
Glass-filled rubies: are they legal? Tucson report 2013 Gems with feathers
Shows & Exhibitions Stone Scoop
18 22
Published by The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) 27 Greville Street, London EC1N 8TN t: +44 (0)20 7404 3334 f: +44 (0)20 7404 8843 e: editor@gem-a.com w: www.gem-a.com Registered charity no. 1109555 Copyright 2012 ISSN 1746-8043
Editor Jack Ogden Advisory Board Mary Burland, Roger Harding, Harry Levy and James Riley Design and Production Zest Design +44 (0)20 7864 1504 Any opinions expressed in Gems & Jewellery are understood to be the views of the contributors and not necessarily of the publishers
Advertising For mediapack and advertising rates please contact Ian Francis at the National Association of Goldsmiths on tel: +44 (0)20 7613 4445 or email him at: ian@jewellers-online.org
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Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Gem-A News and Views
Gem-A news Gem-A CEO James Riley gives a round-up of what’s been happening at Gem-A. Publication developments Some of you may notice a few changes to Gems & Jewellery, not to mention that it’s inside The Jeweller! This is part of an overall publications strategy to provide you all with more information, more quickly and in a more readable format. So, in addition to Gems & Jewellery being published nine times a year, The Journal of Gemmology is also getting a makeover, ultimately returning to four a year and back to its roots with a combination of cutting-edge scientific articles, practical gemmological tips and important information for all members. I think you will find the new look more accessible and user friendly. Look out for the new Journal of Gemmology in the summer.
Tucson honour for Jack Ogden Ayako Naito, Gem-A’s ambassador in Japan, at Gem-A’s booth at IJT
Gem-A’s Tokyo debut In January Gem-A exhibited for the first time in Japan at the International Jewellery Tokyo show. A reception was held for members, graduates and students where it was good to meet up with old acquaintances and some of our more senior graduates. One of the latter was among the first in Japan to become an FGA back in 1968. Thanks must go to our ambassador Ayako Naito, our Accredited Teaching Centre the Japan Gem Society and Japan Jewelry Craft School, and Gem-A’s other friends who made the show so successful. Gem-A’s gemmology courses are now available online in Japan and in addition the Diamond course will be taught from September.
Conference diary date Gem-A’s international gemmological conference, held annually in November, is a yearly meeting-place for gemmologists, an opportunity to bring gem knowledge up to date and to network with each other. It is also attended by many of our students and recent graduates, many of whom will be in town to receive their diplomas and awards. This year is a special year for GemA education — we are celebrating 100
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years of the Gemmology Diploma and 50 years of the Diamond Diploma. To mark this very special occasion, November will see a two-day conference held within the splendid surroundings of Goldsmiths’ Hall, London, combined with our annual graduation and awards ceremony and a formal conference dinner. So mark the dates 2 – 3 November in your diaries. There will also be some exceptional sponsorship opportunities. Please contact Gem-A for more details.
In Tucson we were delighted that our friends at Jewelry Television (JTV) honoured Jack Ogden for his work in devising and writing our GemBasics course. He was awarded the product innovation award at the specific request of the late Jerry Sisk. This new online course is now available in the UK for £495 through the National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG). Please contact the NAG education department for enrolment details at: nag@jewellersonline.org
The JTV Product Innovation Award presented to Jack Ogden for ‘a unique approach to an existing product classification’.
Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Gem-A News and Views
New team member
Birmingham seminar success We recently conducted two of our introductory one-day seminars with the British Jewellers’ Association (BJA) in Birmingham. Special rates are available for all Gem-A, NAG and BJA members so why not send a member of your staff on one? These seminars can be provided anywhere in the UK depending on numbers and we can deliver a bespoke training course to fit your needs. For further details please contact Claire Mitchell at: claire@gem-a.com
Photo courtesy of BaselWorld
We welcome a new member to the teaching team in Greville Street this month as Lizzie Gleave joins us. Lizzie was previously at gem dealer A E Ward and will be familiar to many as she has been an Open Distance Learning tutor and evening class tutor for some time. She had a rude awakening to Gem-A when plunged into the Tucson show on her first day… complete with sharing a house with the team. Not to mention putting up with my driving the largest SUV ever!
Gem-A returns to Basel In April, for the first time in several years, Gem-A will be exhibiting at the BaselWorld jewellery show, 25 April – 2 May 2013. This is Europe’s largest jewellery show with a huge array of diamonds, coloured gems and cultured pearls. Do come and visit us at stand no. N12 / Hall 3.1.
Decorators in at Greville Street Apologies to visitors to our headquarters in Greville Street, London, this summer. We’ve finally clarified the renewal of our lease here and so can now embark on our planned — but long overdue — refurbishment. The work starts on 8 April and will take three months during which time we will be open for business as usual, but it might be a bit dusty!
our members and friends worldwide. Growth has not been straightforward in this time of economic crisis, but a preparedness to seize new opportunities and to make some tough decisions over recent years has been vindicated by the results. However the main factor fuelling our growth is the recognition worldwide that with its 100 year heritage and consistent commitment to the highest standards of education, Gem-A provides the most respected gemmology courses.
Finance and growth
I look forward to welcoming you all to our rejuvenated facilities in the summer.
The ambitious refurbishment of our offices, which will include increased teaching facilities and the reinstatement of our library, has been made possible by four consecutive years of financial growth. Draft 2012 accounts show a record growth in income — primarily fuelled by our expanding global education. This growth has been made possible by the hard work of the team at Gem-A, by our voluntary Board and by the support and goodwill of
James Riley, CEO
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Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Gemstone News
Gemstone news Jack Ogden’s latest UK and international gemstone intelligence. The market The year 2012 was an interesting one for the gem trade. The high end never had it so good. For example Sotheby’s announced that 2012 saw its highest-ever total for its global jewellery sales — just over $460 million. What they termed ‘exceptional’ gems and diamonds were major contributors, especially historic pieces or those from noted private collections. (For feedback on the market from the Tucson Gem Shows see page 18.) Sadly there are no detailed statistics for current global gem sales although in 2009 at an International Colored Gemstone Association panel discussion it was suggested that the global retail market value of coloured gems in 2007 was around US $10 – 15 billion. Of this corundum (rubies and sapphires) accounted for 35 per cent, tanzanite 10-15 per cent and emeralds 10-12 per cent. Based on this we might estimate current worldwide coloured gem sales at around $15 – 20 billion. To put this in perspective, overall US sales of jewellery and watches in 2012 were just over $70 billion — another record, and almost six per cent above 2011 sales. In China, now the second largest consumer market for diamonds after America, total 2011 jewellery sales exceeded RMB300 billion (just over £30 billion). In comparison UK jewellery and watch sales are estimated at £4.2 billion for the UK for 2012 with minimal change from 2011. These UK figures are taken from the recently released Mintel Report Watches and Jewellery – UK – September 2012. Unfortunately for us this report concentrates on precious metal jewellery and watches and gems barely get a mention. However, we can note that the top 20 UK watch and jewellery retailers upped their advertising spend by an average of almost 50 per cent between 2009 and 2011, which might suggest that they are having to work harder in general to keep business flowing.
Diamond supplies At Jewellery News Asia’s A New Era in the Diamond Industry, an online conference held in Hong Kong last November, the growth in demand for diamonds in China was noted, but also the likelihood that supplies would remain static at least until around 2025. More demand, no increase in stones available. What might happen? Well prices might rise, of course — the basic laws of supply and demand are unlikely to be rewritten — but another possibility was suggested: an increase in use of small and what are now termed near-gem-quality diamonds which are available in large quantities. Small, poor quality diamonds — what the trade sometimes refers to as ‘frozen spit’* — came to the fore in the late 1990s and now seem set for resurgence. And what about synthetic diamonds?
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Will rising prices for natural diamonds and, presumably increasing availability of synthetics in coming years, lead to mass adoption? You might hear traditional retailers muttering “over my dead body”, but their grandfathers were probably saying the same about cultured pearls a century ago. To view the Conference visit: http://tinyurl.com/GandJ-DiamondConference Talking of cultured pearls, finer qualities have been selling well recently; for example the best quality Tahiti cultured pearls have been doing well with rising prices, but cheaper Chinese freshwater cultured pearls are still having a bad time. However, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of rising domestic demand within China itself.
Diamond grading Imagem has launched The Gem Lab Information System (GLIS) which automates diamond grading. It includes the ‘Grading Station’ where proportions, colour, fluorescence and symmetry are analysed and the ‘Clarity Station’ where the diamond is ‘immersed in a non-toxic liquid for proper imaging’ and maps all inclusions. More details at: http://tinyurl.com/GandJ-GLIS Gem-A has neither seen nor tested this equipment and the above does not represent any type of endorsement.
Legal butterflies The legal case brought by heirs of Harry Rodman against Alan Bronstein (right) over the ownership of the Aurora collection of coloured diamonds has come to a conclusion. The collection was built up by Rodman and Bronstein and the dispute arose when, after the former’s death at the age of 99, Rodman’s relatives challenged Bronstein’s inheritance of Rodman’s half share. After what was a very expensive and lengthy trial “the court found no basis to set aside the transaction on the ground that the contract was unconscionable.” In other words, the whole collection is indeed Bronstein’s. The Aurora Collection, formed during the 1980s and 1990s and divided into the ‘Pyramid of Hope’ and ‘Butterfly of Peace’ groups has been exhibited at several museums, including the Natural History Museum, London. The court case is of interest *
The earliest use of the term ‘frozen spit’ in print referring to poor-quality diamonds that I am aware of appeared in JCK Magazine, vol. 66, 4-6, 1995, p.195.
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Gemstone News
because of the widely varying valuation placed on the collection by different appraisers — $2 million and $14 million — raising questions as to how one-off gems can best be valued and the extent to which being part of an established and exhibited collection impacts on overall value. Some of these issues will be taken up in a future issue of Gems & Jewellery once we have digested the many hundreds of pages of court documents. In the meantime the court judgement can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/GandJ-Aurora
Old sapphire The UK media has been reporting on the Saxon finger ring recently found by a metal detectorist in Yorkshire and now in the Yorkshire Museum, York. This ring has generated some excitement as it is probably the oldest sapphire Star sapphire set in a Byzantine gold head ornament. C. Seventh century AD. found in the ground in the UK, Courtesy Christies, New York. although another which was once set in a ring belonging to King Edward the Confessor (died 1066) and now in the Imperial State Crown in the English Crown Jewels is of similar age and a rare example of a gem that has been in continuous secular use for more than a thousand years. However, outside of the UK, sapphires are not that rare in old jewellery. There are few securely dated sapphires predating the Roman period, but they are reasonably well known in Roman and early Byzantine jewellery. The Roman examples, from around the second century AD tend to be in little flattened forms which are naturally water-worn to rounded tabular shape. They are typically dark blue. France has been suggested as a source. After about the fifth century AD Sri Lanka became the major source and such sapphires, typically of clear, pale blue colour, become widespread from Europe to the Far East. Both the dark early Roman sapphires and the paler Sri Lankan stones can show stars — probably the asterias mentioned by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder. A fine, large example of early star sapphires could be seen with one of the stones in an elaborate neck ornament that came up for sale at Christie’s auction of Ancient Jewelry in New York on 5 December 2012. The necklace had some restoration and repair, but the two large sapphires set in it appeared to be original.
Emeralds: end of the road and under it In his latest newsletter Emerald News specialist Ron Ringsrud has passed on the report from the Zimbabwe News that the Sandawana emerald mine in Mberengwa district, Zimbabwe, has finally shut down. There had been minimal output for some years. What had once been Zimbabwe’s largest emerald mine and which was first reported by Dr Gübelin in Gem-A’s Journal of Gemmology in 1958, was acquired by the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation from a British Channel Islands-based mining company in 2006
but was soon found to be of no commercial value. After closure the mining focus will be on the huge iron-ore deposits nearby. Some have blamed the emerald mine failure on “poor management and looting by the previous government”. In its heyday the Sandawana mine produced some fine coloured emeralds, although typically in relatively small sizes. To counterbalance the Sandawana news, Ringsrud noted a new emerald mine. A rich vein of emerald was uncovered during the construction of a highway in Eastern Boyaca state in Colombia. The emeralds were found during the drilling of a hole for pilings. That bit of emerald vein is now under concrete, but the owner of adjacent land, coincidentally an emerald miner, hopes to follow the veins into his property. Ringsrud described the emeralds as occurring in black shale and a faceted example “showed similarities to the Chivor mine: elongated crystal form, clean crystal and slightly bluish color”. To subscribe to Emerald News contact: ron@emeraldmine.com
Trends and men At New York’s 55th Annual Grammy Awards recently held in Las Vegas, it was noted that bright colours were a dominant trend — good news for gem dealers — and that there appeared to be renewed interest in men’s jewellery with attendees sporting cufflinks and tie clips. Of course we have to be a little sceptical of such reports because there is such a thing as a paid-for ‘placement’. According to a report in the New York Post (12 January 2013) it would seem that paying stars to wear jewellery at such events is the norm. Stars can be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to agree to wear jewellery by a particular designer or from a particular retailer. According to the report some stylists dislike the trend because “it’s not always in the best interest of the gown their client is wearing” — jewellers might see it the other way round. While talking about trends, emerald sellers are happy that the Pantone Color Institute has named emerald as the 2012 ‘Color of the Year’. Each year Pantone selects a colour for the year based on a wide range of trending input, from right across industry and art.
Offer to treat Pakistan’s Business Recorder recently published an article titled ‘Treated gemstones get high price in market’. This explained that “Scientists have developed several techniques to give new colours to gemstones for value addition which ultimately raise their price and they get very high price in market”. It went on to say that “Much brighter colours are produced in stones by treating them with thermal, electron beam heat, gamma rays and neutron irradiations.” Noting that one cut and polished treated gem of a few carats could sell for more than a whole kilo of the untreated rough, the article concluded that “To make the maximum out of our gem deposits, we need to adopt the latest value addition techniques.” Nothing was mentioned about disclosure. Read the full story at: http://tinyurl.com/GandJ-Pakistan
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Gems and Minerals
The three feathers Grenville Millington reports on three gems displaying similar features. Three gems came in for testing at the same time from two different customers, each with a feather inclusion.
The first feather One stone was fairly small, only 5.2 mm round and weighing 0.57 ct. The bag had ‘Zultanite’ written on it, which is a trade name for a colour-change diaspore. I had not had the opportunity to test one before, so, naturally, this was the first stone to be examined. As its main feature for selling is the colour change this was the first aspect I checked. Sure enough, it was a light yellowish green in (north) daylight and changed to a light brownish pink or brownish orange under incandescent light. It also showed the
1a
brownish hue under halogen ceiling lights and under the energy-saving bulbs to which we are all supposed to be changing (1a,b). The refractive index (RI) was a pleasure to record because it showed a large birefringence reading over a section of the refractometer scale that rarely sees such events, namely the 1.70 to 1.74 range. The figures were 1.702 – 1.750, giving a birefringence of 0.048. Using an OPL spectroscope I could detect a vague narrow band over the blue/ violet junction. The dichroscope, used in daylight, showed green, brown and greyish. The RI and spectrum results all matched reports published in the literature. But what about the feather? There was
a single feather occupying a more or less flat plane that became more interesting under magnification (2). The surface finish was rather poor with many polishing lines that could be called abrasions. The literature mentioned needles and one was visible in this stone but it was almost disguised because of the polishing marks. It is seen in 2 extending from the top edge of the feather towards the centre of the stone. The feather showed its formation when turned more face-on and magnified, with two-phase inclusions quite unlike the formations we are used to seeing in rubies, sapphires and emeralds and their synthetic counterparts (3a,b).
1a and b. The diaspore in (a) daylight and (b) incandescent light.
1b
2. Needle and feather in diaspore, magnification approximately 10x 3a and b. The feather in the diaspore. Magnification approximately (a) 30x and (b) 80x.
2
3a
3b
All photos in this article © Grenville Millington.
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Gems and Minerals
Feather number two Although it was one particular feather or feature that showed itself to be remarkable in this next stone, its accompanying feathers were also worth a look at. The bright yellow stone (4) of 4.22 ct was loose, although surface marks around the upper girdle area, that proved to be stubborn to the polishing cloth I applied, indicated that the stone had been previously set (in a rubbed-over setting).
6a
6b
6c
7a
7b
8
9
10
4. The main feather in the yellow sapphire can just be seen along the bottom edge.
5. Spectrum of the yellow sapphire
The RI was 1.765 – 1.773 indicating corundum — yellow sapphire. The spectrum showed a dense, broad band across the 450 nm area, which, under bright conditions, resolved the 470 nm narrow band as well (5). The particular feature we are interested in can just be made out in 4 running parallel to the girdle in the bottom of the picture. In 6a and b the feature is now across the top, seen through the crown. In 6c it can be seen to be a complex fracture. Elsewhere in the yellow sapphire were other feathers, often displaying a folded edge (7a, b, 8).
6a, b and c. Helix-type feather in yellow sapphire. Magnified (a) 15x, (b) 30x and (c) 15x. 7a and b. Folded edges to some feathers in the yellow sapphire. Magnified 50x. 8. Folded edges to some feathers and dotted silk in the yellow sapphire. Magnified 80x. 9. Fine, dot-like silk sometimes arranged in parallel zones (visible through the table facet). Magnified 25x. 10. Graining planes seen through the pavilion. Magnified 25x.
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Stones for Tender
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Ends: Monday 25th March at 12pm
A timed auction of loose stones featuring diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, tanzanite, aquamarine, opal, tourmaline, kunzite, topaz, amethyst, citrine, quartz, loose beads, cabochons, organics, partly strung beads, paste and other mixed gemstones. Timed auctions allow you to place multiple bids on any Lots during the allotted time. If you are outbid, you will be notified, enabling you to submit a higher bid. You will need to log in to the-saleroom.com to participate in this auction. For more information, please contact Emma Mogridge on 0121 212 2131 or email emmam@fellows.co.uk.
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Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Gems and Minerals
The three feathers (cont.)
The rest of the yellow sapphire showed fine, dot-like silk throughout, that wasn’t immediately noticeable (9), parts of which were arranged in vague, parallel zones, often coinciding with straight graining planes (10). The dot-like silk, the very small round droplets in the feathers (6b, 7a) and the strange arrangement of the feathers, such as seen in 8, all point to the stone having undergone heat treatment.
12
13
14a
14b
The third feather This time the feather was encountered in a mounted stone (11). The purple mixed-cut stone was 12 x 10 mm oval, surrounded by diamonds of approximately 0.06 ct each and mounted in 18 ct gold. The feather was more or less invisible from one point of view, needing to reflect light to the eye before it was (just) eye visible. Gems, such as
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amethyst, are sought with no eye-visible inclusions, so why mount this one in a fairly expensive mount? But what if the gem was a fancy, purple sapphire? In such an instance, the buyer cannot be too fussy as gem dealers are unable to offer huge selections of such stones. The RI was 1.761–1.770. The spectrum showed a typical ruby result, but with a very strong fluorescent doublet and fine but distinct lines in the blue area. The dichroscope showed a very distinct violet and pale pink. Unfortunately, the microscope could find nothing other than the feather (12).
11. Feather on the right-hand side of the centre stone. 12. The feather was from the pavilion surface, viewed here through the underbezel of the setting. 13. Some unusual effects seen within the feather when viewed at a glancing angle. 14a and b. Water immersion was enough to show the curved banding in the purple stone.
A change in the angle gave the view seen in 13, which also displayed diffraction colours across the feather (there is some multi-imaging due to the facets). The feather is simply a fracture, although the glancing-angle view produced some weird effects of the light and there may well be some simple filling material in parts of the fracture that break the surface
on the pavilion. Holding the stone under water produced the desired effect when viewed almost along its length, namely, curved colour banding (14a, b). So a positive result for synthetic corundum, of the type usually produced for imitating amethyst. The moral of this last result is: “Don’t let the quality of the mount fool you into assuming that the gems are genuine.”
About the author For many years Grenville Millington ran his own gem and jewellery business, and taught gemmology and retail jewellery at the Birmingham School of Jewellery.
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Gems and Minerals
Red flag: are ‘glass-filled rubies’ legal? Recent European legislation aims to minimize the risk of children ingesting lead from jewellery by defining what is allowed on the market. Glass-filled rubies may no longer comply. Jack Ogden investigates. The background
Ruby bluesday
Lead is a health hazard. This is hardly new; some have even attributed the demise of the Roman Empire to lead poisoning. But unlike those Romans, we now have a sense of responsibility with regards to health and safety, including the problems connected with lead. In 2010 France presented a dossier to the European Commission demonstrating that young children can suffer neurobehavioural and neurodevelopmental effects if exposed to lead released from jewellery if it was placed in their mouths. They urged the introduction of measures to minimize such risks. After due consideration the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) proposed a prohibition on lead in jewellery if the lead concentration of any individual part was equal to or greater than 0.05 per cent by weight.
How does this leave the now ubiquitous glass-filled rubies which have flooded the market over the last few years? Such rubies can look great initially and can be extraordinarily inexpensive — as low as £1 a carat — but they suffer from durability problems and can cause nasty problems in manufacture, repair or even cleaning. Huge numbers have been sold without proper disclosure even though the whole trade should now be very well aware of them and how to spot them. Blue, green and other colours of sapphire are also being glass filled. The glass that fills the crevices, in some cases holding the gems together, can have a lead content up to around 65 per cent, well above the 0.05 per cent lead limit in the EU Regulation. So it would appear that these rubies would not comply with the new Regulations.
The lead regulations In September 2012 the European Commission adopted this proposal and issued an amendment to the existing legislation relating to lead*. The regulation came into force in October 2012. With certain exceptions, no jewellery component can contain lead concentrations of more than 0.05 per cent by weight. The exceptions recommended by SEAC and accepted by the European Commission were: • Crystal glass • Vitreous enamels • Internal components of watch timepieces • ‘Non-synthetic or reconstructed’ gems ‘in which lead is present as a naturally occurring constituent’ • Second hand and antique pieces • Pieces first placed on the market up to 12 months after the Regulation came into effect.
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What about the exemptions? The two types of crystal glass from which jewellery is made and which are specifically exempted from the EU regulation do contain high lead contents, but they were exempted because no relevant data was available regarding lead release from them ‘during mouthing’ and because there were no suitable alternatives. One might imagine that the crystal glass industry did some effective lobbying here. The EU Commission urges review of this exemption for crystal glass as soon as further data is available and in any case this exemption is unlikely to extend to glass fillings in gems. The specific exemption for gems is not relevant here because it only covers gems which naturally contain lead. There are not many gem materials that have a significant lead content — anglesite (lead sulphate) is one example and is sometimes encountered faceted.
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Gems and Minerals
When the EU Regulations were being drafted the UK argued that “the restriction of the use of lead-bearing vitreous jewellery enamels would devastate the practice of some of the most highly skilled and experienced enamellers and that there is no suitable alternative available”. It also pointed out that enamels could have an extremely long shelf life in enamellers’ workshops. The EU Commission took heed of this and exempted vitreous enamels from the Regulations while urging more research on lead in enamels and an eventual review of the situation. In any case, enamel producers are increasingly moving to lead-free products. It seems unlikely that one could successfully argue that the glass infill in a gem should be counted as enamel. So, in conclusion, the European legislation now in force would appear to make it illegal to sell glass-filled rubies, although there is a year’s leeway from October 2012 for new items coming onto the market for the first time. Gem-A is continuing to investigate the situation and will report further in due course. We might expect those carrying out the treatment to look to recipes for suitable glasses without lead, but in the short term we might expect some attempts to dump existing stocks on the market. Although rubies have been the main class of gem filled with lead-based glass, other gems are also treated in this way, including the sapphires mentioned above and also some clarity enhanced diamonds. Note The above relates to European legislation; those in other parts of the world should consult their own gem or trade organization for advice.
*
Annex XVII to regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
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Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Craftsmanship
Holy chic: a very special man’s ring Men’s jewellery is a newsworthy sector, but how do you set about designing a man’s ring that includes deeply religious symbolism as well as aesthetic appeal? A ring where gems have to play a significant part? Jack Ogden tells the story behind Joanna Angelett’s Holy Kingdom Ring. For many centuries many of the finest jewelled ornaments from Europe were ecclesiastical — frames for icons, chalices, crucifixes and rings. The tradition of religiously inspired jewellery continues. Some six years ago Dr Peter Hollingworth, former Governor-General of Australia (2001–2003) and before that the Archbishop of Brisbane (1990–2001), approached jewellery designer Joanna Angelett with a request: “Can you design me a ring using the 12 stones mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 21, Verses 19 to 21?” When she answered that she could, he added: “There are also 12 pearls mentioned, as the gates to the Holy City, can you include those too?” Dr Hollingworth had chosen Angelett, an Australian designer, because of her Golden Cross of Life design which had been presented to Pope John Paul II in 2001 by the Apostolic Nuncio in Canberra. Shortly after her conversation with Dr Hollingworth, she relocated from Australia to London and although this move delayed work on the ring, it was not forgotten, indeed it facilitated her research. She researched every detail she could of the Book of Revelation and spent days in the British Museum in London studying their remarkable collection of papal rings dating back to the fourteenth century. As she said: “I had these wonderful items — history cast in metal — in my fingers and examined them with delight. Each had its own personality.” It was not an intention to copy one, they were simply a point of departure for her inspiration, where she could “feel the melody of history”. Her ring was not to be just a ring, it had to be a manifestation of the biblical passage which painted the picture of the Holy Kingdom. On the top was to be the image of Jesus Christ, the symbolic centre of the Holy Kingdom, depicted in the ancient technique of
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polychrome cloisonné enamel. The enamel motif was circular, the transparent gem covering it oval and of ametrine, a variety of quartz in two colours — amethyst purple and citrine yellow. Purple has long been associated with the church and the gold of the ametrine recalls the golden colour of the glory of God mentioned in the Biblical passage. Around the bezel are the 12 white cultured pearls The Holy Kingdom Ring by Joanna Angelett, that represent the gates 4.3 cm high, with ametrine 2.7 cm x 1.7 cm. to the Holy Kingdom Photo copyright Joanna Angelett. and create the effect of rays of light shining forth. It is never easy to identify gems mentioned in ancient texts and those listed in the Book of Revelation are no exception. Angelett carefully considered the options and aesthetics, and made her decision. Around the hoop on one side, jasper (red), sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, ‘sardius’ (ruby used here). On the other side: chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth (pink zircon) and amethyst. Jasper is mentioned twice, once as the wall to the City, the second time as one of the 12 gems in the foundations of the wall to the City. So, green jasper was used to represent the wall in the form of small triangles set on each corner of the ring, and red jasper as one of the gems around the hoop. The ring, which has a total weight of 140.7 g, is made of 925 silver with details in 22 ct and pure gold. The golden details symbolise the reflections of the beauty shining inside the Holy Kingdom. The space inside the bezel, around the enamelled image, was plated with pure gold to comply with the passage “the street of the city was pure gold…”. Because pure gold is very soft, the gold details on the exposed surface of the ring are of 22 ct gold, with the exception of lines of pure gold on each side of the hoop where the gems are set. The ring is also conceived in two parts, the lower part representing the rough road of our life, and on top the Holy Kingdom of light. The ring will also stand vertically, balancing on the base of the hoop. The Holy Kingdom Ring in its finished form is certainly a striking object which combines religious imagery with the special choice of gems. Religious symbolism may be a rare request for men’s jewellery today, but when it is required it adds an intriguing extra dimension to a designer's task.
Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Around the Trade
Where have all… Harry Levy asks where have all the fine coloured gems, synthetic diamonds and conflict diamonds gone? Buyers coming back from Tucson and other gem-producing centres all claim that it is difficult to find coloured stones of a fine quality, and when they see something, prices are extremely high. Gem dealers here in London insist that they have had a good year in selling their better-quality single stones, but the euphoria soon vanishes when they come to replace their stocks. They all tell the same story: “I cannot buy stones for the price I sold mine”. There are several factors at play here. In recent years there has been a demand for untreated stones, mainly from the upper end jewellery stores whose perception is that somehow treated stones are not as good as untreated ones. As it stands this is not strictly true. Treatments are carried out to improve the appearance of a stone both in colour and clarity. What is true is that there are fewer untreated stones on the market, but there are many more similar looking treated stones, and as rarity is one aspect in determining the value of a stone, values of untreated stones will rise much more rapidly and steeply than treated ones. It is hard to determine what is actually being mined these days, but there seems to be large quantities of poor-quality stones available and much of this material is treated. Invariably what is considered not worth cutting one day, becomes commercially viable as treatments improve. Furthermore, the claim is that miners are still finding good-quality stones, but they are not cutting and selling all they find. These tales come from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Colombia and Africa. What we find here in the UK is that cutters from abroad are asking hugely increased prices with every trip they make. There was a time when people would resist such higher prices and ‘wear-down’ the seller until he was forced to sell before he departed. But this tactic does not work now — “I will sell it in China or Hong Kong or in the Far East”. The Chinese have found themselves cash rich and are ‘investing’ in the best quality stones and this fact has probably been the largest factor in recent prices hikes. Manufacturers in this country think dealers want a larger margin and cannot understand why a fine aquamarine cost them £200 per carat and now a similar stone costs over £500 per carat. Resistance not to buy is slowly eroding as they find these higher prices have become universal. So reluctance to buy treated stones
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is slowly changing and I wonder at what stage synthetic stones will become more acceptable. I shudder as I write these words.
Where are all the white synthetic diamonds? As I wrote in an earlier article, according to our international trade press, laboratories and other pundits, the market is awash with synthetic diamonds. When questioned they say it is yellow synthetics that are available, but no one seems to know where one can buy white synthetic diamonds, especially in any sort of quantities. That they exist is now a reality. Indeed the Gemological Institute of America has recently referred to 2012 as the year in which synthetic diamonds “made a major impact in the market for gem-quality diamonds”. There are stories of batches being sent to laboratories with no disclosure, and laboratories claim that they can identify them. These stones come in colours and in white. One conclusion is that producers are testing the labs as to their ability to detect; another is that stones, the smaller ones, are filtering into the market, being set in jewellery, mixed with natural diamonds and passed off as being natural. Whether the actual jewellery manufacturers, especially those in the Far East, know that they are setting synthetic stones, or are being duped by their diamond suppliers is hard to ascertain. I am talking about small brilliants of under five points produced initially by the CVD process, and their brown colour removed by subjecting them to HPHT treatment. I have no doubts that larger stones of 0.25 points and up are ‘easily’ detected by labs, but it’s the parcels of stars or melee that may not be submitted to a lab that are the problematic ones. The larger stones are produced by HPHT and in spite of claims that the “Chinese and Russians are producing tons of the stones” a recent chat with some Russian diamond dealers reveals that the story is not so simple. One colleague claimed that he had been to one of the plants producing diamonds, and on analysing the cost found that with the capital lay-out for the machines, the time it takes to produce a single crystal, the cost of electricity and the manpower employed, the final yield worked out as expensive as natural stones. The breakthrough on this will come when they will be able to produce polished stones of over three carats, or even two carats. To tie in with what I’ve written regarding coloured stones, diamond prices have remained stable with modest increases in larger and better-quality stones. I am concerned with the supply of natural rough with De Beers, BHP and Rio Tinto slowly getting out of the market, and stones selling by tender, rather than fixed by the mining companies. But so far the effect has been minimal, although when questioned, the smaller cutters are admitting to having to buy their rough in smaller quantities “wherever they can find them”.
Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Around the Trade
Where are all the conflict diamonds? The conflict diamond issue is a bit confused at present. Zimbabwe and the Marenge diamonds caused much confusion in the diamond industry, with very mixed views coming out of the Kimberley Process (KP). Those, mainly in the West, claimed that some stones coming out of Zimbabwe were conflict, although not within the current definitions of the KP — they were about conflict between sovereign governments and rebels, not about human rights abuses practised by a government. Therefore, since the stones from Zimbabwe were not pre-sorted as to where they came from, all stones from Zimbabwe should be banned. This was the line advocated by the US who chaired the KP until the end of last year. This was opposed by the African countries and the Chair is now in South Africa. They claim there is no mandate to ban Zimbabwe in the present KP and they are procrastinating on changing the definition as to what is a conflict diamond. The last KP meeting was held in Zimbabwe, at Victoria Falls, and was well represented by delegates from Zimbabwe including President Mugabe. Another problem facing the KP is the need for a permanent secretariat. In the present system this roves with the chairman which changes every six months. Many feel that to have a fixed place would give much greater efficiency and continuity to the KP. Again no agreement has been reached yet, with opposition between Africa and the rest of the diamond producers.
The World Diamond Council (WDC) has played a major role in tackling the conflict diamond issue. It was set up over 10 years ago, shortly after the KP was set up. It was a representation from the trade to work with the KP and ensure that the whole system worked efficiently. The President of the WDC, Eli Izakoff, recently announced that he will be resigning from his post in June, shortly after the WDC Congress which will be held in Israel in early May. Izakoff has been at the helm of the WDC since its inauguration, and his wise and inspired leadership over the years will leave a large gap to be filled. There are various factions within the WDC, each with its own agenda and direction for the future, and all see the WDC as playing an important role in this issue. It will be interesting to see who will be elected to follow Izakoff. As far as diamond production is concerned in Africa the situation is fairly quiet; Mali is not a producer, but there are problems in the Congo. There are periodic reports in the media that ‘another batch’ of conflict diamonds has been dumped in the market, but these tend to be ‘illicit diamonds’ which are smuggled round the world to avoid fiscal payments and taxes. There are those who argue that these stones are used to launder money by drug suppliers and terrorists, so they effectively prolong conflict. We will have to see how all these points are tackled in the coming year and if any sort of resolution is possible.
Gem-A Calendar Gem Central Gem-A headquarters, London Monday 11 March, 18:15 to 20:00 An evening on opal and optical phenomena gems. Understanding practical gemmology Gem-A headquarters, London Friday 15 March A workshop focusing heavily on the practical aspects of gemmology, and covering the effective use of all the readily available instruments and testers that you are ever likely to need. Understanding diamond simulants A one-day gem workshop Gem-A Headquarters, London Friday 22 March An important practical workshop for those working or considering working in the diamond market. You will look at the key differences between diamond
and its simulants, and how to recognise them both as loose stones, and in set or mounted jewellery. Investigating gemstone treatments A one-day gem workshop Gem-A Headquarters, London Friday 19 April This one-day specialist workshop focuses on the common treatments currently experienced within the gemstone industry and their detection, using readily available instruments and techniques.
Gem-A Midlands branch Practical Evening – Loupe and Lamp Friday 22 March, 19:00 to 20:30 At Birmingham University, Earth Sciences Department. Refreshments from 18:30 Michael Doel – Fluorescence Friday 26 April, 19:00 to 20:30 pm At Birmingham University, Earth Sciences Department. Refreshments from 18:30 Contact for Midlands Branch events: Paul Phillips at: phillipsp10@sky.com or mobile 07951 775535.
Gem Central Monday 22 April, 18:15 to 20:00 Focusing on magnification Use of loupe 10x, 20x and microscope.
Save the date!
For further details of Gem-A events or to book go to www.gem-a.com or email events@gem-a.com
The Gem-A Conference 2013 Goldsmiths’ Hall, London Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November 2013
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Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Shows and Exhibitions
Tucson – the pulse of the industry Jack Ogden reports on the news, developments and, of course, some of the gems that caught his eye at last month’s show in Arizona. The Tucson Show is actually a rambling assemblage of several dozen shows that range over the already sprawling city of Tucson, Arizona. From the crème de la crème of fine coloured gems to dyed quartz, healing crystals and buffalo skulls, Tucson has it all. Add in consecutive evenings of social events, from the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Gala Dinner and Spectrum Awards to music jam sessions — plus numerous seminars and conferences — and the net result is what aficionados simply call ‘Tucson’. It’s an annual pilgrimage for dedicated gem dealers and gemmologists, and a necessary occasional visit for anyone else dealing in gems or gem-set jewellery. As one UK gem dealer commented, coming to Tucson is a bit like attending a huge family wedding — everyone you know is there. Gem-A, of course, had a booth in the main entrance hall of the AGTA Show in the Tucson Convention Center.
Quality and origin Tucson is also the pulse of the industry. So how did it measure up this year, and what is the diagnosis for the gem market? Those dealing in high-end coloured gems — and there were many superb examples on display — generally reported good sales with some saying it was their best year ever. The magic words are quality and origin. For example, Palagems showed me a 6.29 ct demantoid garnet, a pretty enough green gem and its size and Russian provenance permitted a price of $16,000 a carat (1). Bruce Bridges of Bridges Tsavorite was kind enough to show me a 21.56 ct tsavorite garnet from the
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a resurgence of interest. Among the many garnet varieties I saw in Tucson were some very pretty golden andradite garnets from the San Carlos Apache Indian reservation which is in Arizona just some 80 odd miles north-east of Tucson (3). These were being offered by ColGem of Ramat Gan, Israel, a perfect demonstration of the global nature of the gem trade.
1. A 6.29 ct Russian demantoid garnet. Courtesy of Palagems.
Merelani hills in Tanzania which had a vivid almost bluey-green colour. This fluoresced bright red under longwave UV light or with a blue laser (2). Are garnets the next big thing? There are myriad varieties in many colours and with good brilliance and hardness. Maybe it is time for the so-called commoner varieties — pyrope, almandine and so on — to see
3. Andradite garnets from the San Carlos Apache Indian reservation. Courtesy of Colgems.
The lure of the unfamiliar
2. A 21.56 ct tsavorite garnet from Tanzania. Courtesy of Bridges Tsavorite.
Rare gems, rather than more common gems in rare qualities or sizes, are another lure at Tucson. Coast to Coast gems are specialists here and among their extensive treasure trove of rarities and oddities (4) I noted many things with which I was unfamiliar, including faceted examples of vlasovite, nifontovite and childrenite. Of course at Tucson there are always the weird, wonderful and unusual to see. Palagems had Yemeni opal — an attractive blue gem material somewhat reminiscent of the best blue chalcedony
Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Shows and Exhibitions
4. Some of the faceted rare gems on show at Coast to Coast Gems.
7. Glass-filled sapphires. Courtesy of Colombin Stone Co.
in colour, though slightly more opaque. Also at Palagems were some large faceted pieces of Burmese amber, the two shown here weighing 20.72 and 17.51 ct (5).
5. Facetted Burmese amber, 20.72 and 17.51 carats. Courtesy of Palagem.
6. Sapphires from Colombia. Courtesy of Evan Caplan.
There were also familiar gems from less familiar sources, such as the sapphires from Colombia being shown by high-end gem dealer Evan Caplan of Los Angeles. These included sapphires of a good blue colour (and, like blue sapphires from a handful of places, showing slight fluorescence with longwave UV), a pale greenish blue and a purplish-brown (6). Apparently these come from an area of Colombia where gem dealers are best advised not to stray. It is in the heart of drug country and obtaining the sapphires involves some stealthy dealings with local villagers. Easier to obtain were treated blue sapphires. There has been some talk recently on Gem-A’s GemTalk and elsewhere of glass-filled blue sapphires, treated in a similar way to the ubiquitous rubies but slightly harder to spot; however these were hard to find in Tucson. Colombin Stone Co. Ltd of Bangkok had some (7), but at $25$40 a carat they seemed expensive and one suspects that the main buyers were gem labs and gemmological schools looking for samples rather than jewellers.
On the other hand another form of treated sapphire was available in quantity. These are diffused or stained in some way, but we could not spot any of the tell-tale signs of glass. However, the blue coloration can clearly be seen following fissures. At $2–$10 they were inexpensive but attractive and no doubt they will soon start to turn up unannounced and undisclosed in jewellery. Just how they will survive heat, cleaning or just time will become apparent in due course, but we do advise jewellers to be vigilant otherwise they might be fooled, embarrassed or both. Talking of dyed stones, dyeing was very evident in the peripheral shows in Tucson; endless dyed geodes and crackled and dyed quartz crystals (8). Many looked garish, some looked vaguely appealing, but do check stability of the dyes. After handling some dyed geodes my hands looked like a toddler’s after a finger-painting session.
8. Crackled and dyed quartz crystal.
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23rd/24th March
Brighton Racecourse, Brighton
(Rock, Gem ‘n’ Bead)
13th/14th April
Newton Abbot Racecourse, Newton Abbot, Devon
20th/21st April
Newark Showground, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts (Rock, Gem ‘n’ Bead)
11th/12th May
Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket,
(Rock‘n’Gem)
(Rock, Gem ‘n’ Bead)
Have you subscribed to the Rock ‘n’ Gem Magazine? www.rockngem-magazine.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM FACET CUTTERS’ GUILD
Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Shows and Exhibitions
Tucson – the pulse of the industry (cont.)
9. ‘Galactic Jade’ (omphasite) donated to Gem-A by Helen Serras-Herman.
Taking the test At the Gemological Industry & Laboratory Conference meeting in Tucson the current status of the Hong Kong testing standards for omphacite and kosmoclor were presented. In short, the Chinese term fei cui, previously applied to jadeite has been extended to cover two other closely related pyroxene rocks — omphacite and kosmoclor — that are often found intimately associated with jadeite. Gem-A has been helping with the drafting of these testing standards which are being drawn up by the Hong Kong Gemmological Association (our sister organization) and the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification. So, when jewellery designer and gem carver Helen Serras-Herman showing in the AGTA Show in Tucson kindly donated a piece of black ‘Galactic Jade’ from Guatamala to Gem-A we were keen to find out what it actually was (9). Luckily Wolf Kuehn FGA, of the Canadian Institute of Gemmology was at a neighbouring booth to us and offered to test the stone on his compact GL Gem Raman TEC PL532 unit. The Raman spectrum showed a match for omphacite. The ‘Galactic Jade’ — indeed under the Hong Kong nomenclature it can be called ‘jade’ — is a fine grained black material with some veining and with cubic
10. Maw sit sit beads. Courtesy of Bear Essentials
golden pyrite inclusions. While on the subject of jade, Cara Williams of Bear Essentials had a necklace of maw sit sit beads (10), an ornamental gem material composed of a mixture of mainly kosmoclor with jadeite and some other related minerals — hence presumably now coming under the umbrella of fei cui. It is found only in Burma and was brought to the attention of gemmologists by Dr Edward Gübelin in articles in Gem-A’s Journal of Gemmology in the mid-1960s. There were two gem displays of note at the AGTA Show in the Convention Center. One was the now annual display of gems from the Smithsonian Institution, Washington. This included some extraordinary gems, such as a Tanzanian scapolite of almost 70 ct (11). Another Smithsonian treasure on show was the so-called Spanish Inquisition Necklace (12). This necklace, combining old Mughal Indian emeralds and diamonds with some 20th century components, passed through the hands of Harry Winston who, for now unknown reasons, gave it the name the Spanish Inquisition Necklace.
11. Tanzanian scapolite of almost 70 ct. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.
The Mughal components, which probably date back to the 1600s, are the Colombian emeralds and some of the diamonds, including the little faceted diamond taveez pendants — the oldest faceted diamonds in the Smithsonian Collections. The other collection of exceptional gems on show at the AGTA Show in Tucson was the ‘Somewhere in the Rainbow’ collection, described as “An actively growing, world-class private gem and jewellery collection, with emphasis of fine and rare coloured gemstones and jewellery from contemporary artisans.” We will have a focus on this collection in a later edition of Gems & Jewellery, but for now we must express our thanks to curator Shelly Sergent for allowing us to examine many of the gems
12. The ‘Spanish Inquisition Necklace’. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.
on show and taking time to talk to us about them and the collection as a whole. Mention of the exceptional gems on show at the Smithsonian and Rainbow displays brings us back to quality. The finest quality gems seem to be selling well at Tucson and dealers talked about how good business was. For the more usual gems in more usual sizes and qualities, business was less dynamic — as the business media have reported, the rich seem to be leading the escape from recession. Perhaps not surprisingly, the ethical and environmental aspects of the gem market seem slightly on a back burner, with gem merchants and jewellers dealing with the more commercial categories of goods more concerned now about doing enough business at sufficient margins to stay in the game, than such things as child labour or river pollution back down the supply chain. This may be an unfortunate side effect of the continuing global economic crisis, but it is probably temporary as the move to better ‘ethics’ is a trend seen right across many categories of market. However, we might question whether we in the Western jewellery trade are accurate in simply blaming a global economic crisis for lower than expected business in the mid-range. The European and US gem and jewellery trade may pray that it is an economic crisis because economic crises come to an end. More worrying is the possibility of a global economic realignment coupled with a significant change in Western consumer priorities. The best way for the trade to counter this is to make consumers aware of the extraordinary beauty and wonder of gems — and what better place to gather ammunition than a visit to Tucson. More from Tucson in our next issue!
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Gems&Jewellery / March 2013
Stone Scoop
Diamond Centenary As 2013 is now well underway, Jack Ogden looks at what was happening in the diamond world a hundred years ago. The following is distilled from various British newspapers from 1913. Sheba, USA
Something fishy
The growth of the diamond industry in South Africa in the second half of the nineteenth century came at just the right time — there was a whole new and voracious market to supply, namely the new mega-rich of America. Tales of extreme diamond consumption in the USA seemed to enthral UK readers. One example reported in 1913 concerned “Mrs Anthony, of Indiana, who has been compared with Queen Sheba owing to her lavish display of diamonds and who in New York recently wore shoes studded with diamonds, now wears a diamond armlet four inches wide and four inches long. The armlet, the metal of which is platinum, is connected by a rope of large diamonds with a heavy dinner ring on her third finger, which is set with a dozen stones. The armlet is worn just below the elbow. Mrs Anthony also wears a pair of diamond earrings each set with three diamonds, a brooch nearly as large as the armlet, and fifteen diamond rings” (The Evening Telegraph 15 January).
Back in the UK such lavish display was rare although we are told that ‘The girls who tell you that diamonds are vulgar are those that have none’ (Derby Daily Telegraph 16th October). Stories of diamonds in the UK tended to have a more homely air. Such as the report that a Mrs Burcham of Norwich had discovered a diamond in a bloater (a smoked herring) she was preparing for breakfast. ‘The diamond is about the size of a pea, and a jeweller has certified that it is genuine’ (Derby Daily Telegraph
Stocking trade
27 November). The need to certify it genuine is a reminder that gems, then as now, were imitated. The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette helpfully explained to its readers how to test a diamond. After mentioning that a sapphire will scratch an imitation but not a real diamond, it continued: ‘If you put a small drop of water on the upper face of a brilliant and touch it with the point of a pencil, the drop will keep its rounded form. But the stone will remain clean and dry. In the case of an imitation, the drop immediately spreads out. Plunge a diamond into water, and it will be plainly visible, and will glitter through the liquid, but an imitation stone is almost invisible. If you look through a diamond —
An extraordinary display from Mrs Anthony, but not unique — Mrs Clara Stocker, California’s ‘Diamond Queen’, our eager British readers were told, “caused a sensation by attending a performance of grand opera at Los Angeles wearing gems valued at £75,000”. Her outfit apparently included a satin skirt that was slit up one side to reveal diamonds on her stockings (Liverpool Echo 8 March). To put it in perspective in 1913 a one carat cut and polished diamond of top quality was worth £12 (Dundee Courier 14 January) and on that basis £75,000 would be the equivalent of about £3O million in modern terms.
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as through a bit of glass — at a black dot on a sheet of white paper, you will see one point clearly. If you see several points, or a blur of black it is an imitation. The white sapphire, the white topaz and rock crystal are often sold as diamonds, but imitations are more commonly of glass” (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 30 December).
Diamond dabbling At least back then synthetic diamonds were not a problem. Or were they? A brief obituary for Lord Stafford who had died aged 79 tells us that he “dabbled in chemistry, and in his private laboratory at Costessey Park had experimented in the manufacture of artificial diamonds. He claimed that he could make them — but that the artificial stones cost more than real ones” (The Evening Telegraph 13 June).
Trouble at mine Other events in the diamond world in 1913 have rather a modern ring to them. In Cape Town that year a Committee of the Union Senate recommended that diamond cutting should be established in South Africa — they’d call it beneficiation today. To help make this effective in helping to retain more money in the country they suggested a 10 per cent tax on the export of rough diamonds (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 24 June). And there was always the spectre of unrest at the diamond mines. Several British newspapers reported how South African police opened fire on rioters at the Premier diamond mine. Which brings us back to South Africa where we started this column, so enough for now. We’ll look at coloured stones in 1913 in our next issue.
A N I H C MS E G
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Celebrating 100 years of the Gemmology Diploma and 50 years of the Diamond Diploma
The Gem-A Conference Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November 2013
Save the date ...
Understanding gems 27 Greville Street (Saffron Hill entrance), London EC1N 8TN tel: +44 (0)20 7404 3334 fax: +44 (0)20 7404 8843 email: information@gem-a.com UK Registered Charity No. 1109555
The Livery Hall at Goldsmiths’ Hall
Legal Jeweller |
Iconic Design Protection?
In an earlier issue of The Jeweller we have looked at how a piece of jewellery may attract the protection of copyright as a work of artistic craftsmanship. With the law on the duration of copyright in the process of changing now is as good a time as any to revisit this, say Sarah Hadland and Tessa Robinson of the NAG’s legal firm Boyes Turner. urrently, if a piece of jewellery is a oneoff, it may attract copyright for the life of the creator plus 70 years. If the piece is to be commercially produced, then under section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 the protection only lasts for 25 years from the date on which the piece is first put on the market for sale. This period of protection is the same as the term of protection for a registered design right. As a consequence this limits the potential benefits of copyright protection that exist to those that attach to UK design rights. The UK is one of the few remaining EU member states which still imposes such a limit on copyright. The Government is proposing to bring the UK in line by repealing section 52 in a new piece of legislation called the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill. The outcome will be that the design of a commercially produced piece of jewellery may enjoy the ‘life plus 70 years’ term of copyright protection, rather than just 25 years. It is important to remember that although this change appears to give jewellery a much longer period of protection, copyright protection (as distinct from the shorter design right protection) may not be available for all jewellery created by a designer. For some designers however, this will be a welcome reform in the law as pieces that are widely viewed as being iconic will be now be rewarded with a new level of protection that previously did not exist.
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It is a feature of the retail market that iconic jewellery designs, such as some pieces by Links of London for example, are exploited through the creation of replicas after the present 25 year term of protection comes to an end. If the proposed change under the Bill comes into force then designers will be able to prevent the importation, sale and manufacture of any replicas for the full period of copyright protection so such exploitation will become illegal as a result. The designers will benefit from their current, as well as future, creations for a longer period of time. With regard to existing designs, assuming the bill is passed as drafted, we are likely to see a situation similar to when the term of copyright protection was extended from 50 to 70 years in 1996. When that happened works such as the Beatrix Potter books which
had fallen out of the original 50 year protection, were brought back into into copyright for the balance remaining of the new life plus 70 year copyright term. However, the Government has recognised that businesses currently manufacturing, distributing and selling replicas that will consequently become illegal as a result of the reform will need to make adjustments. For that reason, the Government is considering when the new provisions should come into effect, and whether there should be any transitional provisions which would allow businesses to clear any current stock which would otherwise become illegal. How do I enforce my rights? With the introduction in October 2012 of the small claims track in the Patents County Court (soon to be renamed to reflect its jurisdiction over a variety of Intellectual Property matters), recourse through the courts will no longer be restricted to those who have the means to fund the litigation process. The small claims track is specifically designed for those claims that have a value of £5,000 or less and will benefit independent designers and small jewellery outfits. Costs can be kept to a proportionate level by a party presenting their own case at the hearing (although a party may still elect for a lawyer to present it on their behalf), and a business may be represented by any of its officers or employees. The procedure is informal, the usual strict rules of evidence do not apply, evidence does not need to be taken on oath, the court may restrict cross examination and, if both parties agree, the court may even deal with the claim without a hearing. The remedies available are damages (or an account of profits) and final (but not interim) injunctions to prevent future copyright infringement. Seen together these changes mean that the benefits of creating a piece that is considered an artistic work will be increased and will give iconic designs the recognition they deserve. This article is provided for general guidance only and is not a substitute for taking specific legal advice on an individual basis. You can contact Sarah Hadland on 0118 952 7142, shadland@boyesturner.com or visit Boyes Turner’s website for further information: www.boyesturner.com
The Voice of the Industry 31
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Stone Love The best in bespoke British craftsmanship plus a matchless choice of quality gemstones – fine jewellery manufacturer EW Adams is in just the right place at the right time. hen a company has, for 65 years or so, successfully supplied its market with the right product at the right price, it might be argued that it has no pressing need for self-promotion. Such is the case of EW Adams, the London-based specialist in fine, high quality gem and diamond-set jewellery. The third generation, family-run manufacturing business continues to service retail jewellers in pretty much the same manner that was established by Ted Adams in those post-war years. What has altered though is the trading environment in which EW Adams has operated. And there have been further developments recently which have caused his grandson, current MD Ed Adams, to consider that it might be time for the company to blow its own trumpet. “The market for us is changing,” he explains. “There are a lot of new businesses which maybe started out by selling less expensive brands – Pandora for instance. But today their customers are coming to them with serious budgets to buy more traditional, fine jewellery, which they are now having to look at offering.”
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The ripple effect of this is felt keenly at EW Adams. “Not all of these retailers know us and we don’t necessarily know all of them,” says Adams. “And there are quite a few shops like this – an up-and-coming breed of retailer who five years ago might not have looked at us.
32 The Jeweller March 2013
“Our speciality lies in the quality, breadth and depth of coloured stones, including more unusual stones like alexandrite, tsavorite, and spinel, and coloured diamonds – the biggest selection of quality stones in the UK our customers tell us, with a range of prices from around £500 to large one off pieces. This is coupled with the fact that we manufacture in our own workshops with our own staff of goldsmiths, setters and polishers. It’s becoming an unusual situation,” explains Adams. “It enables us to offer very high quality and gives us a lot of flexibility
over what we make, how we make it and how quickly, which means that bespoke is a particular strength of ours. That factor is becoming increasingly key.” The joint niche elements of bespoke and coloured stones create an attractive proposition. “The two go hand-in-hand as not everything in coloured stones is calibrated,” explains Adams. “There’s no such thing as a calibrated black opal for instance and we produce beautiful settings for them, mounting them in a cost-effective fashion. Over the years we have accumulated thousands of patterns so we can create unique pieces for our customers… but at sensible prices.” Adams’ evident passion for gems (inherited from his father, who passed on his knowledge) provides the key to the company’s success. Travelling the world to source stones, he has gathered a large network of suppliers and works with a personal remit not to buy on the basis of need. “If the price is sensible and the stone is right – and gorgeous – I’ll buy it,
even if it ends up sitting in a stone parcel for a year,” he says. “Buying coloured stones is different from buying diamonds – they’re not as available, harder to source and there’s no real pricing structure. To pick up consistent, quality stones you have to see a lot of stock and we have a good name as a buyer, which counts for a great deal because very often we get the first pick.” Fancy cut diamonds are another strength. “They fit our mould well as they tend to allow us to do more interesting things, and because they trade at a discount compared to rounds they tie in nicely with today’s consumer who is looking for value as well as something unusual,” Adams says. “We work hard to come up with beautiful mountings and have been doing a lot of micro pavé work recently.” The company has been working with a new CAD system for the past six months, which, Adams points out, has been as interesting as it’s been beneficial. “It’s enhanced the bespoke side for the end consumer who can see images of a piece at different stages; it’s definitely helped us to create new patterns and designs, without any compromise in setting quality, and it’s enabled us to bring setting and therefore labour costs down. It’s made us more competitive with the Far East – our prices are sharpening as theirs rise.”
EW ADAMS
Celebrating 65 years of excellence
Fine 2ct Burmese rubies set in 18ct gold and platinum with scintillating FVS quality diamonds
Discover the beauty of fine gem-set jewellery made in our own London workshops
SINCE 1946 Telephone: 020 8640 0678 Email: sales@ewadams.co.uk
Thomas Sabo
This is a
M an’s World A growing choice of styles, brands and materials – as well as the return of some favourite retro pieces – should help to put men’s jewellery firmly on the map, reports Belinda Morris. t might be my imagination (or, indeed, wishful thinking) but it would appear that the choice of men’s jewellery is growing. As I worked the aisles at the NEC last month – with a self-imposed remit to hunt down this particular sector – I was noting more and more of the stuff. To be fair, it’s still niche when compared to ladies’ jewellery, but the abundance and diversity of styles was encouraging.
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34 The Jeweller March 2013
It’s a chicken and egg thing – what came first? Is the industry reacting to consumer demand or has the increased choice stirred up an interest in adornment among the male population? “I think as a whole the appetite for men’s jewellery has increased dramatically in recent years – it’s become a lot more mainstream, where it used to be much more of a subculture thing,” says jewellery designer Stephen Einhorn.
“Our male customers seem to want one piece that has been totally considered… than a larger collection of more transient designs.” Mads Ziegler of Aagaard’s Story brand sees the movement as a relatively recent phenomenon. “The past 12 months have seen a reawakening of a somewhat stagnant men’s jewellery market in the UK,” he says. “Driven by a growing market desire for fashion-led designs, along with a seemingly new take on refinement, retailers are, without a doubt, on a quest to diversify their offerings for the coming year.” Lisa Dack of Storm feels that the more affordable leather ranges that
Feature | are now available are also playing their part. “They are very on-trend and men’s mindsets about wearing jewellery is changing,” she says. It clearly isn’t a universal state of affairs (not all jewellery retailers are reporting booming business in stainless steel and leather bangles and skull cufflinks) but suppliers are certainly experiencing a general growth of interest in this category among their customers. “Retailers are definitely expanding their men’s jewellery ranges to deal with the ever-increasing demand,” says Salim Hasbani of Tresor Paris. “Far from stocking a few inoffensive pieces that may or may not be purchased by chance, they are making an effort to provide more for male customers. Retailers are keeping up with fashion movements and making sure that they have statement jewellery for men to buy.”
“Retailers are becoming more confident with stocking men’s jewellery and looking beyond cufflinks…” Darren Roberts of Australian men’s jewellery line Cudworth agrees. “Retailers are becoming more confident with stocking men’s jewellery and looking beyond cufflinks,” he says. “They’re looking at the latest trends as the consumer demand is expanding.” In return key suppliers – particularly the major brands – are responding with enhanced offers. “There is continued demand for more diversity and choice [and so] our offer has doubled over the past two years with further expansion planned for the coming season,” says Diane Smith, head of product management at Links of London. “Likewise we have seen substantial increase Story
Deakin & Francis
in competition in this field, as more jewellery brands foray into men’s lines, or dedicated men’s brands become established.” Having had a men’s jewellery line for some years, Thomas Sabo is also ‘constantly increasing’ its offer, even going as far as introducing a ‘face’ for its Rebel at Heart line, the rock god-like German violinist David Garrett, who is, apparently, very big in central Europe and Asia. “Greater choice seems to be the critical way forward for retailers,” says Paul Martin of Colibri which has recently entered the men’s jewellery market with its 1920sinspired collection of gemset stainless steel pieces. “Men’s jewellery and accessories are fundamental categories for growth as they move further towards the gifting market.” Compare all this to a decade or so ago. It was at that point that designer Stephen Webster decided that it was about time he launched a men’s collection. “The press loved it, but with the exception of Neiman Marcus in the States… no-one else wanted to take it up,” he recalls. “Such was the lack of confidence for men’s jewellery amongst the retail community that apart from a
cufflink selection and a couple of signet ring blanks, there wasn’t even a place to display a men’s collection. Nowadays that’s all changed; the selection of men’s jewellery on offer is amazing. Compared to even five years ago there’s virtually something for everyone.” So what is it that everyone wants? The answer to that will depend to some extent
Storm
on the market and budget. According to Gecko’s Fred Bennett brand, retailers are looking to expand into more casual, fashion led men’s jewellery and stocking more of the leather and stainless steel items to offer ‘both lower priced items and everyday wearable pieces’. “The market trend towards stainless steel has maintained big-look men’s jewellery at the £25 to £40 range, making jewellery affordable again in this economic climate and has increased sales of impulse purchases,” says Hannah Trickett, joint head of design.
The Voice of the Industry 35
| Feature and plaited leather, friendship bracelets, beads, charms, layered looks and a smattering of colour and ethnic stuff thrown in for good measure. In contrast to these moods, there’s definitely an interesting drift towards a more grown-up, sophisticated story for men’s jewellery and accessories. This too can manifest itself in two ways: (contemporary) city or (retro) dandy, the latter giving rise to the re-emergence of some old men’s Buddha 2 Buddha Jeremy Hoye
Wrist action In general though wrist wear (whether friendship-style bracelets, bangles, cuffs, leather wrap-around straps and metal bracelets) is proving to be a strong seller at all levels of the market. “Wrist jewellery is having a moment,” agrees Webster. “Worn on either side of your watch or mixing leather, beadwork and silver; a bracelet is probably the easiest jewellery choice for a guy.” The view from Links of London agrees with this: “Wrist wear remains the concentration with multi-wraps or pieces for stacking continuing as firm favourites,” says Smith. “Mixing metals with cord and leather is also popular, as it gives a more casual look. We continue to explore new innovations with Friendship, as it’s a popular look for men alongside more pioneering ranges, like our collaboration with McLaren, which uses high tech automotive finishes and materials to push the boundaries.”
Hoxton London
One of the most comprehensive ranges is offered by Buddha to Buddha, which was originally conceived as a bracelet line (it now includes rings and necklaces) made from Balinese silver. Chunky, masculine pieces are a key look. Meanwhile, by comparison, at Thomas Sabo it’s been noticed that smaller bracelets – ideal for stacking – are a growing trend. You pays your money…
Babette Wasserman
Designer Babette Wasserman, renowned for her women’s collections with the glamour factor, has a line of men’s bracelets in sterling silver and leather with skull detail, as well as a more classic steel range featuring clasps plated in 18ct brown gold or black rhodium. At Unique Jewelry for Men simple, understated steel and leather bracelets have turned out to be among the most popular pieces in the very extensive collection. At Fossil too, wrist wear is by far the best performing category particularly in leather.
Style wars Style-wise (and product categories aside) when it comes to fashion-led and casual jewellery, the mood is still pretty much divided between two key looks. On one hand there’s the rock ‘n’ roll vibe – skulls, black stones, crosses and all things gothically dark and edgy (as seen particularly in Joint Taboo, the Japanese brand that launched in the UK at The Jewellery Show last month). On the other there’s the more laid back, beach/surf/hippie influence with wrapped
36 The Jeweller March 2013
jewellery favourites. Besides the vast range of cufflinks for which they’re renowned, Deakin & Francis has seen a rise in signet rings lately, which they attribute to the heritage trend. Mixing things up a little, they offer them in gold and stone set, but also with skull motifs in relief – a twist to the trend. Jewellery designer and retailer Jeremy Hoye describes his approach to men’s jewellery at the moment as ‘re-inventing men’s classics’ and this includes signet rings. “I have made them bigger and in silver, so they could have been passed down the family,” he explains. “I’ve also started using 9ct gold. I think that all the classic men’s jewellery accessories are making a comeback. To quote that over-used word – it’s ‘vintage’!” he adds. “If you work in a job that requires a suit, then cufflinks, tie clips and pins are a great way of showing your individuality.” And if you don’t believe Hoye (or me – I am really rooting for this trend) then there are quite a few others Tateossian who will back him up.
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| Feature Nomination
Exceptio
“definitely a trend on the rise”. At Hoxton London, where the collection largely revolves around cufflinks and wrist wear, tie bars, collar pins and tie tacks may yet be making an appearance – “we’ve been asked about them quite a few times,” says director David Kovacs.
Cufflinks with a difference “Wrist jewellery is having a moment… worn on either side of your watch or mixing leather, beadwork and silver; a bracelet is probably the easiest jewellery choice for a guy…” “The rise of the ‘dandy’ look has seen a huge rise in the demand for lapel pins,” says Ariel Thompson, creative director of the men’s line Thompson. He also adds that “classic accessories are no longer reserved for businessmen.” Martin agrees: “As an international brand Colibri takes inspiration from many regions, such as the USA where tie clips, money clips, cufflinks and other accessories continue to be popular and most definitely not just for the City-type. All of these accessories are now seen as a statement of individual self-expression,” The ‘polished and tailored’ look has seen Links of London re-introduce a tie bar into its men’s range – a product which has been absent for the past few years.
Alfred Terry
38 The Jeweller March 2013
Ways of wearing and reasons for wearing can vary from market to market. While Roberts at Cudworth notes that the fashion for six centimetre ties has given rise to an interest in tie clips among younger, fashionaware men, CW Sellors has noticed an increase in the number of older men looking at tie pins and slides; and meanwhile the younger generation is feeling comfortable wearing cufflinks on a regular basis and not just for special occasions. “As many men are mixing tailored or tweed jackets with jeans right now, we’re finding that our range of tie and lapel pins are increasingly popular,” adds Wasserman. And designer Robert Tateossian is sure that, following on from bracelets, the lapel pin is
Whether it’s a fashion thing, or simply a continuation of an ever-popular men’s requisite, the cufflink offer has certainly mushroomed dramatically over the past few years. “The resurgence of the dapper look has seen cufflinks making a comeback recently,” says Henry Deakin of Deakin & Francis. “Younger generations are now wearing them but instead of plain traditional ones they’re opting for flamboyant, unusual cufflinks to make a statement.” With over 1,000 designs to choose from there is almost no desire, taste, hobby or quirk that can’t be catered for.
Flash Jordan
New on my radar is the London-based Exceptio, a beautiful line of hand-crafted, limited edition, chain-link cufflinks created in gold or sterling silver and incorporating traditional goldsmithing techniques such as filigree. Meanwhile Tateossian and its slightly quirkier, younger-brother brand Thompson can be relied upon for stylish and occasionally off-beat links (the latter’s Turbine links would making fiddling with your cuffs a given).
www.facebook.com/tresorparis www.twitter.com/tresorparis
| Feature something different and unusual, are more requests for diamonds. CW Sellors (with its vast portfolio of stones), Storm, Story, Tateossian, Babette Wasserman, Links of London, Colibri, Nomination, Thompson and Buddha to Buddha are all offering gemset jewellery for men – either for the preciousness that they add, or simply for the shot of colour.
A bit of bling? In a quest for something a little different and with a renewed sense of adventure suppliers are noticing that some of their customers are going for stones. “Mainly black or coloured diamonds – men like the detail of stones and you can express yourself without being too flash,” says Hoye. “If you’re clever with the design it can still look masculine.” At Tresor Paris the male client base is developing a taste for turquoise, tiger’s eye and black agate (as well as the much more expensive diamond pieces), with yellow, rose and white gold also growing in popularity. “We have noticed a shift towards more chic statement pieces – men want something more luxurious and it’s nice to see them sparkling a bit more,” says Hasbani.
Squaring up to the competition All of the above ought, by rights, help to draw customers to a jeweller’s window, but of course there’s competition out there for the attention of the style-hungry male. High street fashion stores have been offering men’s jewellery for a while (and cheaply) Fred Bennett
“Younger generations are now wearing cufflinks but instead of plain traditional ones they’re opting for flamboyant, unusual [styles] to make a statement…” Stephen Webster
Cudworth
Flash Jordan’s classic wrap-around, interchangeable cufflinks in sterling silver set with gemstones already set their customers aside from the crowd but the brand is finding that with the increasing desire for
Antonio Ben Chimol
40 The Jeweller March 2013
Links of London
and then there’s that old bête noire, the internet to contend with. So, how to steal the proverbial march? “Jewellery retailers have history behind them whether it’s the brand themselves or the brands they stock,” argues Harald Winzer of Thomas Sabo. “Reliability and quality are their strongest selling points and there will always be a market for this. High street stores are trend-led and while that appeals to a wide market, the quality cannot compare to jewellery retailers.” “It’s important that as jewellers we make the effort to offer every customer the kind of jewellery they are in the market for by holding a good range of stock,” says Andrew Mills of CW Sellors, “and we should strive to re-educate customers in the idea of investing in fine quality jewellery which will last a lifetime.” Hasbani agrees: “It’s the variety of high quality jewellery which can’t be found in a standard high street fashion shop that puts jewellery retailers in such a good position – it’s their point of difference.”
Feature | Colibri
Joint Taboo
“Jewellers must focus on quality and details,” adds Daniel Ozel of Unique. “The materials used are key, while details like clasps, branding and presentation also mark the difference between jewellers and fashion shops. A beautifully-presented product in a smart jewellery box also adds to the experience of buying from a jewellers.” “Jewellers need to communicate the value of the products they sell, highlighting the quality and workmanship of the products as Rough Me
well as any precious details, for example diamonds and 18ct gold,” says Ken Brown, Nominations UK area manager. “As the market offering expands, men are becoming more interested in what they are buying as well as the brand they are buying into. Jewellers can also interpret key fashion trends and apply them to jewellery to ensure that the stock is relevant, particularly to a younger and more style conscious market.” Unique
The gents’ jewellery market from a retail perspective
“Men’s jewellery has always been and remains a major focus for me as a designer and us as a company. I designed and made my first men’s collection back in 1995 and back then there was a real gap in the market – there was nothing that I wanted to wear.” Stephen Einhorn, London “Tradititionally we would have said that more partners purchased gents jewellery as gifts… however there has certainly been a change over the past five or six years whereby gents are more confident in self-grooming and accessorising. Jewellery has become part of an identity like other fashions.” Nick Bucknell, buyer, Beaverbrooks “I think men in general are more influenced by designer jewellery brands as they are not great accessory shoppers and a solid brand will always re-inforce their buying choice. However as we don’t stock or sell any branded products this makes the men’s offering a bit trickier!”. Simon Johnson, Marmalade Jewellery, Chiswick “It does appear that brands are particularly important – Thomas Sabo and Links of London for rings and pendants and Chopard, Omega and Hoxton for cufflinks are popular. Most styles sold tend to be classic, but palladium is a more popular choice now.” Paul Rice, director, Hugh Rice, Hull “We have seen tie pins recently make a comeback in the Jason of Beverley Hills ‘Gentlemen’s collection’ and cufflinks have crossed over into a fashion accessory of late, in addition to remaining to be seen as professional attire.” Dino D’Auria manager and co-founder, Frost, London “Our more adventurous clients do go for stones – mainly black or coloured diamonds. Men like the detail of stones and you can express yourself without being too flash.’ Jeremy Hoye, Brighton “We’re generally seeing an increase in the amount of gents jewellery being sold, which is encouraging and the brands help raise awareness and drive desirability through association.” Nick Bucknell, buyer, Beaverbrooks “There is a bit of a misconception that precious stones are just for women. That’s total rubbish! A design can be set with a diamond or ruby for instance and still be masculine looking – it’s all about scale and proportion.” Stephen Einhorn, London
The Voice of the Industry 41
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Fossil
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the staff and the fabulous one offered to the customer. “Retailers should provide excellent customer service which is not provided online, as well as an exciting in-store environment with well trained staff who can encourage sales,” says Darren Roberts.
Thomas Sabo
“Jewellery retailers must ensure that the brands they choose directly relate to their current customer base and also have the potential to attract a new demographic into the store,” adds Story’s Ziegler. “And an uncomplicated approach to the sale is important to ensure the customer's journey from entering the store, to departing with their newest purchase is as simple as the click of a button. In store, bold and clutter-free edgy displays are as important as ensuring immediate purchase is available wherever possible.” Which brings us to the on-line issue. The advantages that bricks and mortar shops have over e-tailers are as relevant to the sales of men’s as they are to fine jewellery. It comes down to experience – both that of
Tresor Paris
Human
“There is no threat, just healthy competition,” says Winzer. “Of course customers like the convenience of online shopping, it’s easier, especially if you know what you want, but the majority of customers, especially when it comes to jewellery, prefer to get the retail experience. Jewellery is a personal thing and nothing beats trying it on for the size and look so there is room for both.”
The Voice of the Industry 43
| Feature
Thompson
Babette Wasserman agrees. “I don’t see on-line as a big threat,” she says. “There is a lot to be said about seeing a product in real life, trying it on for size and touching to see the quality of a product. I believe that on-line actually helps in-store purchases as people may see products on line and then will search out where they can actually pick it up directly from stores. A lot of our
Key trends – at a glance • leather (plaited or plain) and cord • colour (stones and leather) • precious metals (from silver to rose gold) • use of gemstones (black or brown diamonds, rough diamonds, black agate, tiger’s eye…) • beach/surf versus gothic/rock • wristwear (especially stacked, layered and wrapped) • friendship-type bracelets • mixed materials (i.e. steel and leather, carbon fibre, rubber, exotic skins…) • snakes, crosses, heraldic emblems • skulls (as standard) • brushed and oxidized finishes • textural finishes (rings by Rough Me for example) • tie-bars, tie-clips, lapel pins and collar pins re-emerging • signet rings • watch strap detailing • cufflinks: quirky/humorous or sleek/sophisticated
44 The Jeweller March 2013
Swarovski
customers also have their own sites so we find that this is actually a help rather than a hindrance.” You have to get the customers through the door though. “I think that there can be quite a barrier for men, especially younger men, to step into a traditional jewellery store. They are much more used to shopping at high street fashion outlets with their broad welcoming entrances and staff of their own age,” says Sander van Veen, sales manager at Buddha to Buddha. “I think the most important thing is to lower that barrier and offer something special that a high street fashion retailer would not offer. Jewellery retailers should also consider taking up take up some non traditional, more fashionable jewellery collections to appeal to a broader public.” Whatever the competition it really isn’t all doom and gloom. Links’ Smith is happy to credit fashion shops: “High street fashion shops can be difficult to compete with on price but conversely they have helped to fuel
JW by Goldmajor
CW Sellors
the trend and wider acceptance of men’s jewellery,” she says. “The first male jewellery purchase may indeed be from a high street shop but this often evolves into a precious metal purchase. Ultimately I believe the more choice on the market, the more beneficial it is for all sectors of the jewellery and accessories industry.” Amen to that.
For information please contact Fable Trading Ltd on 0117 979 3363 WWW.BUDDHATOBUDDHA.COM
| Security
Are we still the s ft targets? Michael Hoare looks at how the jewellery industry compares to other commercial sectors when it comes to crime against business premises. t is often stated that the fear of crime is greater than the actuality. In the domestic sense this is undeniably true, but does the same apply to crime against business? The perception that crime against jewellers as a group has increased may be statistically questionable, but over the last decade the move to make retail premises more inviting and user friendly has arguably shifted the focus of casual or unskilled robbers away from traditional targets. So, what is the security landscape like today? It is obvious to the casual observer that traditional targets like banks, building societies, and cash in transit (CVIT), have taken measures to protect their staff and valuables. So-called target hardening has involved extensive use of CCTV recording, fogging systems, and physical barriers to put money and bank staff out of reach. At the same time the quantities of cash held at branch have declined in line with the increased popularity of online banking and the fact that cash is going out of fashion as a means of payment. In the broader retail context, shopping malls, which are private property employing private security, have played their own part in changing the security landscape. On the one hand their tenants are arguably more secure, but on the other they displace disruptive individuals and casual criminals onto the high street. To some extent the same can be said of town centre CCTV monitoring schemes that push offenders out into the wider shopping environment. A kind of ‘ripple’ effect! So, at the same time as retailers have been dropping their obvious physical barriers, traditional targets have upped their game.
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46 The Jeweller March 2013
Of course, the security industry has done an excellent job introducing sophisticated measures like fogging, forensic tagging and CCTV monitoring, and we have learned a lot over the last decade about designing crime out of our premises. Conversely, for jewellers the high price of gold and the ‘cash for gold’ phenomenon has put it back in the public eye as an easily transportable store of value. A fact that is not lost on criminals! Plus the media increases the mystique of our trade by salacious reporting; something we would normally welcome, but which also makes jewellers feel like soft targets, with a valuable product that is easily broken up and shifted. This inevitably raises the fear quotient for jewellers, but what about other commercial sectors? Estimates from the 2012 Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS), released in January, show that there were 9.2 million crimes against businesses in the four industry sectors (retail and wholesale, manufacturing, transportation, accommodation and food) covered by the survey in the 12 months prior to interview. This compares with 8.9 million incidents of crime against households estimated from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) between October 2011 and September 2012. Almost half (46 per cent) of premises covered by the CVS had experienced at least one of the main crime types covered by the survey in the 12 months prior to interview. Thefts were by far the most common type of crime experienced (6.8 million), making up 74 per cent of all incidents of crime, and were experienced by around a quarter of premises (24 per cent).
There were around 7.7 million crimes against wholesale and retail premises in the last year. The vast majority of these (80 per cent) were incidents of theft, and particularly thefts by customers i.e. shoplifting. In fact, thefts by customers against wholesale and retail premises made up 45 per cent of all incidents of crime covered by the survey. While this may partly be due to the wholesale and retail sector being the largest in the survey in terms of the number of premises in England and Wales, wholesale and retail premises also experienced the highest rate of theft of all four sectors. Although a much rarer offence, this sector also experienced the highest rate of robbery, indicating these premises are a particular target for acquisitive crime. The sector also experienced high rates of repeat victimisation across other crime types, theft by customers being by far the largest experienced. The rate of crime also increased substantially as the size of premises – as determined by the number of employees – increased. There were also differences in rates of fraud, assaults and threats between those premises with fewer than ten employees and those with 50 or more. The (BRC) Retail Crime Survey 2012 also shows that theft by customers makes up the majority of crime against retailers. So is retail crime on the increase? The wholesale and retail sector was also included in the 2002 CVS, and interestingly, when differences in methodology and coverage are factored out, the general pattern appears to be that the level of crime against the sector has fallen since 2002, but in both years theft by customers was the most prevalent. So what conclusions can we draw? Why, if the level of crime against retailers as a whole appears to have fallen since 2002, does that statistic appear to contradict our own experience? I think the clues lie in both the relative value of jewellers’ losses when compared to those of a grocer, and in the level of physical force that thieves are prepared to use, and SaferGems data for the last three years tends to support this view.
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The Voice of the Industry 47
Small-scale miners in the Congo
From Conflict Gold to Peace Gold Is the OECD approach to ‘conflict gold’ going to work? Ethical jeweller Greg Valerio asks the question following his recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. e live in a crazy world and gold fever only adds to the madness. The stories we hear of conflict gold from the DRC are true… but only half of the story. It is the other half that I explored with Peace Direct partners Centre for Resolution of Conflicts (CRC). The small towns of Iga Barrieré and Kobu are where I started my discovery. I was there to review and understand the activity of peace building in the war torn DRC. CRC has identified that a key to reducing and deflating the conflict is finding employment for the ex-combatants that inhabit every town and village across the eastern DRC. I admire their boldness as they have chosen to take a pro-active stance towards the issue of conflict minerals. As a veteran ethical jewellery campaigner I arrived with a certain level of unspoken scepticism… but also with an open mind. Their approach is rooted in a desire to build a lasting grass root response that is
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48 The Jeweller March 2013
a far cry from the top-down prescriptive process the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) has recently run in the region regarding conflict minerals. From the very beginning I couldn’t understand how the OECD rules for governing the export of conflict minerals was going to
The OECD conflict minerals process has created a set of recommended procedures that only corporate mining companies can afford to follow, rather than address the majority employed by the gold trade, namely the small-scale miners. I talked directly to these gold miners who are ex-combatants. None of them has ever heard of the OECD, or transparency or supply chain management – never mind has the ability to read a complex UN style report written by university graduates. All they know is that they currently sell their gold to traders and its final destination is Bunia. This is the politically correct tragedy that is unfolding before us. If, through our sense of moral outrage at the appalling conflict that has to date claimed 5.5 million lives, we remove the population’s ability to earn a living in an honest fashion, then these same people are forced by necessity into militia activity or illegal smuggling to earn a daily crust. It is little wonder then that the vast mineral wealth of the DRC does not benefit the Congolese when confessing humanitarian organisations like the OECD fail to grasp the poverty drivers that create conflicts in the first place. A UN Security Council report of last june highlighted that since the introduction of the measures by the OECD to stem the flow of conflict metals being smuggled into the global supply chain: ‘In the eastern DRC official export figures seem to have been falling rather than increasing’. However well intentioned the OECD due diligences on conflict minerals may have been, at this stage smuggling is on the increase which in turn only leads to more insecurity and potential violence.
If, through our sense of moral outrage at the appalling conflict that has to date claimed 5.5 million lives, we remove the population’s ability to earn a living in an honest fashion, then these same people are forced by necessity into militia activity or illegal smuggling to earn a daily crust. lead to a reduction in the use of gold as a conflict mineral. It does not address the root causes of what according to CRC is an ethnic conflict in which gold can just as easily be used to fund violence as it can to deliver daily bread to the table.
It is not the idea of conflict free gold that is the problem. Everyone wants that, none more so than the exploited miners – they are after all the people suffering. It is the way that corporately-influenced OECD topdown framed guidelines seem to be adding
Ethical Jeweller | to the already highly complex problem rather than making it better. The same UN report talks about the estimated three tonnes of gold sold illegally to the international market in 2010 with Uganda being the principle destination for this gold. This gold ends up in Dubai refineries and eventually onto India and China. China is the world’s biggest jewellery manufacturer with several of the UK’s leading high street jewellery brands manufacturing their collections there. There is no doubt in my mind, given the lack of enforceable traceability in the gold supply chain, that smuggled gold currently funding conflicts
It is not the idea of conflict free gold that is the problem. It is the way that corporatelyinfluenced OECD top-down framed guidelines seem to be adding to the already highly complex problem rather than making it better. is making its way onto the high street in the UK in the form of gold jewellery. It remains to be seen if the OECD due diligences on conflict minerals will work, but what is clear at the moment is the OECD has given the WGC, London Bullion Market Association and the RJC’s corporate members another Corporate Social Responsibility badge for their collection that adds no real value to the Congolese. I am not pessimistic or overtly negative about the OECD due diligences, rather I want to take the ‘spin-doctors of gold’ to task on presenting them as solving the conflict gold story. They are not. If the LBMA, WGC and RJC were serious about this, they would divert some of the CSR millions they dish out, towards groups like CRC, who have a track record in conflict resolution and peace building. Greg Valerio is the Founder of CRED Jewellery and co-founder of Fair Jewellery Action. He serves on the NAG & BJA ethics working group is a campaigner for greater transparency and traceability in the jewellery supply chain.
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ates of 2012 the NAG Gradu inside! • Celebrating ellery magazine Men’s Jewellery – Gems&Jew New this issue
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To celebrate the inclusion of Gems & Jewellery within The Jeweller magazine we are offering a 20% discount on a annual subscription until the end of March. Whether you are a new subscriber or want additional copies for your staff why not take advantage of this special deal and ensure you are kept up to date with developments within both the jewellery and gemmology fields. Normal cost of annual subscription including postage and packing = £77.00. With 20% saving you pay only £61.60. Complete this form and return to: The National Association of Goldsmiths, 78a Luke Street, London EC2A 4XG or email: amandaw@jewellers-online.org Yes, I would like to subscribe to The Jeweller for a period of 12 months at discounted cost of £61.60 (UK cost only), normally £77.00 including postage and packaging. I enclose a cheque for £61.60 payable to NAG I would like to pay by credit card*/switch (Please tick your chosen payment method) * Payment by credit card will incur a 2% surcharge. AMEX is not accepted
Card number: ______________________________________ Expiry Date: _______________________________________ Name on card: _____________________________________ Type of card (e.g. Visa): ______________________________ Issue no. if Switch: __________________________________ Company: _________________________________________ Name of Recipient: _________________________________ Mailing Address: ____________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Telephone: ________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________ Child miners in the Congo
The Voice of the Industry 49
Insurance Matters |
A united front against retail crime The NAG and TH March wielded their ‘digital hammer’ to strike a blow for security at The Jewellery Show f you are among those in the retail jewellery, fine art or antiques trade yet to be convinced as to the efficacy of the pioneering ‘SaferGems’ joint initiative between the NAG and specialist insurance brokers TH March, some recently published British Retail Consortium statistics may well provide a much-needed gentle nudge and encourage you to get involved! In January the BRC published results of a 2012 survey which found that the reporting of crime to the police had dropped ‘dramatically’ against a 15.5 per cent increase in retail crime. It has been suggested that the drop in incident reporting is due to a fall in confidence relating to officer responses. Interestingly these findings are at odds with recent statistics relating to the SaferGems scheme which has seen an increase in reporting over the last year. For those still unaware, the SaferGems initiative was co-founded by the NAG and TH March in 2009. The scheme seeks to reduce crime in the jewellery, antiques and fine art trades throughout the UK by enabling members to report suspicious behaviour and criminal activity. Information is then shared with SaferGems members and with police forces across the UK.
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In 2011 the SaferGems team received 687 reports of suspect or criminal behaviour and by last year that figure had reached 697 with the resulting number of alerts/ analytical reports made to police rising to 143 (an increase of 43 on the previous year). Seventeen arrests were made with four criminal convictions resulting. Not a dramatic upturn in numbers perhaps, but an increase never-the-less. At last month’s Jewellery Show TH March’s MD, Neil McFarlane, and the NAG’s Michael Hoare took time out at the NEC’s Catwalk Cafe to underline the immense value of the SaferGems initiative. They also delivered some timely security advice including basic steps to take in relation to armed robberies. Some of the main points were: • Spread the value of goods around your shop rather than concentrating in one or two showcases • Consider a locked door policy • Ensure your visible shop floor is well staffed • Ensure that staff can easily activate alarm PAs • Consider installing a fogging system • Think about the installation of a Smartwater deterrent
Other areas reviewed during the presentation included burglaries, tiger kidnaps, opening and closing procedures, alarm systems, CCTV systems and smash & grab raids. Dramatic video footage accompanied by technical information regarding glass types and the (sometimes minimal) number of blows needed to shatter a window, with sound effects, managed to briefly stop some show attendees in their tracks and hopefully they went away with increased awareness of the risks faced by those in the trade today! As specialist brokers to the jewellery trade TH March has been evangelistic regarding the need for good security measures. In fact, 50 years ago MD Neil McFarlane’s predecessors used a hammer on outdated safes and other obsolete security measures to ram home the point at NAG conferences. At The Jewellery Show McFarlane used a video clip to make a similar point and the effect was every bit as dramatic. Learn more or get involved! If you would like to learn more about the SaferGems initiative or if you should ever need to report a suspicious incident or any concerns that you might have to the SaferGems team, wherever possible please use the report form which is available via the following websites: www.jewellersonline.org or www.safergems.org.uk
50 years ago MD Neil McFarlane’s predecessors used a hammer on outdated safes to ram home the point at NAG conferences. This ensures data is readily comparable with other events, aids computer matching, and keeps costs down. For the same reason, wherever possible, please complete the form online. In advance of any incident, encourage your staff to read the notes on ‘Description of Assailants’ (also available on the websites) so they will be more likely to note distinguishing features. If your staff do not have direct access to the internet print a small supply of the forms for completion on paper. Contact SaferGems on tel: 0845 272 7802, fax: 0845 272 7803 or send an email to: intel@safergems.org.uk
The Voice of the Industry 51
| Feature
Jewellery’s new pawn star In the second of our series on the growth of pawnbroking within jewellery outlets, we speak to one retailer who has successfully integrated the service into his business. ccording to Bransom Retail Systems pawnbroking is increasingly being recognised by the independent retail jeweller as an additional service that can be easily incorporated into their established business. The level of enquiries Bransom has received over the last year has risen significantly and, as with all new ventures, there are queries, concerns and business plans to be considered. An insight into the experience of one such jeweller – plus a few relevant facts – might be useful in helping you to make your own mind up. Although H Lamb’s of Hartlepool was established back in 1873 it wasn’t until around four years ago that the store introduced a pawnbroking service. “As gold jewellery sales were in decline we recognised that we had to move on and so along with a re-fit we took on Pandora,” explains partner John Davey. “This meant that a computer was the way forward and we then realised that with just a few bolt-ons, pawnbroking was the next logical step. Plus, we already did second-hand jewellery, had the safes, the space and the expertise… it would have been silly not to.” Not unreasonably, H Lamb’s staff were initially a little sceptical about the move. “They worried about whether we would be able to handle it and whether pawnbroking would make us seem down-market – which is understandable, given the perception about the trade,” says Davey. “But then they realised that modern pawnbroking is quite a different animal. We’re enjoying it, it’s been fun, it’s something we’ve not done before and we’re using skills that we had not been using for a while – but which we had – like identifying and valuing pieces.”
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There was also the tricky question of whether the new service might ‘attract the wrong kind of customer’. Of course, there is the odd ‘difficult’ individual, but these are in the minority says Davey. H Lamb advertises the fact that it ‘offers loans’ and far from the sums that might normally be associated with pawnbroking (£25 to £50 perhaps) their’s might range anywhere from £250 to £2,000 plus. Perhaps a watch is pledged to allow an overseas visit during a cash-flow moment. “Of course these customers are not the same as ordinary jewellery clients, it takes a bit of handling – there’s protocol involved – but after a month we had that sorted,” adds Davey. As to potentially alienating existing customers, there he is sanguine. “You can’t keep playing to those customers whose spending days are over; you have to think about what the younger market wants. Just changing our décor has alienated some of the older ones!” So the shop’s very radical revamp this month of its wedding ring and jewellery window (stainless steel and glass) should make for interesting mutterings!
Interestingly, the main, initial benefit of the pawnbroking service has not been the profit earned from the interest on loans – that will be a slow burn Davey says. Instead, from the outset the shop noticed an increase in its customer base as people saw that they sold pre-owned watches. “It’s opened up a whole new trade as we are now seeing people who have items to sell – jewellery as well as watches, which we recondition and sell on for a good profit,” he says. “We were advised to put the pre-owned items in our window, so people could see what we were doing.” On that score Davey would advise anyone planning to go down the pawnbroking route to take all the advice that they can. “We were guided very nicely by others in the trade – Bransom included – and have found the pawnbroking fraternity to be a very helpful bunch. It allowed us to get off the ground almost straight away. If you’re going to do it, then network, talk and ask so that you can get it right. Do I have any regrets? Only that I should have done it sooner.”
Ten facts about pawnbroking that you should know • • • • • • • • •
Pawnbrokers are trusted more than banks – yes, it’s hard to believe… Average loan: 25-30% of cost value, so you can never lose on a bad loan Loans are between 6-12% per month – i.e. 72-144% per year Interest continues to accrue until the item is either sold or scrapped A handling fee of approximately 35% is charged to cover the cost of disposal Private Treaty (ex-pledge) items are sold excluding VAT The retailer isn’t responsible for insuring the goods as they are owned by the customer Well over 90% of pledged items are redeemed or pledged again Many people who pledge jewellery do so as they do not want to sell them for a fraction of their value, which is sometimes sentimental • Bankers, solicitors, accountants and even Stock Exchange traders use pawnbrokers which explains the pawnbrokers in London’s financial heart
| Regular
Notebook
Where to go, what to read, what to see… How to Sell to Retail – the secrets of getting your product to market, by Clare Rayner (£24.99 Kogan Page) The author of The Retail Champion (10 Steps to Retail Success) has now turned her attention to helping small brands or start-up businesses to sell to retailers (chains in particular). The 12-part plan covers every possible aspect of the process, many of which are vital for establishing any new brand: hitting above your weight, creating the right (professional, credible) impression, securing funding, making first contacts, negotiating… and much, much more.
Sales & Exhibitions March 9th-14th July: Treasures of the Royal Courts, V&A A major exhibition of around 150 objects that reveal the majesty of the courts of the Tudors and Stuarts, as well of those of Ivan the Terrible and the early Romanovs. Includes jewellery and luxury goods and chronicles the close relationship between the English monarchy and the Russian Tsars. www.vam.ac.uk 11th March-13th April: Growing Talent, Goldsmiths’ Hall, London EC2 An exhibition of contemporary jewellery and silver creations, showing the development of a diverse group of designer-makers nurtured by Goldsmiths’. Early pieces from each participant will be shown alongside recent work to demonstrate the progress in designs and skills. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk March 22nd-30th April: An English Spring, Galerie Elsa Vanier, Paris Supported by The Goldsmiths’ Company,
54 The Jeweller March 2013
Great Exclusive Book Offers! ACC Publishing Group (Antique Collectors’ Club and ACC Editions) is offering readers of The Jeweller generous discounts (including free postage and packing to UK destinations) on a selection of its top jewellery titles. Here’s the tempting run-down of the great books on offer, almost all of which have been reviewed on our Notebook page over the past three years: Suzanne Belperron £60 (RRP £75.00) Fashion Jewels: Coppola e Toppo Coppola £10 (RRP £35.00)
a group of 10 jewellers who have never shown in France before – including Sarah Herriot, Jacqueline Cullen (right) and Jo Hayes-Ward. www.elsa-vanier.fr April 8th-13th: Festival of Silver, Goldsmiths’ Centre, Clerkenwell, London EC1 Contemporary furniture and silver. www.britishsilverweek.co.uk
Jewellery & Watch Trade Fairs March 20th-23rd: Amberif, AmberExpo, Gdansk, Poland The 20th anniversary of this show devoted to amber, jewellery and gemstones will see around 450 international companies come together. www.amberif.pl April 7th-9th: British Craft Trade Fair, the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate Showcasing the work of over 500 of the UK
Famous Diamonds £35 (RRP £50.00) Boucheron: The Secret Archives £35 (RRP £49.95) Paul Flato: Jeweller to the Stars £25 (RRP £45.00) American Luxury: Tiffany £10 (RRP £29.95) Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830 £25.00 (RRP £39.50) Inspired Jewellery £10 (RRP £29.95) Celebrating Jewellery £60 (RRP £75.00) Your can place an order for these books by calling ACC on 01394 389977 and quoting The Jeweller. Postage and packaging is free of charge (UK only, overseas rates available on request). This offer expires on the 31st May, 2013.
and Ireland’s top designer makers. www.bctf.co.uk 19th-22nd: Malaysia International Jewellery Festival, Kuala Lumpar Convention Centre 200 traders from 20+ countries showcasing gems, fine jewellery and costume jewellery. www.mij.com.my 25th-2nd May: BaselWorld, Switzerland An updated look for this, the most exclusive and extensive exhibition for the watch and jewellery market. Around 1,800 key international brands show – many using the event to launch new lines. See our April issue for a full preview. www.baselworld.com
Adele Taylor at the BCTF
The Voice of the Industry just got even louder! 1 / No. me 22 / Volu 2013 March
The Jeweller — now incorporating Gem-A’s Gems & Jewellery magazine
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Men’s Jewelle
ry • Celebr ating the NA G Graduates New this iss of 2012 ue – Gems&J ewellery ma gazine inside !
The Jeweller magazine now incorporates Gem-A’s
The Jeweller’s reputation as the authoritative jewellery
magazine Gems & Jewellery within each of its
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nine issues per year and is now distributed to all
‘The Voice of the Industry’.
Gem-A members, thus increasing the The Jeweller’s
Importantly for potential advertisers the magazine
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will now be distributed to even more key individuals
Previously published quarterly Gems & Jewellery
and companies in the UK as well as overseas.
will maintain its own cover and identity within
Don’t forget these are NAG and Gem-A members –
The Jeweller and will give readers a regular insight
influential decision makers in the industry – who
into the fascinating world of gemmology and
actually choose to receive and read the magazine.
gemstones. NAG members are guaranteed to enjoy
With relevant editorial features,
reading and learning about the more technical
a competitive rate card and
aspects of gemstones while Gem-A members
now an increased circulation
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of 6,000, all the numbers add
issues concerning the jewellery industry on a more
up to The Jeweller being your
regular basis – something that The Jeweller is already
first choice for targeting the
renowned for – all of which will help maintain
jewellery industry.
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Gems
To advertise in the magazine contact sales director Ian Francis on tel: +44 (0) 20 7613 4445 or email: ian@jewellers-online.org For subscriptions call Amanda White at the NAG on tel: +44 (0) 20 7613 4445 or email: thejewellersubs@jewellers-online.org
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| Regular
The
Last Word This month we’re turning the Last Word spotlight on Brighton-based jewellery designer and retailer Jeremy Hoye Personal Profile Jeremy Hoye’s luxury brand – that has been shaped and sculpted over the last 18 years – specialises in contemporary, cutting edge bespoke engagement, wedding and commitment bands along with silver fashion ranges for men and women. Jeremy is a firm believer in not following trends – his designs do not date and are made to be treasured forever. His unique silver charms have attracted a cult following; the miniature sculptures are designed and hand carved in his on-site workshop. Along the way Jeremy has picked up a host of celebrity clients from Robert Downey Jnr and Victoria Beckham to Avril Lavigne and Gary Numan. Who has been the biggest influence on your life? My dad had a pretty big influence on me. His love for hot rods and vintage cars has been passed onto me – something that shapes my private life and my designs. For example the Hoye Division range is inspired by the vintage car culture. When I’m not at work and have some free time I like to shut myself away in the garage and work on my cars. Looking back at your career, what one thing would you do differently if you had your time over? I would have set up shop in Los Angeles in the ‘90s. I’d still love to do something like that – it’s always been a part of the wider plan, but it’s just so much harder nowadays than it would have been back then. Also if I’d done that, LA wouldn’t be a holiday destination it would be home. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the jewellery industry, what would it be? Well I’ll be honest… the bead with the hole in it and the lack of imagination that goes along with it. We all know what I’m talking about. It’s a shame but it’s just so popular.
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To what do you attribute your success? Sticking to my own style and not following trends. Trends outgrow you but staying unique and true to my original ideas has meant that I’ve gained a loyal following. It’s nice… sometimes we have three generations within the same family who will come to Jeremy Hoye for their wedding and engagement rings. I have customers for life, not just for a season, which is important, especially with jewellery. If not the jewellery industry, what might your alternative career have been? I think I always knew I would be a jewellery designer but if I had to pick I would love to have been a sculptor or a tattoo artist. It would have to be something creative. Favourite shopping destination (shop, street, city or country!) Why? I don’t know if I could say one particular place but I think markets would be my favourite places to shop. My wife and I have visited bustling and busy markets in Bali,
China etc – they just really get my imagination going and I love to pick up materials and pieces to inspire future collections. Where is your favourite holiday destination? Why? Los Angeles. My family and I have been a number of times, most recently last summer. I just love the attitude out there, the architecture, the enthusiasm for design and the cars. And of course the sunshine! What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The last film I saw was Gangster Squad, it was rubbish. I couldn’t tell whether it was supposed to be a comedy or not. The cast is good so I was looking forward to it but it was a bit of a let down in my opinion. I can’t wait to see Django Unchained though. What is your chosen form of exercise? I’ve got into circuit and boxing training in the last year or so. My teenage son and I go about three times a week, usually before work. It prepares you for the day ahead and I really enjoy it. I also enjoy cross country cycling. Do you Tweet? We have the @jeremyhoye twitter page which is the central hub for me and the two stores to tweet from. I think it might get a bit confusing for everybody if I had a separate one for me. I’d have to use a different name! Quick Fire • Stiff drink or cup of tea? I prefer coffee • Diamonds or coloured stones? Tanzanite • White or yellow metal? White • TV or radio? Radio • Moisturiser for men? Of course! • Delegator or control freak? Delegator • Beatles or Rolling Stones? Neither • Paperback or eReader? Paperback
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