Jewellery Focus September 2012

June 2012 2012 September www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk £5.95 £5.95 ISSN 2046-7265 ISSN 2046-7265

FOCUS

© Chamilia Europe Ltd, 2012. All rights reserved. MADE WITH SWAROVSKI® ELEMENTS. SWAROVSKI® is a registered trademark.

www.chamilia.com

IJL 2012 issue: Plan for your visit with this month’s show guide A selection of awe-inspiring statement jewellery designs, guaranteed to turn heads

Also inside: a retail security special, featuring comment from industry experts

editor's letter

Jewellery FOCUS

Editor

Louise Hoffman

louise@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Editorial Assistant

Callum Gildart

callum@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Deputy Production Editor

Lewis Bowes

copy@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Reporter

Emily Northcott

emily@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Group Advertisement Manager

Kelly Smith

kelly@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Deputy Group Advertisement Manager

Julie-Ann Kwok

julie@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Deputy Advertisement Manager

Michele Rogers

michele@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Senior Sales Executive

Lauren King

lauren@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Sales Executive

Cally Harrison

cally@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Accounts

Maureen Scrivener

accounts@jewelleryfocus.co.uk

Customer Services

01206 767 797

customers@mulberrypublications.co.uk

Contributing writers: Alan McInnes, Brad Huisken, Julie Burns, Lindsey Straughton, Michael Hoare, Neil Matthews, Sam Willoughby, Stephen Murphy, Suki Singh Design

Arthouse Publishing Solutions contact@arthousepublishing.co.uk

In support of:

Editor’s letter A t the end of July I was delighted to be invited to the Tresor Paris RAW Awards ceremony held at Clerkenwell House in Hatton Garden.

The competition had been set up by the brand specifically for Holts Academy students, and required them to submit an original design for a bracelet, utilising the raw materials that already exist in the Tresor Paris range.

As Lilian Lousky, chief designer at Tresor Paris and head judge of the competition, remarked, the standard of the entries was extremely high, with the students taking into account the brand’s audience and style, whilst adding their own unique twists based on specific inspirations and design development.

The worthy winner was Rebecca Boatfield, whose design comprised nine pyramids in magnetite (or similar finish) for a punk flavour, as well as four magnetite beads and black cord.

These kinds of awards programmes are tremendously meaningful, as they not only focus on the future of our industry, but also provide an incentive, practice and a boost to those who will eventually be tasked with maintaining and increasing its success. Furthermore, they independently review and reward the effort and achievement of a group of talented and motivated, yet refreshingly modest individuals.

Before I sign off for the month, I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank all those who have followed us on Twitter so far! Do find us @Jewellery_Focus if you haven’t already, and keep up to date with the latest news headlines and developments. We’d love to receive your tweets about the magazine too – just today I had some lovely feedback from Stephen Einhorn about his Designer of the Month interview, which appeared in our August issue. Thanks Stephen!

For those who are attending International Jewellery London (IJL) this month, whether as an exhibitor or visitor, I hope you have a profitable and motivational visit. Do stop by at the Jewellery Focus stand (i128) and say hello!

Jewellery Focus ISSN 2046-7265 is published monthly by:

Mulberry Publications Ltd, Wellington House, Butt Road, Colchester CO3 3DA Tel: 01206 767 797 Fax: 01206 767 532 www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk

The editor and publishers do not guarantee the accuracy of statements made by contributors or advertisers, or accept responsibility for any statement that they express in this publication. The opinion of the contributors may not necessarily be the opinion of the publishers. Articles are considered for publication on the basis that they are the author’s original work. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the permission of the publishers.

Jewellery FOCUS

This month’s cover features CHAMILIA

Founded in New York City in 2002, Chamilia was launched on the premise of putting jewellery design into the hands of the consumer. Now, with over three years of trading under its belt in the UK and Europe, Chamilia says it continues to grow through the retail partnerships it has nurtured. With four new launches every year, the brand’s new products feature 14 carat gold, .925 sterling silver, crystal Swarovski Elements and Italian Murano glass.

Chamilia also has an exclusive Disney Collection.

For further information, please contact the company using the details below.

Information: 0844 811 2142, chamiliauk@chamilia.com or IJL stand E131

September 2012

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CONTENTS

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Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012 FEATURES Head turners

22

Past, present and future

28

IJL 2012 show guide

33

A splash of colour

52

Fighting against crime

57

Help your customers become the centre of attention with this selection of aweinspiring statement piece designs Louise Hoffman focuses on the vintage trend, finding out how it has developed since it rose to prominence several years ago, and viewing some of the latest collections Find out more about this year’s International Jewellery London event in this handy show guide, which includes a full exhibitor list, floor plan, and product highlights The BJA presents a selection of inspiring coloured stone jewellery from some of its member designer-makers – many of which will be exhibiting at IJL In this retail security special, several experts in the field provide comment and advice on protecting your business from criminal activity

28

22

33

52

57

REGULARS Roundup

The latest news from the industry

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66

A day at the Office

77

Face to a name

18

This month we hear from the laser marking team, who have been honing their skills over the years to develop and perfect the hallmarking and precious metal decoration process

Letters to the editor

20

Selling

80

Sam Willoughby

50

Industry data

82

Voice on the highstreet

90

Get acquainted with new and existing industry representatives Three readers share their thoughts on insurance claims procedures – an issue raised in July’s Jewellery Focus For the IJL 2012 show guide, Sam speaks with some of the industry experts who will be hosting free seminars at the forthcoming event

Taking stock

A bumper selection of new offerings from the industry

Watch focus

Trends in timepieces

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There are many ways that you can create desire of ownership during the demonstration stage of the sale, as Brad Huisken explains

John Doble, owner of Doble Jewellers and Pona Pero, Torbay

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In brief RJC certifies four members

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has announced that four of its members have achieved certification for meeting the criteria set by its Member Certification System. Hublot, Historic Originals, G Diam BVBA and Esteem Diamond Systems Pvt Limited have all been certified by the RJC for meeting the ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards set by the RJC’s accreditation system. CEO of Switzerland-based watchmaker Hublot, Ricardo Guadalupe, said: “Hublot is proud to have obtained RJC Certification because when our focus is often on the search for productivity and profitability, we must also respect a certain number of rules and values.”

Theo Fennell’s gpstudio designed ‘micro-concept’ store opens

gpstudio, the retail design consultancy, has completed a boutique concept store with jeweller Theo Fennell. As reported

by Jewellery Focus last month, the store, dubbed a micro-concept, will occupy a two-floor space in Burlington Arcade.

Fennell’s store has been designed as a story-telling space to show the development of his work from inspiration to completion.

Xiao Zi Yang wins Swarovski Elements ITS Competition

Xiao Zi Yang has won the 11th edition of the Swarovski Elements supported International Talent Support (ITS) competition. The competition, held in Trieste, Italy, is designed to give visibility and support to talented students of jewellery, fashion and accessory design and photography. Shanghai-born Yang was selected as victor above nine other emerging designers for her final piece.

Each designer was tasked to incorporate Swarovski crystal elements into their pieces. Victorious Yang received a cash prize of 10,000 euros and a six-month internship at Swarovski’s headquarters in Austria.

Students take centre stage at Tresor Paris RAW Awards

Celebrating the work of budding new jewellery designers, the Tresor Paris RAW Awards were held at Clerkenwell House on 31 July.

The RAW Awards were the culmination of a competition set up for Holts Academy students to create an original bracelet design from natural raw materials that already exist in the Tresor Paris range.

Rebecca Boatfield was chosen as the winner of the competition by the judging panel, which comprised Daily Mirror fashion editor Didi Danso; head designer at Tresor Paris Lilian Lousky; and Holts Academy tutor Rose Williams, whilst fellow students Aimee Crockford and Saima Husain took second and third place, respectively.

Tresor Paris is now producing Rebecca’s winning design for potential retail.

Judge Lilian Lousky remarked: “All of the entrants did brilliantly and the level of work put in was amazing, but there could, obviously, only be one winner.”

Louise Hoffman, editor of Jewellery Focus, who also attended the ceremony, added: “All three winners were so genuinely excited to have been selected by such an esteemed judging panel, and such a well known brand. This will certainly give them a boost as they set out in their careers.”

Tissot opens its highest boutique

Tissot opened its most altitudinous boutique in celebration of its partner, the Jungfrau Railway’s, centenary on the Swiss National Day (1 August). Reaching the Jungfrau summit boutique promises to be one of the most captivating shopping journeys it’s possible to take, as the railway ride allows for enjoyment of the breathtaking panoramic sights of the surrounding mountains. Once reached, the boutique offers an expansive modern interior, which offsets matte surfaces against glossy ones to “stimulate and soothe in rapid succession.”

Trollbeads launches ‘People’s Bead’ collection

Danish charm bead jewellery brand Trollbeads has introduced the first ever People’s Bead collection, created by members of the brand’s worldwide fan base. Launched in 2009, the People’s Bead competition is an opportunity for Trollbeads followers to try their hand at designing their own beads and be in with a chance to see their designs crafted by a professional Trollbeads designer.

Trollbeads’ marketing director Bettina Lovstrom Pedersen said: “We raised the bar and gave our customers a complex theme this year and they responded beautifully. The result is phenomenal.”

September 2012

Irish jewellers face penalties if they trade without displaying a dealers notice The Edinburgh Assay Office has seen an increase in demand from its UK customers to hallmark articles that normally fall below the UK exemption rates due to legislative changes in Ireland.

Changes to Irish hallmarking legislations at the beginning of July mean it is now an offence to sell precious metal articles without displaying a new dealers notice.

Guidance from the Irish Assay Office has been issued reminding Irish jewellery retailers that all gold, silver and platinum articles, regardless of weight, must be hallmarked prior to being offered for sale, and that failure to comply could result in fines or imprisonment.

Edinburgh’s assay master and CEO Scott Walter said: “Unlike the UK, Ireland has no minimum exemption weights for precious metal articles. This effectively means that any article being described as gold, silver or platinum must be hallmarked before it is offered for sale.

“The guidance issued by the Dublin Assay Office defines a legal hallmark as being an Irish Hallmark, an International Convention Hallmark, or an approved Hallmark. Although the UK assay offices are able to apply International Convention Hallmarks, I have had written confirmation from the Irish authorities that UK Domestic Hallmarks are also approved.”

Companies requiring advice on complying with Irish hallmarking regulations are advised to contact their assay office.

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Celebrity endorsement Image: JonathanLGardner

New ‘Portas Pilots’ offered BRC support

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is offering a practical support package to the latest wave of so-called ‘Portas Pilots’.

In February the Government announced a £1.2 million pot of funding to enable 12 towns to try out some of the key recommendations from the Mary Portas Review on the high streets.

Now a further 15 locations have been announced, including Ashford, Braintree, Liverpool, Morecambe and Tiverton, as part of the scheme aimed at reviving local high streets.

The BRC is now offering existing and new Pilots a free package of benefits for the initial 12-month period of their existence.

Included in the BRC’s package is access to its suite of retail sector performance statistics and intelligence on the legislative agenda.

Director general of the BRC Stephen Robertson said: “The Pilots are a good start towards meaningful action which could help town centres turn their fortunes around.

Offering the [businesses] access to our valuable business information will help them better manage and plan their activity, making it more likely they can deliver the revival we all want.”

Argenta House decorated with Olympic-themed anti-racism murals Ari D Norman Ltd’s Argenta House in London has become the setting of an Olympic Games inspired urban art project commemorating three Olympiads at which racial strife was highlighted.

Ari Norman, whose company manufactures sterling silver jewellery, commissioned the project on the walls of his building to pay tribute to the athletes who have been involved in the highlighting of racial and civil issues at the Olympic Games.

Of the three panels, one represents the 1972 Games in Munich, during which 11 Israeli athletes were murdered; one depicts John Carlos, Tommie Smith and Peter Norman’s stand for the Olympic Project for Human Rights, otherwise known as the Black Power salute, from 1968; and one shows Jesse Owens’ Nazi-defying gold medal haul at the Berlin Games of 1936.

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Stacey Solomon sports Nomination bracelet Singer, television presenter and reality TV star Stacey Solomon has recently been pictured in The Sun newspaper wearing one of Nomination’s brightly coloured You-Cool bracelets.

Made using lightweight copper treated with a colourful finish, there are 10 bracelets to choose from, ranging from pillar box red to lime green.

In June alone, Nomination sold 40,000 pieces of You-Cool and the range has already been spotted on many other British celebrities.

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Diamond market

Polished diamond prices were announced to have declined in the first half of 2012, with the RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) for one carat down 3.6 per cent. Trading was slow at the beginning of July as Indian suppliers came under pressure as the economic outlook weakened. Luk Fook’s fiscal year revenues were up 47 per cent to $1.5 billion (£956 million).

Israel’s polished exports for the first half of 2012 were shown to be down 19 per cent to $3.3 billion (£2.1 billion).

Belgium’s polished exports for June were down 13 per cent to $1.3 billion (£830 million) and rough imports down 35 per cent to $925 million (£590 million). Contrarily US May polished imports were up three per cent.

Anglo American gained final approval for its buyout of De Beers, and Rio Tinto named Alan Davies as diamond unit CEO. As July wore on trading centres were quiet as buyers avoided large purchases while suppliers adjusted to lower prices.

De Beers dropped prices an average of three per cent but sightholders continued to reject non-profitable Diamond Trading Company goods. Harry Winston estimated rough diamond prices would be down eight per cent in the second quarter. India’s polished diamond exports in June were down 35 per cent to $1.5 billion (£956 million), with rough imports also falling 26 per cent to $1.2 billion (£764 million).

At the end of the month rough markets were under pressure as prices softened and inventories rose. Polished prices were weak as Israel and Belgium headed towards holiday and liquidity pressures mounted in India. De Beers’ profits for the first half of 2012 were almost halved to $386 million (£246 million). Zale secured a new $665 million (£424 million) credit facility, while Swatch Group announced its first half net sales were up 16 per cent to $3.7 billion (£2.4 million).

Retailer Green + Benz undergoes a management buy-out Independent contemporary retail jewellery specialist Green + Benz has been sold to a management buy-out team, led by the company’s incumbent managing director Helen Dimmick, for an undisclosed sum.

Helen (pictured) will take a controlling stake in the business, which operates across four stores in Manchester, Sheffield and Chesterfield, employing 31 staff members.

She is joined on the new board by the company’s current finance and operations director, Mark Williams, and chairman of T H Baker, Alan Higgs.

“Green + Benz is in excellent shape; the great relationship with our suppliers ensures we constantly anticipate retail trends and the dedication and loyalty of our staff is second-to-none. To lead the management buy-out of such a prestigious and wellrespected retail jewellery business is a truly wonderful opportunity,” said Helen.

“Of course we will not rest on our laurels, and plans are in place to increase the turnover of the business in the next five years, with store developments, expanding product ranges and services and online technology all avenues that will be explored further.

“For me, integrity and ethos will always be the core of the jewellery business, and with each step I will continue to demand best practice to meet these beliefs.”

BJA Diamond Jubilee brooch competition finalists announced

The British Jewellery Association (BJA) has selected six finalists for its Diamond Jubilee brooch competition.

Entrants were requested to design a brooch inspired by the Queen’s 60-year (and counting) reign on the throne.

Of the 30 entries received, the BJA’s judges have chosen six entries to be voted on by the trade and public. The finalists are: Andrew Everest Fine Jewellery; Gwyneth Harris Fine Jewellery; Harriet Bedford; Ivonna Poplanska; Kasun London; and Lynsey Pluck Jewellery.

The winning design will be announced at lunchtime on the final day of IJL. It will then be made and gifted to the Queen.

To view the entries and vote, visit www.bja.org.uk/jubileevote or visit the BJA’s stand (J120) at IJL.

Clockwise from top left: Ivonna Poplanska, Gwyneth Harris, Andrew Everest, Lynsey Pluck, Harriet Bedford

Images: Monnickendam Diamonds

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Celebrity endorsement

Holts Academy and the Prince’s Trust set youngsters on jewellery career path Holts Academy of Jewellery and the Prince’s Trust’s partnership ‘Get into Jewellery’ programme has helped students set out on careers in jewellery design and manufacture.

The week-long programme gave unemployed 16 to 19 year olds the opportunity to learn about the art of jewellery making before committing to a full course. The students gained hands-on practical experience in both making and design while developing their individual understanding of jewellery as a whole.

Of the 12 participating students, 10 will carry on for a further four weeks to study towards a recognised qualification in jewellery making.

Principal at the Holts Academy of Jewellery Lee Lucas said: “The values of the Prince’s Trust and those of the Academy are very much aligned – inspiring a generation… recognising that today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. This partnership has done just that – it has inspired a group of young people to explore a career in the UK jewellery trade.

“By joining 300 other people who have studied on the Academy’s industry certified qualifications and apprenticeships this year alone, these young people will be nurtured and educated to fulfil their potential. We hope that many will progress on to an apprenticeship this autumn.”

Alabaster & Wilson reaches 125 years

Movie stars mingle in Tresor Paris at charity gala

Alabaster & Wilson Ltd, founded in the same year that Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee, is celebrating its 125th year in business.

Founded by Arthur Alabaster and Thomas Wilson on Vyse Street in 1887, the company moved to 9-11 Legge Lane three years later – where it has remained ever since.

Since 1983 the jewellery firm has been run by Arthur’s great-grandsons, Paul and Stephen, and great-granddaughter, Wendy.

Over its 125-year history, Alabaster & Wilson has manufactured products for many of the UK’s leading jewellers and for exports across Europe, USA and Australia. The firm has also supplied exclusive pieces for the British Royal Family, Sultan of Brunei, Eric Clapton, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and many others.

Today the firm employs 11 people, many of whom have been with the company for their whole careers, and many of the products are made at its on-site factory.

“We’re really proud to be celebrating this special anniversary and it is fitting that the landmark has fallen in the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games [have] returned to England,” said Stephen Alabaster.

Image: (L-R) Stephen and Paul Alabaster with Paul Fenner, partner at accountancy firm Chantrey Vellacott.

At the recent annual Starlite Gala in Spain, several of the Hollywood stars in attendance were sporting Tresor Paris jewellery.

Antonio Banderas, hosting the gala for a third consecutive year, wore a Tresor Paris Auteuil black diamond bracelet, while Daryl Hannah opted for the white crystal Migennes bracelet and Jonzac to match.

The Kill Bill, Blade Runner and Steel Magnolias actress was also given one of Tresor Paris’s brand new watches, from the collection due to be released at IJL. Held in Marbella, the Starlite Gala is a charity event dedicated to improving the lives of communities, families and children in need.

Attendees were treated to a musical performance from Antonio Banderas, as well as a three-course à la carte meal and a charity auction.

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Bobby White London named official partner of Cannonball 2000 Jewellery designer Bobby White London has been named an official partner of the Cannonball 2000 car rally event.

Named for the iconic film Cannonball Run, Cannonball 2000 is a five-day, 2,000-mile car race that takes in some of Europe’s most glamorous cities: London, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Milan, and Paris.

Bobby White said of the partnership: “Bobby White London is thrilled to be involved in Cannonball 2000. The race promises glamour, excitement and fun, and the cars of course express quality; the same quality that is associated with a piece of fine jewellery by Bobby White.”

Cannonball girls will be wearing jewels from Bobby White London’s Romeo and Juliet-inspired ‘Star Cross’d Lovers’ collection.

Each city selected as a party destination on the Cannonball 200 route has been chosen because of its reputation for style, glamour and party spirit.

Celebrity endorsement

Carat* shines on America’s Next Top Model

ArtCAM helps re-create the Cheapside Hoard A partnership between the Museum of London, Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre (JIIC) and Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) is using technology to investigate the greatest hoard of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery in the world – the Cheapside Hoard.

Dr Carey worked alongside senior CAD/CAM technologist at JIIC and BIAD Keith Adcock, and senior curator of Medieval and post-Medieval collections at the Museum of London Hazel Forsyth for several days, taking photographs and scans of the items to find out which methods could have been used to create them.

It was found that some of the pieces had suffered deterioration over the years, meaning that the team would have to visualise how the pieces would have previously looked before determining how they were created.

One piece of the hoard suffering considerable corrosion that could not be easily laser scanned was the gild brass verge watch signed by G Ferlite. Keith Adcock explained: “Laser scanners do not work well with shiny objects such as gemstones, glassware and polished gold.

For us to accurately scan the Ferlite watch we would have had to chip out the enamel and spray it white, which obviously we weren’t going to do. Nonetheless we scanned the dial of the watch but it needed CAD interpretation and enhancement.”

The watch face was recreated with artistic computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software, ArtCAM JewelSmith. Using this software, from Delcam, Keith imported a photograph of the watch face and used the built-in programme to create a model surface.

Effects of corrosion on the day dial saw Keith employ ArtCAM’s vector drawing tools, shape editor and smoothing tools before ArtCAM rendered the piece as it would have looked before receiving its enamel finish.

Keith then 3D printed the model after remodelling the 3D shapes and creating the necessary files using ArtCAM’s advanced STL Creation.

Carat*’s collection of man-made gemstones was the jewellery of choice during a recent episode of America’s Next Top Model.

Aspiring models wore Carat* during the filming of the advertising campaign for the fragrance ‘Dream Come True’.

Posing inside giant perfume bottles, the finalists from the show’s 17th series wore necklaces, bracelets, bangles and rings exclusively by Carat*.

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In brief Watchfinder reports strong start to 2012

Pre-owned timepiece specialist Watchfinder has reported sales for Q1 were up 21 per cent on the same period last year. With sales of over £3.3 million during Q1, the Maidstone-based retailer sees the figures as evidence of the increasing appeal of pre-owned watches amongst fine watch buyers. “Taken in context, this has to be seen as strong growth, and it’s further evidence of the increasing appeal of pre-owned premium watches,” remarked Watchfinder’s managing director Stuart Hennell.

Sima Vaziry designs new British Museum collection

Sima Vaziry has supplied a new range of jewellery to the British Museum, commissioned in support of the ‘Shakespeare: Staging the World’ exhibition. The pieces from the Shakespeare collection are modern interpretations of Tudor jewellery, using red and green gems combined with silver and 24 carat gold plating. Sima’s jewellery will be on display and sale for the duration of the exhibition (19 July to 25 November).

Surrey Police launch suspect identification app

The Surrey Police have launched a mobile phone application that allows members of the public to help identify suspects at the touch of a button. Facewatch has been launched following the success of 2011’s ‘Beat’ application. Officers hope it will help identify people caught on camera who may be responsible for a crime or be able to help with an active investigation.

Johnsons Jewellers celebrates 115-year anniversary milestone Johnsons Jewellers of Nuneaton is celebrating its 115th year at the heart of the Warwickshire town.

Johnsons’ history in the jewellery profession actually dates back further, to the 1860s, when Henry Johnson began trading as a watchmaker in Lutterworth. Henry shared his skills with his son Harold, and in doing so began a family business that has been passed down through five generations and counting.

Johnsons has carried on its traditions in watchmaking throughout its 115 years and currently employs two specialist watchmakers so that most repairs can be made on its premises.

In celebration of its 115-year history, Johnsons will host a Black Tie and Diamonds Gala Charity Ball at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena in November; a premiere of the new James Bond film Skyfall at the Odeon cinema in Warwickshire; and a TW Steel and Lotus Day. Over 15 luxury watch brands, such as Rolex, Tag Heuer, Omega, and Tissot, are stocked at Johnsons’ store alongside a vast array of jewellery brands that offer products from engagement rings to necklaces to bracelets.

Image: Present day members of the Johnson family.

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Fatlip wholesale rebrands as Miss Milly Managed by Sarah Watmore, Miss Milly Limited has now taken over all of the wholesale jewellery elements of Fatlip – which will remain a retail brand. “A reevaluation of the business and the market was the catalyst for the change. As well as a fresh look, we have launched a brand new website with added functionality for customers,” Sarah explained. Miss Milly will be exhibiting at Autumn Fair, where Sarah is looking forward to introducing customers to the new brand.

NAG to launch apprenticeships

The National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG) is working with Skillsmart Retail to launch an apprenticeship scheme within the sector. With almost 25 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds unemployed, the organisation states there has never been a better time to develop and retain a talented and skilled workforce, and that apprenticeships are an ideal way to do it. To this end, the NAG has issued calls to interested parties from central London, Derbyshire, the north east, Manchester, South and West Yorkshire and the south west. For more information please email education@jewellers-online.org

L M Jewellery set to launch brand new showroom L M Jewellery will launch its brand new Hatton-Garden-based diamond jewellery showroom on 10 September.

Since 1995 L M Jewellery has been supplying the jewellery trade as a direct manufacturer of diamond-set jewellery. The company has now taken the next step forward by moving into its very own diamond jewellery showroom.

“This is a very exciting development for us,” remarked L M Jewellery’s sales director.

“Trading by mail order catalogue and exhibiting at trade fairs has always worked very well for us. However our range is now expanding so fast it made sense to be able to display our products all year round, every day of the week.”

Previously, customers could only access L M Jewellery’s range of products by appointment at the company’s current offices. But after IJL, customers will be able to visit L M in the heart of Hatton Garden, from Monday to Friday, all year round (32 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8DL).

L M Jewellery’s mail order side of the business will continue as usual and plans are in place to develop a fully functional website.

Holts launches new trade website

Hatton-Garden-based gemstone supplier Holts has launched a new ecommerce website specifically for the jewellery trade, which showcases a selection of the precious gemstones from the company’s showroom, allowing trade customers the chance to buy online for the first time. The main product lines on offer at holtslapidary.com are loose gemstones, calibrated stones, bead strings and equipment.

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Folli Follie Group joins CMJ

The Folli Follie Group, which includes Links of London, has become an approved supplier to the Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ).

CEO of the Folli Follie Group George Koutsolioutsos said: “Folli Follie Group has decided to join CMJ as it sees huge potential to develop the brands through the wholesale channel and CMJ members.”

Chief executive of the CMJ Willie Hamilton added: “We see this as a major opportunity for Links of London, Folli Follie and the CMJ to work in close partnership. We are delighted that CMJ retailers will be the first in the UK to see Links of London’s new autumn/winter 2012 collection along with Folli Follie’s new jewellery, watch and accessory collections. This follows in the footsteps of many major brands that are now launching collections in the UK at our CMJ Trade Events.”

Philip Treacy to create bespoke Voltaire Diamonds ring collection It has been announced that milliner Philip Treacy OBE and Voltaire Diamonds will collaborate to create a collection of matrimonial rings.

The exclusive collection of individual diamond engagement rings with matching wedding bands will be designed by Philip Treacy and created by Voltaire Diamonds, launching in early 2013.

“We want the collection pieces to represent beautiful, highly desirable, emotional symbols of love, which are also exclusive, treasured possessions,” said Philip.

CEO of Voltaire Diamonds Seamus Fahy added: “Bringing Philip Treacy’s design originality and remarkable vision to the creation of these rings will create an exceptionally special offering for brides-to-be, and provide a fresh and new creative option that will appeal to a discerning clientele.”

Dates for your diary...

2 – 5 September International Jewellery London Earls Court 2, London

www.jewellerylondon.com

14 – 18 September London Fashion Week, Somerset House, London

www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

24 September – 7 October

Goldsmiths’ Fair, Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/news/goldsmiths’-fair-2012/

13 – 14 October

J’adore Jewellery and Silversmithing Fair Putteridge Bury House, Putteridge, near Luton www.romorexhibitions.co.uk/jadore_october.html

16 – 18 November

Desire Jewellery & Silversmithing Fair Guildhall, Winchester www.desirefair.com

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face to a name

Three minute

interview

Face to a name Get acquainted with new and existing industry representatives

Labelux makes new appointment as it looks to expand online business Steven May,

director of Maygems Ltd Describe yourself in three words Dedicated, persistent, motivated.

When did you join the company and what attracted you to the role?

I started Maygems in December 2011 after being made redundant from my previous job, which I had held for 22 years.

What does your typical day involve?

Sorting repair jobs for the relevant craftsmen; selecting the stones required; checking all work back from the previous evening; dealing with the orders for the day; and following up on any stock orders.

Which aspects of your job do you most enjoy and why?

With each day being so different, dealing with diamond sightholders through to one-man businesses like diamond setters, I am never bored!

What can your company do for its customers?

I can offer a one-to-one gemstone wholesale service, and with an everincreasing stock I am able to help where many others can’t. Meanwhile, with a full repair service I can have work conducted and returned usually within one week.

What is your proudest achievement?

Setting up on my own two days after being made redundant and finally being in charge of my own destiny.

What is the best advice you’ve been given in life or work?

Don’t wait for others; do what you can each day; and never put off for tomorrow what needs to be done today.

September 2012

Caroline Rolfe has moved to Labelux Group as head of ecommerce for emerging brands.

Having spent two years at Links of London and Folli Follie, where she re-platformed the website and restructured the ecommerce department, Caroline has now taken the opportunity to move to Labelux across its portfolio of luxury brands.

“My remit will be to build the online strategy for the emerging brands and work towards the group’s vision to grow the ecommerce business and create brand engagement and experience online,” she explained.

NIRC announces new director

Aodhán Michael Connolly has been appointed as director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC).

Aodhán joins the NIRC after a successful tenure as account director for Chambré Public Affairs in Belfast. With over 13 years of experience in public affairs and public relations, he has worked extensively with politicians and other decision makers at all levels. His career has also included five years in the voluntary sector with organisations such as the Prince’s Trust.

The NIRC is a sister organisation of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and represents the multiple retailers in BRC membership who trade in Northern Ireland. Aodhán will be engaging with government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that NIRC members are fully represented in any debate on the future of retail and the economy in Northern Ireland.

“The retail sector in Northern Ireland employs over 75,000 people, making it one of the largest sectors of the economy. That is without taking into account the huge positive impact that our members make on the supply chain here. The retail sector also provides more volunteer hours and puts more into corporate social responsibility than any other sector in Northern Ireland. These facts show that retail has a huge part to play in achieving economic growth here and must be recognised as an important voice in the discussion of the future of the province,” said Aodhán.

Jewellery FOCUS

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

20

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor, ce In reply to Michael King’s insuran dI coul replacement letter (July issue), en chos has point out that if any customer free own r their insurance company, of thei the says will, you will find no clause that re to insurance company can tell you whe mmend. reco spend your claim – they can only d to orte rep be Insistence on their part should the Insurance Ombudsman. omers I give this information to my cust t from men lace and they all arrange for rep d by plie sup me if the item was made by or me originally.

George Hempshall, ffield George Jewellery, Broomhill, She g) Kin (An independent like you Mr

With reference to the letter from M ichael King in your July 2012 issue, abou t insurance compa ny claims proced ures, we have just had an interesting conver sation with a customer faced with replac ing stolen items that we ha d made for him.

After some heated arguments with his insurance compa ny he was eventu ally offered either a cash settl ement for his cla im or the offer of a ‘credit card’ with money loaded onto it, which coul d be spent at an y shop that accepted Maestro cards.

I think the messa ge is, tell custom ers who are having this pr oblem to argue wi th their insurance compa nies and not be fo bbed off with the first offe r they receive.

Hope this helps.

Mark Thompson Deemark Jewelle ry

Dear Editor, We read with interest the Letter to the Editor in Jewellery Focus (Jul y). In our 45 years in the retail jewellery indu stry, we have come across many insurance claims that have left us wondering – the latest being a month ago when the daughter of a very good customer of ours lost her engagement ring, purchased from us in 2009. It was a plain 0.5 carat stone in 18 carat gold.

She asked for a copy receipt etc, which we gave her. We also show ed her a copy of the Ombudsman letter, which says that she can exercise her right to go to whom she wishes for a replacement and not the ‘approved jeweller’. But she was told by the insurance company that if she wan ted a cheque she would be deducte d one third off, as this is the discount they get from the approved jewellers.

Southampton was her nearest app roved jeweller, so she did the thre e-hour round trip and then brought the replace ment in for us to see. You probab ly know what’s coming. Our stock ring, always in stock, weighed 3.8 grams against 2.1 grams.

Colour K as opposed to our H. Clar ity P1/2 to our SI1. When put side by side the customer burst into tears.

This sort of thing does not help the retail jewellery trade at all. Surely the insurance companies know that to get one thir d off something isn’t right? But do they care?

I think the majority of insurance companies are after settling the clai m as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

That said, we do deal with insuran ce companies who are much fairer in their dealings with claims.

In total agreement with Mr King.

P Arnold MD, Weymouth Goldsmiths

September 2012

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September 2012

22

Statement pieces

Head turners For customers looking to make a big entrance, one of these awe-inspiring pieces could be just the ticket‌

Beau Diamond Beau Diamond is a brand created

by Jamie Coulston, who has 25-plus years of experience in the diamond trade, starting out as an apprentice diamond setter. Using his passion for the timeless beauty and the many shapes of diamonds, he seeks to represent and celebrate the facets and cuts of this precious stone in his jewellery designs.

Pictured is the Jubilee ring, made in 925 sterling silver and pavĂŠ set with 300 eye-catching cubic zirconia. It stands at about two inches from tip to top, and the same in circumference.

Watch this space for further gemstoneshaped jewellery pieces from Jamie!

Information: www.beaudiamond.com

September 2012 

Jewellery FOCUS

Statement pieces

Ornella Iannuzzi

els Van Cleef & Arp

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Goldsmiths’ Fair this autumn, Ornella Iannuzzi will be launching a new collection of statement pieces called ‘Les Exceptionnelles’ during week two of the annual event at Goldsmiths’ Hall.

This new range sees the artist-jeweller revealing and sharing her fascination with geology and mineralogy, exposing the fundamental beauty of nature’s architecture. Each piece features a mineral variety, such as tourmaline, garnet, beryl (emeralds and aquamarine), in its natural state, and also a rare variety of diamond in slices, all carefully combined with cut stones into bold architectural compositions.

The Fortuna Clip is part of a new collection from Van Cleef & Arpels, entitled Palais de la Chance and inspired by symbols of luck.

Fortuna, from the Latin fors meaning ‘fate’, is the name of the Roman goddess of luck, who Information: www.ornella-iannuzzi.com is depicted in the piece carrying the horn of plenty – the symbol of joy and wealth – from which flows multi-coloured sapphires and white cultured pearls. She shields her eyes with her right hand as luck is said to be blind and impartial. The combination of precious stones – diamonds and coloured sapphires and the white opal – allows the piece to increase in volume while still showcasing the stunning light effects and reflections.

Lalique

Information: www.vancleef-arpels.com

Lalique’s Sacred Fire Odyssey collection is a high-end jewellery range inspired by myths and symbols. The Phoenix Pendant and Ring are made of yellow gold paved with diamonds, mandarin garnets, yellow and orange sapphires, and the ring also boasts a pearl-set pear fire opal. Meanwhile, the Vesta Necklace is composed of three detachable jewels, and can therefore be worn four different ways. The lady brooch component comprises a phoenix head mask in yellow gold and lacquer, with hair in yellow gold paved with 181 diamonds (0.72 carat), arms in yellow gold paved with 41 diamonds (0.53 carat) and 39 yellow sapphires (0.68 carat), as well as two faceted round 0.65 carat pink sapphires. The wings are of yellow gold and enamel with mother-ofpearl separations and feathers in sculpted mother-of-pearl; the bust is made of crystal, with a belt of yellow gold set with 23 diamonds (0.23 carat) and a bezel-set 0.12 carat fire opal cabochon. The lower body features yellow gold, mother-of-pearl enamel and a 1.43 carat faceted oval fire opal.

Information: www.lalique.com

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 September 2012

23

24

Statement pieces

ry Kleshna Jewelle Kleshna Jewellery has opted for glamorous statement design with the ‘Major Liberty’ collection. The necklace, pictured here, echoes the iconic Art Deco architecture of New York City, and features angular crystallised jet columns built into pyramid groups and interspersed with multifaceted Swarovski Element crystals, finished in sterling silver or plated gold.

Information: www.kleshna.com

d Sheldon Bloomfiel Sheldon Bloomfield offers an array of coloured stone jewellery including many one-off pieces designed by Sheldon using unusual fine gems including aquamarine, kunzite, green tourmaline, rubellite and tanzanite. There is a bespoke green tourmaline ring, which features tourmaline from Brazil and weighs 6.64 carats, with diamonds weighing 0.75 carats. Meanwhile the pink tourmaline of the necklace (pictured) is also Brazilian and weighs 4.75 carats, with diamonds weighing 1.25 carats.

Both pieces are set in 18 carat gold.

Information: 0113 243 0100 or www.sheldonbloomfield.com

Carat* Set in sterling silver with uniquely created gemstones, the elegant new Art Deco collection from Carat* represents the eclectic design style that began in Paris in the 1920s – sophisticated elegance and glamour with a touch of modernity. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture, interior design, industrial design, fashion and jewellery. The Art Deco collection has already been seen adorning celebrities on the BAFTA red carpet.

Information: www.carat.co

ioielli Ponte Vecchio G

Ponte Vecchio Gioielli describes is Vega ranges as a “combination of energy and purity”.

Pictured are the Owl pendant, in yellow gold with yellow sapphires and diamonds; the Seahorse pendant, in yellow gold with tsavorite, rubies and diamonds; and the Octopus pendant in pink gold with rubies, sapphires and diamonds.

Information: www.pontevecchiogioielli.it

September 2012

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Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

September 2012

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September 2012

28

Vintage jewellery

Past, present and future Vintage styling continues to be a top trend across several retail categories, and the jewellery sector has been working hard to satisfy demand through creative use of antique components, as well as developing new designs that hark back to times gone by.

Louise Hoffman takes a look at some of the latest collections, and asks what the future holds for this trend

W KArma

September 2012 

alk through any shopping area, and you will see vintage influences, whether it be in jewellery designs, window display props, or clothing. And whilst this has always been the case in certain specialised stores, it has also been a key theme on the high street for quite some time now, showing no signs of abating.

The trend offers the consumer many options, allowing them to rescue grandma’s costume jewellery from the attic; purchase choice pieces from antique and bric-a-brac shops for creative customisation of existing outfits; upcycle old jewellery to make something new; or choose from the plethora of new designs

Jewellery FOCUS

Vintage jewellery

Eclectic Ecce ntricity with vintage features and finishes, across all price points. Interestingly, therefore, this is a trend that benefits all branches of the jewellery industry – designers, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, secondhand jewellery dealers, and repairers.

Eclectic Eccentricity has worked with vintage components since the company was first established in 2004, and has been tracking the rise and rise of the vintage jewellery trend. “Of course, vintage has always had its followers,” says Lucy Crick of the company, “but the trend really hit the mainstream around 2007/2008. With handmade websites such as Etsy and Folksy and the rise in popularity of eBay, vintage components became easier to source, and this led to a huge fluctuation in the vintage jewellery market. Naturally, major retailers then reproduced their own lines, and the vintage jewellery trend well and truly hit!

Specialising in vintage and vintagestyle jewellery, Eclectic Eccentricity marries hand sourced vintage components with newly found trinkets to create a story, as is demonstrated by the ‘Falling for You’ earrings and the ‘I’ll Have a Bee Please, Bob!’ necklace pictured left.

Jonathan Lynne and its sister brand Phoenix Jewellery, which have been manufacturing classic and period-style pieces of jewellery and charms for over 35 years, point to the recession as having been partially responsible for the emergence and continuation of the trend, perhaps providing people with a bit of escapism as they reminisce about ‘the good old days’ (rose tinted specs at the ready!). “It has also certainly been helped by both the Royal Wedding and the Diamond Jubilee, which seemed to lead to a dramatic increase in sales of our traditional range of charms,” they add.

Drawing on influences from the Georgian period right through to the modern day, the brands use their design expertise to accentuate the jewellery with a range of precious and semi-precious stones and diamonds.

The aforementioned traditional charms number in excess of 600, and are carefully crafted to show every detail; whilst the large range of silver marcasite jewellery is set with semiprecious stones and seed pearls.

Bespoke designs are also available courtesy of the design team.

“The grandeur of Victoriana, the oblique design of Art Deco or the Avant Garde of the 1970s; vintage jewellery has something for everyone,” says

Jonathan Lynne

“Each period has left behind exquisite examples of its time and represents the development of ideas, encompassing not just jewellery but fashion, architecture and interior design”

T.O’D Jewels Luke O’Donoghue of T.O’D Jewels.

“Each period has left behind exquisite examples of its time and represents the development of ideas, encompassing not just jewellery but fashion, architecture and interior design.”

Originally established by Tom O’Donoghue in 1951, the company upholds this master jeweller’s founding principle to this day – namely, to carry on the traditions of fine traditional craftsmanship through a combination of jewellery making and antique and vintage jewellery dealing.

Today, under its modern-day moniker of T.O’D Jewels, owners Luke and John O’Donoghue have travelled extensively around the world, buying and selling vintage, antique and modern jewellery in many international markets.

Speaking of the vintage jewellery trend, Luke continues: “The vintage tradition includes a fine range of previously owned gem-set and diamond jewellery of a contemporary vintage.

Once reconditioned, these pieces can represent great value for money.

“There is an ever increasing interest from the public in jewellery and antique dealing, fuelled by a plethora of television programmes and internet auction sites, which have allowed more people to trade in unwanted items for something new.”



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29

September 2012

30

Vintage jewellery

KArma He points out that, whilst the high scrap metal prices are attractive, there is now much greater awareness of recycling, to give old, forgotten and unloved items a new lease of life, whether with the original owner or a new owner. “Recycling has long been a tradition in the jewellery industry and looks set to continue as each generation comes to appreciate vintage styles or ancient gemstones.

It also generates opportunities for shopkeepers to buy great pieces straight from the customer and make a new sale at the same time.”

Karma jewellery has also noticed that “from London’s Portobello market to chic boutiques in New York, vintage is everywhere! The popular retro style is an opportunity for self-expression through style, fashion and jewellery.”

The Karma vintage range brings a sense of nostalgia, featuring heirloominspired pieces, cameo-style necklaces and quirky novelty pendants, with an antique look and finish (as pictured above and worn by the model in the photo at the start of this article). “We have a wide range of fashion jewellery, including the Karma vintage range, and also offer the retailer a fantastic mark-up and a complete retail package including POS, packaging, and high resolution product and model photography,” says the brand.

Other stock options are offered by family-run silver wholesaler Thammarat Trading Ltd, which specialises in silver and marcasite jewellery. Many of the company’s frequently-updated ranges include pieces with a vintage appearance, such as the ones pictured above. Meanwhile, Rachel Helen Designs has combined vintage and recycled jewellery to create the fairy-taleinspired Juniper Tree collection, which comprises completely bespoke designs.

Thammarat Trading

“ This is recycling in its purest form, because we are taking relics which have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years and transforming them into pieces of jeweller y” She has recently been commissioned to create a series of these pieces for Edinburgh Castle and the British Museum – indeed, the cameo necklace (pictured below left) was created for the former of the two locations.

And for something truly rooted in history, why not try English Relics, which has created a groundbreaking range of necklaces, earrings, cuffs and cufflinks made from genuine antique artefacts, including musket balls fired during the English Civil War, Roman knee brooches, and 8th century Viking bowls.

Designer Peter Leathers is a selfconfessed ‘collectorholic’, and his experience in the antiques business has helped him to trace back the dates and functions of the pieces, which he sources from dealers and metaldetector finds.

“Our clients want to know as much about the history of each artefact as possible, so every item comes with full details of its provenance and valid export licences, along with a unique serial number, which means the new owners are able to talk about

their jewellery’s fascinating history with authority,” explains director Angela Thompson.

Passionate about preserving the integrity of the artefacts, Peter works with his vast collection of antique tools to lovingly handcraft the jewellery, which he also treats for conservation purposes. “This is recycling in its purest form, because we are taking relics which have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years and transforming them into beautiful and desirable pieces of jewellery,” says Peter.

So, what does the future hold for vintage? Lucy of Eclectic Eccentricity points out that the trend has already evolved, being now “most at home with its core audience: those who fully appreciate the history behind these treasured old components and will happily pay for good quality pieces.”

And although, as with all trends, it will eventually wane, I think all of those involved would agree with Jonathan Lynne’s conclusion: “There will always be customers looking for something different and more elaborate, reminiscent of a bygone era.”

English Relics

Information

Rachel Helen Designs September 2012

Eclectic Eccentricity: www.eclecticeccentricity.co.uk English Relics: www.englishrelics.co.uk Jonathan Lynne/Phoenix Jewellery: 01935 426 791 or www.jonathanlynne.co.uk Karma: 02890 473 483 or www.karma-jewellery.com Rachel Helen Designs: www.rachelhelendesigns.com Thammarat Trading Ltd: 01702 525 530 or www.thamtrading.co.uk T.O’D Jewels: 0207 242 8001 or www.todjewels.com

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September 2012

September 2012

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IJL 2012 show guide

New discoveries

International Jewellery London is set to bring the industry together once again this year, to view and discuss the latest jewellery trends and designs

W

ith more new exhibitors than ever before (129plus), and top brands and designers returning, the 57th International Jewellery London (IJL) is held from 2 to 5 September at Earls Court, London.

A key date in the buying calendar, it provides the chance to see the hottest new contemporary and classic jewellery collections from leading British and international designers and manufacturers, as well as relative newcomers to the industry, in preparation for the busy Christmas sales season and the coming year.

Visitors can stroll down the Boulevard, studded with star brands and designers such as Fei Liu Fine Jewellery, Richard Hans Becker and Heinz Mayer. Stuart Moore will also return this year on his own stand on the Boulevard following his successful debut in 2011.

A new watch trail around the show will highlight watch brands, as well as jewellery companies with watch lines.

Brands include Storm, Festina, Bering Time Ltd, Erhard Junghans and BQ Watches (Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, Omega and Patek Phillipe).

Meanwhile, the Design Gallery and Designer Brands areas will create an intimate setting for buyers and retailers to talk to inspirational designers and see their new launches. Dinny Hall, whose fan-base includes Kate Winslet, Alexa Chung and Samantha Cameron, will be showcasing for the very first time. She joins a line-up including Amara, Rachel Galley, Sarah Jordan, Deakin & Francis, Andrew Geoghegan and Babette Wasserman.

The Bright Young Gems and KickStart initiatives will once again identify a selection of the hottest new designers as they launch. Val Trotter, director of retailer Pebbles, said of the 2012 KickStart line-up: “New designers… are the life blood of our industry and keep our customer offering fresh and interesting. Every single designer selected has shown not only fantastic creativity and skill but also, and importantly, a great commercial awareness.

“IJL and other events where we meet the people behind the jewellery are so important for retailers like us who don’t stock big mainstream brands; our customers really appreciate the fact that we can tell the story of the designer – it makes the purchase so much more personal and therefore more meaningful.”

Hero metals

IJL will also feature a celebration of metals this year, and one of the highlights will be the Platinum Experience hosted by Platinum Guild International (PGI).

For the first time ever PGI is presenting an exhibition which showcases the unique heritage of platinum. Presented through interactive technology, the exhibition tells the story of the qualities of this everlasting metal.

Jewellery FOCUS

The Platinum Trail will also reveal some of the best in platinum jewellery design and production, streamlining the show for visitors interested in design-led platinum jewellery.

Seminar highlights

Industry-related seminars will once again provide visitors with expert tips and tools to help them maximise revenues, save costs, and generate ideas to set them apart from their competitors.

The seminar programme, which is now available to view online, includes: Callum Watt, aka Maketh the Man, discussing the future of blogging; top insights from the Retail Champion, Clare Rayner; a Thomson Reuters expert discussing the gold survey and forecast for 2013; Martin Rapaport reporting on the diamond market; a look at upcoming trends from leading trend forecasting agency Stylesight; the Silver Promotion Service looking at the silver market; and presentations by market experts at research company GfK. Online community Benchpeg will also be hosting interactive, intimate group workshops from its ‘hub’ at stand A60, such as An Introduction to Inexpensive CAD, which will be delivered by Cad-man on Sunday 2 September from 10 to 11.30am.

You can find out more about the IJL seminars in Sam Willoughby’s column this month, on page 50.

Best from around the world

National pavilions provide an opportunity to see some of the best international jewellery talent from selected countries each year at IJL. Amongst others, this year the Netherlands will be represented for the first time with the Dutch Design Pavilion. In co-operation with the Dutch EVD international, the Dutch Gold and Silversmiths Association (VGZ) is organising the collective showcase, featuring high quality, handmade gold and silver jewellery.

“Everything at IJL is designed to enhance the visitor experience,” event director Sam Willoughby concludes.

“There are plenty of places around the show to network and relax, including around the newly-designed Boulevard Bar, IJL’s new networking space on the forecourt, the ‘Garden Café’ and the Design Gallery Bar. There are also numerous evening events in and around the venue, making IJL a weeklong meeting place for the jewellery industry.”

For more information on IJL 2012 and to register for the event, or call 0208 271 2144. visit

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IJL 2012 show guide Floorplan

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September 2012

Up to Business Centre Global Media Network Lounge

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C130

Up to Successful Retailing Industry Insights Press Office

Crussh

Diamonds & Precious Gems

F156 F150

Seating

Gems

F158 F152

E145 C141

G161

Design Gallery

E148

C149

G160

Silver Jewellery

C148

F155

Fine Jewellery

A131

Up to Multi-Faith Prayer Room

E158

C151

C140

F159

Hong Kong Pavilion

C159

F162 F160

Designer Brands

C158

C150

E169 E161

E160

E151

A159

A150

A141

Sales Lounge

C161

C160

i150

C169 E168 C165

A169

A161

Inspiration Theatre

Jewellery Solutions

H170

IJL Runway

Seating

Successful Retailing

34

ENTRANCE ENTRANCE

i1

J1

K1

Organisers’ Office

Jewellery FOCUS

IJL 2012 show guide

35

Exhibitor list 26 Passage B79 Bouton F98 BQ Watches H48 A A Beautiful Story G60 Bransom Retail Systems Ltd i110 A E Ward & Son Ltd J81 Brave Designs C108 A G & Sons (UK) Ltd E151 Breuning GmbH H139 AAGAARD A/S F11 British Jewellers’ Association J120 Aaron Shum Jewelry Ltd J158 Brown & Newirth Ltd G61 Aaron’s Pin Thread Sculpture K130 Buildview Jewellery Limited J155 aarzee jewellery H131 Buja C49 Abdurrahman Shah C16 Bullion Bond Limited C161 Abigail Stradling C20 Burkmar Jewellery A21 Actacrown Limited J61 Button and Co. Goldsmiths Ltd. F109 Adamas Yuvelir LLC J70 Buttonera B86 Adele Taylor C43 By Elise E71 Aesthetic Jewellery Company Ltd K140 Affinity Gems K48 Aï SHiTERU Paris E110 AIM DISPLAY E158 Alberto Disarò D47 Alcozer & J E114 Alex Clamp Jewellery C35 Alexander Davis C31 Alexis Dove A61 Alfred Terry Ltd H109 Alice Gow Designs D25 Alice Menter C17 Alish Wholesale Ltd J49 Alison Haddon D27 Alraune Lapidaries Edelsteinhandels GmbH K40 Altin Jewellers K130 Amadoria C104 Amanda Coleman A15 Amara Jewellery D49 Amber Hall Jewellery F18 Ambrosia Paris C81 America’s Silver Collection E141 Amore E149 Amrapali UK Ltd i29 Amy Keeper Jewellery D43 Ana Verdun D28 Anchorcert Gemmological Laboratory H119 Andea Jewellery C90 Andrew Geoghegan A75 Angels & Promises D36 Anna Predolac C34 Annaloucah Fine Jewellery C51A Annie Mundy Jewellery A91 Annika Rutlin A41 ANTONIO BEN CHIMOL E112 Antwerp Diamonds Ltd G31 Anupam Gems Japan Ltd J10 Apple Display & Shopfitting Ltd C151 Apsara J29 Arabel Lebrusan D42 Art Center IHANA D35 AS Diamonds J19 Ashiana A119 Asina Lina F151 Assay Assured F149 Aswun B103 Atelier Boss & Harrison F60 Atelier Krull A25 Atelier Luz G60 Atteridgeville Jewellery Projects K130 Aurum of London D48 B B K Jewellery i161 Babette Wasserman B71 Bachtar Kleinod oHG K80 Banyan Jewellery E108 Bass Premier Co. G81 benchpeg A60 Benor Designer Jewellery B101 Bering Time Ltd F131 BKT (Rings) Ltd/TJW (Diamonds) Ltd H49 Blue Star Gem (Thailand) Co Ltd J110 Body Bangle C50c Bossert GmbH A129

Jewellery FOCUS

Delcam UK C149 Demidoff Co Ltd J123 Des Doyle Goldsmith B21 Dewcarat Ltd i149 DI Perle GmbH K30 Diamonfire Ltd F78 Diane Turner Jewellery C36 Dinny Hall E78 Di’s Jewellery Designs K130 Djalis Creations C2 DMJ F39, F49, F59 Domino G141 Donald Clarke F110 Double Arts Jewellery Manufacturer Ltd J148 C Dower & Hall F89 C W Sellors Fine Jewellery G71 Drew Perridge B12 C.D. Compamy Ltd K150 Dureco AG K110 California Collections J50 DWJ (B’Ham) Ltd H35 Caprich Ltd i79 E Cardillac G60 Carola Ross & Associates K130 E. Wolfe & Company i95 Carrs Silver E11 Earthsniffers Ltd F20 Cavendish French E19 Eastern Mystic C12 Cetinol San. Tic. Ltd. Sti C32 Edinburgh Assay Office/Assay Assured Ceylon Gems Ltd J41 F149 Ch. Dahlinger GmbH & Co KG c131 EFFY (BH Multi Com) G89 Chamilia E131 EJI J153 Charles Green i68 ELEUTERIO i127 Charlie High Designs D13 Eliash Jewellery C126 Charmian Beaton Design B108 Elizabeth Everett Jewellery Design B47 Charms UK E119 Elran Ltd - Aviv A99 Chavin Jewellery D10 Emdico (London) Ltd H30 Chhoa H150 emeDigital Ltd C169 CHQ GmbH J109 Emeraldcroft Diamonds K20 Chris Hawkins D31 Emma Turpin C37 Chris Lewis Jewellery C101 EnvisionTEC Gmbh C160 Christelle Ltd J160 Erfurt Design E120 Christopher Anderson Design B46 Euro Pearls G41 Chrysalis & Stack Ring Co by Silver Willow E90 Chun Yuen Jewelry Company Ltd K144 Ciara Jewellery Co Ltd K154 Cindy Ashbridge C50c Citrus London Ltd C110 CJW Jewellery H138 Claire English - Special Jewellery Company A65 Clarice Price Thomas Jewellery C51B CME Leicester Limited E91 COCOTIER A1 Codis Maya E40 Coeur de Lion Schmuckdesign GmbH F91 Collette Waudby Ltd A40 Colorjewels J149 Corona Jewellery Company H31 Cristiane Fischer Designs C50a Curteis Creates B48 Curteis Ltd B48, H141 D D Scott-Walker H19 D.G Silver F48 Dabbah Ltd B99 Daisy Jewellery G70 Dan Jewellers Ltd i1 DANA NAFISI Jewelry D20 Danhov H158 Daniel Gallie C50b Daniel Moesker Jewellery G60 Daniel Vior A39 Dante Cenci Limited G99 David Max Diamonds K28 David Peterson Clocks i150 David Turner B37 Davina Combe Jewellery B32 De Anna Kiernan Jewellery C51C De Mexico F111 Deakin & Francis Ltd C79 Deci C15 Deckwell Gold Ltd i159 Deco Echo F58

F Fabel D14 Fable Trading Ltd F100 Farah Qureshi B1 Fei Liu Fine Jewellery G131 Ferrara GiFé Gioielli s.a.s. i99 Festina E129 Fi Mehra Designs D33 Fine Gems Collection GmbH J40 Fine Jewellery by Fehmida Lakhany E14 Firepetals - Creative Jewellery K130 Flash Jordan B61 Flavie Michou C51D Fleet Retail Packaging A161 Flowerie 88 B16 Forever Amber C118 Fred E Ullmann H21 Freeform Fabrication Ltd. A159 Fruit Bijoux B95 G G & T (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. F28 Galaxy USA Inc J1 Gecko F31 Gem-A (The Gemmological Association of Great Britain) J60 Gemco Designs J128 GEMEX H38 Gemma J B88 Gemological Institute of America (GIA) i101 Gemsone Corporation H99 Gemvine Ltd E118 Gemvision Europe Enterprise Ltd H149 Genie Jewels Ltd i20 Gepardissima Ornament Design CC K130 Gift Time Products i150 Gina Stewart Cox E38 Giuily Jewelry E16 Glamourite A35 Glenn Campbell B19 Global Diamond & Pearl K120 Global Jewelry Special K120 Gold Pack Packaging Ltd C139

Golden Touch Manufacturing Jewellers K130 Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council B59 Goudsmedery Heleen Tuinman F60 Goudsmid Juwelier Marijke Mul F60 Greenspark Limited G49 H H S Walsh & Sons Ltd A141 H. AZEEM C121 Hadas Nussbaum - Craft maker designer D29 Hallmark Design & Shopfitting Ltd H111 Hanalex Ltd/AML Wedding Bands Ltd i124 Hanron Jewellery Ltd H50 Happy Dragon Arts Ltd - Helen Fung K102 Harrison Brothers & Howson Ltd C125 Hatton Garden Metals H1 Hean Studio Limited H129 Heinz Mayer OHG G11 Henig Diamonds G139 Henry and Powell H39 Herbert Marx Ltd i59 Heskia Brothers J138 Hesse GmbH & Co. KG i48 HK Jewellers i81 Hockley Mint Ltd H118 Holler F39 Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers’ Association i148 Horizon Creation Limited K148 Hot Diamonds G140 Houlden Group H125 I IDEX Online-Diamond Exchange J118 IGI i21 Ikuria C46 Ilona Biggins K116 Imfundiso Jewellers K130 Imogen Belfield C51E Indo Gems Handels GmbH K90 Institute of Professional Goldsmiths i152 International Bullion G21 International Diamond and Jewellery Co. (I.D.J.C) G81 International Gemstones Ltd J18 International Packaging Corporation (UK) Ltd E128 International Palladium Board H170 ITCHYDO J88 J J N Jewellery Ltd i39 Jabulani Jewellery K130 Jack Schpektor Diamonds H10 Jacks Design C33 Jacob Issacharoff Diamonds/JID G111 Jade International K130 Jade Rich Jewellery Ltd. K147 Jaipur Silver Jewels PVT. Ltd A121 Jana Reinhardt Jewellery A19 Jax Jewellery Ltd A111 Jayce Wong Ltd B63 Jaytee Jewellery H69 JCI Jewellery Ltd E81 JCK Magazine K120 Jersey Pearl G108 Jesa D44 Jessica de Lotz Jewellery B62 Jessica Flinn Designs Ltd A32 Jessica Jewellery Design B15 Jewel Mechanic Ltd. C62 Jewel Pak International C158 Jewel World Ltd C91 JEWELEVER/TSI Trading Marketing Ltd F68 Jeweller Solutions C159 Jewellery Focus i128 Jeypore Creations Inc E1 Jianhui London D1 Jo for Girls C89

 September 2012

36

IJL 2012 show guide

Joias J71 Jomaro i88 Jon Vincent The Watchmaker Ltd H151 Jos Von Arx UK Ltd F119 Joseph & Pearce Ltd i35 Joseph Lamsin Jewellery A59 Josyfon Diamonds Ltd H98 Julia Pharo Jewellery B44 Jura Jewelry F60 Justin Duance B31 K K & R JEWELLERY H71 K K Jewellery Co Ltd J145 Kali Ma Designs Ltd F40 Karats & Carats J38 Karen Hallam A30 Karma Se7en Ltd F148 Karolina Bik Bi?uteria Autorska B95 Kate Wood Jewellery A36 Kavant Jewelry C70 Khomotso Jewellery Creations K130 Kin Chong Gems & Jewellery Fty Ltd J163 Kissika D30 KISSING DIAMONDS by Continental Jewellery H108 Kleshna Jewellery B39 Kling GmbH A129 Kokkino D11 Korczynski Designerschmuck E32 Krieger KG, Hans D. G51 Kristal Diamonds Ltd K10 Kuropatwa Brothers i11 L L M Jewellery Ltd J30, K1 La10 C19 Laroche Opals J79 Latham & Neve B49 Laura Gravestock B42 Laurel Jewellery Ltd H91 Lavan Designer Jewellery A29 LBJ Jewellery E111 L’Cally Jewel Ltd D39 Leslie Donn Ltd H60 LestieLee Jewellery London C51F Lido Pearls & Gemstones/Bulatti Jewellery C119 Lili Design Ltd D34 Lily & Lotty/it DIAMONDS E79 Linda Macdonald Designer Jewellery B29 Li-Ren Stone & Pearl Jewellery E100 London Pearl (London) Limited H10 London Road Jewellery G151 Lorna Henderson D45 Lotus Jewellery Company Limited J165 Loushelou Ltd D32 Luca Carati Srl I121 LUCKY EYES D19 LucyQ Designs C39 Luke Goldsmith E18

Meira T. Designs i100 Michael Michaud E61 Midhaven Ltd F81 Milor SpA F71 Mira Style Jewellery Company Ltd J168 MIRPURI D41 Mirri Damer B35 Mishca Jewels London A51 Missoma Ltd H18 Mode360/3DEasy C109 Momocreatura D38 MONILE & RICCI 1983 H159 Monte Jewellery E169 Mounirs Design E48 MURU E21 MW Edelsteine M. Weskamp/I. von Hoerde GbR K68 My Pearl GmbH & Co Kg G109 Myia Bonner C51H N Nada G B51 Namiki Co Ltd i39 Nannapas Ltd B111 Natalie Jane Harris B34 National Association of Goldsmiths i109 Neilson Photography C127 Nelson Jewellery Arts Co Ltd K160 Nereida Jewellery B89 Nexus Pearls H61 Nialaya F150 Nick Hubbard C26 Nina Osborne C21 Noble Jewelry Limited J141 Nol Sieraden G60 Nomination srl F121 Noor Grup Kuyumculuk Ve Aksesuar Ltd.Sti F160 Nosallis Designs A43 Nova Silver F156 Ntinga Ltd I98 NTR Metals UK Ltd C150 O OAK Jewellery A79 Olympus Industrial F152 Opals Mine Factory Limited K114 Oria Jewellery A18 Oriental Gemco i51 Oro Ltd i131 Ortak Jewellery G98 Otis Jaxon - Embers C80 Ottoman Hands B90 P P. J. Watson Limited G121 Pallavi Bhartia Dezine Studio B109 Parure Paris E110 Paul Costelloe Jewellery/NJO Designs Ltd C93 PautinkaUK.com A24 Pearce Displays E168 Pearl & Queenie C44 Pearls Of The Orient E59 Peers Hardy Group F101 Perfection Jewellery Ltd H41 Perle de Lune SDDI Ltd C27 Phase of Platinum Jewellers CC T/A Phase Jewellers K130 Philip Kydd Limited C48 Pica Design F118 Ping Ping Jewellery Ltd. A101 Pip Portley B13 Platinum Guild International (UK) Ltd G161 Pollards International Inc Cool Case Company E134 Pomegranate E29 Potters (London) Limited A131 Prabhu Enterprises Ltd K128 Pursuit Software Ltd i129

M M.S. Kays Jewellery Ltd i41 Maker Mends J28 Mandana Oskoui C51G Manihar International Co., Ltd. J99 MANU F118 Mara Hotung Jewels A55 Marcia Lanyon Limited J51 Marcus McCallum FGA J31 Marcus Wilkinson Clocks F159 Maree London C41 Marina Prokopiva C3 Mark Milton Ltd G101 Marlene Hounam A28 Marta Salinas C32a Martick Jewellery F1 Martina Hamilton B23 Marzipan K130 Matt Aminoff Pearl Company i38 Q Maya Diamonds LTD i40 McCourt’s Jewellery i76 Quarter Angel C51i

September 2012

R R.E. Morrish i90 R.M.Shah Ltd J101 Rachel Entwistle A48 Rachel Galley Jewellery Design Ltd A71 Radiant Diamonds J21 Rahul Exports K100 Ralph Masri C29 Rapaport Group J98 Rebecca Anne Johnson B36 Rebecca Anne Lee B33 Reeves Creative Ltd B118 Renee Jewellers H51 Responsible Jewellery Council J48 Richard Cooper and Company E88 Richard Hans Becker KG G119 RINGL - Spirit of Fascination J80 Ritone Jewelry International Ltd i141 River Mounts Jewellery H101 Rivoir GmbH, Hans i28 RKM Nushine Ltd C130 Roccabella B110 RodgersandRodgers B69 Rohm Gmbh & Co KG J121 Ros Millar C51J Rosina Beech Jewellery B24 Rubin & Son E140 Ruppenthal (UK) Ltd J92 S SafeGuard Jewellery Valuation Service H119 SaimaJewel A33 Sally Ratcliffe Jewellery C45 Sally Wilcox Jewellery B65 Salvati 1983 S.a.s. I116 Samuel Jones (Pearls) Limited i60 Sandia Silver A89 Sarah Jordan C71 Sarah Packington b14 Scala Gioielli srl i89 Scherer Creations A11 SchmuckBasar GmbH A169 SGS BV G60 Shama Akhtar Trading Co. Ltd K118 Sheena McMaster B38 Sheila Fleet Jewellery Ltd A69 Sheldon Bloomfield Ltd i10 Sheru Gems J127 SHO Fine Jewellery Ltd E70 Shwet Ratan Impex J39 Sian Bostwick Jewellery D21 Sian Elizabeth Hughes D15 Sico International Ltd J11 Sigal Distribution Ltd E24 Silver Cherry Ltd C99 Silver Delights Ltd B91 Silverado & Joi D’art B110, B81 Silvex Los Angeles G80 Sima Vaziry D37 Simon Kemp Jewellery A47 Since 1853 Ltd J130 Singhal Gems J68 SK Diamonds Ltd J108 Skulls and Orchids D18 Smile Jewellery Ltd A109 So Jewellery A81 Solitaire Gemmological Laboratories Ltd H68 Sonal Talgeri-Bhaskaran London C12 Sonya Bennett Jewellery Ltd A31 SOUGH C10 SPARK - Firma Corundum Sp. z.o.o. F99 SSP Steidle GmbH E160 Star Rays K18 Starborn Creations F162 Steltman G60 Stephanie Henzler A49 STORM G110 stuart moore G91 Stubbs & Co (UK) Ltd G129

Studio F Manufacturing Jewellers K130 Sun Enterprises BV J111 Sunlight Jewelers Ltd J169 Sunrise Gems K78 Sunshine Exim Traders Ltd I19 SuShilla C11 Sutton Tools Ltd C141 Svane & Luhrs ApS F79 T T H March & Co. Limited i108 T O’Donoghue Ltd i61 Taka Jewellery (Hong Kong) Ltd i151 Takat Gems USA Inc./ TAKAT i18 Talbots (Birmingham) Ltd C140 Tankel H81 Tara Kirkpatrick A38 Tathata Europe F50 TBR Sales i94 Tezer GmbH G118 Thai Design Distributors Ltd E99 Thammarat Trading Ltd E75 The Best Joyas K120 The Birmingham Assay Office H119 The Branch B41 The Company of Master Jewellers Ltd i130 The Golden Purse i71 The Jeweller’s Box Company A150 The Jewellery Hub Ltd B17 The Laboratory at the Birmingham Assay Office H119 The New Jeweller K120 The Opal People K26 The Rowell Trading Company J91 THOMAS NAYLER D40 Tianguis Jackson E49 Tivon Fine Jewellery i80 Tomasz Donocik C68 Town Talk Polish Co Ltd E138 Trade & Investment South Africa K130 Treasure House Limited i50 Tregawne A123 Tresor Paris/Hasbani UK E39, i49 TrustIn Investors i125 Turquoise Jewellery Ltd E89 U Ungar & Ungar H89 Unique Jewelry Ltd E121 United Color Gems Inc i31 Unordinary People B50 V Van Hees Kersten V.O.F. G60 Vereniging Goud- en Zilversmeden

F60, G60 Veronique Designs Limited A13 Vibe Watch (Appleson Agencies Ltd.) F141 Vicky Davies C30 Vimal Arts & Crafts C111 Vinod Kotahwala Inc. J20 Virk International J59 Virtue Jewelry Ltd K164 Vista Jewelry Ltd. J140 Viventy UK E51 W W Hamond - Presented by CW Sellors G71 William Cheshire C30 Wing Wo Hing Jewelry Group Ltd i169 World Shiner/Mireya UK Ltd H90 Y Yaron Morhaim Jewellery Design Ltd E80 Yilmaz Fine Jewellery I118 Yom - Asy London B45 Yuki Mitsuyasu B11 Z Z.A.ZEN Marketing & Consulting CC K130 Zilver Designs E69 Zinzi F59

Jewellery FOCUS

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

IJL 2012 show guide

38

¯¯

Alfred Terry returns to IJL this year with new owners and a new look. Showing at IJL will be the brand new 1909 Origins Collection; the Portamento Collection; and the Diamond Hoops Collection. The 1909 Origins Collection comprises 12 rings containing certified diamonds with gold and platinum mounts. The Portamento Collection utilises diamonds and black diamonds, as well as ruby; blue and pink sapphire and emerald; gold and enamel. Meanwhile, the Diamond Hoops Collection adds a touch of understated glamour.

Information: 0208 446 9020 IJL stand: H109

®®

Nova Silver creates elegant collections in both plain silver and stone-set jewellery. The company has added new, nature-inspired designs to its popular ‘Kitten’ range, which features satin effect silver and freshwater pearls; and new for IJL is the Art-Deco-inspired Marcasite range, ideal for the current 1920s trend. Nova’s other best-selling ranges, featuring Baltic amber and semi-precious stones, also boast fresh additions, and will be on show at the event.

Information: 01603 305 799, sales@novasilver.co.uk or www.novasilver.com

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Sunshine Exim has been supplying handmade, gem-set jewellery for over 20 years. The company has an enthusiastic team of experienced and motivated people, who create traditional and contemporary pieces.

Bespoke pieces of jewellery can be made using customers’ own gemstones and diamonds. Sunshine Exim says it “satisfies all clients well with credible quality, competitive prices and exceptional customer service.”

Information: 0207 242 9299, sunshine@dircon.co.uk or www.sunshineexim.com IJL stand: i19

IJL stand: F156

®®

Hockley Mint is one of Europe’s largest manufacturing jewellers, producing mounts, wedding rings, jewellery components and bespoke items. The company has invested heavily in technology and people to ensure a continuation of its high standards of service and quality. Launching at IJL will be ‘Zt Precision Mounts’ – a project over a year in the making, designed with the goal of producing the finest quality pre-set mounts in the world. The collection combines cutting edge design with high standards of British craftsmanship.

Information: 0121 242 0042, sales@hockleymint.co.uk or www.hockleymint.co.uk IJL stand: H118

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Vibe Watch is a fully interchangeable timepiece created by Appleson Agencies. The range has 30 unisex colours in most components, creating an innumerable amount of design combinations. But colour isn’t the only choice available, as all Vibe Watch components are offered in two sizes.

The watches and components are available individually or as part of a gift set containing a variety of colour component combinations.

Information: applesonagencies@live.co.uk or www.vibecollection.co.uk IJL stand: F141

®®At IJL 2012 Gecko will be showcasing each of its successful ranges: Basics; Elements Silver and Gold; Fiorelli; D for diamond; and Fred Bennett. Fiorelli Silver’s new range includes spiral pieces and droplets of molten silver, while the Fred Bennett range offers wearable and up-to-date designs featuring new materials and textures. Children’s jewellery line D for diamond will introduce a personalised engraving range, and the Elements Silver collection includes new trend-led designs.

Information: 01376 532 000 or sales@geckojewellery.com IJL stand: E31/F31

September 2012

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Jewellery FOCUS

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September 2012

IJL 2012 show guide

40

Buddha to Buddha

Trollbeads

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Fable Trading is the UK’s sole distributor of Danish charm bead brand Trollbeads and Balinese silver jewellery brand Buddha to Buddha. Both brands’ latest collections will be revealed at Fable Trading’s stand at this year’s IJL show.

Trollbeads’ latest range includes the People’s Bead 2012 Spiritual Collection, made up of beads designed by fans of the brand.

Information: 0117 979 3363 or info@fabletrading.co.uk IJL stand: F100

A respected member of both the Antwerp and London diamond exchanges, Jack Schpektor will use IJL to introduce his ‘Fancy Colour Diamondworld’. Working with coloured diamonds, Jack creates something special and unique so that, in his words, “more people have something nice and different.” Also available in white diamonds, Jack Schpektor’s diamond collections are fully certified.

Information: www.saymazal.com IJL stand: H10

­­This year at IJL, Silverado will be introducing its ‘By Hand’

collection of hand-woven silver and leather bracelets in both classic and casual styles; contemporary Mediterranean jewellery brand Joi D’Art, which is brand new to the UK; and Roccabella, which includes new gemstone and metal necklaces and bracelets as well as druzy and amethyst designs, all of which are offered in a rainbow of finishes from palladium to rose gold.

Information: 0208 275 1600 or annagee@supanet.com IJL stand: B81 for Silverado and J’oi D’Art; B110 for Roccabella

±±Sheldon Bloomfield is exhibiting at IJL once again this year and is taking the opportunity to launch its new large cocktail diamond rings using FVS diamonds. Besides the new rings, the company will showcase over 250 new designs featuring coloured stone jewellery, including many one-off pieces designed by Sheldon himself.

Information: 0113 243 0100 or heidi@sheldonbloomfield.co.uk IJL stand: i10

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T O’Donoghue’s (T.O’D) is a third generation family-run business trading in fine diamond and gem-set jewellery.

T.O’D travels around the world dealing in antique and vintage jewellery, sourced from an extensive network of contacts.

As well as being able to supply fine jewellery from all periods, the company has a range of sapphire and ruby jewellery to complement its traditional diamond range.

Information: 0207 242 8001, sales@todjewels.com or www.todjewels.com IJL stand: i61

September 2012

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September 2012

IJL 2012 show guide

42

®®

River Mounts Jewellery is a specialist manufacturer of finished mounts in 18 carat gold and platinum. Its extensive range of semi-set and plain mounts caters for a variety of stone sizes to suit individual preferences. The company’s range is ever-growing and, alongside eternity rings, now includes earrings and pendants – designed to complement its existing pieces.

Information: 0121 523 1028 IJL stand: H101

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Based in Birmingham’s famous jewellery quarter, DWJ is a wholesale importer and manufacturer of jewellery. The company will use IJL 2012 to exhibit its comprehensive range, from plain silver earrings to 18 carat diamond solitaires, alongside new launches such as a range of plain mounts in 18 carat gold and platinum, which extends the company’s existing range of pre-set diamond mounts.

Information: 0121 236 7051, sales@dwjewellery.com or www.dwjewellery.com

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Thanks to its high quality and modern designs, Festina Watches is an internationally successful brand.

Festina will be the official timekeeper for the first ever Tour of Britain cycling race in mid-September, and to commemorate this, the brand has created a range of eight chronograph watches inspired by the world of top-level competitive cycling. Four of the eight models come with steel bracelets and the remaining four with PU straps.

Information: 0207 405 5523, sales@uniquejewelry.co.uk or www.festina.com IJL stand: E129

IJL stand: H35

®®

2012 will be Paul Draper’s first appearance at the IJL show under the new trading name of Jewel Mechanic Ltd (formerly known as Glitterati). Jewel Mechanic’s stand will place an emphasis on its current and newly launched lines of both men’s and unisex silver jewellery.

Information: 0118 933 3332, 07779 228 635, paul@jewelmechanic.com or www.jewelmechanic.com IJL stand: C62

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One of Britain’s leading jewellery, gift and retail packaging specialists, Talbots Group Limited can provide a one-stop solution for a company’s packaging needs – from design and project management, to manufacture and distribution. As well as launching its new catalogue at IJL 2012, Talbots Group will showcase its luxury packaging ranges and bespoke handmade wooden and cardboard boxes.

Information: 0121 333 3544 (Richard Gee), sales@talbotsgroup.co.uk or www.talbotsgroup.co.uk

Cavendish French enjoys a reputation for quality sterling silver and stone-set jewellery.

Some of the collections on show at its IJL stand this year will be the new pearl and semiprecious stone collection; blue sandstone designs; and the new silver and cz collection.

From cute and sparkly fairy pendants to elegant rings and earrings, Cavendish offers pieces suitable for special days or for everyday.

Information: 0800 731 4389, sales@cavendishfrench.com or www.cavendishfrench.com

IJL stand: C140

IJL stand: E19

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September 2012

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September 2012

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“IJL has always been a pivotal show and this year will be no exception,” says Chris Hawkins, who unveils a new set of designs at IJL 2012, including a men’s wedding ring collection. Men’s jewellery is a rapidly expanding market, and Chris Hawkins Jewellery’s natural-inspired textures and fine detailing are designed to appeal to a wide variety of tastes.

Information: 01273 554 632, chris@chrishawkinsjewellery.com or www.chrishawkinsjewellery.com IJL stand: D31

®®

Thammarat Trading Ltd is a family-run manufacturer and wholesaler that specialises in silver and marcasite jewellery. Operating for over 20 years, Thammarat prides itself on supplying quality jewellery at affordable prices with great customer service. Not being restricted to a seasonal catalogue enables Thammarat Trading to keep its range vibrant and current.

Information: 01702 525 530, info@thamtrading.co.uk or www.thamtrading.co.uk

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Delcam will launch its latest jewellery design and manufacturing software, ArtCAM JewelSmith 2012, at this year’s IJL. Available in 32 and 64 bit formats, the software enables jewellers to quickly assemble individual and complete lines of jewellery. Users have access to over 800 components to create their jewellery, as well as the use of a new 3D modelling process that allows previously pasted down relief artwork to be manipulated and edited.

Information: info@artcam.com or www.artcamjewelsmith.com IJL stand: C149

IJL stand: E75

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Midhaven will show over 150 styles of real leather friendship bracelets, in seven sizes and over 20 colours. Brand new for IJL are the XXL bracelets, new point of sale materials and a large range of stainless steel jewellery. The Lavish, CZ and semi-precious ranges will also be on show at Midhaven’s stand.

Information: 01299 851 513, info@midhaven.co.uk or www.midhavensilver.com

Based in Cornwall, Justin Duance Jewellery is a small and personal company that specialises in hand crafting contemporary jewellery from recycled materials such as gold, palladium, silver and wood. As all of Justin Duance Jewellery’s pieces are handmade, each one is guaranteed to be individual – making it exclusive to the wearer.

Information: www.justind.co.uk

IJL stand: F81

IJL stand: B31

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September 2012

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September 2012

IJL 2012 show guide

and unique jewellery in a range of cutting edge and stylish designs for modern day life. The jewellery is made from nine carat gold, 18 carat gold and sterling silver, and utilises both precious gemstones and diamonds. Current collections include Karma Se7en Silver; Karma Se7en Gold; Karma Se7en Gemstones; and Karma Se7en Diamonds.

Information: info@karmase7enwholesale.com or www.karmase7enwholesale.com IJL stand: F148

IJL stand: i50

Tresor Paris is a jewellery house that designs and hand finishes a stylish collection of unisex jewellery pieces. The range is constantly expanding with new designs and collections, and at IJL this year Tresor Paris will unveil its all-new watch collection – the name and colour palette for which will also be revealed at the show.

Information: 0203 355 4030, sales@tresorparis.com or www.tresorparis.com

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Treasure House will feature its new Premium Weds range of high quality wedding rings for the first time at IJL. This range is complemented by a wide choice of fine diamond-set wedding rings and jewellery. Treasure House’s stand at IJL will also feature its popular Premium Mounts range of high quality mounts in platinum and 18 carat gold.

Information: 0207 400 0000 or sales@thgold.com

¯¯Karma Se7en is home to high quality

IJL stands: E39/i49

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Corona will present its new Maple Leaf Diamond Bridal Catalogue at this year’s IJL. The company’s unique, certified diamond brands – Maple Leaf Diamonds and I AM Canadian – can both be traced to their Canadian origin; and it manufactures in all carats using Canadian Certified Gold, also offering a range in platinum.

Corona will showcase many new styles at IJL. Information: 01299 832 813, cherry@coronajewellery.com, www.coronajewellery.com or www.mapleleafdiamonds.com IJL stand: H31

®®

Lucy Q will be presenting her award-winning collections alongside exclusive new designs at IJL 2012.

Offering more affordable pieces for her best-selling ranges, the new designs are inspired by the forms and shapes of everyday items and the natural world.

Just like her signature collections, all of the new designs are made in highly polished, fluid silver.

Information: www.lucyqdesigns.co.uk IJL stand: C39

­

Curteis will showcase a range of new products at IJL, such as the new sterling silver family charm locket, manufactured at the company’s Shropshire factory. Twelve new sterling silver cufflink designs are also included in Curteis’s new autumn collections, with novelty and formal designs. New sterling silver additions to the Instinct collection include a necklace, pendant and bracelet, featuring soft pink Swarovski pearls.

Information: 0800 195 6771, info@curteis.com or www.curteis.com

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IJL stand: B48/H141

September 2012

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IJL 2012 show guide

Hot topics IJL event director Sam Willoughby speaks with some of the industry experts who will be hosting free seminars at the forthcoming show

O

nce again the International Jewellery London (IJL) free seminar programme will cover a plethora of industry issues, courtesy of expert speakers.

To make it easier to work out which seminars are most relevant for you, it’s broken down into three streams running over the four days of the show – Industry Insights, Successful Retailing and the Inspiration Theatre, which is located on the show floor.

Sessions in the theatre focus on jewellery trends, panel debates and leading keynote speakers.

The International Palladium Board (IPB) has just announced the details of its seminar, which is set to be hosted by luxury journalist Claire Adler on Monday 3 September at 4pm, with special guest designer Stephen Webster and IPB chairman Brad Mills to introduce palladium as the newest precious metal to be hallmarked. This will be followed by a reception to celebrate IPB’s first year at IJL. I caught up with Claire Adler ahead of the seminar to discuss it: “We’re in the early stages of palladium’s journey in fine jewellery and I think this seminar will introduce it as the contemporary precious metal of the future,” she comments.

A regular at IJL, Claire Adler knows the seminar programme well.

She describes it as a “rich source of authoritative information,” adding: “Sessions like these are a great way of staying up to date with influential trends as much as with influential people.”

It’s also about getting the facts and information. Martin Rapaport’s report on the diamond industry is always well attended and seen as a valuable opportunity to hear the latest updates. Leading market research

September 2012

company GfK is also presenting two different seminars this year, so I spoke to account director Jonathan Hedges ahead of his seminar on the watch industry: “With the IJL show continuing to develop and expand into showcasing watches, this provides GfK with an increasing audience to whom we can present the latest trends in the UK marketplace. The market is seeing dynamic evolution currently, via the increasing importance of internet retailers, sharp decline in volume sales and yet continued increase in average selling prices and the development of new materials.

GfK will provide insight into these key trends and look towards what the future might hold for the watches industry, for both retailers and manufacturers alike.”

Knowing about style trends can be just as important in terms of inspiring buying plans. Industry-leading global forecast and analysis service Stylesight provided an in-depth presentation last year on upcoming trends, and it was

I can’t emphasise enough how useful such seminars are for your business, providing you with tips and tools to maximise revenues, save costs, and generate ideas to set you apart from your competitors. New speaker for 2012 Callum Watt, who is speaking on the topic of blogging, described it well when he said: “I think it’s fundamentally important for IJL visitors to attend seminars, as in no other given situation will they have access to free experts in so many fields; speaking to these experts as a billable job would typically cost hundreds of pounds in consultancy fees across many weeks, however over a couple of days visitors can soak up as much free information and advice as possible.”

With regard to his seminar in particular, Callum, who is the blogger behind Maketh the Man, feels that with the ever-changing speed of social media, it is extremely difficult

“Seminars provoke inspiration for future creative proce sses, and provide opportunities to connect with industry colleagues, as well as share experiences and expertise”

standing room only. This year it is back to present a look at the overarching trends influencing design for the A/W 2013 season, with a focus on the design directives for the jewellery and accessories market. “These seminars provoke inspiration for future creative processes, and provide opportunities to connect with industry colleagues, as well as share experiences and expertise,” says Kim Mannino, director of client engagement, EMEA, Stylesight.

for a brand to keep up to speed with best practices when working with bloggers. “I hope to give attendees a grounding in the best practice of blogger engagement and how they can measure the investment being put into the often unknown area of social media,” he comments.

The full seminar programme is on the IJL website now so you can plan ahead before visiting the show. Just visit www.jewellerylondon.com/seminars

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IJL 2012 show guide

A splash of colour The current fashion for colour blocking lends itself to showcasing complementary coloured stone jewellery.

Here is a selection of inspiring designs from BJA designer-makers, which incorporate interesting stones Angela Fung

This Double Glide Square Bracelet is made from laser-cut stainless steel panels, where slots are cut out to accommodate numerous gems (including peridot, citrine, amethyst, garnet, and blue and white topaz) which can slide freely, held in place with silver rivets. It makes a pleasant sound as the wearer moves about. www.angelafung.net

Ann

ca alou

ne h Fi

e Jew

ller

Angela Fung

y

Annaloucah Fine Jewellery: stand C51A

This 18 carat white Fairtrade Fairmined Ecological gold ‘Radiance’ ring and earrings set with Jeweltree diamonds and pink tourmaline was worn to Cannes Film Festival 2012 by Livia Firth and Downton Abbey star Elizabeth McGovern as part of Annaloucah’s third collaboration with Livia Firth’s ‘Green Carpet Challenge’ for Vogue.com. www.annaloucah.com

Babette Wasserman

Babette Wasserman: stand B71

This sterling silver, gold-plated Glitter Starlight Ring is hand-set with Swarovski crystals in Greige, Montana, Olivine, Cyclamen Opal and Crystal Bronze. It is also available in sterling silver, rhodiumplated with crystals in Silk, Crystal Golden Shadow, Light Smoked Topaz, Antique Pink and Greige. www.babette-wasserman.com

Charlie High Designs: stand D13

C h a r li

e H ig h D e s ig n s

These stunning silver collars with green quartz or amethyst rocks are in the new Charlie High Designs semi-precious stone collection. Available in either an oxidised, satin or brilliant finish, earrings and a statement ring can complete the look! www.charliehigh.com

David Fowkes Jewellery

Green ‘boat cut’ Namibian tourmaline set in yellow gold, with 10 graduated diamonds set in white gold from David Fowkes. www.dfjewellery.co.uk

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David Fowkes Jewellery Jewellery FOCUS

IJL 2012 show guide

FredericK B

ic Fr e d e r

The ‘intimate setting’ is a stunning diamond ring setting exclusive to FredericK B. The brand’s unique concept involves the intimate partnering of diamonds over diamonds and/or precious stones. The image featured is ‘Passion’, part of the Intimacy collection, and showcases the beautiful pairing of a diamond positioned over pink sapphire.

The collection is also available coupled with blue and yellow sapphire, or natural fancy pink diamond, yellow diamond and chocolate diamond options. www.frederickb.com

KB

Jayce Wong Ltd: stand B63

These emerald and diamond Étoile earrings are made in 18 carat white gold. The centre emeralds can be taken out and worn on their own. www.jaycewong.com

Mishca Jewels London: stand A51

J a y c e W on g L td

This rhodium-plated sterling silver Hidden Desire Cuff is a stunning signature statement piece from the Mishca Jewels Desire Collection. Set with luxury semi-precious gemstones of aquamarine, topaz, smoky quartz, pink tourmaline, green amethyst, purple amethyst and lemon quartz, the cutting-edge statement cuff is described as embodying “a sensual, unique and elegant design, captivating subdued hidden desire in its sleek formation.” www.mishca.co.uk

Mishca Jewels

London

Muru: stand E21

P om e g ra n a te

Muru

Muru’s Monaco collection, in sterling silver or gold vermeil, features semiprecious stones with checkerboard cuts including a variety of ice-cream coloured stones that complement the trend towards muted pastel tones this season. Gemstones include blue jade, amazonite, rose quartz and purple jade. www.murujewellery.com

Pomegranate: stand E29

These double-drop florite earrings are delicately set by hand in silver using uncalibrated stones, and are entirely one-of-a-kind. Similar styles are available with shimmering aquamarines and tourmalines, and have been hugely popular over the summer months. www.pomegranate-london.co.uk

For more information, please visit

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Fighting against

crime

4

For this month’s retail security special, several experts in the field provide comment and advice on protecting your business from criminal activity

Retail security

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Protecting

your business

Alan McInnes, general manager of the police-led initiative Secured by Design, provides some top tips for fending off potential thieves

I

n January 2012 the British Retail Consortium (BRC) released figures that put the cost of retail crime at £1.4 billion in last year alone – a 31 per cent increase on 2011. Jewellery Focus ran an article by Michael Hoare in April’s issue on prevention being better than cure, and Secured by Design works on the same principle.

Secured by Design is the official UK Police flagship initiative supporting the concept of ‘designing out crime’.

Focusing on crime prevention for homes and commercial premises, Secured by Design promotes the use of security standards for a wide range of applications and products which have been proven to achieve a reduction of crime risk by up to 75 per cent, by combining minimum standards of physical security and well-tested principles of natural surveillance and defensible space.

Our objective is to reduce burglary and crime in the UK by designing out crime through physical security and processes. The Secured by Design

can conduct their own security survey on their premises and look to update their security. Think with the mind of a burglar – if the premises look insecure to you, then they will also look insecure to a criminal. The technique used in all security surveying, regardless of the area or building, is called ‘onionpeeling’. This means that you start on the outside and work inwards, implementing security measures at each layer which aim to delay and deter the criminal, and to protect or remove any potential targets for crime.

The Home Office, in collaboration with Secured by Design, the Association of Convenience Stores and the ABI, produced a free detailed guide on how to do your own security survey, which can be found at: www.securedbydesign.com/aware/business.aspx A few of the security measures available to jewellery outlets are: • Laminated glass: a type of safety glass that, in the event of attack, is held in place by an interlayer, typically of polyvinyl butyral (PVB),

Think with the mind of a burglar – if the premises look insecure to you, then they will also look insecure to a criminal membership scheme includes member companies whose products have been awarded the ‘Police Preferred Specification’ status. This means their products have been tested to a high security standard and that the company has also been vetted. This is to ensure that the design of a building and its security features reduce the chance of burglary.

There are many things jewellers can do to help prevent themselves from becoming a victim of crime. Jewellers

between its two or more layers of glass. This interlayer keeps the layers of glass bonded even when broken, and its high strength prevents the glass from breaking up into large, sharp pieces. This produces a characteristic ‘spider web’ cracking pattern when the impact is not enough to completely pierce the glass. Using this on the front of your premises means that it takes longer for burglars to penetrate the premises.

• Alarm systems: Remote signalling alarms send a signal to a commercial Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), which will alert keyholders or the police that a response is required.

Both the alarm installer and the ARC will have to be qualified to install this type of alarm and also be recognised by the police. National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) will give you details of their member companies who operate in your locality.

• Shutters: Solid shutters can attract graffiti, but we do encourage the use of a shutter screen, which sits behind the window to act as a further deterrent barrier.

They also allow light spillage onto pavements where people walk at night, increasing safety.

If external shutters are the only option, those with secure vision panels are preferable as they let shop light through and reduce the ‘steel canyon’ effect. Any graffiti or damage must be dealt with immediately. When choosing shutters, make sure they are certified to STS202 and LPS 1175.

Front doors and entrances should also ideally be certificated to the standards that Secured by Design recommends, which are LPS 1175 and STS202.

• Fog systems: If a burglar does manage to get past the laminated glass and shutter screen, a fog system should stop them from getting any further. These disorientate the burglar by filling your premises with a thick, heavy fog, so that they cannot see.

For more advice on how to stop your business being a victim to burglars, visit

Retail security

Case study: fog systems Theft of equipment and assets is a problem that plagues businesses of any size, sector or specification; from boutique retailers to large distribution warehouses.

Jewellers can usually hold assets worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and this can lead to stores becoming established hotspots for intruder crime. This is especially true if they lack the necessary deterrents and security solutions to help protect the business round-the-clock.

Hounslow’s Om Sai Jewellers, for example, is no exception to the threat of opportunistic and calculated crime. If the business was to fall victim to an intruder violation, the impact on staff morale, insurance premiums, profits and overall business continuity would be severe. This is especially true given that the business is a small independent retailer, which relies on being able to open its doors every day to maintain customer momentum.

The company was recently subjected to an intruder attack, which was capable of severely impacting the balance sheets and the livelihood of the business owners. Any event of this nature puts security technology to the test, and in this instance, Om Sai’s intruder alarm installation protected

Crime online Links of London was recently forced to call upon the services of MarkMonitor, to develop a brand protection strategy to combat online brandjackers, such as counterfeiters and cybersquatters, who were driving traffic away from the brand’s genuine sites and impacting upon its ecommerce success and customer experience.

The MarkMonitor team identified 750 cybersquatted sites that were siphoning traffic from Links of London, and 239 counterfeit ecommerce websites that were purchasing branded keywords. It reported the latter to the search engines, which removed the ads for violating search engine policies. These sites generated almost a million visits annually – traffic that should have been reaching the Links of London official website.

the business from three assailants attempting to break in.

To ensure Om Sai had a robust set of security weapons in its arsenal, ADT collaborated with security partner Bandit UK to install its innovative intruder prevention technology, Fog Bandit, along with CCTV and monitored intruder solutions for a three-pronged approach to security.

The Fog Bandit system (pictured) works by projecting a six-metre impenetrable, yet harmless, fog to impede vision and disorientate intruders – all within two seconds.

The fog rapidly screens stock, making break-ins and theft both a challenging and daunting prospect.

When staff members became aware of the criminals in store, they immediately initiated the high-speed security system using their personal attack alarms, which are linked to the monitored intruder system. This triggered the Fog Bandit technology to screen display cabinets and the shop entrance, forcing the raiders to retreat back towards the front door and flee empty handed. This swift process neutralised the threat before it could develop and minimised asset loss and risk or trauma to staff and customers, ensuring the ordeal was over as quickly as it had started.

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Retail security

Intelligence and prevention For this retail security special, Michael Hoare provides an update on the work of SaferGems, and reinforces the value of this service in fighting crime

B

y now I hope most readers of Jewellery Focus will have heard of SaferGems, and if they are also members of the National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG) will have signed up to receive regular security alerts.

Back in 2009 when we recognised there was a need for something extra to give crime detection in the jewellery sector a boost, we had no idea that some three years later we would be looking at such a resounding success. Nor did we realise that police numbers would be so badly strained by austerity measures, and our services so valued. But here we are in 2012 with fewer police and little sign of crime diminishing. If anything the dramatic fluctuations in the price of gold have made it more attractive to the dishonest.

Whilst I have my own misgivings about the privatisation of security services, I think we have to be realistic about the world we live in and acknowledge that private sector initiatives are going to play an increasing role in crime prevention and detection.

59 reports from members that our alerts had prevented crimes against them or others.

But it’s not all about data. It is the personal stories that make this work so rewarding. Take this recent anecdote that was related to me by one of our analysts, in his own words: “One of our members was in court a couple of weeks ago (for some unknown reason), when a Romanian man walked into court for a theft from a bookies. He was followed in by his mum and dad who were there to provide their innocent little cherub a bit of moral support, when our jeweller jumped up and shouted to security that he recognised mum from one of our alerts and that she was allegedly responsible for a jewellery theft this time last year. She was arrested by attending police officers and is now bouncing between various police forces across the north west and north east regions, being interviewed for numerous jewellery thefts.”

It is this kind of personal involvement rather than technical wizardry that is at the root of SaferGems’ success, and of course

I think we have to be realistic about the world we live in and acknowledge that private sector initiatives are going to play an increasing role in crime prevention The figures for January to June 2012 tend to bear this out. During that period 369 crimes and suspicious incidents were recorded by SaferGems (compared to 293 during the same time period in 2011); 79 alerts were circulated to industry (compared to 90 during the same time period in 2011); 60 alerts and analytical reports were provided to police (not recorded during 2011); and this led directly to seven arrests and two convictions. As important, if not more so, we received

the many interactions with front line officers that are too numerous to list here. But before I turn to other matters it is worth saying that we have noticed members have a greater awareness of the threat of distraction/ sleight-of-hand offenders, and as a result we appear to be reducing the number of incidents where items are stolen. We advise that staff always have a last look inside gift boxes, especially when ‘customers’ leave the shop to get money etc. There

has also been increased reporting of fraud, where thieves are attempting to purchase high value items from jewellers over the telephone with stolen credit cards. The advice to jewellers is to contact their banks prior to completion if they have any concerns about a suspect transaction.

So much for intelligence, many jewellers are also more than a little confused about what physical security equipment is best for their particular type of business. The range of choice, the constant updates and the continuous technological advances make the possibilities even more bewildering when it comes to deciding which suit fits. However, there are some fundamental issues surrounding the standards that apply to safes, glass and alarms that cannot be ignored when choosing security equipment, and that is why we are once again working to bring jewellers an opportunity to put these standards to the test during our conference on loss prevention being held in October.

The intention is to bring jewellers an agenda that explores the theory behind security standards, and gives some graphic, practical demonstrations. The event is being held at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) near Watford, which carries out research, consultancy and testing for the construction and built environment sectors. It is also a UKAS Accredited Testing Laboratory and its sister company, BRE Global, is an independent approvals body offering certification of fire, security and sustainability products and services. Where better to put security products to the test?

The SaferGems website address is www.safergems.org and if you would like to take part in the October conference, please contact

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Retail security

Advancing security solutions Neil Matthews, vice president of Checkpoint Systems, considers advanced technology solutions that maintain the visual aesthetics and accessibility of shop displays, whilst protecting against jewellery theft

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ast year’s Global Retail Theft Barometer, published by the Centre for Retail Research, showed that shoplifting, fraud, organised crime and administrative errors cost British retailers £4.9 billion in the 12 months to June this year.

This figure underlines how tough tackling retail fraud is, and the importance of sophisticated response to the problem.

Of course, one option for retailers is to keep all merchandise in cabinets under lock and key. However, in all likelihood, this would affect the shopper experience. Today’s timepoor consumer wants to look at and interact with products without having to wait for a shop assistant to find a key for a cabinet, which could prove a long wait when the store is busy.

For jewellery retailers in particular, the aesthetic display of products is absolutely paramount. It’s for this reason developments that allow stores to display high-value goods safely and attractively, in an open environment, are proving crucial. By enhancing the shopper experience, the solutions can lead to increased sales and profits for retailers.

Earrings, necklaces and bracelets

Advanced technology includes tags that not only attach to packaging, but also to the item of jewellery. Hardened steel hooks prevent the tag being removed with scissors, while a plastic coating ensures the hook doesn’t scratch jewellery.

Stealing an item is therefore far more difficult, because thieves aren’t able to separate it from its packaging, and forcibly removing the tag is likely to damage the item, rendering it useless.

This solution is also only minimally visible on-shelf, because it attaches to the item or to the back of the earring card, allowing expensive brand pack designs to continue serving their merchandising purpose. Furthermore, because the solution is low profile, it has almost no impact on the overall presentation of the jewellery, or the amount of products that can be displayed on a rack.

Preventing theft

Because items of jewellery are usually small, easy to conceal and tend to have a high resale value, they are often targeted by thieves.

Indeed, industry researchers have placed moderately priced jewellery (£15 to £150) consistently in the top five shrinkage category – which refers to inventory loss caused by crime or administrative error.

Because the retail security industry is continually innovating, ways to tackle this are becoming increasingly advanced, both in the jewellery sector and beyond.

The newest solutions for earrings, necklaces and bracelets – which attach to the jewellery and help prevent the reselling of stolen items – are also being developed for other types of merchandise, such as rings and watches.

And, while the latest Global Retail Theft Barometer contains the alarming £4.9 billion figure, it also

contains clues as to how retail fraud can be successfully tackled.

For instance, the report shows the loss prevention methods taken by retailers that have managed to reduce shrinkage rates.

There were certain commonalities among the top 50 global retailers that responded to the survey and had cut shrinkage. They had worked across their operations to combat employee theft, shoplifting and administrative errors. Some 96 per cent had used audit programmes to monitor their loss prevention policies; and perhaps most importantly, they had increased their loss prevention spending to almost twice the global average.

Industry researchers have placed moderately pric ed jewellery consistently in the top five shrinkage category

Furthermore, the study reveals that nearly all retailers are very much alert to the problem of shrinkage, with 95 per cent of respondents saying they have trained staff in detecting shoplifting and close to 90 per cent planning to carry out further training.

Despite the clear challenge shrinkage poses for retailers, a combination of more advanced technology, an increasing awareness of the problem and a readiness to tackle it will mean retailers can protect profits and ensure their success.

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Are you listening?

Stephen Murphy, service manager at Stanley Security Solutions, argues the case for adopting audio verification alarms in a retail environment

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f you want police response to an intruder alarm, the monitored alarm system must be verified; one detector going into alarm is not adequate to generate a police response.

The options

There are three distinct methods of verification: visual, sequential and audio verification.

Visual alarm verification utilises a CCTV system to ‘look’ at what is happening. It gives you a lot of instant information but comes at a price, especially if your premises don’t already have a CCTV system.

At the other end of the spectrum, and the lowest cost option, is sequential verification. This relies purely on the intruder alarm system and no additional equipment. Even if one detector in the system is activated, a confirmed alarm will not be generated until a detector of different technology in the same area or alternatively a detector in a different room/area is activated. The theory is that a person walking through an area will naturally trigger more than one detector, but a bright car headlamp or other heat source is unlikely to.

The main downside here is that no real information is gleaned from this system as to what the cause of the alarm might be.

The third option, which sits in between visual and sequential verification in terms of security level and cost, is audio verification. This involves listening to the ambient noise in the area where an alarm

has been generated. You can glean a lot of information very quickly from simply listening; a breaking window, for example, is rarely a good sign!

Also, unlike the other systems, an audio system isn’t dependent on line of sight.

With audio verification systems, the on-site equipment, including the audio sensors, are extremely unobtrusive and are less likely to be noticed by an intruder than a CCTV camera. As a result, audio verification is the most likely system out of the three to result in catching a crime in progress – particularly welcomed by the police. The intruder is unaware that he or she has been detected, but also often gives away a lot more information by audio.

A recent Stanley internal annual apprehension report showed that 35 per cent of intruders came in through a door; 26 per cent through a window; 25 per cent through unconventional entry points (wall or ceiling); and 14 per cent failed entry altogether. It is unlikely visual and sequential verification systems would have been able to detect the latter two, meaning that nearly 40 per cent of these illegal intrusions would not have been apprehended if audio verification had not been deployed.

As police forces in England and Wales face cuts in central funding in the next two years of four per cent and then five per cent, using police resources wisely is all the more essential. Ensuring police are only called to the genuine scene of a crime

– and not a false alarm – is vital, as is the ability to provide genuinely useful information to allow them to allocate resources and direct officers on the ground to specific locations.

Audio alarm verification, especially with detection incorporated into the system, is an affordable and highly efficient means of achieving this.

We hope people sit up and listen!

Stephen Murphy is responsible for Stanley Security Solutions’ service provision for all customers across the south of England, including managing the 60 service engineers employed in just the south region by the company.

He has extensive experience in the security sector, having joined the industry in 1996.

For more information about alarm verification and monitoring services from Stanley Security Solutions, please call 0844 254 0032 or go to

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TAKING STOCK

¬¬

An expert in jewellery industry security, Associated Security Solutions is offering Jewellery Focus readers a free security audit. The company is a jewellery insurance approved supplier comprised of a team of experienced safe engineers and locksmiths, and has been established for 75 years. It can supply, deliver and install a full range of security solutions such as safes, locks and access control systems.

Managing director Stephen Turner says: “Thanks to our extensive knowledge and experience of working with the jewellery industry, we can advise and provide bespoke solutions to ensure jewellery businesses have an appropriate and robust system for protecting their staff, customers and stock from the threat of crime.”

Information: 0800 163 212 or info@associated-security.co.uk

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G F Williams has found that rare and fine items are selling quickly. The company explains: “The mid-range consumer is looking for quality and value, [and] with our deep stock holding we can offer our clients a broad choice of stones on approval to enable this type of sale. We are travelling regularly to supply markets to keep stocks up, and are continuing to invest in fine quality gems.”

Information: 0207 405 5547 or www.gfwilliams.co.uk Tony Greene of 21 ¬±±

Takin Taking

stock

Century Silver is delighted with the response to the company’s new Limelight jewellery range: “It’s selling through so well that we have already doubled the size of the range,” he enthuses. Limelight is a non-silver, rhodiumplated range of stylish earrings and matching pendants, which the company says is affordable and virtually tarnish free.

Information: 0208 339 3731 or info@21stcenturysilver.co.uk st

±±

Established in 1977 and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, GJIS Limited provides a range of specialist general and disability insurance products, designed to protect the needs of companies and individuals involved with high value stock or personal possessions such as jewellery. It is able to provide a rapid response service in all matters, be it claims, quotations, or advice on security and risk management, and offers first-hand knowledge of the insurance problems facing the jewellery trade.

Information: www.insuranceforjewellers.co.uk

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

TAKING STOCK

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Specialising in eternity rings, Eternity Range has been producing handmade pieces for over 10 years, using high quality G/VS diamonds and fine coloured gemstones. Eternity Range’s portfolio contains over 90 different styles, and the company is also able to offer a bespoke design service to accommodate specific customer requests.

Information: 0207 831 8573, info@eternityrange.co.uk or www.eternityrange.co.uk

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Amanda Cox Jewellery’s Rose Collection, popular for bridal wear, features three sizes of rose, fashioned into an array of co-ordinating jewels including necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and pendants. The pieces can be plain or adorned with freshwater pearls, and are available in both polished and oxidised finishes for both modern and vintage looks.

Information: 01422 842 446 or www.amandacoxjewellery.co.uk

±±

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PH Wedding Rings has been manufacturing since the 1960s, and says that it offers a wealth of experience; swift turnaround; promised dispatch times; competitive pricing; close attention to market trends; and committed, knowledgeable staff. The company’s new fully interactive website also allows for 24/7 access to pricing.

Information: 0208 203 1919, sales@phrings.com or www.phrings.com

Sphere of Life is an innovative silver and fashion jewellery brand created to be the perfect gift. The spherical pieces are inspired by themes such as love and friendship. Each design has a special meaning and, together with its unique packaging, makes a gift for any occasion. This year Sphere of Life launched its ‘Mosaic’ collection, comprised of collectable icons that come with a selection of bracelets. Find Sphere of Life at stand 4G60 in Hall 4 of the Autumn Fair.

Information: 0207 831 8860, info@sphereoflife.com or www.sphereoflife.com

¬¬

Quality Castings has over 40 years’ experience in lost wax casting. Its range includes jewellery; antique reproduction; corporate advertising items; musical instrument pieces; badges; logos; miniatures; and many engineering applications. All metals, from aluminium to palladium, are cast by the company, and almost anything can be reproduced using its lost wax precision casting method.

Information: 0207 729 3041, sue@quality-castings.co.uk or www.quality-castings.co.uk

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G McKenzie presents ‘Virtue Exquisite’ – “a range of stunning sterling silver jewellery manufactured to the highest level by skilled jewellers in Italy.” There are five finishes in the collection: rhodium; black rhodium; gold; rose gold; and chocolate gold. The full collection will be on show at this year’s Autumn Fair on Stand 4G04/H05.

Information: 0208 343 2828 or sales@gmckenzie.com

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TAKING STOCK

¯¯

¯¯

Quantum Industries Ltd’s origins can be traced back as far as 1899 and, over 100 years later, the company is still offering high quality display furniture. Quantum offers a wealth of experience in traditional manufacturing methods and utilises the latest in modern tooling and design technology, offering bespoke design and manufacturing services to ensure its clients receive products that are individual to them.

Information: 01603 789 000, enquiries@quantum-ind.co.uk or www.quantum-ind.co.uk

­­

A manufacturer and wholesaler of gold diamond, CZ, Celtic and Claddagh jewellery, DPL International was established in 1993. “We have since developed a reputation for excellent quality and exceptionally competitive prices,” says the company, which also invests considerable time in market research to ensure the latest trends are sourced and customers are kept satisfied.

Information: 028 8675 1246 or www.dplinternational.co.uk

Following on from the success of its eternity ring range, Andre Michael Ltd now offers the range in silver and CZ. Point of sale materials will be made available over the coming months, making for an easily marketable range of eternity rings, which are also available in nine carat, 18 carat, palladium and platinum.

Information: 0207 430 1122 or info@andre-michael.com

¬¬

With 40 years of experience in diamond manufacturing and trading, Shrenikstar offers a wide range of polished diamonds in all shapes and colours. The company specialises in 0.005pts up to 15 carats in qualities from IF to PQ3 in all colours from D to Z. Natural fancy colours are also offered, both with and without certificates.

GIA, HRD and IGI certificates are additionally available, mainly in sizes from 0.30pts up to 15 carats.

Information: 0032 3233 5916 or info@shrenikstar.com

¯¯

London-based Noble Gift Packaging provides companies with modern and fashionable packaging.

Offering experienced consultants in brand creation, it also boasts a custom designed and bespoke department, which works with customers to design and create their own branding. Noble operates to ISO 9001:2008 standards and offers a multilingual customer support team so that worldwide customers are dealt with in a competent and proficient manner.

Information: 0208 805 4111

­­

Gema Uk is an established wholesale jewellery supplier specialising in 925 sterling silver, rhodium-plated jewellery. Gema constantly develops and adds new lines of jewellery to its classic collection, seeking out the best jewellery from all over the world to bring the latest trends and designs. The company’s lines range from ladies clip-on charms and bangles to earrings, body jewellery, lockets and men’s jewellery.

Information: info@gemaltd.com

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

TAKING STOCK

Central-Scotland-based Winski’s of Kinross is a busy high ¬street shop that specialises in professionally converting old mechanical watches to modern battery/quartz movements – particularly where the old watch is beyond economical repair, or its parts are obsolete. Watches with great sentimental value can be worn again; looking the same and keeping perfect time. Trade enquiries are welcome.

Information: 01577 864 259 or www.quartzconversions.co.uk

­­

Whether you require plain or deep engraved signet rings, with 45 years’ experience, Dexter Seal Engraving manufactures and engraves classic rings of fine quality. Traditional, diestamped signets are available in all precious metals in an assortment of head sizes and shapes. All plain signets are made to order and ready for a quick dispatch.

Information: 01580 241 680 or www.dexterrings.com/trade

±±

72

¬¬

Niagara Falls Castings (UK) Ltd this year celebrates its 40th anniversary. Since 1972 it has supplied the jewellery and silverware trades in the UK and abroad with fine castings in precious metals. In recent years the company has invested in computer aided design and manufacturing technology, enabling it to provide a complete service from design, to wax model, to casting.

Information: 01926 496 258, sales@nf-castings.co.uk or www.nf-castings.co.uk

±±

Ian Dunford Ltd has launched a unique range of silver diamond jewellery in its new 2012/13 catalogue, utilising a process that took three years to develop. Each piece of sterling silver in the Diamond Fascination Collection incorporates a genuine diamond and is paved with diamond dust, crystallised in enamel and platinum plated, resulting in a genuine diamond accent product. The collection features lockets, bangles, bracelets, earrings and pendants.

Information: 0113 246 1656 or sales@iandunford.com

R M Weare & Company Ltd has grown to become one of Britain’s most prominent suppliers of high-quality diamonds and precious and semi-precious gemstones. The company prides itself on being a ‘one stop shop’ for the full A to Z of commercially used gemstones in the repair and manufacturing of jewellery, whilst providing a same day turnaround on all phone orders and matching jobs.

Information: 01904 693 933, gemstones@rmweare.com or www.rmweare.com

± Cad-Man offers high quality manufacturing ± services and stl files to retailers, manufacturers and designer-makers. The company says that its team members are experienced and able to undertake any project and complete it to a high standard.

Cad-Man’s catalogue of designs offers savings against the cost of ‘over the counter’ mounts.

Information: 0207 430 1317 or www.cad-man.co.uk

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

74

WATCH FOCUS

Swatch has collaborated with musician-comeproducer-come-DJ Moby to produce a limited edition watch entitled ‘Little Idiot’. The watch is a limited edition of 7,777 pieces and is designed with prints of Moby’s hand-drawn ‘Little Idiot’ character.

The plastic and silicone surfaces of the timepiece are coloured a rich blue, while the character is outlined in white.

Explaining his design inspirations, Moby said: “I started drawing cartoon characters in the mid 80s when I worked in an underground record store [and] one of my jobs was to draw the cartoons on the bags.

Working with Swatch on this project provided an interesting opportunity to give new context to the ‘Little Idiot’ drawings, and I really love the finished result.”

Information: 0845 296 2448 RRP: £63.50

September 2012

Each of O.D.M’s DD133 illumi+ Series watches is equipped with a ‘free switch’ function, which allows it to be picked up and worn instantly. Its LED display is set amidst solid and vivid fluorescent colours in a classic-looking, modern design. The DD133 illumi+ Series is available in black, brown, purple, purplish-red, fluorescent pink, orange, yellow, blue, and green.

Information: sales@tidedistribution.com RRP: £89

Watch focus

Embodying the visions of Max and Lubov Azria, BCBGMAXAZRIA’s timepieces are functional, chic, and designed to instil ambition and confidence in the women who wear them. The brand’s Elite Sport Automatic boasts a prominent square case, designed to make a statement, while an enamel bezel is offered in two colour-ways on a rubber link bracelet.

The skeletal dials are there to add an extra dimension and a touch of attitude to the watch and wearer alike.

Strobe, the latest launch by watch brand Limit, is a unique timepiece with LED lightshow technology.

Available in five colours – black, white, pink, purple and navy – the watch flashes through a spectrum of colours at the touch of a button using unique LED technology, creating a lightshow effect on the wrist of the wearer. The watches are available in two sizes (37mm and 45mm diameter cases) on a splashproof silicone strap.

Information: 01628 770 988

Information: www.limitwatches.co.uk

RRP: £135

RRP: £24.99

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

A day at the Office

Laser marking In this month’s instalment of the Birmingham Assay Office’s series looking at the challenges faced by its experts on a daily basis, our attention turns to the potential of modern-day laser marking

O

ne of the bonuses of working at the Birmingham Assay Office is that it is impossible to predict exactly what will happen next!

Every now and then a small piece of history crosses the threshold without warning and stretches the experts that little bit further.

An Olympic-sized challenge arrived in early July – two sterling silver batons, both to be marked with the Union Jack, and one with the American flag and one with the Jamaican flag. Both batons also needed

a full Diamond Jubilee hallmark and an inscription.

The urgent request came from local Birmingham silversmith L J Millington, which had just received a commission from the City of Birmingham to create unique civic gifts for the two Olympic athletics teams training in Birmingham; quite an honour, and a moment to be relished by the experts in the laser marking room at the Birmingham Assay Office, where Julie Burns, senior laser marker, Suki Singh (pictured below) and the rest of the team are

continually pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished by their fleet of laser machines.

Applying hallmarks by laser was pioneered in the late 1990s, when the steady increase in foreign imports of finished lightweight and hollow goods rendered traditional hallmarking methods inappropriate for some items.

Furthermore, many importers did not have the facilities to refinish items after hallmarking. Striking a mark with a punch, however expertly handled, will inevitably cause displacement of metal or ‘bruising’, and can seriously damage a product that is hollow. Finished items are more difficult to mark than traditional castings, needing a highly polished bed to support the article and therefore reduce the impact of the mark being punched.

From a cautious beginning, laser hallmarking has truly found its niche, particularly as soaring precious metals drive manufacturers to make lighterweight products to hit affordable price points. The laser process exerts no physical pressure on the item, but burns the mark into the metal using a laser beam with pinpoint accuracy. Tiny gem-set rings with hollow shoulders, lightweight bangles that would cave in under even gentle pressure from a fly press, and spindly earring posts can all be hallmarked by laser without damage to the product.



Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

77

78

A day at the Office FOCUS ON THE EXPERTS

The only finishing required after laser marking is the removal of the ‘soot’ or burn mark, which is carried out in the laser room; and in the current struggle to be competitive, this benefit is being exploited by local manufacturers as well as importers as it cuts out the refinishing stage of the process, reducing labour costs and speeding up delivery times.

The laser room at the Birmingham Assay Office is now equipped with a battery of laser machines and can respond to any request, from tiny marks on a pendant bale to a large, traditional, full spread mark on a piece of silver. The initial reaction to laser marks back in the 1990s was that they did not look like a ‘proper hallmark’, but experience and further investment has overcome this. The ‘deep relief ’ laser mark is created by burning away the metal surrounding the mark as opposed to burning in the mark itself, and this option is now widely used for hallmarking large silverware. The size, depth and style of the mark can be changed by the operator adjusting variable controls on the laser if required.

Before a mark can be applied by laser for the first time it has to be created as a piece of artwork for the software system. This is relatively simple for a straightforward hallmark, but as the demand for non-statutory laser marking grows it has become significantly more complicated. The preparation of good artwork is very important as a sharp, high-quality mark can only be created from a clean graphic with the appropriate level of detail. Suki Singh, senior laser marker, has spent hundreds of hours experimenting and developing increasingly complicated artwork and is now confident that anything is possible.

As the team offers laser marking to a wider, non-hallmarking market, the skill of the experts becomes more and more important. In developing the artwork for the flags on the silver batons, Suki faced an obvious challenge: how to create an instantly recognisable miniature rendition of the colourful Jamaican, American and British flags in monochrome – and on a curved surface. Meticulous preparation of the artwork overcame this as he carefully filled different areas of the flag with cross hatchings in different directions and density, and also varied the number of passes to add a feeling of texture.

Suki’s portfolio of artwork contains a wide variety of examples as customers use the benefits of laser marking to add value to their products. There are logos for wellrespected brands such as Fortnum and Mason; and designer signatures and a range of crests and badges for ceremonial ware also benefit from the versatility of laser marking.

And the non-statutory work is not all one-offs; in the last two years a huge volume of commemorative coins and other memorabilia to mark the Royal Wedding, the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics have flowed through the laser room. Some of these were limited editions, requiring sequential numbering and very tight control, while others required the careful application of logos and inscriptions.

Julie and her team believe laser marking still has great potential, particularly as their skills in producing more and more complex graphics continue to develop. They are all looking forward to the next challenge, whatever it may be.

Supervisor of the Laser Room Julie Burns has worked at the Birmingham Assay Office ever since she left school and has 35 years’ experience of hallmarking. Julie’s skills and expertise as an accomplished hand marker and highly competent fly press operator have prepared her well for the challenges of the Laser Marking department. She has huge knowledge, making daily judgements as to the size and positioning of the mark, and deciding on the best method to mark tricky pieces.

Supported by senior laser marker Suki Singh, who specialises in creating the complex graphics required, Julie leads a team of dedicated laser operators who boast a further half a century of laser marking experience between them.

Supernova laser

The Birmingham Assay Office was founded in 1773 to provide a hallmarking facility to the rapidly expanding local silver trade. Over nearly 240 years it has become established as the largest UK assay office. During the past decade it has expanded its services further, far beyond its statutory assaying and hallmarking duties, and offers independent expert opinion and training on every aspect of the precious metal, jewellery and gemstone trade.

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

SELLING

80

Creating value There are many ways that you can create desire of ownership during the demonstration stage of the sale, as Brad Huisken explains

L

ast month I introduced the concept of creating added value in the products you sell. One way you can do this is through your handling of the merchandise. If you treat your products like they are worth a million pounds, your customers will feel the added value. On the other hand if you treat your merchandise like it isn’t worth anything, your customers will feel like it isn’t worth anything.

Always pick up the jewellery with two hands; if you hand the merchandise to the prospect with two hands, they will accept it with two hands. This small gesture creates a lot of value in the merchandise, and as we have already discussed, almost everything is too expensive before value has been established.

If you treat your products like they are worth a million pounds, your customers will feel the added value

September 2012

An air of mystery

Another strategy you can use to enhance the value of your products and services is to create mystery in them. With a product that is small and easy to pick up such as jewellery, watches or collectibles, you should take the merchandise out of the case and immediately put it under the polishing cloth. While you are polishing the piece, deliver your first FBA (features, benefits and agreement – see last month’s article).

While the piece is covered and you are delivering your first FBA, your prospect is thinking: “Show it to me”.

This creates more value and a desire of ownership in the product.

The third wheel

I am sure you have experienced situations when your prospect has brought along his or her ‘third wheel’.

Some people call this the ‘mother-inlaw syndrome’, or the expert who kills the deal. You know who I’m talking about – that additional person who was brought along as an advisor in the purchase, and the one your prospect looks to for advice in decision-making.

This person could therefore become your best friend or worst enemy during your sales presentation, and so naturally you will want him or her on your side. The easiest way to do this is to involve them with your question response statement in the needs assessment step, and give them the agreement question during the demonstration. For example: “One of the great things about this beautiful ring is that it has a six-prong platinum head, which makes the diamond extremely secure. That is a very important consideration for your

friend, don’t you agree?” Now you have them involved in the presentation process and they have fulfilled their duty to their friend and your prospect.

Above all, never discount the third wheel’s importance to the prospect – they were brought along for a reason, so make them a partner, not a roadblock.

Choosing your words

There are many powerful words in the English language that can capture attention and create value with their use. The more powerful your words are, the more powerful your presentation will be.

Is there a difference between a ‘piece of jewellery’, a ‘fine piece of jewellery’, or an ‘exquisite piece of jewellery’?

Just as you create added value with the way you handle your products, you create added value with the words that you use to describe them. In any type of advertising you will find dozens of powerful words – these are messages designed to get people’s attention, and that is exactly what your job is in the demonstration step.

Be warned, however: while it might seem impressive to spout off industry jargon, if your prospect doesn’t understand the exact meaning of the words, you could lose out. In most cases they won’t stop you and ask what a word means; they will simply tell you that they need to think about it, and leave. The sole reason you lost the sale could be that they simply didn’t understand what you were saying to them and didn’t want to embarrass themselves by asking!

It is up to you to make your presentation understandable for everyone. If the prospect has some knowledge about your products, you

Jewellery FOCUS

The more powerful your words are, the more powerful your presentation will be

can speak using more technical words, but if they don’t, then the best advice is to keep it simple. In cases where you have to use technical words, be certain that you completely define the meaning of what you are saying.

Don’t leave anything to chance or make any assumptions that may cause your prospect to be confused, or your presentation to be misunderstood.

Save your best

As they say, sometimes it is good to save the best for last, so be aware that if you give everything you have right up front, you leave yourself nothing to come back to.

If an objection is raised later in the presentation, you may need to create more value, and this would be the time to pull out the big guns: your most powerful FBA question. It may be a 10-year warranty; a company story; a money-back guarantee; 90-days no interest; or a free year of service – determine what your most powerful features and benefits are, and put them in reserve.

Remember, your customer can get the product almost anywhere, so in many cases you need to tell them why they should purchase it from you and your company.

Author, trainer, consultant and speaker Brad Huisken is president of IAS Training and authored the books and . He developed the PMSA Relationship Selling Program, the PSMC Professional Sales Management Course, the Mystery Shoppers Kit, the Employee Handbook and Policy & Procedures Manual, and the Weekly Sales Training Meeting series, along with aptitude tests and proficiency exams for new hires, current sales staff and sales managers, and the new Weekly Internet Sales Training Series. In addition, he publishes a free weekly newsletter called Sales Insight. For a free subscription or more information, contact IAS Training on 001 800 248 7703, or

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

DATA

82

Prices • Figures • Outlook Retail sales volume: June 2012 In June 2012 all retailing sales volumes were estimated to have increased 1.6 per cent when compared to June 2011.

Over the same period all retail sales values were estimated to have increased by 1.9 per cent.

Non-seasonally-adjusted data shows that small stores fared better than large stores, with sales values at small stores estimated to have increased by 4.1 per cent when compared with June 2011. Large stores were estimated to have increased by 1.2 per cent.

The implied deflator, which provides an estimate of the prices of goods sold or store price inflation, slowed to 0.3 per cent – down from 1.2 per cent in May. In the five-week period from 27 May to 30 June, the total, non-seasonally-adjusted amount estimated to have been spent was £32.7 billion – up from £26.4 billion in the four-week period of May 2012 and £32.1 billion in June 2011. This figure equates to an average weekly spend of £6.5 billion in June, down from £6.6 billion in May 2012 and up from £6.4 billion in June 2011.

Metal Prices £/Unit

Jun 12

Jul 12

Aug 12

% Change

Sterling Silver £/Kg

549.76

525.46

528.63

Plus 1%

Gold £/g

33.27

32.90

33.13

Plus 1%

Palladium £/g

12.87

12.06

11.96

Minus 1%

Platinum £/g

30.04

29.83

28.83

Minus 3%

Rhodium £/g

26.02

25.83

23.75

Minus 8%

Iridium £/g

22.58

22.41

22.14

Minus 1%

Ruthenium £/g

2.40

2.39

2.38

No Change

Scrap Metal £/Unit

Jun 12

Jul 12

Aug 12

% Change

Sterling Silver Scrap £/Kg

516.18

493.36

496.34

Plus 1%

9ct Gold Scrap £/g

12.04

11.90

11.99

Plus 1%

14ct Gold Scrap £/g

18.78

18.57

18.70

Plus 1%

18ct Gold Scrap £/g

24.08

23.81

23.98

Plus 1%

22ct Gold Scrap £/g

29.40

29.08

29.29

Plus 1%

Platinum (95%) Scrap £/g

24.26

24.17

23.28

Minus 3%

Data supplied courtesy of Cookson Precious Metals. www.cooksongold.com All prices shown on this page enjoy indicative status only. Jewellery Focus and Cookson Precious Metals accepts no responsibility for their accuracy or for any use to which they may be put

Diamond prices

The average weekly value for internet sales was estimated to be £493.3 million, meaning that the proportion of retail sales – excluding automotive fuel – made via the internet was 8.5 per cent.

Weight

G/VVS

G/SI

J/VVS

J/SI

J/I1

0.05 Carat

1,808

995

1,248

904

796

0.10 Carat

1,736

1,108

1,674

992

744

0.25 Carat

2,806

1,550

2,345

1,318

899

0.50 Carat

7,642

3,446

4,870

2,997

2,547

0.75 Carat

9,404

5,642

6,149

4,196

3,328

1.00 Carat

16,601

8,789

11,073

7,115

4,604

Source: ONS

Stay informed...

Visit

for daily metal prices

The table above has been prepared by SafeGuard and is an average of the retail selling prices of round brilliant cut diamonds per carat including an average retail markup and VAT. There is no allowance for the mount but the prices have been taken from mounted goods prices. The table is also compared with International diamond prices for additional accuracy.

Compiled at 26th July 2012/Dollar Exchange Rate 1.5483

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

Hallmark figures - June 2012 Jun 11

Jun 12

Variance

%

1,134 386 485,952 30 487,502

1,036 628 388,394 875 390,933

-98 242 -97,558 845 -96,569

-8.6 62.7 -20.1 2816.7 -19.8

51 0 30,742 81,938 8,995 255,158 376,884

4 0 27,187 68,197 5,566 262,475 363,429

-47 0 -3,555 -13,741 -3,429 7,317 -13,455

-92.2 0 -11.6 -16.8 -38.1 2.9 -3.6

5 21,820 14 2 21,841

5 23,291 34 2 23,332

0 1,471 20 0 1,491

0 6.7 142.9 0 6.8

8,747 1,041 9,788

1 10,400 1,676 12,077

1 1,653 635 2,289

100 18.9 61 23.4

896,015

789,771

-106,244

-11.9

Silver 999 958 925 800 Gold 999 990 916 750 585 375 Platinum 999 950 900 850 Palladium 999 950 500

Total

The number of items hallmarked by the four UK assay offices was down 11.9 per cent in July 2012, compared to the same month in 2011. The number of gold articles hallmarked is continuing to improve with just a small 3.6 per cent decline compared to 2011. The total number of sterling silver items hallmarked was 20.1 per cent down, whilst the numbers of platinum and palladium articles marked were up 6.8 and 23.4 per cent respectively.

Source: Birmingham Assay Office

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

84

Directory

AMBER JEWELLERY

BARCODING, LABELLING & PRINTING

BOXES, PADS & PACKAGING

ASSAYERS BULLION DEALERS

BOXES, PADS & PACKAGING

CASTING

BEADS

CAD/CAM

BOXES, PADS & PACKAGING

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Then call Jewellery Focus now on 01206 767 797 September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

Directory

CASTINGS & FINDINGS

CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY

DIAMONDS

DIAMOND MOUNTS

DIAMOND SETTINGS CHARMS

DIAMOND & JEWELLERY CERTIFICATE

CLOCK DISTRIBUTORS

DIAMONDS

DIAMOND JEWELLERY

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September 2012

85

86

Directory

DIAMOND SETTINGS

ENGRAVERS

GEMSTONES

GEMSTONES

DISPLAY CABINETS & COUNTERS

GEMSTONES

Gold and silver jewellery

ENAMELLERS

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

Directory

JEWELLERS TOOLS

JEWELLERY MANUFACTURERS

JEWELLERY REPAIRS

87

PEARLS, CULTURED

PERSONALISED JEWELLERY JEWELLERY EQUIPMENT

JEWELLERY POLISHERS

RESTRINGING

JEWELLERY REPAIRS

PEARLS, CULTURED

JEWELLERY MANUFACTURERS

RING SIZE GAUGES

F O R

R I N G S

T H A T

F I T

PACKED IN COLOUR INSTRUCTION ENVELOPES

“Can you afford to leave one out of your mailing?” www.multisizers.com Tel 01481 253244

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

Directory

88

SCRAP PURCHASE

SHOPFITTING

SHOPFITTING

TROPHIES & MEDALS

SECURITY

WATCH REPAIRS

SILVER JEWELLERY

SECURITY

Repair Services Is your Rolex watch bracelet stretched and worn?

bqw rolex specialist

At BQ Watches we can make it look brand NEW

We now specialise in the repair and refurbishment of Gold Rolex Watch Bracelets

Call now for a FREE Quotation

020 8731 2566 www.bqwatches.com

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01206 767 797 September 2012 

Jewellery FOCUS

Directory

WATCH REPAIRS

WEDDING RINGS

RECRUITMENT

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Then call Jewellery Focus now on 01206 767 797

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

89

90

Your Views

Voice

on the

highstreet

John Doble, owner of Doble Jewellers and Pona Pero, Torbay

Could you tell us about the history of Doble Jewellers?

Doble is a family business that started in 1918 when my grandfather, Alfred Golesworthy, opened a shop in Ottery St Mary. My father Ivor Doble and his brother, my uncle Roy Doble, both married into the Golesworthy family.

My uncle opened three shops in Cornwall and my father opened outlets in Bristol, Newton Abbott and Exeter, where he still runs two of them to this day! I spent four years at jewellery college but didn’t start my empire until I was 28, choosing first to teach extreme sports in France, USA, Norway and Africa.

How is Torquay as a place to do business?

Is there much competition?

Since you first came into the business, what is the biggest change you’ve noticed within the independent jewellery sector?

The biggest change, in my opinion, is that customers are far more demanding and aggressive; the trend to sue for any perceived mistake is rife. Also, I feel that bad language is employed far too easily.

You have recently expanded into online retailing; do you feel this move represents changing times for independent jewellery retailers?

We have separate sites for both Doble and Pona Pero and feel that they both serve the retail side very well. You cannot stay still in this industry and we are always searching for new ideas and new ways to serve the public.

There are lots of jewellery shops in Torquay; I myself have three shops in Torbay – two called Doble and one called Pona Pero. To stand out we aim for a younger audience with Pona Pero (named, incidentally, by using the first two letters of each of my children’s names) and always try to give amazing service with a smile.

What do you enjoy most about working in the jewellery industry?

Which products are selling well at the moment?

In 2018 I would like us to still be trading, with another member of the family sitting in this very hot seat! Our family is still represented by seven shops and, with my shop mortgages having finished in May, we are looking forward to a very prosperous next few years.

Chamilia sells very well in Pona Pero and, because customers want value, pre-owned Rolex and Omega watches.

September 2012

I enjoy nice customers and good conversation. I also enjoy my skills of recognising and restoring antique jewellery; just recently I was able to inform a man about the history of his necklace, how it was made and where he bought it!

Where do you see Doble Jewellers in its centenary – 2018?

Jewellery FOCUS

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012

Jewellery FOCUS

September 2012