PIXETJEWELRY

Footfall levels remain 23% below pre-pandemic levels in February 2022 as rising costs are reportedly set to “batter” retailers from 1 April, according to RSM. The latest data from Datscha, analysed by RSM, shows the overall decline in footfall is the worst in London with numbers on Oxford Street down 46%.  “Key” shopping streets in major Northern cities are also suffering, with footfall on Manchester’s Market Street down 38%, Newcastle’s Northumberland Street down 37%, and Buchanan Street in Glasgow down 25%. RSM said that restrictions on international travel and testing requirements, which have now been scrapped, deterred tourists from visiting the UK, and consequently “hampered” footfall levels, particularly in cities like London.  In addition, the storms experienced in February, concerns about the rising cost of living, and a post-pandemic “behavioural shift” to online shopping have all contributed to the reduced footfall. However, Guildford, Leeds and Brighton have s...

Pandora has announced it is ending its 12-year membership with the trade association Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) after its “failure to suspend Russian companies’ memberships and responsible business certifications and urge its members to suspend business with Russia”. It comes after Pandora had previously requested that RJC take such actions. On February 24, Pandora suspended all business with Russia and Belarus. Pandora has also instructed all its suppliers and business partners that no raw materials, products or services supplied to Pandora can come directly or indirectly from Russia or Belarus. CEO Alexander Lacik said.“We are shocked and saddened by the unprovoked attack on Ukraine, and our thoughts go to the people of Ukraine, who are victims of this senseless act of military aggression. “The war requires all businesses to act with the utmost responsibility regarding any interactions or business dealings with Russia and Belarus. Pandora cannot in good faith be a member...

Lily Arkwright, the ethical and sustainable lab grown engagement ring retailer has reported it has experienced “strong” demand for ethical jewellery and its lab diamond engagement ring collections in the face of slowing UK online retail sales in February 2022. The company said it is mindful of supply chain issues and inflation pressures which have recently been exacerbated by the rise in precious metal pricing. However, Lily Arkwright has reportedly been able to mitigate any price rises for customers at this time. The retailer specialises in sustainable jewellery including moissanite, lab diamonds and coloured precious gemstones. Lily Arkwright said it continues to believe a “strong demographic change is underway” where consumers put more emphasis on ethical jewellery with “key” sustainability metrics. Philip Dawson, managing director for Lily Arkwright, said: “Retail sales continue strongly and above ONS benchmark figures released today. Particularly in comparison to online retai...

London-based luxury jewellery and accessories brand Stephen Einhorn and Japanese streetwear brand A Bathing Ape have combined to launch two new products. The products include an exclusive A Bathing Ape ring and Fire Garden interactive night light. With an enamelled BAPE logo, the Stephen Einhorn x A Bathing Ape ring nods to the “original aesthetic of the 90s design” but is now enhanced with a more ergonomic shape and heavy weight. Each and every ring is handmade in Stephen Einhorn’s London workshop, utilises sustainable methods, and will be available as part of a limited edition run, in Japan, Hong Kong, USA and the UK. Founder Stephen Einhorn said: “We are really excited to be collaborating with A Bathing Ape again – they are a very cool and interesting brand” source https://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/204431-stephen-einhorn-and-a-bathing-ape-announce-collaboration

Unique and Co has expanded its semi-precious stones collection after its “successful” launch in the last few years. The collection will comprise further product styles and new designs feature pieces, such as carving on Mother-of-Pearl and pave cz setting. With a mix of Mother-of-Pearl, Malachite, Amazonite, Lapis Lazuli and Turquoise, the new earring and necklace styles “inject a subtle use of colour” into the main range. The colours of the stones, all chosen for their wear ability, combine with silver or 18kt yellow and rose gold plating to create styles that can be worn as everyday pieces. Unique and Co said: “Craftsmanship is a key focus to the design ethos at Unique and Co and the new semi-precious range are crafted with the same wonderful attention to detail and design ethos.” source https://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/204428-unique-co-expands-semi-precious-collection

The second anniversary of the start of the first lockdown in 2020 delivered positive results, with a rise in footfall of +7.8% last week from the week before across all UK retail destinations, according to retail experts Springboard. It found increases in all three destination types; +9.8% in high streets, +5.8% in retail parks and +5.5% in shopping centres. While footfall last week was -15.7% below the same week in 2019 – a slight widening of the gap from the week before last when it was -15% below 2019 – it was more than double the level last year when still in lockdown, demonstrating a “growing recovery”. Footfall rose on every day with the most significant rises on Wednesday (a response to noticeable drops on the previous Wednesday) and Saturday, when Springboard said it is “likely that some trips will have been prompted by Mother’s Day on Sunday”. The greatest rise occurred in coastal towns (+16.6%) as the weather improved, but Greater London and market towns also performed st...

ChloBo has announced the promotion of Andi Lee from his role as a sales and marketing director to the jeweller’s new managing director. Having joined ChloBo in 2016, Lee has most recently taken on responsibility for merchandising and will now also take on the operations side of the business. A further leadership shakeup within the business has also been announced to “underpin” its overall service levels.  This includes the promotion of Lauren Owen from stock manager to operations manager and Chelsea Hughes from Customer services manager to partner channels manager. The announcement comes as the company is expecting to finish its financial year ending 31 March “ahead of plan”. Lee said the jeweller’s new retail partners were joining regularly and that many existing partners were seeing “solid growth” in ChloBo sales. Dave Rosalski, chief executive, said: “He has proved his capabilities and commitment and I am delighted to see him continue his progression. He will now be compl...

Christies has announced that its highest valued jewel to be offered in an online-only sale, the flawless star, a d-colour diamond valued at $4-6m (£3-4.5m), will be for sale in its new auction. The auction will take place from March 28 to April 7, and includes over 200 lots with more than half of all lots being offered without reserve. The flawless star belongs to the rare Type IIa category, which make up less than 2% of all diamonds. Type IIa diamonds are the most chemically pure and are characterised by their transparency. These stones have no traces of nitrogen, which creates a purity of colour that is observed only in the finest diamonds originating from the fabled mines of Golconda, Brazil and South Africa. Other highlights of the sale include designs by renowned jewellery houses such as Buccellati, Bulgari, Cartier, Graff, Harry Winston, JAR, Oscar Heyman and Brothers, Seaman Schepps, Tiffany and Co., and Verdura. Specially featured in the sale are selections of Van Cleef and...

SVP Jewellery has launched its latest expandable ring collection, ‘The Audie Collection’, comprising 6mm trillion hand-cut gemstones. The collection features a labradorite stone to help “trigger new ideas leading to transformation” and “encourages new adventures”, and it is made for Scorpios and Leos. It also features a rose quartz stone to “aid self-healing”. SVP said this stone will help those who suffer from “any kind of past neglect, a broken heart or a traumatic incident revolving around love”, and it is designed for Aries, Taurus, Cancer. Additionally, the collection includes the rainbow moonstone which is used for the “healing of the heart and balance”. The jeweller said the moonstone is good for meditation to help get insight and clarity about yourself, and it is made for Cancer, Libra, Scorpio signs. SVP said: “We have ensured that these pretty rings look great stacked with our Atomic Mini, Micro, Shine on Hope, Supersonic and Rio collections making them super versatile.”...

Can You Tell the Difference Between Lab Created or Natural Gemstones? There are advantages to owning both lab created and natural gemstones. Read further and see if you can tell the difference between them. Keyword(s): Natural gemstones         In the United States, there has been almost   $22 billion worth of gemstones sold . And more than 85% of those gemstones are synthetic or lab-created. The demand for gemstones has led to increased demand in the jewelry industry. From engagement rings to   fine jewelry , gemstones are an investment. That's one reason why choosing the best quality pieces with superior brilliance, and a near-flawless appearance is key. So, when it comes to lab-grown versus natural gemstones, which one will give you the best quality? Can the average person tell the difference between a natural gemstone and a human-made one? Here's everything you need to know before buying your next gemstone piece. What Are Natural Gemstones...

Retail sales volumes fell by 0.3% in February 2022 following a rise of 1.9% in January 2022, according to the latest figures from ONS, with sales volumes at 3.7% above their pre-coronavirus (Covid-19) February 2020 levels. Non-store retailing sales volumes fell by 4.8% over the month following strong growth in December (2.7%) and January (4.0%); sales volumes were 33.2% above their pre-coronavirus February 2020 levels. Food store sales volumes fell by 0.2% in February 2022 with large falls in alcohol and tobacco stores, which may be linked to higher spending in pubs and restaurants as confidence increased in going out; food store sales volumes were 0.1% below pre-coronavirus February 2020 levels. Non-food stores sales volumes rose by 0.6% in February 2022 with growth in clothing (13.2%) and department stores (1.3%), with wider socialising and the return to the office following the lifting of Plan B restrictions at the end of January potential factors; these increases were partly off...

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has announced that Eyal Shirazy has been appointed executive director of Get-Diamonds, its global B2B trading platform for polished diamonds. Before entering the diamond industry, Shirazy held a number of management positions in the digital world. For the past decade, he served as the chief digital officer for the Shlomo Sixt Group, the franchisee of the international brand Sixt. In this role, he managed all digital assets of the company and its marketing to reach “large” sales volumes.  Additionally, Shirazy began his career in the digital world in tourism, where he reportedly pioneered the establishment of the first tourism trade site. Get-Diamonds was launched by the WFDB in April 2020 as a non-profit organisation. Profits generated by the site will be invested in projects that “benefit” the industry, including generic diamond marketing.  Since its inception, Get-Diamonds has reportedly become one of the largest diamond t...

Both Bira and CBI have expressed disappointment in the chancellor’s Spring Statement, with Bira having declared it is “underwhelmed with the offerings for independent businesses”. In his speech yesterday, Rishi Sunak outlined a series of measures to help combat the rising cost of living in his latest spring statement, including increasing the national insurance threshold by £3,000 to £12,570. Also included in the latest measures is a fuel duty cut of 5p per litre, an increase in Employment Allowance for small businesses to £5,000 and the promise to cut the basic rate of income from 20p in the pound to 19p by 2024. Adding its voice to Bira, The CBI said that the forward steps “are welcome but don’t do enough to tackle the current challenges facing firms”. Bira’s CEO Andrew Goodacre said: “The Spring Statement is underwhelming for indie retailers with limited help on rising costs to business. Whilst we support cuts in fuel duty and an increase in NI allowance, this is nowhere near en...

So-le Studio has revealed that its new upcycled leather collection will launch at the end of April this year. The collection comprises the “core” collection pieces first designed when So-le Studio launched in October 2020. All in all, it will compose of seven new designs: four earrings, one cuff, one necklace, and one ear cuff. So-le Studio said that pop colours and glitter applications play a “central role” in the spring/summer collection by “enhancing the party yet elegant mood” of the existing pieces. The pieces in the new collection reportedly build on the “signature” principles and techniques that So-le identifies with: durability, dynamism, versatility, lightness, and a sense of provocation. Additionally, nature and architecture remain the “key” sources of inspiration for Maria Sole Ferragamo, the creative director and founder. Ferragamo said: “This time, I looked at ferns and other natural shapes but always seeing in them the movement and the geometry first and combining t...

Hamilton and Inches has announced the launch of its Craft Academy as part of its ongoing support to young artisans in Scotland by investing in apprenticeships and training. The launch of the jeweller’s new academy includes two silversmithing internships, one of which is open to third year students studying jewellery and silversmithing courses across Scotland and the second is open to third year Edinburgh College of Art jewellery and silversmithing students.  A four-year polishing apprenticeship is also being offered, allowing the successful applicant to be part of the Hamilton and Inches’ polishing department, which is responsible for the polishing and restoration of varying precious items, including world renowned trophies. As well as being trained by expert artisans, successful applicants will be awarded with a £1,500 grant on completion of the internship to support their fourth year of studies. Additionally, Hamilton and Inches said the successful candidates will gain exper...

The world’s most advanced diamond recovery vessel, the Benguela Gem, has today been officially unveiled in Namibia at an inauguration ceremony attended by President Hage Geingob, Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo and De Beers Group CEO, Bruce Cleaver. The vessel will commence operations from next week, well ahead of its original schedule. The custom-built vessel will add an additional 500,000 carats of high value diamonds to Debmarine Namibia’s annual production, an increase of around 45%, while creating 160 high-skilled jobs for Namibians. Debmarine Namibia is a 50/50 joint venture between De Beers Group and the Government of the Republic of Namibia. The Benguela Gem joins the world-class Debmarine Namibia fleet, which responsibly recovers some of the world’s highest quality diamonds. The Benguela Gem was designed in Norway and Poland, built in Romania and fitted out with its proprietary mission equipment by De Beers Marine South Africa. Taking two years to construct, it...

The chancellor has outlined a series of measures to help combat the rising cost of living in his latest spring statement, including increasing the national insurance threshold by £3,000. Speaking in parliament today (23 March), Rishi Sunak began his speech by warning it is yet unclear what the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have on the UK’s economic recovery, adding that the sanctions taken are not “cost free”. The chancellor warned that the economy and public finances will likely worsen, “potentially significantly”, as the UK is forecast to spend £83bn in the next financial year on debt interest, the highest on record and four times the amount spent last year. As such, to help the rising cost of living, the chancellor confirmed an increase to the national insurance threshold by £3,000. That means employees will be able to earn £12,570 without paying any National Insurance tax, with 70% of workers set to benefit from the tax cut. The chancellor said this measure marks ...

Pure London, the UK’s trade fashion buying event, has announced the appointment of Andrew Martyniuk as Head of Jewellery to support the growth of its newly created Pure Jewel space. Martyniuk has years of experience in the jewellery industry and he will be a “key driver” in developing the jewellery sector of the show. He will focus on attracting new and “inspiring” brands to Pure London while working alongside partners such as the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ). Meanwhile, Martyniuk is the co-founder of The Jewellery Cut, a platform to support contemporary jewellery in the UK and help jewellery designers, educate buyers and make connections. His “strong” relationships within this sector were built up during a six-year tenure as commercial director at ITP Promedia, and as a publisher of business-to-business magazines. Returning to Olympia London in between 17-19 July 2022, Pure Jewel will showcase fine and precious jewellery, silver jewellery, and branded jewellery from ac...

Footfall rose by +2.3% last week from the week before across all UK retail destinations, with most of the rise driven by high streets where footfall rose by +4.2% versus just +0.5% in shopping centres and +0.1% in retail parks, according to retail experts Springboard. In coastal towns footfall rose by +8.5% from the week before, versus just +3.1% in market towns, +4.9% in Central London and +4.7% in city centres outside of the capital. From Thursday onwards – when the weather became warm and sunny – footfall rose from by +8.1% across all retail destinations and by +12.4% in high streets, versus +4.3% in shopping centres and +2.8% in retail parks. On Friday, the uplift doubled to +16.1% across all retail destinations and more than doubled in high streets to +25.8% from the previous week. Springboard said “this is an indication that the flexibility of hybrid home/office working could be enabling consumers to make trips to retail destinations during the working week”. In coastal town...

What Does Your Birthstone Mean? You know which birthstone is yours, but do you know the story and meaning behind your birthstone and does it suit your personality? Find out here! Keyword(s): Your birthstone         Jewelry has long been seen as a way to display status and affluence in society. It was also used as a tool in courtship as a man would present his intended with a sparkling trinket to woo her and to show his ability to provide.  Today, there are jewelry options available to suit every budget, not just the culturally elite. Women are no longer waiting around for a potential suitor to shower them in gold and jewels. They are purchasing their own jewelry. Your birthstone is a unique way to express your personality and establish your personal brand. Since the day you were born, you may have had a precious or semi-precious stone representing your month of birth. But did you know that your birthstone also has   a specific meaning ? A Brief...

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has predicted the strongest Mother’s Day trading in over two years. Following the lifting of restrictions early this year, the head of Bira believes this will be the strongest trading period of the year so far as shoppers will be able to hit the high street without lockdowns or further Covid-19 restrictions which have limited trading since 2020. Bira’s CEO Andrew Goodacre said: “For the first time in two years, people can look forward to a more normal Mother’s Day on the 27 March. “Shops, cafes, restaurants will all be open for what is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year. As we approach this day, the independent retailers will be focusing on selling those unique, diverse gifts that people look for to celebrate this day.” He added: “As we leave winter behind, from a retailing perspective Mother’s Day is one of the first retail opportunities of the year, and this year people can celebrate the occasion in a more norma...

Unique and Co has launched new styles for its men’s collection this spring following continued demand. The new styles offer more colour-ways in brushed finishes that provide layering options with other items from Unique and Co’s men’s collections. Its new leather wrist wear styles feature brushed Steel in dual-contrast colour combining tones.  Unique and Co said: “We love it for its pared back simplicity and the playful two-tone finish on the plating.” Additionally, the jeweller has further released new styles in its chain and bracelet collections.  Meanwhile, Unique and Co revealed that rings are one of its fastest growing categories, offering plating combinations as well as wood or shell inlay rings. source https://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/204312-unique-co-present-mens-collection-for-spring-2022

A mid 20th Century ruby, emerald and diamond ring by Cartier was sold for £20,000 – almost three times its high estimate – by Dix Noonan Webb in their auction of Jewellery and Objects of Vertu on Tuesday March 15, 2022 at their Mayfair saleroom. Comprising three bombé hoops, it had been estimated to fetch £5,000-7,000, and was bought by a member of the London trade and consigned by a private vendor. The auction also included an early 20th century gold and diamond set buckle by Cartier, circa 1902 – the year that Cartier opened a their first boutique in London to coincide with the coronation of King Edward VII, which sold to a private buyer for £4,400 for double its pre-sale estimate. Frances Noble, head of the jewellery department and associate director at Dix Noonan Webb, said: “The sale results illustrate the extremely strong auction market at present, and an overall shortage on the market of good quality pieces, which in turn is leading to competitive bidding. Period Cartier jewe...

Stephen Webster has launched its new collection, ‘The ReBelles’, which comprises seven limited-edition made-to-order cocktail rings. The first ring, ‘Rocket Girl’, is inspired by mathematician Katherine Johnson. It is set in blue titanium and palladium on a white gold shank, with a central trillion dynamite cut amethyst with paraiba tourmalines, diamonds, purple and blue sapphires. The second ring, ‘Making Waves’, inspired by activist and marine biologist Rachel Carson, is set in 18ct white gold, and features a central carved moonstone face with grey and white diamond spines. The ‘Swan Song’ ring takes inspiration from Anna Pavlova, a ballet dancer, and is set in 18ct white gold with a central green dichroic tourmaline and white diamonds.  Meanwhile, the ‘Red Sail Sunset’ ring is inspired by the pirate Ching Shih, and is set in 18ct yellow gold with a central orange citrine and cabochon ruby sails, white diamonds and tattoo detailing using black plating. Additionally, the ‘Lo...

With both the global and UK economies coming under pressure from the rising cost of living crisis, which has only been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, all eyes will be on the chancellor when he makes his Spring Statement speech on 23 March 2022. Here, Christy Wilson, tax associate at Katten UK predicts what we may see as Rishi Sunak sets out his vision for the Uk economy over the next few months.    Some forms of pandemic support will be phased out (for example, the £6000 grant extended to businesses impacted by the Omicron variant in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England), so it seems unlikely that the chancellor would make more business tax increases than is already in place   The Treasury launched a consultation on 25 February asking for input in relation to the introduction of an online sales tax, the consultation is open until May therefore it is unlikely that there will be any material developments regarding online sales tax in the Sprin...

Christie’s has announced its April 13 ‘Magnificent Jewels auction, which will be headlined by The Fuchsia Rose, an intense purple-pink diamond of 8.82 carats, priced at $4-6m (£3-4.5m). The auction also includes a selection of coloured and colourless diamonds, along with historic jewels from “renowned private collections”, and an assemblage of signed jewels by Bvlgari, Cartier, JAR, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef and Arpels. The sale is rounded out with Property from the Rockefeller Family, which includes: a Cartier Art Deco sapphire and diamond bracelet, a Van Cleef and Arpels sapphire and diamond ring and an Art Deco emerald bead, diamond and multi-gem necklace. Last month, Christie’s revealed its previous auction, La Dolce Vita, achieved a total of £2,052,724 and attracted participation from 38 countries, across four continents. The top jewels of the sale were an old cut diamond ring of over 25 carats, which achieved £316,583, alongside a pair of old cut diamonds, of over 12 c...

Signet Jewelers Limited has announced its total sales surged 49.7% to $7.8bn (£5.95bn) in the 52 weeks ending January 29 2022 (FY22), up $2.6bn (£1.98bn) year-on-year and up 27.5% on a two-year basis. For the full year, brick and mortar total sales grew 56.2% year-on-year to $6.3bn (£4.8bn) and 17.2% compared to FY20. Ecommerce sales also increased 27.6% to $1.5bn (£1.14bn) in FY22, which is up 101.4% from FY20, and same store sales increased 48.5% year-on-year and 34.5% from FY20. Additionally, Signet recorded a 49% increase in sales in the 13 weeks ending January 29 2022 (Q4), up from $60.3m (£46m) to $183.4m (£140.67m). However, this is down $2.8m (£2.13m) or 1.5% compared to pre-Covid levels. In Q4, brick and mortar sales surged 124.9% year-on-year to $141.9m (£108.24m), although this is down 10.4% compared FY20. Additionally, eCommerce sales were $41.5m (£31.65m) in Q4; this is down 30.8% year-on-year but up 48.7% from FY20. Same store sales also grew 23.8% in Q4 compared to ...

The Bank of England has raised interest rates back to the pre-pandemic level of 0.75% as it tries to mitigate the effect of the rising costs of living and the impact that the conflict in Ukraine is having on the global economy. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted with a majority of 8-1 to increase the rate and added the decision was taken “given the current tightness of the labour market, continuing signs of robust domestic cost and price pressures, and the risk that those pressures will persist”. The MPC said the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has led to “further large increases” in energy and other commodity prices including food prices and is likely to “exacerbate” global supply chain disruptions, and has increased the uncertainty around the economic outlook “significantly”. As such, it predicts global inflationary pressures will “strengthen considerably” further over coming months, while growth in economies that are net energy importers, including the United Kingdom, is lik...

Fabergé has revealed it has expanded its Heritage collection with the launch of a new locket in honour of National Panda Day. The panda locket is crafted from 18k yellow gold, coated in black and white lacquer and features black diamond eyes and golden paw prints. Sitting on a green chrysoprase stone base and holding a piece of gold bamboo, the bear is encased in an 18k yellow gold egg-shaped locket, hand-painted with dark green enamel, and embellished with white diamonds, suspended on an 18k yellow gold chain. Fabergé said the panda is a “significant and auspicious” creature in Chinese culture, symbolising peace, harmony and friendship. The panda joins a collection of animals that are featured in the Heritage collection, including dog, ladybird, horse, tiger, frog, polar bear and penguin. Fabergé said the collection “celebrates our love of surprise and wit”, and showcases “complex traditional” techniques, such as the art of guilloché enamelling and hand-engraving. source http...

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has said there is “cause for optimism” after the recent BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for February 2022 which revealed that UK retail sales increased 2.7% on a Like-for-like basis from February 2021. According to the BRC the performance comes on top of an improved 2021 performance that also saw an increase of 9.5%. On a Total basis, sales increased by 6.7% in February, against an increase of 1.0% in February 2021. This is ahead of the three-month average growth of 6.5% but worse than the 12-month average growth of 11.3%. Bira’s CEO Andrew Goodacre said: “The UK economy bounced back in January, and better than expected. We have also seen retail sales growth in January and February with the return of people in shops and a reduction in on-line shopping. “The recent set of figures would normally allow us to look forward with a degree of optimism. However, there is so much uncertainty at the moment with rising inflation, rising busine...

The National Association of Jewellers has welcomed Ahmed Mohammed and Mojtaba Noori into its team as part of the government-funded Kickstart scheme. Mohammed and Noori have joined the team as part of the UK’s plan to help people aged between 16-24 to get back into work. The Kickstart scheme was designed to help boost the UK’s economy as part of the government’s promise to get 250,000 young people to build new transferable skills that they can utilise in their careers. Scott Williams, head of membership, said: “The NAJ are pleased to work with the government’s Kickstart scheme to give support and experience to the future workforce. Ahmed and Mojtaba will help us in the staff team to further support members to get the most out of their membership.” The NAJ is the UK’s leading jewellery trade organisation, which promotes and advances over 2,000 members.   source https://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/204201-naj-expands-team-through-gov-kickstarter-scheme

F.Hinds has announced the opening of its new Chapelle store in the new West Midlands Designer Outlet in Cannock, bringing Chapelle’s portfolio up to 13 stores. The store is fitted with “modern” furnishings and reportedly offers savings of at least 30% off RRP. Chapelle stocks a range of diamonds, jewellery and gifts, and offers services such as precious metal recycling, jewellery and watch repairs, valuations, insurance and more. The opening marks the first new store under the Chapelle banner since F.Hinds rescued the outlet specialist from administration in February 2019. Since the acquisition, the sixth-generation family jeweller was able to save 12 of the Chapelle stores along with the e-commerce operation, and the company welcomed 80 additional staff members to the wider group. F.Hinds now operates 128 retail outlets in total and employs over 900 staff across England and Wales. Andrew Hinds, chairman and diamond buyer at F.Hinds and Chapelle, said: “We are delighted at how we...

The total number of hallmarked pieces climbed 127.3% to 852,725 February 2022, up from 375,183 for the same period in 2021. According to the Birmingham Assay Office, Gold hallmarked pieces increased 72.8% to 304,854, against last year’s 176, 420. Silver saw the largest increase in hallmarked pieces, jumping 180.8% year-on-year. The 516,977 hallmarked silver pieces in February 2022 represented the largest volume of hallmarked pieces, up from 184,112 in 2021. Platinum saw the second largest rise, up 111.2% to 30,631 in February. Finally, palladium increased 74.2% year-on-year to 263 pieces in February 2022. source https://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/204195-hallmarking-surges-127-in-february

Comparing Semi-precious Gemstones Semi-precious gemstones can be just as beautiful as precious stones. Let’s take a look at comparing semi-precious gemstone values. Keyword(s): Semi-precious gemstones         Gemstones are some of the earth’s most beautiful natural treasures. When incorporated into jewelry, they make for luxurious and timeless pieces that add elegance and class to your wardrobe.  The wide world of gems can be broken into two groups, precious and semi-precious gemstones. Any astute buyer would wonder: what is the difference between the two?  In this article, we'll answer that question and several others. We'll also talk about the most popular semi-precious gemstones and compare their values. Read on to learn everything you need to know about these beautiful and rare gems.  What Are Semi-Precious Gemstones? So what qualifies as a semi-precious gemstone? The answer is actually pretty simple.  Diamonds, sapphires, rubies, a...